and out of which he is shortly to depart Or will he be patching that Tent and Tabernacle which hee hath pitched for a day or two We dwell in earthly Tabernacles as in houses of clay 2 Cor. 5 4. 2 Pet. 1 14. What wisedome then is it to bestow daies and moneths and yeares in plotting plodding for the world for riches and the vanities of this life Let vs also prepare and prouide before hand for the day of our dissolution that such as God hath blessed with this worlds good set their houses and their estates in order as the Prophet in this regard warneth Hezekiah Esay 38 1. Set thine house in order for thou must dye And we may learne this necessary practise of Ahitophel though liuing in wickednes and dying in despaire of whom the Scripture saieth wheÌ„ he saw that his counsell was not followed he went home vnto his City put his house in order hanged himselfe 2 Sam. 17 23. This duty is to be thought vpon in health as that which deepely concerneth our selues and our posterity When we haue rightly disposed the things of this life let vs prepare for a Nunc dimittis let vs commend our spirits into the hands of God let vs resigne vp our selues willingly to death when we must enter into a particular iudgement For so soone as the soule is departed and separated from the body God holdeth his Sessions to which we are summoned by his messenger death to come into his presence to receiue in part according to our workes whether they be good or euill Euen as we see in the affaires of this life how Iudges and Iustices keepe their sessions and assises wherein malefactors brought out of prison are arraigned so God holdeth his time of iudgement and iustice to reward euery one according to his works We haue all a cause and case to bee tried the greatest the weightiest the worthiest that euer was handled not touching siluer gold not concerning house or land not of titles or inheritances but of the euerlasting saluation or daÌ„nation of our soules for euer and therefore it standeth vs in hand to be well armed thoroughly appointed that we come not as the foolish Virgins without oyle in our lampes or as the vnprepared guest without our wedding garment We see in temporall Courts when men haue a cause to be tried and an action to be determined either of goods or good name how carefull they are before hand to reade Euidences to produce witnesses and to search Records that the suite may passe on their sides how much more carefull ought wee to be to answer before the eternall Iudge where no man shall be admitted to appeare by his Atturney but all must come in their owne persons none shall be suffered to put in sureties This wil be a great day wheÌ„ the whole world shall appeare together at once high and low Prince and Subiect noble and vnnoble according to the description that Iohn maketh I saw the dead both great small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the booke according to their works Reuel 20 12. And was buried there Hitherto of the death of Miriam now of that which followed her death to wit her buriall See heere when life was departed what they did with the body they committed it to the earth The Doctrine from hence is this that it is a necessary duty to bury the dead Doctrine A commendable duty 〈◊〉 bury the dead This appeareth by many examples of the godly which haue practised this duty Gen. 23 4. Abraham the father of the faithfull bought a possession of burial of the Hittites who by the sight and light of nature had their Sepulchers therefore answered Abraham Gen. 23 6. 35 29 50 12 13. Thou art a Prince of God among vs in the cheefest of our Sepulchers bury thy dead none of vs shall forbid thee his Sepulcher but thou maist bury thy dead therein So ch 25 8 9. when Abraham yeelded the spirit and died in a good age and was gathered to his people his sonnes Isaac Ishmael buried him in the Caue of Machpelah in the field of Hephron where Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife The like we see done to Isaac when he gaue vp the ghost being old and full of daies his two sonnes Esau and Iacob buried him Now as Iacob did to his father so his children do to him according as hee had commanded them for his sonnes carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the Caue of the field of Machpelah which Abraham had bought The like may be said of Moses Deut. 34 5 6. for albeit the people buried him not neither knew of his Sepulcher lest they shold abuse it to idolatry yet rather then he should want buriall he was buried of God The men of Iabesh Gilead are praised of God and rewarded of Dauid because they buried King Saul and his sonne and aduentured their liues to do vnto him their last duty 2 Sa. 2 5 6. The same might be said of the rest of the Patriarks Prophets Iudges Kings Gouernours and Priests yea of Christ himselfe whose buriall albeit he were able immediately to haue raised and restored himselfe to life is set downe in the Gospel that his death might be confirmed and his farther humiliation manifested These examples teach that it is a christian and commendable duty of the liuing to be performed to the dead of children to bee performed to their parents and of the people of God one to another to commit the body of the deceased to the graue to put dust to dust and so to couer earth with earth And no maruaile For first among all creatures Reason 1 man is most loathsome and vgly when life is departed As in his birth and bringing foorth into the world of all creatures hee is most fraile and feeble without strength to stand without helpe to defend himselfe so being dead he is most fraile filthy and deformed He that a litle before gloried in his beauty comelinesse feature proportion is now become the mirror and spectacle of a deformed and mishapen carkasse Such a confusion and wracke hath sinne wrought and brought into our nature This made Abraham to say to the Hittites I am a stranger a forreiner among you giue me a possession of buriall to bury with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23 4. This is noted in Lazarus who hauing lien buried but foure daies his bâ—dy stanke Iohn 11 39. Reason 2 Secondly buriall is promised as a blessing from God and the want of it threatened for a plague and iudgement God offereth it as a mercy to Abraham â—5 15. that he should be buried in a ripe age and to Iosiah that he should bee put in his graue in peace â— 22 19 and
9. Acts 2 23. Luke 19 8. The reasons First because repentance onely Reason 1 made generally confusedly for knowne sins is neuer true repentance but a common hypocriticall repentance of one resolued and setled to continue in sin not yet touched with a true feeling thereof True it is for secret and vnknowne sins which we in weaknesse ignorance commit the Lord accepteth a general confession as we see in the practise of the Prophet Dauid saying Who can vnderstand his faults Cleanse me from secret sins Psalm 19 12. Thus did the rest no doubt of the godly deal such an acknowledgment of their vnknown sins which they tooke not to be sins did they make in a general manner which were hidden not onely from other men but euen from theÌ„selues This we may say of their polygamy or their marrying of many wiues and other their dail infirmities Secondly we must make a particular account to God at the houre of death when we Reason 2 must pleade guilty or not guilty at his bar A generall reckoning and account will not then be taken neither will the Lord set before vs grosse summes but the account shall be made of specials which may cause the stoutest and strongest men to tremble and quake for very feare of that day All the sinnes of thy former life shal be represented before thee like â— squadron of enemies ready set in battell aray to assault thee to giue in euidence against thee This is taught and witnessed vnto vs by the Apostle Iohn describing the manner of iudgement to which we shall be summoned Reuel 20 12. I saw the bookes opened and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their works It standeth vs vpon in regard of these bookes to make vp our bookes and to looke to our reckonings forasmuch as we must gaue an account of our stewardship Luk. 16 2. Let vs now make vse of this doctrine First Vse 1 we learne from hence that it is not enough to say we are sinners and so to cry God mercy for a paâ—g or a brunt and so away or to desire God to forgiue vs our sinnes but we must vncase our selues and vncouer our particular trespasses if we would haue God to couer theÌ„ with the precious garment of Christ If a sicke man come to the Physition and onely tell him he is sicke and neuer shew him his particular greefe and disease that troubleth him in what part he is pained and in what sort he is taken he can neuer look to be cured and restored to health If we come vnto God the Father of spirits and Physition of soules and onely say We haue sinned we cannot assure our selues of pardon We declared before that we must coÌ„fesse our vnknowne sinnes generally but our knowne sinnes we must confesse particularly without any excuse or defence without any hiding or diminishing of theÌ„ as the same Prophet doth after he had sinned in numbring of the people I haue sinned greatly because I haue done this thing â—hro 21 8. c. Wherfore â—t standeth vs vpon with great greefe heauinesse of heart to confesse our speciall sinnes to giue sentence against our selues and to pray with earnestnes of spirit as for life and death for the pardon of our offences which we haue committed at such and such times in such places with such persons and in such manner otherwise our repentance is only in shew and for fashion sake which is neuer acceptable to God being done in hypocrisie and without a conscionable feeling of sinne in the soule Vse 2 Secondly this particular confession ouerthroweth and ouerturneth sundry corruptions and abuses in the case of repentance It condemneth all impenitent persons such as liue continue in one estate neuer sorrow for any sinne neither at any time turne from it neither haue any feeling or â—â—eefe for sinne neither know what it meaneth This is a dangerous estate and a most perilous iudgement For as a sick man is then most dangerously sick when he hath no feeling of his sicknesse and is ready to say he is well and hath small sense or none at all of any paine or perill so sinfull man is then in greatest misery by reason of his sinnes when hee thinketh himselfe to bee no sinner Such one is farre off from mourning sorrowing for sinne from turning from them and returning to God seeing be taketh himselfe to be in good â—ase and to stand in need of no repentance Such were the Pharisies in the dayes of Christ whom he reproueth Mat. 9 12 13. Besides it coÌ„demneth ceremonial repentance which carrieth an outward shew of dying to sinne but is separated from the inward truth of a sound heart Thus Saul repented 1 Sam. 15.74 and 26 21 and 24 17 18. And Ahab rent his clothes but not his heart hee fasted from food but not from sinne 1 Kin. 21.27.29 Thus the hypocrites repent mentioned in the Prophets when a man afflicteth his soule for a day Esay 58 5. Mic. 6 7. and boweth-downe his head as a bulrush yet looseth not the bondes of wickednesse and therefore immediately afterward he imbraceth his former sinnes and returneth to his old wayes as Phazaoh did who being annoied with the frogs smitten with the haile terrified with the thunders troubled with the grassehoppers pestered with the flyes disquieted with the darkenesse this was the euenâ— and issue of all as soone as he had rest giuen vnto him he hardned his heart and hearkened not vnto the Lord. This is the common sicknes of the common repentance that men ordinarily practise in these daies whereby they deceiue themselues and their owne soules dealing in hypocrisie dissembling with the Lord catching at the shadow instead of the body resting in shewes instead of the substance Lastly it condemneth all such as haue hardened their hearts in sinne and are growne therby to be past feeling such as cannot discerne betweene good and euill nor tremble at Gods iudgements but draw sin â—o themselues as it were with cart-ropes and worke all vncleannesse euen with greedinesse These haue their conscience seared with an hot Iron and it accuseth them not for any sin but bringeth them into a reprobate minde so that they are so farre from confessing their proper and particular sinnes that they haue no sense or remorse of any sin but are full of all wickednesse and vnrighteousnesse Lastly it behooueth vs to search out our waies to see what we haue left vndone and Vse 3 what lyeth most vpon our consciences and especially bewaile the same otherwise there is in vs no sound conuersion This the Prophet testifieth Lam. 3 40 41. Some are specially inclined to lust vncleannesse some to couetousnes some to surfeiting drunkennes some to enuy reuenge some to swearing blaspheming some to pleasures delights of the outward man now where we are weakest Satan will be strongest where our defence is
vncleannesse and filthinesse and pursued them into their filthy stewes and brothel-houses where he thrust them both thorough reuenging the dishonour done to God the scandall laide vpon his people A worthy example for all Magistrates to follow to be sharpe seuere in punishing sinne and taking away euill out of the citty of God Thus the plague was stayed and the anger of God turned away after that iustice was executed and so many thousands at one time and for one sinne swept away But heere two questions arise which are to be discussed before we proceede any further the first touching the fact of Phinehas the second touching the number of the dead heere remembred Touching the fact of Phinehas Obiection it may be thus obiected How can it be lawfull in him being a priuate person to exceede rhe bounds and lists of his calling Hee was of the tribe of Leui and of the family of the Priests to whom it belonged not to draw the sword For as the other tribes were not appointed to the seruice of the Altar so the tribe of Leui was not called to the execution of iustice Besides there are generall rules directing all priuate men and generall Lawes restraining them from shedding of blood as he that sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed hee that smiteth with the sword shal be smitten with the sword loue your enemies and doe good to them that hate you The seruant of God must not striue but must be gentle toward all men suffering the euill and instructing them with meekenesse that be contrary minde 2. Tim. 2 25. How then can we iustify this act of Phinehas departing from these holy rules of Gods Religion I answere Answer there is a double kinde of calling an ordinary calling and an extraordiry calling the one necessarily distinguished from the other For God doth oftentimes giue vnto his seruants a new and special vocation and addeth it vnto their former function Hence it is also that some workes are ordinary and some are extraordinary Ordinary workes must be guided and directed by ordinary rules such as those are which wee haue set downe before Extraordinary workes proceede from a special motion of Gods Spirit warranting them and making them albeit going against the common rules lawful cōmendable and necessary Such was the fact of Moses smiting the Egyptian Exod. 2 12 the fact of Samuel hewing Agag in pieces 1. Sam. 15 35 the fact of Eliah slaying the Priests of Baal 1. King 18 4 the fact of the Israelites spoyling the Egyptians and such like Exod. 12 35 who had an inward motion like to the commandement giuen to Abraham to kill his sonne These actions albeit warranted to the doers Luth in Gen. cap. 29. are not to be drawne into example and imitation vnlesse we haue the inspiration of the same Spirit and therefore Christ our Sauiour answereth his Disciples that would haue called fire from heauen to consume the Samaritanes Yee know not of what spirit ye are for the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens liues but to saue them Luk. 9 55. Now that this fact of Phinehas is of the same nature it appeareth both because the plague ceased by it and Gods wrath kindled against his people was appeased so that the action is both commended rewarded This the Spirit of God teacheth in the Psalme Phinehas stood vp and executed iudgement and the plague was staied and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse from generation to generation for euer Psalm 106 30 which is not so to be vnderstood as if he were iustified before God by this one acte because whosoeuer will bee iust by the Law is bound to keepe the whole law according to the tenour of the law Do this thou shalt liue Gal. 4 12 20. One good worke doth not serue or suffice to make a man perfectly iust and righteous in the sight of God seeing hee that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the law is accursed So then we must know that the Psalmist meaneth that this fact was lawfull and allowed For hauing set down the vengeance that Phinehas tooke vpon this adulterer and the adultresse hee preuenteth the Obiection which might be made Was not this horrible and damnable murther in him who being a priuate man had not the sword of iustice committed vnto him and being one of the Priests of the Lord was to meddle onely in matters belonging vnto God and not in ciuill things who was to draw out the censures of the church not a materiall sword to strike offenders No saith the Prophet it was not murther it was a righteous and commendable acte he beeing stirred vp by Gods Spirit inasmuch as it proceeded from faith and aymed at the glory of the great Name of God Wherefore this place is falsely alledged and peruersly wrested by the Church of Rome to ouerthrow iustification by faith alone and to establish iustification by good works For there is a double iustification one of the worke the other of the person The Prophet speaketh in that place of the iustification of the worke which albeit in the sight of men it might seeme sauage inhumane yet God did accept of it account it as a good and iust work which pleased him being done in faith which purifieth the heart Acts 15 9. He speaketh not of the iustification of his person which was by apprehending the mercy of God in Christ by beleeuing not by doing Thus the Apostle in the fourth chapter to the Romanes verses 4 5. maketh a double kinde of imputation saying To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauor but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse Thus much of the first question touching the acte of Phinehas whether it were lawfull or vnlawfull whether it were priuate reuenge or publike iustice The second Question is touching the number that dyed in this plague Obiect wherein appeareth some difference and disagreement in outward shew betweene the old Testament and the new For Moses in this place verse 9 sayeth There died foure and twenty thousand But the Apostle Paul alledging this iudgement of God mentioneth onely Three and twenty thousand 1 Cor. 10 8 subtracting one thousand from the former number which Moses added I answer some reconcile these places thus that the Scribes or Penmen fayled in copying out the books of Pauls Epistles which shold haue written foure twenty thousand where they wrote three twenty thousand But this is shifting rather then reconciling cutting the knot with a sword rather then loosing it asunder with the hand inasmuch as all the copies generally with full consent as it were with one voice agree in the former reading Others suppose and surmise that it might bee a slip of memory in the Apostle according to humane infirmity But this answer is worse then the former and these are
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.
A COMMENTARIE vpon the Fourth Booke of Moses 〈…〉 NVMBERS CONTAINING The Foundation of the Church and Common-wealth of the Israelites while they walked and wandered in the WILDERNESSE Laying before vs the vnchangeable loue of God promised and exhibited to this people The comely order established and obserued among them Sundry examples of his horrible iudgements against obstinate sinners The Fatherly chastisements and corrections of the faithfull offending and the dangerous plottings and diuellish policies of the Churches enemies are detected and discouered Wherein the whole body of Diuinity is handled touching matters Dogmaticall Of God of Christ of the Gospel of the Law of Sin of Faith and Iustification of the Scriptures of the Sabbath of Magistrates and of the Ministery of the Resurrection of Prayer and the lawfulnesse of set formes of Tythes and Impropriations of the Sacraments in generall and in speciall of Baptisme and the Lords Supper of Duelles and Duellists of Excommunication of Repentance and remission of sinnes of restitution of Warre and of the lawfulnesse of the marriage of Cozen germans Ceremoniall Of the calling of the Priests and Leuites and of the first borne of the waters of iealousie of the vow of the Nazarites of the daily sacrifice of the Iewish Feasts of the yeare of Iubile of the new Moones of afflicting the soule of the Feast of the Passeouer and Pentecost of the Trumpets and of the Tabernacles of the Vrim and Thummim of the seuen Lampes and the making of the two siluer Trumpets of the pillar of Fire and the Cloud of the meate Offering and drinke Offering with the vses of them all toward our selues together with a description of sundry waights and measures vsed of the Iewes Polemicall Or Controuersies betweene the Church of Rome and vs as of the Scriptures of the Church and the notes of it of the supremacy of the Byshop of Rome of the Masse of Purgatory of Free-will of Prayer in a strange tongue of iustification by Workes of the Sacraments of Vowes of auricular Confession of Reliques of binding and loosing of Temples of Tapers and wax Candles of Sanctuaries and of Images and Idolatry Heerein also the Reader shall finde more then fiue hundred Theologicall Questions decided and determined By WILLIAM ATTERSOLL Minister of the word LONDON Printed by WILLIAM IAGGARD 1618. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPfull Sir Walter Couert Knight one of his Maiesties Iustices of the Peace in the County of Sussex And to the Right VVorshipfull the Lady Iane Couert his Wife Grace and peace from Iesus Christ. I Vndertake Right Worshipfull in this Work to expound one of the Bookes of Moses a part of the Churches Treasury committed to writing by the hand of one of the best Worke-men and one of the greatest Prophets of the Church And howsoeuer sundry parcels thereof may seeme at the first view to offer vnto vs little profit as containing onely sundry names of persons and places which may be thought little to concerne vs yet as the whole Scripture giuen by inspiration is profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for correction and for instruction 〈◊〉 righteousnesse that wee thorough patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope 2 Tim. 3 16 Rom. 1â— 4 so if we looke into this present parcell with a single eye and a pure heart voide of partiality and a preiudicate opinion we shall oftentimes finde much substance to lye hidden vnder shadowes and as it were rich Mines where the soyle may be taken to bee barren And as this booke beareth in the front of it the name of Numbers so it hath this peculiar aboue the rest that it layeth before vs the numbering of the people and the excellent and exquisit order that God commanded to be obserued among them in their tents in their marching in their remouing in the vnfolding and wrapping vp of the instruments of the Tabernacle and in the Priests and Leuites that attended vpon it All Arts and Sciences before they can bee learned must be reduced into order and method There is an order in God himselfe as wee see in the blessed Trinity for albeit all the persons bee coeternall and coequall and the essence it selfe of the Deity vndiuisible yet there is the first the second and the third person And as it is in God so it is in the creation and workes of God from the heauen of heauens to the center of the earth The elect Angels that do his commandements and hearken vnto the voyce of his word Psal 103 20 haue an order among them there are Thrones and Dominions Powers and Principalities Ephes 1 21. Col. 1 16. and an Archangel that at the last day shall blow the Trumpet 1 Thess 4 16. And as it is among the Angels so it is among the Saints the soules of iust men perfected albeit all haue enough and none of them any want yet there is a difference in the measure of their glory inasmuch as euery man shal receyue his owne reward according to his owne labour 1 Cor. 3 8. Dan. 12 3. The Starres are not all of one magnitude but there is one glory of the Sunne another of the Moone and another of the Starres for one starre differeth from another starre in glory so also is the resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15 41 42. Gen. 1 16 17. Psal 136 7 8.9 Thus it is also in the workes beneath that God may euery where appeare to be the God of order 1 Cor. 14 33. Some creatures haue onely a being some haue being and life others Being Life and Sense and others besides all these haue reason and vnderstanding A Campe well disciplined is a perfect patterne of good order He that would order a battell aright saith Vegetius hath respect to the Sun to the dust Veget. Cap. 14. to the winde because the Sun and dust hinder the sight and a contrary wind weakneth the blow The Church of God is ruled by order while there are some to teach and some to heare Neither may any of these seeme strange forasmuch as there is a kinde of order euen in the place of all disorder and confusion euen in hell it selfe prepared for the diuell and his angels Matth. 25 41. Matth. 25 41. for there also are principalities and powers and the rulers of the darkenesse of this world Eph. 6 â—2 and among these one is cheefe and principall as it were an head ouer this body called therefore the prince of the diuels Matth. 12.24 So then we see that in the Creator and in the creatures in the Angels in the heauens in the campe in the church yea in the place of darknesse and desolation it selfe there is â—â—me order from whence sprang the common Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is There is nothing so profitable as order When Moses had receyued the law of God as from the mouth of the Law-giuer and published it among the people and had finished the Tabernacle of the Arke and Sanctuary hee mustered all the
