Gouernment is of God and God in Gouernours and is honoured greatly euer was and will be 9 Keepe diligently that which I commaund thee this daye and beholde I will cast out before thee the Amorites c. Who subdueth enemies casteth them out God and God onely man is but by his meanes and preuaileth and faileth as the Lord will Why dooth God subdue That wée may keepe and keepe diligently what he commandeth doo this and prosper as shall be good euer doo it not and vaine shall all strength bée when the Lords patience is expired and Iustice taken in hand Publikely and priuately this is true thinke of it 9 Take heede thou make no compact with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest lest they be the cause of thy ruine among you It séemeth cruel if the inhabitaÌ„ts would yeeld and submit themselues not to receiue them But learne here and euer that God is the true line of mercie and where he condemneth beware pittie For that is to condemne him and to exalt thy selfe aboue him in mercie Because saith the Prophet to Benhadad thou hast let him go whom I appointed to die thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people Lest saith this Text they be the cause of thy ruine False Religion you sée in the end worketh destruction and how then is it policie how better for a Common-wealth as some Romish Catholiks vainly haue written Thirdly Thou shalt ouerthrow their Altars c. Then no tolleration to be had of two Religions in one GouernmeÌ„t If the Lord be God he must be worshipped but if Baal be he he must be worshipped solely and only not GOD and Baal both Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue God is a ielous God and will not giue his glorie to another Dauid a Prince truly religious saith Their offerings of blood will not I offer neither make mention of their names within my lips Princes destroying Idolatrie and purging the Church are renowned in Scripture with a blessed memorie Salomon for his mingling was plagued Valentinian sought of Ambrose a Church in Millan for the Arrians and Ambrose denyed it c. But by whom are the Altars to be broken downe By the Magistrate onely or by priuate men also and by euery one that is zealous Surelie publike things by publike persons in authoritie Constantine Theodosius and such like But for priuate things priuate men may doo them as Iacob purged his owne house of his Wiues Idols And the Councill coÌ„demneth Maisters that will suffer in their houses images and not take them away Priuate men to meddle with publike things is dangerous Paul came to Athens and found an Altar yet he threw it not down The Councill decreed that he which beeing not a Magistrate should breake downe an Image and be slaine in the fact should not be numbred among Martyrs Theodoret maketh mention of Auda a Bishop who ouerthrew Pyreum Persarum and saith thus that a priuate man ouerthrewe this I praise it not c. Extraordinary instincts God hath giuen but let men take heede they be not deceiued Gideon had Gods instinct euery motion to such matters must not be such a warrant Ambrose defendeth the Bishop that burned the Iewish Synagogue and reckoneth one among Martyrs which in the time of Iulian threw downe an Altar and was condemned Our owne times haue yeelded some examples But you see all are not of one minde Therefore beware of false spirits that will rashly write of reformation without tarrying for the Magistrate So euery man may bee a Magistrate and the swéete societie of man with man turned to blood and slaughter Some yet are too milde and they tell vs Idolatrie must first bee taken out of the heart by true teaching c. They say well that true teaching goeth before but what then Therefore is the Magistrates worke excluded No. For are not the sinnes against the second Table also to be taken out of the hart by teaching and yet I hope the magistrate may concurre with teaching and punish theeues and murderers and adulterers c Much more in the first Table touching Gods honour and seruice 10 Mariage with thâ—se Idolaters is forbidden and I wish it marked I haue els where touched it and the curse of God is often so great vpon such matches as I wonder at the presumptuous prouoking of Gods wrath that I sée in many A Recusants liuing is respected and bodie and soule destroyed for euer The father wilfull throweth his déere childe away and neuer thinketh of the iudgment he shall haue with God at his fearefull daye for the same I know where I am and I stay God in mercie worke féeling and true repentance Tertullian perswadeth Christian Widowes to take heede of these mariages Salomon was ouerthrowne by them c. 11 When Moses came downe from the mountaine Aaron and all the children of Israel looked vpon him and behold the skin of his face shone bright and they were afraide to come neere him Diuers and sundrie causes might cause the Lord thus to change Moses face First to assure him by this outward token that his prayers were accepted and Gods fauour againe restored to the people Secondly that thus the lawe written in the two Tables now the second time and Moses also the Minister of the law might receiue authoritie and dutifull regard with the people Thirdly that it might note Moses to shine with heauenly knowledge and Wisdome instructed by the Lord for the good of the people Fourthly to note that Ministers faces that is their outward actions and words which appeare to men should glister shine So let your light shine that meÌ„ may see your good works c. Fiftly to shadow that the law which Moses now represented is onely bright and shining in the face that is outwardly for the righteousnesse of them that obserue the lawe for outward actions is onely a seeming iustice shining before men who looke no further than to the out-ward apparance but before God who séeth the heart and reines it is none Whereas the righteousnesse of Christ is all glorious within and without Sixtly to teach that the law lightneth the conscience which is as the face of the in-ward man making it sée and know sinne but the minde it lightneth not wich any faith to saue from sinnes Christ onely dooing that by his holy Spirit c. Therefore the people feare and dare not approach the lawe euer striking a terrour into the harts of them that behold their sins in it and by it Moses himselfe saith your Chapter knew not of this glorie of his face And modest men are not carried away with knowledge of their own gifts but are as it were ignorant of them Socrates when all men iudged him most learned yet of himselfe held this both thought and spéech That he knew nothing And in matter of our almes
