with his hands the thing which is good that he may haue to giue to him that needeth Secondly it is very comfortable to vs to be busied in them we must looke for a blessing vpon vs and them while we continue in them God appeared to Moses in a slame of fire out of the middes of a bush while he kept the flocke of Iethro his father in Law Dauid was chosen and taken from the sheepefolds to feed the people of God The Lord tooke Amos Amos 7. â—â— as he followed the flocke and said vnto him Goe Prophesie vnto my people Israel While the shepheards were attending their flocks by night and abiding in the fields an Angel of the Lord brought them tidings of great ioy which should be to all people that to them was borne that day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.10 11. The like we might say of Iacob while he was faithfull in his calling the Lord appeared vnto him He chose his Apostles as they were busie in their callings and painefull in them Gen. 31. â— Matth. 4â— 21 and â—â— Peter and Andrew as they were casting a net into the sea Iames Iohn his brother as they were mending their nets for they were fishers Matthew the Publican as he sate at the receit of custome he saith vnto him follow me who arose immediatly followed him Mat. 9. While we walke in our callings we may look for a blessing but when once we goe from them and either forsake our calling or busie our selues in other mens callings we can expect no blessing at his hands for when we leaue them he leaueth vs when we returne to them he returneth to vs. Thirdly euery one must iudge and esteeme his particular calling to be the best and fittest for him The Apostle confirmeth this by his owne practise and example Phil. 4 12. I haue learned in whatsoeuer estate I am therewith to bee content This will arme vs against all discontentment and murmuring against God and make vs quietly to keepe our owne standing When Absolon was not content with the place of a Subiect and to be accounted the Kings sonne but said O that I were Iudge among you 2 Sam. 15 4. then he sought his fathers kingdome â— 20 24. When the sonnes of Zebede contented not themselues with the calling of Disciples but were enflamed with the thirst of honour and desire of dignity to be the greatest in the kingdome of Christ then arose enuy and heart-burning among them It is altogether vnpossible that we should rest well pleased with our callings and conditions and not climbe aloft aboue the places wherein we are set except we set downe this as our rest that our calling such as God hath appointed is the fittest and meetest for vs. Lastly euery one is bound to glorifie God in his calling though it be neuer so meane or base Wiues are charged to be obedient to their owne husband that the word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2 5 10. Seruants are commanded to please their masters in all things that they may adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things Tit. 2 10. That the Name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed 1 Tim. 6 1. This ought to be propounded vnto vs and set before our eyes to make it the end of all our actions that whether we eate or drink or whatsoeuer we do we may do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. It is not the highnes or lownesse the greatnes or meannesse of our calling that God so much respecteth as the sincerity of the heart of him that walketh in his calling If it be not sound all our actions are corrupt We must not think that onely men of high callings are to giue glory vnto God it is a common duty required of all and woe vnto vs if we do it not The heauens declare the glory of GOD much more ought man endued with reason and vnderstanding 27. And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites and the family of the Izeharites and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Vzzielites these are the families of the Kohathites 28. In the number of all the males from a moneth old and vpward were eight thousand and sixe hundred keeping the charge of the Sanctuary 29. The families of the sonnes of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle Southward 30. And the chiefe of the house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Vzziel 31. And their charge shall be the Arke and the Table and the Candlesticke and the Altars and the vessels of the Sanctuary wherewith they minister and the hanging and all the seruice therof 32. And Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest shall be cheefe ouer the cheefe of the Leuites haue the ouersight of them that keepe the charge of the Sanctuary Now we come to Leuies second sonne We haue spoken before of Gershon of whom came the Gershonites It followeth to speake of Kohath for to him his posterity were committed the most honourable offices as we shal see afterward in the next chapter Touching whom we may obserue as we did in the former these particular points First the families that descended of him which are foure in number the Amramites the Izeharites the Hebronites and the Vzzielites verse 27. Secondly the number of the males that came of them to wit eight thousand and sixe hundred verse 28. Thirdly the place where they pitched to wit the South-side of the Tabernacle verse 29. Fourthly the ouerseer or superintendent of them namely Elizaphan the sonne of Vzziel verse 30. Fiftly the charge and function committed vnto them were the chiefe things within the Sanctuary verse 31. Sixtly the ouerseer of all these ouerseers and the chiefe of them that were the chiefe was Eleazar the sonne of Aaron who had authority ouer all the Priests and Leuites verse 32. He was vnder Aaron appointed to haue the ouersight of them that had the charge of the Sanctuary For Aaron himselfe was the high Priest and his eldest sonne Eleazar was vnder him as it were the second Priest euen as in the reigne of Zedekiah the high Priest was Seraiah the second Priest was Zephaniah as we reade in the second booke of the Kings chap. 25 18. The Captaine of the guard tooke Seraiah the cheefe Priest Zephaniah the second Priest and the three keepers of the doore See the notes on the Geneua Bible The second Priest is thought to be one appointed to succeed in the high Priests roome and to supply his place if he were sicke or otherwise hindred and letted by necessary occasions Of this family of the Kohathites came Moses and Aaron And albeit the Lord appeared in speciall manner to Moses called him to be a most excellent Prophet to whom he reuealed himselfe as it were face to face and chose him to be the Gouernor of a mighty
Tabernacle of the Congregation shall be the Tabernacle and the tent the couering thereof and the hanging for the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 26 And the hangings of the Court and the Curtaine for the doore of the Court which is by the Tabernacle and by the altar round about and the cordes of it for all the seruice thereof We haue seene already the numbring vp of the sons of Leui in generall and then in particular such as come immediately of his sonnes whose posterity are farther set forth vnto vs in this diuision and afterward according to the three chiefe and principall families Of all obserue in generall thus much touching the order that there are fiue points set downe by Moses First the families are numbred that came of them Secondly the particular number of the persons is described Thirdly their place of abode is limited and appointed Fourthly the chiefe ouerseer or superintendent of the house is named Fiftly their office and charge is assigned to euery one as it were a field in which they ought to labour and as a garden in which they ought to plant The trueth of these things shall farther be opened vnto vs in each of them in the families of the Gershonites and in the families of the Kohathites and in the families of the Merarites Touching the Gershonites they are described vnto vs in these words from the 21. verse to the 27. The families descended of Gershon are two the Libnites and the Shimeites in the 21. The persons amount in the whole to seuen thousand and fiue hundred in the 22. their mansion was behinde the Tabernacle Westward in the 23. the chiefe captaine of them was Eliasaph the sonne of Lael in the 24. Lastly their order and office was to carry the couering and the hangings of the Tabernacle in the 25. verse Thus we see that things were not shuffled and confounded together but euery one of them knew their station All things were not confusedly committed to all but euery one had his peculiar office and charge which was as it were the vineyard that they were to dresse We learne from hence â—octrine 1. â—ery one the Church â—th his proâ—r and pecuâ—r office that euery one in the Church both Minister and People haue their proper and peculiar charge different froÌ„ other The Lord did by precept distinguish not only betweene the calling of the Leuites and the people but between Leuite Leuite For the Leuites were either called Priests or by the common name of Leuites which were not Priests The Priests were either the high Priest as Aaron the father and Eleazar his sonne after him c. or such as were vnder him ouer the rest as Eliasaph the ouerseer of the Gershonites or Elizaphan the ouerseer of the Kohathites or Zuriel of the Merarites Their office was publikely to teach to pray to offer sacrifice and to keep the vessels of the Sanctuary The office of the other Leuites was to minister and serue the Priests in all things belonging to the discharge of their necessary duties Thus God alotted to euery one his seuerall office to bee as his standing place in the army out of which he should not step forth one foote either to the right hand or to the left This appeareth most notably in the first booke of the Chronicles where Dauid setteth a particular order among the families of this tribe â— Chro. 24 1. â—nd 25.1 and â—6 1 and sorteth out to euery one his speciall charge both for the Priests Leuites who should be singers who should be porters who should haue the charge of the treasures and who should be appointed officers and Iudges This appeareth more plainely in the new Testament as 1 Cor. 12.28.29 God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers after that miracles then giftes of healings helpes in gouernment diuersities of tongues Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all teachers c. All haue not one office all haue not one gift but as he noteth in the beginning of that chapter there are diuersities of gifts diuersities of administrations diuersities of operations and afterward Vers 8 9 10. To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit and to another the working of miracles to another Prophesie to another discerning of spirits c. This he sheweth also expresly in the Epistle to the Romanes chap. 12.6 Seeing we haue gifts that are diuers according to the grace that is giuen vnto vs whether we haue Prophesie let vs Prophesie c. or Ministry let vs wait on our Ministring c. 1 Pet. 4 14. The Apostle Peter hath a generall sentence tending to this purpose As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Lastly we reade in the Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 4.7.11 Vnto euery one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ who gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists some Pastors and Teachers Thus God hath appointed that euery one should haue his proper function and office For as it is in the naturall body so is it in Reason 1 the mysticall body of Christ which is the Church But in our naturall body euery part hath his office and knoweth his place and dischargeth his duty without intermedling and incroaching vpon the right of another So should it be among the faithful we haue diuers and distinct giftes for the good of the Church This is the reason of comparison vsed by the Apostle in sundry places as Rom. 12.4 5. As we haue many members in one body and all members haue not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one members one of another Where he teacheth that as we haue in our naturall body many members so we haue in one Church many members as all members in the natural body haue not one office so all the members of the Church haue not one office as the many members in the naturall body haue one head wherin they are so many members in the mysticall body haue one wherein they are and last of all as in the naturall body euery member is anothers so in the Church euery member is not his owne onely but anothers and is set in the body for the benefite of the whole The same similitude to the same purpose is vsed in the former Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 12.12.14 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ c. for the body is not one member but many For if they were all one member where were the body but now there are many members yet but one body therefore also there must bee many members in the body of the Church Againe such as
serue Vse 4 them to further the preaching of the word and to furnish such places as belong vnto them with able teachers This is required of all godly Magistrats whether they be supreme or subordinate that they endeauor to be noursing fathers to the Church Esay 49. that they by their authority may encourage and countenance all such as are Pastors and teachers to the end they may goe boldly forward with that worthy worke which is in their hands A notable example heereof we haue in those Princes that were sent out by Iehoshaphat for albeit they did not preach to the people in the cites to which they came nor minister the Sacraments nor offer the sacrifices nor burne incence inasmuch as they had the Leuites with them to doe that seruice yet it is not to be omitted or concealed that they did countenance them and accompany them and this their authorizing or backing of them is called a preaching Chro. 17.7 because it made a plaine way and set open a wide doore for the peoples better receiuing of the word with readinesse cheerefulnesse and obedience The example of great personages is of great force and is a strong cord to draw inferiours after them Whensoeuer such men of high place make account of the Ministers highly esteeme of their message and Ministery it moueth others most mightily to shew reuerence to this holy ordinance of God Especially it belongeth to them that are Patrones haue the presentation and collation of spirituall promotions to haue an especiall care and regard that the Churches committed to their tuition may be sufficiently furnished and that as well the small flockes as the greater heards be prouided of godly and learned teachers for as much as Christ himself preaching the Gospel of the kingdome from place to place as occasion serued and the necessity of the people required deliuered the ioyfull newes and glad tydings of saluation as well to the people of little villages as to the inhabitants of famous townes and populous Cities not onely to thousands that flocked to heare him but to hundreds and tennes that came vnto him He shunned popularity and the applause of men and shewed not himselfe alwaies openly nor any otherwise then as he might doe most good to the people and gaine greatest glory to his Father He was not ambitious or vaine-glorious nor sought the praise of men Ioh. 7.10 and 5.41 and 8.50 When God determined to destroy the Cities of the plaine at the request of Lot in mercy he saued Zoar a little towne Gen. 19. God hath his people whom he created and Iesus Christ redeemed euen in little places as well as in great parishes in small villages as well as in large Cities These haue soules to saue as well as others Little flockes would haue their shepheards as well as great heards such as are poore seruants of the family would be glad to haue food to eat as well as the chiefest persons To instruct a countrey-village is a worke of mercy as well as to teach the mother-Cities of a kingdome and to be carefull of the high or head places but carelesse of little hamlets is as vnmercifull a part as to pamper vp a great family and to let a little one starue for hunger or as if a Prince should prouide for the safety of great multitudes of his subiects and neglect the lesser companies that abide in poorer villages or as if a man should tender the welfare of his head and neuer regard his foot or his finger Wherefore all Magistrates must set before their eyes the example of God as a cleere glasse to looke vpon appointing the ordering of the Leuites in such sort that all the Tribes might be instructed being so diuided scattered among the rest that their labours might be communicated to all as also the example of Iesus Christ who in the dayes of his flesh taught and preached euery where not onely at Ierusalem but in Galile and other desert and desolate places so that they ought to haue an especiall care and regard that euery Congregation haue his sufficient Minister And that they may be constrained to yeeld to this trueth or at least perswaded to the practise and performance of this dutie or if not perswaded yet conuinced in conscience that it should be done and that it is their sinne if it be left vndone let vs a little consider somewhat farther the fact of God how carefull he was thereof in the land of Israel that as well the little townes as the greater Cities might haue able teachers Hence it is that he commandeth the children of Israel that they giue vnto the Leuites the ordinary teachers of the people of the inheritance in their possession Cities to dwell in all the Cities which they were to giue to these Leuites were eight and forty Num. 35.2 7. The accomplishment whereof we may reade at large in the booke of Ioshua chap. 21.4 5 6 7. In euery Tribe they had foure Cities and so were by the ordinance of God diuided in Iacob and scattered in Israel according to the ancient Prophesie of Iacob Gene. 49. For out of the Tribes of Iudah Simeon and Beniamin they had 13. Cities verse 4. Out of the families of the Tribe of Ephraim and out of the Tribe of Dan and out of the halfe Tribe of Manasseh they had 10. Cities verse 5. Out of the families of the tribe of Issachar and out of the Tribe of Asher and out of the Tribe of Naphtali and out of the halfe tribe of Manasseh in Bashan they had 13. Cities vers 6. Lastly out of the Tribe of Reuben Gad and Zebulun they had giuen and granted vnto them 12. Cities verse 7. By this meanes was the instruction of Gods people prouided for plentifully through a multitude of Cities appointed vnto them not altogether or in one place of the land but dispersed heere and there according to the infinite wisedome of God and the absolute necessity of the people We heard before what wonderfull care godly Iehoshaphat the king of Iudah had who sent the Leuites throughout all the Cities of his kingdome which caryed with them the Booke of the Lord and taught all the land and his zeale was rewarded with riches honour and great prosperitie in aboundance 2. Chron. 17.5.9 The like commendation is giuen of Iosiah who appointed the Priests to their seuerall charges and encouraged them to the seruice of the Lord and said vnto the Leuites that taught all Israel 2 Chr. 35.2.3 which were holy vnto the Lord Put the holy Arke in the house which Salomon the sonne of Dauid king of Israel did build c. So then for as much as Christ preached to small villages as wel as to bigger townes forasmuch as it was the wise policy of God to place the Leuites round about his Tabernacle and to grant vnto them cities throughout euery Tribe forasmuch as it was the carefulnesse of Iehoshaphat and Iosiah to haue all places of
Tribes and families of Israel and hauing seene what forces and number of men fit to beare armes were found in euery Tribe from 20. yeares of age vpwards hee appointed vnto them by direction from the Lord such Princes and Leaders as in worth and reputation were in euery Tribe most eminent Numb 1 46. The number of the whole army was 603550. men for the warres besides women and children also beside the strangers which followed them out of Egypt This great body of an army was diuided by Moses into foure grosse and mighty Battalions each of them containing the strength of three whole Tribes hauing Captains and Colonels appointed vnto them Thus did the blessing which Israel gaue to his children and God himselfe before to Israel take place among them In the middest of the foure great armies sorted vnder their seuerall standards was the Tabernacle Numb 3 8 as a portable or mooueable Temple carryed which was surrounded by the Leuites and the Leuites also by the other Tribes so that not onely the Pagans and Heathens were forbidden accesse vnto it Verse 38 but the sentence of death passed vpon euery soule of the Israelites themselues that durst approach it who were not of the Leuites to whom the charge was wholly committed So sacred was the Tabernacle of the Congregation Numb 1 39 and with such reuerence garded and regarded that two and twenty thousand Priests were dedicated to the seruice and attendance thereof For as the industry in framing euery the least part thereof the curious worke-manship bestowed vpon it Exod. 31 3 4 and the charge and expences about it were exceeding great so the dutifull obseruance in the preseruing and laying vp of the holy vessels the solemne remoouing thereof the vigilant eye in attending thereon together with the prudent and prouident defence of the same serued to procure all due reuerence to the holy things of God and to encrease zeale and deuotion in such as approached neere vnto him euen as on the other side this is the maine cause of the prophanation of the Sacraments and of the contempt of the Word and Prayer and of so little practise of true piety among vs because there is so little feare and reuerence in the hearts of men towards the worship of God and the parts thereof Great was the zeale and forwardnesse both of Princes and people as appeareth both in making the Tabernacle and all manner of worke for the seruice of the Sanctuary Exod. 36 5. in offering afterward For after that Moses had taken order for all things necessary written in the Lawes numbred his armies and diuided them into seuerall Regiments or squadrons whereof the Tribe of Iudah led the Vantgard the twelue Princes or Commanders of the Tribes renowned of the Congregation and the heads of thousands in Israel Numb 1 16. brought their Offerings before the Lord to wit sixe couered Chariots and twelue Oxen to draw them therby to transport as they marched the parts of the Tabernacle Numb 7 2. with all the appurtenances the Sanctuary onely excepted which for more reuerence and regard was carried vpon the shoulders of the sonnes of Kohath vnto whom that care and charge was commited Numb chap. 3. verse 31. Neuerthelesse after so many mercies of God vpon them hauing seene so many miracles shewed so many victories atchieued so many remissions obtained so many benefites receiued and so many iudgements inflicted vpon the disobedient yet they as a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation that set not their heart aright Psalme 78 8. whos 's spirit was not stedfast with God neuer ceased to prouoke him by their sinnes and oftentimes as it were made a generall Conspiracy against him and Moses his seruant so that Miriam and Aaron were not free Arist Rhetor. lib. 2. cap 24. Numb 12.1 verifying the saying of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Euen a mans Kindred know how to enuy at him But among all other mutinies and murmurings recorded in this Booke none was greater then that which happened after the returne of the twelue Aduenturers or Discouerers sent out by Moses into the Territories of Canaan as wel to informe themselues of the force of the inhabitants and fertility of the Countrey as also to take knowledge of the Wayes Passages Riuers Foards Plaines and Mountaines thereof that nothing might be hidden from them For the wrath of God was turned against Israel being kindled by the violent breath of their rebellion Numb 14.22.30.31 so that hee punished the same in a most fearefull manner Iude verse 5. and almost extinguished euery soule of the whole multitude which he had brought out of Egypt for onely two Caleb and Ioshua were excepted And albeit Moses was the mildest and meekest man vpon the earth Numb 12.3 and often prayed vnto God for them to renew his wonted mercies and to consider that theyr destruction would encrease the pride of the Heathen Nations both of the Egyptians from whence they came Numb 24 13. and of the Canaanites to whose Land they were going and preuayled by his wonderfull prayers with him For the prayer of a righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent as the Apostle Iames saith chapt 5. verse 16. yet they ceased not to murmure against him witnesse heereof amongst others the insolent behauiour and conspiracy of Korah Dathan and Abiram and their Partisans Numb 16. verse 1. who for the contempt of God and his Ministers and seeking to ouerthrow the order and discipline of the Church were some of them swallowed vp aliue and by the earth opening her mouth deuoured others euen two hundred and fiftie in number which offered Incense with Korah their Captaine were consumed with fire from heauen besides fourteene thousand and seuen hundred which iustified the former mutiny were stricken dead with a sodaine pestilence as Numb 16. verse 49. Thus while the wicked multitude vsurped ecclesiasticall authority and endeauoured to subuert the power of the Church-gouernment and to bring in a parity that is an horrible confusion by making all men alike by pretending that all the Congregation are holy euery one of them as Numb 16. verse 3. and by rebelliously contending against the high Priest and the cheefest Magistrate to whom God committed the ouersight of all the Almighty altered the course of Nature that They dyed not the common death of all men neither were visited after the visitation of other men Verse 29. but he made a new thing and wrought one of the greatest wonders and myracles which fell out in all the time of Moses his gouernment And the better to assure his people and in his great goodnesse to confirme them touching the election of Aaron and his sonnes to the Priesthood it pleased him also to approoue the same by a great miracle of the Twelue Rods giuen in by the hands of the twelue Tribes of which Moses receyued one of euerie Head and Prince of his Tribe all which being
