had numbred the people after God sent him this word and offered him the choise of famine or sword or pestilence he saide I am in a wonderfull streight let vs now fall into the haÌ„d of the Lord for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man Who had not rather receiue punishment at his fathers hands of whose loue he is assured then to bee punished with the strokes of an enemy that loueth him not but hateth him to the death Men are proud and cruell fierce ambitious but God is full of compassion and his mercy endureth for euer he knoweth whereof we were made Psal 103.14 Psalme 78 39 he remembreth that we are but dust hee considereth that we are mortall yea a winde that passeth and commeth not againe He will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee are able to beare Hitherto the Lord hath visited vs with his mercifull and gentle corrections famines sicknesses and strange diseases Let vs behold his gracious dealing toward vs and profit by these fatherly admonitions for if he should deliuer vs into the hands of barbarous and beastly enemies we should soone discerne the difference betweene the louing chasticements of a father and the bloody strokes of an enemy 22 Then they departed from Kadesh and the childreÌ„ of Israel euen al the congregation came vnto Mount Hor. 23 And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor neere the border of the land of Edom saying 24 Aaron shall be gathered vnto his people for he shall not enter into the Land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel because yee rebelled against my commandements at the waters of strife 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and charge them to come vnto this Mount 26 And cause Aaron to strip off his garments and thou shalt put them vpon Eleazar his sonne then Aaron shall be gathered vnto his Fathers and shall dye there 27 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded for they went vp vnto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation 28 And Moses caused Aaron to strip off his garments and he put them vpon Eleazar his son and Aaron dyed there in the toppe of the Mount So Moses and Eleazar came downe from off that Mount 29 And when all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty dayes Hitherto of the Ambassage of Moses to the King of Edom These words containe the third and last part of the Chapter to wit the death of Aaron after the people were remooued from the borders of the Edomites For albeit the King did so vnkindly deny them any passage yet Moses and the Israelites doe not oppose themselues against them or attempt to breake through by force of Armes multitude of men and dint of sword but passe by their borders peaceably and fetch a compasse about their land True it is those enuious Edomites were worthy to perish and to be vtterly destroyed for their inhumanity yet because the time was not yet come wherein the Lord had prophesied and promised that the elder should serue the yonger Gen. 25 23. therefore the Israelites commit vengeance to the Lord to whom it belongeth Rom. 12 19. Now in these verses we see how God beginneth to execute the former threatning against Moses and Aaron For heere wee are to consider three things First the death of Aaron Secondly the succession of his sonne Thirdly the mourning of the people The father dieth the son succeedeth the people lamenteth the death of the high Priest If Aaron had dyed without any prediction and foretelling of his death all men might haue thought it had fallen out at aduentures and ascribed it wholy to the decaying of strength wasting of nature but being reuealed to Aaron himselfe and manifested to the whole Congregation both the time when and the place where he should die it appeareth that his daies were numbred and his yeeres limited which hee could not passe As then God had determined the death of Aaron and denounced his shutting out of the land of Canaan so that sentence is heere executed vpon him Deut. 34 4 5. the other concerning Moses is reserued vnto his time appointed of God In this place God commanded both of them what to doe euen to ascend vp to the Mountaine and sheweth that Aaron shall die there for his disobedience whose garments must be pulled off and put vpon Eleazar lest by touching of the dead the holy garments should be defiled After this commandement followeth their obedience agreeable to the same they come vp to the Mountain Aaron is stripped Eleazar is cloathed with them Aaron without feare of death or longer desire of life or prayer for life departeth in peace according to the word of God he is gathered to his Fathers Moses and Eleazar descend from the Mountaine Moses Eleazar and the people mourne for Aaron thirty daies Verse 23 24. And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron We see heere according to the former threatning pronounced by the mouth of God verse 12. that Aaron cometh not into the land of Promise but dieth in Mount Hor. We learne heereby Doctriâ— God-thrâ—nings are 〈◊〉 compâ—â—â—â— that the threatnings of God are accomplished Howsoeuer his iudgments are many times deferred and his punnishments prolonged because hee is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all persons come vnto repentance yet in the end all his threatnings shall be verified and fulfilled in their times and seasons Consider this truth in our first parents Ge. 2 17. â— 3 7. God threatned them that if they did eate the forbidden fruite they should die the death we see the effect in them and all their posterity throughout al times and generations Behold other threatnings of God wee shall alwayes reade the execution after the denunciation So when God by the Ministery of Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Peter 2â— had threatned to destroy the whole world if in an hundred and twenty yeeres they repented not wee see how he brought in the flood vpon the world of the vngodly swept them away from the face of the earth which they had corrupted with their cruell and vncleane conuersation This we see likewise taught vnto vs throughout the bookes of the holy history of Ioshua The man is cursed before the Lord Ioshua 6â— that ryseth vp and buildeth the City Iericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest sonne and in his yongest sonne shall he set vp the gates of it meaning therby that whosoeuer should attempt to builde this City he should pay for it deerely because what time hee layeth the foundation of the wals his eldest sonne shall dye and when hee setteth vp the gates and hath finished it his yongest sonne shall dye When this threatning seemed quite forgotten and consumed with the rust of time God doeth bring it to passe as we
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
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
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
him the forme of a seruant and was made in the likenesse of man When the disciples began to contend for place of superiority so that a strife arose among them which of them should be accounted the greatest he propoundeth vnto them his manner of liuing and conuersation and thereby disswadeth them from ambition Luke 22.27 Whether is greater he that sitteth at meat or he that serueth is not he that sitteth at meate but I am among you as he that serueth The whole life of Christ euen from the first moment of his conception vnto the last period of his assumption and ascension from the earth doe preach vnto vs as with a liuely voyce his wonderfull humiliation that he made himselfe as a worme of the earth who was equall in glory with his Father If this example of him that is the authour and finisher of our faith wil not moue vs to true humility nothing in the world will moue vs. Lastly pride is the preparation of vs vnto a fall and the ready way that leadeth to destruction The proude man that climbeth aloft worketh his owne ouerthrow and confusion and the higher we ascend the greater is our downe-fall Salomon in the booke of his Prouerbes beateth much vpon this point as Chap. 11.2 When pride commeth then commeth shame but with the lowly is wisedome and Chap. 