comfortablie will aunswere I knowe whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that in loue hee hath adopted mee to bee his Childe that hee is true in his promise and powerfull in performance And these three so strengthen my heart that no want of merit no consideration of my owne vilenesse no greatnesse of the future blessednesse canne cast mee downe from the height of hope wherein I am soundlie rooted This is the three-folde corde c. To this effect haue many other Fathers written also but I omit them Lastly this example of God in this place as it teacheth patience and long suffering when we are abused so doth it notablie also teach cōstancie in loue where we once haue loued A thing worthie following if I had not béene too long in this Note I will therefore reserue it to some other place onely now praying you to remember whom you resemble if this grace be in you and from whom you swerue if it bee not It is enough to mooue a Childe of God 6. Of this striking of the Rocke there is often mention made in the Scriptures and therefore a thing worthie good consideration Hee claue the hard rocks in the Wildernes and gaue them drinke thereof as if it had beene out of the great depthes He brought waters out of the stonie rock so that it gushed out like the riuers Againe in another Psalme He opened the rocke of stone and the waters flowed out so that riuers ranne in drie places For why he remembreth his holy promise and Abraham his seruant The things we may thinke of are these The fall of Moses and Aaron at this time The figure and allegorie of this rocke Concerning the first reade what is written in the Booke of Numbers Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rocke and Moses said vnto thē Heare now yee Rebels shall we bring you water out of this rocke And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron Because yee beleeued me not to sanctifie me in the presence of the children of Israel therefore yee shall not bring this congregation into the Land which I haue giuen them Héere you sée it reuealed that Moses and Aaron staggered at this matter and offended the Lord. Whereby we are notably taught that although there be many in this world who through the grace that is giuen them fight a good fight hauing faith and a good Conscience yet there is not one frée from all sinne sauing Iesus Christ alone But euen Moses himselfe héere that Great light hath his darknes and his infirmitie Hee that had wrought such Great miracles and deuided the maine Sea through the power of him that now biddeth him strike the rocke yet héere hee doubteth and fainteth in Faith as God himselfe witnesseth of him Truly therefore said the Prophet Dauid If the Lord shall marke what is done amisle Who Who shall be able to abide it And the Apostle likewise There is none that is righteous no not one All haue gone out of the way And in the sight of God can no flesh liuing be iustified Let not Sachan then amaze vs with our imperfections for the swéetest Roses haue their prickels and Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance On the other side againe Let not Sathan tempt vs to a conceipt of purity or perfection either in our selues or others for if Moses fall if Dauid fall if Samuel fall if Iob fall if Abraham fall and all haue fallen who shall say my heart is cleane Beware of these extremities both wayes walking in the middle way take holde of Christ by him fearing no imperfection and for him flying all vaine thoughts of absolute integritte Againe learne heere and forget it neuer what an odious thing in the sight of God any doubting in him is which yet the Doctrine of Rome so laboureth to maintaine For when for this onely fault the Lord is so moued with his déere seruant Moses that he reiectech him from conducting his people into the promised Land and burieth him in the Desert certainly we may not entertaine doubting in our hearts touching any promise of his and especially in so great a matter or in such a graund Article of Faith as the Remission of sinnes is 7. For the second thing namely the Type you reade in the Apostle that this rocke was Christ that is a Figure of Christ With which kinde of phrase would the Romish Teachers not wrangle that Great contention about the Sacrament néeded uot For to giue the name of the thing signified to the signe signifying was neuer strange among learned men and in this very particular of the Sacrament S. Augustines words are well knowne Non dubitabat Dominus dieere hoc est corpus meū cum signum daret corporis sui The Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when he gaue a signe of his body To which end also speake other of the Fathers abundantly if it were any purpose here to enter into his matter 8 For the thirde thing namely the Allegorie thus is it noted by the learned That when all mankind was to be smitten by the Law for sinne yet through the infinite loue of God the Rocke onelie was smitten that is Christ of whom the Law laid hold for vs hée submitting himselfe for vs was smitten off it for vs. Thus saith the Prophet He was smitten for our transgressions and with his stripes we are healed Other Scriptures also That God so loued the world that he gaue his onely be gotten Sonne to suffer c. That he himselfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree c. This blessed rocke thus smitten for vs hath gushed out swéete water for vs to drinke to coole that scalding heate of burning sin in our soules which els would quickely kill vs and be our bane Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him saith this our Rocke and Sauiour shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that I shall giue shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life But let no man thinke that this water that is the swéete and cheering comfort of the Gospell is to be got by mans merites as some teach but euer remember the Prophets words Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without monie c. The Prophets words are sull of force First calling to All to come and excepting none which is a great cōfort thē offering mercy without money that all cursed cogitations of workes and worthes in our selues might euer die and be abhorred Come vnto me all ye that trauell and are heauy laden and I will refresh you not your owne merits and works The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs saith the Apostle from al sin al sin I say againe and not our workes
