Sermons upon Deuteronomy

This matter is worthy to be marked. For (as I have said) if God begin to punish men, it is evermore said to be fortune, this is agreeable to our state, (say they:) we know that mans life is subject to much wretchedness, and in the mean while the hand of God is not regarded. And though he double it, yet do men continue dull, & seem as though they could evermore hide them, & scape away, because they enter not into their consciences to search out the sins that be there, but are loath to know them, as if a man should go hide himself in a dark corner of set purpose to shun the brightness of the sun at noon days. Even so do we in all the chastisements which God doth send us to warn us of our sins and to draw us to repentance. But in the end God doth augment his punishments in such sort, as they become miracles: that is to say, they exceed the common measure, order and course of nature, so as we might be ravished with astonishment, and thereby perceive that God doth then show himself, as though his hand appeared unto us from heaven. And that is the thing which he declareth more fully in the xxvi. Chapter of Levi. For after he hath pronoun ced the sentence upon them that reject the doctrine of salvation, he saith, I will send upon you seven times as much,¹ if I perceive that nothing do prevail with you: If my punishing of you amend you not, I will ad there to seven times as much. And he repeateth this sentence again in the end; & saith, If you will walk at all adventure against men, I will walk also at all adventure against you. Now this word, Adventure, hath relation to the blockishness that is in us, which we have touched here before. For we see very well the adversities that do befall us in this world, & wading yet further we confess that it is God that punisheth us: but to think thereon in good earnest; and to judge every man himself by calling our sins to remembrance so often as God giveth any inkling of them; it is the furthest part of our thought. Let every man look to him self: How many afflictions have we in the year which should be testimonies unto us of the wrath of God, & as it were summons of appearance before him, warning us to sue to him for pardon, and to have pity upon us? Scarcely doth any one day pass, but that a man is warned five or six times as if God should say unto him;

This matter is worthie to be marked. For (as I haue saide) if God beginne to punish men, it is euermore saide to be fortune, this is agreeable to our state, (say they:) we know that mans life is subiect to much wretchednes, and in ye meane while the hand of God is not regarded. And though he double it, yet do men continue dull, & seeme as though they could euermore hide them, & scape away, because they enter not into their consciences to searche out the sinnes that be there, but are loath to knowe them, as if a man should goe hide himselfe in a darke corner of set purpose to shun the brightnesse of the sun at noone days. Euen so doe we in al the chastisements which God doth send vs to warne vs of our sins and to drawe vs to repentance. But in the end God doth augment his punishments in such sort, as they become miracles: that is to say, they exceede the common measure, order and course of nature, so as we might be rauished with astonishment, and thereby perceiue that God doth then shewe himselfe, as though his hand appeared vnto vs frō heauen. And that is the thing which he declareth more fully in the xxvi. Chapter of Leui. For after he hath pronoū ced the sentence vpon them that reiect the doctrine of saluation, he saith, I will send vpon you seuentimes as much,