thence resolutely resisted their passage that way and returned this answer to the messengers That if they attempted to enter vpon his frontiers he would take them for no other then enemies and resist them by all possible meanes to make his deeds answerable to his words not tarrying to see how Moses would digest this deniall or whether it would satisfie or exasperate he gathered the strength of his countrey together and came out against him with much people and with a mighty power Numb 20 20. Wherefore Moses being commanded by God not to prouoke the children of Esau to whom he had giuen mount Seir Deut. 2 4. and considering that the end of his enterprize was not the conquest of that Country which was prohibited but of the land of Canaan which was promised vnto them refused to meddle with them and to aduenture the army of Israel against a Nation which beeing ouercome gaue onely a passage or through-fare to the inuasion of others and so hee turned himselfe to the East and marched toward the Deserts of Moab When Arad a King of the Canaanites vnderstood this proiect Num 21 1 2 and that Moses had blanched the way of Idumea knowing that it was Canaan that he aymed at and not Edom he thought it his best and safest way according to the surest rules of war rather to find his enemy in his neighbours country then to be sought out by them in his owne Dominion To this purpose he led the strength of his people to the edge of the Desert and set vpon some part of the hoast of Israel which for the multitude occupied a great space and for the many Heards of cattle that they draue with them could not incampe so close together but that some quarter or other was euermore subiect to surprize whereby it came to passe that he slew some few of the Israelites and carried with him many prisoners Now it is very probable that it was this Canaanite or his predecessor which ioyned his forces wtth the Amalekite Numb 14 45. gaue an ouerthrow to those mutinous Israelites which without direction from God or permission from Moses would haue entred Canaan from Cadeshbarnea For it seemeth that the greatest number of that army were of the Canaanites because in Deut. 1.44 the Amorites are named alone are said to haue beaten the Israelites at that time But whereas it is sayd that the Israelites vtterly destroyed the Canaanites and their Cities Numb 21 3 they are much mistaken which thinke that this destruction was presently performed by the Israelites or in the dayes of Moses whereas it is rather to bee vnderstood to haue bene done in the future to wit in the time of Ioshua the successor of Moses who fought these battels of the Lord. For as we haue declared in Numb 12 3. many things dispersed heere and there throughout the bookes of Moses seeme to mee to haue beene added but by the speciall direction and inspiration of the same Spirit by which Moses himselfe wrote by some other Prophet after they were come into the land of Promise And doubtlesse if Moses had at this present entred Canaan in the pursuit of Arad they could not haue fallen backe againe into the Deserts of Zin and Moab and afterward haue fetcht no lesse dangerous then wearisome compasse by the riuers of Zered and Arnon of which we spake a little before Numb 21 12 13 14. Againe if we consider the mutiny that followed immediately after the repetition of this victory it is sufficient to prooue that the same was obtained afterward by the conquest of Ioshua and not at the instant of Arads assault For had the Israelites at this time sacked the cities of Arad they would not the next day haue complained for want of bread and water when they spake against God and against Moses Wherefore haue yee brought vs out of Egypt to dye in the wildernesse For there is no bread neyther is there any water Numb 21 5 c. all this had bene needlesse inasmuch as they had store and abundance both of the one and of the other because it cannot be doubted but where there are great cities there is also plentie of water and bread So then we must vnderstand that it was in the time of Ioshua Ioshua 12 14 that the Israelites tooke this reuenge and after they had passed Iordan to which Moses neuer came but Ioshua the General of this great army of Israel then gouernd them who nameth this Arad by the name of his city so called and with him the king of Horma vnto which place the Israelites pursued the Canaanites and he nameth them among those kings which himself vanquished and put vnto the sword After this assault and surprize of Arad Moses finding that all entrance on that side was blocked vp and defended he led the people Eastward to compasse Idumea and the Dead Sea and to make his entrance by Arnon and the Plaines of Moab at that time in the possession of the Amorites But the Israeliteâ— to whom the very name of a wildernesse was terrible and troublesome began againe to rebell against the Lord and their Leader till the Lord chastised them by a multitude of fiery Serpents which stung them to death Num. 21.6 For by the mortall byting of these Scorpions whose venom enflamed them and burnt them as fire within their bodies hee made them know their error and so afterward according to the plentifull measure of his grace hee cured them againe by beholding an artificiall Serpent set vp by his commandement vpon a pole Numb 21 9. These victories atchieued whiles Israel soiourned in the valleyes of Moab the Midianites and Moabites ouer both which Nations it seemeth that Balak the king of the Moabites then commanded in cheefe sought earnestly according to the counsell and aduice of Balaam both by alluring the Hebrewes to the loue of their daughters Numb 31 16 Reuel 2 14 Mic 6 5 2 Pet. 2.15 and by perswading them to honour and serue their Idols to diuide them in affection and Religion among themselues thereby the better to defend their owne interest against them as also to beate them out of Moab and the countryes adioyning The Israelites as they had euer bene inclined to these euill courses so were they the more easily perswaded to hearken with both their eares to the Syren songs sung by that Sorcerer and acted by those enemies Iosh 13 22. 24 9 whereby they drew vpon themselues a greeuous plague and pestilence whereof many thousands perished Numb 25 8. 1 Cor. 10 8. but when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the high Priest rose vp and executed iudgement the plague ceased and the wrath of God was appeased Psal 106 30. In this valley Moses caused the people to be numbred the third time and then there remained of able men fit to beare armes and to draw the sword six hundred and one thousand seuen hundred and thirty Numb 26 verse
that in order followeth after the other Moses declareth the performaÌ„ce of Gods promise touching the multiplying of their seede together with the myraculous gouernment of that people wandering vp and down and iourneying heere and there without any setled estate more then 38. yeares in the Wildernesse When Moses was to bee gathered vnto his Fathers Deut. 32 49 50. and to go the way of all flesh GOD commanded him to go vp vnto the Mount Nebo which is in the land of Moab and from thence to behold as it were in a moment the Land of Canaan and the seuerall parts of it In like maner if wee from this place as from an high Mountaine and as it were looking from the vpper ground shall take a view of the parts proportion of this booke we shall throughly vnderstand what is the purpose and purport of it and what are the ends for which it was committed and commended vnto vs. Wherefore for our better and more orderly proceeding heerein let vs generally obserue and consider these particular points First we will speake of the Author of this booke secondly of the inscription or Title thereof thirdly of the ends and vses and last of all of the seuerall parts and diuision of it The Author for that is the first branch is double either principall or instrumentall The cheefe author of this booke is God For who is the inditer of the Scripture but he or from what spirit can it proceede but from his The Prophets alwayes begin their preaching and prophesying with this note b Esay 1 10. Hab. 1 1. 2 1. Thus sayeth the Lord Heare ye the word of the Lord the vision of Isaiah the burthen which Habakkuk did see Thus the Apostles shew their calling froÌ„ God c Rom. 1. ver 1 Galat. 1 1. Reuel 1 1. Paul a Seruant of Iesus Christ called to bee an Apostle not of men neyther by man but by Iesus Christ The Reuelation of Iesus Christ shewed to his seruant Iohn Thus Zachary in his song teacheth that d Luke 1 70. God spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which were since the world began To this accordeth the saying of Peter e 2 Pet. 1 20.21 No prophesie of the Scripture is of priuat motion for it came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost And the Apostle affirmeth f 2 Tim. 3 16. That the vvhole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God Al which serue to teach vs that the words of all the holy Prophets are to bee receiued and embraced as the words of God but the doctrine handled in this booke is a part of the word of one of the most ancient most holy most excellent and most diuine Prophets and therefore consequently the doings heere registred and the doctrines heere deliuered are to be holden as a portion of the vndoubted word of God So then as Christ spake to his Disciples g Math. 10 20 It is not you that speake but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you so may we truly say it is not Moses that speaketh heere but the Spirit of God that spake in him and wrote by him in which respect it may iustly be affirmed He that heareth him heareth God and he that despiseth him that is the writer dispiseth God that is the inditer And as the Author of this Booke appeareth to be the Lord himself by an argument drawn from the generall to the speciall so the authority of it will euidently appeare and easily bee demonstrated out of sundry particular places and circumstances out of the booke it selfe Such is the full consent and sweete agreement betweene the old and new Testament that one of them serueth to confirme ratifie and establish the other Hence it is that Christ Iesus himselfe and his Apostles writing by his spirit do alledge sundry examples produce sundry testimonies proue sundry doctrines and disproue sundry errors as by an authenticke witnesse taken from this book of Moses which now we haue vndertaken to expound Moses the man of God reciteth and reckoneth vp in sundry places h Numb 20 21. 25. compared with 1. Cor. 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 c. of this Booke on the one side the great mercies of God to his people that he gaue them and they did eate Manna that is bread from heauen and dranke water out of the rocke and on the other side their wretched vnthankfulnesse toward him they lusted after flesh they murmured against him they committed fornication and perished manie thousands of them The truth of these thinges is confirmed by the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 10. testifying that they did all eate the same spirâ—tuall meat and all dranke the same spiritual drinke drinking of the rocke that followed them and thereupon alluding vnto the history he saith i Num. 21 6 8 compaâ—d with 1 Corin. 10. Iohn 3 Let not vs commit fornication as some of them committed fornication and fell in one day three and twenty thousand Againe we reade heere how â—od brought among them in the wildernesse fiery Serpents k Numb 12 6 7 compared with Hebr. 3 2 5. that destroyed them but vpon their repentance and humiliation hee was reconciled commanded Moses to make the resemblance and representation of those fierie Serpents and set it vpon a pole that so many as were bitten m ght looke vpon it and liue The truth of these appeareth both by the testimony of Paul 1 Cor. 10 9. Neither let vs tempt Christ as some of them tempted him and were destroyed by Serpents by the words of Christ himselfe Iohn 3 14 15. As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Son of man be life vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Moses in the 12 chap. saith l Num. 11 29. compard with Iames 4 5. If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I will be knowne to him by Dreame or vision my seruant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all his house Heereunto the Apostle to the Hebrues alludeth Consider Christ Iesus the high Priest of our profession who was faithfull to him that hath appointed him euen as Moses was in all his house Moreouer in the former chap. when Ioshua saw the two Elders in the hoste to prophesie m Iunius in paralel hee feared that Moses his reputation and authority would be diminished therefore ran to him in haste that hee should forbid them but Moses saide vnto him Enuiest thou for my sake Heereunto the Apostle Iames alludeth Think ye that the Scripture saith in vain Doth that spirite which dwelleth in vs lust vnto enuy Lastly to omit sundry Testimonies that might be produced n Numb 24 14. and 31 16. compard with 2 Peter 2 15. Iude 12. Reu. 2 14. and are remembred by others we haue at large laide
Iames 2 1. wee should haue the faith of Christ in respect of persons which is forbidden condemned by the Apostle Hence it is that our Sauiour speaketh to his Apostles b Math. 10 20 Luke 10 16. It is not you that speak but the spirit of your Father that speaketh within you And to the 70. Disciples and in them to all his true Ministers to the end of the world He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth mee and he that despiseth me desp seth him that sent me For this cause the Thessalonians practising this point are commended by the Apostle that they esteemed and receiued the doctrine deliuered vnto them c 1 Thes 2 13. Rom. 1 16. Not as the word of men but as it is indeed the word of God which is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth They are the Embassadors of God sent out of him to call vs to repentance and therefore their word or rather the word of GOD spoken by their mouth is to be heard with reuerence marked with diligence and practised with obedience The writer of this book was Moses Thus much touching the chiefe and principall Author of this booke as of the other Scriptures to wit God nowe followeth the lesse principall or instrumentall namely Moses The Lord could if it had pleased him haue written this booke as he did the morall Law contained in the ten commandements with his owne finger without the ministery of mortall man but it stood with his will and Heauenly pleasure to inspire his worde into the hearts of some holy men set apart for this purpose and to make their pen d Psalm 45 1 as the penne of a swift Writer The writer of this Book as also of the three former and of that which followeth was Moses faithfull in the house of God of whose stocke parents birth preseruation banishment and return into the land of Egypt from whence he brought the children of Israel wee reade at large in the Booke of Exodus Him God hauing set apart from his mothers womb to be the deliuerer of his people doth call as it is a Psal 78 70 7â— 72. saide of Dauid and tooke him from the Sheepfolds euen from behind the Ewes with yong brought he him to feede his people in Iacob his inheritance in Israel so he fed them according to the simplicity of his heart and guided them by the discretion of his hands Him also did God chuse to be one of the Scribes to penne a part of his word the first and most anâ—ient Scripture sufficient to guide that people into all truth necessary to be beleeued of them For as Princes and Noblemen haue their principal Secretaries whose persons and pennes they vse to what purposes they please so hath GOD his selected instruments to write his will and to endite what things he reuealed vnto them by whose Spirit they were wholy guided and directed that they could not erre b 2 Pet 1 21. for the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were mooued by the holy Ghost Such a one was Moses the first chosen vessell of God to pen publish his word that it might bee knowne and conueyed vnto all posterities to him c Num. 12 8. Deut. 34 10. God spake mouth to mouth and by vision and not in dark words like to him there arose not a Prophet in Israel whom hee knew face to face These Prophets of God may rightly bee called second Authors of the Scripture all of them Gods Secretaries but Moses as his principall Secretary This consideration of Gods choosing men to be as his organs and instruments to put his Vse 1 whole will and word in writing doth offer to vs diuers good vses which briefly wee will run ouer First it conuinceth all those that thinke and gather that neither this book nor the other foure were written by Moses as now they are left vnto vs but by Esdras or some other more auncient Scribe that liued before his time Adde heereunto d Iren. lib. 3. cap 25. Tertul. lib. de bab mul. clem Alex. lib. 1. strom Hieron aduers Helu Euseb in Chronic. that manie of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church maintayned that when Ierusalem was assaulted sacked by the Chaldeans all the bookes of Moses and other Scriptures were burned together with the Temple and were afterward written againe and brought to light through the help of the diuine memory of Esdras who remembred al that was written in the former copies But this coniecture so much stood vppon by the Ancients be it spoken with their patience and pardon is no better then a fable may bee conuinced by euident demonstration of vndoubted reasons True it is the fourth of Esdras telleth in sober sadnesse this dreame e Esdr lib. 4. c 4 23. cap. 14 21. but euery one knoweth that booke to bee Apochryphall almost as full of lies as leaues insomuch that the Church of Rome ouer bold to adde to the Canon yet f Bel. de verbo Dei lib 1. cap 20. lib. 2. cap 1. are ashamed of this booke to make it Canonicall And we neuer read that the Babylonians euer attempted this sacriledge and if they had it seemeth vnlikely and vnpossible that euer they coulde bring it to passe the bookes beeing dispersed into many mens hands and extant in sundrie copies in sundry places The Assyrians which were sent as certaine Colonies to inhabite in the waste roomes of the ten Tribes the Kingdom of Israel being ouerthrown by Salmanasar when they were disturbed and destroyed by Lyons that tore them in peeces g 2 Kin 1 7 27 were instructed by one of the Priestes in the Law of Moses and no doubt had it among them Antiochus a most bloody tyrant commaunded the bookes of the Law to be cut in peeces burned so many as hee could finde yet did the faithfull preserue them safe and sound with the danger of their owne liues 1 Mach. 1 59. Besides it is not to be imagined that Ezekiel and Daniel continuing in Babylon the seuenty yeares of the captiuity wanted the word law of God all that time to say nothing of Ieremy the Prophet and Gedaliah the Prince were they all so carelesse or forgetfull that in the ruine of the City and spoyling of the temple they would neglect the Law and not saue one booke out of the fire Was there neuer a godly man left that was mindfull of the booke of God But what place is there lefte for any such surmise and suspition seeing the prophet Daniel had both the prophesies h Dan 9 2 11 of Ieremy the Law of Moses Moreouer it appeareth by the testimony of Ezra himselfe the Scribe of God i Ezra 6 18. that the people beeing returned from their captiuity had the Law of Moses amongst them before
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
appeareth by the Prophet Esay when hee bringeth in the Lord speaking vnto vs c Esay 66 3. To him will I haue respect euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words The scripture is compared by one to a great and high palace but the doore that entreth into it is very low so that the high-minded and proud presumptuous man that standeth vpon the high conceites of his owne minde cannot run in but it is necessary that he stoope downe low humble himselfe whosoeuer intendeth to haue any passage into it This spirituall pride is the mother of all error but humility leadeth vs into all truth d Iames 4 6. For God resisteth the proud and giueth grace vnto the lowly Lastly we must come to the Scriptures to hearing and reading of them with prayer desiring him to direct vs and crauing his blessing vpon our labors The word of God is as an hidden treasure laide vp in the Lords Coffers Prayer is the Key to open it the way to come to it the hand to receiue it The Prophet Dauid prayeth oftentimes to God to open his eyes and to giue him vnderstanding e Psalme 119 18 34. that he might see into the wonders of his Law We haue a gracious promise from God that hee which asketh shall receiue hee that seeketh shall finde and hee that knocketh shall haue the doore set open vnto him Many of Gods Seruants haue attained to more knowledge and vnderstanding in the mysteries of the Kingdome of heauen by prayer then by their own study labour reading and searching If then we shall ioyne it to our reading and hearing it shall bring a great blessing with it reueal the secrets of God vnto vs. Thus much touching the Title of this booke Let vs now proceede to handle the Vses The ends and Vses of this Booke and speciall ends of this Booke for which it was written and thereby take a general view of the benefit that may redound vnto vs. There are many chapters that seeme to be verie bare and barren and to containe nothing in them but a naked Catalogue of places and persons but we shall plainly perceiue in the particular handling of the speciall matters taught therein that we haue great cause to giue attention and to marke what is offered to our considerations forasmuch as whatsoeuer was written afore-hand was written for our instruction that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope Rom. 15. And albeit the vses come after to bee spoken at large yet it shall not bee amisse to giue a taste of them in the beginning thereby to set an edge vpon vs to procure vs an appetite to hunger after them First we see in the state of the Israelites as Vse 1 in a glasse what is the condition of the Church and of all the godly in this life they are as a barke tossed on the Sea ready to suffer Shipwracke and to be cast vpon euery rocke vnlesse they cast out the anchor of hope sure stedfast that they may in time appointed ariue in safety at the hauen desired For euen as the Israelites neuer rested in the wildernesse but trauelled from one place to another vntill they came into the Land of promise so the Church in this world is as in a wildernes they haue no certaine abode no setled dwelling to assure them any continuance but they walke and wander vp and downe as poore banished men vntill they bee translated into their heauenly Country We are heere as pilgrimes and strangers our hope is not in this life a 1 Cor. 15 19 For then of all men we were the most miserable Wee know we must all leaue it and we know not how soone We looke for a life to come and most earnestly desire to bee translated to that heauenly inheritance The Apostle hath many meditations to this purpose Phil. 3. b Phil. 3 20 2 Cor. 5 6 7. Heb. 11 13 14 Our conuersation is in Heauen from whence we looke for a Sauâ—our the Lord Iesus and 2 Cor. 5. Whiles we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord for wee walke by faith and not by sight And Hebr. 11 speaking of the Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob he saith They confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on the earth for they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a Countrie We must not looke to finde Heauen vpon the earth we shall heere meete with many afflictions and it is profitable for vs to exercise our faith patience and prayer leste the flesh shoulde waxe proud against the spirit and lift vp it selfe against God Secondly we learne who is the Patrone Vse 2 and protector of the Church namely GOD himselfe he is the shield and buckler of it to defend it How many were the troubles and dangers and enemies and wants of the Isralites while they liued in the wildernesse Yet did God maruailously and miraculously nourish and preserue them Is he the God of the Iewes onely and not of the Gentiles yes euen of the Gentiles also For as hee kept them and carried them as vpon the Eagles wings so he is with his Church at all times when it seemeth most to despaire of help then commeth the helpe and comfort of God from on high and deliuereth them out of their distresse O that men would therefore confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men Let vs also looke for helpe from him from whence our saluation commeth c 1 Sam. 2 6 Who as Hanna the mother of Samuel singeth in her Song kâ—lleth and maketh aliue bringeth down to the graue and raiseth vp In dangers therfore let vs trust in him in wants let vs relie vpon him in chastisements let vs humble our selues before him in troubles let vs flye vnto him in temptations let vs fight vnder him and in all necessities let vs pray vnto him and call vpon his name Thirdly we haue in this booke a liuely picture Vse 3 of the state of the Church what it is in this life and of what persons it consisteth it standeth not wholly of such as haue receiued the grace of sanctification but it hath many hypocrites mingled with them and many wicked persons are found among them and come as the Ghest did in the â—ospell whoe came without his wedding garment In this body are many members but are not all liuing a great part are dead and rotten members Yea they which are indeed Saints by calling are not so sanctified that they liue without sinne For as d 1 Cor. 13 12 they know in part and beleeue in part so they are sanctified in part not fully and perfectly which shall not bee vntill the next life when we shall know euen as wee are knowne and see euen as we are seene of God Among the Israelites which did beare the name of the
in his hart knowing that such outrage hapneth not without great iniquity of men and desiring rather to liue quietly and to maintaine peace and concord with all men as farre as it is possible and as much as lyeth in vs as if our hands were tied behind vs from committing any outrage or euill deeds Lastly because the liberty licentiousnesse of Souldiers is many times left free and is without bit and bridle to restraine them it belongeth to Captaines and Gouernors of the hoast to range the common Souldier in good order and military discipline that they breake not out to endamage or destroy those whome they ought aboue all to protect and defend Warre is iudged and esteemed of them to be the time wherin lawes are silent and al things held lawfull that their owne heart lusteth after Hence it commeth to passe that there is such thirsting after goods deflowring of virgines rauishing of wiues slaughter of parents robbing of houses burning of Churches and scorning of religion and all holy things yea making a mocke of Christ our Sauiour So then if seuere discipline be not vsed order taken that the people liuing in peace bee not abused all thinges will be held lawfull beside right and honesty iniuries will be accounted good dealing and all things taken to be common and to belong to him that first can seaze vpon them It is saide of the Centurion in the Gospell that his authority was such ouer them that belonged to his band that none durst oppose themselus against him or resist his charge that hee gaue vnto them saying I am a man also vnder the authority of another Math 8 9. and haue Souldiers vnder me and I say to one goe and he goeth and to another Come and he commeth and to my seruant Do this and he doth it This was a commendation both of the Captaine that so ordered and ruled them that he had them so obedient and seruiceable vnto him and likewise of the Souldiers that would submit themselues vnto his authority and suffer themselues to be gouerned according to the martiall lawes of a well trained garrison But of this point occasion will be offered to speak in this booke afterward chap. 21. ver 28. and chap. 24. verse 20. and chap. 25. ver 17. chap. 31 7. Verse 5 These are the names of the men that shall stand with you of the tribe of Ruben Elizur the sonne of Shedeur c. As this Booke of Moses beareth the title of Numbers so a great part of it is spent in numbering of the people to assure vs that God hath numbred those that are his he keepeth the tale of them none are hidden from him none escape his knowledge Doctrine 2. The Lord knoweth the number the names of all such as belōg to him or sight Wee learne from hence that the Lord knoweth perfectly who they are that are his both what their numbers and what their names are When Israel had corrupted their wayes and set vp idolatry so that Elias thought himselfe left alone what saide the Oracle of God that made answere vnto him 1 King 19 10 18. Rom. 11 3 4. I haue reserued vnto my selfe seauen thousand men which haue not bowed the knee to Baal Where we see the Lord saw not as man seeth hee knew those whom Elias could not know To this end the Prophet saith Psalme 147 5. Psal 147.5 He counteth the number of the stars and calleth them all by their names albeit to man it be incredible and vnpossible that hee should number and name the starres in the firmament yet this to him shall not bee hard much lesse vnpossible Thus sayeth the Lorde also by the Prophet Esay Esay 40 26. Lift vp your eyes on high and behold who hath created these thinges and bringeth out their armies by numbers and calleth them all by names by the greatnesse of his power and mighty strength nothing faileth Heereunto wee may referre that vsuall phrase of speech in the Scripture that the names of the elect are saide to be written in the booke of life which God hath made Exod. 32 32. Psal 69 28. Philip. 4 3. Reuel 20 12. which is a borrowed speech from such records as are kept in a Citie wherein the names of the Freemen and Cittizens in the same are written All these testimonies are so many consents of the Scripture to prooue and confirme this truth namely that the seruants of GOD are knowne to him and approoued of him not onely in generall but specially and particularly so that he is able both to number them and to name them The reasons are not hard to bee gathered Reason 1 First the knowledge of God is so exact and perfect that most secret things are knowne and the smallest are regarded of him What is a lesse matter or of lesse moment then a Sparrow that doeth fall to the ground Or the haires that fall from the head yet euen these are ordered by him and his diuine prouidence ouerswayeth them This Christ our Sauiour putteth in our minds in the tenth chapter of Saint Mathew and the 29 30. verses Are not two Sparrowes solde for a Farthing And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father yea and the haires of your head are numbred If then thinges so small and slight and little regarded of men bee numbred of Almighty GOD much more are wee respected of him And if our verie haires bee numbred much more are our names Secondly Christ Iesus setteth foorth himselfe Reason 2 as the true Sheepheard of his Sheepe A Sheepheard knoweth his owne Sheepe whereof hee hath taken the charge and ouersight Christ is the Sheepheard the Church is the Flocke his word is the staffe whereby hee ruleth and the pastures wherewith he feedeth them and therefore hee knoweth them all by their names A good Sheepeheard oftentimes numbreth his Sheepe and misseth none of them but hee seeketh the lost one So is it with Christ hee is a farre better Sheepeheard and more faithfull then those that haue the guidance and gouernance of such as are but for the belly and the slaughter For he giueth his life for the Sheepe This hee teacheth at large in the tenth Chapter of Saint Iohn and the 2.3 and 11. verses I I am that good Sheepeheard that good Sheepeheard that giueth his life for his Sheepe to him the Porter openeth and the Sheep heare his voice and hee calleth his owne Sheepe by name and leadeth them out Seeing then Christ is a faithfull Sheepeheard hee cannot bee ignorant of our numbers or our names or our natures Thirdly all his people are euermore present Reason 3 with him wheresoeuer they bee yea albeit they bee absent from him yea albeit they haue no beeing Hee seeth them when they are from him hee knoweth them when they are not Nathaniel was seene of Christ Iohn 1 47. and knowne by name beeing farre from him while hee was vnder the Figge-tree
