Sermons upon Deuteronomy

Now after he hath spoken so, he saith, That his rehearsing of all these things was in the fortieth year, the eleventh month, and the first day of the month. As if it had been said, when the people drew nigh to the land of promise and were ready to enter into it: then did he repeat the Law of God, and make an abridgement of it, and rehearse all the exhortations and warnings which he had made to them before. Not that Moses had held his peace and kept silence ever since [the giving of the Law in] Horeb: for as I have told you already, he ceased not to call upon the people continually, because he saw them so wilful and stubborn, and so stiffenecked and hard to be bowed. But in the end, forasmuch as he drew near to his long home, and had as good as finished his race and should anon after depart out of this world, (as we shall see that he did in the end of this book:) he made a rehearsal of all the doctrine that he had preached by the space of forty years, of purpose to ratify & confirm it in such wise to the people, as their successors might be edified by it after his decease, and the profit thereof redound unto us at this day, and we be taught all the lessons contained therein. Nevertheless, we see moreover, that the people ought ere that time to have bin throughly subdued, and to have submitted themselves better unto God than they did. For forty years are a good reasonable time to dispose a man to goodness if ever he will be good. ⟨p. 6⟩When we see a man hath bin let chaw upon the bridle by the space of forty years, and yet will give ear to no counsel nor reason: it is then high time or never for him to bethink himself, and to fall to better disposition and ripeness of discretion than he hath done afore, if he be told of his fault. God therefore perceiving his people to be so wild, gave them time and respite to become tame, & led them about by the space of forty years, which thing he did to them for their §10stubbornness sake, as we shall see hereafter. But the thing that we have to mark at this present, is no more but that the cause why Moses spake now unto the people, was for that he drew near his end, and God was at the point to take him out of the world, and also for that the people should be as it were renewed at that time.

Now after he hath spoken so, he saith, That his rehearsing of all these things was in the fortith yeere, the eleuenth moneth, and the first day of the moneth. As if it had bene saide, when the people drewe nigh to the land of promise and were readie to enter into it: then did he repeate the Lawe of God, and make an abridgement of it, and rehearse all the exhortations and warnings which he had made to them before. Not that Moses had helde his peace and kept silence euer since [the giuing of the Lawe in] Horeb: for as I haue tolde you alreadie, he ceassed not to call vpon the people continually, bicause he sawe them so wilfull and stubborne, and so stiffenecked and hard to be bowed. But in the end, forasmuch as he drewe neere to his long home, and had as good as finished his race and should anon after depart out of this world, (as wee shall see that he did in the end of this booke:) he made a rehearsall of all the doctrine that he had preached by the space of fortie yeeres, of purpose to ratifie & confirme it in such wise to the people, as their successours might bee edified by it after his decease, and the profit thereof redound vnto vs at this day, and wee be taught all the lessons conteyned therein. Neuerthelesse, we see moreouer, that the people ought ere that time to haue bin throughly subdued, and to haue submitted themselues better vnto God than they did. For fortie yeeres are a good reasonable time to dispose a man to goodnesse if euer he will be good.