1050 8 It is the duty of Magistrates to do iustice fol. 1057 9 Euill men proceed from worse to worse fol. 1061 10 Actions vnlawfull are made lawfull fol. 1060 11 When sin is punished God is appeased fol. 1070 12 Sin depriueth vs of Gods protection fol. 1074 12 Gods wrath being prouoked is full of rage fol. 1077 14 The faithfull bring a blessing vpon their houses and posterities fol. 1980 15 It is lawfull sometimes to reproue desperate sinners by name fol. 1084 16 God beginneth to chasten his owne Church and children fol. 10â—0 17 The people of God may take armes fol. 1093 18 The seducers and the seduced shall bee punished together fol. 1100 CHAP. xxvi 1 Irreligion prophanensse and impiety make places and persons infamous and reprochfull fol. 1104 2 It is a most wicked impious thing to oppose authority and to withstand gouernment fol. 1108 3 It is no disgrace for godly children to descend come of vngodly par nts fol. 1109 4 It is hard to shun and breake off society with wicked men c. fol. 1112 5 God prouideth for all his people fol. 1113 6 It is a sinne to decline from the pure worshippe of God set downe in the word fol. 1117 7 An whole multitude cannot cleere it selfe from Gods iudgements when he sendeth them fol. 1118 CHAP. xxvii 1 In all wrongs and iniuries wee must resort to the Magistrate fol. 1120 2 Wee may make our selues guilty of other mens sinnes fol. 1123 3 Sin is the cause of death all misery fol. 1125 4 Propriety of goods is Gods blessing fol. 1127 5 Many want outward signes that are partakers of the inward grace of the Sacraments fol. 1130 6 Many are punished temporally that are not coÌ„demned eternally Ibid. 7 God is the Creator and maker of the soule fol. 1132 8 Kings and Princes haue and hold their places callings immediately from God fol. 1134 CHAP. xxviii 1 The first and cheefest care is to bee had of the Church matters of religion fol. 1135 2 Of the morning euening sacrifice c. fol. 1136 3 Of the Iewish Sabbath and the vses to vs fol. 1140 4 Of the new Moones and the vses to vs. fol. 1143 5 Of the Passeouer and the vses to vs. fol. 1146 6 Of the feast of first fruites or Pentecost fol. 1149 CAP. xxix 1 Of the feast of Trumpets with the vses fol. 1150 2 Of the feast of fasting or afflicting the soule together with the vses thereof to our selues fol. 1152 3 Of the feast of Tabernacles the vses to vs. fol. 1155 Chap. xxx 1 Lawfull vowes are to be performed fol. 1159 2 Great is the iurisdiction of parents ouer their children fol. 1166 3 The husband is the wiues head fol. 1169 CHAP. xxxi Sundry Doctrines directing warres and warriers 1 Before men go to battell an hoast of men must be mustered and gathered together fol. 1173 2 An army leuied must be sent out Ibid. 3 An army must be sent out by publike and lawfull authority Ibid. 4 He against whom we wage warre must be known to be an enemy fol. 1174 5 Al sinne must be auoided carefully by such as are emploied in warre Ibid. 6 Wicked men though they be suffered long yet at length God taketh vengâ—ance of them fol. 1176 7 Princes Potentates and great men lye open to iudgements as well as others fol. 1177 8 Sins of omission and neglect of duties which men are bound to perform are displeasing to God fol. 1179 9 Euery mans death and destruction cometh from himselfe fol. 1181 10 Things in themselues vnseemly to bee vttered are modestly to be spoken of fol. 1184 11 The Lord as he wil destroy the wicked so he wil do it fearfully and seuerely fol. 1186 13 For benefits receiued we returne praise to God fol. 1188 14 It is our duty to returne thankesgiuing to God speedily fol. 1189 15 It is our duty in extraordinary blessings to returne extraordinary thankes ibid. Chapter xxxii 1. The loue of this world is dangerous fol. 1191 2 The Ministers of God must reproue sharply and earnestly zealously and powerfully fol. 1194 3 It is a greeuous sin to giue offence to others or to discourage our brethren from wel-doing fol. 1197 4 It is an vsuall thing with the Lord to punish the sins of parents with the sins of their children 1200 5 We must haue a fellow-feeling of the miseries afflictions of Gods people fol. 1203 6 The onely cause of iudgement is sin fol. 1205 7 It is the duty of all Gods children to put foorth their hands to helpe the Church fol. 1206 8 The relikes of idolatry to bee vtterly abolished and all occasions that might draw vnto it to be taken away fol. 1209 Chapter 33. 1 God preserueth his Church in the midst of dangers and deliuereth it out of slauery and boÌ„dage fol. 1212 2 The 42. Mansions of the Israelites in the wildernesse fol. 1214 3 No familiarity is to be vsed with idolaters fol. 1219 4 Coldnes in Gods cause is a greeuous sin fol. 1222 CHAP. 34. 1 God setteth bounds to euery mans possession and limiteth what he shall haue fol. 1225 2 The estate of Gods people is such that some among them do alwayes stand in need fol. 1229 3 Faith apprehendeth and applyeth all Gods promises as present fol. 1232 CHAP. xxxv 1 The Ministers must be prouided for fol. 1237 2 All men by nature are proue to reuenge fol. 1240 3 Murther is an hainous sinne in the sight of God fol. 1244 4 To do lawfull things without a calling is vnlawfull fol. 1247 5 GOD will haue no innocent person put to death fol. 1252 6 Inferiors ought to reuerence their superiors fol. 1255 7 Lawes touching the inheritance of the Israelites fol. 1257 CHAP. xxxvi 1 The marriage of Cousen-germans is lawfull fol. 1267 A Commentary vpon the Fourth Booke of Moses called NVMBERS Generall Obseruations out of the whole Booke by way of Preface or Introduction BEfore wee come to the Exposition of this Booke of Moses and to the handling of the particular points contained therein it may not be thought vnprofitable or vnnecessary to prefixe somewhat by way of a Preface that our mindes may bee enlightned and our hearts prepared and our iudgements setled for the better conceyuing and receiuing of that which followeth Now as in the Booke of Genesis Moses hath deliuered the creation of the world together with the originall and first beginning of the church laying as it were an happy foundation as wel of the one as of the other and in Exodus hath handled the publishing and promulgation of the Law together With the miserable thraldome and bondage of the people of God in Egypt and in Leuiticus hath particularly expressed the sacrifices and oblations as Types of the sacrifice and oblation of Christ the promised Messiah together with the inauguration of Aaron and his sonnes and the consecration of the Tribe of Leui so in this Booke of Numbers
Ezra came into Iudea which no doubt Zorobabel and Ieshua brought with thē Heereunto agreeth the saying of Christ our Sauiour k Ioh 5 46 47 If ye had beleeued Moses ye wold haue beleeued me for he wrote of me but if ye beleeue not his writings how shall ye beleeue my Wordes Whereby wee see that the very writings of Moses himselfe were then read and to be read in the Church Thus also speaketh Philip to Nathaniel l Iohn 1.45 We haue found him of whom Moses did write and the Prophets Lastly to this purpose is Abraham brought in by the Euangelist speaking to the rich man m Luke 16 29 They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them All these testimonies to which wee might adde a surplusage of many others do directlie teach vs that we are not to doubt or to cal in question the ministeriall or instrumentall authour of this booke but acknowledge it to be not Ezra nor anie before or after him but Moses himselfe who was the first penner of it Vse 2 Secondly it is our duties carefully to reade the scriptures and diligently to be conuersant in them being thus published For wherefore were they put in writing Was it not that we should peruse them study them oftentimes search them with carefulnesse This was the purpose and intent of God Ioshua the successor of Moses in the gouernment of the people and General of the host of Israel had weightie affaires of Church Commonwealth to look vnto yet he is charged n Ioshua 1 8. not to suffer the book of the Law to depart out of his mouth but to meditate therein day and night that hee might obserue and do according vnto all that is written therein forasmuch as thereby he should make his way prosperous and haue good successe in his affaires and enterprises To this end Christ willeth vs to search the Scriptures not to reade them carelesly or cursorily but painfully and diligently as they do that digge for Mines of siluer and golde that go deepe and spare no labour to come to that which they seeke after So then there is required of vs study and prayer to God to open vnto vs the mysteries of his word otherwise our reading will be in vaine Vse 3 Thirdly this serueth to conuince the position and practise of the church of Rome who forbid the people the reading of these books and nuzzle them in ignorance the mother of superstition and blinde deuotion Moses deliuered the Law when hee had written it to the Priests and commanded them o Deut 31 1 3. to gather the people together men women and children the stranger that was within their gates that they may heare and learne and feare the Lorde theyr God and keepe and obserue all the words of this law that their children which haue not known it may heare it and learne to feare the Lord their God as long as they liue in the Lande The Scriptures are the onely weapons which we must fight withall against our spirituall enemies and without them wee lie open vnto them to take away our liues and to destroy our soules Wherefore we are commanded to take vnto vs p Eph 6 17. The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God When Christ was tempted of the diuell in the wildernesse hee resisted him and ouercame his tentations by no other weapon then this saying q Math 4 4 7 10. It is written This example of Christ our Lord and Maister must be followed of vs we must take this sword into our hand and be able to handle it as men of knowledge that we may be able both to defend our selues and to offend our aduersaries If we be thus armed the day is ours the field is won the victory is gotten we cannot be ouercome But if we presume to fight without it if wee leaue it behinde vs as souldiers that would go light we shall neuer returne without some dangerous or deadly wound Let vs not therfore be so fool-hardy as to go into the battell without our armour We are all warriours we must fight the Lords battels we haue enemies that seeke our destruction against which we must be watchfull being strong in Faith Lastly this reprooueth the cursed crew and damnable sect of the Manichees and their Vse 4 off-spring the Anabaptists a pestilent sort of brainsicke Heretiques sicke indeed as well of pride as of folly which spew out open and odious blasphemies against God and stick not to affirme that it was not the true God but the Prince of darknesse that spake to Moses and so would thrust him out of the church because he hath a veile ouer him alledging or rather deprauing the words of the Apostle r 2 Cor. 3 There remaineth vnto this time the same couering vntaken away in the read ng of the olde Testament which veyle in Christ is put away from whence they gather that Moses with his couering is by Christ quite abolished But this is to corrupt not to interprete The couering indeede remaineth but to whom Is is to vs who behold as in a mirrhor the glorie of the Lord with open face Not to vs but to the Iewes who hearing Moses read and cleauing to the letter of the Law doe despise the Gospell which is the ministery of the Spirite and willingly put out their owne eyes Neyther doth the Apostle say that Moses is taken away by Christ but the couering of Moses which is done not by the abolishing and abrogating of Moses but by the lightning of the Iewes by their conuersion to Christ a 2 Cor. 3 16. For after their heart shall bee turned to the Lord the Veile shall be taken away Againe they obiect that Moses was a seruant Heb. 3 5. But the seruant abideth not in the house for euer it is the Sonne that abideth for euer Iohn 8 35. therefore the Sonne beeing come the seruant is to bee cast out of the house that is Moses out of the Church otherwise wee should paralell and make equall the seruant to the Master A most fond collection and such as ouerthroweth themselues For if this be true that the seruant hath no place in the presence of the Maister then not onely the Prophets and Apostles but all Pastors and Teachers yea the Anabaptists themselues with such as seduce them who glorie to be seruants of Christ must be thrust out of the Church that the seruants departing may leaue the house empty for the Master Again the words of Christ are maliciously wrested against Moses who is expresly honoured by the Lord himselfe to be a most faithful seruant which are spoken against him that is the seruant of sin For thus the words lye in order Verily verily I say vnto you that whosoeuer committeth sin is the Seruant of sinne and the Seruant abideth not in the house for euer c. Therefore wicked seruants such as these frantique heretickes are shall not abide
Church were many wicked liuers of whom the Apostle saith e 1 Cor 10 5. 1 Cor. 10. With many of them God was not pleased but they were destroyed in the Wildernesse Yea such as were the chiefe among them and excelled in godlinesse aboue the rest as the Cedar doth the low shrub had their failings and infirmities as wee see in Aaron in Miriam and in Moses himselfe as we shall see afterward in this booke Wherefore they are deceiued that seeke for a Church in this life without spot or wrinkle Such in former times were the Donatists and such in our dayes are the Anabaptists whoe shall looke vntill their eyes fall out before they shall finde any company or society wholly separated from al contagion of hypocrites Epicures Libertines and such like loose liuers Christ compareth the Church vnto a draw net cast into the Sea which gathereth fish of all sorts both good and bad Againe heere is comfort for the sincere Ministers of the Gospell to whom the dispensation of the Word and sacraments is committed that they ought not to forsake their calling when they behold the greatest part of their charges and Congregations to take no profite and to receiue no instruction by their ministery but to continue and waite with patience vntil f 2 Tim. 2 26. God wil giue them repentance that they may come out of the snare of the diuell of whom they are holden captiue to do his will Fourthly we learne the vnchangeable loue of God toward his people It is euident by Vse 4 this booke more then by the former how diuersly they prouoked him to wrath by their sinnes as their lust murmuring impatience vnthankfulnesse idolatry and fornication they tempted him in the wildernesse whereby they deserued not onely to be depriued of the Land of Canaan but to bee excluded out of the Kingdome of heauen Notwitâ—staâ—â—ing God continued their mercifull Lord still so that his election is immutable g Iohn 13 1. and whom hee loueth he loueth him to the end What then shall we sinne that grace may abound God forbid nay how shall wee that are dead to sinne yet liue therein As his graces guifts are without repentance so they must leade vs to repentance and cause vs to expresse backe againe vnfained loue vnto him who loued vs first Vse 5 Fiftly we haue set before vs many fearefull examples of Gods heauy indignation against sinne and sinners Hee punisheth the murmurings of the people fretting fuming against God in their extremities he taketh vengeance on their idolatry and committing fornication he chastiseth their sedition emulation breach of the Sabboth contempt of authority luste tempting of God and such like wickednesse that thereby wee might learne the feare of God and be admonished to auoide the same sinnes which will bring vpon vs the same or gteater iudgements euen temporall and eternall punishments For God is the same God to them and to vs he will shew himselfe iust and righteous in all his wayes a Psal 5 4. that hee is not a God that loueth wickednesse and that euill shall not dwell with him Hence it is that Paul alluding to these famous and remarkable examples of his iustice saith b 1 Cor. 10 11 These things came vnto them for examples and were written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the worlde are come Let him therefore that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall If his wrath be kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Lastly as wee haue fearefull examples and Vse 6 threatnings of the Lawe manifested in this booke so on the other side wee haue comfortable promises of the Gospell touching our saluation and redemption by Christ Iesus who dyed for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification For hee is truely and plainely preached in this booke a type of whom wee haue in the brasen Serpent c Num. 21 9. Iohn 3 14 and 12 32. lifted vp in the wildernesse and healing those that were bitten of the fiery Serpents which Christ expoundeth Ioh. 3 to be meant of his death and lifting vp vpon the Crosse That euery one which beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life Likewise the Rocke which Moses did strike yeelding vnto them abundance of water as out of a plentifull Fountaine the Apostle expoundeth of Christ for he saith d Num. 20 10 and 21 16. 1 Cor. 10 4. They did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ The like we might say of Manna of the ashes of the red Cow of the Nazarites besides the sacrifices and ceremonies burnt offerings meat offerings and purifications which were figures painting and pointing out the sacrifice â—nd sufferings of Christ Iesus But because we haue spoken somewhat of them before and more remaineth to be spoken heereafter we will passe them ouer at this time without farther consideration This serueth to confute those which hold that all things were carnall to the Fathers that they had no knowledge of the Messiah but onely a carnall imagination of earthly things These are disciples brought vp in the damnable schoole of Seruetus an arch-enemy to the faith who contradict the Apostles in many places and make the Iewes as Swine fatted in a Stie groueling vpon the earth and neuer lifting vp their heads to a better life The Apostle Peter reasoning against such as taught the necessity of circumcision saith e Act. 15 10 11 Why doe yee tempt God to lay a yoke on the Disciples neckes which neyther our Fathers nor we are able to beare but we beleeue through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to be saued euen as they doe Thus wee see Christ was onely the way to Gods Kingdome and that by faith in him the Fathers looked for saluation as well as we Our Sauiour testifieth f Iohn 8 56. that Abraham reioyced to see his day and saw it and was glad So the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith g Heb. 13 8. Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same also is for euer As therefore the Couenant of GOD touching life and saluation is for substance one and the same so there is one faith one hope and way to attaine to the Kingdome of heauen for the Fathers in the time of the Law and for vs in the time of the Gospell Thus much of the generall vses of this booke The last point which wee propounded in the beginning to be handled h The diuision of this booke into his parts is the diuision of this booke that we may orderly proceede in the seuerall parts of it Some do diuide it into two parts according to the Chronology or computation of time obserued heerein for in the first nineteene chapters he handleth those things which happened in the wildernesse from the second yeare of their departure out of Egypt to the fortieth yeare
Epistle to the Hebrews teacheth touching the faithful Heb. 11 33 34 that through faith they subdued kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained the promises stopped the mouthes of lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword of weake were made strong waxed valiant in battell turned to flight the armies of the aliants All these testimonies and examples of the old and new Testament set forth expresly this truth that it is a lawfull thing and allowed to the godly to follow the warres The reasons to confirme this truth do follow Reason 1 First God doth command it and therefore doth allow it as iust and lawfull For hee doth not will things because they are iust but they are iust because he willeth them Now the holy Scripture affoordeth sundry testimonies of this truth and setteth downe the precepts commandements that God gaue to his people to bee their warrant to vse their weapon So he commanded them to destroy the Canaanites Deut. 7 2 3. The Lord thy God shall giue theÌ„ before thee and thou shalt smite them thou shalt vtterly destroy them thou shalt make no couenant with them nor haue compassion on them Thus he commanded Saul to slay the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15 2. who set vpon the people of God when they were come out of the Land of Egypt and as God commanded the worke so he gaue a blessing vnto it so that those enemies were brought to destruction For we reade in the holy history that God said vnto him I remember what Amalek did to Israel how they laid waite for them in the way as they came vp from Egypt now therefore go and smite Amalek and destroy ye al that pertaineth vnto them and haue no compassion on them but slay both man and woman both infant and â—uckling both oxe and sheepe both Camell and Asse Many other precepts are found in the word of God which we cannot stand vpon But God the Lord of hoasts commandeth nothing that is vniust vnlawful therfore war rightly vsed is lawful warranted Secondly as God gaue direct and expresse Reason 2 commandement so the people of God going forth to battell were to call vppon him for a blessing and to sanctifie the worke by prayer and in so doing haue beene heard Things in their owne nature vnlawfull are so foule and filthy that no prayer and inuocation of Gods name can cleanse them nay they make such prayer foule and abhominable If an idolater going to worship his Idol and serue the creature which is the work of mans hands should poure out his praiers all day long 1 Kin. 18 26. as the Priests of Baal did to bee heard O Baal heare vs what were this but a bellowing or beating of the aire or what profit should they receiue by it But the people of God hauing praied for good successe building themselues vpon the commandement of God vpon the promise of blessing and vpon the example of the faithful haue earnestly praied and effectually obtained that which they asked and desired This we see in the practise of the sonnes of Reuben and of Gad and of halfe the Tribe of Manasseh 1 Chr. 5 19. Valiant men able to beare shield and sword and exercised in war when they made warre against the Hagarims they were holpen against them they deliuered into their hands for they cryed to God in the battell he heard them because they trusted in him Seeing therefore God commandeth and blesseth and heareth and deliuereth such as go to warre it must needs follow that war true religion may well stand together so that one and the same man may bee both a warriour and yet religious Let vs make vse of this point First it serueth Vse 1 to conuince the cursed sect of the Anabaptists and other spiritualists who glory of the Spirit and vnder a colour of seeking peace and establishing vnity and concorde ouer all the world do bring in detestable doctrines and absurd opinions as if none were the true Church but onely themselues True it is it were to be wished that all persons and nations maintained amity and league one with an other and that there might be no more vse of the sword but this is rather to bee wished then expected and may sooner bee spoken then it will be obtained and effected They obiect the Lawe of God Thou shalt not kill Obiection 1 Exod. 20 and the words of Christ Resist not euill Answere Math. 5. But these and such like places must be vnderstood of priuate persons and of priuate reuenge It is vnlawfull for any person without a publike calling to that duty to kill another but a publike Officer may and ought to do it So did Moses kill the Egyptian Exod. 2 12. with Act. 7 25 Numb 25 8. 1 Kings 18 40 so did Phineas those that committed fornication as appeareth afterward in this booke so did Eliah to the Priests of Baal that committed Idolatry and seduced the people And thus it is in all lawfull warres for souldiers haue a publike calling they seek not priuate reuenge and therefore the battell is saide 2 Chro. 20 15. Not to be theirs but the Lord of Hoasts Likewise there is a priuate reuenge which Christ forbiddeth and condemneth but the publike reuenge committed to the Magistrate who beareth not the sword in vaine must bee duely and diligently executed that euill may be taken away out of the City of God For as in necessity it is good for mans body to cut off a rotten and dead member betimes lest the sound parts be corrupted and the whole body perish so it is profitable for the safety and security of humane society to sweepe away as dung hurtfull and noysome Citizens before they infect others that liue among them Wherefore so long as wicked men liue vp on the face of the earth and so long as the Diuell stirreth vp his instruments to set themselues against God and his truth and his seruants so long there will be vse of the sword and of the Magistrate to handle it Wherefore the Apostle calleth vpon vs to cal vpon God for Kings and Princes and them that are in authority that vnder them wee may liue a peaceable and quiet life 1 Timoth. 2 2 Ro. 13.1.2 3. in all godlines honesty If then these be the ends of Magistracy to maintaine peace to settle quietnesse to establish religion and to confirme honesty of manners surely it may be discharged and perfourmed by one that is religious and fearing God Besides God promised as a speciall grace and fauour to the Church of Christ in the new Testament that Kings should be the nursing Fathers Queenes the nursing Mothers of it Esay 49 23. which could not be vnlesse a godly and faithfull man might beare the Office and discharge the calling of a Magistrate and take vengeance of the wicked maintaine the cause of the righteous Secondly wee learne heereby that no calling Vse 2 and