false comforts and briefly false worshippings which are of no value or vertue of no worth or reckning The least duty that God requireth that may be called the worke of Christ is better then all the stately workes of men and so to take vppe a rush if it stand with the will of God to make cleane platters or spits or shooes is more acceptable to him if it bee our calling then to builde memorials or Monasteries for ydle and superstitious Monkes without worde or warrant Secondly as our obedience must haue the word for a foundation so we must performe the same heartily not for outward shew and fashion or to be seene of men but do all as in the sight of him that looketh vpon the heart It is saide by the Prophet Psal 40 7 8. In the volume of thy Booke it is written of me I desired to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Our obedience must not bee parted and diuided betweene God and the Diuell God will haue intire obedience or accept no obedience at our hands Hence it is Prouer. 23 â— that the Wiseman exhorteth vs To giue God our heart and let our eyes delight in his wayes 2 Tim. 2 22. Luke 8 â— Râ—â— 10 10. Iohn â— 18. Rom 6 â—â— Col. 3 21 2. This discouereth the sinne of all hypocrites who pray but not with a pure hart they heare but it is not with good and honest hearts they belieue but it is not with the heart they loue but it is not in deede and in truth they obey but they are not obedient from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine and whatsoeuer they doe they do it ceremonially and externally not heartily as to the Lord but hypocritically as to men like idle and sloathfull seruants who performe no more to their Masters but eye-seruice as men pleasers If then our heart be away all is away the soule and life of euerie action is wanting and we offer the dead carkas of a sacrifice to God which stinketh as an vnsauoury thing in his nosethrils This made the Prophet say Psal 25 1 2. Vnto thee O Lord I lift vp my soule And Psal 108 1 2. O God my heart is prepared so is my tongue I will sing and giue praise If once the affection of the heart be setled the tongue tarrieth not behinde but is ready to publish the praises of God Thirdly our obedience must be done with all our power cheerefully and willingly which dependeth vppon the former albeit distinguished from it Although we faile in many circumstances God will not lay it to our charge nor stay the course of his blessings from comming vnto vs so long as hee seeth in vs a willing heart Hee respecteth more the affection to obey then obedience it selfe and alloweth of our good desire more then of the performance of the duty Wee see this in the poore widdowes mite which shee cast into the Treasurie of which our Sauiour sayth Marke 12 43. Luke 21 verse 23. Of a trueth I say vnto you that this poore Widdow hath cast in more then all they that haue cast into the treasurie She had not cast in more if wee considered the quantitie and greatnesse of the gift for what was two mites but a quadrin but it was more in regard of the quality and affection of her heart which is much set by of Almighty God Heereupon it is that the Prophet sayeth Micah 7 18 19. Who is a God like vnto thee that taketh away iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Hee retaineth not his wrath for euer because mercie pleaseth him he will turne againe and haue compassion vppon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast al their sinnes into the bottome of the Sea Thus we see how fauourable the Lord is toward his children that are desirous and willing to serue him To this purpose speaketh the Prophet Malachi in the third Chapter and the seauenteenth verse They shall bee to mee saith the Lord of hoasts in that day that I shall doe this for a flocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him The Father when he shall set his sonne to any businesse if he shew his good will and endeuour to doe his best will be pleased with him and accept of the worke though it be done vnperfectly rawly and vntowardly He takes in good part his good desire Euen so is it with Almighty God if hee see in vs willingnesse wee shall finde from him forgiuenesse and our imperfections to be passed ouer The Apostle S. Paul teacheth this in the second Epistle to the Corinthians chapter eight and the twelfth verse If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that a man hath not Thus doeth God encourage vs in our obedience assuring vs that the measure of grace that hee bestoweth vpon vs shall be sufficient for vs. Fourthly wee must performe the fruites of our obedience entirely not to halfes sincerely not parting stakes betweene God and the Diuell and our selues as wee noted before Many will do so much readily as may stand with their owne liking and agree with their owne ease and profit but they will goe no farther they are content to doe diuerse good things but they continue and perseuer in some sinnes that marre all They can hate pride but they contemne the Gospell some will shew loue to the Gospell but are lasciuious hard-hearted vniust doers of wrong and euill speakers It is a foolish conceite of many that thinke they may lawfully liue in some knowne sins and yet bee Gods seruants still these deceiue themselues and discouer the hypocrisie of their hearts Such as continue in drunkennesse fornication Adulterie vncleannesse hatred and couetousnesse will presume to come to the place of Gods worship and shroud themselues into the companie of the faithfull and present themselues in the presence of God and receiue the Lordes Supper once a yeere and then think that God will and must haue respect vnto them These are like the dissembling and deceitfull Iewes mentioned by Ieremy the Prophet Ierem. 7 9 10. Will you steale murther and commit Adultery and sweare falsely and burne Incense vnto Baal and walke after other Gods whom yee know not And come and stand before me in this house whereupon my name is called and say we are deliuered though we haue done all these abhominations Saul would do the workes of GOD in outward pretence 1 Sam. 15. Mark 6 20. and shew himselfe obedient in part but he kept Agag aliue and spared the fattest of the Cattle contrary to the commandement of God Herod heard Iohn willingly reuerenced him receiued the worde with ioy and did many things at his preaching but he would not leaue his Incest and depart from his brothers wife The godly doe not deale thus falsly and fraudulently with God they giue him the
essentiall parts of that Sacrament I answere Answer they are able to doe this but forasmuch as they doe it without a calling their doing is as no doing their powring on of water is no better then a defiling of it For who gaue them their commission so to do When possession of any house is giuen by deliuering a white wand and turfe another man may do as much in shew he may take a wand turfe as good as the others and make a deliuery of them and yet those actions may bee idle being done without warrant neither can assure the bargaine and sale It is no great matter or hard to doe to take bread and wine and deliuer the same by reciting the words of institution and yet if it be vndertaken without a calling it is a plaine and manifest prophanation of the Supper of the Lord. If they iudge this vnlawfull how can they hold the other lawfull The people of God or any among them were as well able to handle and carry the Arke as the Leuites they were an holy people to God they were all circumcised they did all carry about in their flesh the marke and impression of the Couenant yet the Lord sorted out the Tribe of Leui to beare the Arke of his Couenant Deut. 10.8 to stand in his presence to minister vnto him and to blesse in his Name He will haue vs wholly to obey his word he regardeth not our blinde zeale or purpose to serue him except it be ordered aright To proceede Hath God onely placed order in the Church and not in the common-wealth yes in the common-wealth also wherein euery one both superiours and inferiours must doe their duty He hath appointed the Magistrates their office to minister iustice without partiality and respect of persons 2 Chron. 19. 5 6. considering that they execute not the iudgements of men but of God who will be with them This is the comely order that hee hath set this is the way wherein he will haue them walke this is the ordinance that he hath established If then lawes be bought and sold or if they be made as the spiders webbe to catch the silly flie but to let the hornet escape or if they punish the poore and let the rich escape if the weake that cannot resist be intangled and the mighty be deliuered this is a great disorder and the Lord will not haue these things handled so confusedly Let such set before them the example of God who will reward euery man according to his workes He doth not spare the wicked Rom. 2.6 and reuenge himselfe vpon the Godly but he sheweth mercy to thousands of these and will not hold the other innocent So such as God hath called to execute iudgement and sit vpon the bench of iustice must know what God requireth of them they must not peruert the right ouerturne the Seat of equity they must not turne the edge of the sword vpon the poore because they are poore nor put it away from the rich because they are rich or from the mighty because of their might or from the greater sort because they haue many friends but they must smite them with the sword of Iustice that deserue to be smitten and defend them from that wrong that the malice of the oppresser would lay vpon the innocent On the other side God requireth that such as are inferiours should obey Princes and Magistrates submitting themselues vnto them reuerencing both their places and persons They therefore are reproued as breakers of this order of God and ouerturners of States and Common wealthes that rebell against them and moue sedition among the people Such walke in the steps of Corah and his company who were consumed and destroyed according to their deserts as appeareth afterward in this Booke â—hap 16. These proud spirits and ambitious men haue neuer preuailed but euer beene punished Such are they that Salomon speaketh off Eccle. 10. â—ccles 10.6 7 Folly is set in great excellency and the rich set in the low place I haue seene seruants on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground Such persons as seeke to take away the crownes and kingdomes of Princes are the very plagues of humane societie and goe about to take away as it were the Sunne out of the firmament and to leaue vs in miserable darkenesse nay to take from vs the breath of our nostrils and to expose vs as a prey to all violence and villany Let all such know that they fight against God and therefore cannot prosper or preuaile All sedition is pernicious to the contriuer and author thereof and no iniury receiued can bee any sufficient cause for any man to plot Treasons and rebellions Let euery soule therefore be subiect to the higher powers considering there is no power but of God and that whosoeuer resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God and therefore purchase to themselues damnation Vse 3 Lastly seeing God requireth orderly obseruation of his ordinances we learne this duty that we must be carefull to obserue it and practise it with a due regard of his Commandement This is the generall rule that the Apostle commendeth vnto vs 1 Cor. 14. 1 Cor. 14 40. Let all things bee done decently and in order Order is nothing else but the meanes of peace and the auoiding of confusion or it is a disposing of diuers things August de ciuit dei lib 19. cap. 12 Câ—cer de effic lib. 2. giuing to euery one his proper place The end of all good order tendeth to profit as on the other side the end of confusion to losse and destruction The more common generall a good thing is so much the better it is and the more to bee esteemed aboue all other The benefit of good order stretcheth farre to the land and Sea and to the house and ship to the Common-wealth and Church If it be commendable to appoint a profitable order in the lesser charge of a priuate family it is a great deale better and more excellent to manage a Common-wealth prudently and to gouerne the Church wisely Gouernment that is right presupposeth order because it is vnpossible that any man should rule rightly and duely without order For gouernment is a right disposition of those things whereof a man taketh charge to bring them to a conuenient end This is done in the Church of God when there be Pastors and Teachers to preach the word truely and to minister the Sacraments sincerely when the people hearken to them are ready to seeke the law at their mouthes This is seene also in the obseruation of these rules First Rules of order to be obserued in the Congregation when one alone prayeth for many cannot pray with a loud voice together without confusion The Minister is to bee the mouth of the people to God his voice is in publike place to be heard that the people may ioyne with him with pure and humble hearts and
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
sinne that is their offering strange fire with strange fire we shall speake afterward in the fift Chapter Heere we will obserue that this fact of theis may seeme in the eyes of many to be a small offence and not to deserue so heauy a censure and so grieuous a punishment For it may be said in defence or them either that they had a good intent and meaning though they missed in the manner or that this fire which they offered would serue to burne the incense as well as any other and what skilleth it by what fire it be done But all these are Doctrine 3 vaine pretences forasmuch as God had commanded the contrary a Gods worâ—â—ip we must â—ot be led â—our owne â—euices but â—y God diâ—ection We learne from hence that nothing in matter or forme concerning the worship of God or the administration of the Sacraments ought to be added or altered or detracted but all must be done as God hath determined and directed Our owne dreames and deuises must not sway vs in the matters of God but it is his will and word that must will and gouerne vs. The Lord himselfe challengeth and defendeth his authority in laying downe the maner and way of his own seruice not leauing it to the liberty of any creature men or Angels to intermeddle with it forasmuch as he will haue all things done as himselfe hath prescribed He is well pleased and contented that men shall make Lawes and statutes for humane matters concerning their temporall estates in this world as shall be fittest for the places where they rule and for the persons whom they rule as touching treasons murthers thefts oppressions slanders routs riots and such disorders but for the diuine worship how God shall be serued we must leaue it vnto him he onely can prescribe what must be done he onely will appoint what must be left vndone It is true the strange fire that Nadab and Abihu tooke was as well able to burne the incense as that which burned euermore vpon the altar and yet because God had not sanctified it for that purpose they were fearefully and dreadfully deuoured with fire from God When God instituted the Passeouer in remembrance of his mercifull deliuerance in passing ouer the houses of the Israelites when the first borne of the Egyptians were destroyed Exod. 12.3 the whole order is set downe both for the matter and manner of celebrating and solemnizing that ordinance hee instructeth what they shall take what ceremonies they shall vse what gesture they shall obserue and what he will haue them not to do Moses doth many times in the booke of the Law giue this direction Deuter. 4.2 Deut. 4.2 and 12.8.32 Ye shall not adde vnto the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keepe the commandements of the Lord your God which I command you and in the 12. Chapter ye shall not doe after after all the things that we doe heere this day euery man whatsoeuer is right in his owne eyes and afterward What thing soeuer I command you obserue and doe it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it On the contrary we see how Saul was punished with the losse of his kingdome because hee would offer sacrifice contrary to the expresse will of God made knowne vnto him 1 Sam. 15.23 The like might bee saide of Ieroboams two golden calues erected at Dan and Bethel without warrant and worshipped without warrant it was the ouerthrow of himselfe and his posterity 1 Kings 14.7 c. For this cause the Apostle speaking of the institution of the Lords Supper saith 1 Corin. 11. 1 Cor. 11.23 I receiued of the Lord that which also I deliuered vnto you that the Lord the same night in which he was betrayed tooke bread c. whereby it appeareth that it is no small matter it is no toy or trifle to worship GOD otherwise then he in his word appointeth vnto vs considering the saying of the wise man Adde not thou vnto his words Prou. 30.6 lest hee reprooue thee and thou be found a lyar This crosseth mans deuises which are Reason 1 bolde to steppe vp in Gods place and therefore let vs see the reasons First God will be acknowledged to be the only Law-giuer the king of his Church and the onely Prophet to instruct it in the will of God This is that which the Apostle Iames witnesseth Iam. 4.12 chap. 4. There is one Law-giuer who is able to saue and to destroy that can cast body and soule into hell fire Matth. 10. He is the master of the house that must set downe orders for the gouernement of his house None can make a Law in the kingdome but by authority of the king none can alter it being made but the king So is it in the Church none can appoint any word any Sacrament any worship but God himselfe none can reuerse any institution without him So that additions or detractions or alterations or any mixtures whatsoeuer are so many abuses of the Sacraments of the word and of the worship of God Reason 2 Secondly there is promise of blessing to them that serue him with a perfect heart and there is threatning of most heauy curses and iudgements to come vpon their soules that worship him after the commandements and precepts of men Our Sauiour chargeth his disciples to obserue all things whatsoeuer he commandeth them Matth. 28.20 and then he addeth Loe I am with you to the ende of the world Matth. 28.20 It appeareth in many places of the booke of Iudges the Israelites are deliuered ouer to their aduersaries for transgressing in this kind Iudg 2.12.14.15 2. Chron. 26.18 19. euen for worshipping him after other waies then he had appointed There is a fearefull denuntiation in the shutting vp of the Reuelation against all that shall dare either to adde or detract any thing in the holy things of God Reuel 22.18 19. I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the Prophesie of this Booke If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this Booke and if any man shall take away from the words of the Booke of this Prophesie God shall take away his part out of the Booke of life and out of the holy Citie and from the things which are written in this Booke Wherefore it is no small matter to follow the priuate willes of men in the worship of God and not to suffer our selues to be guided and directed by his word and commandement Obiection This may seeme to tye vp the desires of man too strictly and therefore his wisedome that he hath by nature Ministreth many obiections against this trueth to which wee are to giue answere as briefly as we can First the question may be asked whether Princes haue not power to make lawes in the Church haue they nothing to doe with the Church may they
Law they are called Priests Exod. 19.24 Thou shalt come vp thou and Aaron with thee but let not the Priests and the people breake through to come vp vnto the Lord lest he breake forth vpon them At this time Aaron and his sonnes were not consecrated to the office of the Priesthood neither was the tribe of Leui chosen to come neere to the Lord and therefore these Priests could be no other but the first borne that were sanctified vnto the Lord which is the point that now we deale withall Reason 1 This will farther appeare vnto vs if we consider what their dignitie was and wherein it consisted who excelled from the beginning in three things First he was Lord ouer his brethren according to that of Isaac when hee blessed Iacob the yonger in stead of the elder and thereby preferred him to the dignitie of the first borne Gen. 27.29 Be Lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers children bow downe vnto thee The like wee see in the booke of the Chronicles Chap. 21.3 touching the sonnes of Iehoshaphat Their father gaue them great gifts of siluer and of gold and of precious things with fenced cities in Iudah but the kingdome gaue hee to Iehoram because he was the first borne Secondly he had a double portion Deut. 21.17 that is two parts of all that the father had whereas the rest were contented with a single portion And this was so firmely established and decreed that no man vpon priuate affection ought to be disinherited and the reason is rendred for he is the beginning of his strength and therefore the right of the first borne is his Thirdly he was holy vnto God and was the Priest of the family vnder his father whom for the most part he vsed as an assistant vnto him in the managing of all the affaires thereof All this appeareth plainely in the dissolutenesse that fell out among the sonnes of Iacob which was sufficient to haue wrought the dissolution and desolation of that family when Reuben sinned against his father and defiled his bed by horrible incest he was disinherited and his excellency was diuided among his brethren Iudah gate the scepter Leui had the Priesthood and Ioseph obtained the double portion 2 Chronicles Chapter 5. verses 1 2. Againe as nothing is more naturall then Reason 2 that the father instruct and direct his children and set them forward in the wayes of godlinesse and well doing so nothing is more seemely among brethren then that the elder should help the yonger the stronger assist the weaker and the richer helpe the poorer Now none could be fitter to assist the father in the Kingly and Priestly office while he liued and to second him in them both when hee dyed then the first borne who is said to be the beginning of his strength the excellency of dignity and of power Genesis Chapter 49. verse 3. Seeing then it is iust and right and profitable it ought to be confessed and acknowledged of vs. Lastly heereunto in processe of time was Reason 3 added another reason and a new necessitie of lifting vp their heads when GOD destroyed all the first borne in the land of Egypt so that there was no house wherein there was not one dead Now Exod. 12.29 inasmuch as the first borne of Israel escaped out of this common calamitie as it were a brand taken out of the fire God saith vnto Moses Sanctifie vnto me all the first borne whatsoeuer openeth the wombe among the children of Israel c. it is mine Exodus Chapter 13. verse 1. From hence we may conclude that all the first borne were consecrated vnto GOD and were to bee employed in his seruice This is indeed a type and figure and hath Vse 1 not place among vs howbeit it is written for our admonition vpon whom the endes of the world are come and offereth many good and profitable instructions for our edification This teacheth who are chiefly bound to serue the Lord. The greater our giftes are the fitter we are for God and none is to disdaine to employ themselues and all that is in them to his seruice To this purpose commeth the saying of the wise man Prouerbes Chapter 3. verse 9. Honour the LORD with thy substance and with the first fruites of all thine increase Such as haue receiued the greatest measure of grace are bound to yeeld vnto him the greatest honour and to bring forth the greatest obedience as the fielde that hath most cost bestowed vpon it giueth the greatest encrease Such as haue receiued fiue talents should gaine with them other fiue If he haue made vs as the first borne preferred vs before many other and doubled his Spirit vpon vs as it were a double portion let not vs content our selues in any wise to giue him a simple and single gift or recompence of all his labours bestowed vpon vs. The first reproofe This reprooueth those that scorne the Ministery as base and reiect the calling it selfe as needelesse and superfluous in their eyes that account it too contemptible to employ the best and chiefest of their children in it In former times the first borne were teachers of the families and Ministers of the Church vntill God set apart the tribe of Leui to serue at the altar in the temple The best things that we haue are not too good for God euen to giue them vnto him all the dayes of their life For whom are the best fittest but for him that is best He challenged the eldest to serue him the rest he permitted to the father to be employed as he saw good First God will be serued as it is great reason he should be and afterward he giueth vs leaue to serue our selues Iesse serued the king with his eldest sonne in the warres 1 Sam. 17.13 and kept his yongest at home and bestowed him about his owne businesse If any thinke his first borne to be too good to minister before the Lord he honoureth them aboue the Lord. Doth any thinke himselfe too good or too great a man to be sent as an embassadour from the Prince to forraine estates or rather doe not men sue for such high places and think themselues happy when they attaine vnto them How commeth it then to passe that men of countenance are ashamed to see their children to be the embassadours of the king of kings and to be employed in the greatest seruice to make peace betweene God and man and to saue soules from death and destruction If a man be blessed with many children if any bee more toward in wisdome in learning in iudgment in stayednesse and in giftes he were fittest for the Lord. But the Ministery of the word in our dayes through the abundance of sinne and of iniquity getting the vpper hand is grown into disgrace and contempt because men cannot abide to be reproued whereas to them that are sanctified and shal be saued it is the power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 and the wisedome
