with death in the â—â—â—ce Dauid his numbering the people caused 2. â—a 24. 15 70. thousand to die of the pestilence The man of God in the 13 of the first of 1. King 13. Kings for turning in to the old Prophet was slaine by a lion Moses was bid to speake to the rocke and it should gush foorth water but he proceeded Nu. 20. 11. beyond his commission and strooke the rocke twise and for that cause he neuer entred the land of promise See how the Lord spareth not to punish as well his owne children as the reprobate and wicked when they offend him that all men may take heede how they prouoke the Lord of hostes or how they stirre vppe the mighty lion of the tribe of Iudah which deuoureth the wicked like bread and the vngodly like stubble Therefore let vs follow the sage and wise counsell of the propheticall King and kingly Prophet Dauid kisse the sonne lest he be angry and so ye perish in his wrath like Chorah A question may here be moued why God should lay this heauy taske vppon vs why he shuld charge vs with ten and Adam but with one Whereas we are farre more insufficient to performe the same than Adam was for God armed him with power and ability to performe the same commandement which we haue not The answere must be this as Adam had ability so we are not altogether disabled for god hath giuen vs a gracious supplie in that wecome short bicause Christ that imaculate iust one whom the father hath sent vnto vs he hath died for vs he hath also satisfied for vs and whatsoeuer the iustice of God required of vs that hath he abundantly performed euen the whole law for in him dwelleth all Col. 1. 19. fulnesse and of his fulnesse haue we al receiued The Lord hath charged vs with this hard taske to the end that looking into our owne imbecility and weakenesse we might haue recourse vnto Christ flying to him for succor as the Iraelites fled to the brazen serpent when they were stinged with scorpions Num. 21. 9 Blessed are they that doe the Commaundements To the end no man should doubt of the certainty of this blessing it is often repeated in sundry places of scripture If thou shalt obserue all my commandements Deuter. 28. and obay diligently the voice of the Lord then the Lord will exalt thee aboue al nations of the earth blessed shalt thou be in the citty and blessed in the field blessed in the fruit of thy body and in the increase of thy kine and in the flockes of thy sheepe blessed when thou commest in and when thou goest out And in the eleuenth of Deuteronomie If you hearken to my Commaundements I will giue you raine to your land earely and late in due season that thou mayest gather in thy corne and thy wine and thine oyle I will giue grasse also for thy cattell that they may eate and be filled Consider this aright and let it sincke into your hearts as it soundes into your eares if you haue not yet tasted nor had your share in the aforesaide blessings If God hath at any time stricken your fieldes that they haue yeelded no increase or if he hath sent the caterpiller to deuoure your fruites if hee hath layd a curse vpon the ground that no grasse might be found for your cattell know that it is for the breach of his commaundements as appeareth in the sixth chapter of the Prophet Michah For as they are blessed that do the Commaundements so are they cursed that doe them not as you may reade at large in the 28. of Deuteronomy In the tenth chapter of Marke the man that would needes know what he must doe to inherite eternall life had this answer giuen him by our Sauiour Keepe the commandements And in the 119. Psalme saieth the Prophet Dauid Blessed are they that keepe the testimonies for sure there is no iniquitie in their hands A speciall blessing is proclaimed by the Lord himselfe in the 19 chapter of Exodus If you keepe my commandements you shal be my chiefe treasure To quote all the places of Scripture that speake of the rewardes and blessings pronounced to them that walk in the commandements of God were infinite and not necessary seeing these may suffice which I haue already produced yea if I vrged no more than this one proofe euen my present Text onely Blessed are they that do the Comandements What the Commaundements are wee all know I know which I greeue to speake they are euery where better knowen than practised viz. those tenne giuen by the Lord to Moses vpon mount Sinah Exod. 19 As they were not lightly giuen Exodus 19. so they must not lightly be regarded for saluation and destruction life and death is in the keeping or breaking of them It is worth the noting to consider what a solemne preparation was vsed before the publication of them how the people were first to be sanctified two whole dayes howe the Lord charged them to abstaine froÌ„ their wiues and to wash their cloathes howe it thundred and lightned and the Mount it selfe trembled and the Trumpet sounded And last of all which frighted the people most of all