Tertulliā saith they daily light Candles who haue no light in themselues to whom agree both the Testimonies of darknesse and the reward of punishment But by way of figure these lights shadowed the light of Gods Word which ought euer to shine in his Church as hath bene saide and oyle vsuallie in the Scriptures noteth the Holy-Ghost As in the Psalme He hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And that anointing which he receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. This Holy Spirit Christ giueth to his Church and therefore saide It is good for you that I go way For if I go not away that Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And this Spirit maketh the light of the Word in the heart as that oyle made the light of the lampe in the Church But the lampes were attended and fed euer with more and more oyle and so God by his Ministers dealeth still They attend vpon this light and read and interpret this word vnto Gods people that they may haue light which holy worke and profitable seruice should yéelde them all comfort and fauoure from the people againe if it were well considered as of some blessed be God it is These lampes and lights were not in the holy place of all but in the Sanctuarie and so in the Church militant the light of teaching and preaching is onely necessarie in Heauen which was resembled by the most holy place no such matter shall be requisite I am shorter in these things because I trust the long and happy vse of the Gospell hath remooued such errors out of our hearts we are not now to be perswaded in these matters The truth is manifest and we are grounded Popish foilyes may deceiue and carry away such as refuse knowledge not any others Blessed be God for his mercies and euer so establish and strengthen vs with his gratious Spirit as wée may not looke back to Aegypt any more but still still take comfort in the light of his Word which is light indéed and leaue Romish tapers and trinkets to the abusers of God his offered grace praying yet for them that if it may stand with his blessed will he would vouchsafe to open their eyes and to touch their hearts that at last they may thinke What the whole World will profit a Man if hee loose his Soule and what an horrible sinne it is to pinne that Soule for which the Lorde Iesus suffered such things vpon any mans sléeue that refuseth to shew the ground of his doctrine out of God his written word as all true Teachers euer did CHAP. 28. 1 AFter God hath spoken of the Tabernacle and the seuerall things to be placed and set in the same now he commeth to the persons that shoulde gouerne and as it were be the masters in the same namely the Priests And first hee calleth chooseth the men which he will haue then he adorneth them with fit and decent apparrell for so high a calling Concerning the first Cause thou saith God to Moses thy brother Aaron to come vnto thee and his sonnes with him from among the children of Israel that he may serue me in the Priests office I meane Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar Aarons Sonnes No reasons God here alleageth why he woulde haue these to bee his Priestes rather than any others but simply commandeth to choose them thereby plainly teaching vs that out of his own will and pleasure he euer maketh choise of his Ministers not regarding any dignitie or excellencie in man but only mooued with his owne mercie and fauour first to choose him and separate him euen from the wombe to such seruice and after in time by degrées as he will to fit him and frame him to performe it The inward calling hereunto euery man rightly entring into the Ministerie féeleth in his hart and conscience within which maketh him a true Minister to God and his conscience The outwarde is not now by voice as here it was and after in the new Testament but by the approbatiō of such as in the Church where we liue haue authoritie cōmitted to them so to approoue which maketh him a Minister be fore men not to be refused vpō euery priuate mans fancie before authoritie haue heard the reasons and allowed them well knowing that his insufficiencie or fault maketh not the ordinances of God voyde to them that rightlie vse them but that so to thinke is altogether Anabaptisticall I referre the willing Reader to my Treatise vpon the Lords prayer the last Petition for more in this matter in the temptation that ariseth vpon conceiued wants in Ministers 2 In this choise againe of his Priests you may note the words from among the children of Israel which are all one as if he had saide men as you are and of your acquaintance not my selfe or my Angels who might feare you with Maiestie and excellencie and surelie this both then was and still is a great fauour For you remember before how when God shewed himself in the mount by those fearefull signes the people cryed to Moses Talke thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talke with vs lest we dye so vnable is man to indure the voice of God How Angels also haue feared men the Scripture is ful of testimonies Wherefore in great mercie was Moses thē still are the Ministers now vsed as meanes betwixt God his people to speake from him to them without any terrifiyng feare a thing to make vs more careful to heare thē to vse them wel thankfully acknowledging both that blessing to our weakenesse and the honor done vnto our nature when our owne flesh is in the stead of God vnto vs c. 3 When God had made thus choise of the persons he pleaseth to prescribe them a kind of apparell differing frō others teaching them and that people figuratiuelie many things wherof stil vnto the end of the world there may be vse for profitable instruction Also thou shalt make saith the Text holy garments for Aaron thy brother glorious and beautifull so to shew as the marginall Note saith his office and function to be glorious and excellent so to shew the Maiestie glorie of the true High Priest Christ Iesus of whom Aaron was a figure so to teach with what excellent vertues the Priestes of God as with garments ought to be adorned and beautified The shadowes of the lawe I confesse are gone and Ministers of the word are not now figures of an other Christ to come yet still is it both lawfull and commendable that they should be distinguished from other men by a decent and fit at tyre c. 4 But who shal make these glorious garmēts for Aaron the Priest The Text