shall be put to death 39. All that were numbred of the Leuites which Moses Aaron numbred at the commandement of the Lord throughout all their families all the males from a moneth old and vpward were twenty and two thousand Wee haue already handled the numbring of two of the families that haue their foundation in the sonnes of Leui to wit the Gershonites and the Kohathites Now followeth the third and last that is the Merarites touching whom we are to consider sundry particular points as we haue done in the two former diuisions For first the families descended of Merari are named which are two the Mahlites and the Mushites verse 33. Secondly the number of persons the summe of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and aboue was sixe thousand two hundred verse 34. Thirdly the Ouerseer or Superintendent of them all was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail Fourthly the place of their abode in the host was on the North-side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Lastly the office and function committed vnto them was the woodworke and the rest of the instruments These things were committed to their charge and custody Hitherto wee haue handled the numbring of this Tribe simply considered in it selfe according to the particular families of it now let vs obserue how it is concluded In this conclusion set downe in the two last verses of this diuision we are to marke two points first the persons that went before the Arke of the Couenant on the East-side secondly the totall sum of the whole Tribe is reckoned vp The persons that were to pitch on the fore-front of the Tabernacle toward the East are these both Moses himselfe as the chiefe Captaine Commander ouer the whole and also Aaron with his sons the Priests ministring vnto God and his Church whereunto is annexed a certaine prouiso that none should dare to thrust himselfe into their office verse 38. Secondly the totall sum of all the former particulars is brought together and the accounts cast vp which are said to amount to two and twenty thousand v. 39. Out of which generall number must be deducted the Priests and the first borne of the Leuites themselues for otherwise the whole Tribe of Leui consisting of the Priests and such as are called by the common name of Leuites amounted to the number of twenty and two thousand and three hundred soules Verse 33. Of Merari was the family c. In this diuision we see more plainely and particularly that which was in part noted before namely the seuerall mansions and situations that these Leuites had about the Tabernacle which being the place of Gods publike seruice they compassed it round about that they might not be farre from any of the people of God but alwaies resident among them The Gershonites pitched behinde the Tabernacle westward verse 23. The Kohathites pitched on the south-side of the Tabernacle verse 29. The Merarites pitched on the north side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Now lest any part should be left vnfurnished and vnprouided Moses and Aaron and his sonnes are commanded to take vp the fore-front of the Tabernacle and to pitch on the East-side GOD might haue put and placed all the Leuites in one corner of the host if it had pleased him but in great mercy both toward the Leuites and people they are seated in the middest of the army and charged to compasse the Tabernacle round about to the end they might serue the better for giuing direction and instruction indifferently to all the rest of the Tribes that were to vse their Ministery Thus we see that neither the Teachers were constrained to go farre to their hearers nor the hearers to take any tedious iourney to their Teachers This teacheth vs that God will haue euery part of his people taught Such is the goodnesse Doctrine 1 of almighty God God wil haue all places and people taught euen the smallest that he will haue none of his seruants vntaught how small soeuer the places be how meane soeuer the persons be None are too high in regard of their great places none are too low in regard of their obscure callings none are too good to be taught whatsoeuer their degrees be We see this most euidently in the Tribe of Leui it selfe To what end and purpose were they diuided in Iacob and scattered in Israel Gen. 49 Gen. 49 7 but that all the Lords people might be instructed from the highest to the lowest and haue their portion in due season alotted vnto them of God This is giuē as a commendation of the Leuites and of Iehoshaphat that sent them 2 Chron 17 9. They taught in Iudah and had the booke of the Law of the Lord with them and went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people This we see in the Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians and setting downe the notable fruites and ends of the Ministery of the word Eph. 4 13. He gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Teachers Till we all meete together in the vnity of faith vnto a perfect man and the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Touching the practise of this duty we haue a notable example in Christ our Sauiour in many places of the Euangelists Luke 8 1. It came to passe afterward that he went throughout euery City and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of the kingdome of God and chap. 13 22. He went through the Cities Villages teaching and iournying toward Ierusalem The like we reade of the twelue Apostles who walked in the steps of their master going through the Townes preaching the Gospel and healing euery where Luke 9 6. So also it was with the seuenty Disciples the Lord sent thē two and two before his face into euery city and place whither he himselfe would come Luk. 10 1. Seeing then the Priests and Leuites Christ his Disciples went about through all the Citties of Iudah published the Gospel in euery city and village preached euery where and went into all places we conclude that it is the ordinance of God that all places great and small all persons high and low all congregations bigge and little should haue the word of God established and setled among them Reason 1 This will be made plaine and cleere vnto vs by diuers reasons First consider with me the titles that are giuen vnto God in the Scriptures He is worthily called the King of his Church and the Lord Master of his house-Is not he the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like sheepe Psal 80 1. Will a Shepheard that hath any care of his Sheepe or any loue vnto them looke vnto some of them and not to all Or will he not rather if any be gone astray Lu. 15 4 5 6. leaue ninety and nine in the wildernesse and seeke that lost one vntill he finde it So is it the will of our Father that is
in heauen that not one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18 14. He commandeth that not one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18 10. He maketh vs to lye downe in greene pastures he leadeth vs beside the stil water he restoreth our soules and leadeth vs in the paths of righteousnesse for his names sake Psal 23 2 3. Iacob that fed the sheepe of his father in law testifieth touching his care that the drought consumed him in the day Gen. 31.40 and the frost pinched him in the night and sleepe departed from his eyes so that whatsoeuer was torne of beasts or stollen of theeues was required at his hands he bare the losse of it Much more then will the Lord care for the sheepe of his pasture his rod and his staffe shall comfort them and although they walke through the valley of the shadow of death they shall feare no euill Will a king regard onely the chiefe Cities and most populous places of his kingdome and suffer the rest to liue as they list without lawes good orders Or will the master of an house looke to some in his family and not to all If then God be our King if he be our Master he will looke to all his subiects and seruants whatsoeuer they be that they shall haue their meate in due season Secondly such is the grace and goodnesse of God that he would haue all his people Reason 2 come to knowledge Such as know not his will are none of his seruants If then he require the vnderstanding knowledge of his wayes not onely of rich men of great men of learned men and of the Ministers but of all the people of what calling and condition soeuer they be how meane and simple soeuer they be we must hereof conclude that he hath ordained that all of them should haue the meanes of knowledge and saluation offered vnto them and published among them To this purpose the Apostle saith He will that all men shall be saued and come vnto the acknowledgement of the truth 1 Tim. 2 4. And Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. teacheth that The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long suffering to vs ward 2 Pet. 3 9. not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance This is that which the Prophet Ezekiel setteth downe chap. 18 11 23 32 and 33. Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord and not that he should returne from his waies and liue Thirdly the word of God was penned for all estates degrees and conditions of men It Reason 3 serueth as eye-salue to cleere the eyes of all persons and to make the simple wise Psal 19 7. and 119 99 100. It cleanseth the way of the yong man if he take heed thereunto with all diligence Psal 119 9. The booke of the Prouerbes of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel was written to giue subtilty to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion Prou. 1 4. The Apostle Iohn 1 Iohn 2 13. wrote to the Fathers because they had knowne him that is from the beginning he wrote vnto young men because they haue ouercome the wicked one he wrote to little children because they haue knowne the Father If then the word do serue for all sorts and sexes and ages whatsoeuer it followeth that all must be taught from the greatest to the least from the highest to the lowest Fourthly all persons whatsoeuer they be haue soules to saue simple persons small congregations Reason 4 little assemblies as well as others that are many in number We consist not only of bodies we must not onely prouide for this present life but we haue also soules to saue and must prepare for the life to come We shall all giue an account of the things that we haue done in this life whether they be good or euill forasmuch as the Lord will reward euery man according to his workes Rom. 2.6 The day of our particular death and the day of the generall iudgement are both of them dayes of reckoning and account and as the soule is most precious so the account to be giuen for it is very great and therefore from these premises we may necessarily deduct this conclusion that it is the will and pleasure of God that euery place and person should be carefully instructed Vse 1 It remaineth therfore that we come to the vses and as from a good tree gather such fruit as groweth from thence First we learne that it is Gods ordinance and appointment that euery congregation should haue a learned Minister to teach them the true religion and feare of God It is not ynough that there be a setled standing Ministery in one place or corner of the land or in euery great citie but he will haue his people in all places whether great or small to be cared and prouided for euery Church haue a sufficient Minister to instruct euery member of it Hence it is that the Euangelist declareth Acts 14.23 that the Apostles Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders by election in euery Church and then they commended them to the Lord in whom they beleeued And in the Epistle to Titus Paul saith vnto him Chap. 1. verse 5. For this cause left I thee in Creta that thou shouldest continue to redresse things that remaine and shouldest ordaine Elders in euery Citie as I appointed thee By euery Church and euery citie in those places we must vnderstand that wheresoeuer there is a body of people gathered together fit for a Congregation there ought a Minister to bee chosen appointed and set ouer the same For whersoeuer a Church is planted and a distinct congregation established there is an absolute necessity of a setled Ministery as we haue shewed before in the beginning of this Chapter so that it is altogether vnpossible that without it religion should prosper or continue The Lord had no sooner giuen his law concerning the erecting of the Tabernacle but Aaron his sons were annointed and the whole tribe sanctified to the office of the Ministery to attend on holy things to teach the people to offer sacrifices to performe such duties as were required of them He knoweth that euery man standeth in as great neede of food for the soule aa he doth of nourishment for the body and that as the body decayeth without sustenance so the soule famisheth and pineth away without the bread of life Wheresoeuer the Ministery of the word is wanting there wanteth one of Gods ordinances one of his speciall blessings Wee see by common and continuall experience when the corne is blasted and the haruest of the field is perished and the labour of the husbandman is destroyed what crying lamentation is made how much more ought we to be greeued to see the famine of the word brought vpon vs and thousands perish thorough want of this ordinance of God
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
Secondly touching the Merarites which are another of the familes what he saith of them verse 31 of this present chapter compare it with the 36 and 37 verses of the former chapter Lastly touching the Gershonites the 25 ver of this fourth chapter with the 25 verse of the third chapter and we shall see hee telleth them againe and againe what burdens they are to beare and what seruice they are to performe He might haue referred vs to that which hee had before set downe but he doth againe particularly rehearse and repeat it God forbiddeth needlesse repetitions in praier and condemneth much babling that bringeth no benefit with it therefore he vseth it not himselfe neither do any of the Penmen of the holy Scriptures who wrote as they were inspired by the Spirit of God the Author of them They were chosen vessels of God and as it were his Secretaries so guided by him that they could not erre in writing no more then in speaking of it We learne from this practise of Moses in this place Doctrine It is lawful for the Ministers to repeat the points that formerly they haue taught that it is lawfull for the Ministers and Teachers of the Church to make repetitions of things formerly taught and to deliuer the same points and parts of religion againe and againe both for matter and forme not thereby to ease themselues or to maintaine sloth in thē but for the benefit of the Church Moses in the booke of Deuteronomy repeateth to the people many things done before and expressed in the former bookes and therefore it is fitly called a repetition of the Law and there he rehearseth the ten Commandements againe Deut. 5. So do the Euangelists declare how Christ our Sauiour often repeateth the same things and preacheth againe the same points he had deliuered before and therfore his practise may well be our warrant and his example our direction Thus doth the Apostle Peter shew what he did and what he will do 2 Pet. 1 12. Wherefore I will not bee negligent to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though ye know them and be established in the present truth And afterward in the same Epistle he professeth that hee had written to them of those things whereof his beloued brother Paul had written in all his Epistles The Epistle of Iude is a repetition of those things handled by Peter in his second Epistle and is as it were an abridgement of it So the bookes of Chronicles do repeat many things before set downe in the bookes of the Kings albeit it be done with much accesse of matter profite to the reader as we shall see by diligent obseruation in the reading of them In like manner the Apostle Iohn wrote vnto them those things which they had beene taught before I haue not written vnto you because ye know not the truth but because yee know it and that no lye is of the truth 1 Iohn 2 21. This may plentifully appeare vnto vs in the comparing of the olde Testament with the new one strengtheneth and confirmeth another and sundry things are repeated in the new which are deliuered in the old We see the Gentiles in the Acts of the Apostles Acts 13 42. besought Paul and Barnabas that the same words might be preached vnto them the next Sabbath day which they had first offered vnto the Iewes All which examples as it were a cloud of witnesses do confirme the lawfulnesse of their practise that teach againe what they haue taught and deliuer the same points which before they haue deliuered and so bring forth out of their storehouse things both old and new for this custome could not be vsed without some accesse and addition of new matter according to the manner of God vsed in the holy Scriptures Reason 1 This is not done without cause and good reason For first men are commonly dull in hearing slacke in comming weake in remembring and slowe in practising They are as a tough oake that is not felled at one stroke as an hard stone that is not broken in peeces with one blow they are as marble that is not pierced with once dropping of water vpon it but requireth a constant and continuall falling vpon it according to the Commandement of God directed to his Prophet Ezek 21 2. Sonne of man set thy face toward Ierusalem and drop thy word toward the holy places and Prophesie against the Land of Israel For albeit we be often taught and plainely instructed heere a little there a little yet we cannot conceiue and carry away the things we heare The Apostle saith Heb. 5 11. We haue many things to say and hard to be vttered seeing ye are dull of hearing where he giueth this reason why he had need begin againe the first rudiments of Christian religion as it were to lay the foundation of the house againe before hee went forward with high mysteries euen in regard of their dulnes and slacknes in learning Reason 2 Secondly it is safe and sure for all hearers to haue often repetitions It hath his good vse and speciall benefit Many witnesses do make sure worke and confirme strongly and stedfastly the things taught Hence it is that the Apostle saith writing to the Philippians chap. 3 1. To write the same things to you to me indeed is not greeuous and for you it is safe That which is once spoken is through our infirmity and corruption as good as neuer spoken as one witnesse is no witnesse GOD would haue euery truth confirmed by two or three witnesses and forasmuch as the historie of the life and death of the doctrine and myracles of the resurrection and ascension of Christ is so maine a pillar of our religion in the knowledge whereof our saluation consisteth hee would haue it confirmed by foure authentike witnesses and Christ carried by them as on a fourefold Chariot in triumph like a mighty Conqueror that hath subdued all his and our enemies Thus doth God prouide most plentifull meanes to remoue our infidelity to take away our doubting and to remedy our infirmity Thirdly repetition worketh a deeper impression Reason 3 in vs and serueth to beate it into the conscience as well as into the vnderstanding It is necessary that we be stirred vp quickned to the practise of good things by the goad of repetitions This consideration made the Apostle say I thinke it meete 2 Pet. 1 13. as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you vp by putting you in remembrance Practise is an hard thing and rare We are not easily brought to performe such things as wee know If then once speaking take not hold on vs it may the second time beeing commended vnto vs againe Fourthly we ought not to forbeare from Reason 4 this course because our life is short wee know not how soone we may be called out of this world and giue an account of our Ministery how carefull wee haue beene to gaine
separated froÌ„ it that were neuer of it or in it And touching the elect they can neuer fall from the grace of election the foundation of God remaineth sure 2 Tim. â— â— hath this seale the Lord knoweth who are his so that it is vnchangeable Besides such are also engrafted into Christ and cannot be separated from his communion according the saying of Christ Iohn 6 ver 37. All that the Father giueth mee shall come to me and him that commeth to me I will in no wise cast out And the Apostle Iohn 1 Iohn â— â— saieth They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had beene of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of vs. If then the reprobate were neuer of this communion and the elect can neuer fall from this communion it may seeme that none can be said to be truely excommunicated that is to be separated from that spirituall communion which wee haue with Christ and with all the Saints by faith â— hope and loue I answer that which is affirmed of the elect and reprobate is most true neuerthelesse that which is concluded from thence is most false as the learned haue well obserued For first of all touching the reprobate that being hypocrites were once in the Church though they were neuer of the Church neither truely partakers of this spirituall communion of the Saints yet then they are saide to bee separated from it when they are manifested declared to haue beene alwaies strangers vnto it and separated from it as when Dauid praieth in the Psalms that they might be blotted out of the booke of life Psal 69 28. as if he had said declare it shew it plainely that they were neuer written in the booke of eternall election Secondly touching the elect the question is more difficult and yet the knot is not so intricate or intangled but it may be loosed For albeit they cannot be cut off from the grace of election because his gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. neither can be wholly and altogether excluded from that communion which they haue by faith with Christ and by loue with the Church both by reason of the stablenesse of Gods promises and by reason of the efficacy force of Christs praier heard of the Father 〈◊〉 â—7 21 â— Luke 22 32. Yet in some sort in some respect they separate themselues as much as lyeth in them when they fall into greeuous sinnes as Dauid when he committed adultery and Peter when he denyed his Master The guifts of the holy Ghost are as a flame of fire kindled in vs such sinnes are as water powred vpon them to quench it and except GOD did grant his Spirit to dwell in them and preserue it as fire hidden vnder the ashes they would lose it wholly be quite and cleane excluded from this spirituall communion Notwithstanding our saluation is sure for his promise sake who hath promised to put his feare in our hearts that we should not depart from him and for Christs praier who praied for Peter all the elect that their faith should not faile Hence it is that he keepeth a remnant of grace in them and cherisheth the fire of his Spirit that it should not goe out so that the flame is slaked and the heat is diminished But in his good time he kindleth the fire and stirreth vp the heat somtimes by his word and sometimes by his corrections and therefore the Apostle willeth Timothy to stirre vp as coales 〈◊〉 1 6. the gift of God that was in him Dauid hauing experience hereof praieth vnto him to create a new heart in him and not to take away his Spirit from him Ps 51 10 11. Thus we see how the faithful are not wholly but yet in some part separated froÌ„ the communion of Christ because they are depriued of the sweet comforts that they felt before of the large measure of grace which they finde greatly diminished by the committing of sinne and continuing in it This is the spirituall communion The externall communion standeth in a common partaking together in the word in praiers in the receiuing of the Sacraments and in familiarity and friendship one with another as Luke speaketh of the Church of Christ after his ascension Acts 2 42. They continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in praiers Excommunication separateth from all these But some will say Obiect doth excommunication take away all commercing and conuersing one with another May not one in any sort liue with such Or doth it dissolue all bands of nature and pollicy I answer Answer no. There are some bands so firmely and closely knit tied together that nothing can loose them and abrogate them Some duties are naturall some domesticall and some ciuill which no excommunication can diminish or dissolue or dispense withall The Apostle giueth this as a generall precept If thine enemy hunger Rom. 12 20. giue him meate and if he thirst giue him drinke If an excommunicate person be in want and in any distresse we must helpe him and minister vnto him such things as are necessary for his preseruation wee must not cast away all care of him and all loue vnto him forasmuch as God hath made vs keepers one of another Againe it is lawfull to buy of him to sell vnto him and to bargaine with him albeit we should not conuerse and commerce with him as with a friend Moreouer if we owe personall duties to such a one as is in the family with vs we caÌ„not shake them off vnder any colour or pretence of excommunication The wife must performe due beneuolence to the husband the children must obey their parents the seruants must count their masters worthy of all honour and contrariwise prouided alwayes that they do not ceasse to pray for theÌ„ to admonish them and to hate their sins and that they looke to themselues that they do not defend them in their wicked courses and ioyne with them in opinion for then we make our selues partakers of their sins Lastly let vs set before vs the ends of excommunication which also haue bin considered in part already One end of it is the good of the person excommunicated that if it bee possible he may be won Tit. 2 11. Rom 1 6. Christ deliuereth the doctrine of saluation the Gospel is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth For wheras Christ Iesus saith of himself Math. 10 34. that he came to send fire and sword into the world and that hee is appointed for the fall of many in Israel Lu. 12 46 2 34. that the Gospel is the sauor of death vnto death 2 Corinth 2 15. Yet this is not the proper end of Christ or the Gospel but as it were beside their purpose
those men that accused Daniel and to cast them into the den of Lyons who had the mastery ouer them and brake all their bones in peeces or euer they came at the bottome of the denne Dauid sinned in committing of adultery with the wife of Vriah his faithfull seruant and destroyed him with the sword of the Ammonites 2 Sam. 11â— he is paied home and punished in his owne kind for God by way of rewarding and seruing him as he had serued others as a iust iudge doth raise vp euill against him out of his owne house His owne sonnes breake out into the same sinnes and he kindleth such a fire in his owne family that they rise vp against him and one against another Absalom spreadeth a tent and lyeth with his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel Amnon deflowreth his sister Tamar to reuenge this Absalom killeth his owne brother Experience teacheth vs that blood requireth blood so that the murtherer requireth vengeance of God albeit peraduenture he escape the hand of the Magistrate We see this in Ioab he shed innocent blood and escaped a long time as if it had bin forgotten but at length his blood was shed and his hoare head went not downe to the graue in peace This is it which Christ telleth vs 1 King 2. â— Matth. 7.1 2. Iudge not that ye be not iudged for with what iudgement ye iudge ye shal be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe He that rashly and vniustly censureth others feeleth at one time or other the smart of it in the like kinde for God rayseth vp others iustly albeit they defame him vniustly that therby he may be recompensed This is that which Samuel bringeth into the remembrance of Agag the king of Amalek 1 Sam. 15.33 As thy sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother bee childlesse among women so he hewed him in pieces before the Lord. Neither need we goe farre to fetch examples of this trueth or turne ouer histories of ages past for we haue it sealed vp to vs in our daies and times wherein we liue I meane in those of the pretended holy league in our neighbor kingdome they confederated themselues to root out true religion and the professors therof out of the face of the earth they bend all their forces to effect it but the Lord that sitteth in heauen laugheth them to scorne and hath theÌ„ in derision he hath rewarded theÌ„ to the full and that in their owne kind he turned their weapons vpon themselues and sheathed their swords in their owne bowels as he dealt with the Midianites that slew one another Iudg. 2. â—â— The example of Haman is famous and well knowne he set vp a gibbet to hang Mordecai because he bowed not vnto him Ester â— â—â— howbeit himselfe was hanged vpon it and fell into the pit he had prepared for another but Mordecai escaped and was deliuered and aduanced who spake good for the King as appeareth in the booke of Ester Reason 1 The reasons are euident to be seene and easie to be found out First the iustice of God is thereby cleered and the mouth of iniquity stopped For what haue we to alledge or answer for our selues when God retaileth vs according to the sinne that wee haue committed Doubtlesse we haue no excuse or pretence or allegation for our selues but wee must confesse with our owne mouthes euen against our selues that God is righteous and we are vnrighteous This appeareth in the booke of Iudges in the example of Adonibezek being taken by Ioshua and the people hee had his thumbes and great toes cut off for he confessed that the iustice of God had found him out and requited him in his kinde according to his owne cruelty Iudg. 1 ver 7. Threescore and ten Kings hauing their thumbes and their great toes cut off gathered their meate vnder my Table as I haue done so God hath requited me and they brought him to Ierusalem there he died If then God bee iust he cannot but measure all his actions by iustice for no vnrighteousnesse is found in him as he will make men themselues confesse Reason 2 Secondly the Lord cannot abide a measure and a measure they are an abhomination vnto God as Prou. 20 23. Diuers weights are an abhomination to the Lord and a false ballance is not good The Iudge of all the world cannot but deale iustly and truely This reason is expressed by the Angel of the waters Reuel 16 5 6. Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shall be because thou hast iudged thus for they haue shed the blood of Saints and Prophets and thou hast giuen them blood to drinke Where he concludeth that their blood must be shed that delighted to shed the blood of others because God is a righteous Lord. His iustice shineth among men in all places in that he recompenceth the wickednesse of men by a like punishment sent from him so that their punishment is answerable to their sinne Reason 3 Thirdly the vngodly are fully worthy of such punishment It is meete that malefactors haue their deserts how then can they complaine of iniquity or iniustice so long as they receiue their owne and he paieth them the debt he oweth them with their owne mony GOD will giue to euery man according to his workes Rom. 2. and giue their wages according to their merites This reason is also added in the former place of the Reuelation where the Angel chargeth them that they had shed the blood of the Saints and putteth them in minde that God had done them no wrong when he gaue them blood to drinke then he annexeth the reason for they are worthy â—euel 16 6. If then wee consider the deserts of men how great they are we cannot maruaile wheÌ„ at any time we behold the hand of God stretched out against them in this manner and recompencing them with such measure Fourthly let vs marke what God requireth Reason 4 at the hands of Magistrates in his Law to wit that they recompence like for like Moses saith in the Law Thou shalt pay life for life eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand foot for foot burning for burning wound for wound stripe for stripe Exod. 21 24. Such a blemish as he hath made in any such shall be repaied to him Leuit. 24 20. Neither was this law repealed or disliked by Christ our Sauiour Math. 5 38. Forasmuch as in that place he onely condemneth the abuse of it by priuate persons according to their priuate affections and lustes of reuenge who are not Magistrates If then the Lord will haue the higher powers recompence the sinner according to the manner of his sinne we may not doubt but he that is aboue all will measure his workes according to the rule of iustice which is most equall Therefore whatsoeuer measure we mete Luke 6 38. Matth. 26 52. Esay 33 1. it is iust
