contempt against Moses or Aaron 1. And the Rulers have their lesson too First That if they be God's hands then His Spirit is to open and shut them stretch them out and draw them in wholy to guide and governe them as the hand of man is guided and governed by the spirit that is in man Heavenly and divine had those hands need be which are to be the hands and to worke the worke of God 2. Againe they be not only hands but Manus per quam that is hands in actu Not to be wrapped up in soft furr but by which an actuall dutie of leading is to be performed Mose's owne hand in the fourth of Exodus when he had lodged it in his warme bosome Exod. 4.6 became leprous but being stretched out recovered againe Hands in actu then they must be not loosely hanging downe or folded together in idlenesse but stretched out not onely to point others but themselves to be formost in th' execution of every good worke 3. Thirdly Manus per quam ducuntur That is as not the leprous hand of Moses 1. Reg. 13.4 so neither the withered hand of Ieroboam stretching it selfe out against God by mis-leading His people and making them to sinne Leading backe againe into Aegypt a thing expresly forbidden either to the oppression and bondage of Aegypt Deut. 17.16 or to the ignorance and false worship of Aegypt from whence Moses had ledd them For as they be not entire bodies of themselves but hands and that not their owne but God's so the People they ledd are not their owne but His and by Him and to Him to be ledd and directed So much for God's hands Moses Aaron This Honorable title of the hand of God is heere given to two parties Moses and Aaron in regard of two distinct duties performed by them Ye heard how we said before The people of God were like sheepe in respect of a double want 1 want of strength by meanes of their feeblenâ—sse 2 and want of skill by meanes of their simplenesse For this double want heere commeth a double supplie from the hand 1 of strength and 2 of cunning For both these are in the hand 1. It is of all members the chiefe in might as appeareth by the diversitie of vses and services Psal. 20.6 it is put to In Potentatibus dexterae saith the Prophet 2. And secondly it is also the part of greatest cunning as appeareth by the varietâ— of the works which it yeeldeth by the pen the pencill the needle and instruments of musique Psal. 78.72 Psal. 137.5 In intellectu manuum saith the Psalmist in the end of the next Psalme and let my right hand forget her cunning This hand of God then by his strength affordeth protâ—ction to the feeblenesse of the fâ—ock and againe by his skill affordeth direction to the simplenesse of the flocke And these are the two substantiall parts of all leading These twaine as two armes did God appoint in the wildernesse to lead His people by Afterward over these twaine did He yet set another even the power and authority Regall 1. Sam. 15.17 in place of the Head as himselfe termeth it and to it as supreme vnited the regiment of both The consideration of which Power I medâ—le not with as being not within the compasse of this versâ— but oâ—ely witâ— the hands or regiments Ecclesiasticall and Civill Which as the tâ—o Châ—â—ubimâ— did the Arke over-spread and preserve every estate 2. Chron 19.6 One saith Iehosaâ—hat dispensing Res Iehovae the Lord's businesse the other dealing in Negotio regis the â—â—faiâ—es of Estate One saith David intenâ—ing the worship of the Tribes 2. Chron. 19.11 Psâ—l 1 22.4.5 the otâ—er 〈◊〉 tâ—rones for iustice One saith Paul being for us in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things perteiniâ—g to God the other in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15.17 1. Cor. 6.3 matters of this present life The one Pro aris the other Pâ—o focis as the very Heathen acknowledge 1. These two are the hands necessarie to the bodie and necessarie each to other First they be both hands and the hands we know are payres Not Moses the hand and Aaron the foot but either and each the hand And as they be a paire of hands so be they also a payre of brethren Not Moses de primis and Aaron de novissimis populi Esay 22. Not Mosâ—â— the Head and Aaron the tayle Not Moses a Quis as Saint Hierome speaketh out of the twenty two of Esay and Aaron a quasi quis but both of one parentage both one mans children 2. Secondly being both hands neither of them is superfluous no more to be spared then may the hands but both are absolutely necessarie and a maymed and lame estate it is where either is wanting The Estate of Israel in the seventeenth of the Iudges without a Civill Governor prooved a very masse of confusion The very same Estate in the second of Chron. Chap. XV. Iudg. 17.6 2. Chron. 