is euermore the companion of hypocrisie Fiftly to be confident in good causes and couragious especially in time of perill Prou. 10 9. 28 1. Whereas the hypocrite hauing a corrupt conscience is ouertaken with feare and trembling Esay 33 14. Prou. 28 1. Lastly to be constant and to perseuere to the end in good things to bee resolute neuer to giue ouer a continued course of piety vntil we giue ouer this course of life such bring foorth fruite with patience Luke 8 15. and shall neuer be remoued Psal 15 5. Whereas the double-minded man is vnstable in all his wayes Iames 1 8. his godlinesse and religion is as the morning dew Hosea 6 4. By these signes we may sift and examine our selues whether this grace of sincerity be in vs or not And as the gift is excellent so there are sundry motiues to stirre vs vp vnto it Sundry motiâ—es to 〈◊〉 vs to sincâ— For God is good and gracious vnto such as are pure in heart Psal 73 1. and 125 4 5. hee is the Sun and shield to them Psal 84 11. This is the life and substance of all other graces without it the best things are but counterfet and no better then sinnes against God Our faith must be vnfained and loue without dissimulation and our conuersion must be a renting of the heart Consider also that God is present euery where and knoweth all things Psal 139 7. Prou. 15 verse 3. Moreouer wee must meditate oftentimes vpon the iudgements of God which hee bringeth vpon the world but especially of the last iudgement in the end of the world and of our particular iudgment at the houre of death Ro. 2 16. Eccl. 12 14. The heart is the store-house keeper of the graces of God Pro. 4 23. Mat. 13 18 19. Lu. 6 45. Math. 23 26. therefore we ought carefully to looke vnto it CHAP. XIIII 1 And all the Congregation lifted vp their voice and cryed and the people wept that night 2 And all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation saide vnto them Would God that we had died in the Land of Egipt or would God we had died in this wildernesse 3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought vs into this land to fall by the sword that our wiues and our children should be a prey Were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt WE haue seen in the former chapter the occasioÌ„ of this fourth murmuring arising from the report of the spies whereby the seed was sowne which in this Chapter groweth vp to an open obstinate mutiny The fruit was answerable to the seed the successe to the report And who can stay the streame driuen by so violent a winde and tempest When the arrow is once shot out of the bow it is too late to wish it may do no hurt where it falleth because where it hitteth it hurteth But to come to the present matter in hand the people giuing eare to these false reports dream of danger where no danger is like the sluggard that saith There is a Lyon without I shall bee slaine in the streets Prou. 22 13. To minds that are fearfull and perplexed all fansies and coniectures seeme things of truth Consider in this chapt two points first the generall murmuring of all that is of the greatest part of the people secondly the proceeing of God against theÌ„ for their murmuring Their murmuring is accompanied with impatience disobedience vnthankfulnesse blasphemy infidelity and tempting of God Psal 106 24 25 c. and it is set downe generally and particularly Generally they murmured against Moses and Aaron amplified by the effect 〈◊〉 cause 〈◊〉 the Israâ— wept all 〈◊〉 they wept all the night The cause why they wept is the feare of death and the sense of their sinne they supposed that they were led as sheep to the slaughter and brought into the wildernesse as to a place of destruction had forgotten the promise made 400. yeares before to their fathers Wee see heere how quickly and easily they obey euil persons that seduced them they listen with both their ears vnto them â—â—â—trine 〈◊〉 are natuâ— ready to 〈…〉 â—ken to â—cers and â—ers and forget what they had often heard and seen Caleb and Ioshua warned them but all was in vaine The doctrine This is the corruption of our nature we are prone to bee peruerted and ready to hearken to seducers to follow euill liuers and euill teachers while in the meane season wee are hardly drawne to hearken and attend vnto those that tell vs the truth without flattery or forgery Exod. 4 1. The prophet of God sent to prophesy against the Altar at Bethel is easily seduced and forsaketh the word of God 1 Kings 13 21. Our Sauiour complaineth of the peeuishnesse of the Iewes 〈◊〉 11 27. Wee haue piped vnto you and ye haue not danced we haue mourned vnto you and ye haue not lamented c. And Iohn 5 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receiued me not if another shall come in his owne name him yee will receiue 2 Tim. 4 34. Gal. 3 1 2. and 5 7. Titus 1 11. Mat. 24 5. First because in the minde and vnderstanding Reason 1 howsoeuer there remaine certaine generall notions concerning good and euil as that there is a God that he is iust and a rewarder of them that do well that wee must honour our parents and not hurt our neighbors yet euen these are corrupt and serue only to take away excuse Ro. 1 19 20. and besides wee haue all receiued from Adam ignorance or want of knowledge of the things of God 1 Cor. 2 14. Ro. 8 7. Likewise disability to vnderstand spirituall things though they be plainly taught vnto vs Lu. 24 41. 2 Cor. 3 5. vanity of the mind thinking truth to be falshood and falsehood to be truth Eph. 4 17. 1 Cor. 1 21. Prou. 14 12. So then the originall or seede of all errors and heresies is in our nature Secondly satan is mighty and subtle he can Reason 2 transforme himselfe into an Angel of light he employeth many instruments in his worke to seduce vs as he did Eue which also worke mightily with strong delusions 2 Cor. 11 3. False Apostles are deceitful workers transforming themselues into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. they come in sheeps clothing though inwardly they bee rauening Reason 3 wolues Mat. 7 15. 2 Pet. 2 1 2. Thirdly it is Gods deepe yet most iust iudgement vpon all that obey not the gospel to send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies This is a punishment sent vpon the vnthankfulnesse of men when they haue the light and yet shut their eies heare the sound of the Gospel and yet stop their eares and vnderstand the truth yet harden their hearts against the truth Mat. 13 14 15. 2 Thess 2 11 12. This serueth to reprooue and conuince the Vse 1
him that ruleth all things Vse 3 Lastly it reprooueth such as are contrary minded who neuer came neere where this grace groweth These offend diuers waies first by anger hatred cruelty and reuenge directly against the precept of the Apostle Ro. 12 19. Secondly by reioycing at the calamity of good men as Shemei insulted ouer Dauid when he fled from his sonne Absolon and was constrained to passe ouer Iordan for safety of his life So was it with the Babylonians Edomites ouer the Israelites Psal 137 7. Obad 12 13. Thirdly by enuying and grudging to see others prosper and to greeue at the sight of it But it will be said If we put vp iniuries Obiect we shall be accounted no better then fooles and cowards and be laughed at for our labor Answ Answer We must not regard the corrupt iudgment of man 1 Cor. 4 3. These that are wise in their owne eyes loue the praise of mē more then the praise of God Ioh. 12 48. Let vs seeke the praise of God which is indeed the true praise as for other estimation without this it is but a shadow of true glory if it bee so much And this is a certaine rule that it is no cowardize at all to obey God and to follow his commandements neither is it any point of wisedome to bee ready to reuenge Ier. 8 9. And tell me to what end serue Magistrates in the commonwealth to what ende serue masters in the family are they not set vp of God to end controuersies betweene man and man and quarrels betweene seruant and seruant It is no want of manhood for a subiect to complaine to the Magistrate and to say as the poore widow did in the Gospel Auenge me of mine aduersary Lu. 18 3. It is no part of a coward for the seruant to acquaint his master with the wrongs that are offered vnto him by his fellow seruant Obiection But it is hard for flesh and blood to put vp wrongs and to digest the iniuries which are measured vnto vs. Answ I will say more then that it is vnpossible for flesh and blood to do it Answer if we bee no more then a lumpe of flesh but withall I adde that flesh and blood in the matters of God are euill counsellers and if we haue no more in vs then these and no farther worke begunne in vs it is certaine we are not Gods children neither shall inherite Gods kingdome If we be not spirit as well as flesh wee are none of his 4. And the Lord spake suddenly vnto Moses vnto Aaron and vnto Miriam Come out ye three vnto the Tabernacle of the Congregation they three came out 5. And the Lord came downe in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the doore of the Tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam and they both came foorth Hitherto of their sinne now wee come to Gods proceeding against them consisting partly in a citation partly in a conuiction and partly in the execution of punishment vpon the principall offender First we see how the offenders are cited and summoned to appeare before the Iudge for GOD doth as it were send a processe for Miriam and Aaron to appeare and hold vp their hands at his barre to plead guilty or not guilty He calleth the parties offending and the party offended and wronged before him Albeit the Lord know all things yet he will proceed iudicially against them The doctrine from hence is plain that God neuer bringeth iudgements vpon any people or person Doctrine God neuer bringeth iudgment vpon any but hee searcheth and findeth sufficient cause but he doth first search and finde sufficient cause why hee doeth so Whensoeuer he cometh to iudgement hee will proceed vpon a manifest ground and vpon a iust and knowne cause he neuer doth it rashly but vpon deliberation Gen 3 13 14 and 11 6 7. and 18 31. Zeph. 1 12. The reasons are euident For first heereby Reason 1 the iustice of God is cleered for heereby it appeareth that whatsoeuer he doth inflict he doth it not through any malice to their persons but because they haue iustly prouoked him by their sinnes he doth it in loue to iustice and in hatred to sinne He that hateth a man will smite him before hee make any enquiry of the matter as they dealt with Paul they scourged him to know what hee had done and what was the matter of which hee was accused Acts 22 ver 24. It is not so with God Secondly the Lord requireth that all Magistrates should obserue this course Deut. 13 14. If then he charge them to enquire before they proceed to iudgement much more wil the Lord himselfe obserue the same order This teacheth vs that the iudgements of Vse 1 God must needs be acknowledged to bee alwaies iust though they be sharpe and greeuous yet they are euer righteous For we see he proceedeth vpon knowne causes he goeth not vpon vncertainties but seeth knoweth all things which appeare naked and open before him The heart of man is shut vp from the sight of men and they cannot possibly discerne what lieth and lurketh therein onely it is the Lord that discerneth the heart Psal 33 15 1 Iohn 3 20. The workman must needs know the worke and whatsoeuer is in the work much better then the worke it selfe God is the maker of the heart of man therfore cannot but proceed vpon iust knowne causes Secondly this stoppeth the mouthes of wicked Vse 2 men which are ready to accuse God of iniustice as those in Esay 58 3. where they complaine as if GOD did not see or regard them and Ezek. 18 2 3. they tooke vp a prouerbe saying The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth are set on edge These thought that God punished without measure or rather without cause But as he knoweth all things so he neuer doth any thing but hee goeth vpon a sure ground he maketh enquiry first of all and afterward proceedeth to iudgment Many do so harden their hearts forget their owne waies that they cannot perceiue the iust proceedings and punishments of God If God once open their hearts to see the order which he obserueth they will confesse his iustice condemne their own folly Thirdly it teacheth and instructeth euery Vse 3 man that he should search his owne waies diligently when the hand of God is any way vpon him and consider that God proceedeth in all his iudgements iustly and vpon a sure and tried ground And if a man by searching and sifting his owne waies finde somewhat in himselfe worthy of such iudgement he must know that God knoweth much more by him then himselfe doth 1 Ioh. 3 ver 20. If the patient knoweth somewhat of his own disease the Physition knoweth much more then hee doth so is it in this case he that is a patient vnder Gods hand if he know any thing by himselfe he may well know that God knoweth much more if men by examining
1 3 and patience experience and experience hope and hope would not make ashamed Rom. 5 4 5. The cause therefore for which we suffer must more comfort vs then the trouble which we endure dismay vs. God will neuer be wanting vnto vs by his grace and Spirit to hold vs vp and to stand by vs that either we shall escape the hands of the persecuters or else he will assist vs and strengthen vs in the persecution The affliction is but for a moment but the fruite of it shall remaine for euer Thirdly we must sit downe and cast our accounts Vse 3 before hand what our profession will cost and not thinke with the sonnes of Zebede to sit down at the right hand and at the left hand of Christ in his kingdome Mat. 20 21 but rather learne of Christ Lu. 14 26. to hate father mother wife children brethren sisters yea his owne life that he may continue to be his Disciple When the brethren exhorted Paul not to goe vp to Ierusalem because a Prophet foretold that he should be bound deliuered into the hands of the Gentiles hee answered 〈◊〉 2â— 13. What meane ye to weepe and to breake my heart for I am ready not to bee bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Here was a christian resolution to vndergoe all tribulations and resist euen vnto blood if he were thereunto called The cause of shrinking back is this want of fore-thinking Lastly we ought to labour to possesse our Vse 4 soules with patience and to shew our obedience in suffering as well as in doing the will of God There is a twofold obedience required of vs the one actiue the other passiue Many thinke themselues discharged of this duty if they be carefull to do as God commandeth but they neuer consider that they are bound to glorifie the Name of God by suffering as wel as by doing Christ our Sauiour the most perfect patterne of obedience hath performed the will of God both waies and this is the substance of the Gospel to teach what he did and what he suffered Acts 10 39. Wherefore let our patient minde also be knowne vnto al meÌ„ Phil. 4 5. Luke 21 19. 11. And the Lord saide vnto Moses How long will this people prouoke me and how long will it be yer ye beleeue me for all the signes which I haue shewed among you 12. I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherite c. Now we come to consider how God proceedeth against these sinners first touching his threatning then of his execution of iudgment He threatneth to sweepe theÌ„ away with the pestilence and so to roote them out vtterly The doctrine is this Among other diseases and iudgements sent for sinne Doctrine Among other iudgements sent for sinne the plague is one the plague and pestilence is one It cometh not by chance or fortune but is sent of God into townes and cities as 2 Sam. 24 15. The Lord sent a pestilence in Israel from the morning to the time appointed Deut. 28 21 22. Leuit. 26 25. Ezek â—4 19. Numb 16 46 47. The reasons first because all diseases afflictions come froÌ„ God Amos 3 6 they come Reason 1 not out of the dust neither arise from beneath the earth but they proceed froÌ„ God Secondly the titles giuen vnto them proue as much they are called the sword of the Lord 2 Sam. 24 16 and the arrow of the Lord Psal â— â—1 This teacheth that the pestilence is not caused onely or chiefly by naturall meanes but Vse 2 the chiefe and main cause is the wrath of God against sinne Deut. 28 15. And hence it is that it bringeth with it horrour and feare weeping and lamentation terrour and astonishment because God striketh the conscience inwardly as well as the body outwardly Hence it is that there is remouing hither and thither flying too and fro and much amazement in all persons It is sinne that bringeth all both publike and priuate calamities and God is able to finde out our sinnes and vs in our sinnes And as we sinne many waies so he hath many waies to plague vs and it lyeth in him to punish vs with one or with many of his plagues together The Lord if it had pleased him could haue punished Dauid with these three iâ—â—gements 2 Sam. 24 13. famine the sword and the pestilence al together and his pride and vaine confidence in his owne strength deserued no lesse but he brought onely one of them and put him to his choise whether of them he would haue We can reason oftentimes among our selues of the causes of the plague and can tell that it came into such and such places first of all by such a carrier or traueller or infected person neuerthelesse though it be not to bee denied but there may be such causes we may not omit or forget the chiefe and principall And tell me how came it at the first and what shall we make the first cause within vs but sinne and without vs but God No plague beginneth but by his iust and righteous hand so no plague can ceasse before God will that sent the same And how is it that one citty is infected more then another and one house more then another and in the same house some are smitten others are not touched Is not this the will and pleasure of God also This then noteth the great folly of such as say Oh this is a contagious time of the yeare when this season is a little ouerpast that wee may haue some frost or cold or winde to purge the aire you shall see all well againe time will weare out all But if God call not backe his hand and stay his iudgement no winde no winter no weather no cold shall be able to do vs any good And therfore we see oftentimes that though we haue had many nipping frosts and strong windes yet this sicknesse hath encreased and not beene diminished Secondly the readiest way to auoide the Vse 2 plague is to abstaine from al those things that bring it continue it and encrease it Men ordinarily do vse sweeping of houses washing of chambers cleansing of streetes perfuming of stuffe killing of dogges taking of physicke and such like neither doth God condemne or restraine these or any good meanes to releeue our selues prouided that we trust in God and not in them notwithstanding it is certaine that all mans pollicy without God is able to do nothing The plague cannot be remoued by any mans industry We must wash clense and purge our hearts by true and vnfained repentance We must remoue that which bringeth the plague Iam. 4 8. Esay 1 16. Ier. 4 14. Ps 51 2 7. All these places shew how foule and filthy we are by nature For that which is cleane of it selfe needeth no washing but we neede washing and purging and therefore we must confesse we are vncleane Nay no mire is so