the Lord himselfe came downe in fire and then hee spake and saide The Law being thus published on Mount Sinay with such terrour and other circumstances of maiesty may greatly astonish the breakers therof for vndoubtedly the exaction of this Lawe must needes be with greater terrour at the day of iudgement seeing the publication of them was with such feare and dreadfulnesse These mysteries in the deliuerie of tâ—â— Commandements must not be passed ouer with silence since they containe matter of moment The Commaundements were giuen by God himselfe noting that the Creator of man is principally to gouerne man Deliuered to the people by Moses noâ—ng that God in his gouernement vseth the ministery of man Deliuered out of a flame cum tonitru fulgore noting the seuere tortures of those that shall violate this law Published on the toppe of a mountaine noting the high and heauenly authority and diuinitie of this law Written in Tables of stone noting the stony hearts of men wherein these lawes were to be written They were giuen with promise that they should be Gods chiefe treasure noting that they were giuen not onely for a burthen but for meanes to enter into heauen And when the commaundements were giuen the people durst not come neare the mountaine noting that no man is to dispute with God and to enter into his diuine secrets The people that heard the law stoode in â—he Desart of Sinay noting the want of vertue and pietie in them It is noted by a learned Diuine that the manner of deliuering the Lawe was this It was giuen by a voyce noting Blanditias promissionum In a cleere lightning noting Claritatem operum In a thunder noting Terrorem comminationum With sound of trumpets noting Instantiam
it no more Wee will now proceede to the second Commaundement The secoÌ„d commandement IF thou loue God as thou oughtest and as he requireth thou wilt make no Image of God for so runneth the commaundement Tbou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image And if thon mayest not make it much lesse mayst thou worship it no Commaundement Exe. 34 14 throughout the Scripture is more pressed than this thou shalt bow downe to no other God because the Lorde whose name is Iealous he is God This Commaundement was greatly violated in the dayes of Ieremy the prophet chargeth Iudah that according to the number of their Cityes were their gods they could say to a tree thou art my father and to a stone thou hast begotten me Remember saith Moses when God spake vnto you out of the fire you hard the voice Deu. 4. 12. of the wordes but saw no similitude saue a voyce only As we are forbidden in this commandement to make the Image of God so are we likewise charged not to make the Image of any other thing either to worship it or god sainct or angell by it for God will not bee worshipped after our owne fancies but as his word commaundeth God will be worshipped in spirit and truth according to the paterne of the word as Moses did all thinges according to the patterne he saw in the mount In vaine ye worship me teaching for doctrine Mark 7. 7. the precepts of men This controules the vaine and idle conceitednesse of ignorant people who being demaunded why they maintaine this or that superstition they answere no other thing but this our father 's held the same before vs and wee holde the same too by tradition from them as if religion came by discent so folishe are some and ignorant euen as an horse or mule which haue no vnderstanding Ambrose in his twenty ninth Epistle saith that the Iewes are the rather estranged from Christian religion because they find Images erected in the Papistes Synagogues The Iews smarted many times for their Idolatrous worship therfore now detesting it in themselues they abhor it in others also Osee telleth the Iewes that because they counsailed with their stocke and staffe and went a whoring from vnder their god therfore their daughters should be harlots and their spouses whores What sencelesnesse is it saith a learned diuine for the Image of God to fall downe before the Image of a man Danid painteth out the vanitie of superstitious worshippers when speaking of Idols he saith the Idolls of the heathen are siluer and gold euen the worke of mens hands they haue mouths and speake not they haue eies and see not they haue eares and heare not neither is there any breath in their mouth they that make them are like vnto them so are all they that put their trust in tâ—â—m Liclantius peremptorily giues out this censure there is no doubt saith he but that no pure religion can be there where any Image is receiued Againe if thou loue God thou wilt cary The third commandement such ar euerent estimatioÌ„ of him as that thou wilt not abuse so much as his name thou wilt both speak and think reuerently of him Thou dost violate this commaundement so often as thou dost blasphemously apply the name of God to inchauntment sorcery cursing