yet shall he be as still as a Lambe before the shearer and not open his-mouth 8 From the 〈◊〉 and iudgement was he taken and his generation who can declare for he was cut of from the grounde of the lyuing which punishment did go vpon him for the transgression of my people 9 His graue was giuen him with the condemmned and with the riche man at his death whereas he did neuer violence nor 〈◊〉 〈…〉 him with infirmitie that when he had made his 〈…〉 of the Lorde shall prosper in 〈◊〉 hande 11 Of the trauaile and labour of his 〈…〉 the fruite and be satisfied my righteous 〈…〉 knowledge iustifie the multitude for he shall 〈…〉 their sinnes 12 Therefore will I giue him among the great ones his part and he shall deuide the spoyle with the mighty because he giueth ouer his sioule to death 〈…〉 The Exposition vpon the. liij Chapter of Esay But who hath giuen credence vnto our preaching or to whome c. ESay in sundry places of hys prophecies speaketh so plainely of the vocation of the gentyles to the fayth of the kingdome of Christ of his merueylous byrth of his stocke and kindred c. that he is of a auncient wryters esteemed as an Euangelist recording thinges past rather then a Prophet foretelling things to come albeit he was before the comming of Christ aboue 750. yeares And yet of all the parts of his prophecies is there none wherein he doth so plainely speake of Christ of the state of his life of his death and passion and of the fruites thereof as he doth in this present chapiter Neyther is there any place of the olde Testament out of the which so manye allegations be made by Christ and his Apostles as out of this part of Esay The Prophete in the latter ende of the former chapiter had sayde that as Christ should be published and knowne among all the Gentiles so the state and maner of his lyfe should be so * base and simple as all men should woonder at it Therefore in the begynning of this chapiter as it were vnder the person of the Apostles and first preachers of the Gospell he breaketh 〈◊〉 to a lamenting of the * small number of them that at the publishing of this doctrine would giue credence to it So straunge and so * vnlikely a thing shall it seeme to them to haue saluation by one that in continuance of the worlde appeared so meane a person as Christ should be especially seing the Prophets in other places described the Messias as a myghtie Prince and king For he did growe before the Lorde like as a branch and as a roote in c. Shootes or branches doe sometime spring vp in drie barraine groundes but bicause â—hey haue not moysture and fatnesse of the earth they prosper not nor proue faire and large to see to So Christ when he came in fleshe and sprang vp here in the soyle of this drie and horraine worlde entring his spirituall kingdome he shewed not hymselfe of anye notable continuance and authoritie nor flourished in the worlde with princely maiesty and power but appeared rather as a thinne slender and vnprofitable shoote more meete to be cast into the fyre or to be trodden vnder foote then to looke for any great fruite of it Therefore when they behelde him they sawe no maiestie in hym but esteemed him as an abiect as * an outcast and as a contemptible person not worthye so much as once to be looked on This euydently appeareth to haue bene in Christ aswel in the residue of his lyfe as especially at his death passion wheÌ„ they scorned and 〈…〉 when they buffeted him and crowned him 〈…〉 when they preferred a robber and a murderer before him when they cried away with him awaye with him and crucifie him finally when with great despite they hanged him betweene two theeues Howbeit he onely hath taken on him our infirmitie and borne our paines c. And yet sayth the Prophet in the person of the Church of God this CoÌ„temptible Person whom we esteemed as a worme of the earth was the only man that hath 〈◊〉 vpon him out infirmitie and borne our paines When we saw him not only so base and simple but so 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 A shéepe of all cattell is most foolish and the flock being once scattered euery one runneth his way and not one knoweth how to Returne to the folde vntill he be fet by the shepeherde By this Similitude he expresseth our waywardnesse ignorance and blindnesse that being once gone astray from God we neyther * can nor will nor know howe to returne to him againe vntill our gracious and good pastor Christ Iesu vpon whome God hath layd our sinnes doe seeke vs and * Bring vs home to the folde vpon his shoulders Hee suffered violence and was euill entreated and did not open c. The Sheepe whether he be shorne or led to the slaughter he neuer byteth