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On Wednesday the j. of May. 1555. The xiij. Sermon, which is the third vpon the second Chapter.
24 Afterward the Lorde said, Vp, get ye hence, and go ouer the riuer of Arnon. Behold, I haue deliuered Sehon King of Hesebon the Amorrhyte and his land in∣to thy hand. Begin to take possession, and prouoke him to battell.
25 This day will I begin to send the feare and dreade of thee vppon all people that are vnder the whole heauen: so that when they heare the fame of thee, they shall tremble and bee in anguish for thy presence.
26 Then sent I messengers from the wildernesse of the east, to Sehon King of Hesebon, with wordes of peace, saying:
27 Let mee passe through thy land, keeping on the high way, without turning to the right hand or to the left.
28 Thou shalt sell me meate for monie, to eate, and thou shalt also giue mee water for monie, to drinke: let me but onely passe through on foote,
29 (As the children of Esau haue done which dwel in Seir, and the Moabytes which dwell in Ar) vntill I be come ouer Iordan, and bee entered into the lande which the Lord our God giueth vs.
HEere Moses confirmeth yet bet∣ter the thing that I treated of before: that is to wit, that men must not giue themselues to fo∣lish [ 30] enterprises, as euerie mans fancie leades him: but wee must haue an eye what is lawfull. And thereof there is none other triall, than to hearken what God cō∣maundeth and promiseth vs. For his will must be our sure rule. Whosoeuer thrusteth hims••lfe forth to doe what he liketh best, although he be able to iustifie his doings before men, and can set neuer so many faire colours vppon them: yet shall he alwayes be condemned before God. [ 40] Therefore let vs beare in minde, that to liue as it becommeth vs, we must haue this sobernesse and modesty with vs, that we aduenture not any fur∣ther than his worde will beare vs out. True it is that the talke heere is onely of warres: but wee must applie the doctrine thereof to our generall vse. For like as God chose his people of Israell to make them as a looking glasse for his Church: so must wee applie all the thinges to our selues which are written of them. For the perfection [ 50] of the things that are conteined here,* 1.1 belongeth to vs as sheweth saint Paul. Nowe were this wel obserued wee shoulde not haue such disorder in our life, as wee see. For euerie man hath his li∣king by himselfe, and according to his liking, so flingeth he forth to attempt thinges, and we ne∣uer stande to inquire what God commaundeth, but our owne affections carrie vs away, and in∣flame vs in such wise, that euerie one runnes af∣ter the thing that he lighteth vppon: and so wee [ 60] doe but gadde vp and downe all our life long. But heere it is tolde vs, that men must not reach out their handes to aduenture vppon any thing at all, further foorth than GOD hath gi∣uen them leaue. When hee saith, goe: our go∣ing is not at all aduenture, but it is matched with a promise, Beholde (saith hee) the Lord hath deliuered Sehon king of Hesebon into thy handes. As if hee shoulde say, men must not haue an eye to any thing that may drawe their desire to it afore hande, as wee see that our nature doeth driue vs thereunto: for scarsly can wee tell howe to open our eyes, but some lewde liking will tickle vs. And what is the cause thereof? It is for that wee bee not fully perswaded of this principle, that wee must let all thinges alone which are not graunted vs of God. If wee fol∣lowed this doctrine, such as are poore would be contented with their slendernesse, and craue no more of God but to bee susteyned: and the rich sort would not be so blinded with vnsatiable co∣uetousnesse, as to increase themselues still by adding peece to peece. And therefore it stan∣deth vs so much the more on hande to beare this doctrine in minde, sith we see howe sore our life is disordered, and we cannot rule our lustes according to Gods will, which onely can and ought to master them.
Againe on the other side, wee see howe wee picke out enemies: whereas it belongeth to GOD to appoint vs them. In good faith what is the cause that men heaue one at another, that they seeke to eate vp one another, and that there is so much strife, trubble, and quare∣ling? It is for that as soone as any man is gree∣ued, by and by hee will needes bee reuenged: and wee cannot abide that any man shoulde touch vs in our goods or our persons, but in∣continently wee will be at open warre with him. As for patience, there is none at all in vs. But our Lorde will haue vs to ouercome euill with good, that in so doing wee may be as his sheepe. But no man will bee brought to so much rea∣son. Men then arme themselues where God commaundeth them to bee quiet and peacea∣ble: and they will needes haue them enemies,