Sermons upon Deuteronomy

He saith, that they shall perceive that Gods name is claimed [or called upon] over us: and that it shall put them in fear. For albeit that they fear not God: yet doth he bridle them secretly, insomuch that when they would practise any thing against his people, they cannot, for they feel their courage broken. This is to be wondered at, that God sometimes doth give the wicked the bridle so far as to cast out the foam of their rage against us: they devise what they can, and work their spite. But have they once done that: then shall it appear that they are underlings to him, and cannot withstand him. And what is the cause thereof? If God should suffer the faithless to have their own will, it is certain that the world should not last three days, but that they would bear down all things before them. Therefore it is necessary that he should restrain them with some secret bridle, and not suffer their headiness to have full scope. And we see it before our eyes. Whereof comes it that we have not bin swallowed up a hundred thousand times within these twenty or thirty years last past? Only of Gods defence, which consisteth not in signs that may be seen, but in his secret holding of the wicked as it were in prison, maugre all the mischievousness that is in them. By reason whereof, when they have devised any thing, they wash away like water, & all their thoughts do vanish, and they lie as with their arms broken, and though they undertake great things, yet can they not attain to their purpose. And so ye see what Moses meant in saying, that the ⟨p. 957⟩wicked, (forsomuch as they be our enemies) shall perceive that the name of God is called upon over us, and thereby be stricken in fear. Whereby we see, that there is no such fortress nor defence as to have our recourse to God. So long as he taketh the care upon him to save us, let us boldly trust that we stand in safety, yea albeit that the wicked conspire against us, and lye in wait and watch for us: yet shall we be as in an invincible fortress, so we §10can call upon the name of our GOD, and be throughly assured in ourselves that he avoweth us to be his people, whereof we have good warrant, so we break not our faith which on our part we have plighted unto him. But we must feel the protection of GOD otherwise than the wicked do;

Hee sayth, that they shall perceaue that Gods name is claymed [or called vppon] ouer vs: and that it shall put them in feare. For albeit that they feare not God: yet doth he bridle them secretly, insomuch that when they would practise any thing against his people, they cannot, for they feele their courage broken. This is to be wondred at, that God sometimes doth giue the wicked the bridle so far as to cast out the fome of their rage against vs: they deuise what they can, and worke their spite. But haue they once done that: then shall it appeare that they are vnderlings to him, and cannot withstand him. And what is the cause thereof? If God should suffer the faythlesse to haue their owne will, it is certaine that the worlde should not last three dayes, but that they would beare downe all things before them. Therefore it is necessarie that hee shoulde restraine them with some secret bridle, and not suffer their headynesse to haue full scope. And we see it before our eyes. Whereof comes it that we haue not bin swallowed vp a hundred thowsand times within these twentie or thirtie yeeres last past? Onely of Gods defence, which consisteth not in signes that may be seene, but in his secret holding of the wicked as it were in prison, mauger all the mischieuousnesse that is in them. By reason whereof, when they haue deuised any thing, they wash away lyke water, & all their thoughtes doe vanish, and they ly as with their armes broken, and though they vndertake great thinges, yet can they not attaine to their purpose. And so yee see what Moses meant in saying, that the