nor strugleth no nor so much as openeth his mouth to bleate to signifie any Misliking By this he discribeth the great obedience and * pacience of our Sauiour Christ at the time of his passion sufficiently declared by the Euangelistes This place and certaine verses folowing are interpreted by saint Peter 1. Pet 2. and Actes 8. by Philip to the Eunuch From the prison and iudgement was hee taken and his generation c. This is to be vnderstanded of the Resurrection of Christ and deliuerance from death and miserie Although Christ was taken bounde despiteously entreated adiudged to die last of all put to * most reprochfull death yet he was by Gods mightye hande deliuered from miserie from bondes from death and restored to life and glorie for euer to endure For Christ sayth Paule being raysed from death dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him No man therefore is hable to declare the euerlasting age and continuance of Christ The cause why he was so Glorified is in the latter part of the verse set forth for that he did vouchsafe to die and suffer punishment for the sinnes of the people of God. His graue was giuen him with the condemned and with the rich man c. By the Rich man is ment the cruell and violent oppressor and by the Graue the maner and place of his death So that the sense is he suffered and was put to death in that place that was appointed for the wicked and condemned persons that vse extortion and violence whereas he * neuer did iniurie neither vttered deceyte with his mouth Yet hath it pleased the Lord to smite him with infirmitie that when c. The death and passion of Christ for our sinnes was not the worke of enimies but of our mercifull * God and heauenly father God sayth the Prophete would strike him with infirmitie to the ende that when he had * giuen his
We be all but dead men 34 And the people tooke their dough before it was sowred which they had in store béeing bounde in clothes vpon their shoulders 35 And the children of Israel did according to the saying of Moises â–ª and they borowed of the Egyptians iewels of siluer and iewels of golde and rayment 36 And the Lord gaue the people fouour in the fight of the Egyptians so that they grâ—â—nted such things as they had reâ—â—red and they robbed the Egyptians 37 And the children of Israel tooke their iourney from Ramesis to Suchoth sixe hundred thousand men of foote beside children 38 And a great multitude of sundrie other nations went also with them and shéepe and oxen and excéeding much cattell 39 And they baked vnleauened cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt for it was not sowred For they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tary neither had they prepared for themselues any prouision of meate 40 The dwelling of the children of Israell which they dwelled in Egypt was foure hundred thirtie yeares 41 And when the foure hundred and thirtie yeares were expyred euen the selfe same day departed all the hostes of the Lorde out of the lande of Egypt 42 It is a night to bée obserued vnto the Lorde in the which he brought them out of the lande of Egypt This is that night of the Lord which all the children of Israell must kéepe throughout their generations 43 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moises and Aaron This is the law of Passeouer there shall no straunger eate thereof 44 But euery seruant that is bought for money after that thou hast circumcised him shall eate thereof 45 A straunger and an hyred seruant shall not eate therof 46 In one house shall it be eateâ— thou shalt 〈◊〉 none of the fleshe out of the house neither shall ye breake a boâ—e thereof 47 All he congregation of Israell shall obserue it 48 If a straunger also dwell 〈◊〉 you and will helde passeouer vnto the Lord let him circumcise all that be â—â—les and then let him come and obserue it and he shall be as one that is borne in the lande for no vncircumcised person shall eate thereof 49 One maner of lawe shall be vnto him that is borne in the lande and vnto the straunger that dwelleth among you 50 And all the children of Israel did as the Lorde commaunded Moyses and Aaron so did they 51 And the selfe same day did the Lorde bring the children of Israell out of the lande of Egypt with their 〈◊〉 The Exposition vpon the .xij. Chapter of Exodus And the Lord spake vnto Moises c. Saying this Moneth c. THe Historie of the oppression of the children of Israell in Aegypt and their maruelous deliuerance from the tyrannie of Pharao described in the former Chapters doth as it were in a liuely Image set before our eyes our spirituall deliuerance from the tyrannie of Pharao the deuill and from