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction and an hauty spirit before a fall chap. 18.12 Before destruction the heart of man is hauty and before honour is humility This may be farther confirmed vnto vs by three famous and memorable examples recorded in the Scriptures to wit Nebuchadnezzar Haman and Herod The first whiles he was boasting of great Babylon which he had built for the chamber of the Empire by the might of his power Dan. 4.30 and for the honour of his maiesty was driuen from the company of men and had his habitation with the beasts of the fielde and did eate grasse as oxen The second to wit proud Haman swolne with the conceit of his owne greatnesse while he thought to be clad in royall apparel which the king vsed to weare to bee mounted on horsebacke that the king rideth vpon and to haue the crowne royall that he weareth to be set vpon his head was driuen to play the lacky on foot and to dance attendance as a Page Ester 6.10 and 7.9.10 and not long after fell from the highest toppe and tower of honour to the lowest degree of shame and reproch The third and last example is of Herode who being puffed vp with the Syren songs of Sycophants and Flatterers thought himselfe worthy to take vpon him the honour of God Act. 12 2â— but immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gaue not God the glory and he was eaten vp of wormes Behold heere how the greatest sort of men are wonderfully deceiued in their owne imaginations deeming pride as a stirrup to mount vp into the saddle of honour whereas it is a steppe to bring them-downe and a meanes to make them fall into shame and confusion â—e sixt reâ—oofe Lastly it reproueth such as enuy at the better and higher callings of others These are euen ready to die consume away when they see others placed in greater places and adorned with greater gifts then themselues This is a common sicknesse and sinne and the cause of many euils that swarme in Church common-wealth When Ioshua heard the Elders in the hoste to prophesie he enuyed them for Moses sake â—mb 11.28 â— 3.26 The like we see in Iohns disciples when they heard of Christs glory and fame encreasing more more they feared it would turne to the diminishing of the credite and estimation of their master The remedies to preuent this mischiefe before it come or to pull it vp when it hath taken hold of vs are many First let vs acquaint our hearts to reioyce at the good that doth befall them and to be glad when any thing befalleth them for the comfort of their soules or bodies as when one member is had in honour all the rest are cheered and refreshed by it Cor. 12.26 Secondly we are to consider that all places of preferment come from God as the Prophet teacheth Promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West â—l 76.6 7. nor from the South but God is the Iudge he putteth downe one and setteth vp another Thirdly we must al of vs make this account of our gifts that they are bestowed for the common good and not onely for the priuate benefit of such as possesse them so that the eye cannot say to the hand Cor. 12.21 nor the head that is highest to the foot that is lowest I haue no need of thee without the destruction of the whole body Fourthly the fewer our gifts and the lower our places and the smaller our callings are the lesser lighter account we are to make wheras such as haue the greatest charges haue the greatest account to make according to the rule of Christ â—e 12.48 Vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen of him shall be much required and to whom men haue committed much of him they will aske the more The higher therefore a man is exalted the more is he bound to God and to them ouer whom he is set and to those among whom he liueth so that there is no gift no honour no calling without his burden and account For as the starres haue light but for mans vse so we haue gifts but for others benefit Lastly this consideration if there were no other is sufficient to correct all pride and ambition in vs to wit to examine our owne ability and we shall finde that there cannot be so small a charge committed vnto vs but the same is able to make our shoulders shrinke and crack yea to bow and breake if we doe our duties as we ought to doe For our infirmities are so great and our strength so little that whosoeuer sifteth himselfe throughly and tryeth his owne giftes without hypocrisie and flattery shall find that he is able to do as good almost as nothing at all If we thinke vpon these things it will be as a bridle to restrain vs from soaring and climbing so high and a forcible means to breed in vs contentation in our places whatsoeuer they be whether high or low whether great or little Thirdly it is a comfortable thing to a mans Vse 3 conscience in life and death in prosperity and aduersity to remember that we haue thus serued God fulfilled the callings with a good conscience that he hath laid vpon vs. The faithfull seruant that hath giuen to his fellow seruants their portion of meat in due season shall be most happy and be made ruler ouer all his goods He that occupied his masters talents and gained by them heard this comfortable voyce Matth. 24.47 and 25.23 Well done good and faithfull seruants thou hast beene faithfull ouer a few things I will
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
the staues of it 15. And when Aaron and his sonnes haue made an end of couering the Sanctuary and all the vessels of the Sanctuary as the Campe is to set forward after that the sonnes of Kohath shall come to beare it but they shall not touch any holy thing lest they die These things are the burden of the sonnes of Kohath in the Tabernacle of the Congregation 16. And to the office of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest pertaineth the oyle for the light Exod. 30 34. Exod. 30 24. and the sweet incense and the daily meate offering and the annointing oile and the ouersight of all the Tabernacle and of all that therein is in the Sanctuary and in the vessels thereof In this diuision the particular charge beolnging to the sonnes of Kohath is both propounded and confirmed Touching the speciall parts heere remembred First Aaron and his sonnes as ouerseers of the rest are charged when the hoste of God remooueth to couer the Arke of the Testimony the Table of shew bread the Candlesticke of light the vessels of oyle and such like Secondly the duty of the Kohathites is set downe that so soone as Aaron and his sonnes haue made an end of couering the Sanctuary and all the instruments of the Sanctuary they must come to beare both it and them as it was deliuered vnto them prouided that they did not touch any of them or meddle with them vntill they be couered lest they be destroyed Thirdly the office of Eleazar the Priest the sonne of Aaron is specified to him belonged the oyle for the light the sweet incense the daily meat offering and the anointing oyle with all the ouersight of the Tabernacle These seuerall points thus largely laid open may seeme needlesse and vnprofitable to be thus particularly rehearsed but as all things were done in types and figures vnto them so they had their vses to them and serue also for our instruction to the end of the world Touching the instruments belonging to the Tabernacle and the vessels that were vsed as the oyle the lamps the candlestickes the shew bread the incense and what were the significations of them we haue already declared in the bookes of Exodus and Leuiticus Now we wil onely call to remembrance these three points and briefly note what we are to learne from thence First the Tabernacle was remooued from place to place and the parts of it taken asunder and ioyned together This was a figure of the Church and sheweth that the faithfull so long as they liue in this Tabernacle of the body â— Pet. 1.13 are absent from the Lord and so shall continue vntill they obtaine a stable inheritance in the heauens We are not as yet come to the rest Deut. 12.9 and to the inheritance which the Lord our God shall giue vs. We haue heere no continuing citie to dwell in we are as Pilgrimes and strangers in this world We seeke a countrey else-where Let vs therefore vse this world as though we vsed it not 1. Cor. 7.31 Be not deceiued with the glorious and glittering shewes of earthly things If we did consider the frailty and vncertainty of all humane things heere beneath that they are the suttle and sugred baits of Satan which catch and condemne many thousands in the world Tim. 6.6 and bring men to many foolish and noysome lusts that drowne them in perdition and destruction we would not so easily wound our consciences and sell our soules for gaine as the maner of many is who in all things wherin they haue dealings and doings with others regard nothing but their owne wealth albeit it be ioyned with decay and vndoing of our brethren Secondly obserue in this place that the Sanctuary together with all the frame and furniture thereof was couered with badgers skinnes a very sure couering to teach vs that the whole Church euery particular member thereof are vnder the protection of God as it were vnder a couering Hereunto the Prophet alludeth Psal 27.5 In the time of trouble he shall hide me he shall set me vp vpon a Rocke And the Prophet Esay chap. 4. 