Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now as touching his burial, it behooveth us to see wherefore Moses was not buried after the common fashion of men, and why he would have his sepulchre to remain unknown. Soothly we must not expound the word so grossly which is set down here, as to say that God made a pit to bury Moses in: but he so ordained that he was buried by his power. God needeth not to set his hand to a thing when he will have it done: it is enough that his power be known. For all creatures must needs obey him, the earth will open when it pleaseth him, as the which was made of nothing. God then may command, and the thing is by and by done & performed, accordingly as it is said in the Psalm,¹ that his commandment is of as great force as all the executinges of the world. Ye see then that the burying of Moses by God, was that God willed the earth to open to give him burial, & to hide his body in, such sort as never man might know what became thereof. And it was not without cause, that God would have the grave of Moses so hidden. Nay rather, we have to note what S. Jude saith thereof in his epistle, that is to wit,² that Michael the archangel fought with the devil for the grave of Moses. And that battle was not stirred up by Satan for nought. For needs must it be that he pretended some advantage, if the grave of Moses had bin known: and that had bin a mean to beguile men with superstition. So then Gods purpose and intent is now manifest unto us; which is that he would not have men to abuse the body of Moses in idolatry. And seeing that God provided for it; it is a sign that he knew mens inclinations to be such, as they would hardly forbear to make idols, if they had any occasion at all. Behold, Moses excelled all Prophets, as it is said of him in the end of this book, & as (by Gods will) we shall see to morrow. Insomuch that after his death there came not a prophet in Israel like unto him. All of them were as expounders of the Law; but yet had he as it were the principal authority. Again, we know how God wrought by him, how he delivered the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, how he ruled them by the space of forty years in the wilderness:

Nowe as touching his buryall, it behooueth vs to see wherefore Moses was not buried after the common fashion of men, and why he would haue his sepulcher to remain vnknowen. Soothly we must not expounde the worde so grossely which is set downe heere, as to say yt God made a pit to burie Moses in: but hee so ordeined that he was buried by his power. God needeth not to set his hande to a thing when hee will haue it done: it is ynough that his power bee knowen. For all creatures must needes obey him, the earth will open when it pleaseth him, as the which was made of nothing. God then may cō maunde, and the thing is by and by done & performed, accordingly as it is saide in the Psalme,