which are in Egypt and haue heard their cry by reason of their Taske-masters for I know their sorrowes and I am come downe to deliuer them out of the hands of the Egyptians c. He is not ignorant what teares we shead but keepeth them in a bottle of remembrance he knoweth what prayers we poure out for they ascend vp into his presence as incense hee heareth the sighes and grones that come from vs for he vnderstandeth that language The spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what wee should pray for as we ought 〈◊〉 8.26 but the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs with gronings which cannot be vttered And albeit he hold his peace for a time and seeme to winke at their cruell practises as if he saw them not or heard them not or knew them not yet when the appointed time commeth he will no longer keepe silence but shew himselfe to be the deliuerer of his people and the reuenger of his and their enemies We saw before out of the booke of Exodus what mercy he promiseth to his people being in misery He had a feeling of their afflictions and after a sort felt what they felt Behold what words of comfort sweeter then the hony the holy combe he vttreth I haue seene I haue heard I know I am come downe He saw their afflictions he heard their cryes he hath knowne their sorrowes he came downe to deliuer them from their persecuters If the Lord had vsed only one of these words I haue surely seene the affliction of my people it had beene as balme to refresh vs it had beene as marrow vnto our bones and as wine and oyle powred into our wounds but when he vseth foure words it is more then a doubling and a trebling of our comfort to asswage the bitternesse of the crosse so that albeit it be more sharp then vineger more bitter then gal wormwood yet they are sufficient to allay the one the other Reasons why God holdeth his peace in our afflictions God doth sometimes after a sort hide himselfe and hold his peace turne his back from vs whē we are in trouble to manifest the more the greatnesse of his power and mercy in our deliuerance to stirre vs vp to prayer and calling vpon him for helpe to teach vs to remoue all confidence and trust in our selues or in the sons of men to weane vs from the loue of the world to encrease our zeale to try our faith and patience and to harden the hearts of our enemies that he may gaine glory to his great name in their destruction He doth not delay to helpe vs and put off the time to deliuer vs because he hath forsaken vs or forgotten vs it is not because he is not able to restore vs it is not because he cannot represse and quaile the fury of our enemies it is not because he hath cast off the care of vs forasmuch as he knoweth what they practise and what we suffer according to the heauenly saying of the Psalmist Psal 34.11 The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open vnto their cry but the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth Let vs therefore comfort our selues in God while we finde no comfort at all in men Let vs put on the armour of prayer and teares these are our spirituall weapons strong to throw downe mountaines and mighty to preuaile against the greatest tyrants that seeke to deface the trueth and destroy the Church The weapons of the Church are not swords and staues or speares and shields or munition and multitudes of men but as the warfare of it is spiritual and that it wrastleth not against flesh and blood but against principalities powers against the rulers of the darkenesse of this world and against spiritual wickednes in high places so the weapons thereof must be spirituall answerable vnto the battell which we are to make and fit to encounter such aduersaries as oppose against vs. To this purpose doth the Prophet bring in the Church putting their confidence in him Lord in trouble haue they visited thee Esay 26.16 17 they powred out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them like as a woman with child that draweth neere the time of her deliuery is in paine and cryeth out in her pangs so haue we beene in thy sight O Lord. The like we see in Iehoshaphat when many enemies came against him and his people to cast them out of the possession which God had giuen them to inherit he rested not in his owne power neither trusted he in his owne policy but dependeth vpon God and flyeth vnto him saying O our God wilt thou not iudge them for we haue no might against this great company that commeth against vs neither know we what to do but our eyes are vpon it hee and all Iudah stood before the Lord with their little ones their wiues and their children 2. Chron. 20.12.13 On the other side as this consideration of Gods infinite knowledge and discouery of all secrets ministreth exceeding comfort to the godly that lie vnder the crosse and putteth them in assured hope of future deliuerance so it serueth as a terrour to all their enemies that oppresse them and trouble them they shall not escape him that seeth their counsels though they digge neuer so deepe to hide them hee heareth their slanders and reprochful taunts though they seeke to couer them neuer so cunningly and secretly God that is omnipotent cannot be vniust he will reward euery one according to his works and therefore Elihu saith in the booke of Iob His eyes are vpon the wayes of man and hee seeth all his goings there is no darkenesse nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselues Iob 34.21 22. They thinke they goe closely to worke but alas poore blinde men they see not that God seeth them They thinke they haue a vizard ouer their faces and cannot bee knowne whereas their foule offences are written in their forehead They thinke they are in the darke and couered with the night whereas the light shineth round about them more cleerly then the Sun at noone day This ought to strike a feare of Gods power and presence into the hearts of all wicked men No man is so impudent and past shame to commit euill in the Magistrates sight and before his eyes whom he knoweth to bee endued with authority armed with power and to beare the sword of iustice in his hand to cut off all euill doers Shall wee then dare doe that before God which we dare not doe before men or shall we presume to doe that in his sight which we are ashamed or afraid to doe in the presence of mortall man He is all an eye to see all he is all an eare to heare all he is all an heart to vnderstand all Or shall we be so
4.2 1 Cor. 1.31 Lastly to bring the aduersaries of this doctrine once more to plead for vs against themselues They teach that no man can certainly know that he hath true merits without a speciall reuelation or that he shall persist and perseuere in them vnto the end whereupon we inferre and conclude that therfore we may not beleeue that we shall obtaine eternall life for our workes sake for that were to torture and torment mens consciences to set them vpon the racke that were neuer to giue peace to the distressed soule but to leaue it in doubt and perplexity wheras the Apostle gathereth the quite contrary from the doctrine of iustification Roman chap. 5.1 Being therefore iustified by faith wee haue peace with God thorough our Lord Iesus Christ But from the popish doctrine of iustification wee see there followeth no effect of peace no tranquillity or quietnesse of conscience because they are taught to stand in doubt of their reconciliation and attonement with God Fourthly this serueth as a great consolation Vse 4 to such as are carefull to doe good and to shew foorth good workes that they shall in time reape if they faint not This was good Nehemiah assured of and therefore accordingly he desireth God to remember him chap. 13 31.14 Remember me O my God for good and a little before Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deedes that I haue done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof And chap. 5.19 hauing declared his care to releeue the poore and distressed among the Iewes and his own conscience bearing him witnesse of his sincerity in this behalfe he prayed to God Thinke vpon mee my God for good according to all that I haue done for this people Obadiah had comfort by the workes of mercy shewed to the persecuted seruants of God who in the reigne of Ahab hid an hundreth of the Lords Prophets in a caue 1 Kin. 18.13 and fed them with bread and water and he had the fruite of it he was the first to whom glad tidings was offered in the daies of famine when heauen was shut vp that it yeelded no raine and was made an instrument to publish it to others No worke shall fall to the ground but come vp in remembrance to our comfort This is as true and certaine touching the workes of euery seruant of God as if the Angel that spake to Cornelius were sent vnto him to say vnto him Thy workes are come vp in remembrance before God Anâ— as God saith that he keepeth the tears of his children in his bottle so he keepeth the workes of his â—â—ildren in his booke This is and so it ought to be a great encouragement to vs in well-doing to consider that the number the greatnesse and the measure of all our good workes shall be registred and recorded by him It is spoken in deed for our capacity for God needeth no writings of record or bookes of account the meaning is he wil neuer forget our good workes but as certainely remember them as if he had put them all particularly in writing Hence it is that the Lord saith so often to the seuen Churches of Asia to whom hee commanded Iohn to write hee knew all their workes nothing was hidden from him nothing vnknowen vnto him Vse 5 Lastly seeing good workes are in so great account with God it is necessary that we learn what good workes are that are pleasing in Gods sight and how they are to be done of vs. For there is more required to a good worke then the bare deed done A good worke is a duty commanded of God What a good worke is performed by a regenerate person and done in faith ayming at the glory of God and the good of man Wherby we see that sundry points are required to make a worke accepted of God First of all the worke must haue the wil of God which is the rule of all goodnesse and righteousnesse to warrant the same that so we may doe them in an holy obedience vnto him For except he appoint them hee doth not approoue them and vnlesse he command them he doth neuer commend them Will-worship is abominable to God and euery where reiected when men thrust vpon God their owne inuentions in stead of his seruice Col. 2.22.23 Deut. 12.32 Euery good work is commanded in the word either expresly or generally God is in vaine worshipped when for doctrines the commandements of men are taught and obserued This reproueth the Romish Religion maintaining â— t a man may do good works which are neuer required or appointed of God and likewise the blinde deuotion and superstition of the people that if they in their worship haue a good intent and think no man no harme they doe a good worke Secondly gooâ— workes must be done by a regenerate person that is in the state of grace that is a member of Christ and borne againe by the holy Ghost If we bee not reconciled to God in Christ made acceptable through him wee are as euill trees that cannot bring forth good fruit whereas no man can gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles Matth. 7.16 The person must please God before any thing that commeth from him can please him for he had respect to Abel Gen. 4.4.5 and then to his offering but not to Caine and therefore not vnto his offering Hence fal to the ground the workes of Turkes and Infidels and meere ciuill men who often abstaine from outward sinnes liue orderly among men and do works of mercy iustice liberality yet in them they are not good because they proceed from a corrupt heart The like we may say of the workes of all vnregenerate persons bee they neuer so beautifull in the eyes of the world they are but beautifull sinnes in the sight of God whether they eate or drinke or walke sleepe or buy or sell or come to Church or heare the word or pray or receiue the Sacraments the rule of the Apostle standeth for euer Vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen their minde and conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 Thirdly good works must be done in faith because whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 and without faith it is vnpossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Now there is required in a man a twofold perswasion first an assurance that God hath willed and commanded it to be done for he that giueth almes and yet doubteth whether God would haue him to giue almes sinneth Secondly a perswasion in his own conscience of his reconciliation to God in Christ This is iustifying faith which purifieth the heart and doth fit and inable it to bring forth a good worke There is a double vse of this gift it maketh vs to begin the work well and when it is once done it serueth as a cloake or garment to couer the defects and imperfections of it applying the merits of Christ The last
we do not deny that the Scripture being vnderstood doth enlighten our mindes but it is not therfore lightsome because it is vnderstood of vs for then the light therof should wholly depend vpon our vnderstanding Thus if we vnderstand it it shall be lightsome but if we vnderstand it not it shal not be lightsome Nay which is much more absurd if one man vnderstand it it shal be light if another man vnderstand it not it shall not bee light thus at one and the same time it shold be both light not light The truth therefore is that the Scriptures are lightsome two wayes â—â—e holy â—â—â—iptures are â—o wayes â—â—â—â—tâ—ome First in respect of them selues secondly in respect of vs. In respect of themselues they are alwaies lightsome of theÌ„selues and haue light in themselues In respect of vs they are lightsome when we vnderstand them and receiue them and light by them But to returne to the former matter the Minister should be the principall light to hold out the Lanthorne to bring men to heauen and to worke in them repentance as Iohn the Baptist is said to be a burning and a shining light Ioh. 5 35. But euery one also in his place must be a light to shine in knowledge and obedience in doctrine and in life On the contrarie when men are as candles put out there falleth great hurt to the church The danger heereof may be discerned by common experience in an hauen towne if the Lanthorne be taken downe or the candle put out which should direct the ships in the night season into the hauen al the ships and the soules that saile in them are left to the mercy of the winds which are without mercy and so all perish by miserable shippewracke In like manner if men haue no light in their hearts to guide them into the hauen and harbour of the church and consequently of the kingdome of heauen they doe as much as in them lyeth betray their owne soules and drowne themselues in eternall perdition Verse 3. And Aaron did so c. The obedience of Aaron is here described and the Candlesticke set in the Tabernacle described It is saide to be of golde as Reuel 1. the most precious of all Minerals for two causes First because as Gold excedeth all other mettals so the Church exceedeth all other societies of men because in it saluation is only to be found Esay 46 13. all other beeing ordained to preserue this safe and sound Esa 45 14. 49 23. Reuel 21 24 26. Yeâ— it is the glory and honour the beauty and ornament of all other societies kingdomes cities townes houses and persons to be parts of the church inasmuch as otherwise they are parts of the world of the kingdome of darknesse yea aâ— dogs swine and vncleane beasts Ephes 22 11 12 13 c. Secondly because it is most precious deare to God and to Iesus Christ as gold is to man because it is an holye company sanctified by the blood of Christ whom it cost deare to redeeme it Acts 20. The Candlesticke in the Tabernacle was to hold the light for the direction of all that were therein from Euening to morning continually Exod. 27 22. It is the vse of euery Candlesticke to hold to keepe to preserue to continue and to yeelde forth the light to the benefit of others This doth mystically represent the church Doctrine teacheth that the church is as the Lords golden candlestick appointed to hold and keepe the light treasury of the Word for euer It is the office of the church to holde and keep the word for euer that it should neuer bee lost or embeselled from vs to the end of the world And as the Candlesticke was to hold the light to the first comming of Christ so is the church to preserue the truth vntil the second comming of Christ It is therefore the office of the church and of euery true member thereof to keepe in it and to publish abroad and to hold out to those that are in it the truth of Gods word to direct their pathes aright as Deut. 31 20. The booke of the Law after that it was written was by the Lord himselfe committed to the Israelites to be kept in the side of the Arke of the couenant The Prophet Esay sheweth That the Word should go forth out of Sion where it was kept into the middest of the earth Chap. 2.3 And the Apostle declareth that the Iewes had the Oracles of God committed vnto them of trust Rom. 3 2. and that to them appertained who were the onely church the adoption and the glory and the Couenants and the giuing of the Law and the seruice of God and the promises Rom. 9 4. And Paul is said to haue written vnto Timothy that hee should know how he ought to behaue himselfe in the house of GOD which is the Church of the liuing God the pillar ground of the truth 1 Tim. 3.15 By all which testimonies wee are taught that the Church holdeth and bringeth the truth Esay 41 27. and conueieth it vnto vs and that wee can no otherwise receiue it or be partakers of it For further proofe heereof obserue with Reason 1 me the titles that are giuen vnto it It is a safe keeper or treasurer to keepe as it were vnder locke and key the holy Iewels of the olde and new Testament that they be neither corrupted by Heretikes nor destroyed by other enemies It is as a cunning Goldsmith to try euery thing Whit. de Scrip. quaest 3. Cap. 2. for as he discerneth pure gold from counterfet mettalles so the church discerneth true Scripture from false or forged books and writings It is as a crier to publish and make knowne the decrees of almighty God It is an Interpreter to expound the sence and to open the meaning of the Scriptures according to the proportion of faith set forth in other parts Secondly it is a great honor and wonderfull preferment that God giueth vnto the Church aboue al other societies and places of the world besides And indeede there can bee no greater honor then to be put in trust with such a treasure If a man should vpon trust commit vnto another a great treasure and make choyse of him to leaue it with him it is a signe he honoreth and respecteth him before and aboue others so is it betweene God and his Church he hath laid vp his trueth in his Church as in his store-house Ps 147 19 20. He hath giuen his word to Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with other Nations as for his iudgements they haue not knowne them This made the Apostle say What is then the preferment or aduantage of the Iew Or what profit is thereof circumcision much euerie day shewing thereby that God committing his Oracles vnto them did aduance and prefer them farre aboue all other Nations Thirdly the church is the house
God not so much because the Church affirmeth it but because we find them to be so as the sheep of Christ acknowledged the voyce of their Shepheard Christ Iesus speaking in them Vse 2 Secondly this assureth vs that the trueth of God shall remaine and continue for euer to the end of the world It may be sometimes brought into a narrow compasse and be much eclipsed that the light shall appeare to be but little but it shall neuer perish vtterly or bee rooted out of the earth For seeing the Church is appointed the keeper and continuer of the trueth as the candlesticke of the candle and that the Church shall abide for euer because the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Matt. 16.18 it cannot bee that the trueth should faile and decay as we see notwithstanding the enemies of Iudah and Beniamin the word is kept vncorrupt and inuiolable to this day God will neuer suffer his people to be robbed thereof but his speciall prouidence watcheth ouer it for our good This doth the Scripture it selfe witnesse touching the durablenesse thereof that the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children for euer that we may doe all the wordes of this Law Deut. 29.29 The Lord hath founded his testimonies for euer Psal 119.152 Our Sauiour speaketh more fully euidently and vehemently Heauen and earth shal passe away but my words shall not passe Mar. 13.31 againe Verily I say vnto you till heauen and earth passe one iotte or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled Matth 5.18 We know by experience that all flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man as the flowre of grasse the grasse withereth and the flowre thereof fadeth and falleth away Peter 1 25. but the word of the Lord endureth for euer This we may see in the bookes of Salomon 1 Kin. 4.32 33. Hee spake three thousand Prouerbes and his songs were a thousand and fiue and he spake of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen vnto the hyssope that springeth out of the wall he spake also of beasts and of fowles and of creeping things and of fishes These bookes of naturall Philosophy were no doubt the most profitable bookes that euer were written in that kind he being endued with the greatest wisedome that euer man since the fall had Christ Iesus only excepted yet none of these are to be found onely those that pertaine to religion and godlinesse remaine safely reserued for all posterities This is the more to be considered wondered at inasmuch as there be infinite moe in the world that affect the knowledge of natural things rather then they doe spirituall and of earthly rather then they do heauenly yet they could not deliuer them from the ruines of time but they are buryed in the graue of perpetuall forgetfulnesse neuer to be raised or recouered These are dead and gone as if they had neuer been written wheras on the other side his holy writings hated of the most part of the world and carelesly regarded of the multitude euen of those that liued in the bosome of the Church haue notwithstanding as full a remembrance as they had the first day the Lord gaue them to his people This serueth to conuince those that thinke many of the bookes inspired by God to be lost thereby accusing the prouidence of God or at least the church of great carelesnesse and negligence of which crime notwithstanding it is not guilty Thirdly there is no light of trueth to bee Vse 3 found any where else able to guide vnto faith and saluation then in the true Church of God For all other places are places of darkenesse and nothing to be found in them but lies errours deceiuings superstition and the spirit of slumber Exod 10 23. As no light was to be found in all Egypt but in the land of Goshen and among the Israelites onely so no sauing doctrine that giueth light to the eyes of the minde is to be found out of the Church they that are in this state liue in palpable darkenesse and can see neither themselues nor others but lie in ignorance and wickednes as Iohn teacheth We know that we are of God 1 Iohn 5 19. and the whole world lyeth in wickednesse Such sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death till this light set on the Candlesticke be brought vnto them Matth. 4 16. The people which sate in darkenesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung vp Therefore to be out of the Church is to be in the state of damnation yea to be in the very dungeon of hell and the kingdome of darkenesse to be vnder the power of Satan the prince of darknesse as there was no saluation out of the Church Let euery man therefore seeke and endeauour with all care to ioyne himselfe to the true Church of God to be a member of the body of Christ that so we may attaine to the light of knowledge and the light of the eternall life Vse 4 Lastly it is a duty belonging to euery one to be an helper to the spreading abroad of the doctrine of godlinesse and to doe all for the truth but nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13 8. Euery man desireth to bee the messenger of good newes so should wee desire to publish to others and to continue to posterity the sauing knowledge of the Gospel For this is the foundation and ground-work of all true obedience The truth of God is as a precious treasure beset with many enemies that wold take it from vs against whom we must alwaies cōtend that we may keepe faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1 19. This truth is the instrument of the holie Ghost to worke all necessary graces in our hearts Rom 1 16. as beeing the power of GOD to saluation and it reuealeth vnto vs all things needful vnto saluation concerning things to be beleeued or things to be practised Hence it is that the Apostle Iude saith Beloued when I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation Iude verse 3. it was needfull for me to write vnto you that yee should earnestly contend for the faith which was once giuen vnto the Saints The true treasure of the Church is committed to the Saints they are the keepers of the doctrine of saluation This is no small trust it is no smal charge that is giuen vnto them wee must therefore fight to maintaine it This must not bee a bodily fight but a spirituall combat and it consisteth of diuers duties Ioel 2 28. Euery man in his place ought to bee as a Prophet or a Preacher for wee are made spirituall Priestes both to pray and to preach We are bound to teach all that are vnder our roofe and iurisdiction that we may be as Gods blessed instruments to conueigh his truth to others It is the duty of