trusted too much to Nature and the other to Fortune As a Spiders webbe so is a mans greatnes in this world soone wiped away with a little whiske Often therefore thinke of Saint Iohns words Loue not this world neither the things that are in the world If any man loue this world the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in this world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And this world passeth away and the lust therof but hee that fulfilleth the Will of GOD abideth for euer 7 But was Aaron hated of God because this fearefull happe fell vpon his Children No no. Therefore learne to stay your hastie nature from iudging rashly and bée not caryed away by a pratling world Euer remember what Crosse is layd héere not vpon a meane man in the Church but vpon him that had the highest place that was a Figure of Christ and accepted of him and meditate of it much with your selfe for your comfort c. 8 Note in the 4. and 5. verses the maner of bury all not in the Hoste but without in the fields prepared and kept for such vse Where was then the superstitious conceite of Churches and Church-yards Their friendes and kins-men cary them foorth to buriall and the custome is still commendable amongst vs. 9 After Moses said vnto Aaron and vnto Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes vncouer not your heads neither rent your clothes least yee die and lest wrath come vpon all the people but let your brethren all the House of Israell bewayle the burning which the Lord hath kindled In this case it was not lawfull for Aaron and his sonnes to mourne least they should séeme to preferre their carnal affection to God his iust iudgement And it is a great Caueat to all such as desire to gouerne themselues in an acceptable course Of mourning for the dead and the maner of Nations differing in the same more may be said in the 19. Chapter 10 But the people here might mourne that it might euer be learned noted and remembred how néerely and truely the griefe of the Minister should touch a louing and godly people But where where is such a people God forbid but wée should assure our selues there is a portion that doth thus although al that reape the labours aswell as they dee it not And let it bée a faithfull Ministers comfort euer that mee loue him and suffer with him in any griefe of his than hée knoweth off I know what I say and my soule blesseth the Lord for my experience in this poynt My infirmities are many and my weaknesse to doe seruice hath euer béene great I know it I acknowledge it in humilitie before him that knoweth whether I lye or no. Yet hath it béene his good pleasure euer since I was first a Minister to shew himselfe strong in my weaknesse and to giue a gracious blessing to my poore Labours in diuers places that I might well learne it is all one to him to worke with small gifts and with great And touching the thing I spake of I haue found this loue in some for my onely Ministerie sake that I haue béene aduertised by writing of matters much concerning mée and to this day could neuer learne and know who they were The Lord reward it ten thousand folde into their bosomes if they bée liuing and vpon theirs if they be gone to God Thus much breaketh from mée in this place out of a thankfull heart to GOD and to them and for a true comfort to my Brethren in this Land lighting vpon these my weake labours that besides their owne experience they know also mine that howsoeuer all are not kinde and louing where wée liue and labour yet more are our faithfull friends than wée know And therefore let vs goe on through all reports good and bad and through all crosses great and small doe the worke whereunto wée are called and rest vp-vpon him that will neuer faile vs nor let vs fall 11 And they did according to Moses commandement saith the Text. So will the rod of God waken his people and worke obedience For which cause the Lord often layeth it where hée loueth not willing as himselfe saith the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne and liue 12 Thou shalt not drink wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy sonnes with thee when yee come into the Tabernacle of the Congregation lest yee die This is an Ordinance for euer throughout your Generations That yee may put difference betwixt the holy and the vnholy and betweene the cleane and the vncleane And that yee may teach the Children of Israel all the Statutes which the Lord hath commanded them by the hand of Moses Sobrietie is a vertue fit for all men but especially for Ministers of the Word and Sacraments Thus much in this Law the Lord shadowed and wée may truely learne wine was forbidden them absolutely when their turne came to minister but now that Law bindeth not Yet to Sobrietie with wine and without wine we are euer bound Let a Minister saith the Apostle be no drinker of wine meaning disorderly and vnfitly for otherwise Timothie is exhorted to drinke a little wine for his stomacke-sake and his often infirmities To all men the same Apostle saith againe Bee not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but bee fullfilled with the spirit c. The reason added that thus they might be sound and sincere Interpreters of the Law For the chiefe Office of the Priests was not to kill beastes and offer Sacrifices but to haue knowledge and to teach the people the difference betwixt the true God and false Idolles betwixt holy things and prophane betwixt right prayer and wrong concerning the Law and sinne and grace c. according to the Prophet Malachies Speach The lippes of the Priest shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hostes. But here is no thought in this Law of any proud and Anabaptisticall separation of our selues from the fellowshippe of our Brethren and the vnitie of the Church vnder a colour that wée are holy and others prophane Beware we euer of such Doctrine and such Teachers 13 Then Moses said to Aaron and vnto Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes that were left Take the Meat-offering c. This is added to comfort and strengthen the shaken hearts of Aaron and his liuing sonnes who might by this strange punishment haue béene driuen into doubt whether euer the Lord would bée pleased that they should meddle againe with the Sacrifices And we sée therein a swéete and gracious God who maketh not his promises voyd to all for the faults of some but only teacheth to beware by other mens harmes Wée must therefore cleaue to our Calling and euen so much
