and simple beginning that he came of the * Dust of the Earth And therefore hath no cause to glorie in his owne worthinesse And if he be any thing more than any other common Creatures that the Prayse thereof is to be giuen to God alone Therefore to beate downe the pride of Mans corrupt Nature very wel saith Iesus Sirach VVhy art thou so proude O thou Dust and Ashes And the Lorde God planted a Garden Eastwarde in Eden c. In this that God did set Man in a Paradise or Garden of pleasure it maketh muche to the aduauncement of Mans dignitie and the settinge forth of the great Fauour of God towarde him who woulde not haue his principall Creature whome he had made as Lorde of all other to inhabite in a cōmon place of the Earth but in a plat framed of purpose replenished with al maner of plesure delight according as is here discribed by Moyses Where or in what part of the world this Paradise was or whether it doe at this day remaine or no we may not be Curious to search or determine It may well be thought that that place of delight and pleasure that was prepared for Man in his Innocencie when he sinned and fell from the obedience of God his maker was defaced partly by the * Curse that for the same fel vpon the Earth partly by the generall Deluge ouerflowing the whole lande and all the partes thereof And if we shoulde assigne it to any place it is most likely to haue beene about the coastes of Mesaporamia and Armenia c. where the Riuers Euphrates and Tigris are The Tree of Life planted in Paradise may be thought to be that by the fruite whereof if man had not Sinned he should haue continued Immortall The Tree of knowledge of Good and Euill was that tree which God to trie the Obedience of Adam did Forbid him to taste of and tooke the name of that miserable euent that after fell vnto him by his Disobedience For thereby he vnderstoode euill and was ashamed of himselfe And out of Eden there went foorth a ryuer of water c. Forsomuch as the Riuers that beare those names at this day and flowe into the partes here mencioned haue their heades and beginninges farre asunder it is mooued as a doubt howe they are reported here to haue one heade and spring For aunswere herevnto we must vnderstand that in the time of the generall Deluge when all the fountaynes of the Earth brake out by the prouidence of God to drowne the worlde for sinne it is not vnlikely that this Spring also and the Ryuers that grewe thereof by the continuance of the Deluge did alter and varied their course and toke also other beginnings then before they had Some other thinke that at the same Deluge the sea swelling to drowne the Earth did ouerwhelme that place where Paradice was from whence these Ryuers had their beginning and that it so remayneth at this day either where the redde Sea is or in some partes of the Sea there bordering And the Lorde God commaunded Man saying eating thou shalt eate c. It is not to be thought that God had Inspired the diuin◠knowledge of good and euill into the fruites of this tree but it is to be vnderstanded that it was a type or Figure of perfite knowledge of good and euill which becommeth the wisedome of God alone being hable to declare the perfect causes of all thinges both generally and particularly wherevnto God woulde not haue Man arrogantly to aspire as a thing farre aboue his Cōdition and therefore commaunded him vnder a great paine not to taste of this fruite Augustine and others iudge that the name was giuen to this tree by the euent that folowed For Man by the tasting of that fruite to his owne great harme by experience learned the difference betweene the goodnesse of obedience innocencie felicitie immortalitie and the * euill of disobedience sinfulnesse miserie and death And the Lorde sayd it is not good for man to be alone I will make him an helpe c. Seeing that God had made Man as he did other Creatures to this ende that he should multiply and encrease vpon the face of y Earth it was not fitte and conuenient for him to be alone therefore God of his great goodnesse respecting this his purpose in creating of Mankinde sayth he will make an Helper to Adam like himselfe The woman lawefullye ioyned to Man bringeth three Helpes which he cannot haue without hir 1 The first is the Helping to Procreation and multiplying of mankinde 2 The seconde is that she is a lawfull Remedie agaynst whoredom al filthy vncleane lusts To auoyd fornication sayth Paule let ech man haue his wife And again It is better to Marry than to burne 3 The thirde Helpe is Comfort in sickenesse in affliction and in all houshold cares and troubles as in education of children and keeping the family in order In this place haue we the Institution and notable commendation of matrimonie by God himselfe euen before the fall of Adam Which maketh greatly agaynst all such that vnder a colour of hipocrisy in the Spirit of