Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now in the end Moses addeth, that God kept that people as the apple of his eye. Here is a similitude which ought well to ravish us to wonder at it. For Moses could not have used a fitter speech to show us what care God hath of us & of our salvation. He saith here that if God were a mortal §10man, he could not more charily keep the apple of his eye, than he kept his people. We know it is the tenderest part of all a mans body. If a man be stricken on the head, or on the hands, or on the arms, it may be borne with: but if he be but touched on the apple of his eye, all his body starkles at it: we be as greatly grieved at it as if a man had stabbed us in with a dagger. It would not grieve us so much to have one of our arms cut off, as to have but a fillip with ones finger §20upon the eye. And it is expressly said, that God keepeth us not only as his arm or as his leg. True it is that God hath neither arms nor legs, we must not imagine any such thing in him: but he borroweth a figure from men, to make us understand the thing that else were too high for us to reach unto. For if he should speak according to his own majesty, we could not conceive him: but he stoopeth to us & useth a manner of speech that is agreeable to our rudeness & infirmity.§30 His saying then is, that he will defend and preserve us, not as a mortal man doth his arms or his feet, but as he would do the apple of his eye. Whereby we learn that God uttered such a chariness in preserving the people of Israel, that if all the gentleness and lovingkindness in the world were put together, it were nothing in comparison of the infinite gracious goodness which he showed in that behalf.

Now in the end Moses addeth, that God kept that people as the apple of his eye. Here is a similitude which ought well to rauish vs to wonder at it. For Moses could not haue vsed a fitter speech to shewe vs what care God hath of vs & of our saluation. He saith here that if God were a mortall §10man, he could not more charily keepe the apple of his eye, than he kept his people. Wee knowe it is the tendrest part of all a mans body. If a man be striken on the head, or on the hands, or on the armes, it may be borne with: but if he be but touched on the apple of his eye, al his bodie starkles at it: we be as greatly grieued at it as if a man had stabbed vs in with a dagger. It wold not greeue vs so much to haue one of our armes cut off, as to haue but a phillup with ones finger