15.3 Sine sacerdote docente no lesse out of frame Miserable first if they lacke Iosua and be as sheepe wanting that Shepheard And miserable againe if they lacke IESVS Num. 27.17 Matt. 9.36 and be as sheepe wanting that Shepheard Moses is needfull in the want of water to strike the rocke for us and to procure us supplie of bodily releeâ—e Exod. 17.6 Aaron is no lesse For he in like manner reacheth to every one food of another kinde which we may worse be without even the bread of life and water out of the spirituall Rocke Ioh. 6.48.51 1 Cor. 10.4 Exod 17 8. Ephes. 6 1â— which is CHRISâ— IESVS Moses we need to see our forces ledd against Amaleck for safegard of that little we hold heere in this life and Aaron no lesse to preserve our free-hold in the everlasting life For the great and mightie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the legions of our sinnes the very forces of the Prince of darknesse are ouerthrowne by the spirituall weapons of Aaron's warfare Moses may not be spared from sitting and deciding the causes which are brought before him No more may Aaron whose Vrim giveth answer in doubts no lesse important and who not onely with his Vrim and Thummim giâ—eth counseile but by his incense and sacrifice obteineth good successe for all our counseiles In a word If Moses rodd be requisite to sting and devoure the wicked Aaron's is also to revive the good and to make tâ—em to fructifie If Mose's hand want with the sword to make us a way Aaron's hand wants too with the key to give us an entrance And thus much will I say for Aaron for the Divell hath now left to dispute about Mose's bodie and bendeth all against him that the very first note of difference in all the Bible to know God 's people by is that as Cain and his race begoon at the City-waâ—ls first and let Religion as it might come after
in this this needfull time and to keepe Him sure if it may be For if He keepe with the Host and take their parts Rebelles tui erunt quasi nihil saith Esay Esay 1.11 Esay 7.4 and these smoking tayles of firebrands shall quickly be quenched But if GOD either goe not with them or retire from them If there were among them but naked or wounded men what speake I of men If but froggs or flies they shall be sufficient to trouble them Now then we are at the point For if we will have hold of GOD make Him sure be certeine of Him we must breake with sinne needs Sinne and Satan are His enimies and no fellowship nor communion no concord no agreement no part no portion between them If we will draw Him into league 2. Cor. 6.15 we must professe our selves enimies unto His enimies that He may do the like to ours At one and the same time enter as an outward warr with wicked rebells so an inward hostilitie with our wicked rebellious lusts For that if we keepe our selves from the one He will keepe us from the other and these being suppressed those shall not be hable to stand Thus doing Iud. 7.20 the sword of the LORD shal be with the sword of 〈◊〉 GOâ— shal be with us â—â—iel and we shall prevaile Proâ— â—0 1 〈…〉 For where Iâ—iel is 〈◊〉 will not be away But if we will needs hold on our leâ—â—â—e with hell and continue our wonted entercourse with wickednes still and go forth â—â—to it when it beckens or calls and be so farr from keeping from it that we keepe it as the apple of our eye and cherish it between our breasts if we reteine the marke of it in our very fore-heads and the price of it in the skirts of our garment for not keeping from it He will keepe from us and with-draw His helpe from us and put us cleane out of His protection Therfore without keeping from sinne there is no keeping GOD out of whose keeping there is no safety 3. The Contents of the Instruction to keepe from sinne This advise being so full of behoofe so agreeable to reason and religion both so everie way for their and for our good it remaineth we sett our selves to thinke of it and keepe it * 1. King 8.38 Every one returning to his owne heart to know there as Salomon saith his owne plague even the sinnes wherewith he hath grieved GOD and to make a covenaunt with Him selfe from henceforth more carefully to stand upon his guard and to goe forth to sinne or entertayne it as a friend but to repute it as an enimie and to keepe him from it First for the terme of keeping When thou goest forth against thy enimie goe forth against sinne We should indeed goe forth against sinne and practise those militar impressions that are done in camp against the