Sermons upon Deuteronomy

then he leaveth them to a kind of madness. Such fury then must needs be in them, when they did eat their own children.

then hee leaueth them to a kinde of madnesse. Such furie then must needes be in them, when they did eate their owne children.

Hereby we be specially warned, that they which be reserved for the last cast, be in no better case than they, whom God hath chastised long afore. And this is a profitable warning. For so soon as God striketh some, and forbeareth othersome: And why not these also, say we? Have not these deserved as much? We have not the patience to suffer God to execute his judgements in such order as seemeth good unto him self: but we surmise, that those whom he doth respite, and whom he for a little while forbeareth, be privileged more than we. But it is contrary: for it had bin better for them to have bin punished sooner than to be so reserved. And therefore let us not envy them because that God forbeareth them for a time, as though they were exempted from all plagues, but let us tarry till God fetch them about at their turn: for it had bin far better for them, to have bin dispatched out of hand. And therewithal let every of us look to himself. Let us not trust to the patience that God ••eth toward us, to deceive our selves therewith. In deed when God hath bin patient, and forborne us, it should ⟨p. 998⟩give us the better disposition, to resort unto him, and to hope to find him pitiful, to forgive us our faults and trespasses. But we must not fall asleep thereupon, to dally with him, and to say: O, he hath tarried for us, he will yet do the like hereafter; as we see the wicked do, which do but shake their head at it: when they see that God hath spared them, they think they be discharged. Let us beware that. For we see how he saith, that when we be well appointed,§10 and have fortresses as it were invincible, all must fall on our heads, and we shall be so much the more grievously punished. Thus much have we to remember touching this text.