the heauie burthens of Sinne and Wickednesse wherwith we were ouerwhelmed in the Aegypt of this worlde Our Pharao is the Deuill our Aegypt is this worlde our bondage is the subiection to Satan and his kingdome our taskes of Bricke are the grieuous burthens of our sinnes our Moises is Christ our Deliuerance is the Conquest that our Sauiour Christ made of Sin Satan Hell and Death by the merite of his passion And as the night before the Israelites were Deliuered it pleased God to ordeyne them a Sacrament whereby they should from time to time call into theyr remembrance the great benefite of God shewed vnto them and yeeld most heartie thankes to him for the same Euen so our sauiour Christ the night before he went to his passion thereby to worke our deliuerance * ordeyned the holye Sacrament of his last supper wherby we might confirme in our memorie the worke of our redemption and set forth his death vntill his last comming This Sacrament of the Iewes now here discribed in this Chapter is called the Passeouer because by the sprinkling of the doore postes with the bloud of the lambe God willed his Angell to Passeouer the houses of the Israelites and not to strike them with that punishment wherewith he plagued the Aegyptians In like maner when Almightie God seeth the bloud of the Innocent Lambe his deere sonne Christ Iesu sprinckled vpon the doore postes of our Consciences by Fayth in his Passion the execution of his wrath due for sinne doth passe and not light vpon vs as it doth vpon the Reprobate and Wicked that haue not Fayth nor Beleeue his Gospel But forsomuch as this whole Sacrament of the Iewes Passeouer is nothing but a comfortable sweete preaching to vs of the death of Christ and the mysterie of our redemption I thinke it good to note some chiefe and particuler poyntes thereof vnto you The Pascall lambe as I haue sayde is Christ Iesu for so sayth saint Paule Our Passeouer is offered Christ Iesu And for this cause also Iohn the Baptist poynting vnto him sayde Beholde the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the VVorlde This Lambe must be without spot to note therby the innocencie of our Sauiour Christ who therefore of saint Peter is called The Immaculate and vndefiled Lambe For in him there was no sinne although he tooke vpon hym the Burthen of all our sinnes This lambe was taken From among the sheepe to declare the humanitie of Christ who was taken out of the flocke of that breede that God before had blessed in Abraham And therefore sayth saint Paule to the Hebrewes He tooke not the nature of Angels vpon him but the seede of Abraham The Passeouer was killed in the euening and latter part of the day and so Christ came to redeeme and deliuer Mankinde towarde the latter ende of the worlde The bloud of the Lambe Sprinckled vpon the doore postes as is before sayde is the bloud of Christ by fayth sprinckled in our consciences As the flesh of the Lambe might not bee eaten raw so must not Christ be receyued as a raw an vnperfite or an vnsufficient Sacrifice only for originall sinne or for our sinnes before Baptisme onely or for the sinnes of some and not of other But for a sufficient Sacrifice and ful Satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole worlde that eyther hath bene or hereafter shall be For as Paule saith to the Hebrewes VVith one oblation once made he made perfite all that be sanctified The Lambe must be eaten with bitter herbes in signification that the receyuing of Christ by fayth in this worlde is ioyned with the bitternesse of Affliction and Trouble For whosoeuer will liue holily in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution Nothing must be left of the lambe vntill the morning to note that we must repent and beleeue in Christ while we be in this life and not deferre the matter to another time For Christ can
For death in deed is terrible to them that in such sort consider it but to them that in strength of * fayth beholde it ioyned with the fauour of God it is very pleasaunt and therefore sayde Paule I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Mine age is folden together and taken from me like a sheepeheards cottage c. By this maner of speech he signifieth that God had determined to take this worldly life from him in short time to transferre him to another place as the maner of sheepeheardes in that countrey is to remooue their Cotes from place to place as they chaunge the Pasture and place of feeding theyr Cattell I thought I should haue liued till the morow but he bruised my bones c. I was sayth he in so great dispaire of my life that at night I was in doubt through the vehemencie of my sicknesse