Sermons upon Deuteronomy

And to amplify the lewdness yet more, of such as do so abuse Gods gracious gifts; Moses saith further, Thou art become thick and fat, thou art as it were cumbered with thine own fat, thou art even overgrown with fat. And so he forgot (or forsook) the God that made him, and scorned the strong God of his welfare. Whereas Moses saith here that the people became lusty, fat & thick, as though they had bin choked with their own grease: it is in two respects: the one to blame them the sorer, for that in steed of noting & marking well Gods benefits, that thereby they might have bin the more provoked to serve and honour him: they devoured them up without measure or temperance: and also that the quantity of Gods benefits was so great, that it behighted them the greater condemnation. Let us mark well then, that if we forget Gods benefits, they be registered up before him to put us to reproach. Therefore we shall gain nothing by the shortness of our remembrance, nor by our forgetting of the great number of Gods benefits, no nor yet by our defacing of them as much as in us lieth: for God forgetteth not any thing, all things must needs come to account before him. Wherefore let us provide for it aforehand. And as (I have said) let every of us look nearly to himself, & the mo commodities we have, let us consider that our Lord bindeth us the more to magnify him, & will have us to receive the cup of salvation at his hand, & to call upon his name, that our mouths may be open to sing songs of praise unto him. Mark that for one point. And therefore let us assure ourselves that this unthankfulness will make us the more unexcusable, seeing that God setteth here before us the benefits which he had bestowed upon his people, & useth such a number of words to show that nothing was forgotten which he had done for y• people when they had once estranged themselves from him, and that his intent in showing himself so liberal, was not that the people should make none account of it, but that they should have born all things well in mind. Let that therefore serve for one point.

And to amplifie the leawdnesse yet more, of such as doe so abuse Gods gratious giftes; Moses saith further, Thou art become thicke and fatte, thou art as it were cumbered with thine owne fatte, thou art euen ouergrowen with fatte. And so he forgate (or forsooke) the God that made him, and skorned the strong God of his welfare. Whereas Moses saith here that the people became lusty, fatte & thick, as though they had bin choked with their own greace: it is in two respects: the one to blame them ye sorer, for that in steed of noting & marking well Gods benefites, yt thereby they might haue bin the more prouoked to serue and honour him: they deuoured them vp without measure or temperance: and also that the quantitie of Gods benefites was so great, that it behighted them the greater condemnation. Let vs marke well then, that if wee forget Gods benefites, they be registred vp before him to put vs to reproch. Therfore we shall gaine nothing by the shortnes of our remembraunce, nor by our forgetting of the great number of Gods benefits, no nor yet by our defacing of them as much as in vs lieth: for God forgetteth not any thing, all thinges must needes come to account before him. Wherefore let vs prouide for it aforehand. And as (I haue said) let euery of vs looke neerely to himselfe, & the mo commodities we haue, let vs consider yt our Lord bindeth vs the more to magnifie him, & wil haue vs to receiue the cup of saluation at his hand, & to call vpon his name, that our mouthes may be open to sing songs of praise vnto him. Mark that for one point. And therefore let vs assure ourselues yt this vnthankfulnes wil make vs the more vnexcusable, seeing yt God setteth here before vs ye benefites which he had bestowed vpō his people, & vseth such a number of words to shew that nothing was forgotten which he had done for y people when they had once estranged thēselues from him, and yt his intent in shewing himself so liberal, was not yt the people shoulde make none account of it, but yt they shold haue born al things wel in minde. Let yt therfore serue for one point.