Antichrist depraue the Institution of God and make Mariage a Wallowing in the Flesh or a Permission onely for the auoyding of a greater euill c. For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned c. After the Institution of matrimonie Moyses addeth the Indissoluble bonde and knot whereby the husbande and wife are fastened togither by the ordinance of God and sheweth that it is * straighter than any other coniunction in the societie of mankinde Inso much that it is a lesse offence to forsake Father and Mother and to leaue them succourlesse whiche notwithstanding ought by Gods commaundement to be honoured then it is to doe the like towarde his lawfull maried Wife Wherefore let them looke well what they doe that are readie for Light and Small causes to Seperate man and wife Seeing that Christ himselfe sayth that VVhosoeuer is separated from his wyfe sauing for fornication and marieth another committeth adulterie The sunday called Sexagesima at Morning prayer Genesis 3. ANd the Serpent was subtiler then euery beast of the fielde which the Lorde God had made and he saide vnto the woman yea hath God saide ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden 2 And the woman sayde vnto the Serpent We eate of the fruite of the trées of the garden 3 But as for the fruite of the trée which is in the midst of the garden God hath sayde Ye shall not eate of it neyther shall ye touche it least peraduenture ye die 4 And the Serpent sayde vnto the woman Ye shall not dye the death 5 For God both knowe that the same daye that ye eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and euill 6 And
Conscience among them â—or haue any hope to Preuaile and do Good by drawing them to repentance 2 The second if he haue the 〈…〉 of gods commaundement calling him and good Oportunitie to Spreade the glorie of God and studie of his true worship in an other place Otherwise if these causes be not as they were both in Abram I thinke he is not bound in conscience to depart but without Sinne maye Tary among them as Loth did in Sodome And I will make of thee a great people and will blesse thee c. This Blessing that God here promiseth to Abrain is in wordes very great and notable But if we looke to the maner of perfourming it in the face of the worlde it will seeme somewhat straunge to mans reason He promiseth Abram Multiplying and Blessing if he depart out of his Countrey but it might seeme more likelie that he should grow to wealth and power if he Taâ—yed in his Countrey Furthermore when he dyed in the lande of his peregrinage he was in deede welthy and riche but he scantly left One Sonne to performe the great Blessing of the increase of his Seede Yea and the same Sonne hauing lyke condition as his father had left but One sonne behinde him partaker of the Promise And lastly when some shew of great increase appeared in the sonnes of Iacob by Hunger and Famine they were * driuen to go into Aegypt and there in deede increased in great numbers but yet vnder the crosse of Trouble and AfflictioÌ„ as it is read The morâ— that they did â—ppresse them the more they mereased and multiplied This must we diligently consider iâ— the blessing of Abram that we may learne howe God blesseth his in this world least we fall into the iudgement of carnall men and thinke them Happie and blessed whiâ—h in deede are cursed and vnhappie â–ª For Gods Blessing doth not alway go with the Wealth of the worlde nor his Curse with Affliction and trouble but most commonlye in cleane contrarie maner For it is profitable for the Elect of god often in this life to be vnder the bridle of Affliction and Trouble It is good for me sayth Dauid that thou hast Humbled me Who would haue esteemed Ioseph happie when he was * solde into Aegypt and there a long time kept in Prison Or Dauid when he was Tenne yeares Persecuted of Saule Or in time of his kingdome when he was troubled with so many Warres and * Rebellions But as the kingdome of God is Spirituall so are his Blessings for the most part Spiritual and not according to the iudgement of the 〈◊〉 And in thee shall all the kindredes of the earth be blessed c. This place is diligently to be imprinted in the mindes of the faythfull as one of the sweetest Promises of our Free blessing in Christ Iesu that is in all the Scriptures We be taught in these wordes to learne the riches and abundance of Gods mercie who doth not restraine his blessing to anye one House kindred or Nation but doth freely impart it to All the Kindreds of the earth Therefore when Christ sent his Messengers to bestowe this blessing he sayd Go into the whole worlde and declare these good tydings To all creatures Moreouer this blessing here promised is our Iustification For sayth Saint Paule * The scripture foreseeing that God iustified the Nations of the earth by fayth preached of the same to Abraham before saying