enimie Give it the assault annoy it pursue it never leave it till we have driven it away These we should do against it But the Scripture offereth more grace and bidds us if we list not goe forth against it only not to goe forth it but keepe our selves that is stand upon our defense to keep good watch Rom. 6.12 that it surprise us not that it get not dominion over us doe but this against sinne and it shall suffice But this must extend to all wickednesse Wherein yet we do humanum dicere propter infirmitatem nostram Rom. 6.19 speake after the manner of men because of our infirmitie retching this All no further then humane infirmite then the failty of our nature will beare then this corruptible flesh wherewith we are compassed and this corrupt world in the middst whereof we live will suffer and give us leave In the bodie we put a difference betweene the soyle which by insensible evacuations goeth from our bodies keepe we our selves never so carefully and that which is drawne forth by chafing or sweat or otherwise gotten by touching such things wherewith we may be defiled That cannot be refraind This falleth within restraint And even so there is a soyle of sinne that of it selfe vaporeth from our nature let the best doe his best I say not we should keepe our selves from this But from provoking it by suffering our minds to wander in it by not keeping our eares from such company and our eyes from such occasions Ezek. 14.3 as will procure it as the Prophet speaketh by putting the stumbling block of iniquitie before our faces From that by the helpe of GOD we may keepe our selves well enough From sinne 's lighting upon our thoughts it is impossible it cannot be but from making there a nest or hatching ought that we are willed to looke to and that by God's grace we may And the word that Moses useth heer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not without a Dixit at least incorde not without a saying within iâ— This or that I will do It must be dictum or condictum sayd to and sayd yea to or els it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The heart not resolving or saying content but keeping it selfe from going forth to any act though wickednesse be not kept from us because of the temptation yet we are kept from it because of the repulse and with that will Moses be content at our hands as our estate now is But with these proviso'es We say generally They that goe forth keepe from all from all such both deeds and words as iustly may be censured to be wickedly eyther spoken or done Words I say as well as deeds For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beares both And indeed if in good words as in prayers there be force to help I make no question but in wicked words as blasphemies irreligious sayings lâ—cis fâ—lmine dignis there is force also to doe mischiefe Therefore keepe from all All those especially as very reason will lead us which have been the ruine of armies in former times a view whereof we may take when we will out of Liber 〈…〉 of GOD 's battâ—iles Wicked Words first Presumptuous termes of trust in our owne strength I will goe I will pursue and overtake I will divide the spoyle Pharaâ—'s words the cause of his perishing and all his host Exo. 15. To keepe them from that Exo. 15.9 Rabsakeh's black mouthed blasphemie Let not Hezekiah cause you to trust in GOD over much the eminent cause of the overthrow of the host of Asshur Esai 36. To keepe them from that Esa. 36.15 And if from words from wicked works much rather Achan's sinne that is Sacrilege Anathemâ— in medio tui non poteris stare coram hostibus tuis GOD 's owne words to Iosua The cause of the armies miscarrying before Ai. To keepe them Iosu. 7.11 12. from that wickednesse Such shamefull abuses as was that at Gibea the expressed cause of the destruction of a whole Tribe To keepe them from that Iud. 1â— Prophaning
now at the houre 〈…〉 The nature is such ever of the sinne of blood 〈…〉 of theirs he did not thinke good to slipp over in silence but even then to 〈…〉 of it and to tell them his mind about it No time to keepe it from them now 〈…〉 to GOD and so stirred in Spirit not to leave the world till he had left 〈…〉 of his â—eep dislike of attempts in that kind It was the will of GOD 〈…〉 not his eldest sonne Reuben for a soule fact of another nature for 〈…〉 either did he these two for another of blood-guiltinesse Blood and Incest 〈◊〉 of them 〈◊〉 it might prove dangerous he knew if he did not declare his mind and sett 〈…〉 upon that and the like attempts and that he could not discharge his 〈…〉 said nothing to it That