and periury The iniquity of these times and the necessity of reforming the grosse abuses of men wilfully and wittingly incurring the breach of this commaundement would require whole volumes of inuectiues witchcraft forceries charming they are sinnes too commonly practized in this age If ones finger do but ake or any part of thy body be extraordinarily touched with any infirmity straight to the witch thou runnest or sendest and so for things that be lost or stolne for the which the wiseman or the wise woman must be consulted with alas beloued is God as Baal that he should not care for your abuse nor call you to an accouÌ„t for the breach of his commandements Or are you yet to be taught whether this be a sinne or not For so many shame not to answer when they are challenged for going to a wise man or woman why say they we hope we do well we find that good comes of it we get our health we recouer our goods that were lost and so they crosse S. Paul his rule Non facienda sunt mala vt veniant bona we may not do ill that good may come of it If thou hast not yet heard the Lord condemning this sinne heare it now and henceforth condemne it in thy selfe Let none be found among you that vseth Leuiti 20. witchcraft or that is a regarder of time or a sorcerer or a charmer or that councelleth with spirits for all that do such things are an abhomination to the Lorde The Canaanites for this cause were expelled Exo. 22. 18. from their good land let not a witch liue In the sift of the Gallathians it is reckoned among the sins of the flesh and condemned Wilt thou behold the terror of the Lords wrath vpon this sinfull generation and euer after beware of a witch looke vppon Saul whom God did not spare though he were a King for consulting with the witch at Endor he was vtterly forsaken his kingdome taken 1. Sa. 31. 4. 6 from him the next day folowing he and his three sonnes were slaine Will ye haue another president of Gods iustice vpon another who was a King too Achaziah being sicke of a bruze taken with a fall would needes send to Beelzebub 2. King â— of Ekron to know whether hee shoulde recouer or no but the Lorde by the mouth of Eliah sent backe the messenger before he could come to the witch and bade him returne this colde comfort to his master is there no God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire of Beelzebub wherefore thus saith the Lorde thou shalt not rise vp from the bed whereon thou art gone vp but shalt die the death If you or any other when you go to a witch should receiue this or the like sentence at the Lordes mouth I resolue you would be more warie I cannot part with this sinne because I would beate it downe and stamp it into hel from whence it came Oh would I could find that stone that might kill this Goliah I would throw it at him with al my might and make it sincke into the midst of his temples to returne glory to Israel and shame to the Philistins Most notable is that place in Ezech. where God pronounceth an heauy woe against these wise-mongers Woe vnto the women that sow pillowes Ezec. 13. 18 vnder euery arme-hole wil ye hunt the souls of my people wil ye pollute me among my people for handfulls of barley and for peeces of bread to stay the soules of them that should not die can you giue life to the soules that come vnto you why do ye hunt the soules of my people
like the restlesse doue till we flie to God as the doue to the arke by an vnfained repentance This made Peter go out and this was his consideration and the same must be ours too if we wil haue rest to our soules or peace to our consciences He went out c. The place from whence he went was the high priests hall the place of iudgement where Christ was arraigned where the scribes and people were gathered together against Christ none but wicked men assembled in that place and here was no place for Peter Therfore he went out Good men must not companie with the wicked at any time and if they happen to light in their societie â—ike Dauid among the Philistins they ought then to make speede to go out from them according to the counsell of Solomon turne Prou. 15. away from the wicked man The Lord will haue the righteous to out goe from the wicked as Lot went out of Sodom to dwell in Zoar. Peter sate in denying his maister but now being brought to the knowledge of his sin he bestirred himselfe and went out when we are most secure and at greatest ease resting our selues as it were in the chaire of securitie and drowsinesse then is Satan most vigilant and watchful to snare vs. As when Iobs children were feasting and thought least of any daunger towards themselues Iob. 1. 19 the diuell spied his opportunitie to destroy them by throwing the house vppon their heads When Belshazar was sitting at the table carowsing wine among his nobles in vessels Dan. 5. of siluer and vessels of gold then were the hideous fingers vpon the wall readie to pen his tragical end and the ruine of his kingdome Lot had no sooner betaken himself to ease Gen 19. 