and how we receiue the Sacrament how highly soeuer we esteeme of our selues by reason of some few good things which wee seeme to haue yet God cannot bee deceiued and it is certaine he will not be mocked Secondly there is no dallying with God Vse 2 or shifting from him or hiding our waies and workes out of his sight neither can we reape any comfort in the flattering perswasions of others It is a vaine thing for any man to esteeme highly of himselfe because other men as vaine as himselfe sooth him vp and tell him he is in an happy estate and condition that he is a faithfull and religious person and professour and shall without all doubt inherite the kingdome of heauen when in the mean season his owne heart shall condemne him and conuince him that it is nothing so It is I say a vaine thing to thinke one whit better of our selues for this for GOD knoweth thy heart better then thy selfe 1 Iohn 3 20. who knoweth all things If thine owne heart condemne thee God is greater then thy heart There is no true comfort that resteth vpon the breath of another mans mouth Tell me when a man lieth on his death bed what comfort can the approbation of another man giue thee that thou art a good man when thy owne soule proclaimeth the contrary and God knoweth thee to be euill Doubtlesse no more then if he tel thee thou art sound and in good health when thou feelest thy selfe to be heart-sicke and at deaths doore So if all the world should acquit thee and thine owne conscience condemne thee what good can the vaine applause of sinfull men do thee It is true indeed in an earthly estate it is a great matter to bee well thought off by others because then he shall be sure to be cleere from the censure of earthly Iudges but it is otherwise betweene God and our selues for he is both witnesse Iudge of all our actions and can make our owne hearts to speake for him against our selues What should it profite a man if all his neighbours round about him should conceiue an opinion of him that he is rich and wealthy worth many thousands and in the meane season he know himselfe to bee poore and beggerly many thousands worse then nought what benefit could any man take by such a perswasion So likewise what comfort can a man take to heare others tell him of his good estate before God that he is iust and vpright before him a man fearing God and eschewing euill when his owne conscience knoweth by him that which all the world did neuer know and God knoweth a thousand times more then them both Thirdly from hence comfort ariseth to all Vse 3 Gods true children and faithfull seruants because he knoweth what they are what their condition is he cannot misconceiue through suspition or surmise nor be deceiued by misinformation of others because he knoweth them well and therefore their estate is happy and blessed before him True it is it hath bene the lot and portion of the godly to bee falsely accused and traduced in the courts and accounts of men yet in respect of GOD they may take comfort from this doctrine for they shall appeare iust before him therfore they may defie the malice of Satan and of all their aduersaries If they labour to keepe thēselues pure and holy before him howsoeuer they be esteemed of before men let them rest and bee content vntill they appeare before the throne and tribunall seat of God who will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall euery man haue praise of God 1 Cor. 4 5. Psal 7 8 9. the malice of the wicked shall come to an end This is the consolation that euery soule may haue if he leade an vpright life for when men charge him God will discharge him and when they condemne him he will iustifie him and it should moue vs to bring all our thoughts words deeds as into Gods presence being well assured that he knoweth all of them This will worke in vs a care to walke warily as Enoch did before the flood Gen. 5 22 Abraham after the flood Gen. 17 1. The want of this meditation causeth all sinne to breake out of vs. Lastly it will teach men to be patient vnder the hand of God Are we in any trouble Vse 4 and do we not know any particular cause why it should be so Yet let vs not murmure but beare it with patience because though wee know nothing yet God knoweth there is cause enough As affliction cometh from him so he knoweth wherefore he sendeth it and we should stoop downe vnder his hand Whē Eli heard all that the Lord had threatned against him and his house 1 Sam. 3 18. this was his resolution It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good We also ought to be patient and to hold our peace and say with the Prophet Psal 119 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and vpright are thy iudgements Ver. 3. Now the man Moses was very meeke aboue all the men that were vpon the face of the earth The reason is rendred why he put vp this wrong he was a man lowly in his owne eyes of great patience and singular humility he did not storme and rage against them hee did not raile at them and reuile them he drew not out the sword of iustice against them or execute his authority nor complaine to God against them though he himselfe were wronged the people offended and God dishonoured greatly therby He sought not reuenge in his owne cause neither desired God to be reuenged of them They could not be ignorant of his meeknesse for this is such a vertue as cannot be hid Obiect Now a question may heere be moued how the pen of Moses could thus praise himselfe in the highest degree and call himselfe not onely meeke but very meeke and not so onely but meeke aboue all the men vpon the earth considering the counsell of Salomon Prou. 27 2. For answer hereunto it may seeme that some things in the bookes of Moses are heere and there inserted and dispersed Answer which could not be written by his hand and therefore may seeme to be added by Ioshua or some other of the Prophets after him as Exod. 16 35. it is said that the children of Israel did eate Manna forty yeares vntill they came to a Land inhabited which is not set downe prophetically but added historically not by way of foretelling what was to come but of telling what was already come to passe but in the daies of Moses they were not come to a land inhabited it was Ioshua that conducted them into the land of promise Likewise the history of the death and buriall of Moses recorded in the booke of Deuteronomy chap. 34 could not be penned by himselfe but must of necessity bee annexed by some of the Prophets
as false and vnreasonable declaring as the truth was that Israel took not away that land which they claimed as their owne but wonne it from the Amorites by the law of warre and Verse 20 by right of conquest who denying them passage and moreouer making assault vpon them constrained them to draw out their swords to defend themselues by occasion whereof they obtained victory through the helpe of God and possessed their Cities And as they tooke them by force of armes so they held thē Verse 26 by prescription of time three hundred yeares So that he declareth that if any had right to those Cities or could lay any iust claime or title vnto them it should be the Moabites who were the lawfull owners of them before Sihon had encroched vpon them and taken them away from the first inhabitants But the Moabites hauing once lost them in battell neuer asked Verse 25 them of the Israelites neither laid any claime vnto them therefore much lesse should the Amonites to whom they appertained not by any iust title neither belonged any way vnto them either as owners by law or conquerers by sword and therefore they had no cause to dispute what right Israel had vnto that Land which now they possessed The second point heere amplified and enlarged is touching the well which by a diuine reuelation to them they had digged For when they departed from the Riuer Arnon they came into a dry place where they wanted water such as the wildernesse affoordeth many where the streames are swallowed vp in the hot sandes but at the speciall commandement of God they were directed what to doe as Peter was where he should cast his Net Luke chapter 5 verse 4 they digged and found water in great abundance and therefore they praise God by an effectuall song of thanksgiuing amplified by many rhetoricall figures as goodly flouers or as precious iewels to beautifie and garnish the same withall For first they eloquently by an Apostrophe turne their speech to the Well it selfe though a dumbe and senslesse creature and speake vnto it as if it had eares to heare and vnderstanding to conceiue Rise vp O Well confessing thereby the great power of God who contrary to the nature of all heauy and weighty things made the water to ascend whose property is to descend and exhorting with many acclamations and loud out-cries one another to the worke Secondly they set downe who were the labourers and workmen about the Well together with the tooles and instruments wherwith they laboured to wit the Princes and Nobles directed by Moses by whose ministery they receiued the Law and holpen with their staues and such like instruments wherewith they laboured fit for that purpose And this is the third myracle which God wrought in giuing them waters First in Rephidim immediately after they had passed ouer the red Sea Exod. 17. The second in the desert of Zin whē they came to Kadesh as we shewed before in the former chapter The third is that recorded in this place in the desert of the Moabites Afterward Moses reckoneth vp other places by which they passed as Mattaanah Nahaliel Bamoth and so that Valley which is in the plaine of the Moabites In this History of the passage of the Israelites from place to place a question Question ariseth what is meant by the booke of the warres of the LORD mentioned in the fourteenth verse For where is it now extant or what is become of it From hence also from such like places many conclude that sundry bookes of Canonicall Scripture are lost I answer Answer the word Sepher is taken diuersly and doubtfully it signifieth any publishing or rehearsing whether it be written or vnwritten whether it be set downe by the pen or vttered by liuely voice as also the word Tradition is taken for that which is deliuered eyther by word of mouth or by course of writing So then we cannot necessarily conclude It is rehearsed therefore it is written Nor thus It is written Therefore it is an holy booke and put into the Canon of the Scripture Let these three things be cleered and decided that it was a booke that it was an holy booke and lastly that it was a Canonicall booke and then wee shall easily be satisfied But Moses speaketh barely of rehearsing the warres not of writing them as if he should say Whensoeuer the warres ordered and disposed by the prouidence of God shall be spoken off this warre also and worke of his shall bee remembred which he hath wisely wrought and accomplished for his people against Vaheb King of the Moabites giuing part of his Country to Sihon that so his owne people might recouer the same out of his hands againe and reteine it as a possession for themselues as Iephtah telleth the Ammonites Iudg. 11 23 24 that they had held it by prescription of a long time peaceably without any molestation from the Moabites or desire of re-entry But if this had bene penned in a booke and reserued to posterity no doubt Ieptah would haue produced it as a sure witnesse to cleere the whole matter and to put it out of all doubt Wherefore this truth must be holden of vs that no part of the Canonicall Scripture No canonical Scripture is lost inspired of God is lost and perished I meane such as was committed as the Lords treasure to the Church for the perpetuall instruction thereof in faith and obedience so that no one oracle or sentence of God can fall away True it is 2 King 22 8. 1 Mac. 1 19. these sacred bookes may sometimes bee neglected and carelesly kept of men they may be furiously burned and despitefully handled by cruell tyrants that seeke the ouerthrow of all piety and religion but they can neuer be finally lost and wholly extinguished As he that keepeth Israel cannot slumber or sleepe so he that keepeth the holy Scripture the glory of Israel cannot slumber nor sleepe For first of all who is the author and enditer of thē but God and will not he preserue his truth and keepe it for the good of his Church in all ages Shal we make him vnable or vnwilling to defend and continue them If vnable we make him a weake and impotent God if vnwilling we make him enuious and malicious both which are farre from the pure and perfect nature of God and cannot stand with his essence Secondly all the workes of God remaine for euer and euer and are done in truth and equity Take a perfect view of all creatures vnder the Sunne which are the workes of his hands though they may be abolished and rooted out in one place yet they continue in another If thou wouldst ascend into the heauens or goe downe into the deepe if thou wouldst take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vtmost parts of the sea which of all the Creatures are now missing What place is void empty What hath beene that is not now being and extant in
the world This is it which the Prophet teacheth Psal 111. The works of his hands are established for euer and euer and are done in truth and equity If then all his works abide and continue from the glorious Creatures in the heauens to the silly worme creeping in the earth much more the holy Scripture must abide without decaying or diminishing as the durable Cedar without rotting and consuming which is not onely his handy-worke but a masterworke chiefe aboue all others as the Diamond among pearles of great price And if the least and lowest creature in the world hath beene in his kinde continued hitherto and shall be continued to the end by the mighty hand of God vpholding and supporting all things that he hath made much lesse shall the Scripture perish and fall away which bringeth greater glory to God and greater gaine to his people Thirdly the Scripture was written for these ends and purposes for instruction and admonition for teaching and confutation for comfort and consolation that so the man of God may be absolute 1 Tim. 3 16 17. Neither was God deceiued in his purpose and intent so that it must remaine continue being written for those endes and vses But what errour can be conuinced what comfort can be receiued what vice can bee corrected what truth can be published what grace can be commended to the Church out of those books which are supposed to be lost Let vs not therefore doubt of Gods prouidence and so shake the faith of the Church thereby Fourthly we see the old Testament hath reserued entirely the Genealogies of the fathers which are not absolutely necessary to faith and saluation as also the whole body of the ceremonies set downe in Leuiticus and other places of the Law which notwithstanding were shadowes of things to come why then should we not presume that the same his prouidence hath also watched ouer other books which more properly belong to our practise and times and so more fitly might informe vs against ignorance teach vs in our religion warne vs in dangers and comfort vs in afflictions And if we haue no word missing or sentence wanting in such bookes as are left to the Church that there should need a void roome or a desunt nonnulla or an Asteriscus and some little starre to giue warning of some defect as we see it is in many prophane writings Dionys Halâ— carâ—as Plutâ— Tuâ—â— Poâ—â—â—â—â—pian Lâ—â—â— and otherâ— and those of the best note how should we be induced to beleeue that whole volumes of the old and new Testament are vtterly lost neuer to be repaired Lastly let vs heare the testimony of the Scripture it selfe obserue what it can say and doth witnesse for it selfe Moses an old and ancient witnesse teacheth Deut. 29 29 that secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things reuealed belong vnto vs and to our children for euer that we may do all the words of this Law But how do they belong vnto vs that are not reserued for vs Or how shall our children be directed by them that cannot be found in their daies or in the daies of their fathers before them Or how shall either father or sonne doe that which they cannot know Heereunto Dauid accordeth Psal 119 152. I haue knowne long since by thy testimonies that thou hast established them for euer And our Sauiour giueth his holy consent vnto this heauenly truth saying Truely I say vnto you till heauen and earth perish one iote or one title of the Law shall not escape till all things be fulfilled Mat. 5 18 and 24 35. So then we must hold the durablenesse and continuance of the Scripture in the Church which is the pillar of truth that it cannot faile or fall away as is prooued at large in the answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament But before we proceed to the Doctrines of this diuision it shall not bee amisse to answer the obiections that are raised and mooued against this point touching the perpetuity of the whole Scripture and of euery part of it First wee finde often mention made of the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah and Israel â—ect 1. â—ngs 14 19 â—5 7 11 Iosh 10 3 â—am 1 18. of the booke of the iust such like which are lost If then these be lost and by no meanes to be found how shall we truly say that the whole Scripture doeth continue I answer â—sw these bookes were neuer Canonicall Scriptures but ciuill stories and chronicles of the Commonwealth matters not of the Church whereunto the Reader is directed if he be desirous to reade and know the History more at large whereas the Prophets doe onely touch so much as serued for the edification of the Church and the building of it in faith toward God For as all ciuill Nations haue the Chronicles of their fore-fathers and auncestors actes Ester chap. 6 verse 1. Ezra 4 verses 15 19 so had the Iewes their ciuill Histories such were those wee now speake of which were good and profitable bookes of men but were neuer committed or commended to the care of the Church to be preserued and maintained â—ect 2. Againe we reade in sundry places of the bookes of Nathan and Gad the words of Samuel the works of Ahia of Shemaia of Isaiah and other Prophets which likewise seeme to be lost as well as the other wee named before I answer â—er they seeme so to such as do not duely consider of them which indeed are not lost but contained in the olde Testament in the bookes of Samuel and of the Kings which were not written by any one Prophet but by diuers Prophets at diuers times euen in the seuerall ages wherein they prophesied albeit their seuerall names bee not to euery part expressed as appeareth 2 Chron. chapter 26 verse 22 where the Spirit of God testifieth that Esaiah wrote the actes of Vzziah first and last meaning that he wrote them in the second booke of the Kings and in his Prophesies and not pointing out any book which now is lost both the former bookes remaining as a treasure to the Church As then we confesse these bookes mentioned in this obiection to bee of another nature then those expressed in the former so they haue beene preserued and euer shall bee preserued in the Church and be as it were laide vp in the Arke thereof Thirdly it may bee obiected that many Obiect 3 worthy bookes of Salomon are lost which hee wrote I answer Answ his workes are of two sorts first sundry bookes of Humanity and of Philosophy naturall and morall secondly bookes of Diuinity written as he was moued and inspired by the Spirit of God The first sort of humane and earthly things which the Church might best spare without perill or impeachment of faith haue long since failed as it is thought in the captiuity the rest which are parts of the Canonicall Scriptures do abide And marke
heerein a speciall worke of Gods prouidence preseruing his owne truth and reseruing it to all posterity Few are found in the world to affect or regard the pure and sincere word of God in comparison of the multitude that seeke after humane wisedome and labour to know the nature of â—irds of Beasts of Fishes of Trees and of earthly things which delight the outward senses and rauish the vnderstanding of naturall men yet see how those bookes of Salomon that handle meere matters of humane Pâ—ilosophy which the wise men of the world hunt after are vtterly lost whereas the diuine bookes which he wrote by inspiration lesse regarded and more contemned are notwithstanding by the watchfull eye of God remaining and are reserued for the comfort of the Church for euer Lastly we reade of the Prophesie of Enoch Obiect 4 in the Epistle of Iude verse fourteenth who prophesied of the second comming of Christ in power and great glory with thousands of his Saints which Prophesie also seemeth to be among those bookes which are lost I answer Answer this could bee no Apochryphall Booke of holy Scripture for Moses was the first Penne-man or Scribe that wrote the holy Scripture whose fiue bookes are perfect and contained in them sufficient instruction for that CHVRCH whereas that Prophesie did not nor indeed could not Secondly it cannot appeare that this Prophesie was euer written Iude ver 14. It is said he prophesied foretolde the end of the world by the Spirit of God in that most corrupt age that hasted to destruction to the end that such as were ordained to eternall life might beleeue and the rest being hardened might bee made without excuse but it is no where said It was written It is said to bee a Prophesie but no word or mention is made of the writing of this Prophesie so that it seemeth the Apostle learned it by tradition from the father to the sonne as the Apostle Paul setteth downe the names of the sorcerers that withstood Moses and Aaron Neither let the Church of Rome lay the foundation of vnwritten traditions vppon this ground-worke seeing we deny not al vnwritten traditions conueied from hand to hand but only such as are made rules of Gods worship matters of faith and parts of religion necessary to saluation To conclude therefore seeing the prouidence of God the fidelity of the Church and diligence of the faithfull is so great that the whole body of the Canonicall Scripture hath beene kept entire and perfect without losse or lacke of any part or parcell of it of any booke or sentence we must detest the blasphemous shufflings shiftings of the Church of Rome that make the Scripture to be a maimed lame and vnperfect doctrine Censu Colon. dial 6. Concil Trident. sess 4. not containing all things necessary to faith and saluation whereas the Apostle teacheth that the whole Scripture inspired of God is able to make vs wise vnto saluation 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17 through the faith which is in Christ Iesus and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works Verses 10 11 12 13. And the Children of Israel departed thence and pitched in Oboth c. Here we haue painted and portraied out as in a Table certaine stations and iournies of the Israelites wherein wee may behold as in a glasse the prouidence of God protecting theÌ„ and the obedience of the people following him We see how they remoue from place to place in the wildernesse they are neuer long at one stay but either they went forward or backward as the sea continually ebbeth or floweth Now as the Land of Canaan was a figure of their rest in the kingdome of heauen so their wandring vp and downe in the wildernesse did figure and represent the condition of their life to bee vaine and transitory in this world Doctrine The faithfull are forreigners and strangers in this life We learne from hence the state of the faithfull what it is we are pilgrims and strangers in this life we are as guests lodging heere for a night but by and by we must depart and be dislodged we haue heere no continuing City This the faithfull haue in all ages confessed Iacob being brought into the presence of Pharaoh saith The whole time of my pilgrimage is an hundred and thirty yeares few and euill haue the daies of my life beene Gen. 47 9. But we may say the daies of our pilgrimage are threescore yeares and ten if haply we reach so farre to which not one amongst an hundred cometh few indeed and euill we may truely call them This Abraham pleadeth Gen. 23 4 Gen 15. â—3 wanting a place of buriall to interre his dead I am a stranger and a forreigner among you giue mee a possession of buriall with you Thus he confesseth it went with him in Canaan neither was his estate any better elsewhere This the Prophet Dauid acknowledgeth though a great King Psal 39 12. Heare my praier O Lord and hearken vnto my cry keepe not silence at my teares for I am a stranger with thee 1 Chr. 23 15 and a soiourner as all my fathers our daies are like a shadow vpon the earth and there is none abiding So then we see what our life and condition is wee are altogether vanity like grasse that soone withereth wee are as tenants at the will of the Lord our age is as nothing it passeth as a tale that is soone told it is as an hand-breath quickly measured surely euery man in his best estate is altogether lighter then vanity it selfe The reasons First all our daies are stinted Reason 1 and limitted as they are short and vaine so they are vncertaine and vnknowne The strongest natures and constitutions that seeme to be framed setled as a sure building to continue for many yeares yet are soone cut off are no more We see this confirmed by the daily experience of many examples as in Vzzah suddenly smitten 2 Sam. 6 7 in Iobs children quickly ouerwhelmed Iob 1 19 in Ananias and Sapphira presently destroyed Acts 5 5 10 in the rich man that had his soule in one night taken from him Luke 12 20 and in a continuall beholding the hand of God striking as pleaseth him If then vncertainty be an apparent argument of vanity we may conclude from hence our life to be vaine transitory inasmuch as God reuealeth not when or where or how we shall die and bee taken out of this life We know not when we shall die at euen or at midnight at the Cocke-crowing or in the dawning When we lie downe we know not whether we shall rise againe when we arise whether wee shall lie downe againe except we be laid in our graue and make our bed in the dust Moreouer we know not where we shall die at home or abroad When we go out of our houses wee know not