others therefore hearing of it might feare to doe 〈…〉 he condemnes their counsell with a Ne Veniat Let never my soule come 〈…〉 counsell or companie 2. Then layes his heavy curse on the fact it selfe and 〈…〉 thirst of revenge the cause of it 3. And lastly censures them doubly for it 〈◊〉 herison depriving them and not them onely but all their posteritie for ever 〈…〉 of inheritance of their owne as all the other Tribes had 2 And then 〈◊〉 tâ—em abroad up and downe all Israël For these are two distinct â— To dis 〈…〉 thing and 2 to scatter abroad is another 〈…〉 is Iacob their Father's curse The Summe and the dis-herison of these two brethren 〈◊〉 â—nd Levi for consulting first and after pursuing so wicked a counsell as the 〈◊〉 of Sichem 〈…〉 Poena will divide the Text the fault and the punishment The Division In it doe but 〈…〉 to make the parts three Simeon and Levi the Parties that made the 〈…〉 upon whom the punishment came 〈◊〉 was either the fact it selfe or two weightie circumstances of it 1 The 〈…〉 they slew a man they broke downe the wall This for this fact and for the two 〈…〉 it First that there was a meeting and consulting before about the doing 〈◊〉 â—hen that there was crueltie after shewed in the doing of it Consulting and 〈◊〉 before Rage and fury after 〈◊〉 punishment or censure is of two sorts You may thus reduce them 〈◊〉 one is a Church-censure 2 The other a Civill paenaltie and so the sentence 〈…〉 Courts 1 Maledictus of one Court that is Spirituall And 2 Dispergam of 〈…〉 that is Temporall 〈◊〉 shall observe all heer stands upon two's 1 Simeon and â— Levi â— they â— and 〈◊〉 â—â—die weapons 1. In the Plott two 1 Counsell and 2 Companie whence 〈…〉 two 1 his soule and 2 his glory 2. In the fact two 1 Murder and 〈…〉 done upon two 1 Vpon the men 2 and upon the very walls 3. In the 〈◊〉 two 1 Anger and 2 furie and they two two Epithets the Anger 1 strong 〈…〉 and the Rage 2 indurate in pursuing killed the men in their 〈…〉 downe walls in their furie 4. In the censure two 1 The Curse 2 and the 〈…〉 One lookes backe the other lookes forward One to the fact the Curse 〈…〉 to the persons the Paenall part In the Paenalty two 1 The dividing and 〈…〉 dividing their persons in the familie of Iacob Scattering their 〈…〉 â—he commonwealth of Israel 〈…〉 now the use we have of it Fiâ—st the 〈◊〉 comming to any such counsells 〈…〉 of 〈…〉 accursâ—â— all such outrages as this 〈…〉 seâ—ne it condemned in 〈…〉 and no◠〈…〉 â—he â—eaâ—hen In Iewrie by Kings 〈…〉 By the Heathen in the case 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 Prophâ—â—s in the case of Absalon and 〈…〉 in the câ—se of Simeon and Levi. And all this 〈…〉 tâ—e Proâ—hets beforâ— the Law long yer Moses were 〈…〉 dayes and now higher then Genesis further then the 〈…〉 〈…〉 â—ave heard to day you shall heare a Patriarch lay his 〈…〉 but at the very point of death All 〈…〉 this iâ— and how GOD will be sure to require it at 〈…〉 â—re 〈◊〉 to shedd blood And this was a good doctrine 〈…〉 beeâ—e â—ver since Esay â—â— 7 till our â—nhappie daiâ—â— wherein some that have 〈…〉 it have scaped the Patriarch's Maledictus and have much adoe to scape th◠〈…〉 â—â—nedictus and being made Saints for it I. The Parties two SImeon and Levi are the Parties He joines them together in the Processe for so they were in the fact eiâ—her as deepe as other and so their causes proceeded in jointly Two they are and two are more then one It is hand in hand this a double-twistâ—â— cord Proâ— 11.22 Hand in hand is the stronger double then single iniquitie 〈…〉 And this is true of any two but more yet of these two for these two are brethren And thâ—t 〈◊〉 â—ond of Nature and naturall affection workes yet more strength For strong â—rov 1â— 19 〈◊〉 the barrs of a Palace so is frater qui à fratre adjuvatur saith Salomon The first thing that makes us muse is that Iacob calls these two Brethren as if the rest were not so Gen. 41. â—2 were nothing of kinne to them They were twelve brethren themselveâ— say so â—o Ioseph But not of whole blood you will say True but six of them these two â—ameâ— and foure besides they had all the same father Iacob and the same mother Lea. And why then these two two brethren and not they We must seâ—ke out somwhat wherein these two were and the rest were not And we will not stirâ—e a whit from the Text. They two were brethren first 1 in wearing of weapons of violence in this verse â— and in the next brethren in wicked counsell 3 and third in the rage of revenge 4 And last in a bloody murder And as in these that make up the fault so in the punishment In all these were these two