whether I should liue vntil the morning Yea I was so farre past as I was not hable to speake distinctly but vttered a confuse chattering like the noise of a Swallow or Crane and a mourning like the noyse of a Doue Thou it is O Lorde that hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe c. Here Ezechias plainely confesseth what the cause was of his sickenesse and of his restoring to health * Sinne was the cause of his sickenesse and the mercy of God forgiuing the same and turning them from his sight was the cause of his deliuerance Wherefore it cannot be thought when before he sayth he walked in truth and a stedfast heart before God that he sought thereby to be iustified in the sight of GOD but rather as I haue sayde before that he vttered those wordes in comfort of himselfe that he was not vtterly reiected of God albeit he were then punished For hell prayseth not thee death doth not magnifie thee nor they that go down c. The Sense of this verse is vtterd in many of the Psalmes as in the. * 6. the. * 87. and the. * 117. The deade shall not prayse thee nor all that go downe into the pit c. By which wordes and the like neyther Dauid nor Ezechias denie that the spirite of the dead haue their actions before God to his glorie or affirme that they perish together with the bodie But they signifie that those that be deade buried and layde in the graue ouerwhelmed wyth earth haue no longer their bodily Actions in the Church of God here in this worlde nor cannot set forth among men liuing here the clemencie mercie and goodnesse of God toward them to the prayse and glorie of his name in this worlde like as the liuing may The dead as touching their body are in y graue as touching their soules they are in heauen but so as they cannot* returne into the worlde to preach declare and set forth to men the maiestie iustice and mercie of God. The .2 Sunday after Christmas at Morning prayer Esay 41. BE still you I landes and hearken vnto me let the people lay their strength together let them come hither and then shewe their cause we will go to the 〈◊〉 together 2. Who raysed vp the iust man from the east and called him to go forth who cast downe the people and subdued the kinges before him that he may throwe them all to the grounde with his sworde and scatter them like stubble with his bowe 3 He foloweth vpon them and goeth safely himselfe and that in a way where before his foote had not troden 4 Who hath made and created these things euen he that called the generations from the beginning euen I the Lorde which am the first and with the last 5 The Isâ—es saw and did feare and the endes of the earth were abashed drew 〈◊〉 and came hither 6 Euery man helped his neighbour and sayde to his brother Be strong 7 The Carpenter comforted the Goldsmith and the Goldssmith the Hammerman saying Sowder win do very well in it they fastened it with naâ—â—es that it shoulde not be mooueel 8 But thou Israell art my seruant thou Iacob whom I haue chosen thou art the séede of Abraham my beloued 9 Thou art he whome I led from the endes of the earth for I called thée euen from among the glorious men of it and sayde vnto thée Thou art my seruaunt I haue chosen thée and not cast thée away 10 Be not afrayde for I am with thée Melt not away as waxe for I am thy God to strengthe thée helpe thée and kéepe thée with the right hande of my righteousnesse 11 Beholde all they that resist thée shall come to confusion and shame and thine aduersaries shall be destroyed and brought to naught 12 So that who so séeketh after them shall not finde them thy destroyers shall perishe and so shal they that vndertake to make battell agaynst thée be as that is not and as a thing of naught 13 For I the Lorde thy God will strengthen thy right hande euen I that say vnto thée Feare not I will helpe thée 14 Be not afrayde thou little worme Iacob and thou despised Israell for I wil helpe thée sayth the Lorde and the holy one of Israell thy redéemer 15 Beholde I will make thée a treading cart and a newe stayle that thou mayest threshe and grinde the mountaynes and bring the hilles to powder 16 Thou shalt fanne them and the winde shall carie them away and the whirle winde-shall scatter them but thou shalt reioyce in the Lord and shalt delight in the holy one of Israell 17 When the thirstie and poore séeke water and finde none and when the tongue is drie of thirst I giue it them sayth the Lorde I the God of Israell forsake them not 18 I bring forth flooddes in the hilles and welles in the plaine fieldes I turne the wildernesse to riuers and the drie lande to conduites of water 19 I plant in the wast ground trées of Cedar Boxe Myrre