In thee shal all Kinreds of the earth be blessed Thus Blessing then to saint Paule is Iustifying and Blessed are Iustified And this Iustifiyng by S. Paule is by Fayth and * not by our Workes To conclude the foundation of this free blessing or Iustification is the seede of Abraham * Christ Iesu Wherefore we see that God him selfe in thys place to Abraham is the First preacher of our Free out some great consideration whie God did nowe chiefely plague the Chananites after that Abram and other good and godly persons were come among them It might seeme more likely that God for the * Iustes sake woulde haue spared them or that all things for their cause shoulde haue gone the more Prosperously with them But seeing it pleased God otherwise we must thinke that Gods pacience was greatly stirred against them both by some meruelous increase of their Stubburnnesse and wickednesse and also by the malicious and frowarde Abusing of the Godly For so we see it oftentimes by the prouidence of God that when Gods truth and his holy will is preached taught in the worlde by his notable and worthie instruments some great Aduersitie and Plague doth followe to the punishment of the stubburnnesse and blasphemie of the wycked agaynst it The causes of which plagues the Malice of the worlde to their further coÌ„demnation not seeing their owne Sinnefulnesse doth blasphemously Impute to the true Doctrine of God and to the good and godly persons publishing the same Thus was it in the time of Hieremie and of the Prophetes Thus was it in the Primitiue Church Thus it is now in these Latter dayes And when he was come nere to enter into Egypt he sayde vnto Sarai c. Here first we haue to note that euen Godly men comming among the Wicked or into place of daunger though they put their trust in God yet are they not voyde of care and feare and * Deuise by all meanes they can howe they may Shunne and auoyde the same Secondly we haue to consider the Violence Malice of the wicked which to satisfie there Filthie and fleashly Lust whyll not spare to commit any Mischiefe eyther by Murder or otherwise Thirdly it may be doubted howe a godly man can deuise to saue himselfe by a Lye for aunswere wherevnto vnderstande you there are three kinds of Lying 1 First when we vtter an Vntruth 2 Secondly when we denie a Truth 3 Thirdly when Truth is dissembled and for the time vpon considerations concealed The two first wayes no man can vse without sinne nor ought to saue himselfe by them The thirde waye Abram did vse concealing that Sarah was his wyfe and yet vttering no vntruth in saying she was hys sister But neyther in this nor yet in that that foloweth is it to be thought that Abram was voide of some Imperfection proceeding of to much timorousnesse and want of confidence in the promises of god For how can it stand with perfit Sinceritie for his bodily safetie and hope of better intertainement in a straunge place to hasarde the Chastitie of his faythfull true and louing Wife and giue occasion both to her and to the Prince or other of the Egiptians to commit adulterie Saint Paule sayth VVe may not doe ill that good may come therof We haue not therfore any colour here in Abram wherby we may be encouraged for any cause to vse the lyke dealing but rather a plaine example that euen Holy
was in the earth and euery herbe of the fielde before it grewe For the Lorde God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth neyther vvas there a man to till the grounde 6 But there went vp a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground 7 The Lorde God also dyd shape man of the dust of the ground and breathed into hys nosethrilles the breath of life and man was a liuing soule 8 And the Lorde God planted a Garden eastwarde in Eden and there he put the man whome he had shapen 9 Moreouer out of the ground made the Lorde God to growe euery trée that was fayre to sight and pleasant to eat The trée of life in the middest of the Garden and the trée of knowledge of good and euill 10 And out of Eden there went forth a ryuer to water the Garden and from thence it was deuided and became into foure heades 11 The name of the first is Pison the same is it that compasseâ—h the whole lande of Hauilab where there is golde 12 And the golde of the lande is very good There is also Bdellium and the Onix stone 13 The name of the second riuer is Gihon the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia 14 The name of the thirde Ryuer is Hidekel and it goeth towarde the east side of Assyrta and the fourth ryuer is Euphrates 15 And the Lorde God tooke the man and put him into the gardeÌ„ of Eden that be might worke it and kéepe it 16 And the Lorde God commaunded the man saying Eating thou shalt eate of euery trée of the garden 17 But as touching the trée of knowledge of good And euill thou shalt not eate of it For in what daye so euer thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death 18 And the Lorde God sayde It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him an helpe lyke vnto hym 19 And so out of the grounde the Lorde God had shapen euery beast of the fielde and euery foule of the ayre and brought them vnto man that he might sée howe he woulde call them For likewise as man named euery lyuing thing so was the name thereof 20 And the man gaue names to all cattell and foule of the ayre and to euery beast of the fielde but for man founde he not an helpe like vnto him 21 The Lorde God caused a déepe sléepe to fall vpon Adam and he slept and he tooke one of his ribbes and closed vp the place with fleshe in steade thereof 22 And the ribbe which the Lorde God hath taken from man made he a woman and brought her vnto the man. 23 And man sayde This is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh she shall be called woman bicause she was taken out of man. 24 For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned with his wyfe and they shall become one fleshe 25 And they were both naked the man and his wyfe and were not ashamed The Exposition vpon the .ij. Chapter of Genesis Thus the heauens and earth was finished and all the hoast of them c. SEing that when Man was made the whole worlde had his perfection and ending it maye appeare that all thinges by Gods goodnesse were made for man and to his vse which consideration oâ—â—ght to moue men to bee thankefull vnto God for so great and vnestimable Benefites and to * doe all things to his Honour and glorie according to the ende of their Creation For as the world was made for Man So Man was created to set forth the praise and glorie of god By this worde Hoste he meaneth the Furniture of heauen and Earth and the Multitude of all Gods creatures belonging to them both And therfore when God is often in Scripture called* The Lorde of Hostes it is ment he is the Lord and maker of all Creatures and hath them all at hys commaundement eyther to defende his people or to worke punishment vpon his Enimies And the seauenth daye he rested from all the workes that he made c. Verie well saith Augustine God rested the seauenth day from the worke of Creation but he neuer Ceaseth from the rule of his gouernance For the same God that in the beginning made Heauen and Earth and all Creatures contayned in them doth now also continually Preserue Maintaine and gouerne the same Therefore we are no 〈◊〉 nowe daylie bounde to thanke God for the Preseruation of his Creatures to our vse then we were at the beginning for Making of them We maye not thinke that Creatures once made doe preserue and prosper themselues by a course of Nature oâ—ely but that it is the finger of God and his gratious Prouidence that woâ—â—eth coÌ„tinually in them By him saith Saint Paule wee haue our Being we Liue and we Mooue And to the Hebr. Sustayning all things by the worde of his power And God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because c. There are 4. causes why God sanctified the seuenth day 1 The first because he ceased from the making of any mo new Creatures 2 The second for the Worthynesse of mankinde whose creation and making was the Ende of the whole worlde 3 The thirde that it might be an institution and ordinance of a worship due vnto God on the behalf of Man wherby he should set forth his prayse and Glory and acknowledge his vnestimable goodnesse towarde him 4 The fourth that it might be a Figure of Immortality and of our eternal Rest with God in heauen after the ende of the worlde For the Lord God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth c. At the beginning thinges that grewe on the Earth were brought forth by God without raine and without labour of mans hande but afterward God giueth in commaundement that Man should Manure the Earth and God did sende Raine to season and moyst it Wherefore Men must Laboure and traueile Plant and Sowe and not looke to eate the fruites of the Earth * in Idlenesse And yet must he not so trust in his worke and labour as though it coulde be of any force or worke benefite vnto him without the goodnesse of God in Seasoning the Earth and prospering his labors and traualles The prouidence of God will haue both to go togither Mans painefull labour and Gods gracious working The Lord also did shape man of the dust of the Grounde c. Here Moyses returneth againe to the worke of the sixt day and expoundeth nowe that he left vnspoken before that is that God made the body of Man of the dust of the Earth He had before sayde that God did make Man according to his owne Image which was the greatest Dignitie that could be giuen vnto Man But nowe least by that pretence he should be puffed vp with Pride he setteth before his eyes his Base