haue their Page 206. line 34. would haue you eschue Page 234. line 34. Miriams Page 242. line 20. Sin Page 244. line 5. heare of Page 329. line 16. make you a Page 332. line 8. said not to be Page 351. line 17. president Page 355. line 19. this rash Page 366. line 22. funerall Page 436. line 1. but God Some other faults there are escaped which the diligent reader may easily amend The like notes vpon euery Chapter of the bookes of Exodus and Leuiticus TOuching this booke of Exodus in genenerall wée may note two things in it First the authority of it and secondlie the profit we may take by it The authority of it very well appeareth by such allegations as are made out of it in the new Testament for the confirmation of most weighty points of our Christian faith as the resurrectien of the dead our free election by grace not by merit with other such like The profit of it is double historicall and mysticall Historicall by notable examples of Gods wrath and mercy Wrath towards the Egiptians Maleâ—hites and such like mercy towards the Israelites and those that shew mercy vnto them as Rahab the Midwiues and others The former may teach the wicked to beware because God certainely payeth home at the last The latter may confirme all true beléeuers in Gods promises which euer were and shal be performed in their time Also make vs patient to endure the Lords good pleasure euer séeing he both so gratiouslie regardeth and so mercifully moderateth the afflictions of his children Both the points togither may teach vs that kingdomes gouernments are disposed by God euen as shall please his holy will For hée setteth vp and he taketh downe hée establisheth and changeth according as hée is serued and obeyed by Princes and people gouerning and gouerned Able to shiuer in péeces the greatest that euer was and as able againe to support the weakest when he pleaseth The mystical profit of this booke is a declaration of our Sauiour Christ and the merits of his passion which is most notablie made héerein by types and figures and liuelie resemblances as will appeare in their places The whole booke may bée deuided into these two parts The birth as it were and the beginning of the Church in the first fiftéene Chapters Then the education and bringing vp of the same in the rest of the booke CHAP. 1. This first Chapter hath these chiefe heads in it The multiplication of the Israelites The crueltie of the Aegyptians The vertue of the Midwiues COncerning the first point you sée in the fifth verse that all the soules which came out of the loines of Jacob into Egypt with him were but seuentie soules of which little flocke God made such an increase as the Egyptians grew afraide of it For they brought-forth fruite and increased in aboundance saith the seuenth verse and were multiplied and were excéeding mightie so that the land was full of them Some make the Hebrew word to signifie an increase like corne where one graine bringeth forth thirty sixty or a 100. Some as fishes which multiply in greater number than any creature R. Salamoh saith the womeÌ„ had oft foure and fixe at a burden God so prouiding to fulfill his promise touching their increase Genesis 22. 17. In the booke of Numbers you may more particularlie sée what came of euerie one For Reuben the eldest son of Jacob so increased that his branches there are saide to be sixe and forty thousand and fiue hundered Simeon his second sonne increased to nine and fifty thousand thrée hundered and fifty Gad his third sonne to fiue and forty thousand six hundred and fifty and so for the rest read their increase in that place Whereof to make some good vse to our selues wée may note and marke first the truth of Gods propromise made to Abraham in the 15. of Gen. when he bad him looke vp to the stars of heauen and number them if hée could assuring him then that euen so would hée make his posteritie and ofspring a mightie people and a great kindred which wée all sée héere was fulfilled So assuredlie true are all other of Gods promises and therefore thinke of what you will your faith and comfort shal not faile you That swéete promise that at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth truly of his sinnes God in mercy will forgiue him it shall neuer faile Hée may as soone cease to bée God as cease to be true in any thing which hée hath spoken And for this particular he hath not onely spoken it but sworne it that as he liueth he will not the death of any true peâ—itent and sorrowfull sinner Wée may not therefore do him wrong and doubt of it It is no pride to take fast hold of this word but it is duty due from vs to confesse his truth and to be thankefull An other promise he hath made to vs that if we seeke the kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof these worldly wants of ours shall euer be supplied as shall bée fit and good for vs. This also will he as assuredlie kéepe as he is God to the great quietnesse of our hearts if wée will beléeue him In a word that promise of all promises that if we beleeue in his Son we shall neuer perish but haue eternall life hée will performe So both for this life and that to come wée haue his word and no more than hée failed Abraham in multiplying his séede will he faile vs in any promise Only his time wée must tarry and hasty mindes learne humble patience Hée knoweth when is best both for him and vs. Tary hée may but come hée will Neuer vntruth passed from him neuer any that beléeued in him was disappointed of his hope Secondly we may obserue héere the rising of houses and families whence it is euen from the Lord who blesseth where he pleaseth with increase of children maketh a name spread as likewise drieth vp and cutteth off as he pleaseth others It must make vs cease from enuie where we sée increase and stay rash iudgment where we sée decrease For it is the Lords worke in whose matters wée must well beware how wée meddle A third vse ariseth from the time of this increase which was chiefelie and especially after Iosephs death whereupon S. Austin giueth this obseruation Ioseph is dead the children of Israel increase what is this my brethren As long as Ioseph liued they are not said to increase but after his death Surely bretheren these things figured in that Ioseph were fulfilled in in our Ioseph For before our Ioseph died few beléeued in him but after his death and resurrection throughout all the world the Israelites increased and multiplied that is the Christians So saide the Lord himselfe in the Gospell except the corne die that falleth into the gronnd it remaineth but it selfe alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite Now not in Iudaea onely