5 6. The Lord wil create vpon euery dwelling place of mount Zion and vpon her assemblies a cloude and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for vpon all the glory shall be a defence and there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a couert from storme and from raine This ministreth great comfort to all the faithfull seruants of God to consider that howsoeuer the Tabernacle was subiect to the violence of winde and weather yet it could sustaine no harme because it was most surely and safely couered against all iniuries tempests and stormes whatsoeuer None lie open to such troubles and turmoiles as the Church none are so garded regarded as they are It were vnpossible that we should hold out and continue in our profession against such dangers except we had a couering vpon vs as the helmet of saluation He is our defence and a buckler round about vs. He will neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs so that we may boldly say The Lord is my deliuerer I will not feare what man can doe vnto mee Lastly we see the Tabernacle had diuers and sundry instruments in it belonging to the worship of God and sanctified and set apart to holy vses so is it in the Church of God the word the Sacraments the preaching the praiing the praysing of God the gifts of sundry sorts bestowed vpon the Church are all of them sacred and holy by the speciall institution of God Hereunto doth the Prophet Zachary allude chap. 14. 20 21. In that day shall there be vpon the bels of the horses holinesse vnto the Lord and the pots in the Lords house shall bee like the bolles before the altar yea euery pot in Ierusalem and in Iudah shall be holinesse vnto the Lord of hostes and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them and seeth therein for in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hostes The things that God hath appointed to the glory of his Name and the furthering of his worship are al of them holy and there is as it were grauen vpon them Exod. 28.36 as once on the forehead of the high Priest Holinesse to the Lord. Hence it is that the word is called the holy Scripture and all other things belonging to the seruice of God are holy also This teacheth how wee should bee affected when we present our selues in the presence of God and come to be partakers of the ordinances of God Heere are holy things for such as are holy if we come vnto them with sanctified hearts and touch them with sanctified hands Such as come prophanely vnto them receiue no benefite by them He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law euen his praier is
dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of hell Such naughty women are called euery where in this booke strangers though they be too familiar and well known and thrust themselues into the company of others because they should be strangers vnto vs and not of our acquaintance There is nothing more common in them then to entice young men by wanton gestures lasciuous words and plausible perswasions to dalliance and delight It is a great fauour of God to be preserued from their baites and kept from their snares yea it is a farre greater mercy to be secured from harlots then to be kept from the pestilence they shew greater wisdome that shun and passe by their houses and company then they that forsake places persons that are infected with some dangerous and deadly disease Euery one is forward to beware hee come not neere any pest-house for feare of his life but if we assemble into harlots houses we run in danger of soule body It is an easie matter to fall into a pit where a man may be drowned but it is not so easie to get out of it The wanton woman is as a deepe ditch and a narrow pit and a dangerous hole whereinto a man may slip hastily at vnwares but he shall hardly come out from thence or deliuer himselfe without the speciall goodnesse of God pulling him as it were out of the fire and setting his feete in safety For as a theefe lurketh in a denne or wood to get a prey so doth she lye in waite and vseth baites to steale away the hearts of men and thereby preuaileth mightily with many in the world Among all dangers this is not the least that Salomon speaketh of â— 2 19. None that goe vnto her returne againe neither take they hold of the pathes of life These words do not absolutely deny repentance to them that are falleÌ„ or shut the gate of mercy against them that haue sinned but the meaning is that few yea very few escape destruction returne to saluation because they sildome repent It is a very rare thing to see a penitent adulterer they leaue the sinne when it leaueth them because they can follow it no longer but they do not repent of it they do not sorrow for it they do not flie from it Hence it is that you shall hear many old men whose strength is decaied whose bodies are withered whose feet are already entred in a manner into their graues laugh heartily at the remembrance of their tricks of youth and talke wantonly filthily of the prankes which they haue plaied so that from the abundance of the heart â—h 12 34. the mouth speaketh and their corrupt communication testifieth that they neuer soundly repented of their vncleannesse No maruaile therefore if the wise man peremptorily declare that few or none of those that are giuen ouer to this lewdnesse of life do come to repentance for albeit some few find grace yet in comparison of such as run on headlong liue securely to the end in their wickednes they may worthily be said to be none at all They are so blinded besotted that they cannot see their own filthines they are so dull and deafe that they cannot heare those that admonish them nay they hate those that reproue them The Apostle Paul exhorting the Corinthians to flye fornication â— 6 18. which was most common in those daies â—â—es to a â—fornica and esteemed a slight or no sin at all vseth many notable reasons of great weight importance worthy to be considered of vs. One reason or motiue is this that our bodies are the Lords and must be seruiceable vnto him â— 6 13. The body is not for fornication but for the Lord. Wherfore hath he giuen to vs our body but that we should serue him in our body We are not to yeeld our members as instruments of vnrighteousnes vnto sin â—6 13. but we ought to yeeld our selues vnto God as those that are aliue from the dead and so make our members as instruments of righteousnes vnto him First therefore the Apostle reasoneth froÌ„ the end of our creation Secondly the Lord Iesus is ordained appointed to be the Redeemer Sauiour not only of the soule but also of the body therefore he saith the Lord for the body 1 Cor. 6 13. Fornication and sanctification cannot stand together but are contrary one to the other so that they cannot abide in one subiect Christ came into the world to this end that he might redeeme our bodies by his death out of the power of the diuell and sanctifie them by his Spirit If then we giue our selues as seruants to obey the lusts of the flesh wee make void the glorious worke of our redemption wherein mercy iustice and truth kissed one another For herein we see the truth of Gods promise accomplished Gen 3 15. that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpents head and the truth of his threatning fulfilled that man offending shold die the death Herein we may behold the wonderfull iustice of God that