and Oliues and in the drie I set Firre trées Elmes and Hawthornes together 20 All this doe I that they altogether may sée and marke perceyue with theyr heartes and consider that the hande of the Lord maketh these things and that the holy one of Israel bringeth them to passe 21 Stande at your cause sayth the Lorde and bring forth your strongest ground sayth the king of Iacob 22 Let them bring forth their Gods and let their Gods tell vs what shall chaunce hereafter yea let them shew vs the thinges that are past what they be let them declare them vnto vs that we may take them to heart aud knowe them hereafter 23 Either shew vs things for to come and tell vs what shall be done hereafter so shall we know that ye are Gods doe some thing either good or bad so will we both knowledge the same and tell it out 24 Beholde ye are Gods of naught and your making is of naught yea abhominable is the man that
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
not let the children of Israel go 21 And the Lord saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thy hand vnto heauen that there maye be vpon the lande of Egypt darkenesse which maye be felt 22 And Moyses stretched forth his hande vnto heauen and there was a thicke darkenesse vpon all the lande of Egypt thrée daies 23 No man saw another neyther rose vp from the place where he was by the space of thrée daies But all the children of Israel had light where they dwelled 24 And Pharao called for Moyses and â—ayde Go and serue the Lorde onely let your shéepe and your oxen abide and let your children go with you 25 And Moyses saide Thou must geue vs also sacrifice and whole burnt offerings for to doe sacrifice vnto the Lord our God. 26 Our cattell also shall go with vs and there shall not one hoofe be left behinde for thereof must we take to serue the Lorde our God neyther doe we knowe with what we must doe seruice vnto the Lorde vntill we come thither 27 But the Lorde hardened Pharaos heart and he would not let them go 28 And Pharao saide vnto hym Get thée from me take héede vnto thy selfe that thou séest my face no more for whensoeuer thou commest in my sight thou shalt die 29 And Moyses saide Let it be as thou hast saide I will sée thy face no more The Exposition vpon the .ix. and .x. Chapter of Exodus The Lorde saide vnto Moyses goe vnto Pharao for I haue hardened c. IN these two Chapiters read this day in the Church are recited sundrie of those plagues wherewyth God Punished Pharao and wrought the Deliuerie of the People out of Egipt And because God was determined to set his People at Freedome and was hable * with one Breath to haue confounded Pharao ouerthrown the Whole power of the Egiptians a man myght marueyle why he dyd Deferre the tyme so long and worke so many Meane miracles whereas he might haue brought it to passe with one Mightie and terrible worke Seing especially that God did know that Pharao would not repent and yeeld To this cogitation GOD himselfe answereth in the .13 14. 15. and 16. verses of thys nynth Chapiter Go thy wayes sayth God to Moyses and tell Pharao c. let my people goe serue me or else at this tyme I wil send al my plagues vpon thyne hart and vpon thy seruants and on thy people that thou may est know there is none like me in al the earth c. And in verye deede for this cause haue I kept thee to shewe thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde Here haue we an euident cause why GOD did so long Suffer the wicked and obdurate hart of Pharao that is that God might * set forth his Glorie and by this terrible Example be knowne to the whole worlde That he was a Mightie God hable to breake the power of their Enimies were they neuer so Obstinate and Stiffe harted against hym That he was a Seuere God and * would terriblie punishe the Obdurate vnrepentant sinners Yea though they be neuer so great Kings Princes That he is a Wise God that can Turne the wicked Malice and Obstinacie of sinners to the Working of his greater glory That he is a Carefull and mercifull God towarde his people and for their defence and deliuerance will not sticke to Breake and Pull downe euen Mightie Princes and people There is also an other cause why God doth here Suffer Pharao at other times Beare with other Grieuous sinners and onely for the time punishe them with Light Meane plagues and this is By his great Lenitie Sufferance and Mildenesse if it might be to bring them to repentance or otherwise if they will not repent that they shall declare themselues to the worlde to bee Vnexcusable and God in his Iudgement when he doth confounde them to be a iuste god Of this Cause speaketh Paule Rom. 2. Eyther despisest