the rest that remaine who were exempted out of the former training to wit the Priests and the Leuites For first of all Moses numbreth them according to their persons then according to their order and ministery Touching their persons in this chapter touching their ministery in the fourth chapter So then in this place the Tribe of the Leuites is numbred who were selected and separated to the worke of the ministry that they might therein serue God and his people In this Chapter wee are to obserue two things first The parts of Chapter a transition or passage by way of preface to this holy numeration distinct from the former in the 13. first verses secondly the numbring it selfe in the rest of the chapter Touching the first point which is the entrance wee must consider in it two other points first a description of the Tribe of Leui◠and of the family of Aaron forasmuch as Moses and Aaron the two heads of the people descended out of that Tribe as is more at large declared in the booke of Exodus and this is amplified by the circumstance of time in the beginning of the first verse In the day that the Lord spake with Moses in Mount Sinai Exod. 6 16. as if he had saide Now it is time to proceede to speake of the Tribe of Leni and to set downe how great the number of thē was when God commanded them to be numbred at Mount Sinai Osiand in Numb cap. 3. for as yet the people was not departed from thence where the law was giuen but first I will rehearse the names of the sonnes of Aaron who aboue or before others were appointed to the Priest-hood Secondly the presentation of the Leuites before Aaron to be numbred which we will reserue to be handled afterward in his proper place The description of Aarons family Touching the description of Aarons house and family whereon the numbring of the Priests depended First his sonnes are reckoned and their ministery declared verse 2 and 3. of which we haue heard more particularly in the book of Leuiticus chap. 8 and 9. Then the destruction of two of them which were the eldest is set downe Leuit. 10. for when they transgressed the Commandement of God offered strange fire before him they were consumed and confounded which is breefly repeated in the 4. verse but at large expressed in the 10. chapt of Leuiticus whereby it came necessarily to passe that two being cut off and leauing no issue behinde them that there remained onely two heads or families of the Priests to wit of Eleazar and Ithamar Verse 1. These are the generations of Aaron c We see in this place how Moses immediately after the numbring vp of the people that medled not with the ministery of the word or killing of the sacrifices or administring of the Sacraments or seruing in the Tabernacle or carrying of the Arke or teaching of the people handleth in the next place the forme and fashion of the ministery that laboured and spent themselues in the former things For let there be neuer so great order or good pollicy in the Common-wealth yet if the care of the ministery be neglected all is to little purpose Wee see from hence the goodly order that GOD obserueth in this great army he establisheth among them most carefully the holy Ministery to the ende they might be taught and instructed in the word Doctrine 1 Heereby we learne that among all nations people vnder the heauens There is an absolute necessity of a standing Ministery among all people the ministery of the word ought to be planted and established I say there is a great and absolute necessity of a standing and setled ministery among all sorts and conditions of men to guide them in the waies of godlinesse This appeareth euidently from the beginning for rather then there should be no teaching God himselfe was the Pastor and Teacher the Priest and Prophet of his Church and instructed them immediately by his owne voice without the ministery of man he was then the Shepheard and they the sheepe he the master and they the Schollers So he appeared to Adam and taught him and likewise his posterity after him Then there was no neede of any other Doctour or instructer he was all in all For as a man need not light a Candle at noone day thereby to see when as the Sunne shineth cleerely in his strength no more needed man in his innocency to be taught by man seeing he enioyed the bright Sun-shining of Gods glorious presence But when once mankinde began to multiply and encrease out of one house into diuers families as a tree displaying it selfe into many branches God raised vp ordinary and extraordinary Teachers For the father of the family was the King and Priest of it a King to rule a Priest to teach the will of God to his children Hence we reade that Enoch the seuenth from Adam prophesied of the second comming of Christ to iudgement Iude 14. with ten thousands of his Saints to execute iudgement vpon all vngodly sinners So then he was a Prophet raised vp of God in those corrupt times to reproue sinne and to conuince all that were vngodly among them of all their vngodly deeds which they vngodly committed After him he stirred vp Noah 2 Pet. 2 5. a Preacher of righteousnesse while the Arke was in preparing when the long suffering of God waited an hundred twenty yeares for their conuersion Besides that the people of God might bee sufficiently prouided for the first borne were also sanctified to this Office as we shall see afterward in this chapt and the chap. following and lastly in their stead the Tribe of Leui were set apart in whom alone it continued excepting the Prophets that had a speciall calling while the Synagogue stoode euen vnto Christ who when he ascended and led captiuity captiue gaue giftes vnto men at his pleasure and appointed some Apostles some Euangelistes some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4 12. and for the edifying of the body of Christ We see in this place that so soone as the law was giuen in Mount Sinai God appointed those that shold publish and preach the same and so soone as the Tabernacle was erected he ordained Aaron and his sonnes to attend vpon it and to perfourme their seuerall duties according to his direction and appointment Thus also did the Apostles deale so soone as they had preached the Gospell according to the commission and commandement they had receiued thereby gained a people vnto God they setled a ministery to continue and appointed Elders and Pastors ouer that people for the propagation of true religion and the strengthening of Gods seruants in all good duties This appeareth in the Acts of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas confirmed the soules of the Disciples and exhorted them to continue in the faith and when they had ordained them Elders in euery Church
Shepheard to leade them in greene pastures Mat. 9 36. Is it not a wofull miserable thing to see Satans kingdome flourish and to see him ruling in the hearts of men and as it were dancing in their soules No greefe or sorrow should be like vnto this to see so many thousands perish euerlastingly But there is no other way to destroy his kingdome to make him fall downe like lightening then to haue the glad tydings of the Gospell spread abroad in the earth Luke 10 42. Is it not a miserable thing to see a City besieged round about and to haue no watchman to watch it and giue warning of the approch of the enemy Who can doubt but such a City is neere to be taken and surprized God hath made the Ministers his watchmen they must blow the Trumpet Ezek. 3 18 and 33 9. and warne the wicked that they turne from their wickednesse and euill wayes and so dye not in their iniquity Is it not a grieuous thing to haue meate ready to putrifie and corrupt and yet want salt to season it The Ministers of the word are not onely the light of the world but also the salt of the earth Math. 5 13. without which the people are as vnsauoury flesh and stinking carrion in the nostrils of God or else what needed this salt Lastly is it not a miserable thing to be pittied of all men to stand vpon the shore and to see many ready to bee drowned and cast away To behold them tossed vp and downe with the waues and at euery blast of the winde like to be swallowed vp in the seas But thus it is with vs by nature we cannot chuse but perish except this meanes be prouided for vs as an Arke to saue vs. Alasse how many dead carkasses may wee see swimming and floating in the glassie sea of this world that haue no life in them This point is pointed out vnto vs in the vision that appeared to Paul in the night Acts 16.9 There sâ—â—od a man of Macedonia and praied him saying Come ouer into Macedonia and helpe vs whereby he gathered assuredly that the Lord had called him to preach the Gospel vnto theÌ„ There are many things may bring vs into misery are able to make vs miserable but the want of Gods word and the sauing hearing of it bringeth a misery of all miseries euen an heap of all miseries which are as it were included in one by the Spirit of God speaking of the estate of the ten Tribes that had driuen away the Priests of the Lord 2 Chr. 15 3. Now for a long season Israel hath beene without the true God without a teaching Priest and without law Where mark that the holy Ghost ioyneth these three together God the Priest and the Law they that were without a teaching Priest were also without God and he that is without God is without all those things that should doe him good The like we see in the 13. chapter of the same book where Abijah concludeth against Israel that they could not prosper because they had banished the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron from them and on the contrary he saith concerning himselfe and Iudah As for vs the Lord is our God and wee haue not forsaken him 2 Chr. 13 10 and the Priests which minister vnto the Lord are the sonnes of Aaron and the Leuites waite vpon their businesse Verse 12. and afterward Behold God himselfe is with vs for our Captaine and his Priests with sounding Trumpets to cry alarme against you O children of Israel fight yee not against the Lord God of your Fathers for you shall not prosper If then wee would haue God to be with vs we must bee content to accept and make account of his Ministers if we cast them out with contempt from vs we say to the Lord also Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies Iob 21 14 15. who is the Almighty that we should serue him and what profite should wee haue if we pray vnto him Iob 21 14 15. Likewise the Prophet complaining of the desolation of the Sanctuary Psal 74 9. saith Wee see not our signes there is no more any Prophet neither is there among vs any that knoweth how long It was a great punishment inflicted vpon Caine to be driuen from the face of God Gen. 4 14 also vpon Agar Ismael the bond-woman and her sonne to bee cast out of the house of Abraham which was the Church of God Gen. 21 14 21. For that is as much as to bee separated from God to be banished from the word to be separated from his kingdome The Ministers are the guides to leade vs the way without them wee cannot but wander out of the way we are blind vnderstand nothing they open our eyes that we may see the truth Acts 8 31 and 26 18. â—he second â—proofe Secondly this reprooueth the vaine conceite and proud imagination of their hearts who hauing learned the principles of religioÌ„ and some grounds of knowledge proceed no further as if they had no more vse of the word whereas there is matter of instruction alwaies to be learned out of the word for all persons When wee haue eaten one kinde of meat one day we eate the next day as hungerly of it as we did before So ought we to come to the great Supper that God hath made vs againe and againe alwaies hungring and thirsting after the same This is most certaine and set it down as a most true rule the more knowledge we haue the more still we desire knowledge the greater our faith is the more we desire to haue it strengthened It is our daily praier that God would giue vs our daily bread Math 6 11. how much more then ought wee to craue at Gods hand the gift of spirituall food belonging to our soules that wee may be nourished to eternall life He is a foolish builder that when he hath begun to builde and laid the foundation giueth ouer Luk. 14 29. and neuer proceedeth to finish the worke but suffereth all men that passe by to laugh at him There is no people ought to be without the ministery it must alwaies remain among them that it may build them vp forward Eph. 4 13. and finish that which is begun Till wee all come in the vnity of faith and the knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ Would we haue it saide of vs and obiected against vs This man began to build but was not able to make an end This man laide his hand to the plough but now he standeth still and looketh backe There is as great vse to be made of the word after wee are conuerted to the faith regenerated by the Spirit of God as when we first beleeued They theÌ„ are greatly deceiued that being puffed vp with an
them might flourish also If they had bin grieuously afflicted the Church must also haue tasted of the same cup in some measure Thus were the people of God commanded to pray for the peace of Babylon the place whither they were carried captiue which was giuen them as a Sanctuary and place of retire Ier. 29. Ier. 29 7 Seeke the peace of the City whither I haue caused you to be carried away captiues and pray vnto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye haue peace God giueth the Infidels prosperity and blesseth them with an extraordinary peace howbeit hee respecteth the good of his Church therein Lastly herein we are to consider also the iustice of God For the Lord purposing to execute his iust iudgments vpon the Kings of the earth for their idolatries oppressions violences tyrannies murthers adulteries and such like impieties hath raised vp from time to time some to serue him in the execution of his high iustice against them punishing those that are euill by others as euill as themselues For this cause to make way for the accomplishment of his decrees hee maketh some Nation to grow strong and mighty as the oakes of the forest and to flourish for a while as the Cedars in Libanus that he may vse employ them as a staffe in his hand to chastise the rebellions of the vngodly and when he hath poured out his wrath vpon them and executed his indignation to the full he casteth the rod into the fire raiseth vp another for the consuming of them The Assyrians The foure Monarchies ouerthrowne one another the first Monarchy of the world ruled in a manner all Nations for many yeares After them arose the Persians who subduing the Assyrians obtained the Monarchy and reigned likewise a long space many Kings succeeding one another in that royall seate Then came the Grecians who preuailed against the Persians as they before had done against the Assyrians made themselues Monarches and masters of them and almost of the whole world Last of all all these being cut downe and so grubbed by the rootes that the place of many of them is no more to be known the Romane Empire abolishing the former succeeded in the souereignty possessed the dignity first in Rome and after in Constantinople Thus the sword of one hath bin drawne out against another al hath bin ruled by the iust iudgment of God to punish those that neither loued nor imbraced the truth The like we might say of Tamerlane the Tartarian the scourge or God terrour of the world he was raised vp of God and had his time who whipped the Turks by him as they had serued others All these horrible tyrants prospered in the world but it had a sudden end because it was neuer wel grounded But to leaue them and to come home to our selues let vs learne what maketh vs to prosper what shall make our names great and our families to flourish when all other shall wither as the grasse that to day is greene and to morrow is cast into the Ouen it is the imbracing of true religion Bethlehem was in it selfe little among the thousands of Iudah â—ich 5.2 â—ath 2 6. yet it was notwithstanding exalted and aduanced because out of it came Christ to rule his people Israel The Temple of Salomon was of wonderfull glory and renowne yet the Lord telleth the people after their returne out of captiuity that the glory of the second Temple â—ag 2 9. euen of that latter house should be greater then of that former and in this place he would giue peace by him that is the Prince of peace In like manner hee telleth Iosua that if the book of the Law depart not out of his mouth but that he meditate therein day and night obserue to do according to all that is written therein then hee shall make his way prosperous and shall haue good successe in al his enterprises â—osh 1 8. Do we then desire to be happy Do we wish blessednesse Labour to bee truely religious and to haue the power of godlinesse dwelling in thy heart Aduance it And it shall aduance thee Prou. 4 8. and â— 4. it shall bring thee to honour when thou dost imbrace it This is the way to finde fauor and good vnderstanding in the sight of God and man As for others that make a mocke of religion and doe not chuse the feare of the Lord that neuer regard to set it as a precious plant in their soules and in their houses they may peraduenture builde their nests on high for a time and make their children great vpon earth for a season but in the end their names shall consume as dung their roote shall bee rottennesse and their bud as dust that is suddenly blowne and borne away with a violent winde Vse 3 Thirdly must the ministery be established among all people vnder heauen Then let euery one of vs be careful for our parts to plant it among vs and to bring it home to the places of our abode In the most corrupt and ruinous times of the Church the people were carefull of this duty Micha in the booke of Iudges is saide to haue entertained and maintained a Leuite to instruct him and his family and said Now I know that the Lord will do mee good seeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest Iudg. 17 13. It is noted in the Acts of the Apostles that when Paul and Barnabas were come to Salamis they preached the word of God in the Synagogues of the Iewes they had Iohn also for their Minister Euery place therfore ought to haue their proper Pastour as euery flock their Shepheard and euery City their watchman Dauid was carefull aboue all Princes to settle good order among the Leuites that God might be serued and the people edified He diuided them into certaine orders Acts 13 5. 2 Sam. 6.2 1 Chr. 23 6. that so their labors might be equally indifferently diuided for the benefit of all persons He was zealous in bringing home the Arke of God Iehosaphat sent out Leuites to instruct the people This is a duty that doth neerely concerne vs our families not onely to be content to heare it abroad and to resort to it in other places but to ioyne together to bring it home to our owne doores or parishes that we may haue prouision of food our selues and not be driuen to seek for it elsewhere A point wherin alas we are too carelesse and thereby make little conscience to seeke after knowledge For how many thinke themselues discharged froÌ„ hearing the word and attending to the ministery of it because they haue not the word ordinarily taught among them If it were setled among them they could be content to giue the Ministers the hearing but if they haue it not they neuer thinke it any part of their duty to resort to the places where they may be instructed 2 Kin. 4 23. as
tempted Where we see he beginneth the sentence with the plurall number and endeth it with the singular Wherefore to returne vnto our purpose from which we haue digressed to answere an obiection and to open the interpretation of this Scripture faithfull parents who haue endeuoured to sow the seede of eternall life in the mindes of their children are not to bee censured and condemned because they haue leude and vngodly children that giue euident tokens rather of reprobation then of saluation as if it were their fault and offence for as much as they may bee carefull to vse all meanes of faith and furtherance to eternall life and yet notwithstanding faile of their end If they doe not discharge their duties they shall be guilty of their blood but if they doe teach them they are free they haue deliuered their soules If wee haue vsed diligence and be euill spoken off let vs comfort our selues in the Lord and rest our selues in the cleerenesse of our owne consciences and comfort our hearts in the testimony thereof being well assured that in the great day of account the LORD shall acquit vs when the mouth of iniquitie shall be stopped Vse 3 Thirdly from this ground ariseth great consolation to all faithfull parents who are to comfort themselues in this if among many children and a plentifull issue they haue some fewe of them yea but one onely that appeareth to be the faithfull childe of GOD albeit it bee otherwise with the rest GOD indeede will receiue glory in all though some of them bee reprobates this must preuaile with our natural affections and teach vs to suppresse our greefe and sorrow No doubt it is cause of the greatest griefe and maketh their head as waters and their eyes a fountaine of teares that they make their bed to swimme and water their couch with weeping which striketh neerer vnto them to beholde their vngodly wayes then to see them suffer a thousand deaths Abraham was exceedingly mooued when he was commanded to cast out of his family his sonne Ishmael Gen. 21.11 and 17.18 for the thing was grieuous in Abrahams sight because of his sonne and before this he had saide O that Ishmael might liue in thy sight yet neuerthelesse he yeelded to the will of God who would therein bee honoured So when GOD respecteth vs and confirmeth his couenant toward vs and taketh vnto himselfe any of our seede we ought rather to praise God for this mercy and goodnesse toward vs in sauing one then murmure against him or aske the question of him why he calleth not all If it please God so to deale in mercy toward vs that he vouchsafeth to be both our God and the God of all I say of all our seede we are bound vnto him in so much greater dutie and he requireth of vs the greater obedience and looketh for a sacrifice of greater thankefulnesse Hee dealeth not so with all good men euen such as haue faithfull soules and desire to approoue their seruice vnto him who when they haue giuen them what education they can and heartily craued of GOD his blessing vpon their holy endeauours yet haue found many crosses and such inward griefes as haue beene ready to breake euen their heart-strings and to bring their gray haires with sorrow to the graue Neuerthelesse we must not suffer our ouer-strong affections to preuaile too farre within vs and to swallow vs vp with ouermuch heauinesse when we beholde with our owne eyes the wickednesse of our children that are come out of our owne loynes and are of our owne blood when we see them without hope of being reclaimed and reformed as those that runne into all excesse of riot no though we should see them taken away in the prophanenesse of their hearts For why should we repine at it to consider how God glorifieth himselfe albeit it be in the destruction of some of ours Of this we haue two most notable examples in Aaron and in Eli neuer to be forgotten of vs recorded in the Bookes of Leuiticus and of Samuel Touching Aaron his two eldest sonnes Nadab and Abihu of whom we now speake sinned against the Lord in offering strange fire and seruing of God otherwise then hee appointed which is a thing detestable in his eyes and there came out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them and they dyed before the Lord. Heere was a grieuous sinne committed heere was a grieuous punishment executed vpon them and their father did beholde it with his eyes and how they were carryed out of the campe in their coates Moses tolde him that the LORD would bee sanctified in them that come nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified so that Aaron helde his peace Leuiticus chapter 10. verse 3. So touching Eli when he heard a fearefull iudgement denounced against his posterity he said It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Samuel 3.18 Thus ought we to doe and not vexe and turmoyle our selues without reason for that which we cannot remedy and redresse All the children of the faithfull are not the children of the promise they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God Galatians chapter 4. verse 23. All that are the seede of Adraham are not the children of Abraham Romanes chapter 9. verse 6 7. neither are all the Israel of God which are of Israel Heere it may be obiected which the Apostle Obiection 1 Peter speaketh to the Iewes The promise is made to you and to your children Actes 2.39 God is the God of the faithfull and of their seede I answere The Apostle answereth this in the next wordes Answer euen as many as the Lord our God shall call So many as haue God to bee their God shall in his good time be called to the knowledge of the trueth Hence it is that in the promise annexed to the second commandement it is said Exod. 20.6 hee sheweth mercy to thousands that loue him and keepe his commandements Thus hee limiteth the promise of mercy he restraineth it to those that loue him This promise is performed when it holdeth in any albeit a farre off Another obiection ariseth out of Paules words to the Corinthians where the seede of Obiection the faithfull are said to be holy that is sanctified and cleansed The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife 1 Cor. 7.14 and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now are they holy If then they be all cleane and holy it followeth they are also vnder the election of grace I answere they are holy touching the outward couenant and generall election Answer as to be of the visible Church to haue right in the Sacraments and to haue interest in the outward priuiledges therof as in the word prayer and such like Thus the whole nation of the Iewes are saide to bee chosen and thus they may bee saide Rom. 11.16 and are saide to bee sanctified They