because man had sinned man must be punished for otherwise he had not bin a iust God Lastly hereby appeareth the vnspeakable mercy of God toward mankinde who albeit his iustice were such that rather then sin should goe vnpunished he would punish it in his Son 1 Pet. 2 24. Esay 53 12. who bare our sins in his body and made intercession for our transgressions yet found out a way how to redeeme vs when we cast our selues headlong into all misery and made our selues subiect to the greatest thraldome that euer was We are deliuered from the hands of our enemies sin the world and the diuell that we should be holy vnto him that hath called vs. The third motiue is drawne from the glorious resurrection of our bodies as the former was froÌ„ the gracious redemption of our bodies If we would haue them liue with him for euer that shall raise theÌ„ vp we must abstaine from filthy lusts which defile the body therfore the Apostle saith God hath both raised vp the Lord 1 Cor. 6 14. wil also raise vs vp by his own power The author of this great benefit and wonderfull worke is God which passeth and exceedeth mans reason Hence it is that he putteth vs in minde of his power because he is almighty If it were not vnpossible vnto him to create our bodies out of the dust of the earth why shall it not bee possible to raise them out of the dust againe Nay if he were able to make theÌ„ of that which was nothing inasmuch as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 11 3. that the things which are seene were not made of things which doe appeare how much more shall he bee able to giue to euery one his body which he had before Again he teacheth that God hath raised already the Lord Christ froÌ„ death to life therefore
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 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
brazen serpent was a figure of Christ crucified and hanging on the crosse who is made of the Father to bee a Sauiour vnto vs. This Christ himselfe testifieth Ioh. 3.14 15. As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man bee lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Heereunto likewise hee alludeth Chap. 8.28 29. Then Iesus said vnto them When ye haue lift vp the Sonne of man then shall ye know that I am he and that I doe nothing of my selfe as my Father hath taught me so I speak these things In both these places our Sauiour hath respect and reference to the brazen serpent in the wildernesse shewing that as it was erected to heale the body so must Christ bee crucified to cure the soule therefore this serpent set vp was a type of his death Caluin in Iâ—han â—ap 3 2â— 14. And howsoeuer some of reuerent account in the Church doe vnderstand this lifting vp of the preaching of the Gospel which is as a banner displayed that all men may behold him and esteeme the referring of it to the Crosse neither to bee pertinent to the matter nor to agree in the text yet if we compare the former places phrases with another like Testimony of Iohn chap. 12.32 33. the true interpretation of the words will easily and euidently appeare where Christ speaketh thus to the Pharisees Now is the iudgment of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out and I if I were lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto me Heere by lifting vp Calu. in Iob. 〈◊〉 ver 28. we must necessarily vnderstand the death of Christ vpon the Crosse on which he was lifted vp on high and seene a farre off as the Euangelist himselfe expoundeth it in the verse following saying Now this said he signifying what death hee should die The reasons of this similitude shadowing Reason 1 out the manner of Christs death are very euident and apparent For first as the brazen serpent in the wildernesse had the shew and shape of a serpent but within there was no venemous or deadly thing as the true fiery serpents had so Christ tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant he was made like vnto men he was sent of God in the similitude of sinfull flesh and was counted among the wicked Rom â— 3 Mark 15. â— Esay 53 1â— yet he was pure and voyde of sinne neither could be charged of his enemies with any sin so that this is no vnpropper or far-fet similitude but fit and naturall Secondly euen as the brazen serpent was Reason lift vp on high vpon a pole appointed for that purpose so was Christ first lift vp vpon the wood of the Crosse and was after exalted by the Gospel and set in the sight of all as the Prophet Esay teacheth Esay 11.10 12. And as the brazen serpent before it could be a type of healing must be aduanced and lifted vp so before Christ Iesus could be a Sauiour of his people to saue them from their sinnes he must be fastened vpon the Crosse 〈◊〉 14 15 he must haue his hands his feet pierced that he might spoyle the principalities and make a shew of them openly with triumph As therefore it was not sufficient once to make the brazen serpent and so to looke vpon it but it must as well be mounted as at the first made so it was not enough to bring vs to life and saluation for Christ to be conceiued by the holy Ghost and borne of the virgin Mary vnlesse he also suffer death for our sinnes and so beare our sinnes in his body on the tree Thirdly as the Israelites which obeyed the Reason 3 commandement of God embraced his promise beleeued his word and so beheld the brazen serpent standing on the pole were healed of the deadly bitings of these fiery serpents so all men who are moued with the commandement of God embracing the promise do behold Christ hanging on the tree of the crosse with the eyes of faith 〈◊〉 3.16 are cured of the sting of that old serpent the diuell and recouer of that mortall wound being freed from death and restored into the glorious liberty of the sons of God A serpent did hurt a serpent did heale the Israelites Man did destroy vs man did restore vs. 〈◊〉 5.19 The first Adam did draw into condemnation the second Adam draweth vnto saluation The brazen serpent albeit it were lift vp neuer so high and mounted into the open ayre profited none but such as stedfastly beheld it and looked vpon it so Christ crucified profiteth none but such as beleeue in him by faith Many beheld him with the bodily eyes that reaped no benefit by him they heard him with their outward eares and handled with their hands that word of life yet it auailed them nothing to know him after the flesh 〈◊〉 5.16 neither furthered them in their saluation Reason 4 Fourthly as it seemed to humane wisdom a most foolish and ridiculous thing to be healed by the bare and onely sight of a brazen serpent so to all naturall wise men of the world it seemeth as vnlikely and vnreasonable that any shold be saued by faith in Christ crucified â—r 1.23 as the Apostle sheweth We preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes euen a stumbling blocke and vnto the Grecians foolishnesse onely to them that are saued Christ is the power of God and the wisedome of God So then it is cleere and euident that the serpent set vp vpon the pole signifieth Christ hanging on the Crosse Vse 1 The vses of this type and similitude are many directing vs to sundry points of religion As what sin is whence it came what it worketh and bringeth forth likewise what the force of the Law and Gospel it who Christ is how we must vse and apply him to haue comfort and saluation in him First seeing the serpent was a signe and signification of Christ we learne that Christ was preached and published in the time of the law albeit darkely and obscurely For as there is but one saluation so there is but one way to attaine vnto it to wit faith in Christ The faith of the fathers is one and the same with the faith of the children There was neuer any man saued without the knowledge of IESVS CHRIST neyther is at this day saued neither shall be hereafter to the end of the world This the Apostle teacheth to the Hebrewes Heb. 13.8 Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same also is for euer And to this truth Iohn giueth witnesse All that dwell vpon the earth shall worship the Beast Reuel 13.8 whose names are not written in the booke of life of that Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world Albeit he were manifested in the flesh and crucified on the Crosse in the last age of the world when the fulnes of time was