brethren and these two onely The other nothing of kin to them no fraternitie in these If Râ—bbi Salomon be right that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke be all one with Mechera in Hebrew then it is the swords they were girt with were weapons of violence But if as others take it Mechera be a tent then it must be the weapons of violence were to be 〈…〉 that in their tents they had them though not at their sides The 〈…〉 a more quiet disposition 〈◊〉 in wearing weapons So were not these but their swords out ready 〈…〉 upon every occasion The other had weapons too but not weapons of 〈…〉 they had but cruelty dwelt not in them Weapons of cruelty then it 〈…〉 Why 〈…〉 need haâ—e by his side or in his house weapons Yes But â—hese 〈…〉 were 〈…〉 of violence and violence implies wrong ever 〈…〉 All even our very hands and members 〈…〉 GOD never entended to arme injustice 〈…〉 〈…〉 withall The Law allowes no Chele 〈…〉 man to have 〈…〉 his houâ—e no 〈◊〉 to weare them by his side No 〈…〉 to pâ—ivaâ—e 〈…〉 râ—â—enge 〈…〉 Miâ—i vindictaâ— Revenge
too Et erunt Tibi They shall be for thee They shall be not one for thee and another for Aaron but Erunt Tibi They shall be both for thee They shall be both thine A third if they can finde they may lay claime to that But both these are for Moses We have then the delivery of them to Moses to make which is a kind of seizin or a Ceremony investing him with the right of them We have beside plaine words to lead their possession and those words operative Erunt Tibi That as none to make them so none to owne them being 〈◊〉 but Moses And what would we have more to shew us Cujus sunt Tubae whose the trumpetts be or whose is the right of calling Assemblies It is Moses's certainly and he by vertue of these stands seized of it To go yet further But was not all this to Moses for his time onely and as it begun in him That power to contiâ—â—e after Moses so to take end with him Was it not one of these same Privilegia Personalia quae non trahuntâ—r in exemplum A priviledge peculiar to him and so no precedent to be made of it Noâ—â—or if you looke but a little forward to the VIII Verse following there you shall see that this power which GOD heer conveyeth this Law of the silver trâ—mpets is a Law to last for ever even throughout all their generations not that gâ—neration onely And there is great reason it should be so that seeing the Vse should never cease the Power likewise should never determine Moses received it as chiefe Magistrate Being then not to determine but to continue it must descend to those that hold Mosâ—s's place I demand then what place did Moses hold Sure it is that Aaron was noâ— the High Priest annointed and fully invested in all the rights of it ever since the eighth Chapter of the last Booke Moses had in him now no other Right but that of the Chiefe Magistrate Therefore as in that Right and no other He received and held them So he was made Custos utriusque Tabulae So he is made Custos utriusque Tubae But who can tell us better then he himselfe in what right he held them He doth it in the third verse of Deuter. XXXIII reade it which way you will Erat in lishrune Rex or in rectissimo Rex or in rectitudine Rex or in recto Regis dum congregaret Principes populi Tribus Israël All come to this that though in strict proprietie of speech Moses were no King yet in this he was in rectitudine Rex or in recto Regis that is in this had as we say Ius Regale that he might and did assemble the Tribes and chiefe men of the Tribes at his pleasure Heerin he was Rex in rectitudine For this was rectitudo Regis A power Regall And so it was holden in Aegypt before Moses even in the law of Nature that without Pharao no man might lift up hand or foot in all the land of Aegypt suppose Gen. 41.44 to no publique or principall motion And so hath iâ— been holden in all Nations as a speciall Power belonging to Dominion Which maketh it seeme strange that those men which in no cause are so fervent as when they pleade that Church-men should not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is have Dominion do yet hold this Power which hath ever been reputed most proper to Dominion should belong to none but to them only Our Saviour CHRIST 's Vos autem non sic may I am sure be said to them heere in a truer sense Mat. 20.26 then as they commonly use to applie it The chiefe Magistrate to succeed in it To conclude then this point If Moses as in the right of Chiefe Magistrate held this Power it was from him to descend to the chiefe Magistrates after him over the people of GOD and they to succeed