know him in his kingdome For the word is the path way that leadeth vnto it and therefore is called the Gospell of the Kingdome This teacheth vs to consider diligently the saying of Christ Iohn 17. Iohn 17 3. This is eternall life that they know thee to be the only very God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ If then we desire eternall life we must labour to know God lest he say to vs in his wrath Wherein the knowledge of God consisteth Depart from me I know you not This knowledge of God necessarily required of vs consisteth in these points following First we must confesse acknowledge him to be the soueraign and highest good Dan. 4 32. incomparison of whom 〈◊〉 things are reputed as nothing being as drosse drauery and nothing to be desired with him as Christ saith Why callest thou me good Math. 19 17 there is none good but one euen God If we equall ought with him or preferre any thing in heauen or earth before him wee are ignorant of him and know him not Secondly it behoueth vs to depend vpon him and to put our whole trust in him alone not in any man or Angell for then we make flesh our strength and so leane vpon a broken staffe that cannot stay vs but will deceiue vs. Thirdly wee must draw neere vnto him in time of need as to the fountaine of all goodnesse with all reuerence and humility crauing all things of him by hearty and feruent prayer If we call vpon him hee hath promised to reueale himselfe vnto vs. Fourthly we must giue him thankes for all blessings receiued from him not only in prosperity but in aduersity Now wee shall shew our selues thanâ—full vnto him by dooing that which he commandeth by auoyding that which he forbiddeth by praising and aduancing his name for all his works whether they be works of his mercy or whether they be works of his iustice in correcting of his Children and in punishing his enemies Fiftly we must seeke the knowledge of his waies word and increase in the knowledge thereof which bringeth vs to eternall life As we grow forward in knowledge so wee grow forward vnto life and when our knowledge shall be perfected then our life shal be perfected in the next world Now if eternall life consist in this knowledge doubtlesse death is to be found in the ignorance of God The Apostle ioyneth these two as companions together ignorance and death They haue their vnderstanding darkned Ephes 4 38. heere is the ignorance of God are strangers from the life of God here is death For the priuation or want of the life of God is eternal death Wherfore whosoeuer desireth to liue the life of God must auoid ignorance which is the forerunner cause of death And what is the darknesse of ignorance as it were a mist before our eies but the beginning of vtter darknesse in the pit of destruction where shall be weeping gnashing of teeth Hence it is that Christ saith Iohn 10 When he hath sent foorth his owne sheepe Iohn 10.4.5 hee goeth before them and the sheepe follow him for they know his voyce and they will not follow a stranger but they flie from him for they know not the voyce of strangers If then we would approoue our selues to be the sheepe of Christ wee must haue this eare-mark we must know his voice we must heare his word wee must partake his Sacraments otherwise we shall be Goats not Sheepe Many there are that would bee accounted Sheepe but they want this badge cognizance they are not hearers but contemners of his word they follow not Christ Iesus the Shepheard but flye from him they know not his voyce they are not acquainted with his call but they thinke themselues in the best case when they are farthest off from the hearing of it The Lord calleth vs by his worde the preaching of the Gospell is his voice if we regard it not woe be vnto vs we exclude our selues from his Sheep-fold and renounce our beeing in the number of his Sheepe Lastly we must yeeld all obedience vnto him and his word For as all his Sheep are hearing Sheepe and none of them deafe dull eared so are all obedient Sheepe They haue their eares opened which maketh them hearers and they haue them bored to their heart which maketh them obedient and to offer vp themselues as a sacrifice well pleasing vnto God But all our hearing shall hinder vs and serue to further and increase our condemnation vnlesse we ioyne vnto it a carefull obedience according to the doctrine of the Apostle Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely Iam. 1.22 deceiuing your owne selues If these things be found in vs then we know God aright then we may be assured wee shall be knowne by him and not denied of him This is that vse which Christ himselfe toucheth Iohn 10. I am the good Shepheard and know mine and am knowne of mine Where we see that the consideration of Gods acknowledging vs to bee his should bee a forcible meanes to make vs endeuour to know him For who are wee that he should know vs Yea what is man that he should be mindfull of him or the son of man that he should consider him Wee are dust and asâ—es rottennesse and corruption yea lighter then vanity no better then enemies to him and the heires of wrath as well as others Seeing therefore the bountifulnesse and loue of God toward vs hath appeared so that of his mercy not our merits hee hath saued vs by â—he wash ng of the new birth Titus 3.5 and the renewing of the holy Ghost let vs passe our pilgrimage heere in feare and aboue all things let vs labor to know him in his owne ordinances and to seâ—kâ— the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse that in the end of our dayes we may be knowne of him to his glory and our endlesse comfort in Christ Iesus our blessed Lord and Sauiour Verse 17. Then Moses and Aaron tooke these men which are expressed by their names 18. And they called all the Congregation together in the first day of the second Month who declared the r kindreds by their families and by the houses of their Fathers according to the number of their names from twenty yeare and aboue man by man 19. As the Lord had commanded Moses so he numbred them in the wildernesse of Sanai HItherto we haue heard and handled the Commandement of God The obedieÌ„ce of Moses and Aaron requiring Moses and Aaron to number the people now followeth their obedience without any delaying or deferring the matter It is meete that the seruants obey the commandement of their Maister and that subiects perfourme the decrees of their Princes Hence it is that Moses taking to him Aaron and the heads of the Tribes do addresse themselues to take a suruay of the people discharging their duty with all diligence He doth not
tempted Where we see he beginneth the sentence with the plurall number and endeth it with the singular Wherefore to returne vnto our purpose from which we haue digressed to answere an obiection and to open the interpretation of this Scripture faithfull parents who haue endeuoured to sow the seede of eternall life in the mindes of their children are not to bee censured and condemned because they haue leude and vngodly children that giue euident tokens rather of reprobation then of saluation as if it were their fault and offence for as much as they may bee carefull to vse all meanes of faith and furtherance to eternall life and yet notwithstanding faile of their end If they doe not discharge their duties they shall be guilty of their blood but if they doe teach them they are free they haue deliuered their soules If wee haue vsed diligence and be euill spoken off let vs comfort our selues in the Lord and rest our selues in the cleerenesse of our owne consciences and comfort our hearts in the testimony thereof being well assured that in the great day of account the LORD shall acquit vs when the mouth of iniquitie shall be stopped Vse 3 Thirdly from this ground ariseth great consolation to all faithfull parents who are to comfort themselues in this if among many children and a plentifull issue they haue some fewe of them yea but one onely that appeareth to be the faithfull childe of GOD albeit it bee otherwise with the rest GOD indeede will receiue glory in all though some of them bee reprobates this must preuaile with our natural affections and teach vs to suppresse our greefe and sorrow No doubt it is cause of the greatest griefe and maketh their head as waters and their eyes a fountaine of teares that they make their bed to swimme and water their couch with weeping which striketh neerer vnto them to beholde their vngodly wayes then to see them suffer a thousand deaths Abraham was exceedingly mooued when he was commanded to cast out of his family his sonne Ishmael Gen. 21.11 and 17.18 for the thing was grieuous in Abrahams sight because of his sonne and before this he had saide O that Ishmael might liue in thy sight yet neuerthelesse he yeelded to the will of God who would therein bee honoured So when GOD respecteth vs and confirmeth his couenant toward vs and taketh vnto himselfe any of our seede we ought rather to praise God for this mercy and goodnesse toward vs in sauing one then murmure against him or aske the question of him why he calleth not all If it please God so to deale in mercy toward vs that he vouchsafeth to be both our God and the God of all I say of all our seede we are bound vnto him in so much greater dutie and he requireth of vs the greater obedience and looketh for a sacrifice of greater thankefulnesse Hee dealeth not so with all good men euen such as haue faithfull soules and desire to approoue their seruice vnto him who when they haue giuen them what education they can and heartily craued of GOD his blessing vpon their holy endeauours yet haue found many crosses and such inward griefes as haue beene ready to breake euen their heart-strings and to bring their gray haires with sorrow to the graue Neuerthelesse we must not suffer our ouer-strong affections to preuaile too farre within vs and to swallow vs vp with ouermuch heauinesse when we beholde with our owne eyes the wickednesse of our children that are come out of our owne loynes and are of our owne blood when we see them without hope of being reclaimed and reformed as those that runne into all excesse of riot no though we should see them taken away in the prophanenesse of their hearts For why should we repine at it to consider how God glorifieth himselfe albeit it be in the destruction of some of ours Of this we haue two most notable examples in Aaron and in Eli neuer to be forgotten of vs recorded in the Bookes of Leuiticus and of Samuel Touching Aaron his two eldest sonnes Nadab and Abihu of whom we now speake sinned against the Lord in offering strange fire and seruing of God otherwise then hee appointed which is a thing detestable in his eyes and there came out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them and they dyed before the Lord. Heere was a grieuous sinne committed heere was a grieuous punishment executed vpon them and their father did beholde it with his eyes and how they were carryed out of the campe in their coates Moses tolde him that the LORD would bee sanctified in them that come nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified so that Aaron helde his peace Leuiticus chapter 10. verse 3. So touching Eli when he heard a fearefull iudgement denounced against his posterity he said It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Samuel 3.18 Thus ought we to doe and not vexe and turmoyle our selues without reason for that which we cannot remedy and redresse All the children of the faithfull are not the children of the promise they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God Galatians chapter 4. verse 23. All that are the seede of Adraham are not the children of Abraham Romanes chapter 9. verse 6 7. neither are all the Israel of God which are of Israel Heere it may be obiected which the Apostle Obiection 1 Peter speaketh to the Iewes The promise is made to you and to your children Actes 2.39 God is the God of the faithfull and of their seede I answere The Apostle answereth this in the next wordes Answer euen as many as the Lord our God shall call So many as haue God to bee their God shall in his good time be called to the knowledge of the trueth Hence it is that in the promise annexed to the second commandement it is said Exod. 20.6 hee sheweth mercy to thousands that loue him and keepe his commandements Thus hee limiteth the promise of mercy he restraineth it to those that loue him This promise is performed when it holdeth in any albeit a farre off Another obiection ariseth out of Paules words to the Corinthians where the seede of Obiection the faithfull are said to be holy that is sanctified and cleansed The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife 1 Cor. 7.14 and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now are they holy If then they be all cleane and holy it followeth they are also vnder the election of grace I answere they are holy touching the outward couenant and generall election Answer as to be of the visible Church to haue right in the Sacraments and to haue interest in the outward priuiledges therof as in the word prayer and such like Thus the whole nation of the Iewes are saide to bee chosen and thus they may bee saide Rom. 11.16 and are saide to bee sanctified They
the Lord Obiect Ephes 6. Ephe. 6.4 If any obiect against these commandements They will be vnruly and disordered albeit they be neuer so well brought vp and though their parents be very carefull they will be very carelesse and therefore they were as good holde their peace as to speake to them and not to be regarded Answer I answere so it is sometimes but alwayes it is not so Many that haue feared GOD with all their housholdes haue receiued much comfort by their children and seruants that haue had good instruction put into them as pure and wholesome liquour into a vessell and haue seene the fruite thereof to the vnspeakeable ioy of their hearts This we might shew at large in the reformed families of Abraham and Cornelius and sundry others As they planted and sowed good seede in the parts of their families as it were in a fruitfull field so they reaped a plentifull haruest Abraham had seruants that were also Gods seruants Gen 24.12 and 14.14 Act. 10.7 and prayed earnestly vnto him Cornelius had a souldier that waited vpon him that feared God yea all his band of Italian souldiers were Christian souldiers Againe we must trust GOD with the effect and successe of the education that we giue them He will worke thereby by his Spirit in all that belong vnto him as seemeth good to his heauenly wisedome If he doe not giue a blessing for causes vnknowne to vs but knowne to him let vs leaue Gods secret yet iust iudgments to himselfe The third particular branch is to pray to God for them to guide them in his wayes and to blesse them in his feare and to blesse our labours bestowed among them This wee see in Iob Iob 1.5 Chapter 1. toward his children When the dayes of their feasting were gone about he sent and sanctified them and rose vp early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all for he said It may be that my sonnes haue sinned and cursed God in their hearts He was carefull for those which were committed vnto his charge and feared they might offend God in their meetings albeit hee knew no such euill by them The wise man saith Happy is the man◠that feareth alway but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Prou. 28. Prou. 28.14 A like example wee haue in Dauid Psalme 72. where he prayeth for Salomon Giue the king thy iudgements O God and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne hee shall iudge thy people with righteousnesse and thy poore with iudgement So then the faithfull are to entreate and craue from God the continuance of his couenant to their children and to begge from his handes an holy and sanctified seede We must not presume because we are faithfull and haue receiued to beleeue that therefore our seede must of necessity be so likewise for then we shall but deceiue our selues Let not vs therefore faile in crauing a blessing from God vpon our children if we desire to make them heires of blessing Fourthly it is required of vs to reioyce in the blessing of God vpon them and to giue him praise and glory when he vouchsafeth to shew mercy vpon them and vpon vs. If hee did leaue them in their sinnes and in that corruption which they receiued from vs Psal 51. as it were by inheritance we could not finde iust cause of complaint against him who is bound neither to vs nor to our children but forasmuch as he sheweth much mercy to our posteritie as he hath done vnto vs we haue matter of praise and thankesgiuing giuen vnto vs whereby also we shall procure their farther good It is noted of the Iailour Actes 16. Act. 16.34 that he reioyced that they of his houshold also beleeued in the Lord. He accounted it not sufficient for himselfe to beleeue nor reioyced onely in his owne saluation but forasmuch as God had vouchsafed greater mercy vnto him to call his family also to the faith this cheered his heart much more If we haue tasted of the like mercy let vs not be forgetfull of the like duty Lastly it belongeth vnto vs for the furtherance of their good to giue those all good encouragement in well doing that are conscionable in their duties to God and to vs we are bound to praise and commend them to comfort them to cheere them vp and to defend them against all malicious enemies that seeke to disgrace them The Apostle Paul willeth parents not to prouoke their children lest they be discouraged Coloss 3.21 It is a meanes to coole and quench zeale to finde discouragements in godly proceedings On the other side we ought to shew all dislike and hatred against euill and an angry countenance toward such as are vnreformed The Prophet touching the right ordering and good gouernment of his house declareth that hee would not know a wicken person and him that hath an high looke he will not suffer Psal 101.4.5 His eyes should be vpon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with him hee that walketh in the perfect way hee shall serue him This is a good meanes to make both houses to prosper and kingdomes to flourish when the godly are aduanced and the euil doers are beaten down but when euil is set aloft and goeth vnchecked and vncontrolled and godlinesse is driuen to the wall it prognosticateth and foretelleth the ruine and vtter desolation of those societies albeit for a time they may continue When they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wildernesse Wee haue hitherto spoken of the destruction of Aarons sonnes before the face of their father now let vs see for what cause it was done The sinne of his sonnes is remembred to be this they offered strange fire that is such as was not appointed and commanded of the Lord they tooke not the fire from the altar to burne incense with all which came downe from heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests vntill the captiuity of Babylon Now whereas the authour of the second booke of Macchabees telleth vs that whē their fathers were led into Persia the Priests that were then deuout tooke the fire of the altar priuily Macch. 1.19 and hid it in an hollow place of a pit without water where they kept it sure so that the place was vnknowne to all men hath no testimony of trueth out of the sacred Scriptures as we shal shew more in the 26. Chapter of this Booke of Numbers Moses maketh mention of this example of the sinne and punishment of Aarons sonnes to the end the Leuites should be more wise and wary in the execution of their office because God hereby sheweth that they shal neuer escape his hand that do not rightly discharge the duties committed vnto them For the examples of Gods iudgements vpon the corrupters and contemners of his worship must make vs more carefull and fearefull to offend Now whereas they are punished according to their