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
Patron of that people could do them no good but suffered them to be taken and spoyled Such is the vain hope of poore Idolaters in their Idols which cannot helpe or deliuer themselues much lesse their worshippers that trust in them Lastly touching the Israelites they spoiled them that were the spoilers and conquered them that were the conquerors for they recouered for themselues and for their owne vse the Townes and Cities which the Moabites had lost Thus Israel medled not with the Moabites neither tooke any thing from them but peaceably possessed that which they won frō the Amorites none laying any claime or title thereunto as Iephtah pleadeth Iudg. 11 13. And this is the right which the Israelites had to dwell in the Cities of the Amorites and to possesse as their owne goods the labours and liuings of other men which they could iustifie by the Law of God and man For when Abraham had subdued in battell the fiue Kings he chalenged to himself a right in the prey that was taken and payed the tenth of all to Melchizedek Gen. 14 20 21 Hereunto belongeth the commandement giuen of God touching the diuiding and retaining the spoyles of war saying All the spoyle thereof shalt thou take vnto thy selfe and shalt eate the spoyle of thine enemies which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee Deuter 20 14. Xenoph. lib. 7. Cyropaed Halicarnas li. 6. And this we might plentifully prooue by the Lawes Decrees and Constitutions of Princes and States in former times Verse 21. Then Israel sent Messengers In this diuision generally is set foorth the end of the enemies of the Church that albeit they preuaile for a season and plow vpon the backs of the godly and make long and large surrowes albeit they plant themselues strong flourish as the greene Bay-tree yet they passe away suddenly and are cast downe in desolation The persecuters and enemies of the Church shall perish and come to confusion Doctrine The persecuters of the Church shall perish Howsoeuer they lift vp their heads hornes on high and their honor reach vp to the Clouds there shall be a downefall they shall be confounded and consumed in his wrath Looke vpon Caine who was the first persecuter of the church in Abel and we shall see the same confirmed which is offered to our considerations in these present examples He killed his brother Gen. 4 11 and wherefore slew he him Because his owne works were euill and his brothers good But did cruell Caine escape No the curse of God came vpon him he was made a runnagate and fugitiue vpon the earth and so God reuenged the innocent blood of his brother Abel which he had shedde with barbarous and vnnaturall cruelty The like we might say of Pharaoh an arch-enemy of the Church in Egypt who oppressing the people of God with burdens and destroying their children was ouerwhelmed in the red Sea Exod. 14 28. Another fearefull example we haue in Saneherib which set himselfe against the people that called vpon the liuing God and blasphemed his Name which is holy throughout all generations hee was slaine of his owne sonnes 2 Kings 20 37 which iudgement the Lord foretolde that being accordingly performed accomplished it might be knowne whence it was wherefore it came to passe The like is reported recorded of Haman in the booke of Ester ch 7 9 who procured the Kings writ to roote out to kill and to destroy all the Iewes young and olde children and women in one day yet abusing his high fauour with the King and great honour in the Court God threw him downe and layd his honor in the dust so that he was hanged on the same tree which he had prepared for Mordecai that spake good for the King Thus his mischiefe returned on his owne head and his cruelty fell vpon his owne pate and himself was taken in the snare which he made for another Hereunto tendeth the end of Nebuchadnezar whose seruice God vsed to chasten his owne people to destroy the Temple to waste the City and to cary them away captiue Dan. 4.30 hee was throwne downe his reason was taken from him and he had the heart of a beast giuen vnto him The Iewes to whom pertained the right of adoption the glory of the Arke the tables of the Couenant the giuing of the Law the seruice of God the accomplishment of the promises the comming of the Messiah the Oracles of trust committed vnto them were notwithstanding all these priuiledges enemies of Christ and of the Apostles enemies of Christian Religion and the professors thereof they put the Sonne of God to death and persecuted his Apostles that he sent among them to preach and teach the Gospel of the Kingdome Matth. 24.21 in the end themselues were iustly slain for sedition which they falsely charged vpon the Apostles nay as themselues cried his blood be vpon vs Ioseph de bel◠Iuda lib. 7. cap. 4. 8. and vpon our children so that which Christ foretold came vpon them in full measure pressing downe and running ouer when the abhomination of desolation sate in the holy place there was such trouble amongst them and so great tribulation came vpon them that the like neuer was nor shall be to the end Herod that bloody tyrant which had slaine Iames with the sword and putting Peter in prison intended the like measure and murther vpon him this wicked wretch escaped not the hands of God for being arrayed in his royall Robes sitting vpon the Iudgement seate and making an Oration vnto the people The Angel of the Lord smote him he was eaten of wormes Acts 12 23. Iudas the child of perdition and betrayer of the Son of God despaired Hung himselfe burst in the middest and his Bowels gushed out Acts 1 18. for whom it had bin good if he had neuer bene borne What shold I say more If we remember the late dayes of persecution wherin the patience of the Saints was tried by bloody executions tortures murthers massacres hanging beheading burning and imprisonment wee may obserue that the heauy hand of God was one way or other against those bloody Inquisitors and cruell persecutors that had imbrued and defiled their hands with their blood that they dyed not the ordinary and common death of all See Acts and Monuments in the end nor were visited after the visitation of all men Some died fodainly falling downe on the ground that they neuer stirred as Ananias and Sapphira some had their bowels and inward parts fall out and died the death of Iudas their elder brother some could not swallow and digest their meate but it came forth againe sometimes at their mouth and sometimes at their nosthrils most horribly to behold Some were striken in the one halfe of their body that they lay benummed halfe aliue and halfe dead to the great terror and astonishment of all that were present and did looke vpon them Some brake their Neckes others became
Deuter. 3 11. Onely Og the king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Gyants whose bed was a bed of Iron is it not at Rabbah among the children of Ammon The length thereof is nine cubits and foure cubits the bredth thereof after the cubit of a man Now the more mighty and monstrous tâ—is Giant was the greater occasion had the Israelites to ascribe the victory to God and to giue him the glory alone And the Prophet singleth out these two enemies by name Deu. 29 7. Psal 135 11. 