the Lord Obiect Ephes 6. Ephe. 6.4 If any obiect against these commandements They will be vnruly and disordered albeit they be neuer so well brought vp and though their parents be very carefull they will be very carelesse and therefore they were as good holde their peace as to speake to them and not to be regarded Answer I answere so it is sometimes but alwayes it is not so Many that haue feared GOD with all their housholdes haue receiued much comfort by their children and seruants that haue had good instruction put into them as pure and wholesome liquour into a vessell and haue seene the fruite thereof to the vnspeakeable ioy of their hearts This we might shew at large in the reformed families of Abraham and Cornelius and sundry others As they planted and sowed good seede in the parts of their families as it were in a fruitfull field so they reaped a plentifull haruest Abraham had seruants that were also Gods seruants Gen 24.12 and 14.14 Act. 10.7 and prayed earnestly vnto him Cornelius had a souldier that waited vpon him that feared God yea all his band of Italian souldiers were Christian souldiers Againe we must trust GOD with the effect and successe of the education that we giue them He will worke thereby by his Spirit in all that belong vnto him as seemeth good to his heauenly wisedome If he doe not giue a blessing for causes vnknowne to vs but knowne to him let vs leaue Gods secret yet iust iudgments to himselfe The third particular branch is to pray to God for them to guide them in his wayes and to blesse them in his feare and to blesse our labours bestowed among them This wee see in Iob Iob 1.5 Chapter 1. toward his children When the dayes of their feasting were gone about he sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all for he said It may be that my sonnes haue sinned and cursed God in their hearts He was carefull for those which were committed vnto his charge and feared they might offend God in their meetings albeit hee knew no such euill by them The wise man saith Happy is the man◠that feareth alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Prou. 28. Prou. 28.14 A like example wee haue in Dauid Psalme 72. where he prayeth for Salomon Giue the king thy iudgements O God and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne hee shall iudge thy people with righteousnesse and thy poore with iudgement So then the faithfull are to entreate and craue from God the continuance of his couenant to their children and to begge from his handes an holy and sanctified seede We must not presume because we are faithfull and haue receiued to beleeue that therefore our seede must of necessity be so likewise for then we shall but deceiue our selues Let not vs therefore faile in crauing a blessing from God vpon our children if we desire to make them heires of blessing Fourthly it is required of vs to reioyce in the blessing of God vpon them and to giue him praise and glory when he vouchsafeth to shew mercy vpon them and vpon vs. If hee did leaue them in their sinnes and in that corruption which they receiued from vs Psal 51. as it were by inheritance we could not finde iust cause of complaint against him who is bound neither to vs nor to our children but forasmuch as he sheweth much mercy to our posteritie as he hath done vnto vs we haue matter of praise and thankesgiuing giuen vnto vs whereby also we shall procure their farther good It is noted of the Iailour Actes 16. Act. 16.34 that he reioyced that they of his houshold also beleeued in the Lord. He accounted it not sufficient for himselfe to beleeue nor reioyced onely in his owne saluation but forasmuch as God had vouchsafed greater mercy vnto him to call his family also to the faith this cheered his heart much more If we haue tasted of the like mercy let vs not be forgetfull of the like duty Lastly it belongeth vnto vs for the furtherance of their good to giue those all good encouragement in well doing that are conscionable in their duties to God and to vs we are bound to praise and commend them to comfort them to cheere them vp and to defend them against all malicious enemies that seeke to disgrace them The Apostle Paul willeth parents not to prouoke their children lest they be discouraged Coloss 3.21 It is a meanes to coole and quench zeale to finde discouragements in godly proceedings On the other side we ought to shew all dislike and hatred against euill and an angry countenance toward such as are vnreformed The Prophet touching the right ordering and good gouernment of his house declareth that hee would not know a wicken person and him that hath an high looke he will not suffer Psal 101.4.5 His eyes should be vpon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with him hee that walketh in the perfect way hee shall serue him This is a good meanes to make both houses to prosper and kingdomes to flourish when the godly are aduanced and the euil doers are beaten down but when euil is set aloft and goeth vnchecked and vncontrolled and godlinesse is driuen to the wall it prognosticateth and foretelleth the ruine and vtter desolation of those societies albeit for a time they may continue When they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wildernesse Wee haue hitherto spoken of the destruction of Aarons sonnes before the face of their father now let vs see for what cause it was done The sinne of his sonnes is remembred to be this they offered strange fire that is such as was not appointed and commanded of the Lord they tooke not the fire from the altar to burne incense with all which came downe from heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests vntill the captiuity of Babylon Now whereas the authour of the second booke of Macchabees telleth vs that whē their fathers were led into Persia the Priests that were then deuout tooke the fire of the altar priuily Macch. 1.19 and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water where they kept it sure so that the place was vnknowne to all men hath no testimony of trueth out of the sacred Scriptures as we shal shew more in the 26. Chapter of this Booke of Numbers Moses maketh mention of this example of the sinne and punishment of Aarons sonnes to the end the Leuites should be more wise and wary in the execution of their office because God hereby sheweth that they shal neuer escape his hand that do not rightly discharge the duties committed vnto them For the examples of Gods iudgements vpon the corrupters and contemners of his worship must make vs more carefull and fearefull to offend Now whereas they are punished according to their
had the brest-plate and an Ephod of gold Sigon de rep Hebr. lib. 5. cap. 3. Eucherio which is to be noted because the rest of the Priests did sometimes weare a linned Ephod They might haue no blemish or deformity Leuit. 21 18. They might drink no wine nor strong drinke when they were to enter into the Sanctuary Leuit. 10 9. They might not defile themselues by the dead nor come nigh any that was dead except it were their father or mother sonne or daughter or sister vnmarried Leuit. 21 1. They might not shaue their heads nor beards nor cutte their flesh they might marry no harlot nor woman diuorced Leuit. 21 5 7. The first that were consecrated to this office were Aarons sons Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar From Eleazar in Dauids time who established an exact order among them were issued 16 families 1 Chron. 24 4 and from Ithamar eight that is from them both 24 families These he sorted and separated into foure and twenty classes or courses named each of them after the name of him who was the chiefe of each family and concerning the ordering of them and setting one before another to auoide contention they cast lots All of them could not attend euery day without confusion and disorder they must haue intermission and times of vacation so that one course performed the seruice one weeke and another course another weeke Hence it is that it is saide in the booke of Chronicles 2 Chron. 23 8 that Iehoiada the Priest dismissed not the courses that is he sent not away the troopes and companies of the Priests that attended the seruice of the Temple when their time of waiting was expired so that according to the order appointed they should haue departed and the next course haue succeeded because hee meant to make good vse of them in the deposing of wicked vsurping Athalia and in the establishing of the royal throne of Ioash the lawfull King of Iudah This also appeareth in part in the new Testament Luk. 1 8 9. It came to passe that Zachariah of the course of Abia executed the Priests Office according to the custome of the Priests c. Thus much touching the Priests Office who were Aaron and his sonnes whom God chose out of al the families of the Tribe of Leui to minister before him It remaineth to consider Of the Leuites how the rest or residue of that Tribe were imployed They were not to be idle but to serue also first in the Tabernacle which Moses erected and afterward in the Temple which Salomon builded When these grew vp and encreased in great number they were sorted by Dauid for orders sake into foure rankes Sigon de 〈◊〉 Heb. lib. 5. â— 4 5 6 7. Some were appointed to bee Ministers of the Priests and Temple some to be singers some to be porters and others Scribes and Iudges Touching the first specially called Leuites that attended the seruice of the Sanctuary their Offices were to carry the Tabernacle and the Arke of the Couenant in the remoues of the people vntill God according to his promise fixed and setled them in one certaine place whither the Tribes should resort and then they were to take care of them and the vessels appointed to be vsed in the seruice of GOD. Vnto these offices in latter times were added the flaying of the beasts that were to be offered as 2 Chron. 35 10 11. Touching the second ranke to witte the sweete singers of the songs of Sion we reade in the first booke of the Chronicles chap. 25. 1 Chron. â—â— they were to sing prophesies with harpes with viols and with cymbals Touching the Porters which were the third ranke they were appointed to see that no vncircumcised no polluted or prophane person should enter into the house of the Lord 1 Chron. 26 and to guard the same in such sort that all things therein might bee in safety as the sacred vessels the treasure of the house and the treasure of the dedicated things Touching the Scribes which are the last ranke they were such as read the Scriptures and expounded the Law of God in the Temple at Ierusalem and in the Synagogues that were in all parts of the Land who were also called Doctours that is Interpretors of the Law of God All which we may reade at large in a learned Treatise of the Church Lib. 5. Cap. 5 6. D Field of tâ— Church lib. 5. cap. 6. Hauing thus breefely considered the distinct offices of such as were set apart to the Ministery among the people of GOD who made his Couenant with Leui of life and peace Mal. 2 4 5. let vs now returne to the words of Moses and proceede to the second part of the Preface which is the presentation of the Leuites before Aaron to bee as his hands and helpers that they might minister vnto him Wherein we are to obserue two points first the commandement of God to Moses and secondly the reason of the commandement For touching the execution of it by Moses according to the commandement of God which is in other places most vsually added is in this place omitted but must be supplied and vnderstood from that which followeth for when once the Leuites were offered and presented then presently hee proceeded to the numbring of them so that his obedience in this respect is sufficiently iustified Touching the commandement of God directed vnto him we are to marke these seuerall points and of them the Author is GOD for in diuine matters nothing must be attempted without commandement from him hee must warrant theÌ„ or else they are not to be allowed First the substance of the commandement verse 6 7 8. The Leuites are giuen to Aaron the Priest that they may minister vnto him and that they may doe the seruice of the Tabernacle and that they may keepe the instruments or vessels thereof Secondly the order that Aaron and the Priests should be superiour vnto them and be as Ouerseers of them prouiding that no stranger should thrust himselfe into this calling contrary to the ordinance and appointment of God Heb. 5 verse 4. No man taketh this honour vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Aaron so that he excluded from the ministery of the tabernacle al other that were not Leuites â— 7 13. of the other Tribes no man gaue attendance at the Altar they were strangers from the Priesthood and the Priesthood from them Not as though in the new Testament there should be one onely family separated to which the administration of holy things should belong For after Christ was ascended â—bac in â—â—b cap. 3. and had led captiuity captiue the distinction of Tribes and families was taken away in regard of the functions of the Church so that the Ministers may bee ordained and called out of any estate degree whatsoeuer being furnished with sufficient gifts for that purpose Thus much of the commandement
abhominable If we come wickedly and vnworthily to the Lords Supper we eate and drinke our owne damnation Let vs therefore examine our selues and prepare our hearts before we come that so wee may bee meete partakers of those holy mysteries Obiect Before wee come to the doctrine offered vnto vs in this diuision we are to answer one obiection that ariseth from hence For the question may be asked whether this charge heere spoken of were perpetually enioyned to the Leuites that they should carry the instruments of the Sanctuary and the Arke whether I say they were alwayes to beare the Arke Answer or not I answer this commandement was temporary It was their duty for a time vntill the Priests were encreased and multiplied in number that they were sufficient and enabled to carry it Deut. 31 9. But afterward all the examples of the histories mentioned in the bookes of Ioshua and the Iudges of Samuel and of the Kings do manifestly declare that it was the office of the Priests themselus Iosh 3 6. 1 Sam. 14 18. 2 Sam. 15 29. 1 Kings 2 26 and 8 3 4. For the most worthy things were to be handled by the more worthy persons thereby to testifie the worthines and dignity of the things themselues and to procure the greater reuerence and respect vnto them Wherefore the commandement enioyned in this place was for a season onely vntill there were a sufficient number of the Priests to do it 2 Sam. 6 3. The setting of the Arke vpon a Cart was Dauids infirmity though otherwise a man after Gods owne heart for Princes may erre the best of them may be deceiued They followed not the ordinance of God and caused it not to be carried on the shoulders eyther of the Priests or Leuites but followed the example of the Philistims who made a new Cart 1 Sam. 6 7 11. and laide the Arke of the Lord vpon the Cart so did Dauid and all the people they set the Arke of God vpon a new Cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab Againe we reade sometimes in the Scriptures that the Leuites did it 1 Chr. 15 2. Then Dauid said None ought to carry the Arke of God but the Leuites for them hath the Lord chosen to carry the Arke of God and to minister vnto him for euer Thus was Dauid made wiser by the former breach of Gods wrath among them whereby Vzzah was destroyed Howbeit we must vnderstand heereby the Priests that were of the Tribe of Leui as appeareth by the 26 verse of that chapter It came to passe when God helped the Leuites to beare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord that they offered seuen Bullocks seuen Rams Where we see that such as did beare the Arke did also offer sacrifices but the Priests office onely was to offer sacrifice therefore they onely did carry the Arke For all the Priests were Leuites but all Leuites were not Priests The name of Leuites was a common name to all that belonged to that Tribe whereof some were called Priests other by the common name of Leuites But concerning those that executed the Priests office and were not of that Tribe they were no better then intruders and vsurpers Verse 5 6 c. And when the Campe setteth forward Aaron shall come and his sonnes and they shall take downe c. Moses mentioneth and setteth downe in this place the particular calling of all the Leuites what they ought to do and what they ought not to do wherein they are to busie themselues exercise their gifts and how they may approue themselues in their places as if he should bring euery one of them into their proper field that they were to till For euen as a master of a family appointeth euery one of his seruants their taske and worke that he will haue them do so doth the Lord our God deale with his Ministers and all his people he giueth them their peculiar office and sheweth how and wherein they must employ themselues We learne Doctrine 1 from hence that euery man whether out of the Ministery or in the Ministery It is the duty of euery one to know and learne the duties of his owne calling must learne and know the duties of his owne calling what charge God hath laide vpon him and what seruice he requireth at his hands At the giuing of the law in Mount Sion euery one had his standing place assigned vnto him which he might not passe for as God hath set bounds vnto the sea that though it rage yet it can go no farther then hee hath appointed he hath said hitherto it shall goe and it can go no farther so Moses is charged to deale with the people that they do not breake thorough vnto the Lord Exod. 19 12. Thou shalt set bounds vnto the people saying Take heed to your selues that ye goe not vp into the Mount or touch the border of it c. Thus also the Lord speaketh to Ieremy chapt 1 5 10. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest foorth out of the wombe I sanctified thee and I ordained thee a Prophet vnto the Nations The Prophet Ionah is reproued that being to go to Niniueh Ionas 1 3. rose vp to flye vnto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Thus doth Paul speake to Timothy for hauing set downe before him the duty of his calling he saith 1 Tim 4.15 16. Tit. 1 5 and 2 15 and 3 â— Meditate vpon these things giue thy selfe wholly to them that thy profiting may appeare to all Euery one is taught to labour with his hands the thing that is good Eph. 4 28. and to withdraw himselfe from euery brother that walketh inordinately and not according to the doctrine receiued The reasons to confirme vs Reason 1 in this truth are many First we can neuer practise the duties of our callings except we know them This is the eie that leadeth vs to the doing of theÌ„ from the beginning to the ending of them The blind man cannot see his way Ioh. 13 17. If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them When once we know what duties are laid vpon vs we are already entred into the way to do them and performe them Reason 2 Secondly such as transgresse the bounds set before them shall surely perish and be punished When the people before the Law was giuen were limited how farre to passe Moses addeth â—d 19.12 whosoeuer toucheth the mount shal be surely put to death and the Apostle prosecuteth the threatening further 〈◊〉 12.20 If so much as a beast touch the mountain it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart So then the consideratioÌ„ of the punishment threatned denounced against all that breake the listes set vnto them which is farther confirmed by sundry examples of Vzzah and of Corah and his company ought so farre to preuaile with vs as to teach vs to continue in the workes