fiftie righteous within the Citie wilte thou destroye and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therin 25 That be farre from thée that thou shouldest do after this maner and slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thée Shall not the iudge of all the world doe according to right 26 And the Lord saide If I finde in Sodome fiftie righteous within the citie I will spare all the place for their sakes 27 And Abraham aunswering sayd Behold I haue taken vpon me to speake vnto the Lord which am but dust and asshes 28 If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie righteous wilt thou destroy all the citie for lacke of fiue And he saide If I finde there fortie and fiue I will not destroy them 29 And he procéeded to speake vnto him againe and saide What if there shal be fortie founde there He aunswered I will not doe it for forties sake 30 He said vnto him againe Oh let not my Lord be angry that I speake What if there shall thirtie be founde there And he saide I will doe nothing if I finde thirtie there 31 He saide againe O sée I haue taken vpon me to speake now also vnto my Lord What if there shal be twentie found there He aunswered I will not destroye them for twenties sake 32 And he sayd Oh let not my Lord be angry I wil speake yet but this once What if ten shal be found there He answered I will not destroy them for tennes sake 33 And the Lord went his way assoone as he had left communing with Abraham and Abraham also returned vnto his place The exposition vpon the .xviij. Chapter of Genesis And the Lorde appeared vnto him in the plaine of Memre c. THis Chapter sheweth how God appered by his angels vnto his seruant Abraham Then how Abraham inuited and entertayned the Angels thinking them at the first to haue ben Men as they appeared And lastly howe the Angels reuealed to him the purpose of God to destroy Sodom and what talke Abraham had with them If we loke to the time of this appearāce it may be thought it was shortely after Abraham had circumcised himselfe and all his And thereby haue we to learne how diligent and * readie the prouidence of God is to Visit Comfort Confirme such as by true faith and obedience haue submitted themselues vnto his Religiō holy ordinaunces The chiefe cause of the sending of these angels vnto Abraham was to confirme to him and his wife Sarah the promise that he had made him of a Chyld by her of whom the Blessed seede should descende By the way also he reueleth to him the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha Why it pleased God to sende three Angels not two or one we must not with vayne curiositie search It is not wicked to think that he respected therin the mysterie of the holy Trinitie as many of the anciente Fathers haue writtē but whether that agree with the Simplicitie of the historie I leaue to the iudgement of the godly In Abraham we haue an example of a godly willing desire to entertain Strangers and to relieue them which is not vnfruteful for vs to consider First therefore Abraham sate at his Tent dore in the heate of the day vndoubtedly not of Idlenes but of purpose to espie if any trauailers passed by that he might entreate them to stay and take some reliefe And therfore whē he saw the Angels thinking them to haue ben Men He ran vnto thē He might haue called to them or sent a seruant but in running himselfe appeared a more godly willingnesse And when he came vnto them he bowed himselfe with all humblenesse though he had neuer seene thē before and called the one of them by the name of Lord for reuerēce thinking him happily a worthier person than the two other If sayth he I haue found fauour in thy sight passe not away c. So ready was this godly father to * liberalitie in entertainement that he signifieth they shuld rather do him a pleasure than receiue any benefite at his hād and that it were a reproch to him if they did not vouchsafe to tarie with him The things that he promised them were but smal A little water to wash their feete and a morsell of bread to comforte thē Which he doth to that end that their modestie and bashfulnesse might not think that they shuld be chargeable and burdenous to him so be the lother to tarie Mē in those coūtries vsed to trauaile cōmonly bare footed and therfore was it ease and comforte to wayfaring men to * wash their feete The place whither he biddeth thē to rest thēselues was vnder a tree Such was the simplicitie of y anciēt time they had not yet takē vp the wasting of their substāce in building of Gay houses gorgeous parlers This Reuerende Patriarke and father of the faithful whom god vsed so familiarly with his angels dwelt in a Tent or Tabernacle had no house at all to declare y he was but a * pilgrime in this land and had no place of long abiding And they saide do as thou hast said and Abraham went apace c. Forsomuch as it was the pleasure of god that it should not yet be knowne what the Angels were as Abraham was ready and willing