136 19 20. Sihon the King of the Amorites and Og the king of Bashan aboue all other kings and in the meditation of Gods mercy deliuering them into their hands stirreth vp the people to praise the name of God which sheweth that they were enemies greatly to bee feared and such as brought great terrour vnto the Israelites yet no power can preuaile agâ—inst God There is no counsel nor wisedome nor vnderstanding nor strength against the Lord. Pro. 21 30 31 The horse is prepared against the day of battell but saluation is of the Lord. The land of Bashan was a fertile fruitfull soyle commended in sundry places of the Scripture it was a goodly mountain abounding with ranke and rich pastures yeelding cattle of great bone and bignesse and flourishing with sundry commodities which kindled a desire in the two Tribes and the halfe to haue it giuen them in possession Wherefore Moses commending the bountifulnes of God toward his people Deut. 32 14. sheweth that he gaue them butter of Kine and milke of Sheepe with fat of the Lambes and Rams fed in Bashan And Dauid to expresse the lustinesse and loftinesse the pride and presumption of his enemies resembleth them to the mighty buls of Bashan Psal 22 12. Ezek. 39 â—8 Amos 4 1. Esay 2 13. fed to the full in most fruitfull pastures Moses knowing the goodnesse of the soile the strength of the Cities and the malice of the enemies sendeth out his scouts and espials to search out the situation of the places and the purposes of the persons that inhabited therein and hauing taken Iaazer he marched toward this Bashan whereof we speake The king aduertised of the matter and vnderstanding the drift and designe of the Israelites commeth forth to meete them and to hinder their approach to his Townes and Dominions thinking his safety to consist onely in his weapons forgetting that all mortall things are mutable and the end of warre vncertaine and prouiding more for reuenge then for his owne defence Heereupon Moses before hee made an head against the enemy as it should seeme made a stand to know the will of God whether he should fight with them in the place and whether God would deliuer them into their hands The answer of God sheweth that they were greatly afraid and stoode in neede of comfort wherein consider first the Commandement of GOD Feare not your enemies Secondly the reason rendred to encorage theÌ„ I will deliuer all your enemies into your handes which is amplified by a like example and by the former experience which they had of the mercy of God in the destruction of Sihon king of the Amorites After this comfort and raising vp of their hearts that began to shrinke they ioyned battel they fought with the king of Bashan they ouercame their enemies and put them all men women and children to the sword and possessed his Land as hee did the Land of the Amorites Thus God gaue them a ioyfull victory who had before determined the destruction of Og euen while the gyant thought nothing of the hand of God against him and who is it that knoweth what God intendeth against him in heauen while he offendeth him and sinneth against him on the earth The Lord that sitteth in Heauen seeeth the wickednesse of mans heart abiding on Earth Verse 33. And they turned and went vp the way toward Bashan and Og the King of Bashan came out against them c. We see here another iudgement of God vpon another enemy of the Church and the mercie of God in his ouerthrow after the destruction of the former enemie God could haue brought them together and bound them in one bundle to bee cast into the fire but they are destroyed one after another some in the dayes of Moses others are reserued for Ioshua who succeeded Moses in the gouernment of the people Wee learne heereby Doctrine The eneâ—â—â— of the châ—â—â—â— are not consumed at 〈◊〉 That the enemies of God and his Church are not consumed in a moment but wasted and consumed in the prouidence of GOD by little and little True it is God is able to raine downe fire and brimstone snares and stormie Tempests vppon them hee is able to bring them vnto nothing at once with the breath of his mouth when once the Coales of his wrath and indignation are kindled but it is his pleasure to wast and consume them one after another now one and then another that sinne against him This Moses declareth vnto the people of Israel Deut. 7 21 22 23. Esay 9 22. The Prophet Amos setteth downe the dealing of God in the destruction of his enemies chap. 9 10 11. So that God brought not all his iudgements vpon them at once nor discharged the whole volley of shot against them together but one punishment came in the necke of another the first was ouertaken of the second and the second of the third The like may be said of the plagues which God brought vpon Pharaoh and the rest of the Egyptians he did not draw out his arrowes and empty his Quiuer at once but wasted the Land consumed the fruites smote the cattel and destroyed the inhabitants one after another some were destroied with haile â—â—l 9 and â—12 14 some were slaine by the destroyer others were drowned in the red Sea these came not altogether but as a softly fire consumed them or as a lingring disease pined them away by little and little vntil they came to vtter ruine The Reasons remaine to be considered First Reason 1 God will not roote them out at once to the end that by them he may try the faith exercise the patience of his seruants There are none that haue receiued to beleeue but God will haue theÌ„ proued to declare to themselues and manifest to others what is in their hearts No maruell if others bee oftentimes deceiued in vs and are ignorant of the secrets of our soules seeing wee our selues know not thoroughly our selues vntill we haue ended and endured triall For such we are indeed as we are in the time of tentation Therfore Salomon teacheth in the Prouerbs chap. 24.10 If thou be faint in the day of aduersity thy strength is small Wherefore it is necessary that so long as we liue in this world we should be kept in a continuall exercise of faith of prayer of repentance and of obedience as the Lord speaketh euidently in the booke of Iudges chap.
arise from hence we haue considered diuers things before We see how Balak and Balaam proceede in their diuellish purposes if God had suffeted them and not crossed them Hee reuealed his wil to Balaam who spake moued by Gods Spirit and thereby declareth that he speaketh not onely to his owne children but sometimes teacheth wicked men to make them without excuse and therefore he wil not leaue his owne people destitute of instruction that desire to feare his name But of this wee haue spoken before chap. 22 9. Verse 2. Balaam lift vp his eyes looked vpon Israel and the spirit of God came vpon him Moses shewing the prophesie that Balaam vttered describeth it by the author thereof the Spirit of God came vpon him In this part of the title he saith That the things deliuered in this prophesie which were vttered for the Churches sake were hid kept secret before they were reuealed and manifested by God This prophesie containeth not a doctrine that is common or communicated by the light of nature to men but a declaration of such secrets as God reserueth hid to himselfe in his owne counsel which no liuing creature could knowe otherwise then as it pleaseth God to disclose it by a gracious participation of it This teacheth vs this truth That the things of God can no man know but by the Spirite of God Doctrine The things of God are vnknowne til he reueale them The mysteries of saluation and doctrine of godlynesse are secret and vnknown of men and Angels before they be of God reuealed This our Sauiour teacheth Peter hauing made a confession of Christ Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and blood hath not reuealed it vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen Matth. 16 17. And expounding the parable of the Sower to his disciples he sayth To you it is giuen to know the mystery of the kingdome of God but vnto them that are without all things are done in Parables Mark 4 11. The Apostle teacheth that the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neyther can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned And the same Apostle speaking of the gospel Rom. 16 25. Eph 3 9. calleth it A mystery reuealed which was kept secret from the beginning of the world So the Apostle Iohn handling hidden visions and teaching the Church the things that must come to passe hereafter called that Booke The Reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him Reuel 1 1. The truth of this appeareth because they Reason 1 were hid in the treasury of Gods wisedome which is vnsearchable and not to be sounded by any creature and therefore the Apostle calleth them A secret hid in God Ephe. 3 9 so that the Apostles and holy Prophets of God could deliuer nothing of his counsell before he had reuealed it to them So the Lord speaketh Numb 12 6. Heare now my words If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I wil be known vnto him by a vision and will speake vnto him by dreame The calling of the Gentiles seemed strange to the very Apostles before it was reuealed to Peter Who would euer haue imagined that God would haue redeemed man by such