in those that follow yet there was a legall impurity and a ceremoniall vncleannes in them putting them in mind of the foulenes of sinne Thirdly such as haue touched a dead carcase must also goe out of the hoste these were also vncleane for a certaine season The first sort to wit of the lepers was infectious the two latter were accounted vncleane and abominable in respect of the law and ordinance of God that forbade those ceremonies vntill the time of the restoring of all things and yet some of them could not be auoided as the touching of the dead These are the parts the manner followeth shewing that this commandement is generall and toucheth all ages and sexes yong and old male and female Prince and subiect rich and poore there must no partiality be vsed God will haue none of these vncleane persons to be spared or suffered among his people from the king that setteth on his throne to the begger that lyeth on the dunghill Hereupon Moses saith both male and female ye shal put out without the campe shall ye put them And in the booke of Deuteronomy it is said Deut. 24. â— Take heed in the plague of leprosie that thou obserue diligently and doe according to all that the Priests Leuites shal teach you as I commanded them so ye shall obserue to do Remember what the Lord thy God did vnto Miriam by the way after that ye were come forth out of Egypt She was the sister of Moses and Aaron had gone before the women in singing the praises of God for their deliuerance at the red sea yet when she spake against Moses Num 12.14 she was shut out from the campe seuen dayes according to the law Leui. 13 4â— All the dayes wherein the plague shall bee in him he shal be defiled he is vncleane he shal dwel alone without the camp shal his habitation be The practise hereof we see in Gehazi the seruant of Elisha because he had taken two talents of siluer contrary to the wil of the Prophet he said vnto him 2 Kin 5.27 The leprosie of Naaman shal cleaue vnto thee and vnto thy seed for euer and he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow In the seige of Samaria by the Syrians it appeareth that foure leprous men dwelt out of the citie who for feare of that great and mighty hoste abode at the entring in of the gate 2 King 7.3 and were the first messengers of glad tidings that the enemies had broken vp their campe in haste and were fled away When Ahasiah presumed in the pride of his heart to execute the priests office the Lord smote the king 2 King 15. â— so that he was a leper vnto the day of his death and dwelt in a seuerall house Thus we see how this law was executed without al respect of persons or degrees and estates of men high and low bond and free master and seruant The reasons of the former commandement follow which are two in number the one drawn from the nature and condition of these vncleane persons the other from the person and presence of God The former reason concerning the foulenesse of the leprosie in these words lest they defile their camp may bee thus concluded If the lepers defile the places of their abode then they are to be remooued But the lepers defile the places of their abode Therefore they are to be remooued The conclusion of this argument is the commandement it selfe mentioned in the 2 verse so also is the second part in the end of the same verse The first proposition is to be supplyed The next reason drawne from the Lord himselfe in these words I dwell in the mids of them is thus concluded If God dwel among his people then no vncleane thing is to be tolerated among them But God dwelleth among his people Therefore no vncleane thing is to be tolerated among them The parts of this argument are partly expressed and partly vnderstood as we shewed in the former that went before and therefore need not be repeated Thus much of the commandement the execution heereof followeth in the 4. verse set downe first generally and particularly Generally the children of Israel did so Particularly they put them out of the campe as the Lord spake vnto Moses Now whereas the tents among the Israelites were threefold one of the Tabernacle another of the Leuites the third of the Tribes 〈◊〉 in Nume â—5 sundry of the Hebrews hold that such as were leprous were banished from them all three that such as had running issues were suffered in the campe but neither in the court of the Tabernacle nor among the tents of the Leuites and that such as were defiled by touching the dead were onely banished and excluded out of the court of the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle it selfe But these are more curious speculations then well grounded obseruations whereof the Hebrew Rabbins are full and seeme to be ouerthrowne in this place where they are thought to be established forasmuch as Moses ioyneth all these 3. together and turneth them out of the host â—biect Before we proceed to handle the doctrines of this diuision it shall not be amisse for vs to answer one obiection which we will do briefly and that is whether God in requiring the lepers to be put out of the campe doe respect the bodies of his people or not forasmuch as the leprosie was a contagious and infectious disease â—nswer I answere I am not ignorant how diuersly diuers men doe carry this and vnderstand hereby that God as a prudent and prouident Lawgiuer giueth wholesome counsell and direction lest contagious diseases should creepe among the people and so infect one another But this is too weake a coniecture and collection reacheth not to the purpose nor attaineth to the intent of God who respecteth the soule rather then the body For he doth not in this place giue counsel as a Phisition that prouideth for the health of his patient but he dealeth as a Physition of the soule and therefore vnder these outward rites and ceremonies he would traine them vp teach them to giue themselues to holinesse of life to study to attaine vnto and acquaint themselues with purity and to beware of all filthines and vncleannesse This appeareth in the example before set downe of such as were driuen from the company and society of men being stricken with the leprosie by the hand of God Besides this reason is rendred of their casting out of the hoste lest they should defile the campe in which the Lord dwelled Lastly we see that such as haue issues in the flesh such as touch the dead which are no infectious diseases and the one no disease at all are ioyned with the leprosie in this chapter so that the drift intent of God in this place is not to prouide for the body or to keepe the people in health and strength but for the
who threatned the Apostles streitly and commanded them not to speak henceforth nor teach any more in the Name of Iesus This is the beginning and first degree of the Church-censures The second proceedeth farther and that is suspension which taketh place when the former taketh no place Suspension is a punishment inflicted wherby the offenders are for a time barred from the Lords Supper This is not a separation from all the holy things but from some only which howsoeuer those of the separation that are fledde from vs scoffe at and deride yet it hath good warrant and sure foundation out of the word And as it is an higher censure then admonition so it is lower then excommunication Of this the Apostle seemeth to speake 2 Thess 3 14. If any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and haue no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother The person excommunicated must be counted as an heathen and a Publicane the party suspended as a brother these two to bee accounted as an heathen yet respected as a brother cannot well agree together This was shaddowed out in the booke of Leuiticus by the ceremonial law chap. 13. where the Priest is commanded to iudge of the plague of leprosie if at the first the leprosie did not appeare manifestly by such signes as are there described he should shut him vp seauen dayes and at the seauenth day he should looke vpon him againe and if as yet it did not appeare plainely and euidently what it was hee was to shut him vp seuen daies more and afterward should pronounce him cleane or vncleane according as he should finde by the tokens and arguments prescribed in the word of GOD euen so in iudging of the spiritual leprosie the like wisedome or rather greater is to bee vsed by the Gouernors of the Church vnder the Gospel If a brother should bee vehemently and publikely suspected to haue committed some notorious crime to the dishonour of God to the wounding of his owne conscience and to the scandall of the Church and thereupon the Church-Gouernors after citation of him should enter into the examining of the matter and at the first finde onely great presumption or some cause of suspition or probable coniecture but no plaine or manifest proofe against him it is meete they take farther time for more certaine triall of the matter and in the meane season suspend him from the vse of the Sacrament but not froÌ„ hearing the word vntill it may farther appeare and better be gathered if it be possible whether he be guilty or not guilty and charge the faithfull to haue no fellowship with him that he may bee ashamed The third censure is excommunication which is a separation from al holy things and the priuiledges of the Church casting out of their publike communion and priuate fellowship such members as openly offend by some greeuous crime Gen. 17. â—â— Ezr. 10 8 Math. 18 â—â— 1 Cor. â— â—â— because to their sinne they adde the obstinate contempt of the admonitions giuen vnto them to the end themselues may be ashamed and others warned feared by their example and kept from the like infection We are forbidden to eate and drinke with such if they be knowne to be so and to keepe company with them familiarly as their friends fellowes and companions for this were to be one with him that is as an heathen and Publican and deliuered vp to Satan Seeing then this censure is so full of horrour and terror being vsed according to the word of God it followeth that they which do not reuerence and regard it are desperate sinners of whom we can haue little or no hope so long as they continue without the publike meanes of saluation They are as it were the forlorne hope and neere vnto destruction while they lightly esteeme this sword drawne out against them or do make a sport at it or are not humbled by it or seek not to be absolued from it They that are thus minded stand not in feare of God or the diuell they regard neither heauen nor hell neither saluation nor damnation They are vnder Gods wrath and yet feele it not they dwell in the suburbes of hell and yet know it not Satan hath set vp his throne in their hearts and yet they see it not they are shut out of heauen and yet they mourne not for it they are captiues and bondslaues vnder sinne and yet they haue no desire to be restored into the liberties of the sons of God nor any care to haue their liues reformed They cast vp a sauour in the nostrils of God men which annoyeth the house with the lothsome and filthy stench of it Such as are hotly pursued by enemies and flye to some Citty for succour or sanctuary if the gates bee shut against them they are left as a prey to the mercy of others that are mercilesse God hideth those that be his in his Tabernacle and keepeth them safe as it were vnder his wings but these are deliuered vp to the diuell who gouerneth them and worketh in them yet alas they are not afraid to serue such a master God hath left them and forsaken them who haue left and forsaken him and euen shut vp heauen gates against theÌ„ as it were with strong bars which were enough to astonish them if they had any life of Gods Spirit in them notwithstanding all this cannot enter into their dead hearts God giue them grace if they doe belong vnto him to thinke vpon these things and seriously to consider of them in their hearts while the acceptable time is if not he will glorifie his great Name in their confusion as he did in the destruction of Pharaoh Exod. 9.16 And we that heare these things this day must performe these foure things First we must mourne for them as for the losse of a member though themselues do not and pray for them earnestly to him that hath the hearts of all men in his owne hands that he would open their blind eyes albeit they cannot pray for themselues Secondly we must beware and looke to our selues that we come not into that estate Happy is he whom other mens harmes can make watchfull Thirdly we must take heed we be not a meanes to harden them in their sinnes but seeke to reclaime and recouer them While they stand in this desperate estate we must haue no delight in them but shunne them and auoide them What greater meanes can there be to mooue such to repentance then for them to marke how euery one shunneth them and separateth himselfe from them and accounteth them as Turkes and Pagans and no better The incestuous person that was at Corinth being thus censured and deliuered for a time vnto the power of the diuell then which what could be more feareful being I say thus thrust out of the Church and banished from the liberties of it and abandoned of
not cleere the wicked Although Princes doe not make statutes against it yet the statute law of God hath decreed against it and condemned it set a great penalty vpon the breach of it We haue sundry lawes that none abuse our names but we haue none for the preseruation of Gods Name and therefore God will looke to it and take order for it No commandement hath had more visible iudgments executed vpoÌ„ the breakers of it then this The plague of God shall not depart from his house that is a swearer one iudgment or other shall ouertake him and if he do escape the greater torment is reserued for him in the life to come The Prophet Zachary Zach. 5.4 telleth vs that God will consume the timber and stones of his house The sonne of the Israelitish woman that blasphemed the Name of the Lord and cursed is brought foorth without the campe and stoned to death Leuit. 24.14 15. and thereupon a Law established Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sinne It is lamentable to consider the wretchednesse of prophane men notwithstanding the greeuousnesse of this sinne Many are of such a ruffian-like spirit that they feare not to teare in peeces the Lord of life and to crucifie againe the Sonne of God as much as in them lyeth We our selues are iealous of our own names and the names of our parents and posterity no maruell then if God be exceeding iealous ouer himselfe If we wil not glorifie him he will glorifie himselfe and his Name in our destruction He may winke at vs for a time as also at our manifold and monstrous oathes but he hath not forgotten them he keepeth a booke of accounts as a register against vs and when the great day of the Lord shall come he will bring forth the records and set our sinnes in order before vs. Let vs not thinke to escape Eccles 8.11 because sentence is not speedily executed the more he delayeth the more he hoardeth vp punishment for vs. The longer the arrow is in drawing the deeper it will pierce when it is shot out against vs. Hee suffereth them to liue in security for a time but they shall taste of seuerity in the end Iob 24.23 and 21.30 The wicked is reserued to the day of destruction they shal be brought forth to the day of wrath 23 And the Priest shall write these curses in a booke and he shall blot them out with the bitter water 24 And he shall cause the woman to drinke the bitter water that causeth the curse and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter 25 Then the Priest shall take the iealousie offering out of the womans hand and shall waue the offering before the Lord and offer it vpon the Altar 26 And the Priest shall take an handfull of the offering euen the memoriall thereof and burne it vpon the Altar and afterward shall cause the woman to drinke the water Hitherto wee haue seene the things that goe before the tryall now we come to such as are more neerely ioyned with it which are these He must write the curses in a booke and then blot them out with the waters of bitternesse before remembred But before the woman drinke of the waters he must take the offering out of her hand and waue it before the Lord and then offer it vnto the Lord. Lastly he is to burne a part of it vpon the altar and afterward cause the woman to drinke the water Obiect Heere the question may be asked wherefore the curse must be written and afterward blotted out If it must be blotted out what need it to be written If it must be written why should it be blotted out I answer Answer it was written to note out the stablenesse of Gods iudgements and the certainety of his trueth And therefore also it was vttered in words expressed in actions and established by writing In word of the adiuration in worke of the drinking vp of the water in writing of the whole fact as it was done before the Lord. Neuerthelesse this writing was so extant that it continued not long but was so cleane defaced that none could reade it because God would not haue the remembrance of such filthy causes and iealouses and suspicions to remaine to posterity lest any be inflamed with the like passion and so bring into imitation such like practises Verse 23.24 c. And the Priest shall write these curses c. We see in this place the former ceremonies and circumstances farther vrged and pressed neere to the conscience of her that was suspected and stood before the Lord to be tryed She is caused and commanded to drinke of these waters prepared for this purpose These waters that cause the curse shall enter into her and become bitter This is the meanes that God wil vse to manifest things that yet are hidden in secret and such as should bring an heauy iudgement vpon her that was guilty We learne from hence Doctrine Adultery â— albeit secâ— coâ—â—â—â— punished of God that whoredome is alwaies punished of God and neuer escapeth vnpunished Howsoeuer adultery be not regarded among men and thought either no sinne or a little and veniall sinne yet God findeth it out and ceasseth not to plague and punish it both temporally and eternally both in this life and in the life to come This we see set foorth before vs at large throughout the whole booke of God Gen. 6 1â— What was the cause that brought the flood vpon the old world and swept away the inhabitants thereof was it not for their vncleannesse and the lusts of their eyes and the loosenesse of their life The like we might say of Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities about them who giuing themselues once to fornication Iude 7. and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire When Balaam was not suffered to curse the people of God he gaue the Moabites and Midianites this damnable counsel to allure them to commit fornication by which meanes many perished as we shall shew afterward in the 25 chapter of this booke whereunto also the Apostle alludeth 1 Cor. 10.8 when he saith Neither let vs commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand It must needs be a greeuous sin that brought downe so greeuous a iudgment A like fearefull example we haue in the booke of Iudges when the Leuites wife was abused vnto death there followed the destruction of the beniamites 〈◊〉 20 35. 〈◊〉 21.3 so that there fell of them fiue and twenty thousand almost one whole tribe of Israel was wanting This is it which the Lord threatened to his people Leuit. 18.24.25 20. Ye shall not defile your selues in any of these things among which this was one to defile themselues with their neighbours wife by carnall copulation for in all these the nations are defiled which I will cast
doth yet nothing lesse then pray Many a Minister that getteth vp into the Pulpit doth nothing lesse then preach Many people that come with eares to heare do nothing lesse theÌ„ heare and to eate the Supper of the Lord that do nothing lesse then partake of his holy table Wherefore wee must be present in minde at holy things as well as in body or else our presence is no better then an absence Secondly we must yeeld to this principle that it is both safer and better to conceiue a prayer then to reade a prayer because it keepeth our mindes constant and freeth vs from wandring thoughts that carry vs oftentimes from the matter which we should altogether minde For we are ready to goe astray and to set our hearts vpon other things whereas by this meanes they are kept close and stedfast to the requests which we make Againe a man may reade a praier that neuer vnderstandeth it or conceiueth the meaning of it and therefore it is more profitable to poure out our petitions our selues then to haue our petitions drawne by the hand of another No man can haue such a feeling of our owne wants as our own necessities will make vs able to expresse neither can conceiue such ioy and gladnesse for blessings receiued as the experience in our selues of Gods benefits will affoord vnto vs. Thirdly no man must condemne such as do conceiue themselues formes of praiers call them conceited praiers or fantasticall praiers These are enuious persons who enuy in others the graces of God cannot abide that any should go before themselues or beyond themselues These are wise in their own eyes and indeed themselues wholly conceited and fantasticall which they falsely charge vpon others being vtterly ignorant both of Gods workes and their owne wants For had they knowne or regarded the gifts and power of the Spirit which helpeth and assisteth his seruants that their tongue is as the pen of a ready writer and findeth sufficient matter to vtter to their Maker or had they knowne themselues throughly what new wants they haue what new sinnes they commit what new assaults they vndergoe what new blessings they enioy which are as so many occasions or rather prouocations to open their mouthes anew to God to sing a new song vnto him they would not blot this ordinance of God with such an odious cauill So then whereas all such should be greeued that cannot frame their petitions according to their present wants nor poure out their supplications according to their particular assaults neither make confession to God according to their particular offences they are rather grieued that any others can performe these duties better then themselues And whereas they should striue with might and maine to be like vnto them and to follow their example they would haue all other men ignorant like themselues and please themselues in that ignorance On this wise ye shal blesse the children of Israel Note in these words the persons that must performe this duty and they are the Priests note also what they are to doe to blesse the people that is to pray to almighty God for them that his blessings may come downe vpon them From hence we see that it is the duty of the Ministers to pray for the people Doctrine It is the Ministers duty to pray for the people So did Melchisedec for Abraham and he was the Priest of the most high God Gen. 14.18 19. So did Moses often for the people when Gods heauy iudgements were vpon them or hanging ouer their heads Exod. 32 33 Psal 106 23. he stood oftentimes in the gappe when the hand of God had made the breach to turne away his wrath lest he should destroy them So did Aaron as appeareth afterward in this booke when the plague was begun among the people he put on incense made an attonement for them he stood betweene the dead the liuing and the plague was staied Numb 16 Rom. 1 2 â—â— 47 48. Paul in euery Epistle practiseth this duty and the Apostles committed the charge of prouiding for the poore Acts 6 â— and distributing to the poore to the Deacons that they might giue themselues continually to prayer and to the ministery of the word The Prophets also neuer failed in this duty as we reade almost in euery place of their Prophesies Dan. 5 22 they stood vpon their watch-tower hauing the people continually in remembrance in their holy praiers Christ Iesus himselfe the great Shepheard of the sheepe is a perfect patterne of performing this he prayed for Ierusalem oftentimes Luke 19. and for the whole flocke of God committed vnto him whoÌ„ he would not suffer to perish but bring them to euerlasting life Iohn 17 20. Thus then we see wee haue the examples of Melchisedec of Moses of Aaron of the Priests of the Prophets of the Apostles and of Christ Iesus the Lord of life as liuely examples to go before vs and as a cloud of witnesses to conduct vs in this duty to proue vnto vs the truth of this point This must the rather be practised first because it is an infallible token of our loue toward Reason 1 them and of an earnest desire that we haue of their good Psal 118 26. And how can we better expresse euen the bowels of our affection and our longing after their prosperous estate from the heart roote then by our daily praying for them Rom. 1 10. Secondly the faithfull Ministers of God haue beene much greeued when they were forbidden and not permitted to performe this duty We see this euidently in Ieremy Ier. â—4 â—â— when the Lord had said vnto him Pray not for this people for their good he said Ah Lord God the Prophets say vnto thom yee shall not see the sword neither shall ye haue famine but I will giue you assured peace in this place where we see he layeth the fault vpon the false Prophets and goeth about to excuse or at least to lessen the sinne of the people who were blindly led by those blinde guides that thereby he might make a way to moue the Lord to heare him for that poore seduced people Thirdly the flocke of God is committed vnto them it is no small charge that lyeth on their hands the price of Christs precious blood is committed vnto them and therfore by all meanes they are charged to procure their good especially considering that the blood of such as perish through their negligence shall be required at their hands 1 Pet. 5 2. Ezek. 3.18 Fourthly it is a sinne against God as well as against his people to omit or refuse this duty And therefore when all the people saide to Samuel Pray for thy seruants vnto the Lord thy God that we die not he answered As for me God forbid that I should sinne against the lord in ceasing to pray for you 1 Sam. 12 23. If then it be a sinne to omit it it must needs be a duty