vnto Iacob his statutes and his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so wi h euery Nation neither haue they known his iudgements Hereunto commeth the exhortation of Moses Deut. 4 6 7. Keep his lawes and do them for that is your wisedom and vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shall heare all these ordinances and shall say Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding and a great Nation Thus the Apostle Paul sheweth the difference and preheminence of the Iewes beeing at that time the Church of God aboue the Gentiles that it was herein most excellent and glorious because vnto them yea onely vnto them were committed the oracles of God euen committed vnto them of trust Rom. 3 1 2. 9 4. to them pertayned the glory the couenant the law the seruice of God the promises Likewise when Iohn the Apostle was commanded to write in a booke the things which he had seene reuealed vnto him he was charged withall when once they were written To send them to the seuen Churches that are in Asia Reu. 1 11. All which places plainely proue that it is one of the greatest gifts blessings and honors that God bestoweth vpon his people the giuing vnto them his word and ordinances The reasons are many in number and weighty Reason 1 in force For first heereby we and our children are entred into a solemne couenant with God to be his and he to be ours for euer A wonderfull mercy of God that a sort of poor sinfull men should be admitted and receyued into a couenant with the eternall God This Couenanâ— is a mutuall promise agreement betweene God and men What Gods cnuenaÌ„t with vs is whereby on the one side God giueth men assurance that he will be gracious and fauourable vnto them forgiue their sins and giue them new righteousnes eternall life for his Sonnes sake and on the other side men binde themselues to accept of this mercy with all thankesgiuing receyuing this so great a benefit with a true Fayth and promising to yeelde true obedience to God The entrance into this Couenant is as it were the day of our marriage being more neerely coupled to God then the wife is ioyned vnto the husband This is it which Moses is bold to put the people in minde of exhorting them to keepe the words of this Couenant Deut. chap. 29. verses 10 11 12 13 14 15. Reason 2 Secondly the Church alone is honoured of God to be the keeper and preseruer the holder forth and publisher of his word and therfore none haue to do with it but the Church Hence it is that it is called by the Apostle the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3 15. It is the preseruer of it not the mother of it the â—eeper of it not the author it is a cryer to publish not a iudge to decide and determine it is as the candlesticke to holde the light not the candle it selfe to giue light For this cause the vision offered to Iohn of the seuen golden Candlestickes Reuel 1 12 20 is expressely and directly expounded to signifie the seuen Churches This then is an honour peculiar to the church to be the brazen pillar of truth and the golden Candlesticke to hold the light or candle of the word of God vnto the people that they may see how to walk in the wayes of godlynesse Thirdly the word is the testament of God Reason 3 Now none hath to doe with the Testament or Will of any but they that haue Legacies bequeathed vnto them by it as children they that are of the houshold and kindred of God not Strangers Aliens and Forreyners they haue nothing to do in it they are not ro meddle with it Thus the Apostle teacheth Heb. chap. 9. verse 15 That the Testament belongeth to them that are to receiue the promises of the eternall inheritance The Vses are now to be considered First Vse 1 we learne from hence for our instruction to account the Ministery of the word the treasure of the Church Among all the blessings bestowed vpon the sonnes of men in this life the gâ—ft and blessing of the word is eminent It is an incomparable blessing farre aboue all earthly things yâ— earthly men make their â—elicity The Prophet Ezek. 6 10 11 compareth all other blessings that God gaue his people to the ornaments of the body as to bracelets abiliments rings fine linnen chaines silke such like but the giuing of his word and statutes vnto them to his mariage with theÌ„ And when God was to deliuer his lawes and ordinances vnto Israel Moses tooke them by the hand and led them forth to meet God who in the company of the Angels accepted them for his cheefe treasure inheritance aboue all other nations vnder heauen so that in the finishing of this match marriage with his people Moses was as the Father the Angels the Bridemen God the husband vnto whom Israel was affianced coupled in marriage So then the happiest tydings and greatest dignity that can euer come to any people or seuerall congregation is the glad tydings of the gospel the free passage of the word to be brought among theÌ„ The more any are blessed this way the more honorable glorious they are with God and his Saints they are thereby made his sons daughters yea kings and priests vnto him they which once were far off are made neere vnto him by the preaching of yâ— Gospel whereby he dwelleth among them and setteth vp his throne in their hearts Capernaum is saide heereby to bee lifted vp vnto heauen Luke 10 15. Ierusalem where the word and seruice of God was set forth is called the holy City and the ioy of the whole earth the resting place of God Psal 132 13 14. From hence all such are reprooued as haue not the sight and feeling of this mercy of God in their hearts to raise them vp to reioycing thankfulnesse And herein my brethren we are to call our selues to remembrance think what our condition is We are indeed a noble kingdome adorned with many outward priuiledges and blessings increased in multitudes and furnished with sundry commodities but if we be compared with the great large and wealthy dominions in other parts of the world onely a poore corner of rhe earth But heerein we passe them all as honoured aboue them preferred before them that we haue the inestimable treasure of the word which they doe want 〈◊〉 13 44. instead of those mines of siluer gold wherewith they abound This is our priuiledge our glory our aduantage wherein God hath blessed vs aboue Italy Spaine and many rich Countries in Asia and Affricke vnder the Turke and other blind and barbarous Princes detayned in the kingdome of darkenesse and of the diuell we haue the trueth of God amongst vs the treasure of all treasures the valew whereof is farre aboue all precious stones The want of this blessing
maketh all other blessings to be curses and iudgements vnto them that are destitute hereof therefore we must all call our selues to an account what account we make of it We should make it our meate and drinke a treasure for the obtaining whereof rather then want it we wold sell all that we haue but alas what thankefulnes hath it wrought in vs We are like vnto the Iewes they had this glorious light brought among them but they loued darkenes more then light because their works were euill If we be weary of this heauenly Manna let vs take heede lest the Lord grow weary of vs if we cast away his word he wil cast away vs and forsake vs for euer The Lord biddeth vs take heed to the sound of the Trumpet Ier. 6 17 let vs not answer presumptuously wee will not take heed let vs beware of securitie remember from whence we are fallen And let him that glorieth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth the Lord and his word to his saluation Ier. 9 24. Vse 2 Secondly it followeth that wheresoeuer God hath established this his ordinance there certainly hee hath a Church and chosen people and some that belong to eternall life for whose sake it is sent among them For as the Spirit of God is the soule of the church quickning it and giuing it life so the word is this soules instrument or the seed wherby it worketh and the onely essentiall marke thereof so that where it is sincerely taught 〈◊〉 â—2 and constantly professed there certainly is a Church Where it is not there is no true Church albeit it haue neuer so goodly and glistering a shew but a very carrion carkas of a church without the life of the Spirit but as an house without light as the world without the Sun as a kingdome without the Law The Prophet Esay calleth it the standard of God saying I will lift vp mine hand to the Gentiles and set vp my standard to the people they shal bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be carried vpon their shoulders Esay 49. verse 22 Where the Lord Iesus is compared to a King and Captaine and therefore all that will haue comfort that they are members of the church must range themselues vnder it as soldiers vnder the banner of their Chieftaine otherwise they remaine as men In darknes in the shadow of death as stragling and runnagate soldiers out of the campe and as dissolute men vnder no law to gouerne them For they are the vilest and basest that liue without it very dogges and swine They of the Church are Gods chiidren and the word is the Childrens food belonging to them onely When the Canaanitish woman would haue beene partaker of Christs Ministery Mat. 15 26. he answered It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it vnto whelpes But other are as vncleane and filthy beasts This which now hath bene spoken serueth to ouerthrow two sorts of people first those of the Church of Rome which make other markes and notes of the Church as antiquity vnity vniuersality succession subiection to the Pope and such like counterfet markes of their counterfet church and leaue this which is the most certaine and inseparable note This proueth vnto vs plainly that these which most of all boast of the name of the Church are indeede neyther the Catholike Church nor any sound part thereof because they want the immortall seede to beget them the milke and meate of the word to feede and norish them yea it is accounted an high point of heresie to haue read the Scriptures and none is permitted to looke into them without a license so heinous a sin it is to haue the word Secondly it censureth condemneth the Donatists Anabaptists Brownists and those of the separation which condemne our Churches to be no Churches our Sacraments to bee no Sacraments our Ministers to be no Ministers and in effect our religion to be no religioÌ„ because we do not with them in matters accidental fully agree albeit we do consent in matters fundamental we lay Christ alone for the foundation on which we build our saluation we lay hold vpon him by faith only we preach Christ crucified truly by their owne confession powerfully They hold themselues to haue receiued faith among vs by our Ministery before they made this rent and breach in the Church and that the end of such fayth if they had dyed in it had beene the saluation of theyr soules See the books of Greenwood Iohnson Let them therefore return and cause others to return ioyne with vs in hearing the word preached seeing where it is rightly established there must of necessity be a true Church And albeit some of them haue written many of theÌ„ haue spoken against our Church yet let them follow the example of that sonne Matth. 21 29. who answered his father stubbornly that he would not work in his vineyard but afterward repented earnestly and went his wayes Vse 3 Thirdly all such as are this way honoured and blessed must be carefull to vse the word as an honour and a blessing by imbracing it by entertaining it by magnifying this blessing of God in truth and not in opinion in heart and not in face in workes and not in words that we may walke worthy the Gospel and of the Lord that hath called vs and shew our selues carefull to bring foorth the fruites thereof saying with the Apostle Rom. 10 10. How beautifull are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Hitherto rendeth the exhortation of the Apostle 1. to the Thessalonians ch 2 11 12. Let vs be carefull to keepe this treasure among vs lest the kingdome of God bee taken from vs. Otherwise instead of being the water of life to saue vs it will be a sea to drowne vs instead of being the sauour of life to life it will turne to bee the sauour of death to death instead of being meate to feede vs it will bee our bane to destroy vs instead of good tydings to refresh comfort vs it will proue the saddest and heauiest newes that euer came to our eares and that day the blackest day that euer came ouer our heads Thus our Sauiour threatned Capernaum which hee had honoured with his presence blessed with his preaching aduanced by his dwelling in it and lifted vp with his miracles Mat. 11 26. Thou Capernaum which art lifted vppe vnto heauen shalt be throwne downe to hell c. Look vpon the seuen Churches of Asia we see what is become of them Behold what the contempt of the Gospel hath brought vpon the Iewes the like hath not falne vpon any people since the beginning what mischeefe miserie did not fall vpon them It cannot bee denied but God hath blessed vs as much as euer he lifted vp the head of Capernaum and hath magnified his mercies and loue vnto
of the church rauishing as it were all his senses and so astonishing him that he is not able to finde words sufficient to expresse the glory thereof For heere we see he compareth the happinesse and blessednesse of the Church to the Valleyes Gardens Cedars and such like all to this end to shadow out vnto vs the value and worth of it that it farre surmounteth all other societies and is most precious deare in the sight of God Heereby then wee learne what is the Doctrine true Church The Churâ— is more excellent anâ— precious 〈◊〉 all other â—ces it exceedeth all other societies of men and is most precious and deare vnto God and vnto Christ We see then how from hence we learne that aboue all other companies and fellowships in the world the Church is most excellent and beautifull and of GOD most respected This hath plentifull testimony of other Scriptures The Prophet saith The Kings daughter is glorious within her cloathing is of broidered gold Psal 45 13. Hereunto come the titles and commendations giuen vnto the Church in sundry places dispersed in the booke of Canticles chap. 2 2. and 4 13. and 5 9. Shee is the Rose of the field the Lilly of the valley the fairest among women an Orchard of Pomgranats a Fountaine of Gardens a Well of springing waters the Spouse and Sister of Christ the beauty of the earth the glory of the world and being compared with other societies as a Lilly among Thornes like the Apple among the Trees of the Forrest It is a Citty whose walles and gates are of precious stones and the streetes thereof of gold Reuel 21 2 19. It is compared to a woman cloathed with the Sunne and had the Moone that is all corruptible things which are vnstable and vncertaine vnder her feete As the Doctrine by these euidences is Reason 1 made cleare so by the Reasons whereby it is proued it may be yet made much clearer For first it is more excellent then all other societies as gold aboue all other mettals because in it alone saluation is to be found and no where else When the vniuersall flood came and couered the face of the whole earth what place wouldest thou preferre before the arke in which Noah and his family were saued and out of the which all the world beside was drowned So saluation is taught and receiued in the Church damnation is to be found and felt out of the Church Can there be a greater priuiledge had then to haue our souls saued or a greater losse then the losse of our soules Wee reade in the Scriptures of many great and exceeding grieuous losses Iob lost all his camels and his asses his oxen and his sheepe his seruants and his sons all his goods and riches Saul lost his kingdome and his life But all these are pettie losses and damages in comparison of the incomparable and inestimable losse of the soule which is a perpetuall separation from the glorious and comfortable presence of God according to the saying of our Sauiour Math. 25 16. What shall it profite a man if he winne the whole world and then lose his owne soule Or what shall a man giue for the recompence of his soule The truth of this reason the Lord himself expresseth in the Prophet saying I will giue saluation in Sion and my glory vnto Israel Esay 46 13. The wealthiest country vnder heauen hath not this treasure the greatest Monarke in the world hath none of this merchandice the richest merchant that compasseth sea and land and trauaileth into the furthest part of the earth cannot bring home with him this pearle of vnualuable price it is only to be found in the city of God which is his Church for in mount Sion and in Ierusalem shal be deliuerance Reason 2 Secondly all other sorts and societies of men are appointed and ordained of God to serue and preserue this This is it which the Prophet Esay saith Esay 45 14. It shall be the honour of Kings and Princes to doe seruice to the Church and to promote the good of it It is the end for which God hath lifted vp the heads of rulers and gouernors aboue their brethren to promote the good of the Church and to aduance the glory of God This the Prophet speaketh of in the Psalme Psal 78 71. that God chose Dauid his seruant tooke him from the sheepefold and preferred him before his brethren euen tooke him and from behinde the ewes with yong brought he him to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel so he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart and guided them by the disâ—retion of his hands The like we see in the book of Ester when the destruction of the Church was determined and contriued Mordecai said to Ester Ester 4.14 If thou holdest thy peace at this time comfort and deliuerance shall appeare to the Iewes out of another place but thou and thy fathers house shall perish and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time So what power strength ability or meanes soeuer God hath giuen he looketh for this duty and thankfulnes at our hands to seek the safety of Sion to aduance the glory of Ierusalem and to know that hereunto we are called Thirdly the beauty of all other cities and Reason 3 societies standeth in this that they are parts and members of the Church This is the glory of kingdomes and countries whereby they are beautified in that they belong to the true Church for otherwise all places are as cages of vncleane birds nay as lodges of vncleane spirits and all persons are as dogges swine as Tygers and vncleane beasts Hence it is that the Apostle describing what wee are by nature saith Eph. 2 12. Yee were at that time without Christ aliants from the commonwealth of Israel strangers from the couenants of promise and had no hope and were without GOD in the world If then it beautifie other places and persons it must needes be beautifull it selfe If it giue grace and glory to others that ioyne themselues to it it must needs be both gracious and glorious it selfe For whatsoeuer causeth a thing to be so must needes be so it selfe much more The vses of this doctrine are excellent as Vse 1 the nature of the Church is For first we conclude that they must needs be most happy blessed of God that are members of the Church For howsoeuer the world account them miserable grinning at them with their teeth nodding at them them their heads gaping at them with their mouthes hissing at them with their tongues and euery way contumeliously reproaching them with their words yet they are deare and precious in the account of God and in the reputation of Christ Iesus who bought them at a great price and redeemed them with the ransome of his owne blood 1. Pet. 1 18 19. Behold what loue the Father hath giuen to vs that we should be called
thy presence is a burden vnto me aske thy reward and wages of thy worke of that God whom thou hast obeyed or of that people whom thou hast blessed to whom thou seemest rather beholden then vnto mee and who I am sure are more indebted to thee for thy paines then I am This is a most shamefull blasphemy of a wretched man whose breath is in his nostrils against the eternall God that made heauen and earth who suffereth with patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The answer of Balaam followeth to be coÌ„sidered The answer of Balaam who is brought in by Moses excusing himselfe and giuing wicked counsell to Balak to bring the people of God to ruine and destruction The Apology and defence that he maketh for himselfe is this that hee certified the messengers sent vnto him and declared to Balak himselfe that he was not at his owne choise and liberty to speake what the King wished and what himselfe desired but was as it were chained and restrained by the mighty hand of God that he could vtter nothing but what he inspired Thus the false Prophet seeketh to pacifie and appease the angry minde of the King and the hyreling laboureth to recouer his wages that was denyed him as if he should say Lay the fault where it is and not where it is not I haue striuen what I can to do that which thou requirest but the God of the Hebrewes hath hindered thy request and my desire Secondly hee promiseth that being now discharged and ready to returne home hee would giue such counsell which should work out the finall confusion of this people if it were wisely and warily followed For when he seeth he cannot curse them he giueth counsell how to hurt them as if hee should haue saide to Balak I see to my griefe thou perceiuest to thy cost that sorcery will not preuaile and serue the turne yet do not despaire but hold on thy purpose try a new conclusion another way I haue another plot in mine head follow my direction and doubt not but thou shalt bring thy matters to a good passe and destroy that people as they hereafter shall destroy thy people But what this counsell was is concealed and not expressed in this place which was not such as the Prophets of God aduised and perswaded to the people of God but diuellish counsell proceeding from that spirit by which he was guided to open a gap to bring vpon them all mischiefe and misery and to pull downe the wall of Gods protection whereby they were fenced and defended and to let in their enemies vpon theÌ„ God being become an vtter enemy vnto them For by the successe and euent in the chapter following it appeareth what this crafty counsell was Numb 25 3. by the peoples falling in fancy and fellowship with the Moabitish women wherby they were drawne into spirituall and bodily fornication And afterward in the one thirtieth chapter of this booke verse 16 Moses speaking of the Midianitish women saieth These caused the children of Israel through the counsell of Balaam to commit a trespasse against the Lord as concerning Peor and there came a plague vpon the Congregation of the Lord. So the Apostle Iohn speaketh writing to the Church at Pergamus I haue a few things against thee because there thou hast them that maintaine the doctrine of Balaam c. Reu. 2 14. Hereby then we see that when Balaam had sundry wayes assayed and attempted to curse the people of Isâ—ael and yet his purpose fayled him because God crossed his deuices hee told Balak that the last refuge and onely way to preuaile against them was to draw them to sin against their God and so to make a breach betweene him and his people Now according as hee counselled him and gaue him instructions so Balak confederate with the Midianites sent forth the most beautiful women in their kingdomes into the Campe of Israel to entice them to the worship of their Idols to banquet with them at their Idoll-feasts whereby â—hey drew them to Idolatry and fornication sinning against God and kindling his wrath against them But of this we shall speake further in the chapter following Verse 10. Then Balak was very angry with Balaam and smote his hands together and saide I sent for thee to curse mine enemies c. See heere the euent of all the conspiracy against the Israelites they had conceiued mischiefe Psal 7 14 15 bring forth a lye They that trauaile with wickednesse trauaile with the winde and the end is not answerable to the beginning They vanish away in their owne imagination whilst Israel standeth as a defenced City From hence we learne that things practised inconsiderately not with good aduice Doctrine Thing vnlawfully atteÌ„pted haue euill ends and attempted vnlawfully with a wicked purpose haue other euents then men thinke of Whatsoeuer wee goe about with a wicked minde hath an euill end in the iust iudgment of God We cannot expect that any euil action should haue a good end Indeed God doth many times suffer euill men causeth them to multiply The causes why wicked men do multiply because our sinnes deserue so many chastisements and scourges as there are wicked men in the world Againe it is requisite that we should all our life long be kept in a continuall exercise of faith prayer patience and repentance Iudg. 2 22. and that they might be as pricks and thornes in our sides Lastly the Lord by suffering the wicked to prosper and proceed doth greatly aduance his owne glory whiles he reigneth in the midst of his enemies Exod. 9 15 16 and preserueth his Church in despite of Satan and his wicked members which daily seeke the ouerthrow thereof Is it not strange that an hundred Sheepe should liue among a thousand wolues not be deuoured It is no lesse wonderfull and to bee maruelled at that any of Gods people should liue vpon the face of the earth being compassed about with an army of wicked men the very limbes of the diuell that open their mouths to swallow them vp and hate them with an vnfained hatred vnto the death Notwithstanding the Lord thus beareth and forbeareth yet in the end hee will cut off the wicked and all euill shall haue an euill end We see this in Pharaoh calling for his Sorcerers they withstood Moses and resisted the truth they turned water into blood and rods into Serpents yet in the end all their cunning was stained and they confessed it was the Finger of God Exod. 7 11. 8 19. Consider the example of those that would builde them a Citty and a Tower to get them a name lest they should bee scattered vpon the whole earth Genesis ch 11. verse 4 the Lord came downe to see the Citty which the sonnes of men builded and there confounded theyr Language that euery one perceyued not anothers speech The Apostle Peter maketh a long rehearsall in his second
regard neither God nor men neyther heauen nor hell neyther saluation nor damnation This is indeede a dangerous estate and a feareful condition Vse 2 Secondly seeing euill men waxe worse worse we may conclude that their iudgment sleepeth not but is encreased as their sinne encreaseth yea it is not farre off but lyeth at the doores Euery sinne is in it owne nature a sin to death and a remouing from God the wages of it is death and prouoketh to an vtter consumption of vs Rom. 6 23 how then can we answere so many thousands if one bee so grieuous For if the Lord marke what is done amisse who shall be able to stand Thus the Apostle setteth downe their condition that were setled in wickednesse That their condemnation long since resteth not their destruction stūbreth not 2. Pet. 2 3. So then we may assure our selues that the iudgments of God follow at their heeles when men are come to the top and heighth of their sinnes Thus it was with the old world when their wayes were wholly corrupted then was the earth vniuersally drowned When the Sodomites became exceeding sinners against the Lord and their sinnes cryed to heauen the Lord rayned downe fire brimstone vpon them When Israel abounded in all sinne that there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land but that by swearing and lying by killing and stealing they brake out and blood touched blood the Lord denounceth by his Prophet That the land shall mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall he cut-off Hos 4 1 2. When the Amorites had filled vp the measure of their sins Gen. 15 14. they should be rooted out of the Land and the people of God come in their stead Where the Lord declareth that howsoeuer this people were exceeding sinners in the dayes of Abraham and deserued to be rooted out at the very first yet did he withhold his hand and waited for their repentance a long time vntill they were past recouery Do we then see any waxe worse and worse and encrease in sinne as they grow in age We may conclude that so soone as they are become ripe nay rotten in their sinnes the appointed time of God draweth on to destroy them For euen as men when their Corne is waxen ripe and the fields are white vnto the haruest doe thrust in their sickles Mark 4 29. and cut it downe so will the Lord deale with all the vngodly for when their sinnes are at the highest then his iudgements are at the neerest according as the Apostle Iohn sheweth that an Angell came out of the Temple crying with a loud voyce vnto him that sate on the Cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reape for the time is come to reape for the haruest of the earth is ripe Reuel 14 15. This is it which was declared in a vision vnto Amos where the Lord shewed vnto him a Basket of Summer fruite and saide Amos what seest thou who answered A Basket of Summer fruite Then the Lord saide vnto him The ende is come vpon my people of Israel I will passe by them no more Amos 8 1 2. Declaring thereby the ripenes of their sinnes and the readinesse of Gods iudgements to giue them their reward Wherefore whatsoeuer sinnes vngodly men commit the old are not forgotten and onely the new remembred but all both old and new do come together adde vnto the heape that the measure beeing full pressed downe shaken together and running ouer certaine destruction may fall vpon them Let vs not make a mocke of sinne or thinke that God hath forgotten it when wee haue forgotten it The iniquities that men commit one day are forgotten with them the next and such as are practised in their youth are past their knowledge before they come to age but we cannot hide them from the Almighty Who writeth bitter things against vs and maketh vs to possesse the iniquities of our youth Iob 14 26. Psal 25.7 Euery sin shall helpe somewhat to encrease the weight and make our account the greater in the day of account for as euery Corne of wheat helpeth to fill vp the bushell and to enlarge the heape so doth euery sinne that we commit helpe to bring our wickednesse to the full And as men keepe their bookes of reckonings and accounts which they wil bring forth when they are to reckon so the Lord to the end we may know that he seeth and remembreth our offences is saide after the manner of men to keepe a Register of the deeds of men and to write them vp in the same and euery sin serueth to fill vp the accounts Reuel 20 12. He noteth so many oathes as euery day come from our vncleane mouthes our drunkennesse at this time and that place and in that company our whoredomes vncleannesse and wantonnesse our contempt of his word our neglect of this sermon and that sermon on this Sabboth and on such a Sabboth so that wee shall finde when the day of reckoning commeth sins vpon sins and heaps vpon heapes vntill the measure runneth ouer and when wee must goe the way of all flesh they will stand before vs as an huge Sea whereof we can sound no bottome to swallow vs vp For if we must giue an account for euery idle word at the day of iudgment Mat. 12 36 how much more for our blasphemies and vncleane deeds which are without number Which should make vs cry out with the Prophet O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke to direct his steppes Lord correct me but with iudgment not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing Ier. 10 23 24. To conclude howsoeuer God spare long because hee is patient yet if wee grow worse and worse and abuse his patience and run into all ryot and excesse of sinne he will fill vp the viole of his iudgment and powre out his wrath vpon vs to the vtmost This serueth to answere the curiosity and to stop the mouthes of many men who seeing wicked men proceede in sinne and prosper in their wayes are offended and are ready to say Doeth not the Lord see this Or is there no righteousnesse in the Almighty Why doth the way of the wicked prosper and why are they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Ier. 12 1. God suffereth wicked men a long time because their sinnes are not yet full the measure is not filled vp but waite a while and they shall not goe vnpunished Vse 3 Lastly seeing men giuing themselues ouer to sinne come at the last to bee frozen in the dregges of it it is our duty to resist the beginnings to preuent the breach and to stop the first course of it It is as a serpent that must be trod on in the egge it is as a birth that would be smothered in the conception Let vs take heed that sinne grow not into a custome and get an habit This is it which