a wonderfull meanes the greatest wonder that euer came into the world by giuing his Son and that vnto the death to ransome and redeem a church by his own blood Acts 20. This no creature in heauen or earth would euer haue thought vpon if God had not reuealed it by his word and assured it by his Spirit Secondly this receyueth further strength Reason 2 for the confirmation of it because the wisest and subtilest that were in the world were herein ouertaken and proued fooles for by al their wisedome though neuer so great they were not able to reach vnto it nor to looke into any the least part of it The Apostle speaking of the mystery of the Gospel reuealed by his ministery alledgeth the prophesie of Esay where the Lord threatneth to destroy the wisedome of the wise and to cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent and after he saith Where is the wise hath not God made the wisedom of the world foolishnes 1 Cor 1 18 19. The Vses remaine to be learned of vs. First Vse 1 for knowledge wee see that the mysterie of godlines reuealed to the world by God in the Gospel is a most worthy glorious mystery greatly to be admired and reuerenced vnto vs that are called it is the wisedome of God and the power of God So the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1 2◠Great is the mystery of godlines which is God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3 16. It seemeth farre otherwise to the foolish world it appeareth to thē a base and vile thing as Paul complaineth in his time We preach the Gospel euen Christ crucified vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke vnto the Grecians foolishnes 1 Cor. 1 23. A stumbling blocke to the Iewes because they dreaming of an earthly king of this world to free them from the bondage of the Romanes and thinking they should be Lords of the earth were offended at the low estate of Christ comming in the shape of a seruant foolishnesse to the Grecians because it seemed foolishnes to the wise Philosophers among the heathē to look for life from death to beleeue in him that rose from the dead and that such as are dead shall rise againe How many are there amongst our selues that are offended at the simplicity of the Gospel that it is not accompanyed with miracles that it is brought vnto vs in earthen vessels These are they that esteeme the Manna as light meate and therefore loathe it But let them alone to loathe this Manna that loathe faith Christ and heauen it selfe yea their owne saluation Secondly for obedience wee must obserue Vse 2 that when these secret things be reuealed vnto vs of God we ought to endeuour to learne them to vnderstand them to publish them speake of them to others Whensoeuer God hath a mouth to speake we must haue an eare to heare Therefore Moses saith Deut. 29 29. Secret things belong vnto the Lord but the things reuealed belong to vs and our children to do them So the Apostle Paul when God had reuealed Christ vnto him and ordained him a teacher vnto the Gentiles saith I was not disobedient to the heauenly vision but shewed to Iewes and Gentiles that they should repent and turne to God and do works worthy amendment of life Acts 26 19 20. This serueth to reprooue all such as refuse to looke into these reuealed things of God but dwell in blindnesse and ignorance Of this sort are the greatest number in our assemblies They are wise enough to look into their own profit but they care not for the wisedome that is of God They are brought vp in the church but know not the Doctrine of the Church They are alwayes learning
their eyes and will not see his brightnesse yet remaineth he the light of the world For the Sun shineth in the firmament howsoeuer some are blinde and cannot see and others might see yet make themselues blinde Therefore the Prophet I say saith chap. 60.1 2 19. Arise O Ierusalem be bright for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen vpon thee thou shalt haue no more Sunne to shine by day neither shall the brightnesse of the Moone shine vnto thee for the Lord shall bee thine euerlasting light and the daies of thy sorrow shall be ended When the Sun which is called the eye of the world and is the light of the day riseth vpon vs and commeth toward vs it doth quicken and reioyce vs it causeth life fruite to appeare in those creatures which seemed to be dead dry before so if this Day-starre do truely rise vp in our hearts it will not onely enlighten our vnderstanding but so heate our frozen and dead hearts as that it will put the life of righteousnesse into vs and make vs walke as children of light that need not be ashamed who mark theyr steps and behold theyr wayes Therfore the Apostle speaketh to euery one of vs that considering the season it is now time that we shold arise from sleepe for now is our saluation nearer then when we beleeued it the night is past the day is at hand let vs therefore cast away the works of darknesse and let vs put on the armour of light walking honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse not in strife and enuying Rom. 13 11 12. We haue heere a notable direction how to know whether this starre be risen vpon vs or not If he haue wrought these effects fruites in vs if by the bright beames of his Spirit sweet influence of his grace he hath cast out of our mindes the darke clouds of ignorance and blindnesse and caused vs to see what the acceptable will of God is if he haue sanctified vs by the holy Ghost whereby the kingdome of sinne is euery day more and more suppressed and we reformed according to the Image of God to serue him in holinesse true righteousnesse if these things be in some measure in vs we may be well assured that this starre of Iacob hath shined vpon vs. But if these things be not wrought and effected in vs but that wee remaine still in our sinnes and ignorances we haue no part in Christ we haue no portion in this Sunne of righteousnesse He hath neuer entred into our hearts his beames of grace and mercy haue neuer shined vpon vs we are still holden vnder the dominion of darknesse and in the condemnation of him who is the Prince of darknesse to wit the diuell Therefore the Apostle exhorteth all of vs Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light walke circumspectly not as fooles buâ— as wise redeeming the time because the daies are euill Ephes chapt 5 verse 14. And the same Apostle in another place saith If any man bee in Christ hee is a new creature 2 Cor. 5 17. If yee haue heard him and haue beene taught by him cast off the olde man which is corrupt and put on the new man which after God is created vnto righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph 4 21 22. Let vs all remember this truth and no more deceiue our owne soules in perswading our selues to be in Christ when as yet we neuer tasted of his Spirit nor were made partakers of his heauenly graces Verse 20. And when he looked on Amalek he vttered his Parable and saide Amalek was the first of the Nations c. Hitherto wee haue spoken of the Prophesie of Balaam against the Moabites now followeth his prophesie against the Amalekites in these words which is the fift in number and the second among them that concerne the heathen that were not of Israel wherein we haue already seene in what sence the Amalekites are called the first of the Nations not that simply they were first of all people for they came of Esau as Moses witnesseth Gen. 36 16 but because they were the first that fought against Israel after they were come out of the Land of Egypt therfore shold be themselues destroyed In setting downe this practise of the Amalekites Doctrine Warres are of great antiquity we finde it warranted that warres in the world haue beene ancient among men To gather armies and to muster men to battaile is no new deuice but an old and ancient practise among the sonnes of men In the tenth chapter of the booke of Genesis verse 9 Nimrod began to be mighty vpon the earth and is saide to be a mighty hunter before the Lord the beginning of his kingdome was Babel And in the 14 chap. we haue mention of two armies one raised by Chedor-laomer and his confederates the other by the Kings of Sodome and Gomorrha these rebelling the other punishing their rebellion betweene whom was a cruell battel fought