consider two things first the commandement of God without whose authority nothing is to be imposed as necessary in the Church which is that the Priests should light the lampes not one or two but all of them to giue light in the Tabernacle to signifie the light of Gods word shining in the Church which ought sincerely to be preached and published by the teachers to giue light of knowledge to all in the house of God as the Apostle declareth of himselfe that he had kept backe nothing Acts 20 20 27 but reuealed the whole counsell of God as the Priests kept not any of the lampes vnlighted but did light theÌ„ all Secondly the obedience of Aaron to the commandement he lighted the lampes that they might giue light round about the candlestick on euery side wheresoeuer the candlesticke could be seene Vpon occasion of mentioning the candlesticke we haue a description of it verse 4 by the matter of it it was made of gold and by the forme of beaten gold according to the patterne shewed to Moses in the Mount for he was a faithfull seruant in the house of God Heb. 3 2. But of this we may reade farther Exo. 25 37 40 25 26. There was but one candlesticke in the Tabernacle made by Moses because this was sufficient howbeit Salomon that built the Temple afterward made ten candlestickes whereof fiue stood at the one side fiue on the other side 2 Chron. 4 ver 7 20. because the Temple was larger and wider then the Tabernacle and therefore moe were requisite in the one then in the other The place where the Candlesticke stood was in the Sanctuary next to the most holy place or in the first Tabernacle Hebrewes chapter 9 verses 2 9. Not in the most holy place forasmuch as the High-Priest went into it once onely in the whole yeare Heb. 9 7. whereas the lampes of the Candlesticke were renued daily But let vs come to the words as they lye in order and first touching the lampes appointed to bee lighted we must consider that the Tabernacle with all things thereunto belonging was a figure of the time present vntil the time of reformation Heb. 9 9. and when the Priesthood was changed there must be also a change of the law Heb. 7 12. All things had their signification and the truth which is as the pith and substance of the ceremonies belongeth to vs as well as to the Iewes Hence it is that the lampes belonging to the candlesticke â—â—ctrine signifie vnto vs that the word is the light of the church 〈◊〉 word is â—â—amp and 〈◊〉 of the â—â—â—rch giuing light to the people as the Sun doth to the world wherby the true light of the knowledge of God of Christ our Redeemer of true righteousnesse and of saluation is kindled in the hearts of all true beleeuers Dauid is a certaine witnesse of this truth who teacheth that the commandement of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes Psal 19 8. Thy word is a lampe vnto my feete and a light vnto my path Psal 119 105. So Salomon saith Prou. 6 23. The Commandement is a lampe and the Law is a light It is plaine therefore that the lampe lighted in the Tabernacle did figure out the word of God Hence it is that the Prophet Esay saith O house of Iacob â—â—â—y 2 5. come let vs walke in the light of the Lord and afterward he sheweth that if any speake not according to this word 〈◊〉 8 20. it is because there is no light in them Reason 1 And it cannot be otherwise because the Lord which is the author of the Scriptures is light it selfe he is called the Father of lights Iam. 1 and the Church acknowledgeth when it sate in darknes that the Lord was the light of it Mich. 7 8. The Apostle saith he only hath immortality and dwelleth in the light which no maÌ„ can approch vnto 1 Tim. 6 16. And in the beginning of Iohns Gospel Christ is called the light of men Iohn 1 4. If God then be the true light how can his word but partake of his nature and be lightsome in it selfe and bring light to vs Againe the word hath in it the effects of light it expelleth darknes and is very comfortable and therfore comfort is often called by the name of light Ps 97 11. Ester 8 16. Ps 118 27 and 43 3. Iob 30 26. Lam. 3 2. So is it with the word it driueth away spirituall darknes and it comforteth and reioyceth the heart Psal 19 8. Vse 1 This doctrine serueth to reproue the church of Rome which bring in their Torches and Tapers and Candles into the Church as the setting of them vp at burials and funerals 〈◊〉 dâ— par â—â—b 2 c. 19. to signifie that the soules of the dead are aliue a superstitious custome condemned by sundry Councels as superstitious and heathenish Moreouer they obserue continually another foolish custome to set vp wax candles Taper lights before their Images and vpon the Altar in their Churches and this they do not onely in the night but in the day at noone when the Sun shineth in his strength And lest they might seeme to wander without Scripture and to be mad without reason they pretend for themselues and their superstition the continuall burning of the lampes in the Tabernacle before the Arke of the testimony Exod. 25. Bellarmine disputing of the reliques of the Saints Bellar. lib. 2. de reliqu c. 3. et 4. noteth three ends of this practise because fire is a signe of gladnesse a signe of glory and a signe of life But all this is no better then will-worship which is condemned Mat. 15 9. Col. 2 23. of which it may be said Who required these things at your hands Es 1 12 And this obseruation in the law touching the lamps is meerly ceremoniall which had an end with the Priesthood and was honourably buried with the Synagogue and is not to be raked out of the dust and raised out of the graue againe Also it is vtterly vntrue that these lampes were lighted in the day time for they were lighted in the euening burned vntill the morning and then were put out Thus doth Ahijah tell Ieroboam and all Israel 2 Chr. 13 11. that they had the Candlesticke of gold with the lampes thereof to burne euery euening Therefore it is said in the law The high Priest shall light the lampes at euen the word is betweene the twilights meaning therby both the euening and the morning Exod. 30 8 and Aaron must cause the lampes to burne continually from the euening vnto the morning Leuit. 24 3. In the booke of Samuel in other places it appeareth that they burned all night for those that kept the watch of the Lord in the Tabernacle and in the Temple but were alwaies exstinguished in the morning when it was day 1 Sam. 3 3. Thus then we reason against them from their owne
possesseth where all things are saide to bee in peace Luk. 11 21. Secondly let vs neuer look Vse 2 for a perfect agreement or perfect vnity in this life Such are falne into a deepe sleep and dreame to finde heauen vpon earth We must embrace the truth before all be agreed or els we shall neuer embrace it forasmuch as there is much ignorance the matter or mother of error euen in the most godly Happy wil it be for vs wheÌ„ there shal be an end of these daies of sin for then shall be an end also of all contention Thirdly let vs follow mens examples Vse 3 no further then they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11 1. There are defects and infirmities in the best We aime at perfection but wee cannot hit it Though we haue multitudes to go before vs we must know whom they follow before we follow and ioyne our selues vnto them Many men may fitly be coÌ„pared to a flock of sheep who at the first make many offers before any will aduenture but if one begin to leap ouer the rest follow amain so is it with diuers men that pinch curtesy at the first and keep themselues entire in the most holy faith but if they see others giue their assent they follow after stick at nothing neither try the spirits whether they be of God or not Lastly it is our duty Vse 4 to cut off all occasions of debate and as it were to take away the fuell that kindleth and continueth the fire 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul beseecheth the Corinthians as brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that they all speake the same thing and that there be no diuisions among them but that they be perfectly ioyned together in the same minde and in the same iudgement Verse 2. And they saide Hath the Lord indeed spoken onely by Moses The true cause of this their murmuring and contention was pride and ambition selfe-loue ostentation vain-glory â—â—â—trine 〈…〉 â—reater â—e to the â—â—â—rch then â—ion Hereby we learne that there commeth no greater plague to the Church of God then by ambition desire of preheminence when men desire to ouer-rule others to haue the sole command of all things in the church and neuer to be commanded This was the sinne that caused our first parents to fall from God and by their fall to ruine all mankinde they would needs be as Gods knowing good and euill Gen. 3 5. The ambition and pride of Amaziah the priest of Beth-el would not suffer the Prophet Amos in the land of Israel but he commanded him to flie away into the land of Iuda and prophesie there Amos 7 10 12. We see this apparently afterward chap. 16. of this booke in Korah Dathan and Abiram This moued the high Priests the Scribes and Pharisies to persecute Christ and his Apostles to wit the loue which they had to their owne kingdome and hierarchy more then vnto the kingdome of God they feared that if all men were brought to beleeue in Christ they shold lose their place and authority Iohn 11 47. Math. 23 6 7. So was it among the Apostles they also stroue who should bee the greatest among them So the Apostle Iohn speaking of Diotrephes sheweth that hee loueth the preheminence 3 Iohn 9 10. Hee was a proud and ambitious man affecting rule and authoritie ouer others and thereby brought much mischiefe and trouble vpon the church of God pratling against the Pastors with malicious wordes and not content therewith neither doth he himselfe receiue the brethren forbiddeth them that would and casteth theÌ„ out of the church Neither is this euill dead with these for this is a great plague of the church to this day and very pernicious Nothing hath more ruined the church of God ouerthrown piety corrupted religion hindered the Gospel discouraged the Pastors and professors of it nothing hath more erected the kingdom of Anti-christ then these petty popes the true successors of Diotrephes such as desire to be vniuersall byshops and to reign alone to haue all the dealings in their owne hands and the whole flocke to stand at their becke and conclude what they list Reason 1 The mischiefe hereof appeareth by sundry reasons First it causeth a great rent and diuision in the church and disturbeth the peace of it Nu. 16 1. Korah and his company went apart as scismaticks caused a great contention to arise where was peace vnity before Reason 2 Secondly it setteth vp men putteth downe the Lord and his ordinances vrging compelling and commanding against the truth Act. 4 18 19. Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and Iohn and Alexander a proude generation of ambitious prelates commanded the Apostles not to preach and teach nor to speake at all in the name of Ieus whoÌ„ Christ had charged and commanded to preach And whereas he would haue them teach whatsoeuer he had commanded them Math. 28 20. they will limit them and stint the Spirit of God how far he shall go and what he shall not do Thirdly Reason 3 it proceedeth from very euill rootes and bringeth forth very euil effects as an euil tree bringeth forth euill fruites The causes from whence it floweth are Satan pride contempt disdaine of others selfe-loue in our selues Zeged loci communes no loue of the truth no zeale of Gods glorie no desire of the good of the church like mother like daughter as the root is so is the branch The effects thereof are trouble disquietnesse feare flattery enuy and subtilty Let vs come to the Vses It reproueth the Vse 1 Byshops of Rome and the Romane Cleargy which beare themselues as Lords ouer the flocke of Christ hauing all things to stand at their becke therefore the Apostle Peter saith the Elders that feede the flocke must not bee as Lords ouer Gods heritage but examples to the flocke 1 Pet. 5 3. and Christ our Sauiour when the two sonnes of Zebedeus ambitiously desired to be aboue their fellowes and stroue among themselues which should bee greatest Christ Iesus therupon sheweth how and which way euery one should be great who ought to bee had in highest regard and reputation euen such and onely such as do the best and greatest seruice to the church Mark 10 42. Lu. 23 24. Whosoeuer wil be great among you shall be your Minister and whosoeuer of you will be the cheefest shall be seruant of all So then the honor and the labour should not be diuided but go together howbeit in the church of Rome they haue most honour that doe the least labour and contrarywise they are least respected who haue most labored and taken greatest paines among the people But howsoeuer this be a common receiued custom it shall bee altogether otherwise in the next life when the great sheepheard of the sheepe shal appeare then shall they be most honored of him that haue laboured most euerie one shall receiue not onely for his labour but according to his labor 1 Cor. 3
betweene sinne and sinne both in nature and in the punishment due vnto them some are greater some lesser some worther of greater punishment and some of lesser yet the least sin committed in thought and motion deserueth euerlasting death and separation from the gracious presence of God if he deale with vs according to the rigour of his iustice and looke vpon vs without the satisfaction of Christ The writers and teachers of the Popish Religion publish to the world that wee hold the sottish Paradox of the Stoikes that all sinnes are equall The Papists slander vs 〈◊〉 make all siâ— equall the contrary whereof is manifest in the harmony of the confessions of our Churches And why do they slander vs with this dotish doctrine or vpon what foundation doe they ground this accusation forsooth because we hold that all are mortall But this is a weake consequent and will not proue the point for which they alledge it All men are mortall euen Princes as it is said in the Psalme 82.6 shall we hence conclude that the people are equall to Princes because they are alike subiect to mortality In the breach of the seuenth commandement there are sundry sortes of vncleannesse and incontinency forbidden as fornication when men defile themselues with filthy harlots and concubines adultery betweene them that are married incest committed with such as are neere in consanguinity or affinity the sinne of the Sodomites Who leauing the naturall vse of the woman burne in lust one toward another man with man working filthinesse Rom. 1.27 reuenged with fire and brimstone from heauen Gen. 19. Among all these seuerall kindes there are degrees of sinne one is greater then other adultery worse then fornication incest then adultery and Sodometry then them all and all these by the confession of the Papists themselues are mortall and yet by their owne confession also one is more heinous and horrible then the other If then their conclusion bee good against vs that we hold all sinnes to bee equal because we teach that they are mortall how should it not stand as strong and firme against themselues that they also hold all these sinnes to be equall fornication as bad as incest and adultery as heinous as Sodometry because they teach that they are all of them mortall The like absurdity wee might easily inferre against them in the rest of the commandements and that out of the Roman Catechisme But to vnderstand this point the better let vs consider that our Churches teach no other doctrine then the Scriptures teach that as all sinnes proceede out of the same fountaine of corruption and infidelity so all of them make vs guilty of eternall death and damnation vnlesse we obtaine pardon by faith in the Mediatour Christ Iesus Luke 12.47.48 All sinnes whether committed of ignorance or knowledge deserue stripes either many or few and these stripes are no other then eternall punishments as appeareth by the wordes of the Apostle 2 Thes 1.8 so that they which know not God neither beleeue the Gospel shall be punished in hel because according to the opinion of the Papists themselues when the Lord shall come in flaming fire to iudge the quicke and the dead Purgatory shal vtterly ceasse and be no more the prison dores shall be broken the fire shall be quenched the place shall be emptyed and the poore soules shall be discharged then shall be a gaile deliuery they shall be quit by Proclamation To vnderstand this the better we must know that sinnes may bee said to bee mortall or veniall three wayes â—s may â—d to bee â—ll or veâ—â—hree â—s First in regard of the euent Secondly in regard of the cause Thirdly in regard of the nature of the sinnes themselues They are veniall in regard of the successe or euent which doe obtaine pardon and when forgiuenesse followeth them though they be in themselues most greeuous as 1 Ioh. 5.16 where the Apostle calleth those onely sinnes vnto death whose reward certainely is eternall death and those not to death which may bee forgiuen howsoeuer in their own nature they merit damnation Thus we may say that Dauids adultery and murther were veniall sinnes because howsoeuer in the nature of them they were deadly yet were they veniall in regard of the euent because Nathan said vnto him The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye 2 Sam. 12.13 â—ss ordin in â—r 11. No sinne is veniall so long as we follow it and no sinne is mortall when once we forsake it Pro. 28.13 All sinnes are made veniall by repentance no sin is veniall without repentance Secondly sinnes may bee said to bee veniall in regard of the cause from whence they proceed whereupon they sooner obtaine pardon because they are not done of malice and a setled purpose but of ignorance and infirmity as Paul sheweth this to bee the cause why his sinne was veniall vnto him and why he obtained mercy and forgiuenesse because he did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe 1 Tim. 1.13 And in the fifteenth Chapter of this booke it is said the Priest shall make attonement when a priuate person or the whole Congregation hath committed any thing through errour or ignorance and it shall be forgiuen them for it is ignorance Numb 14.25 These sinnes springing from this fountaine are damnable in themselues from hence it came that Paul was a persecuter and a blasphemer but the Father of all mercies and compassions gaue him pardon because hee sinned of ignorance and infirmity So then his sinnes were veniall in regard of the euent and of the cause But sinne considered in the nature of the thing it selfe is not veniall but deserueth temporall and eternall punishment Now the Papists themselues teach â— Popish 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sinne that sinne is truely and properly called veniall when it is so in it owne nature and deserueth onely a temporall punishment either in this life or in the life to come so that if God would examine it and enter into iudgement with it according to his most rigourous and seuere iustice hee could not punish it with eternall death for as much as in it owne nature it deserueth pardon or at least some slight or temporall punishment And of these the controuersie is betweene the Church of Rome and vs and not of those that are veniall by the euent or by the cause But the Scripture teacheth vs that all sinne is the transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3.4 This is a true and perfect definition of sinne for euery transgression of the Law is sinne and euery sinne is a transgression of the Law From whence wee reason thus Euery transgression of the law is worthy of death Euery sinne is a transgression of the Law Therefore euery sinne is worthy of death The first part is plainely proued by many places Gal. 3.13.10 Deut. 27.26 Matth. 5.22 whereby it is manifest that the Prophet the Apostle and Christ himselfe speake generally without limitation that whosoeuer committeth any
Angel of the Lord had guided them the Arke had gone before them and Manna from heauen had fedde them yet now all is forgotten they beleeue not in God but tempted and prouoked the holy one to anger And yet behold more prouocations then these in these chapters following where we shall see how they complaine and cry out through scarsity of water and through wearinesse of their life when they were stung with the fiery serpents But let vs consider the words of Scripture as they lie in order in this chapter 1 Then the children of Israel came with the whole Congregation into the desert of Zin in the first Moneth and the people abode at Kadesh and Miriam died there and was buried there 2 And there was not water for the Congregation and they assembled against Moses and against Aaron 3 And the people chid with Moses spake saying But would wee had perished when our brethren died before the Lord. 4 And wherefore haue yee caused the Congregation of the Lord to come into this wildernesse that we and our cattell should die there 5 And wherefore haue yee made vs to come vp from Egypt to bring vs into this miserable place No place for seede nor Figges nor Vines nor Pomgranates Neither is there any water to drinke 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the face of the assembly vnto the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and fell vpon their faces and the glory of the LORD appeared vnto them 7 And the LORD spake vnto Moses saying 8 Take this Rodde and gather thou and thy brother Aaron this Congregation together Of this Râ— and the waters gushing out of it 〈◊〉 more befâ—â— in the next chapter that ye may speake vnto this Rocke before their eyes and it shall giue foorth his waters and thou shalt bring them waters out of this Rocke so thou shalt giue this Congregation and their Cattell drinke 9 Then Moses tooke that Rod from the presence of the Lord as he commanded him 10 And Moses and Aaron caused the Congregation to assemble together before that Rocke and he said vnto them Heare now O ye Rebelles shall we bring you waters out of this Rocke 11 Then Moses lift vp his hand and smote that Rocke with his Rod twice and much water gushed out so the Congregation and their Cattell dranke 12 Wherfore the Lord spake to Moses Aaron Because ye haue not beleeued in me to sanctifie me before the eies of the childreÌ„ of Israel therfore ye shal not bring this CongregatioÌ„ into the Land which I haue giuen them 13 These are the waters of strife where the children of Israel stroue against the Lord he sanctified himselfe among them In this Chapter we are to consider three seuerall things First the murmuring of the people secondly the purpose of the Israelites to passe toward Canaan by the borders of Edom. Thirdly the death of Aaron in the Mountaine in whose stead Eleazar his sonne succeedeth and for whom the people a long time lamenteth All these particulars are amplified in the beginning of the Chapter by the circumstances of time to wit the first moneth of the 40 yeare after their departure out of Egypt as appeareth chap. 33 38. and likewise of the place â—t 2 14. of Kadesh a City in the borders of Edom at which time also Miriam the sister of Aaron and of Moses died These circumstances being set downe the History of their murmuring followeth which we haue often before seene and considered declaring that whensoeuer wheresoeuer any aduersity happened by and by they became impatient vnthankfull and forgetfull of present mercies and fauours A like history to this we saw before Exod. 17. which is not the same recorded in this place but differing in time place as may appeare by collation conference of both the places Now let vs marke their behauiour in this want of water in the wildernesse First they wish they had died by the stroke of Gods hand with the seditious rout of rebels that coÌ„spired against God whom notwithstanding they call their brethren Secondly they expostulate with Moses and Aaron that they had brought them out of Egypt into the wildernesse being barren without fruite miserable without haruest and dry without water Whereas they should comfort themselues in the former mercies of God rest in the experience of his power and remember his helpe euer ready in time of neede they rise vp against Moses and Aaron in shew but in deed against God whom they serued setting downe their present condition and comparing their abode in Egypt where they had tasted all miseries felt all oppressions and groned vnder the heauy burthens with their present estate to amplifie the woe and wretchednesse therof such is their blindnesse and vnthankfulnesse â—mb 12 3. But what doth Moses whose meeke and patient spirit they greeued and whose righteous soule they vexed froÌ„ day to day with their vngodly murmurings Hee doth not heere turne himselfe to them nor dealeth with them to reclaime them as he did chapter 16. but went with Aaron to God flying to the Tabernacle as to a Sanctuary throwing downe theÌ„selues on their faces and comforting themselues in his power presence and protection who being alwaies neere to them that call vpon him shewed forth his glory and commanded them to take the Rodde and speake to the Rocke promising them water and assuring them of an happy issue of all their troubles necessities Now as God commandeth so Moses obeyeth and taketh the Rod. Here a question may be asked Question what Rod God meaneth and Moses taketh for we reade of two Rods famous among them and well knowne one the Rod of Moses that he vsed when he kept sheepe in the Land of Midian Exod. 4 2 3 7 8 19 14 1â— and 17 5. Numb 17 8. Hebr. 7 4. whereby hee wrought afterward many myracles in Egypt and at the red Sea in the wildernesse the other the Rod of Aaron which did bud and beare blossomes to confirme the calling of Aaron and to declare that God had separated the Tribe of Leui to serue in the Tabernacle I answer Answer we are to vnderstand in this place rather the flourishing Rod of Aaron first because Moses made mention of this in the last place not long before to wit chap. 17 the other is not spoken off in this booke so that we are rather to referre it to Aarons Rod before specified then to the other not named Secondly this serued more fitly and fully to confirme their calling of rule and gouernement ouer the people which by these conspiratours was called into question As if they shold say Do you doubt of our calling aske by what authority we do these things Behold this rod do ye not know it this florishing rod shall conuince you and serue to beare witnesse against you Thirdly Moses and Aaron were fled into the Tabernacle verse 6 now chap. 17 10. it is
