Sermons upon Deuteronomy

I have brought thee out of Egypt, I have led thee through the wilderness, I have brought thee up with all gentleness and lovingkindness, I have planted thee as it were in mine own inheritance, to the intent thou shouldest have been a vine that should have brought me forth good fruit, and I have tilled thee and manured thee: and must thou now be bitter to me, and bring forth sower fruit to choke me withal? The same belongeth to us at this day. For when the Son of God, who is ordained to be judge of the world,¹ shall come at the last day: he may well say to us: how now sirs? Ye have borne my name, ye have been baptised in remembrance and record that I was your redeemer, I have drawn ye out of the dungeons where into ye were plunged, I delivered you from endless death by suffering most cruel death my self, and for the same cause I became man, and submitted my self even to the curse of GOD my father, that you might be blessed by my grace and by my mean: and behold, the reward that you have yielded me for all this, is that ye have (after a sort) torn me in pieces and made a jesting-stock of me, and the death that I suffered for you hath been made a mockery among you, the blood which is the washing and cleansing of your souls hath been as good as trampled under your feet, and to be short, you have taken occasion to ban and blaspheme me, as though I had been some wretched and cursed creature. When the sovereign Judge shall charge us with these things, I pray you will it not be as thundering upon us, to ding us down to the bottom of hell? Yes: and yet are there very few that think upon it. For if needless oaths were as greatly abhorred nowadays among men as they ought to be: they would not by & by after take such leave and boldness as they do to flesh themselves in perjury and forswearing.

I haue brought thee out of Egypt, I haue ledde thee through the wildernesse, I haue brought thee vp with all gentlenesse and louingkindnesse, I haue planted thee as it were in mine owne inheritance, to the intent thou shouldest haue beene a vine that should haue brought me forth good fruite, and I haue tilled thee and manured thee: and must thou nowe bee bitter to me, and bring foorth sower fruite to choke mee withall? The same belongeth to vs at this day. For when the sonne of God, who is ordeined to bee iudge of the worlde,¹ shall come at the last day: hee may well say to vs: howe nowe syrs? Ye haue borne my name, yee haue beene baptised in rememberance and recorde that I was your redeemer, I haue drawen yee out of the dungeons where into yee were plunged, I deliuered you from endelesse death by suffering moste cruell death my selfe, and for the same cause I became man, and submitted my selfe euen to the curse of GOD my father, that you might be blessed by my grace and by my meane: and beholde, the rewarde that you haue yeelded mee for all this, is that yee haue (after a sorte) torne mee in peeces and made a iestingstocke of mee, and the death that I suffered for you hath beene made a mockerie among you, the bloode whiche is the washing and cleansing of your soules hath beene as good as trampled vnder your feete, and to bee short, you haue taken occasion to banne and blaspheme mee, as though I had beene some wretched and cursed creature. When the soueraine Iudge shall charge vs with these thinges, I praye you will it not bee as thundering vppon vs, to ding vs downe to the bottome of hell? Yes: and yet are there verie fewe that thinke vpon it. For if needeles othes were as greatly abhorred nowadayes among men as they ought to be: they woulde not by & by after take such leaue and boldnesse as they doe to flesh themselues in periurie and forswearing.