riches and reioyce in it more then they that finde great spoiles Account the merchandise of it better then the Merchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof more precious then Rubies so that nothing that we highly esteeme can be compared vnto it Prou. 3.13 14. Magnifie it as a treasure of that value that rather then thou wilt leaue it thou wilt be ready to forsake all that thou hast Matth. 13. There is nothing that more slaketh and shaketh off our deuout attention then to account the precious word of God vile and base in our eyes according to the corrupt custome of many in our dayes that preferre huskes fit to feed swine before the fat of wheat that is sent to nourish the sonnes of God Fourthly we must know that there is great hope of those that refuse not the meanes but submit themselues vnto it but none at all of those that vtterly refuse it What God may worke extraordinarily who sometimes feedeth by miracle from heauen as he did the Israelites Exod. 16.15 1 King 17.6 and Eliah in the wildernesse we cannot affirme and they that waite vpon such vanities forsake their owne mercy But of this point we haue spoken already Lastly it is our duty to lay vp the Word in our hearts that it may not be taken from vs but that we may practise it and profit by it For all our hearing must aime at profiting We must desire the sincere milke of the Word 1 Pet. 2.2 that we may grow thereby Now it can neuer take root except we heare it with an honest and good heart Luke 8.15 If we haue it only running in our mouthes or swimming in our braines it is as the grasse vpon the house toppe Psal 129.6.7 which withereth afore it groweth vp wherewith the mower filleth not his hand nor he that bindeth sheaues his bosome Let vs therefore first of all giue our hearts vnto God pray him to reforme them and to open them that so we may attend to those things that are deliuered vnto vs. As for those that haue their mouthes open but their hearts empty of the word they are as sounding brasse or a tinkling cymball they may please themselues and deceiue others for a time but their hypocrisie shall be vncased their deceitfull dealing manifested and themselues prooued to be no better then vessels that make a noyse but are without all substance in them Verse 11 12. And I behold I haue taken the Leuites c. Hitherto we haue spoken of the commandement of God directed vnto Moses that he should present the Leuites before Aaron the Priest that they may minister vnto him now we are to proceede to the reason of the commandement where we see the cause rendred why they should be giuen vnto him because euen vnto this time the first borne had executed the Priests office being consecrated vnto God and preserued out of the common destruction when the first borne in Egypt were destroyed He putteth them in mind of Gods mercy toward them who might iustly haue destroyed them as well as the Egyptians if it had pleased him When we see a common desolation or destruction and our selues as a remnant taken out of the common calamity it ought to make vs thankfull vnto God and to acknowledge that wee holde our life of him in cheife Thus did Noah stand affected when he offered sacrifice to God after he was come out of the Arke and was preserued with his family from the flood of waters Thus doth Daniel Dan. 5.20 â—â— teach Belshazzar the king to humble his heart knowing the heauy iudgment that God brought vpon his father and tooke his glory from him We must profit by the examples of Gods workes both of his mercy and iudgement vpon others We learne from hence Doctrine that the first borne were from the beginning the Lords The first boâ— were sanctified to the Lord. and consecrated to serue him and to instruct others This dignity and preheminence of the first borne beganne among the sonnes of Adam and continued in his posteritie as well before as after the generall destruction of the old world the eldest euer succeeding in the kingly and Priestly office vnlesse for some open impiety or other secret cause best knowne vnto God and vnknowne vnto the Church hee were reiected so that there was euermore some excellency vntill that Israel came out of Egypt and the Church became nationall Hence it is that God saith to Caine the elder sonne of Adam If thou doe well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sinne lieth at the doore and vnto thee shall be his desire and thou shalt rule ouer him Gen. 4.7 To this purpose Iacob speaketh to Reuben Gen. 49.3 Thou art my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power Thus he was by priuiledge of birthright and thus was euery sonne by creation that first opened the matrice Luke 2.23 Whereby we see that in the family of the faithfull from the first man that God created vntill Aaron was sanctified to be a Priest vnto God in stead of the first borne the eldest of the family ordinarily had both the kingly and Priestly direction of the rest of his brethren As we saw this before in the house of Adam so it appeareth also afterward For when Caine the eldest sonne of Adam to whom the dignity of the first borne did pertaine was for his iniquitie reiected from that honour and excommunicated from the Church which was a spirituall kinde of banishment God raised vp Seth who being taught by his father touching the fall of man touching the punishments of sinne and the promised Sauiour assisted him while he liued in guiding his family and succeeded him after his death in the gouernment of the Church of God which was as a little flocke in comparison of the race of Caines posterity that married many wiues and encreased in great multitudes In like sort Enoch succeded Seth and dying â—ield of the â—rch lib. 5. â— â—et 2.5 â—â— 4. â— left that honour to Kenan Kenan to Mahalaleel c. These were preachers of righteousnesse and repentance some of them indued with the spirit of Prophesie to conuince that wicked generation These Preachers of God being contemned and despised in the world such entertainement haue his seruants euer found the flood came and swept them away Noah gouerned as a father the Church of God before and after the Flood and left the same dignitie and office to Shem his second sonne Iaphet his eldest sonne being put behinde for secret causes knowne vnto God euen as his father had committed it vnto him â—en 10.21 Thus we might proceed and goe forward to shew in succeeding ages of the Church how God continued this fauour to the first borne and thereby set as it were a crowne of honour vpon their head Hence it is that at the giuing of the
should be as frontlets betweene their eyes and write them vpon the postes of their houses and gates of their Cities all these were as helpes for memory against forgetfulnesse as if he had said vnto them Haue them alwayes in remembrance Of all persons old men seeme to haue the weakest memories which decay with their age and these doe most of all complaine of them howbeit the heathen man telleth vs that there is no man so old Cicero lib. de Senect that hath forgotten where he laid vp his treasure All men remember the things they most regard such as they loue they will not forget forasmuch as Where the treasure is there will the heart be also Mat. 6.21 If then we remember not the things of God the chiefe cause is because we doe not much esteeme of them Set an high price vpon them value them aboue thy siluer and thy gold esteeme them beyond all pearles and precious stones and thou shalt finde thy memory much bettered and encreased The fourth is to plant in vs true godlinesse and reforme our liues as it were to rid our ground of all bryars bushes before we sow any thing in it The gate of Gods house is the gate of righteousnesse because none but the iust and righteous ought to enter into it Psa 118.19 20. This is the cause that Iacob when hee went to Bethel to worship God first cleansed his house of the filthines of idolatry and commanded his houshold to be cleane Gen. 35. â— and change their garments thereby vnderstanding the purity of the heart and the changing of their mindes by the renuing of them according to true godlinesse Thus doth the Lord command the Israelites to wash their cloathes and sanctifie themselues before they came to heare the law at his mouth Exo. 19.14 To this purpose Dauid saith Psal 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency so will I compasse thine Altar O Lord. If we come into Gods presence without sanctification we offer a sacrifice full of blemishes which his soule abhorreth He reiecteth our prayers as abominable and our hearing of his word is turned into sinne Lastly we are bound to lay vp in the heart that which we heare for God especially requireth the heart If that be wanting he misseth it by and by he espyeth it so soon as we come as he did him that came to the marriage feast without his wedding garment Mat. 22.11 There is no man hath any treasure that leaueth or layeth it commonly and carelesly but he locketh it vp that no man should take it from him the word is a pearle and a pearle of such price that when he hath found it that knoweth the worth of it Matth. 13. he selleth all that he hath to buy it the heart is as it were the coffer where we ought to keepe it If we hold it in our hands or haue it in our heads or suffer it to dwell in our mouthes onely and cannot afford to giue it roome and lodging in our hearts it is in danger euery foote to be taken from vs and we surprised of it Esay 29.13 Such persons honour him with their lips but their harts are far from him Matt. 15. The blessed Virgin is commended that she kept those sayings in her heart So did Isaac go out into the fields to meditate Luk. 2.10 Gen. 24.63 at euentide he chose a solitary place and fit season to call to minde such things as he had heard Wherefore let vs also lay vp in our soules and ponder in our hearts such good things as wee haue learned and let vs hide them as in the casket of a good conscience that in all times of need we may bring foorth these precious treasures to helpe vs. We know not into what troubles and perplexities we may come how we may be tempted assaulted into what dangers of spiritual enemies we may fall how bitter will those dayes be vnto vs if wee haue no word of God dweling in vs to comfort vs raise vs vp againe It wil then be too late to go and buy oile in our lamps when we should vse it Let vs store our selues with plenty of heauenly meditations that we may neuer be too seeke and arme our selues with such sufficient furniture that wheresoeuer the enemy seeke to foile vs and to make a breach into our soules we may be able to resist him and to stand fast in the power of God against all the wyles of the diuell 21. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 22. Take also the summe of the sonnes of Gershon throughout the houses of their fathers by their families 23. From thirty yeares old and vpward vntill fifty yeare old shalt thou number them all that enter in to performe the seruice to doe the worke in the Tabernacle of the Congregation 24. This is the seruice of the families of the Gershonites to serue and for burdens 25. And they shall beare the Curtaines of the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle of the Congregation his couering and the couering of the badgers skinnes that is aboue vpon it and the hanging for the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation 26. And the hangings of the Court and the hanging for the doore of the gate of the Court which is by the Tabernacle by the Altar round about and their cords and all the instruments of their seruice all that is made for them so shall they serue 27. At the appointment of Aaron and his sonnes shall be all the seruice of the sonnes of the Gersbonites in all their burdens and in all their seruice and ye shall appoint vnto them in charge all their burdens 28. This is the seruice of the families of the sonnes of Gershon in the Tabernacle of the Congregation and their charge shall be vnder the hand of Ithamar the sonne of Aaron the Priest Hitherto Moses hath spoken of the Kohathites and he hath done it more largely then he doth handle the other families for the causes noted before In the next place he proceedeth to the Gershonites Touching these first God commandeth them also to be numbred and tâ—â—ir age is appointed and limited as in the foâ—mer from thirty yeares old and vpward vntill fifty Secondly their proper and peculiar charge is expressed what burdens they are to beare to wit the Curtaines and the couerings the cordes the veiles and all the instruments appertaining to their seruice Thirdly all these things before mentioned must be done at the commandement of Aaron and his sonnes Ver. 22 23. Take also the summe of the sons of Gershon c. Obserue with me in this diuision that Moses repeateth sundry points that are set downe in the former chapter as will euidently appeare vnto vs if wee make tryall and comparison in euery one of the three families as for example touching the Kohathites that which hee speaketh of them in this chapter verse 5 7 9. compare it with the 31. verse of the third chapter
soule that they may be preserued from sin from the infection of sin Now if any aske whether the disease of the leprosie be not contagious and therfore whether it be not expedient that all such as are taken and touched with it should be barred and banished from the society of men I confesse this is true and conuenient ought to be so but this was not the chiefe and principall end that God respected and therfore this is left to the Physitians and Masters of that profession to iudge according to the rules of art and experience God committed the matter to the Priests that they should order all things according to the directions giuen vnto them it had beene much safer to haue committed and commended the matter to such as had iudgement in that faculty Moreouer we must consider The leprosie of three sorts that as this disease was foule and filthy vgly and feareful so there are three sorts of it named in the law to wit the leprosie of the body the leprosie of the garments and the leprosie of the house so that it is most probable according to the opinion of the learned that the Iewes in a proper and peculiar manner vnknowne to vs at this day and vnknowne to the Iewes themselues at this day were troubled and tormented with this disease Euen as we that are cast into the last age of the world haue diseases that follow some sinnes which in former times were not knowne to the Physitians themselues And heereupon no doubt prophane writers tooke occasion to deuise sundry lyes and slanders against the whole nation of the Iewes as if it were hereditary vnto them and that all the posterity of Abraham were full of botches and blisters and itches and therefore were driuen out of Egypt by force Ioseph antiq lib. 9. lest they should corrupt the rest with their infection This forged surmise had ancient Authors to rest vpon Cornel. Tacit. Iustin lib. 38. and is as likely to proceed from the Egyptians themselues a proude and hauty people as from any other who being ashamed of the plagues that were sent among them and inflicted among them and desirous to blot out the memory of the reproch of their nation and of the vengeance of eternall God turned the iudgement of scabs blisters that fel vpon theÌ„ from themselues to the people of Israel as if they had infected them were for that cause compelled to banish them out of Egypt lest they should corrupt the whole countrey with their maladies But if this had bin the true reason of their departure why did they retaine them so long among them and in the end bestow vpon theÌ„ siluer and gold iewels and precious stones thereby spoiling themselues to enrich their enemies or why did they persecute them with such hatred at the red sea that themselues were drowned Furthermore among the curses that God denounceth to bring vpoÌ„ his people for the contempt of his word disobedience to his lawes Deut. 28.27 he threatneth to smite them with the botch of Egypt and with the hemrohds and with the scabbes and with the itch whereof they should not be healed Lastly if the people of God had beene haunted and vexed with any such filthy diseases the Lord would neuer haue established such sharpe and seuere lawes among them the like whereof were not to be found among forreine nations whereby such were separated from the company of men as had any loathsome and noysome vlcers and sicknesses following them yea if any suspition did arise they were seuered and sundered from the rest for a time vntill the trueth were throughly knowne and found out as appeareth at large in the booke of Leuiticus Verse 2. Command the children of Israel that they put out c. Heere we haue a plaine and expresse commandement of God charging Moses to put out lepers vncleane persons from the Congregation The Apostle Paul speaking of fornicators and incestuous persons that were vncleane liuers vncleane in body and in soule vseth the same word Put out such from among you 1 Cor. 5.13 thereby Doctrine 1 shewing what God intended by this Ceremony Obstinate sinners are to be cast out of the Church the substance whereof teacheth this truth namely that obstinate sinners are to be cast out of the Church All open offenders and vnreformed persons by the dreadfull and direfull sentence of excommunication as it were by the two edged sword of God are to be cut off from the fellowship of the Church and from all the priuiledges that belong vnto the faithfull This ordinance of God hath good ground vpon the separation mentioned in this place which was not commanded as a ciuill policy to keep the whole from the sick but as a part of Ecclesiasticall discipline inasmuch as the Priests the sonnes of Aaron had the whole knowledge of the cause as well the shutting of them out as the receiuing of them into the hoste as we shewed by sundry examples before There are that draw the originall of this Church-censure euen from Adam whom the Lord cast out of Eden and set an Angel at the entry of the garden who by shaking the blade of a glistering sword feared him from re-entring and suffered him not to touch or taste of that tree which was a Sacrament of life vnto him The like doe the Hebrew interpreters obserue touching Caine Gen. 3.24 whom the Lord cast out and banished from the face of God Gen. 4.14 as the lepers were cast out of the fellowship of men For what else is the face of God but the place appointed for his worship where he was wont to appeare to the Fathers and where Adam and his family met together to serue him and to sacrifice vnto him And al â—his was before the law when the sons of God were manifestly distinguished from the sonnes of men Gen 6.1 In the time of the Law we haue many ceremonies to this purpose We see that the vncleane were kept from comming to the Tabernacle from entring into the Temple from the partaking of the sacrifices and from eating the Passeouer Num 19. â— 20. and 9. â— So in another place the Lord threatneth that he shal be cut off from his people that being vncleane eateth of his sacrifice and that the sacrifice shal profit him nothing nor be accounted to him to take away his sinne but that it shall remaine vpon his owne head These are no obscure types darke shadowes but liuely pictures and patternes that represent vnto vs the nature of excommunication Let vs come to the new Testament Mat. 16.13 and 18.18 The vse of the keyes to open and shut and the words of binding and loosing come directly to this purpose And as this trueth is taught by precept so it is farther enlarged and warranted by sundry examples Abraham is commanded to cast out the bond woman her son Ge. 21.10 â— out of his family which was
