A briefe exposition of such chapters of the olde testament as vsually are redde in the church at common praier on the Sondayes set forth for the better helpe and instruction of the vnlearned. By Thomas Cooper Bishop of Lincolne.

The fourth Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer.

Deut. 6.

THese are the commaundementes, ordynaunces, and [ A] lawes, which the Lorde your God commaunded mée to teache you, that ye mighte doe them in the lande whither ye goe to possesse it.

2 That thou mightest feare the Lorde thy God,* 1.1 and kepe all his ordinances and his commaundements which I com∣maund thée, thou and thy Sonne, and thy sonnes sonne all the dayes of thy life: that thy dayes may be prolonged.

3 Heare therefore O Israell, and take héede that thou doe it, that it may go well with thée, and that ye may encrease mightily, as the Lorde God of thy fathers hath promysed thée, a land that floweth with milke and hony.

4 Heare O Israel, the lord our God is lorde onely.

5 And thou shalte loue the lorde thy God with all thyne heart,* 1.2 and with all thy soule, and with all thy might.

6 And these wordes which I commaunde thée this day, shalbe in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt shewe them vnto thy children, and shalt talke of them when thou art at home [ B] in thine house, and as thou walkest by the waye, and when thou lyest downe, and when thou risest vp.

8 And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand, and they shalbe as frontlettes betwéene thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them vpō the postes of thy house, and vpon thy gates. 10 And when the Lord thy God hath brought thée into the land which he sware vnto thy fathers, Abraham, Isahac, and Iacob, and shall geue to thée great and goodly Cities which thou buildedst not.

11 Houses full of all maner of goodes whych thou filledst not, and we••••es digged which thou diggedst not, vineyardes and Oliue trées whych thou plantedst not, and when thou hast eaten and arte full.

12 Then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thée out of the land of Egipt from the house of bondage.

[ C] 13 Thou shalte feare the Lorde thy God and serue hym, and shalte sweare by his name.* 1.3

14 Sée that ye walke not after straunge Gods,* 1.4 the Gods of the Nations which are about you.

15 (For the Lorde thy God is a Ielous God among you) least the coūtenance of the Lord thy God be moued to wrath against thée, and destroy thée from the face of the earth.

16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God,* 1.5 as ye did in the place of temptation. 17. But you shall diligently kepe the commaundementes of the Lord your God, and his testimo∣nies, and his ordinaunces which he hath commaunded thée.

18 And thou shalt doe that which is ryght and good in the sight of the Lord: that thou mayst prosper, & that thou mayst go in, and possesse that good lande which the Lord sware vn∣to thy fathers. 19 To cast oute all thine enemies before thée, as the Lord hath said. 20 And whē thy sonne asketh thée in time to come, saying: What meaneth these testimo∣nies, ordinances, and lawes, which the Lorde our God hath commaunded you? 21 Then thou shalt say vnto thy sonne: We were Pharaos bondmen in Egipt, & the Lord brought vs out of Egipt with a mightie hande.

22 And the Lorde shewed signes, and wonders, great and euill vpon Egipt, vpon Pharao, and vpon all his housholde, [ D] before our eyes: 23 And brought vs oute from thence, to bring vs in, and to geue vs the lande which he sware vnto oure fathers. 24 And he hath commaunded vs to doe all these ordinaunces, and to feare the Lorde oure God for our wealth al the dayes of our life, as it is come to passe this day.

25 Moreouer, this shalbe oure righteousnesse before the Lorde oure God, if we take heede, and kéepe all these com∣maundementes, as he hath commaunded vs.

The exposition vpon the .vj. Chapter of Deuteronomie.

These are the commaundementes,* 1.6 ordi∣nances, and lawes, whiche. &c.

MOyses purposing to exhorte the Is∣raelites, to a diligent and faithfull obseruation of the law of God, be∣ginneth with the repetition of that whereof he hath before sundry ty∣mes spoken; that is, that the lawes whiche he dothe so earnestly admonishe them to keepe,* 1.7 are *not his, nor deuised of his owne brayne, but suche as were deliuered him of the Lord, and of that Lord, which had not only euer shewed him∣self their gratious and good God,* 1.8 but also *cho∣sen them to be his peculiar people, and vnderta∣ken to defende them from all their enimies: and therfore, that they coulde not without most iust blame refuse obedience therevnto.

And for so muche as Saincte Paule sayeth,* 1.9 VVhatsoeuer is written, is written to our instru∣ction, I thinke there is no better maner of expo∣sition, seing the text is plaine inough of it selfe, than to apply the same vnto vs. We haue far greater cause by our obedience to sette forth the glorie of God than they had.