to offer them such things as were for the reliefe of wayfaring mē as he toke them to be so do they will him to do as he had spoken concealing as yet that they were the Angels and messengers of God sent vnto him And Abraham in making the prouisiō sheweth the same humblenes ready good will that he declared in the bidding He wēt apace to Sarah into the Tent He ran vnto the beastes He fet a tender and a good calfe He prouided all that he had spoken not onely of the best but with speed For as he knew it to be curtesie to entertayne straungers so hee thoughte it no good manner to cause them to tarie longer than happily the necessitie of theyr busynesse woulde suffer them As wel by the place before mentioned as by the residue of this Entertainment we may learne that the worlde was not yet growen to such a nicitie tendernesse and delicacie in feeding other furniture as by Sensualitie men since that are come vnto and especially in these latter dayes Here some moue question how the Angels did eate or whether they did eat or no Seing that they be celestial Spirits and haue no Bodies that neede sustenance and feeding surely Godly Christians must not in such questions be curious As gods pleasure was that they shuld be taken as men for the time So of his diuine power whiche dayly worketh strange things he had prouided bodies for them to walke in and with the same bodyes did they eat althogh their Spiritual substance needed no sustenance And when
of the pot to be deuoured and consumed by death But some at one time and some at another Some by plage some by famine some by the sworde and yet that assuredly they should All perish and no state and condition be saued For that he meaneth by these wordes Let no lot fall vpon it that is let no choyse be made for the sauing of some and destroying of other For hir bloud is yet in it vpon an high dry stone hath she poured it c. Dne great cause of desolation often mentioned of the Prophetes is the cruell * murther and killing of Innocents wherewith God in this place heauily burdeueth the Citie Hierusalem When one poureth the bloudde of suche as be slaine vpon the ground and doth couer it with dust he seeketh so neare as he can to conceale and hide it but when he poureth it vpon an high drye stone he layeth it open to the sight of all men as beeing nothing afrayde or ashamed of it And by that forme of speech God here noteth the bolde and shamelesse crueltie that in the sight of the worlde that Bloudie Citie had vsed towarde poore Innocentes and therefore cryed for the wrath of God vpon them God therefore as it were in the heat of his displeasure breaketh out and cryeth VVo to that bloud thirstie Citie affirming that He himselfe will worke in this reuengement that He will make and kindle the fire put vnder wood seeth the flesh and spice the potte so that the verie bones shall be burnt In that God threatneth that he himselfe will do it he taketh from them all maner of hope eyther that they shal escape the extremitie of this mischief or that it shall not at all come to passe For they had * false Prophetes among them which did put them in comfort that the Citie should not be besieged or if it were that it should not so be takē but that they should escape Flesh dressed with spices is the more pleasant and eaten more greedily Therefore God threatneth He will spice the pot that is by the continuance and lingring of the siege he would set the Souldiours in such a wrath and anger as when they had taken the Citie they shoulde with more greedie stomackes put them vnto the sworde I will set the pot emptie ouer the coales so that the brasse thereof may be hote c. When the flesh and bones be consumed sayth God that is when the Princes people and Souldiours are perished and slaine I wil cause the pot that is the Citie it selfe to be set on coales burnt with fire that the filthie some of wickednesse which by no affliction could be taken away may be consumed with the vtter destruction of those persons which mainteyned it God first * sent his Prophets by instruction and teaching of his holy will to call them from their abhominable Idolatrie and sinfull life Then he cast vpon them some light and meane punishments to chasten them But seeing that foule and rustie pot would not by any meanes be scoured from the burnt froth that it was defiled with he sayth here by his Prophete there is no other remedie but vtter dissolution and consuming by his wrath which in earnest maner he protesteth he will not fayle to doe saying I will not go backe I will not spare I will not repent Thou sonne of man beholde I will take away from thee the pleasure of thine c. God by an other parable setteth forth his iudgements to the Iewes which partly were alreadie in captiuitie in Babilon partly as yet remayned at Hierusalem The Parable is this that God telleth the Prophete before hande