enemies to their brethren they draw an heauier enemy vpon themselues to wit God himselfe Before we passe from this so necessary a duty it shall not be amisse for vs both to obserue such motiues as may stirre vs vp to the practise of it and to answere such obiections as may hinder vs from yeelding obedience vnto it First of all let vs lay before vs the example of Christ the author and finisher of our saluation who had greater wrong offered vnto him then he had who was more innocent then he that was as a sheepe dumbe before his shearer and opened not his mouth and therefore the Apostle Peter saith chap. 2.22 Christ suffered for vs leauing vs an example that ye should follow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reuiled reuiled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but coÌ„mitted himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously This farther appeareth vnto vs in that he prayed for his enemies that persecuted him He had power in his own hand to haue resisted their force 〈◊〉 34 reuenged his cause He could haue praied to his Father he would haue giuen him more then twelu legions of Angels yet notwithstanding he suffered patiently 〈◊〉 â—6 53 the iust for the vniust 〈◊〉 18. that he might bring vs to God If any thinke or alledge that this example is too high for vs aboue our reach and too eminent in regard of his person who is God aboue to be worshipped let vs set before vs the examples of the faithful seruants of God that haue liued in all ages in the time of the law and vnder the Gospel â—ed moâ— that this may be another motiue vnto vs. How often did the children of Israel murmure against Moses and Aaron and sometimes went about to stone him yet he neuer sought reuenge against them albeit he had bin able to right his own cause by force When Miriam Aaron spake against him by reason of the woman of Ethiopia 〈◊〉 12.2 3 and said What hath the Lord spoken only by Moses hath he not also spoken by vs Moses held his peace and gaue not taunt for taunt rebuke for rebuke he was a very meeke man aboue all the men that were vpon the earth Thus was it with Dauid a man indeed after Gods owne heart though he were a king and wanted not seruants to execute his will yet he would not himselfe reuenge neither suffer any other to take reuenge on Shimei albeit he cursed the king with an horrible curse Saul sought his life 〈◊〉 16.9 and preferred him to be his son in law for no other cause but to lay a snare before him when Dauid had his life oftentimes in his hand to saue it or to destroy it ye he was so farre from seeking reuenge 〈◊〉 26.9 〈◊〉 24.5 that his heart smote him for cutting off the lap of his garment When Stephen had made a worthy defence for himselfe and his own innocency that the enemies could take no iust exception against him their hearts brast asunder and they gnashed at him with their teeth ran vpon him violently all at once 〈◊〉 60. but he kneeled down and cryed with a loud voyce Lord lay not this sin to their charge The Church of Rome are not ashamed to teach thereby to strengthen the hands of traitors rebels that rise vp against Princes that Christians of old deposed not Nero and Dioclesian and Iulian the Apostata and Valens the Arrian and such like persecutous and heretikes 〈◊〉 de Rom. â—â—b 5. c. 7. because they wanted temporall power and if they had had power they would haue done it If this be true all their patience was perforce and is not thanke-worthy But they testifie in many places that they had power sufficient but held it vnlawfull to resist and rebell They had filled all places Cities Ilands castles boroughes tents tribes bandes palaces â— Apolog. the Senate and Court not excepted so that they wanted neither number nor strength to make their party good They professe that albeit they be equall in power yet with them it is more tollerable to be killed then to kill They affirme freely God forbid that his religion should be maintained with fire and sword They acknowledge no other weapons to be put into their hands but praiers tears Arma nostra sunt preâ—es lacrymae Tert. They neuer practised any reueÌ„ge against their persecutors and those that hated them One night with a little fire would haue serued and sufficed them largely to be reuenged of their enemies but they accounted it vnlawful to requite euill with euill But to leaue this consideration to another occasion let vs come to a third motiue A third motiue that is the office which is proper vnto God to whom it belongeth peculiarly to take vengeance and is therefore in holy Scripture called the God of vengeance Psal 94.1 O Lord God the auenger O God the auenger shew thy selfe clearly It is a grieuous sin to sit down in Gods seat and to rob him of his right and royalty Let the enemies of God and his people know that he is the God of reuenge as well as the God of saluation and that he wil as wel right their causes as saue their soules He is a iust God wil recompense tribulation to all that trouble those that are his and therefore hath said Deut. 32 3â— Vengeance and recompense are mine but he neuer said to priuate persons Vengeance is thine neither did he euer put the sword into their hands A fourth motiue A fourth motiue to perswade vs to lay aside priuate reuenge is drawn from the gracious promise that God hath made vnto vs namely that he will take our causes into his hand and pay them home that do oppresse vs. For God doth not restraine vs as it were tye vp our hands to expose vs to all iniuries and to leaue vs as a prey in the iawes of the Lyons but because he hath passed his word vnto vs I will repay Rom. 12.29 saith the Lord. So then we must know that God is called the authour and executer of vengeance not only because the power and right belongeth vnto him that he is able to take vengeance of all our enemies how many and mighty soeuer they bee but because he hath vsed this power executed this office from the beginning of the world and as yet vseth it and will vse it to the ful in the great day of the general iudgement He knoweth best of all the greatnes of the iniury that is done vnto vs because he searcheth into the thoughts of the heart and vnderstandeth not only what is done but the manner how it is done Seeing then he hath promised to pay them home into their bosomes that wrong vs it were a fruit of infidelity in vs not to beleeue him at his word
him into prison and Ioseph could by no meanes satisfie his master nor blot out the wrong opinion he had conceiued of him The like we might shew touching Saul toward Ionathan his sonne and Dauid his seruant that were notwithstanding loyall faithfull vnto him He conceiued in minde that all had conspired against him 1 Sam. 22 8 29 4. yet there was none would shew him that his sonne had made a league with the sonne of lesse there was none sorry for him or sheweth vnto him that his sonne had stirred vp his seruant against him to lie in waite to take away his life from him These two innocent men had made indeed a league together but not against the King their father a league of amity not of conspiracy neither had they giuen the least cause of suspicion to be so hardly cēsured and sinisterly iudged off yet who could remoue out of his minde that iealousie or perswade him that they intended no hurt or mischiefe against him In like manner dealt the proud men with Ieremy Ierem. 43 3. they charged him to haue spoken falsely and that the Lord had not sent him to charge them not to goe downe into Egypt they suspected that Baruch had set him on against them to deliuer them into the hand of the Caldeans that they might put them to death and carry them captiues into Babylon This was the deuise of their owne braines the imagination of their owne harts yet what could Ieremy doe against it or which way could he stay them from suspecting thus Whē as Paul hauing appealed to Caesar had escaped shipwracke and was come safe to Melita the Barbarians seeing a viper fastned on his hand Acts 28 4. said among themselues This man surely is a murtherer whom though he haue escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to liue Thus we see that albeit we do not commit any crime worthy to be accused or censured yet we cannot hinder those that are credulous from misdeeming and mistrusting of vs. It lyeth in vs wholly to giue no iust cause of suspicion but lyeth not in vs wholly to preuent suspicion For euil persons may suspect what they please without ground and foundation without reason and occasion The Magistrates censured Paul to be a troubler of the Citty Acts 16 20. the Iewes traduced him to be a polluter of the Temple Acts 21 28. and a Preacher against the Law Tertullus accused him to be a pestilent fellow and a mouer of sedition among all the Iewes throughout the world and a ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarens Acts chap. 24 verse 5. Thus he is suspected and how could he auoide it Wherefore good men depend not vpon the opinion of other men but stand vppon their owne innocency they do not rise or goe downe stand or fall as it shall please other men to conceiue of them for that were to walke vpon other mens feete or to leane vpon the staffe that resteth in another mans hand that may deceiue thē but they builde their house vpon the foundation of their owne vertues and haue or at least ought to haue matter enough within them to commend themselues It must not seeme strange to the godly when they feele the bitter fruits of these suspicions It hath euermore fared thus with them This then ought not to make vs wauer or to weaken vs in our profession but rather encourage vs to walke through good report and euill report and to furnish vs to passe through fire and water life and death knowing that God is able and will in the end bring our cause into the light and make the innocency of our persons and the iustice of our cause manifest to the glory of his Name to the comfort of our hearts to the confusion of his and our enemies as we shall shew afterward Thus he dealt with Ioseph after he had tried his patience by suffering for well doing Psal 105 18. Gen. 3◠21. for though he were laid in irons and his feete hurt with fetters yet the Lord was with him and shewed him mercy gaue him fauour in the sight of the keeper of the prison to whom no doubt he shewed his vprightnesse and cleered himselfe of that wickednes which was laide to his charge So also he dealt with Dauid with Ieremy and the rest of the righteous This doth Dauid intreat oftentimes when he was laden with the reproches of his enemies when he was bitten with the teeth and smitten with the tongues of the malignant Psal 7 3 4 5 6 Thus we see if suspition were cause sufficient to condemne and censure any no man could stand in iudgement but equity should be turned into iniquity truth into falsehood innocency it selfe should receiue a checke and counterbuffe Let not then the wicked triumph as if they had gotten the victory and giuen the godly a foile when they can alledge against them how many waies of how many persons they are suspected for that as much may bee suspected of them when as nothing at all can be proued by thē It is not the suspicion or the accusation or the condemnation or the execution that maketh a man guilty of euill or to deserue death but the offence that is committed worthy of punishment If then they be free from crime they are happy when they are iudged vnhappy and may reioyce and be glad when their enemies haue cause to weepe and waile Vse 3 Lastly let Magistrates and all that are in authority whether in the common-wealth or in the family put this in practise For seeing euery one should be tried before he be censured and that examination must goe before condemnation let them not receiue euery cōplaint and accusation but let them do iustice and iudgement defend the poore and fatherlesse releeue the weake and oppressed rid them out of the hand of the wicked Let this be the end of their gouernment to sing mercy and iudgement and diligently to consider the causes that come before them To this purpose there is required of them two things wisedome and patience without which they shall neuer proceed aright in taking away euill but sometimes plucke vp good corne instead of weedes or suffer thistles to grow instead of wholesome herbes Wisedome is required to finde out particular offences to know the number the nature the measure the proceeding in them the encrease of them and all circumstances as we see Eccl. 7 20 21. This will teach vs when to correct and when we may deferre correction in hope of amendment it being the discretion of a man to deferre his anger Prou. 20 30. And albeit the blewnesse of the wound clenseth away euill yet a man ought not to giue scope to his anger neither yet exceed measure Secondly there is required patience that we be not too hot and hasty vpon those that haue offended but to quiet our mindes and heare their answers what they can alledge for themselues as Iob
we do not deny that the Scripture being vnderstood doth enlighten our mindes but it is not therfore lightsome because it is vnderstood of vs for then the light therof should wholly depend vpon our vnderstanding Thus if we vnderstand it it shall be lightsome but if we vnderstand it not it shal not be lightsome Nay which is much more absurd if one man vnderstand it it shal be light if another man vnderstand it not it shall not bee light thus at one and the same time it shold be both light not light The truth therefore is that the Scriptures are lightsome two wayes â—â—e holy â—â—â—iptures are â—o wayes â—â—â—â—tâ—ome First in respect of them selues secondly in respect of vs. In respect of themselues they are alwaies lightsome of theÌ„selues and haue light in themselues In respect of vs they are lightsome when we vnderstand them and receiue them and light by them But to returne to the former matter the Minister should be the principall light to hold out the Lanthorne to bring men to heauen and to worke in them repentance as Iohn the Baptist is said to be a burning and a shining light Ioh. 5 35. But euery one also in his place must be a light to shine in knowledge and obedience in doctrine and in life On the contrarie when men are as candles put out there falleth great hurt to the church The danger heereof may be discerned by common experience in an hauen towne if the Lanthorne be taken downe or the candle put out which should direct the ships in the night season into the hauen al the ships and the soules that saile in them are left to the mercy of the winds which are without mercy and so all perish by miserable shippewracke In like manner if men haue no light in their hearts to guide them into the hauen and harbour of the church and consequently of the kingdome of heauen they doe as much as in them lyeth betray their owne soules and drowne themselues in eternall perdition Verse 3. And Aaron did so c. The obedience of Aaron is here described and the Candlesticke set in the Tabernacle described It is saide to be of golde as Reuel 1. the most precious of all Minerals for two causes First because as Gold excedeth all other mettals so the Church exceedeth all other societies of men because in it saluation is only to be found Esay 46 13. all other beeing ordained to preserue this safe and sound Esa 45 14. 