A

SERMON,

How dangerous a thing it is to fall from God.

OF

Four going from God, the Wise Man saith, that pride was the first beginning: for by it man's heart was turned from God his Maker. For pride, saith he, El. s. is the fountain of all sin: he that hath it shall be full of cursings, and at the end it shall overthrow him. And as by pride and sin we go from God, so shall God and all goodness with him go from us. And the prophet Hosea doth plainly affirm, that they which go away still from God Hosea. by vicious living, and yet would go about to pacify him otherwise by sucrifice, and entertain him thereby, they labour in vain. For, notwithstanding all their sacrifice, yet he goeth still away from them. Forsomuch, saith the Prophet, as they do not apply their minds to return to God, although they go about with whole flocks and herds to seek the Lord, yet they shall not find him; for he is gone away from them. But as touching our turning to God, or from God, you shall understand that it may be done divers ways. Sometimes directly by idolatry, as Israel and Judah then did sometimes men go from God by lack of faith, and mistrusting of God; whereof Isaiah speaketh on this wise, Woe to them that go down into Im. xxxi. Egypt to seek for help, trusting in horses, and having confidence in the number of chariots, and puissance or power of horsemen. They have no confidence in the holy God of Israel, nor seek for the Lord. But what followeth? The Lord shall let his hand fall upon them, and down shall come both the helper and he that is holpen; they shall be destroyed all together. Sometimes men go from God by the neglecting

Zach. vii.

Jer. vii.

Jer. vi

1 Kings XF.

of his commandments concerning their neighbours, which command them to express hearty love towards every man, as Zachary said unto the people in God's behalf. Give true judgment, show mercy and compassion every one to his brother, imagine no deceit towards widows, or children fatherless and motherless, towards strangers, or the poor; let no man forge evil in his heart' against his brother. But these things they passed not of; they turned their backs, and went their way; they stopped their ears, that they might not hear; they hardened their hearts as an adamant stone, that they might not listen to the Law, and the words that the Lord had sent through his holy Spirit, by his ancient Prophets. Wherefore the Lord showed his great indignation upon them. It came to pass, saith the Prophet, even as I told them: as they would not hear, so when they cried, they were not heard, but were scattered into all kingdoms which they never knew, and their land was made desolate. And, to be short, all they that may not abide the word of God, but following the persuasions and stubbornness of their own hearts, go backward and not forward, as it is said in Jeremy, They go and turn away from God. Insomuch that Origen saith, He that with mind, with study, with deeds, with thought and care, applieth and giveth himself to God's word, and thinketh upon his laws day and night, giveth himself wholly to God, and in his precepts and commandments is exercised; this is he that is turned to God. And on the other part he saith, Whosoever is occupied with fables and tales, when the word of God is rehearsed, he is turned from God. Whosoever in time of reading God's word is careful in his mind of worldly business, of money, or of lucre, he is turned from God. Whosoever is entangled with the cares of possessions, filled with covetousness of riches, whosoever studieth for the glory and honour of this world, he is turned from God. So that after his mind, whosoever hath not a special mind to that thing that is commanded or taught of God, ho that doth not listen unto it, embrace, and imprint it in his heart, to the intent that he may duly fashion his life thereafter, he is plainly turned from God, although he do other things of his own devotion and mind, which to him seem better, and more to God's honour. Which thing to be true, we be taught and admonished in the holy Scripture, by the example of king Saul; who being commanded of God by Samuel, that he should kill all the Amalekites, and destroy them clearly, with their goods and cattle; yet he, being moved partly with pity, and partly

(as he thought) with devotion unto God, saved Agag the king, and all the chief of their cattle, therewith to make sacrifice unto God. Wherewithal God being displeased highly, said unto the Prophet Samuel, I repent that ever I made Saul king; for he hath forsaken me, and not followed my words: and so he commanded Samuel to show him. And when Samuel asked wherefore (contrary to God's word) he had saved the cattle, he excused the matter partly by fear, saying, He durst do no other, for that the people would have it so; partly, for that they were goodly beasts, he thought God would be content, seeing it was done of a good intent and devotion, to honour God with the sacrifice of them.

But Samuel, reproving all such intents and devotions, (seem they never so much to God's honour, if they stand not with his word, whereby we may be assured of his pleasure,) said on this wise, Would God have sacrifices and offerings, or rather that his word should be obeyed? To obey him is better than offerings, and to listen to him is better than to offer the fat of rams: yea, to repugn against his voice is as evil as the sin of soothsaying: and not to agree to it is like abominable idolatry. And now forasmuch as thou hast cast away the word of the Lord, he hath cast away thee, that thou shouldest not be king.