First then, as Moyses exhorteth the Israe∣lites, wée muste feare God. For as Salomon sayth:* 1.10 The feare of God is the beginning of wise∣dome. This feare will not onely beate downe

our pryde and confidence in oure selues: but al∣so, will bee as a brydle to staye vs from euill, and to represse the wicked iustes and affections that rise in vs, contrary to the law of God. *Feare of the Lorde represseth sinne,* 1.11 (sayeth Ie∣sus Syrach) Chap. 1. And Salomon,* 1.12 Prouerb. 8. Feare of the Lord doth hate euill. Contrarywise, where feare of God is not, men run headlong to all wickednesse, yet must not this feare be in the faithfull a bonde and seruile feare, wherein we think of God only, as he is a terrible iudge, for so Satan *and the wicked do feare God:* 1.13 But our feare muste be ioyned with the earnest loue of God. We muste not onely feare God for his iustice,* 1.14 but wee muste* loue him also for his mercie and goodnesse towardes vs. And there∣fore Moyses afterward addeth,* 1.15 Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy might.

This Loue of God in the faithfull *doth far more earnestly bridle them from the disobediēce of gods holy lawes,* 1.16 than feare can doe.* 1.17 For they that by a sure faith,* 1.18 haue the true sense of Gods infinite mercies towards them, and therby vn∣faynedly loue hym,* 1.19 are more* readie to please God,* 1.20 and to shewe themselues thankful to him,* 1.21 than feare of his iustice can make them lothe to displease and offende him by sinne and wicked∣nesse.* 1.22 The one of these,* 1.23 that is Feare, muste re∣presse and keepe vnder olde Adam, and the car∣nall man. The other, that is, Loue, doth set for∣warde

and encourage the spirituall and newe man, that is begotten in Christ Iesu.

Moreouer,* 1.24 forsomuch as our corruption is so great, and our inclination vnto euill so ready, that we soone forget our duties towarde God: after Moyses his counsell, wee must seeke by all meanes that we can, to* imprinte his holy will in oure heartes, to sette it before oure eyes, and to make it* continually, as it were to ring and sound in our eares. This will best be doone by the diligent reading, hearing, and meditating of the holie Scriptures, by whiche the wil of God is learned. For this cause Dauid sayeth, that Hee is blessed whiche delighteth in the lawe of the Lorde,* 1.25 and exerciseth himselfe therein both day and nighte.* 1.26 This is it, that Moyses meaneth, when he biddeth the Israelites, that they should Talke of the lawes of God in theyr house, By the way, Lying downe to bedde, Rising vp in the mor∣ning, That they shoulde bee as a sygne in theyr hands, as a Frontlet before their eyes, and VVryte them on their doore postes, That is, by all mea∣nes they can, to make them selues famyliar with them, that by the fleshe and the worlde they myghte not bee drawne to forgetfulnesse thereof.

And when the Lorde thy God hathe broughte thee into the lande.* 1.27 &c.

This is an other good Instruction that

Moyses vseth to the Israelites, and behooueth vs also to follow:* 1.28 that is, that with earnest con∣sideration we call to mynde the *inestimable be∣nefites that God hath doone for vs, whiche are farre greater and of more worthinesse, than are these worldly benefites whiche God here is re∣ported to haue done for the Israelites. For he doth not only continually from tyme to tyme be∣stowe vpon vs the lyke worldly and outwarde blessings to our no small comfort and quietnesse in this lyfe,* 1.29 but hath also enriched vs with his spirituall* treasures and blessings, as the *deli∣uerance from the tyrannie of Satan, sinne, and Antichrist,* 1.30 *the knowledge of his holy worde, & *light of his Gospel, wherby we are to be made the children of God, and *heires, not of the land of Chanaan, and the fruites and pleasures ther∣of: but of the celestiall Ierusalem, the kingdome of God, and eternall lyfe with Christe Iesu in heauen. And if the consideration of worldly be∣nefits might be so good a stay vnto the Israelites, how much more ought these to be vnto vs, if we think our selues worthie the name of christiās?

See that you walke not after straunge gods,* 1.31 and the gods of the nations. &c.

As the Ievves, and by them all other are forbidden to worship straunge gods: so are we also to woorship the liuing God with straunge worship, that is, with any other worship, than he himselfe in his holie worde hath appointed.

We must beware therefore, that wee fall not a∣way from Gods true worship *in spirit & truth,* 1.32 vnto idolatrie,* 1.33 superstition, and fonde* deuises of men, therby thinking to please God. For as god is a ielous God, and will be worshipped alone, and not with other false Gods, so is he a seuere God, and delyghteth more in single obedience to his woorde, than in sacrifice, superstition, or any of mans deuised holinesse, thoughe it seeme neuer so pleasant in the sight of the worlde, or to be done of neuer so good an intent.

*Saule when he spared the fat beastes of the Amalekites for sacrifice,* 1.34 might seme to haue done it for a good purpose. But God dyd so muche mislyke it, that for the same he cast hym bothe oute of his fauoure, and out of the kingdome of Israell.

And when thy sonne asketh thee in time to come,* 1.35 saying: What meane. &c.

It is not sufficient for vs to know the true worship of God oure selues,* 1.36 but we must desyre also to instruct *and teache other, and especially oure owne *children, that Gods true Religion may be deliuered from hande to hande, and so be enlarged to our posteritie. How farre from this are a greate number of suche as will be called Christians, and neither can nor will teach theyr sonnes and daughters themselues, nor yet pro∣cure them to bee instructed by other, no nor to

come thyther, where, by order they are ap∣poynted to bee taughte the principles of chri∣stian faith.