49 23. Reuel 21 24 26. Yeâ— it is the glory and honour the beauty and ornament of all other societies kingdomes cities townes houses and persons to be parts of the church inasmuch as otherwise they are parts of the world of the kingdome of darknesse yea aâ— dogs swine and vncleane beasts Ephes 22 11 12 13 c. Secondly because it is most precious deare to God and to Iesus Christ as gold is to man because it is an holye company sanctified by the blood of Christ whom it cost deare to redeeme it Acts 20. The Candlesticke in the Tabernacle was to hold the light for the direction of all that were therein from Euening to morning continually Exod. 27 22. It is the vse of euery Candlesticke to hold to keepe to preserue to continue and to yeelde forth the light to the benefit of others This doth mystically represent the church Doctrine teacheth that the church is as the Lords golden candlestick appointed to hold and keepe the light treasury of the Word for euer It is the office of the church to holde and keep the word for euer that it should neuer bee lost or embeselled from vs to the end of the world And as the Candlesticke was to hold the light to the first comming of Christ so is the church to preserue the truth vntil the second comming of Christ It is therefore the office of the church and of euery true member thereof to keepe in it and to publish abroad and to hold out to those that are in it the truth of Gods word to direct their pathes aright as Deut. 31 20. The booke of the Law after that it was written was by the Lord himselfe committed to the Israelites to be kept in the side of the Arke of the couenant The Prophet Esay sheweth That the Word should go forth out of Sion where it was kept into the middest of the earth Chap. 2.3 And the Apostle declareth that the Iewes had the Oracles of God committed vnto them of trust Rom. 3 2. and that to them appertained who were the onely church the adoption and the glory and the Couenants and the giuing of the Law and the seruice of God and the promises Rom. 9 4. And Paul is said to haue written vnto Timothy that hee should know how he ought to behaue himselfe in the house of GOD which is the Church of the liuing God the pillar ground of the truth 1 Tim. 3.15 By all which testimonies wee are taught that the Church holdeth and bringeth the truth Esay 41 27. and conueieth it vnto vs and that wee can no otherwise receiue it or be partakers of it For further proofe heereof obserue with Reason 1 me the titles that are giuen vnto it It is a safe keeper or treasurer to keepe as it were vnder locke and key the holy Iewels of the olde and new Testament that they be neither corrupted by Heretikes nor destroyed by other enemies It is as a cunning Goldsmith to try euery thing Whit. de Scrip. quaest 3. Cap. 2. for as he discerneth pure gold from counterfet mettalles so the church discerneth true Scripture from false or forged books and writings It is as a crier to publish and make knowne the decrees of almighty God It is an Interpreter to expound the sence and to open the meaning of the Scriptures according to the proportion of faith set forth in other parts Secondly it is a great honor and wonderfull preferment that God giueth vnto the Church aboue al other societies and places of the world besides And indeede there can bee no greater honor then to be put in trust with such a treasure If a man should vpon trust commit vnto another a great treasure and make choyse of him to leaue it with him it is a signe he honoreth and respecteth him before and aboue others so is it betweene God and his Church he hath laid vp his trueth in his Church as in his store-house Ps 147 19 20. He hath giuen his word to Iacob his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with other Nations as for his iudgements they haue not knowne them This made the Apostle say What is then the preferment or aduantage of the Iew Or what profit is thereof circumcision much euerie day shewing thereby that God committing his Oracles vnto them did aduance and prefer them farre aboue all other Nations Thirdly the church is the house
mine Rom. 12.19 Deu. 32 35. Hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shal he not make it good Secondly hee requireth it at the hands of all Iudges and Magistrates to iudge iustly not Reason 2 to accept the persons of the wicked hee giueth commandement vnto them whom hee hath honored with his owne name to defend the poore and fatherlesse and to do iustice to the afflicted and needy Psal 92 2 3. If then Princes which are Gods vpon earth must doe right iudgement then certainely the God of Gods and Iudge of Iudges will iudge the people righteously and gouerne the Nations vpon earth Psal 67 4. This teacheth vs that God heareth and seeth and knoweth all things Though our Vse 1 sinnes bee neuer so secret and men conueigh them neuer so closely and labor to hide them by all the fetches and deuices they can yet they are open to him before whom all things are open and naked Heb. 4 13. Caine the first oppressor tooke his brother aside and carried him into the fielde none was partaker of the murther or priuy to it yet the blood of the dead did proclaime and publish as it were with a loud and lamentable voice both the sinne and the sinner in the eares of the Lord of hostes as fully and shrilly as the voyces of liuing men can discouer any thing Treasons and conspiracies against Princes are plotted for the most part closely for although they prepare many yet they acquaint few with their most secret designes neuertheles God hath many wayes to finde out those persons and practises Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the aire shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tel the matter Secondly we may conclude the wofull estate of all wicked men that are oppressors Vse 2 which thinke to ouer-beate the poore needy and sell them for a paire of shooes Amos 2.6 For this should terrifie such vngodly persons from sinning in this kinde they may indeede perswade themselues that they shall escape or relye vpon the fauour and countenance of men or that the poor pitifully wronged dare not mutter against them which are encouragements to the mighty to commit sin and to liue in it howbeit this is a vaine hope and will in the end make ashamed forasmuch as albeit they may conceale their purposes from men and auoid the place of iudgement yet they cannot escape the hand of God Many receiue great wrongs that dare not open their mouthes against their oppressours the poore are troden vnder foote of the rich the weake of them that are strong those of low degree by them that are mighty neuerthelesse God will open his mouth in the cause of the afflicted and stretch out his hand to recompence tribulation to all those that trouble them This vse is handled by the Apostle Iames chap. 5.1 2. Goe to now ye rich men weepe and houle for your miseries that shall come vpon you c. where he threatened these hard-hearted men with sundry iudgments for the wrongs they did to iust men let not such therefore flatter themselues but rather labour to break off their sinnes by righteousnesse and their iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore if it may be a lengthning of their tranquillity Vse 3 Thirdly seeing God is the great auenger of the wrongs of his children that neuer call vnto him for vengeance then much more will he pitty them and take their cause into his owne hand when they call and cry vnto him day and night to saue them The Lord gracious and mercifull hath promised that when the stranger the widow and the fatherlesse child are vexed and oppressed and cry vnto him he will certainely heare them Exod. 22.21 22.23 24. For if God stay not til they cry because sometimes they cannot and sometimes they dare not tarieth not til they opeÌ„ their mouths to complaine then we may bee assured that when the oppressed in their misery and anguish of their soule sigh and grone vnto him his wrath shall waxe hote and hee will kill their oppressours with the sword of his iudgements Vse 4 Lastly we haue a singular encouragement from hence vnto patience in suffering euen vnto the comming of the Lord. He will take their cause into his owne hand at the length though they suffer long Nay it is the maner of God for the most part to leaue his children in many troubles vntil things seeme to be desperate and past all hope of helpe Why God oftentimes holdeth his peace till things foâ—me to be desperate and past all hope partly to stir vp his people to seeke to him with greater earnestnesse of spirit partly to shew the greatnesse of his own power what he is able to do partly to catch the wicked in their owne crafty counsels and deuises and partly to make it manifest that all our helpe commeth onely from the Lord which hath made heauen and earth to the end that the worke being his the glory also may be his We are ready to ascribe our deliuerances to our owne power or policy and to say in vaunting wise Mine hand hath saued me Iudg. 7.2 God is patient and suffereth long but in the end he payeth home so that the godly shall lose nothing by their patience and the vngodly shall gaine nothing but Gods vengeance This might be enlarged by the example of the Israelites when they were in Egypt the Lord could haue deliuered them before any of their miseries were brought vpon them but the time appointed was not yet come and when all things seemed past recouery suddenly God appeard for their deliuery Let vs therefore be patient and stablish our hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth nigh Iam. 5.8 15 And Miriam was shut vp from the campe seuen dayes and the people iournyed not till Miriam was brought in againe 16 And afterward the people remoued from Hazeroth and pitched in the wildernesse of Paran In these words we see the punishment inflicted vpon Miriam God neuer threateneth in vaine but bringeth to passe whatsoeuer iudgement he hath denounced He threatened Miriam for her murmuring with the leprosie behold heere how hee letteth nothing fall to the ground of that which he had spoken Obserue from hence that such as are the principall doers in sinne Doctrine Such as 〈◊〉 the chiefe hand in 〈◊〉 are principâ—â—ly subiect 〈◊〉 to punishment are principally subiect vnto punishment Aaron was accessary to this mutiny against Moses but Miriam was chiefe in the sinne and therefore is also chiefe in the punishment Simeon and Leui were not the only murtherers of the Sichemites and inuaders of the city but they were the chiefe ringleaders and therefore are onely named Gen. 34.25 and punished Gen. 49.5 Iacob had a great family as Abraham had three hundred and eighteene persons of his house which he armed and conducted
of teeth Math. 25 30. horrour without release weeping but the teares shall neuer be wiped away fire but it shall neuer be quenched this is their cup to drinke this is their portion to inherite But the godly vpon earth haue the gifts of GOD mingled with wants faith with infidelity assurance with doubting hope with despaire loue with hatred perfection with imperfection sanctification with the reliques of sinne as likewise they haue greefe tempered with ioy and ioy with greefe Indeed sometimes they want the sense and feeling of ioy and comfort but neuâ—r all hope and expectation of them Vse 3 Thirdly we ought much more to mourne for our owne sinnes otherwise it were grosse hypocrisie to mourne for others more then for our selues or so much for others as for our selues It is sufficient that we mourne for other men whose sins we cannot amend but more is required to be performed toward our selues wee must both mourne for them and amend them If we can weepe for them and doe not amend them our teares are counterfeit teares Let vs therfore oftentimes examine our selues how we are affected toward our selues and toward others and touching our greefe conceiued for our sinnes and for the sinnes of other men Let vs marke where we bestow our greatest sorrow and thereby take notice how it standeth with vs and so learned to reforme our practise if we finde it any way to bee amisse The women that followed Christ our Sauiour to the Crosse wept for him and thought they had iust cause so to doe but neuer imagined that they had more cause to weepe for themselues and therefore he correcteth that practise Luke 23 28. Daughters of Ierusalem weepe not for mee but for your selues and for your children c. We shall all of vs finde cause in our owne selues to mourne and humble our selues for our selues Lastly we ought to haue a care of the saluation Vse 4 of others and to desire their repentance otherwise our mourning is idle and nothing worth He that is entred into the way of saluation himselfe will both hunger and thirst after the saluation of other And heereby we may try whether our mourning for others be sanctified or not For as there is a carnall ioy so there is a carnall sorrow and as there is a naturall ioy such as natural men haue so there is a naturall sorrow arising from naturall causes If we haue the spirituall godly sorrow it will worke in vs a great care and desire of the saluation of our brethren 〈◊〉 oecolâ—mâ—â—omment 〈…〉 cap. As godly sorrow causeth in vs repentance neuer to bee repented off 2 Cor. 7 10. so godly sorrow conceiued for the sins of others will bring foorth an earnest longing in vs to bring them to repentance 8. If the Lord delight in vs then he will bring vs into this Land and giue it vs a Land which floweth with milke and hony 9. Onely rebell not ye against the Lord neither feare ye the people of the Land for they are bread for vs their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with vs feare them not Of the interpretation of these words wee haue spoken in the former verses They containe an effectuall exhortation able to stoppe the mouthes of the seditious spies and to perswade the people to proceed building themselues vpon the blessed experience of the loue of God toward them and of his power sufficient to saue them and ready to stand for theÌ„ and touching their enemies they should bee assured they could not preuaile because God is not among them he had laid them open to iudgement The Doctrine Doctrine God is a shield to his but taketh no care nor charge of his enemies God is a shield and defence for all that are his but as for his enemies he taketh no care nor charge of them he leaueth them to themselues Prou. 30 5. Exod. 15 2 and 29 45 46. Iudg. 2 14. Psal 3 3 and 18 2. The reasons God is the Captaine of his Reason 1 host to fight his owne battels against all the enemies of the Church 2 Chro. 13 12. Iosh 5 14. Secondly sinne maketh naked and bare of Reason 2 Gods protection and defence Exod. 32 25. when the people had committed idolatry Moses saw that they were naked for Aaron had made theÌ„ naked vnto their shame among their enemies Thirdly the enemies of God haue forsaken Reason 3 him and therefore hee will not be with them because they will not be with him it is a iust thing that hee should forsake them that haue forsaken him and that he should not be on their side who are not on his They that will not be his people he will not be their God Hos 3 3 1 9. From hence it may be obiected Obiect Is not God saide to be euery where Esay 66 1. Answer Answer He is touching his essence but not in his effectuall working by his Spirit to saue and deliuer Thus he is onely with the godly Hence it is that in the end of this chap. verse 42. the Lord said to the rebellious Goe not vp for the Lord is not among you that ye bee not smitten before your enemies He was not among these to fight for them and to saue them to defend and deliuer them by his power great might otherwise by his essence and according to his nature he was euen among them as he is also euery where Thus we see how God is said to be neere and how to be farre off How God is said to bee neere how farre off For while he offereth grace by the ministery of his word and causeth it to bee preached vnto vs he is neere vnto vs Esay 55 6. Call vpon him while he is neere to wit while his arme is stretched out to receiue vs and his mercy is offered to saue vs. Thus God may be saide to be in one place and in one person more then in another yea in one place and person not in another and he is said sometimes to come and sometimes to go away notwithstanding he be euery where essentially and there be no mutation of place or shadow of change with him When he beginneth to worke by his holy Spirit How God may be saide to come to a people faith repentance and sanctification in the hearts of his children he may be said to come vnto them as Iohn 15 22. Reuel 3 20. And when he preached by Noah to the old world Christ is said by his diuine Spirit to come among that people 1 Pet. 3 19. He went and preached vnto the spirits in prison which sometimes were disobedient c. So likewise his absence or departure is the remouing of the effects of his presence to wit his grace and fauour Vse 1 From hence ariseâ—â— comfort to all the godly they are safe and 〈◊〉 vnder the wings of God he is a buckler round about he is their castle and their fortresse whereupon
