Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Afterward he speaketh of fat Sheep, Goats and Lambs. Trueth it is that in this place is §60used the word Bashan, which had that name, of fatness: for the hill of Bashan was a goodly country of pasture. And this is the cause, why he expressly speaketh thereof. And let us mark that Moses never came within the land of Canaan, he had never so viewed it that he could describe it, as he doth here. Needs therefore must he speak, not as a man, but as one whose tongue is governed by the spirit of God. And here he treateth of the things which the people were to find after the decease; and yet he speaketh of them as if he had seen them, and as though the things had been done already. So then we have a plain proof that Moses wrote not any thing on his own head, but was an instrument of the holy Ghost. For he left this song to the children of Israel, and made it common among them before his death, as we have seen afore. Whereby it was apparent, that he was taught at Gods hand all the things which were unknown unto him as in respect of the flesh: & surely not even the children of Israel themselves could understand the contents of that song, until they had had the experience of it. But the effect showed that his so speaking was not in vain. The thing then which Moses (or rather the holy Ghost by his mouth) intended; is to put the Jews in mind, how liberal God had showed himself to them, namely by bringing them into the Land of promise, and by giving them fruitfulness, that it might suffice to maintain them. And no doubt but he meant here to magnify Gods goodness, by declaring that he passed the common order of nature when he had such a care to sustain his people so wealthily in that land which a man would never have thought able to do it. So much the more therefore ought we to abhor these devilish heads, which have gone about to deface Gods grace in this behalf, seeing that the holy scripture standeth thereupon, namely that men must not deem according to the common order of nature, concerning Gods maintaining of his people after that manner.¹ As for example, that cursed heretic which was executed here among us; was not ashamed to write in one of his books that the land of Canaan is indeed spoken of, howbeit over favourably, and that they which have so spoken thereof, have made us to believe many things unadvisedly.

Afterwarde hee speaketh of fat Sheepe, Goates and Lambes. Trueth it is that in this place is