common to all but peculiar to some It commeth not by inheritance but by grace Parents may leaue vnto their children their houses their lands their substance they may conuey vnto them their inheritance but they cannot conuey vnto them the gifts that accompany saluation Wherefore all parents that are faithfull are to intreate and craue of God the continuance of his couenant toward theyr children and to begge from his hands an holy and sanctified seede to his glory and theyr comfort Verse 14 15. The name of the Israelite thus slaine was Zimri the sonne of Salu and the name of the Midianitish woman that was slaine was Cosbi c. Wee heard before in the fixt verse how Moses hath layde open the shamelesse and impudent behauiour of this beastly adulterer who shamed not to bring the Midianitish harlot into the hoast and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel which were grieued to behold such horrible villany neuerthelesse we see in this place that Moses is not content in a generall manner to describe his wickednesse but singleth him out particularly by his name by his father by his tribe Neyther doth he content himselfe to set downe the Midianitish woman by her nation but calleth her by her name and further openeth the name of her father and her fathers house So then Moses hauing shewed who they were that brought the plague of God vpon the people he now descendeth to marke them out by their proper names and of what calling and profession they were Doctrine It is lawfull sometime to reproue by name From hence we learne that it is sometime lawfull and conuenient to reprooue by name speciall people and particular men that offend in the Church and to record them in writing A particular reproofe of particular offenders sometimes standeth with the word of GOD. So did Eliah deale with Ahab and Iezabel he told him that it was hee and his fathers house that troubled Israel This we see practised by the Prophet Esay against Shebna who being a notable fauourer of euill men and a great hinderer of good things is by name threatned to bee carried away with a great captiuity Esay 22 17. Thus doth Ieremy deale with the false Prophets and other obstinate enemies Ier. 28 12. Likewise our Sauiour Christ denounceth many fearefull woes against the Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites Matth. 23 13. which shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men deuoured widows houses vnder a colour of long prayer compassed sea and land to make one of their profession tythed mint and annise and left the waightier matters of the Law as iudgement mercy and fidelity So did Paul withstand Peter to his face because he was to be condemned Gal. 2 11. And when he saw in the Church such as put away faith and a good conscience and made shipwracke of the doctrine of Christ he giueth the Church notice and warning of them saying Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander whom I haue deliuered vnto Satan that they might learne not to blaspheme 1. Tim. 1 20. And in another place hauing to doe with such as cast off the doctrine of godlinesse hee noteth the ring-leaders and principall authors Of this sort is Hymeneus and Philetus which as concerning the truth haue erred from the marke saying that the resurrection is past already and do destroy the faith of certaine 2 Tim. 1 17. In like manner he specifieth Alexander the copper-smith which had done him much harme 2 Tim. 4 14. So the Apostle Iohn warneth the Church of Diotrephes who loued to haue preheminence among them Al which examples of the Prophets of the Apostles of Christ himself do teach that it wil not alwaies be sufficient to reproue the errors and heresies of obstinat sinners but somtimes it is expedient to lay them open by their names and to signifie them to the Church by a particular discouering of them The Reasons of this practise are to be considered Reason 1 First because the Church should haue warning of thē that others might shun them and auoid their company So the Apostle nameth Alexander to prepare Timothy not to trust him It is good to know false bretheren lest they spying our liberty take the greater aduantage against vs. Hence it is that Paul chargeth Timothy to beware of Alexander who had withstood his preaching sore 2 Tim. 4 15. While we are familiarly conuersant with the wicked it will be hard for vs not to bee entangled in their sinnes For how can a man walke among thornes not pricke himselfe or how can a man touch pitch and not be defiled We must flye from such as from a deadly plague We must separate our selues from them lest the like vengeance fal vpon vs also Secondly they must by a speciall note bee made knowne to the Church that they may Reason 2 be degraded and brought to reproch The Apostle vsed this remedy thereby to shutte their mouthes and to stoppe them from speaking euill of almighty GOD and his truth which ought to be precious to vs. This naming of them is to set a marke of infamy vpon thē as if a man were boared in the eare or burned in the hand for a malefactor God will haue them and their wickednesse registred to their perpetual shame in the Church for euer that they should not be of any more credit to infect the good and to draw the weake vnto destruction The vnnaturall sauage dealing of the Amalekites toward their brethren the Israelites is by God expresly commanded to be recorded in a booke to their infamy and confusion The Lord saide vnto Moses Write this for a remembrance in the booke and rehearse it to Ioshua for I will vtterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from vnder heauen Exod. 17 14. So we haue in the Scriptures set forth the vncleannesse of Sodome the hard-heartednesse of Pharaoh the conspiracy of Corah the couetousnesse of Ahab the cruelty of Iezabel the disobedience of Saul the treason of Absolon the treachery of Iudas and other infamous beasts the record of their shame is in perpetuall memory and stinketh vnto this day The like we might say of all bloody persecutors in all ages since Christs time they haue theyr names and facts remembred in the Acts and Monuments of the Church Seeing therefore obstinate enemies must be both shunned shamed in both respects we learne that it is lawfull for the Ministers of God to point out some by name that they may be knowne otherwise the Apostles of Christ would neuer haue done it the Prophets would neuer haue practised it Christ himselfe would neuer haue allowed it Let vs apply this to our selues First it serueth as a bridle to restraine euill men especially all such as bring a publike detriment and hurt to the Church and are the cause of common Vse 1 mischiefes they shall to the shame of theyr persons to the reproch of theyr names to the infamy of their posterities be
serpent that was lift vp on the pole but such as were able in particular to looke vpon it and assented and beleeued the promise that they should be cured and restored by it Christ calleth himselfe The liuing bread of which we must eate but what is eating saue an application because whatsoeuer a man eateth or drinketh that he applyeth vnto himselfe and receyueth it to be his so touching faith whatsoeuer a man doth beleeue the same he doth apply vnto himselfe or else it can be no truth fayth but a counterfeyt faith Marke the grounds of this point First true Reason 1 Faith standeth of two parts whereof one is an acte of the vnderstanding the other is an acte of the wil according to the saying of the Apostle Roman chap. 10. verse 10 With the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse The mind informeth vs to see and know God and his sonne Christ and the promises made in him the heart seeketh desireth and loueth that which it knoweth which cānot be without a particular application Secondly euery man is commaunded to beleeue Marke chap. 1. verse 15. 1 Iohn chap 5. verse 15. Now it is not enough that we beleeue except wee also make application or else we beleeue no otherwise then the diuels beleeue for euen they beleeue God Christ Iames chap. 2 verse 19. But to make particular application of Christ as to say Christ is mine and I am his and haue remission of sins by his death is more then any or all the diuels in hell can do The Angel that was sent to be the first preacher of the Gospel saide to the shepheards Luke 2. Behold I bring you tydings of great ioy which shall be to all people for vnto you is born this day a Sauiour that is to you that beleeue for except they had beleeued it and applyed it to themselues they could neuer haue conceyued any ioy at all nor receyued any benefite at all by it Thirdly the promises of GOD howsoeuer they are deliuered in generall tearmes yet they are particular also and euerie one is bound to gather a patticular to himself out of the generall As in a Proclamation albeit it bee conceiued and published in generall words yet the matter is that which belongeth to euery one in particular and must be so applied as if his owne name were set downe in it Marke 16 26. Iohn 3 16. The Gospel is as a Princes proclamation offering pardon and forgiuenesse and though the promises of God be generall yet they doe containe a particular because that which is spoken to all beleeuers is spoken vnto euery one that is a beleeuer and that which is spoken to all penitent persons must bee applyed to euery seuerall penitent soule Fourthly God hath ordained the Sacraments in the Church to be the seales of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4 11 and that they should be deliuered particularly to euery man thereby to assure him of grace and mercy in particular When men once come to know that Christ offereth remission of sins by his death by the receiuing of the Sacraments particularly we come to apply Christ and his merits to our selues so that the deliuering of them vnto vs is thus much in effect Thou beleeuest these generall things then draw neere and take this vnto thy farther comfort that thou mayest bee assured that the promises of righteousnesse doe belong vnto thee as if indeede thy name were particularly specified therein All these things being considered it followeth necessarily that the generall knowledge is not sufficient but a particular application is necessary to saluation Vse 1 This serueth for confutation of an errour of the church of Rome denying that a man may particularly beleeue that God is his God or that Christ is his Sauiour or that remission of sinnes belongeth vnto him and why so Forsooth because in the Gospel all runneth in generall and it is not there written that such and such are Gods and shal haue benefite by Christ But where there is a general as for example Whosoeuer beleeueth and repenteth shal be saued there is the particular also If thou beleeue thou shalt be saued and the faithfull by vertue of this do beleeue and are saued by this their application The Apostles said to the Gaoler Acts 16 31 Beleeue on the Lord Iesus Christ thou shalt be saued and thy house If the Keeper of the prison had replyed Sirs how doe you know that I shall bee saued by Christ Is my name written in the booke of God that I may bee assured it is written in the booke of life Would not they haue told him that his particular name was included in the generall albeit it were not expressed The Papists doe presume to giue absolution vpon confession and yet they do not find any man in the Gospel particularly named When Christ our Sauiour saith Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted Iohn 20 23 they are not afraide vpon this generall to giue absolution to particular persons and to tell them that their sins are forgiuen And will not these men be so fauorable to vs as to suffer vs from a generall to infer and gather a particular as well as themselues to wit that when Christ saith Whosoeuer beleeueth in me shall not perish but haue euerlasting life the Minister may speak to the conscience of this or that man particularly Beleeue thou in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt haue eternall life But Bellarmine goeth farther and obiecteth Obiection That this is not a simple promise but conditionall if they repent and beleeue then they may indeede apply these things to themselues and bee assured of them but a man cannot haue any certainty of these things that they do beleeue and repent and therefore they cānot in particular apply them to themselues Answ I answer this is to builde one error vpon another and to dawbe them both with vntempered mortar For wherefore doth the Apostle command euery man to try and examine him selfe whether he be in the faith and haue Christ Iesus dwelling in him 2. Cor 13 if after this proofe hee cannot know what his estate and condition is This is a certaine rule whosoeuer truly beleeueth knoweth that hee beleeueth though no man knoweth it but himself He that is the Lords hath a new name written Reuel 2 17. which no man knoweth sauing he that receiueth it But he which hath receyued it knoweth it as wel as he knoweth he liueth For no man doth know the things of a man saue the spirite of man which is in him euen so the things of God knoweth no man saue the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2 11. So then euery man both may and ought to haue assurance of his own saluation and therefore this we beleeue let them teach and write what they will For what if a franticke man should run vp and downe boast that all the wares which come to such a Port or hauen are his shall the Merchant be
yeare then the Trumpet of Iubile sounded they proclaimed liberty and freedome thoroughout all the land vnto all the inhabitants thereof then seruants were set free then debts were forgiuen then euery man returned vnto his owne possession and family Verse 10. This solemne and sacred time was instituted for these causes First Why the Iubile was instituted to moderate and bridle the couetousnesse of such as hoped and gaped after other mens possessions and to teach euery man to be content with his owne estate and not enter vpon the possessions of others as Ahab did vpon the vineyard of Naboth Secondly to keepe a true Chronology a certaine computation of time which is very necessary and profitable in the reading of histories to know where and at what time euery thing was done Thirdly to maintayne a distinction of the Tribes vntill the exhibiting of the Messiah according to the prophecy of Iacob Gen. 49 9 The Tribe shall not depart from Iuda till Shiloh come For howsoeuer many do vnderstand the word Shebet in this place of the Scepter yet I doe not remember in all the bookes of Moses wherein it is often vsed that once it is vsed in that sense albeit it be in other bookes afterward Lastly to figure out the redemption of Christ who indeed broght a true Iubile and freedome when the fulnesse of time came Hee proclaymed liberty with his owne voyce from the tyranny of sin of Satan and of hell Esay 61 1 2 3 c. Luke 4 18. He purchased a ful discharge from all our spiritual debts trespasses and transgressions Ioh. 8 34 36 Verily verily I say vnto you Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne but if the Sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed Through him it is come to passe that Satan hath no power to exact any debt at our hands Christ hath cancelled the bill and hand-writing that stood in force against vs 1 Cor. 6 20 Gal. 4.5 1 Pet. 1 18 19. Col. 1 13 14. Rom. 8 2. This Law pertayning to the ceremonies of Moses The Popish Iubile the Papists haue taken vp and horribly abused and broght into vse in the times of the Gospel and vnder colour thereof sell theyr pardons and indulgences and abuse the people and make sale of their soules For as God had his Iubile so the Pope hath his howbeit it is in an apish kinde of imitation and can neyther be accounted this Leuitical Iubile neyther yet receiued for Christian It cannot be the Leuiticall because in it no seruants are freed no debts are remitted no possessions of land are restored as it was in the Iubile of the Iewes And if the Pope himselfe would allow this why doth not he beginne and giue good example to others restore Rome to it selfe and others lands of the Church to the Emperour he being the right and lawfull owner and that proud Bishop onely an vsurper Againe in the yeare of Iubile the Iewes did neyther sowe nor reape but at Rome it is nothing so for then the Popes are most busie the best husbands then they sowe their indulgences thick threefold reape a plentifull haruest by such merchandise Hence it is that whereas at the first this solemne feast which now keepeth the Popes kitchin hote for many yeares after was rare now it is growne more common that it might be more gainful The inuention of it was altogether vnknowne for more then twelue hundred yeares after Christ and neuer heard of in the purer times of the Church The first father of it was Boniface the eighth Anno 1300 who promised full remission of sinnes to all those that would repaire to Rome and pay soundly for a pardon and this was to be done euery hundred yeares This time was thoght too long was afterward abridged by Clement the sixt who got the papacy in the yeare 1342. to 50 yeares after the manner of the Iewe. After him came Sixtus the fourth in the yeare of our Lord 1473 who thinking the times to come to slowly about Piae fraudes and finding the sweetnes of the former deuice cut it off againe in the middes appointed euery 25 yeare for a Iubile and promised like pardons to all commers and goers wheras before him Vrban the sixt had brought it to 33 yeares and lastly it is come to ten yeares because they would bee sure to lose no profit See what the desire of mony worketh in these holy fathers who oftentimes sell pardons so fast to others that it is to be feared they neuer obtaine pardon themselues Neyther can this Iubile be holden for Christian in that poore pilgrims resort to Rome and visite the Churches of Peter and Paul but rather superstitious blasphemous For this is to tye grace to a certain time and place which is not tyed Esay 2 5. Ioh. 4 23. Math. 28 19. Secondly this is to worship God with our own workes which he hath not commanded nor required Esay 1 12 Math. 15 9 and to make sinfull men to merite the grace and fauour of God whereas all such kinde of seruice is abominable in his sight Lastly they make sale of the grace of God which is much more precious then gold and siluer take money for remission of sins which that proud Prelat is not able to giue Thus are men pitifully deceiued The Iubile is the Popes market and haruest and God is horribly dishonored And howsoeuer the good of the people is pretended yet this Iubile is nothing else but the Popes market and haruest his market day to sel his wares and commodities and his haruest to gather in his pardon-money wherby he emptieth the purses of others but filleth his owne coffers True it is hee claymeth a power to dispense the treasure of the Church that is the merites of the Saints and the ouer-measure of their workes and obedience hee hath in store for all such as lacke The Saints haue no ouer plus of works but this is most iniurious and derogatory to Christ It is proper to him to redeeme others and to satisfy for them who is made of the Father to be our redemption 1 Cor. 1 30. Againe the Scripture expresly excludeth the sufferings of the Saints from the worke of redemption and remission of sinnes 1 Cor. 1 13. Acts 4 12. 2 Cor. 5 21 Acts 10 43. Thirdly if the satisfactions of the Saints were of so great worth value that they can take away and blot out the sinnes of others then they might be truly called the Mediators of the New Testament howbeit this is proper to Christ Heb. 9.13 14 15. Lastly the Saints themselues are not able to pay theyr owne debt much lesse the debt of others and they that want the mercy and mediation of another cannot be mediators for another But the best Saints that euer were or shal be doe say Forgiue vs our debts therefore they are not able to pay them How then can
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
and in the chapters following to the ende of the booke he setteth downe such thinges as fell out in the fortieth yeare The former part they cut into matters legall and historicall the legall are partly ciuill partly ecclesiasticall The ciuill things belonging to policy or the Common-wealth are of the numbring of the Israelites of the order of the Tents of the leprous and polluted to be cast out of the hoast of their going forward and of making the siluer Trumpets The Ecclesiasticall are touching the ministery of the Leuites and the office of the Priests touching their age fit for seruice touching the Nazarites the Passeouer the red Heiffer and the water of purification The matters historicall offer vnto our view the obedience of Moses the offerings of the Princes the murmuring of the people the calling of the Elders the sending out of the Spies the emulation of Miriam the sedition of Corah and the flourishing Rod of Aaron The latter part handling the actes of the last yeare is also partly historicall and partly legall The historicall is touching the sinne at the waters of strife touching the battelles and victories obtained against the Canaanites Moabites Midianites intending by their horrible curses and bannings of Balaam to destroy the Israelites touching a new numbring of the people touching the seuerall places of their abode and such such To the legall part wee may referre such things as are Ecclesiasticall as their feastes and solemne assemblies the vowes of men of wiues of widdowes and maids what shall stand and what not stand and likewise such as are ciuill as touching their inheritance and diuision of the Land of the Cities and Suburbs of the Leuites of the Cities of refuge and of inheritances not to passe from one Tribe to another Thus may the booke not vnfitly be diuided and handled but for the greater plainnesse perspicuity we will diuide it into three parts The first is the preparation of the people and a fit ordering of them to take their iourney at the Commandement of God in the first ten chapters The second part toucheth those memorable euents which happened vnto them in their iourney to the 26 chapter The last is of matters belonging to their entrance into their inheritance and of taking possession thereof from the 26 chapter to the end of the booke I am not ignorant that others frame vnto themselues another order Tostal in nitio Numer Lyra in Annot. and stand vpon another diuision but what method soeuer we follow we may easily feele the finger of God in it and out of this diuision let vs learne some good vses for our instruction Vse 1 First we see heere againe that which wee noted before that God alwayes vseth an excellent and exquisite order in the handling of his word though alwayes it be not discerned of vs. True it is he is more exact in some parts then in others and obserueth greater art in penning some parcels of the Scriptures then others as appeareth in the originall of diuers Psalmes and the Lamentations Psal 111. and 112 and 119. and Lament both to manifest their dignity and to strengthen mans memory but euery part of his word is full of diuine method to teach vs to acknowledge the worthinesse of the same For how should hee bee any way confused who ordereth all his workes aright in heauen and earth and therfore he is called the God of order Secondly we haue from hence a good direction Vse 2 for the Ministers of the word to follow this example For seeing God hath diuided his word into fit parts and ordered it to our capacity and vnderstanding it belongeth also vnto the Ministers to set their worke in good order for the greater good of the people committed vnto them Things that are distinctly handled Macrob. Saturn lib. 1 in praef Seneca Epist 8. are better and surer kept A Carpenter hauing prouided matter sufficient to build his house hauing framed his work he setteth euery part in his proper place The Minister is appointed to builde the Lordes house euery one his portion Cyprian de vmi Eccles and to square the rough and ragged stones that they may be fit for the building When they haue gotten together out of their treasure things both olde and new they must bring them forth as good stewards and set them in the best order they can This is it which the Apostle perswadeth vnto 2 Tim. 2. 2 Tim. 2 15 Study to shew thy selfe approued vnto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed diuiding the word of truth declaring that it is not enough for them to teach the truth but they must teach it wisely orderly distinctly and discreetly Then shall they teach with comfort theÌ„ shall they see a greater blessing vpon their labors and then shall the people heare with reuerence attend with diligence and remember with carefulnesse the things they haue heard Thirdly seeing God hath disposed his word in an exact manner and ranged it into good Vse 3 order we must be carefull to know it and vnderstand it and where God vseth the greatest art we must vse the greatest care This duty hath many parts Duties to be practised in hearing the word and doth spread it selfe into sundry branches Now wee shall shew our selues to respect his word if first of all there be in vs a ready and willing minde to receiue it Euen as a man taketh willingly his friends gift and doth not turn away his face nor shut his hand when it is offered vnto him so must we bee ready and prepared to entertaine the Teachers of Gods word Secondly it is required of vs to shew labor diligence without wearinesse Euen as worldlings ceasse not to attaine the corruptible treasures of this world so must wee imply our industry and spare no paines taking to enioy the heauenly riches which far surpasse all earthly substance Thirdly we must attend and lissen with the eares of body and minde to that which wee heare as men begin to lift vp their eares wheÌ„ they heare of some matter of profit Nothing can yeeld vs the like benefit and profite that the word doth all is but trash and trumpery in comparison of it Fourthly we must looke to our memories and hide his Commandements within vs. As then men lay vp their iewels and keepe them vnder locke and key lest they be lost and taken from them so must we heare with all â—ttention and not suffer the doctrine of the word to slip out of our minds but keepe his worde stedfastly and settle it firmely in our remembrance The fift meanes is to encline our hearts vnto the wisedome of his word Our religion must not be outward nor stand in ceremonies as the religion of hypocrites doth The ground that receiueth the seed sowne in it if it be out of heart it brings forth no fruit but if it be in good hart it bringeth forth fruit in abundance So is it