of the sodaine death of his wife whiche he loued most tenderly and yet commaundeth him in any wise not to bewayle her death And if the people did aske him whie he did not lament the death of her that he esteemed so derely that he shoulde answere them it was done as a sign or token agaynst them Because the destruction of the Temple and the losse of their wiues and children at the taking of the Citie should be such a corosiue to their heartes as for extremitie of sorow they should not be hable to weepe any more then he did For extremitie of griefe sometimes vtterly drieth vp teares maketh that one cannot weepe God calleth his wife The pleasure of his eies because he aboue all worldely thinges delighted in her Moreouer when people mourned at the death of their friendes the maner of the Countrey was to lay away the ornament or attyre of their heades to put of their shooes and to go barefooted to couer their face and specially the nether part thereof vnder their eyes to fast not to eate meate or drinke wine or if they did it should be none other but such as was sent them by other But God willeth Ezechiel at the death of his wife to vse none of these ceremonies nor to shew any outward token of lamentation for his wife In the .18 verse the Prophet declareth that he did as God had bidden him In the morning of that day in which his wife died at night he tolde the people that his wife shoulde die sodainly whome all they knewe he loued very earnestly and the next day he came abrode among them not vsing any ceremonie of mourning And then the people saide vnto him wilt thou not tell vs what this signifieth c. To lament the death of a mans wyfe his children or deare friendes is not onely a thing vsuall with men but also such as nature it selfe doth allowe and Gods lawe not forbid Abraham mourned for his wife Sarah And Ioseph bewailed the death of his father When a deere friend is taken from a man he remembreth the benefites pleasures that he receyued by him and maye hardly forbeare euen the outwarde shewe of his sorrow Wherefore the people of the Iewes seing Ezechiel to behaue himselfe otherwise thought there was some Straunge matter in it and desired to knowe what it ment The Prophete answereth that he did it not of himselfe for that his nature might hardly beare it but by the commaundement of God thereby to signifie to them the great sorrow that should come vnto them The temple was called the * Sanctuarie of God wherein he especiallye shewed his presence Therein the Iewes dyd esteeme their greatest glorie to consist that the lyuing God had the Seate of hys presence among them as a testimonie of the couenant betweene him them So that it doth in sundrie places appeare they did put their greatest confidence in that outwarde token as in Hier. They cried The temple of God is with vs the temple of God is wyth vs And as well for this cause as also that the temple was so * gorgeously buylded by Salomon they delighted in it in their hartes and desired still to beholde it with their eies Wherefore the Prophet here sayth that
not only this Temple wherin they had so great pleasure should be destroyed but their wyues sonnes and daughters cruelly slayne with the sworde and thereby so great griefe rise vnto theÌ„ as for very extremitie of sorow they should not be hable to weepe but to pine away in the iniquitie of their harts And so Ezechiel should be a shewe or token vnto them that euen as he had done at the death of his wyfe whome he loued So should they doe at the destruction of the Citie and Temple in which they did esteeme all their power their honour their ioy the pleasure of their eyes and their verye hartes delight to consist In that daye shall come one that is escaped vnto thee and bring it to the c. The Prophet signifyeth When this shall be performed that one which hath escaped from Hierusalem shal come into Babylon and in the hearing of Ezechiel shall tell vnto the Iewes all that hath happened to the Citie and to the temple At which tyme God wylleth the Prophets mouth should be opened to tell them againe of these things when that they were done that they might vnderstande by the truth of the euente that it came not to passe by the might of the enemies but by the iust wrath of God for their offences For before they were caryed away with false Prophetes and would not beleue Ezechiel They sayde that there were many other Prophets which taught the contrarie and affirmed that they had the spirite of God as well as he for proofe hereof we reade Hier. 28. that Ananias a false Prophet saide euen in the hearing of Hieremie and that with great Boldenesse that God would breake the yoke of Nabuchodonozer and delyuer the Iewes within the space of two yeres vtterly contrarie to that which Hieremie had spoken before Wherefore we maye learne the Deuill hath no readier meanes to keepe the wicked