thou the ryches of his goodnesse and long sufferance not knowing that the kindenesse of God leadeth thee to repentance c. When God is sayd To harden the hart of Pharao we maye not thinke that God doth Force and Compell Pharao to sinne or that the blame of his obstinacie and vnrepentant hart can iustly be laide vpon God * For God doth neyther worke Sinne himselfe nor would haue it to be Wrought of other But God by his seruantes Moyses Aaron offered to Pharao his holye worde and great miracles and he being of nature Wicked and waywarde from God and vtterly destitute of his holy Spirit of which al Inclination to goodnesse commeth did more and more Harden his harte and Withstande the will of god For the Corrupt nature of man without the singuler grace of God when he heareth Gods worde and will declared to him doth not only not yeelde vnto it but more and more stormeth against both the Worde it selfe and the Messengers that bring it For naturall man vnderstandeth not those things that are of God no nor cannot Wherefore when we see in these Chapiters that all endeuour is vsed both by God and by his seruauntes to perswade Pharao and yet that he is nothing Mooued eyther by his Worde or by his threatnings or by his Miracles or by the counsaile and aduertisement of Moyses and Aaron yea or of his owne subiectes we are taught that all the Workes endeuours of Man to bring sinners from their obstinacy vnto the Imbracing of Gods holy will is all Vaine vnlesse it please God also to worke by his holye spirite Wherefore we must submit our selues to the mightie hande of God in his secreat iudgementes and continually in our prayers * craue the assistance of his grace and good spirite which may so worke in vs that both we our selues may humbly Receiue the worde of GOD and that our endeuour to perswade other may by him be Effectuall Moreouer when there happeneth vnto vs vnseasonable Weathering Plagues and other sicknesses of sundrie sortes terrible Nayle Thunder and Lightning Murraine of cattaile Destruction of corne or fruites by blast Vermine or otherwise we must by these examples learne that they come not by Chaunce or by naturall causes onely but that they are Sent of God as Punishmentes of our Sinne and Disobedience to the will and worde of God and as * Meanes to bring vs to Repentance or else that God will lay on vs continually mo of his Plagues vntill he bring vs to Vtter confusion as hee did Pharao and the Egyptians All whose Disobedience sprange of this Roote that they Contemned the worde of God brought vnto them by his seruantes The Contempt whereof if repentaunce did not preuent it God hath alway punished with Induration and vtter Desolation When we reade that the Israelites were cleare from all those grieuous Plagues with which the Aegyptians were punished we muste to our comfort consider
and in the cause of their sister Cozbi the daughter of a lorde of the Madianites which was slain in the day of the plague for Peors sake The exposition vpon the .xxv. Chapter of Numeri And Israell aboade in Sittim and the people began to commit whoordom c. THe offence that is described in thys chapter to haue bene committed by the childreÌ„ of Israel may seme to be wroughte by the * wicked policie of the false prophet BalaaÌ„ who seeing before that the fauor of god was much enclined to the Israelites did aduertise the Moabites to suffer their wiues daughters to be carnally abused by them to the end that their God being * displeased with their whooredome adulterie might forsake them and so leaue them to the daunger of theyr enimies This was a maruellous way wardnesse in the Israelites that neyther with aduersitie nor prosperity they could be reteined in their dutie toward God. In aduersitie they * sundry tymes murmured against God. And now in prosperitie being come to a * fertile couÌ„trey and hauing great successe of * victorie they are caryed away with loosenesse and wanton lust towarde straunge women and thereby prouoke the heauie * wrath of God against them Wherfore by this example we are admonished in bothe states of Fortune to beware and to call earnestly vnto God for the assistaunce of his grace that wee be not caryed from the remembrance of our dutie eyther with the griefe of the tone or with the pleasauntnesse of the tother In this example also wee haue to obserue howe perillous the companie of * wicked women is not onely for the grieuousnesse of whoordome it selfe but also for the perill that is least we be ledde also by the poysoned pleasure therof vtterly to * forsake God and to contemne his holy lawe and true worship And the Lord sayde take al the heades of the people and hang