Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And by the way, the people are warned by this mean, to hear the law with the more heed & reverence. What is the cause, that when the word of God is preached unto us, many in the mean while do wander in the air, or be at home with their household, or else fall on asleep, and (to be short) that although they do both hear & understand, yet they be not moved awhit; the law & the Gospel be unto them as a matter of nothing: whence cometh such contempt? For it is against nature; that our GOD should speak, & that the creatures which live by his grace, & which ought to dedicate themselves wholly unto him, should yield him so little honour & authority. We do easily vouchsafe to hear a man, if we have him in any estimation; no word that proceedeth from his mouth shall fall to the ground; but we will as it were suck up whatsoever is spoken by so great a personage; in so much that before his words be fully pronounced, we conceive what he meant to speak. Behold, God speaketh, & albeit that it be by the mouth of men, yet is it his will that his word should be of like majesty with us, as if he himself were here in person. But it prevaileth not: & that is because we think not on this presence whereof Moses speaketh in this place. Let us mark well then, that where it is said that when the people assemble together, in the presence of their god, then the law shall be repeated; it is as a preparative. For to the end that we should be drawn away, & carried up from the cares of the world, & from the vain & fond gasings, with the which we be entangled by nature: our Lord doth here waken us, and tell us, that it is he that speaketh, & that he will throughly instruct such as will hear him with all humility, and that his word shall in like wise have the power and force to search mens hearts and to try all their thoughts & affections. Seeing it is so that we cannot eschew the presence of our God, and that he summoneth us before his majesty, and declareth that when we hear his word, it is to note and mark out them that obey him; that so at the least wise we should not be so doltish, as not ⟨p. 1082⟩to apply our endeavour to be taught as we ought, nor to conceive a fervent zeal, with such meekness and aptness to learn, as S.

And by the way, the people are warned by this meane, to heare the law with ye more heede & reuerence. What is the cause, that when the worde of God is preached vnto vs, many in the meane while doe wander in the ayre, or bee at home with their houshold, or else fall on asleepe, and (to be short) that although they doe both heare & vnderstand, yet they bee not moued awhit; the law & the Gospel bee vnto them as a matter of nothing: whence commeth such contempt? For it is against nature; that our GOD should speake, & that the creatures which liue by his grace, & which ought to dedicate themselues wholy vnto him, should yeeld him so litle honor & authoritie. We do easily vouchsafe to heare a man, if we haue him in any estimation; no worde that proceedeth from his mouth shal fall to the ground; but we wil as it were suck vp whatsoeuer is spoken by so great a personage; in so much that before his words be fully pronounced, we conceiue what he meant to speake. Behold, God speaketh, & albeit yt it be by ye mouth of men, yet is it his will that his word should be of like maiestie with vs, as if hee himselfe were here in person. But it preuaileth not: & that is because we thinke not on this presence wherof Moses speaketh in this place. Let vs marke wel then, that where it is sayde that when the people assemble together, in the presence of their god, then the law shalbe repeated; it is as a preparatiue. For to the end that wee should be drawne away, & carried vp from the cares of the world, & from the vaine & fond gasings, with ye which we be intangled by nature: our Lorde doth here waken vs, and tel vs, that it is he that speaketh, & that hee wil throughly instruct such as wil heare him with all humilitie, and that his worde shall in like wise haue the power and force to searche mens heartes and to trye all their thoughtes & affections. Seeing it is so that we cannot eschue the presence of our God, and that hee summoneth vs before his maiestie, and declareth that when wee heare his worde, it is to note and marke out them that obey him; that so at the least wise wee shoulde not bee so doltish, as not