need not feare for the time to come but that wee shall also receiue more at his hands who giueth liberally one blessing after another Iam. 1.5 Forasmuch as he is God for the time to come as well as for the time past and all his gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. Thirdly this should mooue vs earnestly to Vse 3 labour for the first grace and neuer to giue rest to our selues vntill we feele an addition and encrease of the second and third grace in our hearts and to multiply them one after another that they may dwell in vs plentifully and make vs fruitfull in all holy conuersation If we haue the first grace in our hearts and be carefull to vse the same well it is as seed sown in good ground it will bring forth a wonderfull encrease and a notable haruest in the end Paul would haue Timothy to stirre vp the gift that was in him 1 Tim. 1.6 If wee bee once in Christ he will purge vs more and more that we shall bring forth more fruit Ioh. 15.8 Lastly obserue that this is a priuiledge belonging Vse 4 onely to the faithfull that they shall haue the mercy and fauour of God continued vnto them The blessings that God bestoweth vpon the wicked doe serue to make them without excuse and are as seales of condemnation they are not assurances vnto them that they shall haue moe bestowed vpon them he hath made no such promise vnto them neither can they gather any hope to haue any farther encrease of the same or any addition of new blessings Albeit it be so with the godly that former blessings of God are pledges of more yet it is not so with the vngodly 2 Sam. 7 17. Iudg. 10 12 13. Eccle. 8.12 13. Esay 65.20 He tooke away his mercy from Saul but hee would neuer doe it from Dauid he deliuered the vnthankefull and rebellious Israelites out of the hands of their enemies but he threateneth that he will deliuer them no more The euill seruant hath his talent taken from him and neuer restored vnto him againe and therupon Christ deliuereth the manner of Gods dealing as well toward the faithful as the vnfaithfull Matth. 25.29 Vnto euery one that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath For they doe abuse his mercies and neuer make any good vse of them how then should they bee continued vnto them nay how should they not be depriued of them They become much more sinfull and grow worse and worse by his blessings God requireth the more of them but they performe the lesse duty vnto him It is therefore a vaine hope and a meere presumption for such to thinke to haue his goodnesse continued rather they may conclude that God will take them away suddenly and bestow them no longer vpon them except they turne from their euill wayes 20 And the Lord said I haue pardoned according to thy word 21 But as truely as I liue all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 23 Because all these men which haue seene my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wildernesse and haue tempted me now these ten times and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce 23 Surely they shall not see the Land c. 24 But my seruant Caleb c. We haue in these words the effect of the prayer of Moses and the answer that God giueth vnto him The summe whereof is this that the fathers should die in the wildernesse because though they had seene his glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wildernesse yet they tempted him ten times that is not once nor twice but oftentimes a certaine number put for an vncertaine as Gen. 31.41 Iob. 19.3 Dan. 7.10 and therefore they should be all destroied excepting Caleb the seruant of God If any aske the question why Ioshua is not expressed â—ction and wherefore his name is concealed I answer â—er because the Lord pronounced the former sentence concerning the people that were in their tents but Ioshua that attended vpon Moses was present with Moses and Aaron before the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation therefore the iudgement denounced against the people that abode in their tents no way touched him Caleb was with the people so that it behoued him who had spoken the truth of the land to be excepted Ioshua was not and therefore there was no need to haue him exempted from them who was not among them For being with Moses and Aaron he is accounted in their number Secondly they are commanded to returne backe againe into the wildernesse by the way of the red sea verse 25 when they were now come to the borders of Canaan which they could not heare without great greefe and anguish of minde Before they wept without cause verse 1. Now they haue cause to weepe for this heauy iudgement Thirdly their children shold beare the burdeÌ„ of their fathers sin wander in the wildernes forty yeres howbeit in the end they should enter into the land Fourthly the Spies themselues that had searched the land which were the authors of all this mutiny and had brought vp an euill report of the land were smitten with a fearefull plague dyed suddenly by the hand of God Heere we may obserue in these words that God heareth the prayer of Moses and pardoneth the people according to his prayer so that the Lord heareth the prayers of the faithfull according to his promise Secondly Gods iudgements are tempered with mercy Thirdly such as haue receiued the greatest mercies and become vnthankfull and disobedient Matth. 11.20.21 22 23 24. Luke 12.47 are the greatest sinners and shal receiue the greatest iudgement Fourthly in excepting Caleb and Ioshua from the common destruction it appeareth that God is a iust righteous God who as he doth not account the wicked innocent so he will not account the innocent to be wicked The Popish teachers alledge this example to prooue that God pardoneth sinne Popish doctâ—ine touching the pardon of sin and the retaining of the punishment and yet punisheth the sinner that the same punishment so inflicted is a satisfaction to God for their sinne and that the eternall punishment due to this people was pardoned at yâ— request of Moses If this were true then all this people were beleeuers and had true faith in the Messiah which is a bold assertion without all shew of reason and likelihood of trueth It may probably and charitably be thought that some of them were beleeuers and repented to them these were chastisements The like may be said of Moses and Aaron and of Dauid of which they were shut out of the land of promise and he was punished by the death of his child and in other his children and house not thereby to satisfie God by bearing part of the temporall punishment belonging to their sin but that Moses
vpon you seeing all the Congregation is holy euery one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift ye vp your selues aboue c. IN this chap. we haue two other murmurings set down the latter arising out of the former as one sticke on fire kindleth another The former consisteth of a few carried away with enuy and emulation against Moses and Aaron the originall whereof arose from Korah of the Tribe of Leui The cause of Korahs Conspiracy who first blew the bellowes and tooke it greeuously that the Priestly dignitie was translated to Aaron and challenged Moses of partiality as if hee had preferred his owne Kindred and followed his priuate affection rather then the direction of God This seditious Korah associateth vnto himselfe Dathan Abiram and On of the Tribe of Reuben whom he knew to be ill affected towards Moses because hee being the eldest sonne of Iacob had by right of his birth-right the Principality and gouernement of the whole people belonging vnto him and therefore they thought themselues as worthy to haue the Soueraignty in their hands as Moses was to haue it in his hands All these ioyning together made a schisme or rent amongest the people and assemble two hundred and fifty others all Princes of the assembly which seeme to stand for the good of the whole Congregation as also all Rebelles haue euer had some pretence and colour for they plead that all the Lords people are holy that God is present among them and therefore they should no longer vsurpe the sole gouernment of the whole hoste It is vsuall in all ages of the Church to haue schismes and rents to arise in it and for men to separate themselues from the Church because forsooth it is not well gouerned as it ought to be Now albeit this open insurrection were a flat rebellion against the expresse ordinance of God yet they set many goodly shewes vpon their doings helping a bad cause with a beautifull colour lest they should seeme to be mad without reason alledging that all the Lords people are holy and the Lord is among them â—octrine We learne heereby that whatsoeuer corruptions breake out of men and whatsoeuer euils they doe â—hatsoeuer 〈◊〉 wicked â—en doe they some coâ—er vpon it and howsoeuer they decline from God from his word and from his ordinances yet they will labour to excuse it to defend it to colour it that it should not seeme as it is When euill men haue committed euill they are ready to iustifie their euils that they may seeme good We see this in Saul 1 Sa. 13.11.12 and 15.15 so Ioh. 12.5 6. Iudas pretended the poore and his great care of them albeit he cared not for them but for himselfe and chap. 11.48 So Caiaphas pretendeth the safety of the people to wit if Christ were not put to death the Romanes would come with a mighty army and ouerrunne them but the taking of him away and the putting of him to death was indeede the true cause why the Romanes came and destroyed the Temple the Citie and the people This we see sometimes also in those that are not the worst men The fact of Simeon and Leui against the Schechemites was no better then horrible murther committed against the Law of God and of nature and against the league and couenant that had passed between them which ought to be held inuiolable euen among infidels yet somewhat they pretend to couer it Gen. 34.31 should he deale with our sister as with an harlot So the Israelites touching their Idolatry Exod. 32.1 and Aaron verse 23. and our first parents Gen. 3. and in a maner all wicked men do the like that are vnregenerate without repentance and sanctification The reasons Reason 1 For men are affected to their actions as they are to themselues Though they be corrupt abominable yet they would not bee thought and iudged to be so so it is with their actions that proceed from them though they bee wicked and vniust yet they would haue them accounted iust and therefore they seeke excuses for themselues â—â— 7. as Adam did fig leaues to Reason 2 couer his shame and his sinne Secondly if they should pretend nothing al would be ready to condemne them and to passe sentence vpon them therefore to blinde the eyes of others they cast a mist before them as iuglers vse to doe that they may not be espied This did Herod Mat. 2.8 he pretended to come and worship Christ For he knew well enough if hee had dealt plainely and told them hee sought the life of the babe they would haue detested his detestable cruelty This serueth to reprooue diuers sorts that Vse 1 goe about to varnish their actions with false colours thereby to blind the world and to put out their eyes These shew themselues to bee ranke hypocrites exceeding sinners against the Lord which serue to harden their hearts and to hinder them from a sight of their sinnes and sorrow for them For no man can returne from his sinnes and repent of his euill wayes so long as he goeth about to defend them because all such sinners doe declare a firme resolution to continue and goe forward in sinne and thinke themselues safe and sure because they haue some colours for their actions But the first beginning of repentance is confession a duty oftentimes commended and continually practised by the faithfull The first thing that Ioshua perswaded Achan to performe when he was taken as guilty for taking the accursed thing was that he should giue glory to the God of Israel and make confession vnto him Iosh 7.19 Prou. 28.13 1 Ioh. 1.9 Whereas such as hide their sinnes shall not prosper and they that say they haue not sinned doe make God a lyar and his word is not in them Wherefore we cannot giue a more euident signe of our want of the grace of repentance Psa 32.3 4 5. then by defending denying excusing or lessening of sinne Secondly this sheweth the cause why the Vse 2 dregs of Popish religion are so setled in the hearts of men that they are hardly rooted out euen because such deceitfull colours are set vpon them and their superstitious practises If they be accused for their idolatry worshipping of Images they pretend they worship God in the Image Touching the worship of Saints and praier to them they say they honor them as the friends of God and that they are vnworthy to approch or to come neere to God themselues and therefore in humility they goe to the Saints and Angels but this is nothing but to speake lies through hypocrisie Col. 2.23 Concerning their sacriledge in withholding the cup from the people they haue their colour that the labour of the Priest would be too great if he should deliuer the same to all himselfe or else that the blood of Christ might be spilt vpon the ground but these excuses cannot deceiue God hee seeth their open declining from the word of
his mercy that we are not vtterly consumed Lam. 3.22 When Eli heard the punishment that God had determined to bring vpon him and his house for the wickednesse of his prophane sonnes he answered with all humility It is the Lord let him doe whatsoeuer pleaseth him 1 Sam. 3.18 God loueth a broken and contrite heart it is a sacrifice wherein hee greatly delighteth Lastly let vs make our whole life a continuall practise of vnfained repentance and labour for godly sorrow that wee may mourne and afflict our soules for sinne because it is sinne a breach of Gods law and displeaseth him Sinne will not lodge long where it is not cherished and made much off and entertained with delight It is as a ghest that will not lodge in such houses where he is not welcome but if once you make much of him and delight in him then he is an importunate and a shamelesse ghest you shall hardly rid your house of him In the word of God wee finde sundry meanes and motiues to moue vs to enter these meditations Motiues moouing vs to repentance First the commandement of God himselfe so often vrged and repeated Ier. 3.12 and 8.6 and 18.11 This was the voyce of Iohn crying in the wildernesse Repent bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life Matth. 3.8 This doctrine was preached in Paradise to our first parents and was afterward figured out by circumcision before the Law and by their purification after the Law Esay 1.16 Wash you make you cleane Againe such as repent not lye vnder the bondage of Satan they are as captiues prisoners bound to obey his will and to doe him seruice 2. Tim. 2.26 Thirdly such as die without repentance remaine for euer without remission and forgiuenesse They are lost children and must needs perish if they repent not before 2 Pet. 3.9 Luke 13.3 Fourthly the threatnings denounced executed vpon the rebellious and disobedient are made examples and admonitions vnto vs his vengeance iustly fallen vpon others should serue to amend vs 1 Cor. 10.5.6 2. Pet. 2.3 4. Psal 7.11 12. Fiftly the certainety and suddennesse of the last and generall iudgement which shall come as a theefe in the night when the heauens themselues shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall bee burnt vp What manner of persons therefore ought wee to be in holy conuersation and godlinesse 2 Pet. 3.10 11. and 2 Cor. 5.10 Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seat of God that wee may receiue the things done in this body whether good or euill This last day is called a day of Reuelation Rom. chap. 2. ver 5. Lastly we must bee all ledde to repentance by the vnspeakable fruits that follow it as pardon of sinnes reconciliation with God peace of conscience hearing of our prayers and in the end blessednesse in the heauens Ezek. 33.11 CHAP. XVIII 1 ANd the Lord said vnto Aaron Thou and thy sonnes and thy fathers house with thee shall beare the iniquity of the Sanctuary and thou and thy sonnes with thee shall beare the iniquity of your Priesthood 2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Leui the tribe of thy father bring thou with thee that they may be ioyned c. 3 And they shall keepe thy charge and the charge of all the Tabernacle onely they shall not come nigh the vessells c. 4 And they shall be ioyned vnto thee and keepe the charge c. IN the latter end of the former Chapter the people are brought in confessing their sins and crauing pardon of God Wee heard their greefe and sorrow for their sinnes and bewailing their transgressions past and saying Shall we perish vtterly and is there no hope of forgiuenesse Now we haue in this Chapter the answer of God to this question which did proceed from a feeling of their sinne and a feare of present death which they had iustly deserued For Moses declareth how God shewed himselfe reconciled notwithstanding their manifold prouocations he cannot keep his anger for euer but returneth vnto them in mercy when they turne vnto him by repentance The deuision of this Chapter Concerning the which reconciliation we must consider in this Chapter two points first the persons procuring the attonement which were the Priests Leuites attending to the Ministery of the word and Sacraments secondly the things appertaining vnto them and to their charge as also the next Chapter deliuereth such things as belong to the people Now the commandement belonging to them both to wit both to the Priests and Leuites which are heere said to be brethren All the Mâ—nisters ough to be as children Matth 23.8 2 Pet 15. Heb. 13.22 1 Pet 12. is directed to Aaron and not to Moses because this was a meere Church matter Ecclesiasticall not ciuill and his Priesthood was newly ratified to him by the authority of God and by a notable miracle in the flourishing of the Almond rod Chap. 17.8 The summe and effect is this that the Priests should minister in the Sanctuary at the Altar but the Leuites should minister vnto the Priests and both of them both for themselues the people First therefore the charge of the Sanctuary is committed to Aaron and his sonnes and to the ouersight of the Leuites to the eight ver that the seruice of God might not be prophaned either by themselues or by any other lest they made themselues guilty of sinne whereby the Lord would signifie that there was indeed no cause why any should enuy them this dignitie forasmuch as it was ioyned with such danger and difficulty The burden of the Priesthood was so great and lay so heauy vpon their shoulders that they were threatened to be punished if the worship of God which ought to bee performed with all reuerence were prophaned through their default From hence we learne that as euery sin is in it owne nature great so are these sinnes the greatest and most heinous which are committed against a mans particular place and calling wherein God hath set him â—e â—nnes â—test â—e â—ed â— mans ar Iob 2.9 The Prophets denouncing iudgements against sundry persons doe single them out for neglecting of personall duties The Prophet Micah threatneth the Rulers and men of might that they hate the good and loue the euill Who plucke off their skinne from off them and their flesh from off their bones they breake their bones and chop them in pieces as for the pot and as flesh within the cauldron Mic. 3.2 3. Thus also he noteth out the falsehood of the Prophets that made the people of God to erre and cry peace ver 5. The idolatrous kings are most of all taxed for the abuse of their calling not so much for priuate faults as other men but for their erecting or suffring of idolatry which they ought to haue pulled downe yea the good kings are often blemished that way because they reformed not the