By all these examples of holy Scripture, we may know, that as we forsake God, so shall he ever forsake us. And what miserable state doth consequently and necessarily follow thereupon, a man may easily consider by the terrible threatenings of God. And although he consider not all the said misery to the uttermost, being so great that it passeth any man's capacity in this life sufficiently to consider the same; yet he shall soon perceive so much thereof, that if his heart be not more than stony, or harder than the adamant, he shall fear, tremble, and quake, to call the same to his remembrance. First, the displeasure of God towards us is commonly expressed in the Scripture by these two things: by showing his fearful countenance upon us, and by turning his face, or hiding it from us. By showing his dreadful countenance is signified his great wrath: but by turning his face, or hiding thereof, is many times more signified, that is to say, that he clearly forsaketh us, and giveth us over. The which significations be taken of the properties of men's manners. For men towards them whom they favour commonly bear a good, a cheerful, and a loving countenance so that by the face or countenance of a man, it

Heb. iii.

Psalm xv.

1 Cor. vi.

doth commonly appear what will or mind he beareth
towards others. So when God doth show his dreadful
countenance towards us, that is to say, doth send dread-
ful plagues of sword, famine, or pestilence upon us, it
appeareth that he is greatly wroth with us. But when
he withdraweth from us his word, the right doctrine of
Christ, his gracious assistance and aid, (which is ever
joined to his word) and leaveth us to our own wit, our
own will and strength; he declareth then, that he begin-
neth to forsake us. For whereas God hath showed to all
them that truly believe his Gospel, his face of mercy in
Jesus Christ, which doth so lighten their hearts, that they
(if they behold it as they ought to do) be transformed to
his image, be made partakers of the heavenly light, and
of his holy Spirit, and be fashioned to him in all goodness
requisite to the children of God: so, if they after do neg-
lect the same, if they be unthankful unto him, if they
order not their lives according to his example and doe-
trine, and to the setting forth of his glory, he will take
away from them his kingdom, his holy word, whereby
he should reign in them, because they bring not forth
the fruit thereof that he looketh for. Nevertheless, he
is so merciful, and of so long sufferance, that he doth'
not show upon us that great wrath suddenly. But when
we begin to shrink from his word, not believing it, or
not expressing it in our livings; first he doth send his
messengers, the true preachers of his word, to admonish
and warn us of our duty: that as he for his part, for the
great love he bare unto us, delivered his own Son to
suffer death, that we by his death might be delivered
from death, and be restored to the life everlasting, ever-
more to dwell with him, and to be partakers and inhe-
ritors with him of his everlasting glory and kingdom of
heaven; so again, that we for our parts should walk in a
godly life, as becometh his children to do. And if this
will not serve, but still we remain disobedient to his
word and will, not knowing him, nor loving him, nor
fearing him, nor putting our whole trast and confidence
in him; and on the other side, to our neighbours be-
having ourselves uncharitably, by disdain, envy, malice,
or by committing murder, robbery, adultery, gluttony,
deceit, lying, swearing, or other like detestable works,
and ungodly behaviour, then he threateneth us by terrible
comminations, swearing in great anger, that whosoever
doth these works shall never enter into his rest, which is
the kingdom of heaven.

F

The second Part of the Sermon of Falling from

God.

́N the former part of this Sermon ye have learned how many manner of ways men fall from God: some by idolatry, some for lack of faith, some by neglecting of their neighbours, some by not hearing of God's word, some by the pleasure they take in the vanities of worldly things. Ye have also learned in what misery that man is, which is gone from God; and how that God yet of his infinite goodness, to call again man from that his misery, useth first gentle admonitions by his preachers, after he layeth on terrible threatenings. Now if this gentle monition and threatening together do not serve, then God will show his terrible countenance upon us, he will pour intolerable plagues upon our heads, and after he will take away from us all his aid and assistance, wherewith before he did defend us from all such manner of calamity. As the evangelical Prophet Isaiah, agreeing with Christ's parable, doth teach us, saying, That God had made a goodly vineyard for his beloved children; he hedged it, he walled it round about, he planted it with chosen vines, and made a turret in the midst thereof, and therein also a vine-press. And when he looked Matt. xxi. that it should bring forth good grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. And after it followeth, Now shall I show you (saith God) what I will do with my vineyard: I will pluck down the hedges, that it may perish: I will break down the walls, that it may be trodden under foot: I will let it lic waste, it shall not be cut, it shall not be digged, but briars and thorns shall overgrow it; and I shall command the clouds, that they shall no more rain upon it.

By these threatenings we are monished and warned, that if we, which are the chosen vineyard of God, bring not forth good grapes, that is to say, good works, that may be delectable and pleasant in his sight, when he looketh for them, when he sendeth his messengers to call upon us for them, but rather bring forth wild grapes, that is to say, sour works, unsavoury and unfruitful; then will he pluck away all defence, and suffer grievous plagues of famine, battle, dearth, and death, to light upon us. Finally, if these serve not, he will let us lie waste, he will give us over, he will turn away from us, he will dig and delve no more about us, he will let us alone, and suffer us to bring forth even such fruit as we will, to bring forth brambles,

Isaiah v.