is Christ known but frō the rising of the sun to the going downe of the same c. Thus may we profit by their multiplication 2. The second head in this chapter is the crueltie of the Egyptians by meanes whereof a very bitter and heauie affliction followed this great and glorious multiplication The vse to our selues may bée this that euen so dooth aduersity follow prosperitie and therefore prosperity should euer prepare for aduersitie A wise man in his good day thinketh of his euill and dayly beholding the sunne ouer shadowed at times with a darke cloude maketh vse of it to his good Sorrow and ioy wil not dwell togither but by composition they were thus agréed as the Poets feigne that as soone as the one hath had a time the other shall enter and haue his time also the former passing away and giuing place Let no wise-man therefore say as Dauid said tush tush this estate shall neuer decay for the Lord turned his face and Dauid was soone troubled Iob on a day could not thinke on such a change as after happened to him and yet all to the glorie of God and his good No earthly father louing his childe doth forbeare to chastice him much lesse dooth the father of Spirits leaue his children without fit corvection since both hée loueth more and knoweth how better to correct for their good The path to heauen is beaten out through many tribulations and vp must euery man and woman take their crosse that will bée his in eternall comfort Let vs note againe in this place the causes of this their affliction oppression as the Spirit of wisedome for our good hath héere laide them downe The first is their very increasing and multiplying For the king saide Behold the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier than we come let vs worke wiselie with them lest they multiply Where wée sée that Gods fauour bestowed in mercy where hée liketh is still an eye-sore to euill men matter inough for them to grinde and grate their téeth at and to cause them to enter into plots and conspiracies against them The eye of enuie looketh euer vpward who is aboue who riseth who prospereth who is well spoken of well thought of or any way fauoured by the Lord and as much grieued is a spitefull spirit at the good of an other as at the harme of himselfe Which Diogenes noted when hée saw a knowne enuious man looke sadde No man saith hée can now tell whether harme hath happened to this fellow or good to his neighbour for both alike vexe him It was the blot of Athens that renowned Citie to haue few of any excellent vertue escape the rage of enuie in it but that either they were disgraced or banished or put to death in the end Those whom no sword of hating foe could daunt in the field enuie vanquished at home in the Citie deprauing their seruices blotting their names and breaking at last their guiltlesse hearts Which made the Philosopher prescribe this remedie against enuie whē one asked him how he might auoide it Euen neither to do nor say any good thing Thus did enuie rage against their multiplying héere And if Gods actions escape not mans malice shall yours shall mine shall any mans no no praemoniti praemuniti forewarned forearmed the streame ran euer so and God make vs euer patient and strong to go on in our duties A second cause of this affliction is a suspicious feare which entreth into these Egyptians that if there should be warre the Israelites would ioyne themselues to the enemie fight against them and so get themselues out of the land Such fruite groweth vpon such trées misdéeming thoughts causelesse iealousie vaine feares and all vniust opinions Why surely because it is the course that God hath in his word threatned to wicked persons which feare not him as they ought to doe Astonishment of heart a trembling heart feare both night and day c. reade the scriptures and you shall finde much proofe of what I say Suspect bewrayes our thoughts betrayes our words suspicious eies are messengers of woe Well fares that man howsoeuer his meate doth tast that tables not with foule suspition Better to die then to be suspitious Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust for mistrust will treason in the trustiest raise The heart being once infect with iealousie the night is griefe the day is miserie Jealousie is the torment of the minde for which no wit or counsell helpe can finde Suspition wounds and iealousie striketh dead Causelesse and vndeserued suspition sendeth manie an one too swiftlie to their end These sayings of wise and true experience should much moue euery wise person We sée what we nurse when wee nourish this vice And if all this should not moue vs yet let our owne credite moue vs which by this meanes is shrewdly drawne in question the knowne versés saying thus Too much suspition of another is A flat condemning of thine owne amisse A third cause of their affliction was a new King she former being dead vnder whom they felt no such miserie Which may iustlie occasion vs to note carefullie what danger often is in change of Gouernours if the Lord be not mercifull Salomon may haue his wants but when his sonne commeth in his place he thundreth and telleth the people that his little finger shall be heauier vpon them than all his fathers hand This might we as déepelie haue tasted of as euer did these Israelites if God almightie had not thought vpon mercie in stead of iudgement The great neglect of those gracious daies which vnder the blessed gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth our late renowned souereigne wee comfortablie enioyed deserued punishment in a high degrée we must néedes confesse if we will say truth yet in steade thereof our most swéete God whose goodnes knoweth neither bottome nor measure hath raised vp ouer vs such a King againe as both so firmelie is fastned to the loue of the Gospell and so enriched with all other princelie vertues either of nature or grace as not onelie we with bowed knées may euer praise the name of God but all forreigne Nations speake and write of so admirable mercie vouchsafed vnto vs God for his Christes sake make vs thankfull That the King knewe not Ioseph Diuines say it was either for want of reading the Histories or because vnthankfullie hee contemned the good that was done in other times and to other men S. Augustine héere giueth a note how men may know what King ruleth within them to whose words I refer the reader And let this forgetting of Ioseph that is of the seruice and good that Ioseph did to all that land of Egipt in the great famine mentioned in Genesis be the fourth and last cause of this affliction And this indéede if you marke it is a mother of great mischiefe wheresoeuer it is euen this forgetting of such benefites as we ought neuer to