we may be assured he will deliuer our soules from death Psal 33 19. Rom. 6 â—2 Luke 12 32. preserue vs in famine For if hee spared not his owne Sonne but hath giuen him for vs all to death how shall he not with him giue vs all things also Feare not therefore the want of outward things which perish with their vse for it is your Fathers pleasure to giue vnto you a kingdome If he haue promised to giue vnto vs the greater nay the greatest blessings that can be rehearsed or remeÌ„bred we may ground our selues on this assured truth that he wil not leaue vs nor forsake vs so that we may boldly say The Lord is my deliuerer I will not feare what man can do vnto me Indeed the iudgement practise of carnall men is otherwise who esteeme earthly things aboue heauenly and preferre their Swine before Christ-like Esau Matthew 8 Heb. 12 16 who prized one messe of pottage aboue the birthright If these men bee a little pained and pinched with famine and suffer a little want of food that they haue not their necessities supplied their bodies cloathed their bellies filled they cry out aloud in the anguish of their spirit What shall we eate What shall we drinke How shall wee liue How shall we maintaine sustaine our selues and our families But alasse though their soules be hunger-bitten and hungerstarued ready to pine and consume away throgh want of spirituall food they are neuer greeued or vexed it troubleth them not at al. Let vs learn better things let vs value spirituall things at the highest rate and set them in the cheefest place If thus we set as our honorable friends all heauenly things in the cheefest place and turne all transitory things with shame into the lowest roome and ranke as saucie aspiring guests vsurping climbing aboue their betters we shall beare all earthly losses and troubles with patience and stay our selues from murmuring at the feeling of them Ver. 6. Then Moses and Aaron went from the face c. We heard before the complaint of the people now let vs see the behauiour of Moses Aaron They do not rage nor reuile theÌ„ they do not fret and fume against theÌ„ or aske the life of their enemies but possesse their soules with patience and declining the violent rage of the people as a beast with many heads they goe to the Tabernacle declare their causes and cases before the Lord. From this their distresse we learne this truth that in all wrongs iniuries offered vnto vs we must seeke helpe and comfort of God Doctrinâ— In all wrâ— and iniuri we must 〈◊〉 to God I say it is the duty of all the seruants of God when they are wronged and oppressed when they are euilly entreated and spitefully handled at the hands of sinfull men to vnlade disburden all their cares into the bosome of God depending for counsell and comfort vpon him alone In the performance of this duty the holy seruants of God haue gone before vs. Reade the booke of the Psalmes as a plentifull store-house and schoole-house to teach this truth as Psal 3 1 2. and 7 1 2. where we see that in his troubles he had recourse to God who smiteth his enemies on the cheeke-bone and breaketh the teeth of the wicked but was a sure Buckler to him not such as men hold vp that can defend one part and in one place onely but a buckler to safegard him round about before and behind And being greeuously accused of some heynous crime by some of Sauls retinue â— 14.10 he flyeth to God he trusteth in him who preserueth the vpright in heart So when Iob had his camels and cattell taken away by the enemies he did not through the greatnes of his affliction and greefe of mind rebell against God but said Naked came I out of my mothers wombe â— 13 17. and naked shall I returne thither the Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken it â—â—g 19.3 blessed be the Name of the Lord. The like appeareth in Hezekiah when Ierusalem was besieged This is a day of tribulation and of rebuke and blasphemy for the children are come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Now therefore O Lord our God I beseeeh thee saue vs out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou O Lord art onely God All which examples teach vs that when we suffer wrongs or fall into any wrongs or fall into any dangers wee must haue recourse to God and craue of him that the malice of the wicked may come to an end Reason 1 The reasons of this doctrine are first the gracious promise of God who hath mercifully promised to heare and to helpe vs in all our troubles This the Prophet teacheth Call vppon me in the day of trouble â— 50.15 â—h 5.14 15 I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And the Apostle Iohn This is the assurance that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs and if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that wee haue desired of him Let vs not doubt and wauer like a waue of the Sea tossed to and fro by the violence of the winds but by faith beleeue that God will grant our requests which wee make according to his will and word Seeing therefore he is willing to heare and able to helpe and promiseth to grant our requests our duty is to come when he calleth to aske seeing hee giueth and to knocke seeing he openeth the gates that leadeth vnto his treasures Some put their trust in chariots some in horses and some in Princes but we must remember the Name of the Lord our God who neuer faileth and breaketh promise with these that depend vpon him that feare and trust in his mercy Reason 2 Secondly as he is our helper who deliuereth our soule from death our eies from teares and our feet from falling so whither shall wee turne our selues to find comfort and consolation besides in him When God denyeth to send succour who shall saue When hee refuseth to helpe who shal deliuer When he shutteth who can open If wee looke to men or Angels to heauen or earth to the liuing or the dead we shall be deceiued and deluded The Prophet saith Psal 62.8 9. Trust in him alway ye people poure out your harts before him for God is our hope aboue all yet the children of men are vanity the chiefe men are lies to lay them vpon a ballance they are altogether lighter then vanity Vse 1 Let vs now come vnto the vses First from hence we gather that such is Gods great goodnes to his children that he neuer leaueth them without comfort For if he require of vs to repaire to him in our troubles surely he will not send vs away empty nor cause vs to depart
the stirring of vs vp to prayer We may now comfortably conclude to our owne consciences with the same Apostle I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God Let vs know then there is great vse of the crosse beeing assured that tribulation bringeth forth patience patience experience â—om 5 5 4 5. and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. Vse 2 Secondly we learne heereby not to promise to our selues worldly peace prosperity but prepare to endure the crosse before it cometh and know that the end of one crosse is the beginning of another while we liue heere We must not looke to finde heauen vpon earth we must not dreme of the victory before we fight We think of receiuing the prize but we wold not run the race We would put on the crown but we shun the crosse like those foolish husbandmen that would receiue the fruites of the earth but care not for the labour And surely the reason why we are many waies impatient vnder the crosse murmure vnder the mighty hand of God is because wee are vnprepared vnprouided to beare any storme or endure any triall We must not thinke to liue at ease and pleasure but know that whosoeuer taketh not vp his crosse cometh after Christ cannot be his Disciple So Paul teacheth Timothy Thou hast fully knowne my faith and my patience my persecutions which came vnto me but from them all the Lord deliuered me yea and all that will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3 10 12. For as the head was first crowned with thornes so the members must not looke to liue in pleasures Lastly be not offended at the great afflictions Vse 3 that oftentimes we heare to befall the faithfull or we see to be vpon such as feare God let vs not maruaile and wonder at it as at some rare and strange thing much lesse should wee start backe from our profession for the persecutions and fiery trials that come vpon the Church Therfore the Apostle Iohn saith Maruaile not my brethren Iohn 4 13. though this world hate you nay rather we haue cause to reioyce that God vouchsafeth vs this honor not only to beleeue in him but to suffer for his Name This made Paul say Acts 21 13. being entreated that hee would not go vp to Ierusalem What do ye weeping and breaking mine heart For I am ready not to be bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus Doubtlesse if we were of the world the world would loue his owne but because we are chosen out of the world therefore the world hateth vs. It is noted to the euerlasting praise of the Apostles Acts 5 21. Heb. 10 33 34. Cast not away therfore your confidence which hath great recompence of reward God hath no need of vs to maintaine his glory he is able to maintaine it without vs therefore it is a great priuiledge and prerogatiue that God calleth vs out to suffer for his Names sake Besides such and so great are our infirmities that the Lord might worthily make vs suffer for our owne sins and bring shame and confusion of faces vpon vs according to our owne deseruings Now in that he mercifully passeth ouer our faults and frailties couereth our transgressions and maketh vs suffer taunts reproches persecutions for his truth and Gospel it is a great honour and dignity whereunto he exalteth and aduanceth vs and therefore our Sauiour saith Blessed shall ye be when men reuile and persecute you say all manner of euill against you for my sake falsly reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen Mat. 5 11 12. Wherfore let vs not shrinke backe for trouble but reioyce in our sufferings and praise God for our afflictions Ver. 16. But when we cried vnto the Lord he heard our voice therefore let vs passe through thy Country Heere we haue the third reason vsed to the Edomites to perswade them to giue them passage drawne from an experience of Gods helpe who seeing their misery and hearing their gronings brought them out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now it would argue great cruelty to forsake those and leaue them in their affliction The strength of the reason of whoÌ„ God hath taken the protection If then God haue helped vs do not you deny vs helpe but God hath helped vs therfore deny not vs your helpe Thus the gracious dealing of God is propounded for their imitation This is a forcible and effectuall reason teaching vs this Doctrine Doctrine The consideratioÌ„ of Gods loue to his children must moue vs to mercy that the consideration of Gods loue mercy shewed to his childreÌ„ must moue vs to mercy The truth hereof hath the consent and agreement of many other Scriptures Hereunto cometh the exhortation of Moses Deut. 10.17 18 19. The Lord your God is God of Gods and the Lord of Lords a great God mighty and terrible who doth right vnto the fatherlesse and widow loueth the stranger giueth him food and raiment Loue ye therefore the stranger for yee were strangers in the Land of Egypt Thus the Apostle reasoneth 1 Ioh. 4 9 11. God hath manifested his loue in sending his onely begotten Sonne into this world that we might liue thorough him Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one another Wher we see he perswadeth to brotherly loue in respect of the experience which we haue of the free loue of God toward our selues So our Sauiour concludes Lu. 6 36. Be ye therefore mercifull as your Father also is mercifull Hereunto cometh that which we reade in the Apostle Iohn in another place Hereby haue we perceiued loue that he laid downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren 1 Iohn 3 8 16. There is nothing more effectuall to perswade brethren to vnity among themselues theÌ„ to know they haue a gentle father that loueth them all Nothing is able to binde faster those that are fellow-seruants in one family to seeke the mutuall good one of another then to consider they haue a good master carefull of the good of them all to giue them their portion in due season Reason 1 The reasons are euident First we are bound to follow the example of God which must be our direction and instruction This the Apostle teacheth Phil. 2 5 where he exhorteth to humility and lowlinesse of minde from the example of Christ Let the same minde be in you that was euen in Christ Iesus And the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 11.32 hauing propounded the examples of the
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
3 we see the wicked prosper and florish spredding themselues as the greene Bay tree for loe God hath set them in slippery places Psal 37 53. and casteth them downe in the end vnto desolation they are suddenly destroyed horribly consumed as the chaffe which the winde driueth away and as a dreame when one awaketh This tentation hath ouertaken the children of God and caused them oftentimes to shrinke back when they saw the prosperity of the vngodly Psal 73 2 3. Hab. 1 4. and on the other side the troubles of the godly hath made them to reason within themselues of the prouidence of God But shall not the King rule his owne kingdome or the Master gouerne his own house as pleaseth him And shall not we giue the Lord leaue to dispose of all things in heauen and earth after the good pleasure of his owne will Hee fatteth the wicked against the day of slaughter he leaueth them without excuse and maketh his blessings as a witnesse against them Contrarywise the children of God although they suffer afflictions yet afflictions to them are not euill but try their faith as the furnace doth the gold Senec. de diui prouidentia c. 8 Let vs not deceiue our selues in iudging and esteeming of good and euill That is good which maketh vs better that is euil that maketh vs worse The workes of the flesh adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnes idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies enuy murthers drunkennesse couetousnesse and such like are manifestly euill These God keepeth from his deere children and his deere children from them that they reigne not in them The Israelites in Egypt liued vnder hard masters and carried many heauy burthens and sent vp many passionate sighes to God with deepe grones of spirit whilst Pharaoh and the Egyptians tooke crafty counsell together and sported themselues in the miseries mischiefs which they had brought vpon them But whose condition was the more happie let the red Sea testifie from which the Israelits were deliuered Exo 14 27 29 in which the EgyptiaÌ„s were drowned Dauid taken from the sheepe-folds tasted of many sorrowes being in perils among the Amalekites in perils in the Wildernesse in perils of his owne Nation in perils of his own seruants in perils among false bretheren and was hunted from place to place as a Partridge in the Mountaines 2 Sam. 31 4. whilst Saul sought his life and enioyed the pleasures and treasures of a kingdom But whose estate was the more happy let the end and yssue of them both determine the one liued in glory ended his daies in peace the other sheathed his sword in his owne bowels and so dyed in despaire The Apostle Iames willeth vs to take the Prophets for an example of suffering aduersity and of long patience which haue spoken in the name of the Lord Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob haue knowne what end the Lord made Iam. 5 10 11. for the Lord is very pittifull and mercifull Lazarus a poore begger destitute of succour and friends lying at the rich mans gate hauing his minde as full of cares as his bodie was of sores whilst the rich glutton was clad in purple gorgiously and fared deliciously euery day But whose condition was the more blessed and happy of them twaine let this tell vs and teach vs for our instruction that Lazarus when he died had the holy elect Angels to attend vpon him to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16 22 23 that is to say into the kingdome of heauen Matth. 8 11. the rich man also died his body was buried his soule was carried cast into the torments of hell Where the worme neuer dyeth Marke 9 44. and the fire neuer goeth out the one vnsufferable the other vnquenchable both infinite Let vs not therefore rest in beholding the present face of outward things but possesse our soules with patience in a sweet meditation of Gods prouidence considering that it shall in the end bee well with all them that feare the Lord and that howsoeuer the wicked do prosper in the world increase in riches yet if we enter into the Sanctuary of God Psal â—3 â— we shal see they are set in slippery places they are lifted vp on high and therefore their fall shall be more fearefull seeing all the threatnings of God must without faile fasten vpon them Lastly seeing the menaces and threatnings Vse 4 of God must bee performed this serueth also to assure vs that the gracious promises of God made in mercy to his people shall in truth and righteousnesse bee accomplished The Lord that is alwaies the same as hee is true in his threatnings to the vngodly so wil he be found true in his promises toward the godly For seeing no part of his word shall passe away that he will not falsifie his trueth Psal 89 â— nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth one part serueth to confirme another his threatnings are ratified by the assurance of his promises and his promises are established to bee surer then the heauens by the assuraÌ„ce of his threatnings So then let vs learne to depend vpon God to trust in him knowing 2 Cor. 1 that all his promises are yea and Amen vnto the glory of his name Let vs rest in him for the pardon of our sinnes for the hearing of our prayers for the feeding of our bellies for the resurrection of our bodies for the inheritance of euerlasting life hauing a strong assurance of faith that the Lord is iust and true in all his promises This is a notable comfort and consolation to all the childreÌ„ of God to cause vs to set our hope in him hauing a patient and constant expectation of all things that by faith we haue beleeued saying with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1 12. For this cause I also suffer these things but I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him against that day Verse 25 26. Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and cause Aaron to strip off his Garments and thou shalt put them vpon his sonne Heere is deliuered how Aaron yet liuing his sonne is inuested and installed into his Office with the ceremonies and solemnities thereunto appertaining at the appointment of God to shew the continuance of the Priesthoode to take away al occasions of dissentions from the people Thus we see the good estate of the Church is prouided for by Moses before Aaron dyed Doctrâ— The Châ— must be in good after coâ— parture and went the way of all flesh The Doctrine hence is that the good of the Church must be regarded of vs to leaue it in good case after our death and departure I say it is a principall duty required of vs when wee must leaue the worlde to prouide for the