33 in Zoar but Satan preuailed against him to cause him committe incest with his twoo Gen. 9. 21 daughters he tempted Noah the preacher of righteousnes after he had planted himselfe a vine-yard to take so deepe a taste of the grape that he became drunke he became ouerflowed with wine as the old world with water and this was a worse deluge then the first He that preached to others but a little before could not preach to himselfe a lesson of sobrietie but lay vncouered in his tent and was a rebuke to his owne children If these mightie ones haue bin ouerthrown how shal the weaklings stand No maruaile if the low shrubs be rooted out and supplanted since the tall Cedars in Lebanon are thrown down This securitie was farre from Iob who as he shewed himselfe in other things to be patient shewed himselfe in this to be vigilant in that he sayth I feared al my waies If Peter had watched Satan as Satan watched him lâ—e had not bin snared but when he sate Saâ—â—n saw he was carelesse and therefore the more subiect to be tempted and to be ouercome We reade of the cranes that when they Plinie flocke together to feede one of them vseth to feede a farre off and that crane so singled from the rest still as he feedes lookes round about him and obserues if any daunger be towards them if he spie any bodie drawing nigh then he giueth warning to the rest and so they saue themselues shall this pollicie rest in vnreasonable birds and shall it not â— found in man If when Peter his body haâ— taken it rest his soule had wakened and obserued Satan casting a net about him to inâ— tangle him he had deceiued the deceiuer bâ— while he sate his enemy walked round abouâ— him and circumuented him so as he had nâ— power to escape Peter sate when he fell like a man in â— slumber that falles beside his chaire but now he standeth vp like a man newly wakened out of a dream and he goeth out The godly are euer for the most part noted either going walking or running The Prophet Ps 119. 33. Dauid desired the Lord to teach him to go the path of his commandements hauing Ps 119. 32. learned to go he had also learned to run the way of his commandements I will runne the way of thy coÌ„mandements One comes Luke 10. running to Christ desirous to know what he must do to obtain eternal life he thought he Mar. 10. 17 could not runne fast enough being in the way to eternall life Zacheus ranne to meete Christ a certaine blind man in running to Christ threw away his cloake to the end he might runne the faster And Peter held his station no longer but Luke 19. 4. besturd himselfe and made haste to go out when he felt the liuely soule-stirring motion of Gods spirit calling him to repentance Samuel could not sleepe when the Lord 1. Sam. 3. called nor Peter sit any longer when the spirit of God called vpon him by the crowing of a cocke Let vs learne of Peter to yeeld to the woorking of Gods spirite now the cocke croweth and as many as are watchfull may heare it now then let vs prepare our selues to repent like Peter And he wept bitterly Here is the third degree or step of his repentance testified by his teares Plinie writeth that the teares of the vine doe cure the leprozie of the skinne So the teares of the faithfull grafted into the true vine Christ Iesus do cure the leprozie of sin S. Aug. sayth when the Eagle waxeth old she plungeth her wings into a fountaine of cleere water and so renueth her strength So we must wash and bathe this whole body of sinne so shall we become lustie and yong as an Eagle S. Cyril vpon this weeping of Peter sayth Locum flendo recepit quem negando perdidit he found that in weeping which he lost by denying and though he denied him saith Nazaianzene God is more merciful than mâ— can be sinfull if man will be sorrowfull â— 2. King 2 Elisha threw salt into the waters to maâ— them sauory and sweet so must we season oâ— prayers with salt teares to make them sauoâ— vnto God Great cause had Peter to weepe considâ— ring 1. Sam. 1. 7 the greatnesse of his sinne for if Annâ— had cause to weep for her barrennesse muâ— more cause had Peter for his barrennesse â— faith If Rachel wept for her children becauâ— Iere. 31. 15 they were not much more cause had Petâ—â— to weep for his graces because they were noâ— If Agar wept being turned out of her masters house should not Peter mourne mucâ— rather for turning himselfe out of his masteâ— house and denying his coate If Thamar wept being deflowred of heâ— 2. Sam. 13 19. virginitie hath not Peter cause to weepe foâ— beeing depriued of his faith and constanciâ— If the Virgin Marie wept for the death oâ— her Son as if her soule had bin pearced thoâ— row with a sword hath not Peter cause tâ— weepe for denying him that died for him Many causes we see may procure teares buâ— sure to deny Christ as Peter did is a causâ— that