themselues as if they had béene Egiptians borne and not Christians acquainted with the booke of God Whom I make no doubt if they hold on their way but the Red-sea will deuoure as it did these that is the Justice of God will destroy them for their sinne Till then patience and a continuall comfortable remembrance that God sitteth at the stearne which surely is enough to any that knoweth how swéete he is to all that fast and faithfully cleaue vnto him 5 What is the euent to kéepe them vnder is the plot but will it hold O comfort O comfort I say againe No no their deuise will not hold for the Lord sitting in the heauens laughed all their counsels to scorne And the more they vexed them the more they multiplied and grew saith the text A thing neuer to be thought of enough So hath it béene so shall it be to the worlds end with all faithfull seruants of God as shall be fit In those bloodie persecutions after Christes death by the Romaine Emperours what strange torments were deuised to kéepe downe religion and religious professours men and women They plucked off their skinnes quicke they boared out their eies with wimbles they broiled them aliue on Gridâ—rons they scalded them in boiling liquors they enclosed them in barrels and driuing great nailes through tumbled them downe mountaines till their owne blood so cruellie drawne out stifled and choaked them in the barrell womens breasts were seared off with burning irons their bodies rent and their ioynts racked with many and many gréeuous paines But would all this serue no no euen as héere so then the more they were vexed the more they multiplied through the mercie and power of him that gaue them strength to endure the paine and to scorne the malice So that S. Augustine saith of those times Ligabantur vrebantur cadebantur et tamen multiplicabantur they were bound they were burned they were beaten c. and yet they multiplied The bloud of Martyrs is the séede of the church and bringeth forth fruite as séede dooth some thirtie some sixtie and some a hundred fold as God pleaseth His arme shortneth not at any time wée all know and therefore what hée will suffer the deuill and his instruments to doe that they can and no more They haue worne the crowns of Kingdomes at last to the ioy of thousand thousands in despite of all malice who were thrust sore at that they might fall and from an honourable rising could not the malice of all Iosephs brethren kéepe him Therefore saith the text they were the more grieued against the children of Israel And so vsuallie falleth out to those that séeke their securitie by wicked wayes God crosseth and their deuises turne to their owne further woe and discontentment according to the common prouerbe Malum consilium consultori pessimum euill counsell is alwaies worse to him that giueth it 6 Will they then giue ouer their wicked waies and suffer them to increase whom God will haue to increase No but they adde vnto their crueltie more and more in such sort as the Israelites are weary of their liues by sore labour in clay and bricke and in all worke in the field with all manner of bondage which they laide vpon them most cruelly that their iniquity might bée full they deuise a crueltie neuer heard of before to send for the Midwiues and to deale with them to destroy the male-children of the Israelites at the birth Which may rightly teach vs to beware euer how wée begin to do euill for feare one euill pull on another as héere it did and in Dauid againe when adultery drew on murder of an innocent man and a faithfull subiect But did the Midwiues obey his commandement No they feare God saith the text and did not as the king commanded them but preserued aliue the men-children iustly commended for that they rather obeyed God than man They considered what stoode with the law of God which to them was knowne and not what pleased a mis-led minde of a gouernour Kings are to bée obeied and pleased but in the Lord. And if further they will force vs our bodies are theirs to sustaine vndeserued paine but both bodie and soule shall die if wee sinne against God This did those happie men know and followe when they were threatned and at last thrust into that fierie fornace by great crueltie saying as you reade there Our God is able to deliuer vs if it please him but if not yet know O King that wée will not doe this thing béeing wicked idolatry to worship the moulten image The reason of the Midwiues refusall is alledged the feare of God And surelie wheresoeuer this banke is the waters of vngodlinesse are held out from euerflowing as where the banke is not they doe When Abraham once entertained the thought that in the king of Gerar his courte the feare of God was not streight hée doubted violence both to himselfe and to his wife and so offended in saying she was his sister This feare made Ioseph that he durst not sinne against his maister or against his brethren when his father was dead This feare is the beginning of wisedome and a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter the praise of it endureth for euer Still then labour to kéepe this feare in your heart and you â—hall reape a comfortable reward of it at the last 7. What then became of the Midwiues how escaped they the Kings wrath disobeying his commaundement Surely the text saith the King sent for them and they by an vntruth excused themselues saying The Hebrewe women were so strong that they were deliuered before anie midwife came Where in the King we may learne this good not to condemne anie before we heare them for if so wicked a man as this King was had yet that iustice to send for them and to heare