to wit, that God wil not be serued by constraint, but of free loue. He could say, Thou shalt ho∣nour thy God, thou shalt obey thy God, thou shalt feare thy GOD: and so hee doeth in other textes, and it is good reason that it should be so: but he speaketh expressely of loue. And why? To shewe that if our seruing of him bee by constreint, so as wee goe to it against our wils: though wee honor him neuer so much, and doe all that is possible to glorify his name: yet if the [ 10] same proceede not of loue, so as our heart yeeld vnto him freely and without gainesaying: hee vtterly disaloweth it, and such seruice is not ac∣ceptable vnto him, for he loueth him that gi∣ueth with a free will and pure affection, as sayth Saint Paul treating of Almesdeedes. Seeing then that God loueth him which giueth with a chearefull courage: thereby hee sheweth that if a man should spend all his goods, yet should it not boote him at al as to Godward, vnlesse hee [ 20] haue a delight in well doing. And why? Because God hath commaunded it, and wee ought a∣boue all thinges to desire that hee be glorifyed, that his righteousnesse bee obeyed, that he bee exalted at our handes, that hee reigne ouer vs, and that we be his people in very deede. Ye see then that the chiefe ioy which wee should haue to incline vs to doe well, is a hartie and free af∣fection. And that is the cause why the worde Loue was playnely set downe in this text.
Notwithstanding, God will not haue vs to [ 30] loue him as our fellowe: but hee will haue vs to loue him, honor him, and serue him as our God. And therefore let vs marke well, that if wee will obserue Gods lawe as we ought to doe: we must not consider him al only in the degree of a mai∣ster, thereby to yeelde him reuerence: but wee must also set before vs the title of father, and as∣sure our selues that Gods intent is to win vs to him by gentlenesse, that our heart may bee as [ 40] it were tyed vnto him, according to this saying of his by his prophet, If I be your maister, where is my feare? and if I be your father, where is my loue? In deede he setteth downe honor in that place, to betoken that a seruant ought to feare his maister: but yet immediatly after hee set∣teth downe the worde Loue also, of purpose to shewe what honour the childe yeeldeth to his father.
And therefore let vs remember, that the [ 50] first point of seruing God aright, is to bee led vn∣to him, yea and to be led thither vpō knowledge of this worde Sauiour, so as we couet aboue all things to be so knit vnto him, as all our ioy, contentation and rest bee there, that by that meane we may no more be giuen to the thinges that are contrarie to his righteousnesse. And that is the cause why wee say, that we must first know Gods grace and goodnesse, before we can serue him. For as for such as serue God for feare [ 60] of being damned, not knowing that hee will bee their sauiour: what doe they? They seeme to in∣force themselues greatly foreward: but in deede they drawe cleane backe. Though they breake both their armes and their legges, yet are they neuer the forewarder. And for that cause is it sayde in the hundred and thirtith psalme, Because the Lord hath bin mercifull, and men haue found him gentle and gratious: therefore is hee feared and dreaded. In deede the world thinketh to serue GOD well enough, without knowing him, and wee see that the Papistes doe this and that vpon such opinion. But what for that? In the meane while they haue no trust in God, they neuer knewe his will nor his louing kindenesse: and therefore are they alwayes in terror and vnquietnesse.
True it is that they yeelde some outward seruice vnto God: but all that euer they doe is not woorth a pin, insomuch that God reiectes euen their keeping of the Lawe: for wee must be led by loue and by a franke and free goodwill, as I sayd afore. And how may that bee done? Euen by knowing God to be our father and Sa∣uiour, as I alledged out of the text of malachie, and as is yet better expressed in this verse of the psalme, that wee must first know Gods mercy, and rest thereupon, or else wee can neuer feare him, and come neere him to serue him. That is the true & plaine meaning of this text, and so must wee apply it.
Moses hauing spoken after that fashion, ad∣deth now, that the Lawe must bee so deare vn∣to vs, as to take it for our chiefe treasure. And forasmuch as wee bee too much subiect to the seeking of the corruptible thinges of this world, and forget God out of hand, and withdrawe our selues too farre from him: hee sayth, that men must haue Gods lawe continually in their sight, and make as it were a Headroll thereof, as if a woman were attyred after the auncient maner, with borders on her head, bracelets on her armes: or as if a man should make borders of thē about his house, or ingrauers vppon the doores of his house, so as Gods glorie might be euery where. And whereas hee speaketh heere of frontlets and bracelets, and of painting and ingrauing of Gods lawe vpon doore postes: it is to shewe that whereas men giue themselues to vaine glory in decking and attyring of themselues, and the same turneth them away from God: they must make all their deckinges of Gods Lawe: that must bee their Iewels. Like as if a man or a wo∣man haue a costly Iewell vpon their finger, and take pleasure therein: in steade thereof they shoulde haue Gods Lawe continually before their eyes, so as a man should no sooner looke vpon himselfe, no though it were but vpon his nayles, but it shoulde come to his minde to thinke, Thou hast a maker who fashioned thee, and whose will it is that thou shouldest serue him by yeelding thy selfe wholly to his obedience. Although thou bee a sillie vnprofitable creature: yet will thy God bee glorified in thee. Thus yee see howe we must make all our deckinges of Gods Lawe. Againe, in stead of the beautify∣ing of houses, with thinges of goodly shewe and furniture, to the ende it may bee saide, this is the house of some man of estimation: the Lawe of God must be written vpon it. Now wee see what the meaning of Moses was.
But by the way we haue here to bewaile ye cor∣ruption