him as in his place so in this right it being by GOD himselfe setled in Moses and annexed to his place lege perpetuâ by an estate indefeizible by a perpetuall Law throughout all their generations Therefore ever after by God's expresse order from yeare to yeare every yeare on the first day of the seventh moneth were they blowen by Moses first and after by them that held his place and the Feast of the Trumpetts solemnly holden as to put them in mind of the benefit thereby comming to them so withall to keep alive and fresh still in the knowledge of all that this power belonged to their place that so none might ever be ignorant to whom it did of right appertaine to call Assemblies And how then shall Aaron's Assemblies be called with what trumpet they God himselfe hath provided for that in the X. Verse following Aaron's Assemblies how called that with no other then these There is in all the Law no order for calling an Assembly to what end or for what cause soever but this and onely this No order for making any third trumpett Vnder these two therefore all are comprized This order there God taketh that Moses shall permit Aaron's sonnes to have the use of these trumpetts Verse 10. But the use not the property Num. 31.6 They must take them from Moses as in the XXXI Chapter of this Booke Phinees doth But Erunt tibi God's owne words Erunt tibi must still be remembred His they be for all that Moses the owner still the right remaines in him their sounding of them deprives not him of his interest alters not the property Erunt tibi mâ—st â—till be true that right must still be preserved It may be if we communicate with flesh and bloud we may think it more convenient as some do that GOD had delivered Moses and Aaron either of them one But when we see GOD 's will by GOD'S word what it is that Moses is to have them both we will let that passe as a Revelation of flesh and bloud and think that which GOD thinketh to be most convenient Now then if the trumpets belong to Moses and that to this end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The two duties that with them he may call the Congregation these two things do follow First that if he call the Congregation must not refuse to come Secondly that unlesse he call they must not assemble of their owne heads but keepe their places Briefly thus the Congregation must come when it is called and it must be called yer it come These are the two duties we owe to the two trumpets and both these have GOD 's people ever duly performed And yeâ— not so but that this Right hath been called in question yea even in Moses's owne time that we marvell not if it be so now and both these duties denied him even by those who were alive and present then when GOD gave him the trumpets But marke by whom and what became of them The first duty is to come when they be called
Plague heere as appeareth by the XXVIII Verse 1 Fornication the Verse next before came for the sinne of Peor that is for fornication as you may read And not every Fornication but fornication past shame as was that Zamri there with a daughter of Moab Num. 25.1 And indeed if we marke it well it fitts well For that kinde of sinne fornication doth end in Vlcers and sores and those as infectious as the Plague it selfe A proper punishment such sore for such evill Secondly 2 Pride David's plague of seventy thousand which we mention in our Prayer that came for Pride plainly 1. Chro. 21.14 His heart was lifted up to number the People And that seemes somewhat kindly too and to agree with this disease That pride which swells it selfe should end in a tumor or swelling as for the most part this disease doth Thirdly 3 Baptisme Esai 37.36 Zenacherib's plague it is plaine came from Rabshakeh's blasphemie Blasphemie hable to infect the aire it was so foule In which regard Aaron's act might be justified in putting odours into his Censer Numb 16· 46. to purifie the Aire from such corruption And last the Apostle setts downe the Cause of the plague at Corinth 4 Neglect of the Sacrament 1. Cor. 11.30 For this Cause saith he that is for neglect of the Sacrament Either in not caring to come to it or in comming to it we care not how For this cause is there a mortalitie among you and many are sicke and many are weake and many are fallen asleepe And this is no new thing Exo. 4.24 Moses himselfe his neglect of the Sacrament made him be striken of GOD that it was like to have cost him his life And he saith plainly to Pharao If they neglected their sacrifice GOD would fall upon them with the Pestilence Exo. 5 3. which appeaâ—eth by this that the