Surely it muste needes be thoughte, they haue small feare of God, little sense of the my∣sterie of oure redemption in Christe, no regarde of the good estate of their chyldren, or of the saluation of their owne soules. They should teache theyr children in lyke manner as Moy∣ses here commaundeth the Iewes, and saye: We were of oure selues,* 1.37 and of oure* owne na∣tures, as bondeslaues, and subiecte to Sa∣than, synne, and Hell, And it pleased Almigh∣tie God of his exceeding greate mercie, with∣oute any regarde of woorthynesse in vs, to sende downe his only and dearely beloued sonne from heauen to take fleshe of the blessed virgin, and here liued in this worlde in great contempt and reproche, and at the laste was put to moste cruell death, by his passion, paying the ransome for oure sinnes, and for vs satisfied the Iustice of God.* 1.38 So that we by* him are nowe reconci∣led to God, haue remission of our sinnes, and in his sight are reputed iust, and appoynted heires of eternall lyfe wyth Chryste Iesu. For thys cause doe me* assemble togyther in the house of Prayer,* 1.39 and vse the Sacramentes and my∣steries of oure Religion, thereby to call into our remembraunce this vnestimable benefite,* 1.40 and to* giue thankes vnto him for the same, and to pray for the assistance of his holy spirite, that in

all vertuousnesse and holynesse of lyfe, we may shewe our selues thankefull, and studie to liue according to thys our holye vocation, that the name of God maye in vs bee praysed.

This I saye, shoulde they teach their chil∣dren, to make them to vnderstande why they be called Christians, and what the substance of true religion is.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Deu. 10. c. 20
• * 1.2

  Mar. 12. c. 20 Mat. 22. d. 37 Luc. 5. c. 27. de. 11. d. 18. 19
• * 1.3

  Exo. 10. c. 20.
• * 1.4

  Luc. 4. b. 8.
• * 1.5

  Mat. 4. b. 7. Luc. 4. b. 12. Exod. 17. a. 7
• * 1.6

  Vers. 1.
• * 1.7

  Leu. 18. a. 4 Leu. 20. b. 8 de. 5. d. 32. 33
• * 1.8

  Josu. 24. a. 2. 6. 7. &c.
• * 1.9

  Rom. 15. a. 4
• * 1.10

  Prou. 1. a. 7
• * 1.11

  Eccl. 1. c. 27.
• * 1.12

  Prou. 8. b. 13.
• * 1.13

  Jacob. 2. d. 19
• * 1.14

  1. Io. 4. d. 18.
• * 1.15

  Vers. 5.
• * 1.16

  Exod. 1. b. 14
• * 1.17

  Sap. 6. c. 19.
• * 1.18

  Ecc. 2. c. 18. 19
• * 1.19

  Phi. 3. b. 7. 8.
• * 1.20

  Rom. 8. g. 35
• * 1.21

  Psa. 68. b. 10
• * 1.22

  Psa. 118. 137
• * 1.23

  Act. 5. g. 41.
• * 1.24

  Vers. 7. Eccl. 3. c. 22. Exo. 13. b. 9. Le. 6. b. 12. 13 de. 11. c. 18. 19 Josu. 1. b. 8. Psal. 118. 97. 1. Timo. 4. d. 15. 16.
• * 1.25

  Psalm. 1. a. 1.
• * 1.26

  Vers. 7. 8. 9
• * 1.27

  Ver. 10. 11. 12
• * 1.28

  Psa. 32. b. 5. 6 Act. 17. f. 28. Act. 14. c. 17
• * 1.29

  Ephe. 1. a. 3 Gala. 1. a. 4 Rom. 1. b. 11. Coloss. 1. b. 15.
• * 1.30

  eph. 1. c. 12. 17 1. Pet. 2. b. 9. Rom. 8. c. 17. Jacob. 2. b. 5 1. Pet. 3. d 22
• * 1.31

  Vers. 2.
• * 1.32

  Jo. 4. e. 23. 24
• * 1.33

  4 Re. 17. e. 29
• * 1.34

  1. Re. 15. e. 21
• * 1.35

  Vers. 20.
• * 1.36

  Exo. 24. c. 12 Leui. 11. b. 11. deu. 4. b. 9. 10 Ecc. 30. a. 2. 3 Eccle. 22. a. 3. Deu. 11. c. 19. Gen. 18. c. 19 1. Pa. 28. b. 9. 2. Reg. 12. f. 25 Dani. 13 a. 3. Tob. 1. b. 10 Tob. 14. c. 8.
• * 1.37

  Ephe. 2. a. 3 Sap. 12. b. 10. Iere. 13. d. 23.
• * 1.38

  Rom. 5. b. 11.
• * 1.39

  Ps. 108. d. 29 Ps. 110. a. 1.
• * 1.40

  Luk. 1. g. 68. Ephe. 1 a. 3.