graces set them at an higher rate make a greater reckoning of them then of al earthly things This appeareth Mat. 13 44 45 46. The kingdome of God is like vnto a treasure hid in the field which when a man hath found he hideth it for ioy therof departeth and selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field Againe the kingdome of heauen is like to a Merchant man that seeketh good Pearles who hauing found a Pearle of great price went solde all that he had and bought it Phil. 3 8 9. So the Apostle Paul accounteth all things losse and iudgeth them as dung that he might winne Christ might be found in him not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but the righteousnesse of God through Christ But the vngodly despise the graces of God like the Gadarens who prefered their swine before Christ Math. 8 34 and like prophane Esau Heb. 12 16. who for one portion of meate sold his birthright If they sustaine any damage or losse in their riches and substance of their house how are they greeued and vexed How do they howle and cry out as if they were vtterly vndone What seeking and searching farre and neare is made to finde the same And they are of such impatiency of spirit that they are neuer quiet till they haue found the same What man hauing an hundred sheepe if hee lose one of them doth not leaue ninety and nine in the wildernesse goe after that which is lost vntill he finde it Either what woman hauing ten groats if she lose one groat doth not light a candle and sweepe the house and seeke diligently till she finde it Luke 15 v. 4 8. But if the gifts and graces of GOD decay in them if they lose his fauour and louing countenance if they grow poore and thred bare in spirituall blessings it neuer troubleth their mindes it neuer greeueth their hearts they neuer complaine of any wants for being wholy earthly plodding vpon the world like earth wormes they haue no feeling of the want of heauenly things Would we therefore know a faithfull man from an vnfaithful and would we haue some assured marke and token to discerne the one from the other Marke how they esteeme things that concerne a better life If they reioyce in the word of God as they that finde great spoiles if first they seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse if they labour after the excellent knowledge of Christ and stirre vp the precious gifts of God in them we haue vnfeigned testimonies of their vnfeigned faith But if wee see any contemne knowledge and despise the graces of God if we see them tread vnder their feete the sweete blessings of God as swine do precious Pearles they giue euident witnesse against their owne soules and do carry about them in their owne bosomes a note of horrible prophanenesse Secondly let vs looke carefully vnto our Vse 2 selues and learne daily to call our selues to a reckoning account for the benefits of God which haue beene bestowed vpon vs lest we vnthankfully deuoure and wickedly swallow them vp forgetting both them and the giuer of them â—l 40 6. which are moe in number then the haires of our heads Let vs also learne to feele our owne pouerty and wants Hunger we say commonly is the best sawce so the surest and fittest remedy to recouer vs of this sin of loathing and discontentment is to consider our need and necessity of heauenly graces and what want we haue of the word which is the food of our soules sweeter then the hony and the hony-combe more to be desired then the finest gold yea then all riches more precious then Pearles and all things thou canst desire are not to bee compared vnto it Psal 19 10 and 119 103. Prouerb 3 15. Now we shall neuer be weary of this our wearinesse and contempt of the best things vntill we haue learned as new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the word of God that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2â— 1. Therefore the Prophet calleth such to heare him Esay 55 1. Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and yee that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without mony Hereunto cometh that which Christ proclaimed at the last and great day of the feast If any man thirst let him come vnto me and drinke Iohn 7 37. This was the affection of the Prophet Dauid Psal 143 5 6. and 63 1 5. I meditate in the works of thine hands I stretch foorth mine hands vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirsty Land exceedingly So theÌ„ when we come to the banquets of God which he hath furnished for vs we must come with hungry stomacks crauing to be satisfied and filled with his dainties We see when men go to a great feast prepared and prouidedfor them whereunto they are curteously inuited they doe not fill themselueS before hand but come with hunger and desire so must we do in coming to the exercises of our religion Seeing then Wisedome hath built her an house killed her victualles and prepared her Table calling vs to come eate of her meate and drinke of the wine which she hath drawne Prou. 9 1 2 5 it is our parts to come to the Word and Sacraments as to the high ordinances of God with a ready minde with a thirsty soule and with a good appetite that we may be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse He affoordeth vnto vs a plentifull allowance Ps 36 7 8 9. and appointeth vnto vs a liberall diet hee dealeth not sparingly and niggardly with vs but inuiteth vs as his guests to good cheare and bountifull prouision of his word prayer and Sacraments If then God haue denied vnto vs this worlds good that we are driuen to rise early fare hardly at home in our owne houses and sometimes haue scarce a crust of bread and a pot of water yet heere is matter of great contentment and câ—nsolation that we haue such plenty of spirituall prouision prouided for the soule in the house of God whereby we are nourished to eternall life and comfortably taught to beare the penury and distresses of the body A dinner of greene hearbs and Gods word going with it are notable sare For as one saide The Gospel and browne bread are good cheere Lastly Vsâ— consider from this naturall loathing of the blessings and best things of God why GOD especially punisheth those places and people euen because they are fallen into a spirituall surfet as it were into a deadly sleepe and slumber and are clogged and cloied with the store and plenty of that food which God hath giuen them When the Gospel was restored to vs againe as the book of the Law that Hilkiah the Priest found with what ioy of heart and applause of the people 2 King 22 8. with what comfort and courage was it heard
vnskilfull Surgeons that make a deepe wound instead of applying a plaister and therefore kill where they should cure For wee cannot admit any faults in memory in the blessed Apostle who wrote by the direction of the Spirit of God as also the whole Scripture was inspired by him 2 Tim. 3.16 and wee cannot giue any reason to warrant why it should rather be a slip of memory in Paul then in Moses both of them beeing guided by the same Spirit Againe others say that Paul is not contrary to Moses forasmuch as if there were foure and twenty thousand as Moses teacheth there must of necessity be three and twenty thousand as the Apostle gathereth seeing the greater number includeth the lesser and seeing he doth not say expresly there were iust so many neither more nor lesse True it is to make vp around summe a full number the Scripture vseth sometimes to adde and sometimes to detract but in this place there is no reason why the Apostle should vse the lesse number rather then the greater considering the greater number is heere as full and perfect a number as the lesser and therefore no iust cause to change alter any thing Besides the Apostle maketh the number as directly to bee 23000 as Moses maketh it to bee 24000. Wherefore to let passe these gesses coniectures the best and truest answere is Iuâ— parâ—â— that Moses distinguisheth the history into two parts First touching the heads of the people that were hanged vp Secondly touching the people that were slaine with the sword If we ioyne both these together as Moses doth in this place it is truely saide There dyed foure and twenty thousand For he speaketh first of the chiefe Captaines and Ring-leaders to this rebellion against God then of the rest of the people that walked in their wayes and followed their example afterward he casteth vp his accounts setteth downe the totall sum as it did accrew out of them both But if we speake of the principall malefactors by themselues and of the rest of the people by themselues a thousand of the principal were hanged or crucified and among the people were slaine three and twenty thousand of which latter Paul onely speaketh omitting the thousand Princes to shew how fond and friuolous their excuse is who defend theyr offences by the example or authority or counsel or commandement of theyr superiors seeing the people in this place following the foote-steps of theyr Magistrates were no lesse punished then the Magistrates themselues So then these are most true both that which Moses saith to wit that foure and twenty thousand perished ioyning both Princes and people together and that also which Paul affirmeth mentioning three and twenty thousand only omitting the Princes and reckoning the people and hence it is that the summe in Moses amounteth to a thousand more in Paul to a thousand lesse Hitherto of the execution of iustice by Phinehas vpon two audacious and open offenders and of discussing the questions that arise thereupon now followeth the approbation of God in whose nosthrils it smelled as a sweet sauour This fact is commended his zeale is praised his person is blessed and rewarded For albeit good works wrought in faith and dyed with the blood of Christ doe not merite eternall life which is the free gift of God Roman 6 23 yet they are rewarded of mercy in this life and in the life to come The blessing of God to rest vpon him and his posterity is set downe in two respects First generally I will make my couenant of peace with him so that he shall haue me a mercifull God Secondly particularly where the manner is set downe that the Priesthood should remaine to him and to his posterity for euer so that both his seede should flourish so long as the Iewish Church should continue and the honour of the high Priesthood should abide among his posterity Vntill the high Priest of our profession Iesus Christ should come to make an end of all Ceremonies Hebr. 3 1. The accomplishment whereof is not hard to shew in the holy Scriptures and in other approued Histories For the lineall succession of the Priesthood from him to the carrying away into captiuity to Babylon is expressed in the books of the Chronicles 1 Chron. 6 4 15 from the father to the sonne and from one generation to another From the captiuity vntill the time of Alexander the Great to whom the Persian Monarchy befell and whom Iadduah the high Priest met in his Priestly robes coming to conquer Ierusalem the genealogy is remembred in the booke of Nehemiah Ioseph antiq lib. 11 cap. 8. chapter 12 10 22. Neyther may it seeme strange vnto vs that Nehemiah should set downe the succession so farre seeing from the reigne of Artaxerxes whom he serued being in chiefe place about him to the Monarchy of Alexander the Great who ouercame Darius were not aboue sixty yeares as the Chronology Computation of the reigne of the Persian Kings declareth And from the times of Alexander the Great Ioseph antiq lib. 15 cap. 3. to Aristobulus and his sonne who was the last whom Herod treacherously and cruelly caused to be drowned the pedigree is to be seene in Iosephus and others Afterward the Priesthood was set to sale and those promoted that made their owne way by sums of money or by fauour of friends or both together After this promise made to Phinehas Moses annexeth a description of the whoremaster and the whore that prouoked Gods wrath and troubled Israel who are set forth by their names by their family by their condition and degree The name of the man was Zimri his family was the tribe of Simeon touching his estate hee was one of the Princes of his tribe by whom no doubt being a man of sort and quality hee was accompanied and countenanced yea it should appeare he was a mouer and perswader of others to commit the like wickednes whereby it came to passe that the greatest number of this tribe perished with him as may be gathered by the new suruey and numbering of the tribes which is taken in the Chapter following Numb 26 14 and 1 23. For they which in the former mustering and numbering amounted vnto the number of nine and fifty thousand and three hundred were now diminished and abated to two twenty thousand and two hundred for their idolatry and fornication so that with this Zimri the greater number of this tribe perished They did partake with him in the sinne of whoredome and therefore they communicared with him in the plague and punishment of it Hence it came to passe that whereas all the other tribes in a manner amounted to more then forty thousand this tribe attayned onely vnto the number of two and twenty thousand and two hundred The name of the harlot was Cosbi her stocke and kindred was of the Midianites in respect of her place shee was the daughter of one of the chiefe Princes of that people
hands of all those that haue suffered and fostered it in others by their negligence in gouerning and remisnesse in punishing Wee heard this before in Ahab 1 Kings chapter 20. verse 42 who letting Benhadad goe free life must goe for life he should answer for the other We see this euidently in the example of olde Eli who not controlling and correcting his children when they sinned greeuously against the Lord is himself directly charged to haue committed those sinnes 1 Samuel chapter 2 vers 29 to honour his children aboue the Lord to make himselfe far of the first of all the Offerings and is punished with suddaine death by breaking of his neck So likewise shall the sinnes of sinful men that liue vnder our roofe and shroud themselues vnder our protectioÌ„ be required at our hands if we vphold them in their euill or do not punish them for their euill according vnto the meanes that God hath giuen vs. Lastly seeing God is well pleased appeased when sinne is taken away as the cause of Vse 3 his displeasure let vs not carry til the Magistrate draw the sword out of his sheathe but euery one turne vnto God and enter into iudgment with our selues that the Lord may not enter into iudgement with vs. We must be carefull to gaine and get God to be our friend The way is to forsake our sinne and to walke with God as being euer in his presence Can two walke together except they be agreed Let vs then reconcile ourselues to God and hee will be reconciled vnto vs Let vs draw neere vnto him and he will draw neere vnto vs Iam. 4 8. This must be done of vs by cleansing our hands and by purging of our hearts Abraham the father of the faithfull beeing righteous by faith is called The friend of God Iam. 2 â—3 This is it which our Sauiour teacheth Yee are my friends if ye do whatsoeuer I command you Iob. 13 14. If then we would be at peace with God and desire the friendshippe of the most High if we would haue him turne away his wrath and heauy displeasure from vs we must be carefull to auoid sinne seeing it bringeth the iudgements of God and putteth a sword into his hand to destroy vs. From hence as from the principall cause come all manner of punishments that God inflicteth war death famine the plague pestilence our sinnes are the fountaines of them all Therefore the Apostle in this respect willeth vs to try and examine our selues that we may finde out the true cause of our troubles when he saith For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe for if wee would iudge our selues we should not be iudged 1 Cor. 11 31. So then the best course to preuent iudgements or to remoue them which are already brought vpon vs is by repentance The Lord hath many wayes visited vs for our sins somtimes by the raging of the pestilence sometimes by inundations ouerflowings of waters sometimes by dearth famine of bread all which are as sharpe arrowes which hee taketh out of his Quiuer and shooteth theÌ„ out of his Bow and we are not able to stand before them for who is able to stand before his fierce wrath Or who can abide the greatnesse of his power Nahum 1 6. The onely way left vnto vs to take is to seeke reconciliation with God and to turne vnto him by vnfeined repentance We must make conscience of all sin For so long as we flatter our selues in any one knowne sinne the wrath of God will neuer be appeased but he hath still some controuersie against vs. We must not therfore leaue one sin vnrepented of When Moses was to leade the people as a flocke of sheepe out of the Land of Egypt and Pharaoh permitted the fathers and the children to go serue the Lord in the wildernesse onely their sheepe and cattell should abide Moses answered Our Cattell also shall goe with vs there shall not an hoofe be left behind Exod. 10 26. So must our obedience be vnto God it must bee perfect and entire we must not repent to halfes we must not leaue one sinne behind but search the secret corners of our deceitfull hearts For when God shall search with lights to finde out our hidden sinnes he will visite the men that are frozen in their dregs and say in their hearts the Lord wil neither do good nor euill These neuer mourne for their sinnes and therefore God will make them mourne lying vnder his wrath If they will haue no feeling of their sin they shall haue a feeling of his punishments and of the burden of his iudgements Verse 9. And there died in that plague foure and twenty thousand In these words Moses setteth downe the number of all those that perished as well of the Princes as of the people How this agreeth with the Apostle that nameth onely three and twenty thousand wee haue already declared in the exposition of the words and answering of the Questions that arise out of the words We haue heard before that albeit Balak Balaam intended by their sorceries to curse the people of God yet they could by no meanes doe them hurt they were guarded by the protection of God as with a sure watch For God is the watchman of Israel that neyther slumbreth nor sleepeth Psal 121 4. But so soone as they forsook the liuing God and fell a whoring with the daughters of Moab and Midian by and by God departeth from them and his heauy iudgements breake in vpon them The force of sorcery could not hurt them but the strength of sinne doth weaken them and greatly diminisheth the number of them Heereby we learne Doctrine Sin depriâ—â— vs of Gods protection that sinne depriueth vs of Gods protection and layeth vs naked and open to the fiercenesse of his wrath and to the fury of our enemies The sinnes wherewith the Church in general or any member in particular doe prouoke GOD bring downe iudgements of all sorts cause his wrath to be kindled and giue strength to the enemy to preuaile against vs. When the people of God had committed Idolatry made them gods to goe before them it is said by Moses that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked vnto their shame among their enemies Exod. 32 25. This appeareth also in the booke of Ioshua when Achan had sinned and stolne the babylonish garment the shekels of siluer and the wedge of gold they could not stand before their enemies Iosh 7 4. but fell before them as naked men beeing vtterly destitute of Gods defence by reason of the offence committed among them We see this oftentimes in the Bookes of the Iudges of the Kings and Chronicles when they rebelled against God and prouoked him to anger presently hee sold them into the hands of their enemies they became subiect to sundry calamities they fell into all kinde of miseries that were layde vpon them When they began to do
will teach vs to giue the glory to his name and to lift vp our hearts in thanksgiuing to him Lastly it becommeth vs to ascend as it were Vse 4 by steppes to an higher comparison from the body to the soule and from the meat that perisheth to that which endureth to euerlasting life For seeing wee vnderstand that GOD is thus carefull to feede our bodies it is much more reason that we should seeke at his hands the nourishment of our soules If we haue not this skill and consideration in vs the Fowles of the aire and the beasts of the fielde will bee witnesses against vs to condemne vs. This is the voyce of faith the other the voyce of Nature Nature is wise enough to tell vs when wee want prouision for the body but it must be the office of faith to tell vs when wee want food for the soule Wee are ready to cry out oftentimes What shall we eate or what shall we drinke or wherewith shall we be cloathed Mat. 6. but few feele the wants of their soules though they be like to perish and pine away wherefore our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. chapter 6. verse 33. First of all to seeke the Kingdome of God and then all other things shall bee ministred vnto vs. 57 And these are they that were numbred of the Leuites after their families of Gershon c. 58 These are the families of the Leuites the family of the Libnites and the family of the Hebronites c. 59 And the name of Amrams wife c. 60 And vnto Aaron was borne Nadab Abihu Eleazar and Ishamar 61 And Nadab and Abihu dyed when they offered strange fire before the Lord. Wee haue here the third and last part of the chapter touching the numbering of the Leuites apart by themselues branched out into three principall families but specially Aaron is insisted vpon to whom the Priesthood was giuen who is described both by his parents and by his posterity and among his posterity Moses againe singleth out the fact of Nadab Abihu who died when they offered strange fire before the Lord. And albeit we haue spoken of this before chap. 3 4. yet being offered again let vs consider better of it For whereas God commanded fire to bee duely and diligently kept alwaies burning vpon the Altar wherewith the sacrifices were to be consumed and must neuer be suffered to go out Leuit. 6 9 12 13. they presumed to offer sacrifice with strange fire and therefore dyed before their father for as well they might haue taken a strange beast as a strange fire the one beeing no lesse forbidden thē the other Wherby we see the euil persons are cut off betimes 1 Chro. 24.1 2 and are not suffered to liue out halfe their dayes This heauenly fire which GOD sent to consume his sacrifices was brought into the Temple built by Salomon and there it continued from one generation to another vntill the destruction of the Temple and the City The 2. booke of Macchab. not Canonical True it is the author of the second book of Macchabees telleth vs a tale that when Nehemias had builded the Temple and the Altar he offered sacrifice with this fire for when tht Fathers were ledde into Persia the Priests that were deuout tooke the fire of the Altar priuily and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water where they kept it sure so that the place was vnknowne to all men wherefore he sent for the posterity of those Priests that had hid it howbeit they could finde no fire but thicke water which being sprinkled vpon the wood and sacrifice there arose a great fire so that euery man that saw it maruelled 2 Maccha 1 18 19 20 21 22. Wher we see two things are coupled together the building of the Temple and Altar by Nehemiah and the sending of fire from heauen by God these may well bee ioyned the one being as true as the other But it is plaine by the whole Scripture that Nehemiah builded not the Temple if we shal consider the circumstances either of the persons or of the time or of the place For the Altar was builded by Zerubbabel and Ioshua in the reigne of Cyrus so soone as by his proclamation they returned from the captiuity of Babylon to wit the seuenth moneth after Ezra 3. And touching the Temple though the foundation beganne to be laide while Cyrus himselfe yet liued yet it was not ended finished before the sixt yeare of the reigne of Darius Nothus Ezra 6 which was many years after Iohn 2 20. But Nehemiah was then in Babylon and not yet come to Ierusalem forasmuch as hee obtained leaue of the king of Persia to go thither in the 20. year of Artaxerxes Mnemon the successor of this Darius Ezr. 4. 7. Neh. 1 2 by which computation of time it will appeare that the Altar was builded an hundred yeares and more and the Temple finished at the least 30. yeares before the comming of Nehemiah so that the author of this second booke of Macchabees is not a little deceyued in his Chronology and discouereth that he wrote by a meere humane spirit according to his owne confession in the shutting vp of the booke wherein hee craueth pardon for his slips and ouersights 2 Ma. 15 38 3◠we see there was great need he shold do so Now from the former premisses I reason thus This fire discouered to Nehemiah was kindled of God when he had builded the Temple and the Altar But he neuer builded the Temple and the Altar Therefore this fire was neuer kindled of God Againe the author of that booke testifyeth that after Nehemiah had receyued this fire from God the king of Persia built a Temple vnto it but wee may truly affirme hee neuer built any such Temple forasmuch as the Iewes neyther had neyther indeed might haue any other Temple then one and that at Ierusalem before the comming of the Messiah which the Lord had chosen to put his name there It might be that the kings of Persia that king in particular might builde a Temple to fire which they worshipped as God howbeit this is spoken by way of supposition and hath no relation to the fire here spoken off Neyther can this be vnderstood of the Tēple at Ierusalem but must be referred to some other built elswhere if haply any were built at all For it is sayde that after the Temple and Altar were builded and Nehemiah had offered sacrifice this came to the eares of the king of Persia and then hee commanded this supposed Temple to be erected Againe Nehemiah expressing his iourny vp to Ierusalem and comming to the sepulchers of his fathers maketh no mention of the finding of any such fire which no doubt he wold haue done if any such had beene offered vnto them For he reporteth many sundry things done by him in that booke hee mentioneth their offering of sacrifices with great ioy and gladnes chap.