This we see in the sonnes of Iacob raising a force against the Sheehemites Gen. 34 25. vnder the conduct of Simeon Leui who were the firebrands of warre and the trumpets of sedition they came vpon them on a sodaine and slew all the maies among them and after this violence offered vnto their persons they spoiled the City We shall not need to stand further vpon this point the books of Ioshua of Iudges the books of the Kings and of the Chronicles together with lamentable experience of all ages and times confirme this to haue beene a common practise among men of olde to raise warre one against another and to try their causes and quarrels by the dint of the sword The Reasons heereof are not hard to finde Reason 1 For first howsoeuer men are carried headlong with rage and reuenge one against another yet the diuell is the bellowes to kindle the coales who was a murtherer and a man-slayer from the beginning as our Sauiour speaketh vnto the Iewes Iohn 8 44. Yee are of your father the diuell and the lustes of your father ye will do he hath bene a murtherer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him This he declareth to the Church of the Smyrnians That it should come to passe that the diuell shall cast some of them into prison Reu. 2 10 and afterward chap. 12 17 it is saide The dragon was wrath with the woman went and made war with the remnant of her seed which keepe the Commandements of God This is it that Michaiah spake to Ahab Who shall entice Ahab that he may goe and fall at Ramoth Gilead Then there came foorth a spirit and stood before the Lord and saide I will entice him 1 Kings 22 20. Seeing then the diuell is the stirrer of diuision and the kindler of contention between man and man
discoraged to thinke they are none of his Or if a false fellow come forth and lay claime to our inheritance will that barre the true owner of his right or make him to let goe his holde What if a mad man out of his wits should say that the Crowne and Kingdome is his would we therefore thinke it is so indeed Or if some should shew false and counterfet pearles will the Goldsmith be discouraged and think that his also are naught and of the same stampe In like sort we may reason What though some do not beleeue or will not apply Christ vnto themselues What if satan haue deluded them with the spirit of errour and blinded them with the mists of ignorance shall wee therefore suffer our selues to be beguiled and to be brought to think that we haue no true knowledge or faith or that we ought not to apply Christ Iesus in particular to our selues To conclude we may be bold to auouch that the diuels haue as much faith as the papists teach and beleeue For the diuell can say and that truly I do beleeue I beleeue that remission of sinnes is sealed vp by Christ for saluation so that hee may beleeue as much as any Papist in the worlde holding the principles of their own doctrine forasmuch as the Romish faith is no other then historicall to beleeue the Scriptures and al things written in them to be true but they neuer come to the principal maine matter wherein the comfort of a Christian lyeth to make particular application of any thing to themselues Vse 2 Secondly it admonisheth euery man to examine himselfe and to try whether his faith be true or not this is the counsell and commandement of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13 5. as we heard before and how shall we better do it theÌ„ by making particular application of those things which ought to bee beleeued to beleeue that God is our God that the Lord Iesus is our Sauior that we are righteous by his obedience that wee haue the pardon of our sinnes that wee haue receyued the grace of sanctification and that wee shall be partakers of eternall life For as faith is the life of the soule so this application is the life of faith If we finde this in vs then certainly we haue a true a liuely a iustifying faith otherwise we deceyue our selues with a shadow and opinion of faith when in truth we are vtterly destitute of it And if men were brought to their tryall heerein it is greatly to be suspected and feared that not onely they in the Church of Rome but many that liue in the Church of God it selfe will bee found to want the true faith and to please themselues with a naked shew of it For some haue not a generall knoledge and therefore cannot haue so much as a generall faith Many albeit they haue a generall knowledge yet they will not nay they cannot in special apply Christ and his benefits vnto themselues because such is their simplicity or sottishnesse that they condemne this doctrine of applying Christ to themselues say it is to some a doctrine of presumption to others the pathway leading to desperation These are afraid to go so farre and dare not meddle with it They will hope well as the Papists do and thinke well but they cannot abide to heare of any particular application These are as men that are afraid of their good friends whose case must needs be lamentable and they stand in a dangerous nay I may say in a damnable condicion because without this application there can be no true faith and without true faith no saluation We haue experience of some in our dayes who out of a melancholy humor perswade themselues that they may not eate because they are vnworthy to touch their meate and by this meanes are the cause of their owne death and yet they thinke they may see it and talke of it but by no meanes may touch it This is the faith of many Christians among vs they thinke they may heare of the things that belong to saluation and reason of them but by no meanes they may apply them these mens case is very dangerous for they must needs perish eternally For as life is maintained not by looking vpon our meate or by speaking of it or by hearing of it but by taking and applying of it so the soule is sustayned and life preserued in it not by hearing of the promises of the Gospel nor by assenting vnto them but by applying of them vnto our selues When the Israelites were stung in the wildernesse with the fiery serpents and scorpions Deut. 8 15 insomuch that many dyed if any should haue saide I am not worthy to look vp to the brazen serpent and to fasten mine eies vpon it I know indeed that God hath appointed it as the only means and remedy to recouer them that are stung but I dare not presume to behold it because of mine vnworthinesse would we not thinke that it were iust that this man should perish So is it in this case many men know that God hath sent his Sonne into the world and that he dyed for the sinnes of the world yet many are so desperate that they talke and dispute of nothing but of their owne vnworthinesse and say they would apply Christ but they dare not they are such greeuous sinners Howbeit he that was worthy to take the booke out of the right hand of the Father and to open it Reuel 5 2 5 11 12 hath also made his children partakers of his worthinesse Reuel 3 4. They shall walke with me in white for they are worâ—hy His merits are become our merits and his righteousnesse is made ours 2 Cor. 5 21. Wherfore whosoeuer they are that eyther through the corruption of their owne hearts or through the tentation of Satan doe not truely apply Christ vnto themselues and his death to theyr saluation but make it a matter of presumption their condition is miserable and they are yet in the way to destruction and may iustly feare that the wrath and iudgements of God will ouertake them Lastly this point is very sweet and comfortable Vse 3 to euery one that is able though with much weaknesse and many infirmities in particular to apply the generall promises of God and the Gospel to himselfe because such shall be sure to finde God gracious vnto them and if they be stung by the old serpent they shall be healed because they can look vp to to the 2. ferpent that God hath set vp and appointed to be the healer and helper of them If they be hungry they shal be sure to be satisfied Christ is the true bread that came downe from Heauen Iohn 6 they eate him by faith and so apply in particular the generall promises to theÌ„selues This is it indeed that ought to encourage euery man to labour for this particular application not like hypocrites to content theÌ„selues with generall things as if they were