them c. Iustly doth Saincte Paule 1. Corinth 10. admonishe vs to beware of whooredome and fornication least the lyke perill of Gods wrath doe lyghte vpon vs also The common multitude of the offenders were slayne by hande as aâ—ter doth appeare but the heades and ryngleaders of the people to that wickednesse that is the Princes Magistrates and rulers who shuld haue stayed and punished this foule offence are by God commaunded to be hanged vp against the sunne that their * punishement mighte be the more grieuous to the terror of other For the prince or greate person offendeth double bothe in the filthinesse of the deede it selfe and also in the example whereby he draweth a number to the lyke naughtynesse Suche as the greate persons are suche commonly are the people Wherfore wel saith wisedom cap. 6 The mightie persons shal myghtily be punished A notable lesson is here to be gathered of al them which at this day make so smal accompt of fornication whooredome and adulterie as though it were no synne at all yea as though it were a praise or glorie to them to be knowne and taken to be suche persons And beholde one of the children of Israell came and brought vnto c. This was a notable spectacle of the coÌ„tempt of God and all good men when Moyses and the people were before the doore of the Tabernacle bewayling and lamenting the wickednesse that was encreased among them and by their prayers tears sought to turne the displeasure of God froÌ„ theÌ„ this maÌ„ as it were in despite of them all and of God himselfe in their syghtes brought a straunge strumpet into his tent to be abused of himselfe and of his children By this example it may appeare that wickednesse was growne to a very * high degree among them seing that they had therin caste away al shame * and feare of God. This was none of the common sort of people that coÌ„mitted this outrage He was a lorde and a noble man of the house of Simeon the strumpet also was a Lady or GeÌ„tlewoman the daughter of Sur an head ruler of the Madianites Wherby it appereth what kinde of persons doe soonest breake out to suche foule examples of the contempt of god And as the offence committed was greuous so was the Authour and manner of the punishment extraordinarie For Phinees was a priest and no ciuile Magistrate his * office was to serue God in the teÌ„ple and not by death to punish offenders yet bicause the example of the wickednesse was horrible he was stirred vp vndoutedly by the spirit of God in the vehemencie of his zeale for Gods cause to vse an extraordinarie punishmeÌ„t of those persons that with such despite of Gods lawe and true worship did grieue the heartes of all good men in their heuie distresse And therfore though this fact of Phinees be greatly praised both here and in other * places of the holy Scripture yet being but a peculiar instinction of God in this one cause it is not to be taken as an example coÌ„monly of all persons to be folowed For if euery priuate man should take vpon him to punish offences and that by death it would grow to very greate disorder But Magistrates and they to * whom God hath committed the sworde may here learne with how earnest zeale they should see to the repressing and punishing of synne and wickednesse and not as commonly they doe eyther winke at it without punishment or so triflingly punishe it that it is rather a mockerie than a punishment Then God spake to Moyses saying Phinees the sonne of Eleazar c. By this God sheweth that Phinees was led by his instinction to the zelous execution of that punishment therfore doth not only shewe him selfe to lyke well of it but also rewardeth him with the * perpetual annexing of the high priesthood to him and to his house posteritie Here good princes and magistrates may learne that God with great blessing will rewarde the iust and with sharp punishment correct the authors of wickednesse and vice The third Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Deuteronomie 4. NOw therfore hearken O Israel vnto the ordinances lawes which I teach you for to do them that so ye may liue and goe in and possesse the land whiche the Lorde God of your fathers giueth you 2 Ye shal put nothing vnto the worde which I commaund you neither shal you take ought from it that ye may kéepe the coÌ„maundements of the Lorde your God whiche I commaunde you 3 Your eyes haue séene what the Lorde did against Baal Peor for all the men that folowed Baal Peor the Lord thy God hath destroyed from among you 4 But ye that cleaue vnto the Lord your God are aliue euery one of you this day 5 Behold I haue taught you ordinances lawes such as the Lord my God coÌ„maunded me that ye should do