12. how is it then that he omitteth this miracle Doubtlesse if he had receiued so great miraculous a benefit he would not haue forgotten it neither indeede could without note of vnthankfulnesse which was farre from that deuout and religious man Furthermore the setting vp of this miracle of the new-found fire hid in the pit and after discouered by the Priests and kindled by the Lord is the weakning and shaking of a great mystery and foundation of the Christian religion For it is written that the Iewes were stirred vp by the Prophets to proceed cheerefully in building of the Temple because the glory of that latter house should be greater then of the former Hag. 2 9 which prophecy is agreed vpon to be fulfilled in that Christ was borne while the second house stood which he made famous and renowned by his presence by his doctrine by his miracles Luke 2 46 7 8. There also did the Apostles begin the preaching of the Gospel which taking his beginning from Sion and Ierusalem was spread abroad from thence into all the earth Many were the priuiledges and prerogatiues of the Tabernacle framed by Moses and of the first house builded by Salomon they had the fire from heauen the Arke of the Couenant the pillar of the cloud the Vrim and Thummim and the succession of the Prophets but the second house built after their returne from captiuity wanted all these therefore while it stood the Messiah must come being greater then all these that through his presence who was to be the ruler in Israel Mic. 5 2 the glory of the latter house might be greater then the former and so the prophecy should be fulfilled But if this story were true which is broached by the writer of that book the latter Temple should bee more glorious and famous through this miraculous fire then the former For in the former the sacrifices were onely consumed with fire that fire was sent from God and nourished by the continuall ministery and attendance of the Priests but in the latter temple they should haue had not onely the same fire with the other but the fire preserued by a wonderfull miracle that in a contrary element Fire burned â—nto water water into fire yea heere are many miracles heaped together for as that fire was preserued in water so of that thicke water into which it was changed was the fire kindled againe 2 Macab 1 22 and that which is more when the sacrifice was consumed Nehemiah is said to haue commanded the water that was left to be powred on the great stones whereby was kindled a flame which was consumed by the light that shined from the altar verse 31 32. And this is so apparent that the Iewish Rabbines that haue the vayle before their eyes or rather before their harts haue acknowledged the truth herof that the 2 house had not that fire which the former had contrary to the opinion of that writer And yet notwithstanding the euidence of the former reasons and the confession of the Iewes themselues hee sticketh not in the next chapter to alleage the Prophet Ieremy as if he had commanded them that were carried away to take with them the Tabernacle the Arke and the fire as hath beene signified 2 Maccab. 2 1. But to leaue all these assertions deliuered with warrant let vs come to the doctrine offred to our considerations in the destruction of the 2. Doctrine It is a sin to decline from the worship of God sons of Aaron because they offred strange fire to wit that it is a sin impiety which the Lord leaueth not vnpunished for any man in the outward worship of God to decline from the Law of God He appointed to burne euery sacrifice with fire taken from the Altar which was continually kept and nourished for that purpose They altered Gods ordinance and are therefore striken suddenly from heauen so that it is a great sinne for any Church or particular person to swarue from the Law of God in the worship of God as appeareth by many examples testimonies of holy Scripture 1 Sam. 13 12 13 14. 2 Chro. 26 16 17 18. Math. 15 9. Col. 2.20.21 22. The grounds are plaine first because the Reason 1 word of God is the rule of all things that wee are warranted to do and more generally it is the rule of Gods worship so that to decline from this rule to the right hand or to the left must needs be a great sinne which GOD abhorreth Deut. 12 8 13 32. In an art to vary from the rules of the art is a great errour thr carpenter and mason are guided by their line and leuell the Law of GOD is the square and rule of his worship the more closely wee keepe our selues to this rule the more warrantable are our workes if wee decline and depart from it wee wander in errour and the farther we goe from it the more we are out of the way Secondly that starting and swaruing from the Law reprooueth and checketh the wisedome of God who is Wisedome it selfe Pro. 9 1 as if we were able to direct him and knew what belongeth to his worship better then himselfe An artificer in his worke cannot abide to bee checked and controlled by those that know not so well what belongeth vnto it as he doth Iam. 4.12 so the wise GOD the supreme Lawgiuer cannot endure that men should decline from the order which hee hath settled and established in his worship and prescribed vnto them in his Word and therefore he accounteth it a great sinne and impiety in any that attempt the same This reprooueth the Church of Rome Vse 1 which is as a body infected with many diseases and running sores For their whole worship in a maner is an apostacy from God full of dangerous wounds that cannot be cured as wee may see by their worshipping of images prayer in a strange tongue communion vnder one kind and an hundred such like horrible corruptions which are so many prophanations of the worship of God These men set the Law of God at nought and thinke themselues wiser then he and preferre their owne traditions before his commandements and so worship him by the precepts of men Math. 15.6 which is a vaine worship and maketh his Law of none effect Secondly it serueth as a direction to the Vse 2 Church what they receiue to godly Magistrats what they establish by their authority that in the worship of God they alwayes set the law of God before their eies allow nothing but that which is grounded vpoÌ„ the rules of the same that they adde nothing to it take nothing froÌ„ it For this cause the King must write him a coppy of the Law in a booke that it may be euer with him that he may reade in it all the dayes of his life and learne to feare the Lord his God Deu. 17 18 19. This was taught to Ioshua chap 1 8 and
know him in his kingdome For the word is the path way that leadeth vnto it and therefore is called the Gospell of the Kingdome This teacheth vs to consider diligently the saying of Christ Iohn 17. Iohn 17 3. This is eternall life that they know thee to be the only very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ If then we desire eternall life we must labour to know God lest he say to vs in his wrath Wherein the knowledge of God consisteth Depart from me I know you not This knowledge of God necessarily required of vs consisteth in these points following First we must confesse acknowledge him to be the soueraign and highest good Dan. 4 32. incomparison of whom 〈◊〉 things are reputed as nothing being as drosse drauery and nothing to be desired with him as Christ saith Why callest thou me good Math. 19 17 there is none good but one euen God If we equall ought with him or preferre any thing in heauen or earth before him wee are ignorant of him and know him not Secondly it behoueth vs to depend vpon him and to put our whole trust in him alone not in any man or Angell for then we make flesh our strength and so leane vpon a broken staffe that cannot stay vs but will deceiue vs. Thirdly wee must draw neere vnto him in time of need as to the fountaine of all goodnesse with all reuerence and humility crauing all things of him by hearty and feruent prayer If we call vpon him hee hath promised to reueale himselfe vnto vs. Fourthly we must giue him thankes for all blessings receiued from him not only in prosperity but in aduersity Now wee shall shew our selues thanâ—full vnto him by dooing that which he commandeth by auoyding that which he forbiddeth by praising and aduancing his name for all his works whether they be works of his mercy or whether they be works of his iustice in correcting of his Children and in punishing his enemies Fiftly we must seeke the knowledge of his waies word and increase in the knowledge thereof which bringeth vs to eternall life As we grow forward in knowledge so wee grow forward vnto life and when our knowledge shall be perfected then our life shal be perfected in the next world Now if eternall life consist in this knowledge doubtlesse death is to be found in the ignorance of God The Apostle ioyneth these two as companions together ignorance and death They haue their vnderstanding darkned Ephes 4 38. heere is the ignorance of God are strangers from the life of God here is death For the priuation or want of the life of God is eternal death Wherfore whosoeuer desireth to liue the life of God must auoid ignorance which is the forerunner cause of death And what is the darknesse of ignorance as it were a mist before our eies but the beginning of vtter darknesse in the pit of destruction where shall be weeping gnashing of teeth Hence it is that Christ saith Iohn 10 When he hath sent foorth his owne sheepe Iohn 10.4.5 hee goeth before them and the sheepe follow him for they know his voyce and they will not follow a stranger but they flie from him for they know not the voyce of strangers If then we would approoue our selues to be the sheepe of Christ wee must haue this eare-mark we must know his voice we must heare his word wee must partake his Sacraments otherwise we shall be Goats not Sheepe Many there are that would bee accounted Sheepe but they want this badge cognizance they are not hearers but contemners of his word they follow not Christ Iesus the Shepheard but flye from him they know not his voyce they are not acquainted with his call but they thinke themselues in the best case when they are farthest off from the hearing of it The Lord calleth vs by his worde the preaching of the Gospell is his voice if we regard it not woe be vnto vs we exclude our selues from his Sheep-fold and renounce our beeing in the number of his Sheepe Lastly we must yeeld all obedience vnto him and his word For as all his Sheep are hearing Sheepe and none of them deafe dull eared so are all obedient Sheepe They haue their eares opened which maketh them hearers and they haue them bored to their heart which maketh them obedient and to offer vp themselues as a sacrifice well pleasing vnto God But all our hearing shall hinder vs and serue to further and increase our condemnation vnlesse we ioyne vnto it a carefull obedience according to the doctrine of the Apostle Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely Iam. 1.22 deceiuing your owne selues If these things be found in vs then we know God aright then we may be assured wee shall be knowne by him and not denied of him This is that vse which Christ himselfe toucheth Iohn 10. I am the good Shepheard and know mine and am knowne of mine Where we see that the consideration of Gods acknowledging vs to bee his should bee a forcible meanes to make vs endeuour to know him For who are wee that he should know vs Yea what is man that he should be mindfull of him or the son of man that he should consider him Wee are dust and asâ—es rottennesse and corruption yea lighter then vanity no better then enemies to him and the heires of wrath as well as others Seeing therefore the bountifulnesse and loue of God toward vs hath appeared so that of his mercy not our merits hee hath saued vs by â—he wash ng of the new birth Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the holy Ghost let vs passe our pilgrimage heere in feare and aboue all things let vs labor to know him in his owne ordinances and to seâ—kâ— the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse that in the end of our dayes we may be knowne of him to his glory and our endlesse comfort in Christ Iesus our blessed Lord and Sauiour Verse 17. Then Moses and Aaron tooke these men which are expressed by their names 18. And they called all the Congregation together in the first day of the second Month who declared the r kindreds by their families and by the houses of their Fathers according to the number of their names from twenty yeare and aboue man by man 19. As the Lord had commanded Moses so he numbred them in the wildernesse of Sanai HItherto we haue heard and handled the Commandement of God The obedieÌ„ce of Moses and Aaron requiring Moses and Aaron to number the people now followeth their obedience without any delaying or deferring the matter It is meete that the seruants obey the commandement of their Maister and that subiects perfourme the decrees of their Princes Hence it is that Moses taking to him Aaron and the heads of the Tribes do addresse themselues to take a suruay of the people discharging their duty with all diligence He doth not
heere as afterward in this Booke ch 20. where he obeyeth with doubting but he executeth the charge laide vpon him with readinesse and willingnesse This obedience of Moses and Aaron is set downe first generally then particularly Generally in these words particularly in the verses following Heere a question may be demanded Obiection whether it were lawfull for them to number the people Wee reade in the holy Historie 2 Samuel 24 that Dauid was sharply reprooued and seuerely punished because hee did number them yet Moses numbereth them in this place and is approoued and iustifiedâ— Some thinke Answer that Dauid is reproued not simply for numbring the people but because he would haue all numbred and not onely from 20 yeare old and aboue But this was not the true cause of Dauids offence and of Gods iudgement in as much as it is very euident out of the words of the Text and circumstances of the place that such only were numbred as were strong men and able to draw out their swords 2 Sam. 24.9 Others make this the reason because the Lord promised to multiply the seede of Abraham as the starres of Heauen which are innumerable and as the sand on the Sea Shore which cannot bee tolde Oleast in Exod. and therefore he was angry sore displeased wheÌ„ they were numbred as if it were a calling of his promise into question But if this reason were good and to bee granted it would follow that they could neuer be numbred without sin Neither was this the cause of Gods anger as others imagine Simâ—â—r in Exod because after his numbring of them hee caused not the tribute to be paid that God had appointed Exod. 30.12 for Moses did not alway enioyne any such polle-mony to be paid whensoeuer he nuÌ„bred their persons and besides the punnishment should be inflicted vpon Dauid not for numbring the people but for want of paiment The true causes why Moses is commended Differences between Moses and Dauid in numbering the people Dauid condemned for their numbring of Israel are these First Moses was inioyned vnto it had the expresse commandement of God to direct and warrant him but Dauid was not commaÌ„ded of God he was stirred vp of Sathan who tempted him to this euill in setting before his eies 1 Chron. 21 1 his glory and excellency his power victories Aug. quaest 134 in Exod. This is one difference Secondly it was lawfull to number the people when anie publique collection or contribution was to bee made of tribute or subsidy for vnlesse an exact account were taken some should be omitted others ouerburthened and iniustice committed This maketh it lawful for Princes to number their people muster them by hundreds or thousands albeit they haue no special warrant or particular commissioÌ„ from God Thus did Dauid in another place and at another time number them without sin 2 Sam. 18 1. Againe when any Army is to be gathered forces to be leuied it is necessarie the people should be assembled and mustered that fit choise may bee made of such as are to goe to battell as Dauid did number them without sinne 2 Sam. 18 1. when hee sent an armie against Absolon but in this place hee did not intend any of these ends either that Tribute should be gathered or that souldiers should be mustered and therefore the warrant of his worke was not answerable to the calling of Moses Thirdly as they were stirred vp by diuers causes so they respected diuers ends Dauid propounded to himselfe an euill end hee did it to set forth his owne glorie to reioyce in himselfe to put his whole affiance and confidence in the multitude of his men and therefore his pride and presumption his haughtinesse and ambition his rashnesse and vnthankefulnesse were punished of GOD. Thus we see how one and the same thing is praised in one and reprooued in another because howsoeuer the deede were one yet the cause was not one from whence it proceeded neither were the ends one whereunto it was referred Verses 17.18.19 Moses Aaron tooke these men c And as the Lord commaunded Moses so he numbred them Heere we haue an example of the obedience of Moses Aaron who lingred not the time to discharge the dutie that God had laide vpon them This example offereth vnto vs this instruction that it Doctrine 3 is required of all Gods seruants t is our dutie to obey Gods coâ—mandements to performe obedience to Gods commandements Whensoeuer God speaketh vnto vs wee must heare and obey his voyce Noah receiued a Commandement from God to builde the Arke Genes 6 ver 13. Whereby hee and his houshold might be saued many hindrances might haue stayed him and sundry inconueniences might haue stopped him and infinite dangers might haue terrified him from that enterprize the greatnesse of the Arke the labour of the building the continuance of the worke the tants of the wicked and an hundred such like troubles stood in his way all which he did ouerstride as the Apostle witnesseth Heb. 11 7. By Faith Noah beeing warned of GOD of the things which were as yet not seene mooued with reuerence prepared the Arke to the sauing of his Houshold through the which Arke hee condemned the world and was made heire of the righteousnesse which is by faith In like manner Gen. 12 4. Heb 11 8. Abraham receiued an expresse commandement to go out of his Country and from his Kindred and Fathers house and he also by Faith when hee was called obeyed to go into a place which he should afterwarde receiue for inheritance and he went out not knowing whither hee went So when God charged him to circumcise himselfe his sonne and all his houshold hee did not delay the time Gen. 17 23. 22 1 2 3. Heb. 11 17. 18 19. but did it the same day and when hee commanded him to take his sonne his onely son euen Isaac whom he loued the sonne of promise through whom all Nations should bee blessed By Faith hee offered vp Isaac when hee was tryed for he considered that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead from whence he receiued him also after a sort When God called Samuel and determined to reueale vnto him the destruction of Elies house and the calamitie that hanged ouer all Israel hee saide vnto him to testifie the willingnesse of his heart to obey Speake Lord 1 Sam. 3 9 10 for thy Seruant heareth This the Prophet Dauid witnesseth Psal 27 8. When thou sayedst Seeke ye my face mine heart answered thee O Lord I will seeke thy face Luke 5 4 5. When Christ commanded Peter to launch out into the deepe and to let out their Nets to make a draught Simon answered and saide vnto him Master we haue trauailed sore all night and haue taken nothing neuerthelesse at thy word I wil let down the net The examples are infinite and endlesse that might bee
pouerty peace and trouble prosperity and aduersity fall out alike to the godly and the vngodly and therefore Austine saith well in Epist 120. that Almighty God of his bountifull prouidence hath granted earthly felicity euen to the wicked that good men should not so greatly desire after it Vse 2 Secondly this reproueth the foolish and superfluous pompe vsed in Popery and blinde times of superstition as if God tooke pleasure in paintings in Images in Candles and cost bestowed vpon their owne traditions when in the meane season the poore are for the most part neglected and forgotten True it is the Lord could haue made all rich if it had pleased him but hee sendeth the poore to vs to giue vs occasion to exercise charity on them who are made after his owne Image The popish sort account no worship like to this to adorne and beautifie the Church wals to gild and garnish Images senselesse things and dead stones and passe by the liuing stones of the Temple that are polished by the hammer of Gods word Neyther doth this establish the art of begging because we teach that there shall alwayes bee poore among the people of God For pouerty is one thing and beggery is another all poore are not beggers and all beggers are not alwayes poore It is a great shame and reproch for a people that professe piety and Christianity The discommodities of suffâ—ing beggers rogues to suffer any beggers to swarme among them which is the ouerthrow of order and honesty For first this argueth great want of charity and much hardnesse of heart that the rich deuoure all alone and haue no regard of succouring such as bee in neede and necessity and are sore pinched with pouerty and penury Secondly when the bridle is once let loose in this kinde it groweth to be a common occupation and when such goe vp and downe from place to place and from house to house it cannot bee rightly discerned who are poore indeed neyther can we say who haue need who haue not need neyther discerne the ydle from the impotent wherein they most commonly speed best not who haue most neede but such as are most impudent clamorous importunate Thirdly the rewarding of such as go about begging from doore to doore and walke or rather wander from country to country is no better then a maintaining of ydle persons contrary to the law of God and man and a filling of the Land full of ydlenesse now such as are nuzled in roguing in the end grow to be cunning in robbing for from a rogue to turne to a theefe is an easie passage Fourthly such as are inured to this practise and finde sweetnesse in it and themselues encouraged by ease can neuer inure themselues to indure hard labour or to take paines in any calling afterward but liue by the sweate of other mens browes all their dayes Lastly such persons are dangerous to a state no better then vermine or caterpillers that deuoure the fruites of the eaarh rob from theÌ„ that are poore indeed such as liue as no parts of any body no members of the Church or of the commonwealth or of any priuate family but are as members cut off from the body So then there ought to bee no beggers in Israel which bring nothing but confusion are the nursery of all euill and ouerthrow the law of God and man of nature and charity Howbeit these locusts liue so well with the scrip that they would bee loth to exchange their trade for a yearely rent or a daily pension prouided that withal they shuld be compelled to labor with their hands This also serueth to meete with the begging Fryars such as vow voluntary pouerty as cousingermans to rogues beggers that wander vp and dowâ—â— vnder colour of releefe and yet boast of this occupation as of a state of perfection But of these vowes we haue spoken sufficiently before Lastly this teacheth those that haue the Vse 3 goods of this world to shew pitty and compassion on them that stand in need The two Tribes and the halfe are commanded to go vp armed before their brethren and neuer to forsake them and giue them ouer vntill they had seene their hearts desire vpon their enemies and placed their brethren in saftety and had giuen to them a peaceable possession of theyr portion of that promised land And albeit we should giue at all times yet then especially ought our compassion to be exercised and extended when the poore stand most in need of our helpe as in time of dearth and famine Then the common cause and cry of the poore should cause vs to cut our morsels thinner the shorter and to abridge our selues of al superfluity and excesse rather then to see them to miscarry and to perish for hunger And if ouer we minde to serue God and to doe him homage with our goods we should bee forward and faithfull to do it at such times The first Christians carried such zeal toward God and loue toward the poore Saints that They sold their possessions and goods and laide downe the mony at the Apostles feete that it might be distributed as euery man had neede And as the poore must especially be prouided for in times of want so among the poore the poore Saints ought chiefly to be regarded as the Apostle sheweth Let vs doe good vnto all men especially to them who are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6 10. Thus ought we in doing good to respect the times persons in both whatsoeuer we do it must proceed from a willing minde and a chearefull heart 2 Cor. 9 verse 7. otherwise it is a sacrifice not pleasing in the sight of God Motiues to moue vs vnto liberality toward the poore Now the Scripture affoordeth vnto vs sundry motiues as so many encouragements vnto liberality First because it is a seruice and sacrifice commanded of God that while wee haue opportunity we should do good to all Gal. 6 10. 1 Thess 5 15. Secondly it is a grace of God bestowed vpon the Churches 2 Cor. 8 1. Thirdly it is fruitfull and bringeth forth much encrease Gal. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 8 verse 12 yea though it be cast vpon the waters Eccle. 11 1. Fourthly it is a certaine argument of sincere loue 2 Cor. 8 8 24 as for that bounty and liberality which standeth in words onely it sheweth the heart of that man to bee destitute both of faith and loue Fiftly the Spirit of God taketh notice of all charitable workes commendeth rhem in the godly whose example we ought to follow as in the Macedonians 2 Cor. 8. Sixtly whatsoeuer is bestowed in the name of God is lent to him and hee will repay vs Nay the Lord Iesus accepteth it and accounteth it as done vnto himselfe as wee shewed at large before in this booke 16 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 17 These are the names of the men which shall diuide the land vnto you
Eleazar the Priest and Ioshua the son of Nun. 18 And ye shall take one prince of euery tribe to diuide the land by inheritance 19 And the names of the men are these Of the Tribe of Iudah Caleb the sonne of Iephunneh 20 Of the Tribe of Simeon Shemuel c. 21 Of Beniamin Elidad c. 22 Of Dan Bukki c. 23 For the tribe of Manasseh Hananiel c. 24 Of Ephraim Kemuel c. 25 Of Zebulun Elizaphan c. 26 Of Issachar Paltiel c. 27 Of Ashur Ahihud c. 28 Of Naphtali Pedahel c. 29 These are they whom the Lord commanded to diuide the inheritance vnto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan This is the second part of the chapt where the persons are appointed and named which ought to diuide the land these are of 2. sorts the chiefe and principall were the priest of the Church and the Captaine of the hoast the rest were ten Princes chosen out of the ten tribes so that two tribes are left out to wit Reuben and Gad because they had their inheritance befalne them already at their owne request on this side Iordan All these Princes are particularly expressed by their names and by the names of their fathers and all are ioyned in equall commission together that nothing should be done with partiality to whose arbitrement and determination all were bound to stand From hence three questions may bee raysed First Obiection what need there was of any Princes to diuide the land and giue the Tribes their possessions seeing this was to be done by lot I answer Answ the one of these doth not take away the other there was vse of them both For seeing the lot could not bee vsed except the land were diuided into ten parts or Prouinces therefore it pleased God to vse the helpe and ministery of men to diuide it into tenne parts after which diuision made the lots wer cast by iudgement whereof euery Tribe had his portion of the land Thus we see how both of them were very necessary and that the one did not ouerthrow or disanull the other Againe Obiect why doth God ioyne ten other Princes to Eleazar the Priest and to Ioshua the son of Nun were not these two sufficient Answer I answer that which belongeth to all ought to be done of all and thereby God taketh away that enuy which might he cast vpon them when the matter was indifferently decided by a seuerall Prince selected out of euery seuerall Tribe Thus the mouthes of all were stopped and euery one perswaded to rest without complaint or contradiction in the deciding which they should make Thirdly the question may bee asked Obiect Why the Priest was employed in this diuision For some haply will maruell that matter of temporall inheritance in which himselfe and the rest of that tribe had no other portion but the Lord should be committed to him that had the charge of the Tabernacle and this may seeme altogether impertinent to his function I answer Answ this was done for sundry waightie considerations For this was not without a mystery Why the high Priests helpe was vsed in the diuision of the land And as euery ceremony had his signification so heerein the Priest was a figure of Christ to whom the spirituall inheritance belongeth who is ascended to prepare a place for those that are his in heauen Secondly this was done in regard of the Priests Leuites for albeit they had no inheritance in the land yet some part and parcell fell vnto their share out of euery Tribe as we shall see in the following chapter Thirdly if any controuersie should arise in this great and waighty busines of making a stable and vnchangeable diuision that might remaine among their posterity for euer they might haue the Priest at hand for direction and to aske counsell for them at the mouth of God Lastly that this whole action might bee sanctified to them theyr children it was to be begun with prayer and to be finished with thankesgiuing for which the Priest was the fittest according to the saying of the Apostle Coloss 3. verse 17. Whatsoeuer ye do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes to God and the Father by him This diuision offereth diuers instructions In that Eleazar Ioshua the cheefe of the rest appointed to set out the land are named before other it teacheth that superiours whose head God hath lifted vp aboue their bretheren ought to giue good example to others Againe wee see that God maketh choise of men to bee his instruments so that not onely those things are to be holden diuine and of diuine authority which are done immediately by God himselfe but such also as are done by men assigned to their office by him Thus God hath called men and not Angelles to preach the Gospel whereby hee regenerateth vs and maketh vs heires of his kingdome if we receyue the same by fayth We are therefore to submit our selues vnto it and to bee content to be informed and reformed by it no otherwise then if an Angel from heauen nay no lesse then if God himselfe should speake vnto vs Luke 10 16. 1 Thess 2 13. Acts 10 33. This is the way to heare aright Furthermore obserue the faith of this people They were not yet come into the land they had not passed ouer Iordan nor obtained one foote there the Canaanites yet dwelled in their Cities and armed themselues to resist them they had strong Cities walled vp to heauen and mighty men of strength and stature to oppose against them they had a generation of Gyants mighty men that were as so many Goliahs to bid defiance to Israel yet we see they are occupied in diuiding the land and haue Princes appointed to determine the same and all of them are no lesse busie in the work then if the land were already conquered subdued vnto them which sheweth to vs the nature of faith according to the description of the Apostle Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the euidence of things not seene for by it the elders obtained a good report This we saw before in the daughters of Zelophehad how zealous they were in the cause of their father to haue a part of the inheritance particularly to themselues True it is this is touching a temporal promise or a promise of a temporall blessing howbeit it had reference typically to the eternall inheritance in the heauenly Canaan So then this teacheth vs that true faith apprehendeth appropriateth Doctrine True faith is of an applying nature and applyeth Gods promises as if they were present True faith is of an applying nature It doth not onely assent vnto the promises of God but maketh application of them to our selues and both are necessary to saluation Ier. 31 33 Esay 25 9. Cant. 2 16 and 6 3. Iohn 1 12. and 6 51 35 and 3 14 15. None had comfort by the brazen