Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now let us come to that which is here recited. Behold, thy days are come that thou shalt die (saith God to Moses) thou shalt go sleep with thy fathers, & this people shall arise (saith he) & go a whoring after strange Gods (or else the Gods of the strangers). When God told Moses in this wise that he must die: we perceive thereby that he strengthened him, and that this tidings of death was not to make him afraid. And in deed, if we be not always ready to depart the world, when it shall please God to fetch us, what profit receive we of all the doctrine that is preached unto us? What doth God purpose when we be taught in his word, but to give us to understand that he placeth us in this world as in a passage, that we must be strangers here, that our inheritance is above, and that we must be new shapen from day to day, by putting away from us all our affections, & whatsoever else is of the old man, to the end we may come unto him, until that he hath clothed us with his heavenly glory? Thus ye see how it is the purpose of God, to draw people from the world, & to bring them unto himself. But now if we be so given to this present life, that God must pluck us away from hence as it were by force: and that when his will is that we shall die; we be full of spite & rage and torment ourselves thereat; we show well that we understand not what the word of God meaneth, and that we never had such taste thereof as was requisite. Let us therefore by the example of Moses, be so disposed to dye, that whensoever it shall please our Lord to take us away from hence, we may be ready to go, and to depart out of this prison of our body. If it be alleged that we have not so much profited as Moses, and that we be not so far forward as he: it is out of doubt that God bestowed on him a special grace, which was not common to all, & is very rare to be found. For it is no small matter, when it is said, that there never rose up a Prophet in Israel,¹ so great nor so excellent as he. But yet notwithstanding we have the Gospel which Moses had not. Albeit that God gave him largely of his spirit, more than we have; yet had not he the doctrine [of the Gospel] but in shadow and figure: because Jesus Christ was not yet manifested: he had the sacrifices of the law, as well as the rest of the people.

Now let vs come to yt which is here recited. Behold, thy dayes are come that thou shalt dy (sayth God to Moses) thou shalt goe sleepe with thy fathers, & this people shal arise (saith he) & go a whoring after strāge Gods (or else the Gods of the strangers). When God told Moses in this wise that he must die: we perceiue thereby that he strengthened him, and that this tidinges of death was not to make him afrayd. And in deede, if we be not alwaies ready to depart the world, when it shall please God to fetch vs, what profit receiue we of all ye doctrine that is preached vnto vs? What doth God purpose when we be taught in his word, but to giue vs to vnderstand yt he placeth vs in this world as in a passage, yt we must be strangers heere, that our inheritance is aboue, and yt we must be newshapen from day to day, by putting away frō vs all our affections, & whatsoeuer else is of the old man, to the end we may come vnto him, vntill yt he hath clothed vs wt his heauenly glorie? Thus ye see how it is the purpose of God, to draw people from the world, & to bring thē vnto himself. But now if we be so giuen to this present life, that God must plucke vs away from hence as it were by force: and yt when his will is that we shall die; we be full of spite & rage and torment ourselues thereat; we shewe well that we vnderstande not what the word of God meaneth, and that we neuer had such tast thereof as was requisite. Let vs therefore by the example of Moses, be so disposed to dye, that whensoeuer it shall please our Lorde to take vs away from hence, we may be readie to goe, and to depart out of this prison of our bodie. If it be alleadged that wee haue not so much profited as Moses, and that wee bee not so farre forewarde as hee: it is out of doubt that God bestowed on him a special grace, which was not cōmon to all, & is very rare to be found. For it is no smal matter, when it is sayde, yt there neuer rose vp a Prophet in Israell,