God and to serue him in the simplicity and sincerity of their hearts This wee must do in health this we must do in sicknesse this we must doe in death and so wee shall glorifie God liuing and dying Thus did Abraham teach his children and seruants and for this is he commended of God Gen. 18 19. I know Abraham my seruant that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the vvay of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgment Thus said Iacob when he dyed Gen. 49 1 2. this must all of vs be carefull to practise if we will bee the children of faithful Abraham to speake of the lawes of God in our houses 〈◊〉 11 13. wheÌ„ we walk by the way when we lye downe and when we rise vp Verse 27 28. And Moses did as the Lord had commanded he caused Aaron to strippe off his garments and he put them vpon Eleazar his son Wee see the obedience of Moses to the Commandement of God for Aaron pulled off his Priestly robes and they are put vpon Eleazar to whom lineally the Priesthood did descend whereby we see that there was a personal succession belonging to the Priesthood from father to son from one man to another Hereby we learne â—â—â—â—rine 〈◊〉 Leuitical 〈…〉 from 〈◊〉 that the Priesthood vnder the law passed from one to another The Priesthood begunne in Aaron and continued in his line rested not in one man but continued by succession from age to age This we see euidently proued throughout the old testament for as they were cut off by death so others arose in their rooms that serued at the Altar As Eleazar succeeded Aaron so did Phinchas succeed Eleazar 〈◊〉 6 â—0 so the Priesthood proceeded from father to son and from one generation to another 〈◊〉 â— 16. as appeareth in the genealogies of the Priests This the Apostle to the Hebrewes plentifully prooueth 〈◊〉 23. Many among them were made Priests because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death declaring that the Priestes after the order of Aaron succeeded each other and confirming it by the reason cause thereof because the Leuiticall Priests were taken away by death and could not endure for euer This then we must hold to be one reason forcible and powerfull to prooue the continued Reason 1 succession of the Priesthood of Leui from father to son because they were cut off by death and so not suffered alwayes to execute theyr Priesthood Seeing therfore these Priests were mortall there must be a succession from one to another This is that reason which was remeÌ„bred before out of Heb. 7 23. shewing that they had many Priests because they were all subiect to mortality and could not continue through necessity of death Secondly the promise of God made vnto Aaron and to his posterity must be accomplished Reason 2 and performed Hee consecrated Aaron and his sons and made a couenant with them not with Aaron alone not with his children alone but with their posterity Exod. 28 1. hee established it as a testimony in Iacob and as a law in Israel that their posterity might know it and the children which should be born of them shold stand vp and minister before the Lord in the beautiful garments and glorious robes of the Priests Exod. 28 2. Therefore the Lord saide by Moses Exod 29 29 30. Num. 3 10. 18 7. The holy garments which appertaine to Aaron shall be his sonnes after him to be annointed therein and to be consecrate therein That son that shall be Priest in his stead shall put them on seuen dayes when he commeth into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to minister in the holy place So God made his couenant of peace with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron Nu. 25 12 13 confirmed the Priests office to him his seed after him because in the zeale of his Spirit hee had turned away the wrath of the Lord from the Children of Israel This teacheth vs first of all the imperfection Vse 1 and insufficiency of it both of the Priestes themselues and of the Priesthood it selfe It pointed out a better Priest and a better priesthood and directed them to rest not in it but in some other So the Apostle Heb. 7 11 12. declareth that the Leuiticall Priesthood was vnperfect because another Priest is promised a long time after according to the order of Melchizedek If any perfection had beene by the Priesthood of the Leuites what needed it furthermore that another Priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek and not to bee called after the order of Aaron c. Where we see he sheweth to what purpose there must bee a Priest after another rule and fashion not after the order of Aaron euen because perfection is not in the Priehhood of the Leuites nor vnder the Law which was established vnder it so that wee must acknowledge it hath an end forasmuch as with the ceremoniall law the ceremoniall Priesthood was cancelled and abolished Vse 2 Secondly from hence we learne to acknowledge a difference betweene the Priesthood of Christ and the Priesthood of the Leuites This standeth in diuers points and circumstaÌ„ces as the same Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes euidently declareth The Priesthood of Christ is eternall as the Prophet declared long before Heb. 7 17. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek he was made with an oath by him that saide vnto him The Lord hath sworne and wil not repent But the Priests of Aarons order were mortall Heb. 7 20 21. not eternall they were made by the word of God but without an oath Heb. 7 26. Besides our great high Priest Christ Iesus holye harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens hath a * Aparabaton Heb. 7 24. Priesthood which cannot passe from one to another wherefore he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them who by his own blood entred in once into the holy place Heb 9.11 14. and obtained eternall redemption for vs purging our Conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Hebru 10 4. for it is vnpossible that the blood of buls Goats shold take away sinnes Thus we see that the Priesthood of Christ can haue no succession inasmuch as being once performed it hath no imperfection and whereas the Iews in the time of the law had Aaron and his posterity which were but mortall and miserable men we haue Christ the immortall and blessed God who liueth for euer to be our euerlasting Priest Vse 3 Lastly we learne that seeing the Leuiticall Priesthood passed from one to another so as by death they were not alwaies suffred to exercise and execute their Priesthood we see I say that the Church of Rome bringing in againe such a Priesthood such Priests as
giue to these maintaine them both in idlenes wickednes As then we see vnto whoÌ„ we ought not to giue so we must know to whom we ought to giue To whom we â—â—ght to giue These are poore widdowes and fatherlesse children 1 Tim. 5 16 such as are poore strangers such day laborers as worke hard for their liuing all the week and yet cannot either thorough weaknesse of their body or greatnes of their charge get things necessary and sufficient for them and of these we shall alwaies haue with vs to the end of the world Mat. 62 11 Such also as are falne into decay by ineuitable losses 〈◊〉 15 11. Leu. 23 35. Lastly such as are weake and impotent whether through age or other blemish whether in their feete or in their hands or other parts that thereby though they bee willing yet they are not able to take paines for theyr liuing Acts 3.2 6. but amongst all these they are especially to bee respected that are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6 10. If we be careful and mindfull of these God will recompence vs againe and pay vs home seuenfolde into our bosomes whatsoeuer we haue giuen both in temporall spirituall and eternall blessings Lastly it is our duty to acknowledge Gods Vse 3 great mercy toward vs in the blessings of this life that hee hath giuen to vs that which hee hath denied to many others and when he giueth vnto vs a comfortable vse of these blessings wee must confesse we haue them not by our owne labor and industrie but by his speciall goodnes towards vs Psal 127 1 3. and therfore we ought to sanctifie our daily pains with daily prayer and begin and end our labors with remembring him that remembreth vs and so praise his goodnes that enableth vs to get goods and this shall make our labour sweet and pleasant and the yoake that lyeth in our neckes to be light and easie Againe as God giueth them so he giueth a blessing with them a blessing with a blessing that is bread and the nourishment of bread For a man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Deut. 8. Moreouer as he giueth outward blessings so he can take them away when it pleaseth him euen in a moment Iob 1 Luk 12. 22 And the Lord saide vnto Moses Get thee vp into this mount Abarim and see the land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel 13 And when thou hast seene it thou shalt bee gathered vnto thy people c. 14 For ye rebelled against my commandement c. Here followeth the second part of the chapt touching the successour of Moses in the gouernment of this great people wherein obserue the occasion the calling of Ioshua The occasion is double the death of Moses at haÌ„d his request to God to appoint a man to be set in his place Touching his death he is willed to go vp to mount Abarim and to behold the land that God had giuen to the Israelites for God had foreshewed that he should see the land with his eies though he did not tread on it with his feet when he had seene the land he should dy as Aaron his brother before him chap. 20 24 amplified by the cause they had not sanctified the name of the Lord at the Waters of Meribah of which we haue spoken before Touching the prayer and request of Moses he desireth of the Lord that he wold appoint a fit Ruler ouer his people to succeed him in this gouernment that might be able to beare this great burthen For hearing the vnchaÌ„geable determination of God humbling himselfe vnder his correcting hand chastising his transgression he is not afraid of the sentence of death being at hand and seeing it before him neither doth he craue to haue the stroke thereof prolonged and delayed neither is he troubled with excessiue cares for himselfe and his children and posterity as the manner is of worldly minded men that mind nothing but the earth and earthly things when they must go out of the world shall haue their mouth full thereof but all his care was for the future benefite of the people to leaue them in good estate after his departure This should teach vs after his example to be readie to leaue the world whensoeuer God calleth vs not to staÌ„d in feare of death but to be willing to goe to God knowing the we shall go to an inheritance immortall that fadeth not 1 Pet. 1. and we must all likewise be carefull to leaue our houses places in good state when we are gone of which we haue spoken before chap. 20. Moses was the deere seruant of God yet sinning hee is punished The Lord himselfe receyued his soule and buried his body Deut 34 6 13. He was in high fauour with God liuing and dying an excellent Prophet to whom God spake face to face yet hee was not suffered to enter into the land of Promise Doctrine Many want the outward signes that are partakers of the truth of the Sacraments Wherby we see that many want the Sacraments that are partakers of the truth and substance of the Sacraments He entred into the heauenly Canaan that was not permitted to enter into the earthly Some are admitted vnto the outward signe that neuer receiue the thing signified so was Iudas to the Passeouer as well as Peter and the rest of the Apostles yet he was neuer partaker of the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the world Iohn 1 29. On the other side some take not the outward signe that neuerhelesse partake the inward grace The vses heereof are to teach vs that the outward Vse 1 and inward parts of the Sacraments are not necessarily ioyned together so that hee which partaketh the one should also partake the other and therfore the outward sign doth not simply conferre grace Secondly it condemneth the Church of Rome that holdeth that children dying without baptisme are not saued whereas saluation is not alwayes annexed to the signe so that though infants want the outward washing yet to them may belong the kingdom of heauen Mark 10 14. Lastly it serueth as a great comfort to such as desire to come to the Sacraments yet are hindred sometimes by sicknes and somtimes by other ineuitable occasions that procure their absence forasmuch as we see in this example of Moses that we may bee partakers of the truth of the signes and yet bee barred or banished from the signes themselues In such cases as these God accepteth the will for the deede 2 Cor. 8 12. Againe Doctrine Many are temporally punished that are not eternally condemned we learne by the examples of Moses and Aaron that were not suffered to enter into Canaan a figure of the heauenly Canaan this truth That many are temporally punished which are not eternally condemned Many are chastised in this life not onely with diseases and sicknesses but with death
offering c Let vs first speake of this feast of Trumpets Some of the Rabbines fantastically suppose that it was instituted in remembrance of the offering vp of Isaac Of the feast of Trumpets the vses to vs. or of deliuerance from being offered which conceite is idle and nothing at all to the purpose Others imagine that it was appointed vpon occasion of the warres that the Israelites had with the Amalekites and other Nations vnder the conduct of God to put them in remembrance that the whole life of man is nothing else but a continuall warfare Iob 7 1. 2 Timoth. 2 1. Of this feast we read Leuit. 23 24. This was accounted as a Sabbath an holy conuocation wherin they must do no seruile worke Therein the trumpets or cornets sounded alowd and the sound thereof was heard farre and neere Of this also in part we haue spoken before chap. 10.1 Let vs come to the Vses hereof in regard Vse 1 of our selues which serued of purpose to stir vp the people to returne vnto God praise and thanksgiuing with ioyfulnesse of heart for all his benefits according to that in the Psalmes Make a ioyfull noise vnto the God of Iacob take a Psalme and bring hither the Timbrel the pleasant Harpe with the Psaltery blow vp the Trumpet in the new Moone in the time appointed on our solemne feast day Psal 81 1 2 3. So Dauid hauing experience of Gods good hand toward him in many preseruations Title composed the 18 Psalme as a testimony of his thankfulnes for his deliuerance from the hands of all his enemies from the hand of Saul So I should thinke that the cause of this feast was to be a feast of remembrance for his manifold mercies receiued in the wildernesse that thereby they might stirre vp themselues to be vnited in God And the cause of the institution of this feast seemeth to be contrary to that which followeth which is the feast of fasting For as the Iewes had a day to humble themselues by fasting so they were also to haue a day of reioycing that when they heard of those Trumpets they should stirre vp themselues to returne to GOD with ioy of heart And albeit we neyther heare nor haue these Trumpets sounding in our eares to call vs to the Temple and place of his worship yet ought we to praise his name cheerefully and readily with spirituall ioy and gladnes continually Esay 35 2 3 10. with singing thanksgiuing Esay 49 20 21 for it is certaine the faithfull onely haue true cause to reioyce Psal 32 11. 33 1 the vngodly haue no cause at all Esay 48 20 21 22 but rather to weepe and lament Luke 6 25. Secondly it reproueth the Popish sort who Vse 2 endeuour to follow this commandement as if it belonged to Christians as a precept in our dayes and therefore haue a resemblance of it once a yeere by ringing of bels yea at euerie solemne feast they thinke God is well paid pleased when they haue rung their bels lowd and lustily and thereby wakened the ghostes of such of their friends as are dead Such practise is no better then sorcery and witchcraft which is retained among them And hence it is that they ascribe more force to their hallowed and consecrated bels then euer GOD gaue to the sound of these Trumpets For they ascribe vnto them being once hallowed a spirituall power against thunder lightning and euill spirits for that cause they are not ashamed to baptize them and to exact great summes of money of the people for that purpose which was one of the greeuances wherof the Princes of Germany complained in the assembly at Noremberg But this feast serued onely for the people of old time and therfore they mingle the Law the Gospel together and bring in a Linsy-wolsy religion contrary to the will and commandement of God Vse 3 Thirdly this warneth vs of the preaching of the Gospel concerning Christ the Sauiour of the world the conqueror of all our enemies and of them that hate vs Esay 58 1 Zach. 9. For this was a warlike instrument Num. 6.31 Iosh 6. God hath caused the doctrine of saluation to be sounded out in the world so that all haue heard the sound of it Psal 19 4. Rom. 10 18 Such a Trumpet was Iohn the Baptist the forerunner of Christ who was sent to prepare the way of the Lord Mark 1 1 2 to call vpon them to repent because the kingdome of God was at hand And this commendeth to the Ministers in the execution of their office diligence carefulnesse continuance cheerefulnes and zeale 1 Cor. 9 17. 1 Pet. 5 2. Vse 4 Lastly as the Ministers must bee the Lords Trumpets so indeede ought euery faithfull soule to bee a Trumpet For when this feast was yeerely obserued such as heard the trumpets were warned by it all the yeare after to stirre vp and awaken themselues remembring that God doth call them as with a lowd voice daily that they should yeelde vp themselues soules and bodies vnto him to worshippe and serue him as he requireth When this feast was celebrated solemnized all the males were not commanded to repaire to Ierusalem as they were at the three more solemne feasts Exod 23 17 to wit if they were free-men and in health able to go to the place of his worship Deut. 12 6 16 2. And hence it is that the Iewish Doctors out of that Law of all males appearing before rhe Lord three times in the yeare do exempt and discharge eleuen sorts and therefore they say that women seruants are not bound but all men are bound except the deafe and the dumbe and the foole the little childe and the blinde and the lame and the vncircumcised and the olde man and the sicke and the tender or weake which are not able to go and trauell vpon their feet neuerthelesse though the people were far from Ierusalem when this feast vvas holden and that they could not resort thither daily to doe sacrifice in the Temple yet they were to consider in their absence that sacrifices were offered there euen in their behalfe and God was worshipped there in the behalfe and name of all the Tribes True it is this figure is passed away and vtterly abolished by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ howbeit this remaineth that we our selues should serue for trumpets For as the Temple being destroyed wee must be spiritual Temples vnto God so the Trumpets being taken away euery one of vs must be spiritual Trumpets that is we shold rouze vp our selues because we are naturally so besotted and wedded to the world and vnto the vanities heere below that it seldome cometh into our minds to thinke of God of the Gospel of the kingdome of heauen Our eares are so possessed with the sound of earthly things and our eyes so dazled with the pleasures of the flesh that we are as deafe and blind men that can