Sacrament of the passeover and the bloud of it was the meanes to save them from the plague of the destroying Angel in Egypt A little now of the Phrase The phrase for sinne Theiâ— inventions that their sinnes are heere called by the name of their inventions And so sure the yare as no waies taught us by GOD but of our owne imagining or finding out For indeed our inventions are the cause of all sins And if we look wel into it we shal find our inventions are so By GOD'S injunction we should all live his injunction is In matters of Râ—ligion Deut. 12.8 You shall not do every man what seems good in his own eyes or finds out in his own braines but whatsoever I commaund you that only shall you do But we setting light by that charge of his out of the old disease of our Father Adam Eritis sicut Dij scientes bonum malum thinke it a goodly matter to be wittie and to find out things our selves to make to our selves to be Authors and inventoâ—s of somewhat that so we may seem to be as wise as GOD if not wisâ—r and to know what is for our turnes as well as he if not better It was Saul's fault GOD bad destroy Amalâ—k all and he would invent a better way to save some forsooth for sacrifice which GOD could not thinke oâ— And it was Saint Peter's fault when he perswaded CHRIST from His passion 〈…〉 and found out a better way as he thought then Christ could devise This is the proud invention which will not be kept in but makes men even not to forbeare in things perteining to God's worship but there to be still devising new tricks opinions and fashions fresh and newly taken up which their Fathers never knew of And this is that which makes men 〈…〉 17. that have itching eares to heape to themselves Teachers according to their owne lusts 〈…〉 3. which may fill their heads full with new inventions 〈…〉 And this is that that even out of Religion in the common life spoiles all The wanton invention in finding out new meats in diet in inventing new fashions in apparel which men so dote on as the Psalme saith at the 39 th Verse as they even goe a whoring with them with their owne inventions and care not what they spend on them And know no end of them but as fast as they are weary of one a new invention is found out which whatsoever it cost how much soever it take from our Almes or good deeds must be had till all come to nought That the Psalmist hath chosen a very fit word that for our inventions the plague breakes in among us for them as for the primarie or first moving cause of all Indeed for them as much and more then for any thing els We see them 1 First that a Cause there is 2 That that cause is not only naturall but that God Himselfe hath a hand in it 3 God as being provoked to anger 4 To anger for our sinnes in generall and for what sinns in speciall For our sinns proceeding from nothing but our inventions Which cause if it continue and yet we turne not to the Lord as Amos the 4. then will not his anger be turned away but his hand wil be stretched out still as Esai the 9. And no way to avoyd the one but by appeasing the other 〈…〉 Cure For the cure now One contrarie is ever cured by another If then it be anger which is the cause in God anger would be appeased If it be Inventions which is the cause in us of the anger of God they would be punished and removed That so the Cause being taken away the effect may cease Take away our inventions Gods anger will cease Take away God's anger the plague will cease Two Readings we said ther were 1 Phinees prayed or 2 Phinees executed judgement Palal the Hebrew word will beare both And both are good And so we will take them both in 〈…〉 Prayer is good against the plague as appeareth Not onely in this plague in the Text 〈…〉 25.6 〈◊〉 24.17 wherein all the Congregation â— were weeping and praying before the dore of the Tabernacle But in King b David's plague also where we see what his prayer was and the very words of it And in c Esai 38.3 Ezekia's plague who turned his face to the wall and prayâ—d unto GOD and his prayer is set downe GOD heard his prayer and healed him And for a generall rule d 1. King 8.37.38.39 If there be in the Land any pestilent disease Whatsoever plague whatsoever sicknesse it be the prayer and supplication in the Temple made by the people every man knowing the plague of his own heart God in heaven will heare it and remove his hand from afflicting them any further And it standeth with good reason For as the Aire is infected with noisome sents or smellâ— so the infection is removed by sweet odours or incense which Aaron did in the Plague put sweet odours in his Censer