in errour then to raise vp false teachers to impugne and discredite such as be Gods True messengers in deede In the 33. cap. of Ezech. vers 21. the effect of this Prophecie is fulfilled and declaration made that the 12. yeare of the Captiuitie the tenth Moneth and fift day of the Moneth a messenger came and tolde the lamentable tydings of the destruction of the Citie and temple What therevpon followed you may reade in the place Forsomuch as all those thinges came to passe most truely of which the Prophets so oftentimes forewarned the Iewes let vs take heede that we doe not contemne such profitable admonitions and exortations as by the Preachers are taken out of the same Prophets of God least to our great euill and griefe we feele the truth of them perfourmed as the Iewes in like case did The things were so spoken to them particularly that notwithstanding generall doctrines are to be taken out of them to be applyed to Persons and Tymes wherein the lyke obstinacye and impenitencie is vsed that then was The .19 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Daniel 3. NAbuchodonozor the â–ª king made an Image of golde which was thréescore cubites hie and sixe cubites thicke he set it vp in the plaine of Dura in the prouince of Babilon 2 Then Nabuchodonozor the king sent forth to gather together the Dukes Lordes and Nobles the iudges and officers the deputies and shirifes with all the rulers of the prouinces that they might come to the dedication of the Image which Nabuchodonozor the king had set vp 3 So the Dukes Lordes and nobles the iudges and officers deputies and shirâ—fes with all the rulers of the prouince gathered them together vnto the dedication of the Image that Nabuchodonozor the king had set vp and they stoode before the Image which Nabuchodonozor had set vp 4 Then an heralde cryed aloude To you it is commaunded O people nations and languages 5 That when ye heare the noyse of the cornet trumpet harpe shawme psalteries dulcimer and all maner of instruments of musicke ye fall downe and worship that golden Image that Nabuchodonozor the king hath set vp 6 Who so then falleth not downe and worshippeth shall euen the same houre be cast into the middes of a hote fierie fornace 7 Therefore when all the folke heard the noyce of the cornet trumpet harpe shawme psalteries and all instruments of musicke then all the people nations and languages fell downe and worshipped the golden Image that Nabuchodonozor the king had set vp 8 Now were there certaine men of the Chaldées that went euen then and cried out an accusation of the Iewes 9 They spake and sayd vnto the king Nabuchodonozor O king liue for euer 10 Thou O king hast made a decrée that euery man that shal heare the sound of the cornet trumpet harpe shawme psalteries dulcimer and al instruments of musicke shall fall downe and worship the golden Image 11 And who so then fell not downe and worshipped not that he should be cast into the mids of an hote fierie fornace 12 Now are there certaine Iewes whome thou hast set ouer the charge of the prouince of Babilon namely Sidrach Misach and Abednego these men O king regarded not thy commaundement yea they will not serue thy gods nor worship the golden Image that thou hast set vp 13 Then Nabuchodonozor in his anger and wrath commaunded that Sidrach Misach and Abednego shoulde bée brought vnto him so these men were brought before the king 14 Then Nabuchodonozor spake vnto them and sayde Is it true O Sidrach Misach and Abednego will not you serue my Gods nor worship the golden Image that I haue set vp 15 Nowe therefore be readie when ye heare the sounde of the cornet trumpet harpe shawme psalteries dulcimer and all instruments of musicke to fall downe and worship the Image which I haue made for if ye worship it not ye shall be cast immediately into the mids of a hote fierie fornace for who is that God that can deliuer you out of my handes 16 Sidrach Misach and Abednego answered the kinge and sayde O Nabuchodonozor we are not carefull to answere thée in this matter 17 Beholde our God whom we serue is hable to deliuer vs from the hote fierie fornace and he will deliuer vs out of thy hande O king 18 And though he will not yet shalt thou know O king that we will not serue thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set vp 19 Then was Nabuchodonozor full of indignation so that the countenance of his face chaunged vpon Sidrach Misach and Abednego therefore he charged and commaunded that they should heate the fornace one seuen times more then it was woont to be heat 20 And he charged the most valiant men of warre that were in his armie to binde Sidrach Misach and Abednego and to cast them into the hote fierie fornace 21 So these men were bound in their ceates hosen heade attire with their other garments and cast into the mids of the hote fierie fornace 22 Therefore