Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now it behoveth us to mark well the thing that is rehearsed here by Moses, namely that the Rightful was grown fat. His attributing of that title to the people of Israel, is to signify whereto they were called of God: for this comprehendeth the principal end of our calling. Gods adopting of us to be his children, is to the end we should live righteously. The Jews are called a froward and crooked generation.¹ Such then are the unbelievers until our Lord Jesus Christ have brought them home to himself. On the contrary part, when God calleth us to be of his flock or household: then he reformeth us, and he will have us to hold the way of salvation as he showeth it unto us. And such ought the children of Israel to have been, seeing that God had chosen them. But what? It is said that after the rightful or righteous was waxen fat, he fell to kicking against his master. Now if this be said nowadays, it will be double to our shame: for if our Lords speaking of righteousness or uprightness be to show that those whom he had sanctified, defiled themselves, and that those whom he had brought into the right way, were gone astray: it is to condemn them the more grievously. Therefore it ought to make us the more ashamed, when God shall say, What are ye? For I have adopted you to be my children, and what a looking glass and pattern have you in me? Ye ought to resemble your father: ye know my goodness and my justice, and yet are you as crooked as serpents. Must we not needs be confounded with double shame, when God upbraideth us after that sort? So then, let us learn to what purpose God hath ordained us in vouchsafing us the grace to gather us unto him. Let us follow the uprightness which he commandeth us, & let us not swerve aside from in. Moreover let us beware that fatness blind us not, and so mar us: least when we have been full fed for a time, we grow froward through Gods using of his liberality towards us. And that is a very needful ⟨p. 1126⟩point. For when God showeth himself so liberal, and feedeth us with abundance of all things: his so doing is to make us to perceive his goodness the better. Therefore it ought to inflame us the more, seeing that our Lord handleth us gently as though we were his tender babes, as he himself termeth us.

Now it behoueth vs to marke well the thing that is rehearsed heere by Moses, namely that the Rightfull was growen fatte. His attributing of that title to the people of Israel, is to signifie whereto they were called of God: for this comprehendeth the principall end of our calling. Gods adopting of vs to bee his children, is to the ende wee shoulde liue righteously. The Iewes are called a froward and crooked generation.