their defence much more should wee that knowe more doe the like Manie swelling tales and strange reports haue féeble proofe when hearing is graunted Secondlie in the Midwiues we may sée the weakenes of our natures for they should not haue lyed for anie feare and therefore though a good déede be done yet it is ill defended Wee may not lie saith the scripture to iustifie God much lesse for anie other cause This weakenes then in these good women was like a spot in a faire face and S. Augustine saith of them Viues conseruare natos fuit miserecordiae at pro vita sua mentit as esse opus fuit infirmitatis quam Deus gratia condonat Homines veró non nisi ingrati et proterui possunt adexemplum imitationis sibi proponere To preserue aliue the children was a worke of mercie but to lie for the safetie of their liues was a worke of infirmitie which yet God pardoned by grace and none sauing vnthankfull and crooked persons will euer propose it to themselues to be imitated 8. But the text saith God prospered
The Lord is not satisfied to haue saide Hee seeth and Hee heareth but hee addeth the third Hee knoweth For I knowe their sorrowes saith hee It is our comfort that Hee knoweth and it may be the wickeds terror that Hee knoweth Enough being saide of it I add but this he that then sawe heard and knewe is the same still No changeling in Loue to his deare Chosen no changeling in Justice to the stubborne sinner and be instructed by it Our heauenly Father knoweth what wee haue neede of Héere they had néede of Deliuerance and hee therefore knowing as well as they commeth downe to giue it them according to his swéete mercy Descendere dicitur Deus per affectū loco enim nō descendit quando fauet nobis et auxiliatur c. Vel descendere dicitur inquit Eusebius quando aliquid novum quod antea non fuerat in creatura humana operatur God is said to come downe by his affection or loue for touching place he descendeth not when he fauoureth helpeth vs or God is said to come down saith Eusebius when he doth any new thing which before was not done among men 11. Come now therefore and I will send thee vnto Pharaoh saith God to Moses c. God was able to haue done it himselfe without Moses or any man but hee will vse meanes commonly to effect his will that his mercie and goodnes may be séene in his Creatures as likewise his power and wisedome to his great glory Hée might also haue vsed a far more excellent meanes than Moses as fome King or great Prince in earth or some of his glorious Angels in Heauen for so he did when by Cyrus hée wrought their Deliuerance out of the Captiuitie and when by an Angell hée brought Peter out of prison but his purpose was in their Deliuerie to make knowne his incomprehensible Power to Pharaoh many more vnto the worlds end And therefore he would choose no stronger a meanes now than Moses Iethro his Shéepe-kéeper knowing how apt man is to obscure Gods glory with the quality of the meanes and to ascribe vnto the second cause what onely hath béene wrought by the first cause Againe this was a Figure that from the spirituall thraldome and bondage of death sinne and the Deuill he should deliuer his people vnder the Gospell not by the helpe of learned Philosophers or any glorious worldly Potentates but by a company of poore Fisher-men vnlettered and vnthought vpon in the world 12. But Moses saide vnto God who am I that I should goe vnto Pharaoh and bring the Children of Israell out of Egypt Smitten with a sense and féeling of his owne weakenesse to doe such a seruice which indéede is the very true and right way to make vs fit in Gods eies For then wée slie to him and by faithfull prayer beg and craue what in our selues wée sée not till hée giue it Such as are not thus touched and humbled but rush into Callings rashly presuming on their owne strength and abilities dayly Experiences shew how often God confoundeth them and throweth them downe to their great shame Who am I Lord therefore let vs euer say that thou shouldest thus and thus thinke of me choose mee and take me to that place that I haue no strength to manage and which thousands of my brethren are fitter for by super-excellency of gifts than I am thus said the Kingly Prophet Dauid you know when hée looked vpon Gods fauours towards him O what am I and my fathers house that thou shouldest doo thus vnto mee Now as this is most commendable humility in Gods seruant so is it true and sound wisedome not to looke at the honour and forget the burden but to sée the one as wel as the other It was a great honor to be sent for such a seruice but it was a weighty Charge and a heauie care aswell as an honour What shall I go to Pharaoh Shall I deliuer Israel And shall I haue the leading and gouernement of such a mightie multitude till God hath disposed of them Why it is a thing that requireth great strength and many parts that I haue not O LORD who am I May not this then a little occasion vs to thinke of spirituall gouernment for is it such a matter to striue with Pharaoh for bodies and temporall seruitude and is it nothing to fight with Sathan and the power of Hell for soules and fréedome from eternall bondage Is it not fearefull I will require the blood at thy hand c. As Salomon therefore in the temporall charge saw a weighty burden and thereupon craued wisedome to bée able to goe in and out as he ought before that multitude so saw Ieremie and Ionas a great matter when the one said Alas I am achilde cannot speake and the other flatly fled and refused to goe Others haue done the like yet Ambition pricketh forwarde for al this many a man Simon Magus would haue béene an Apostle in power for respects be the charge what it may be that troubleth not him Saint Peter iumpeth into danger presuming of strength but he faileth and falleth he lyeth and denieth and discouereth his weakenesse greatly Once againe therfore looke we at Moses modesty humilitie in this place saying Lord who am I 13. Now see what this lowly conceit worketh It getteth him comfort and strength from God for streightway God answered him saide I will be with thee as if he should say looke not thou at thy selfe and thy power but looke at me and my power And though thou art weake yet know me to be strong and euer able to strengthen them whom I call to a seruice to performe the same And I do not say to thee that I will helpe thee now and then but I will be with thee that is euer and continually I will aid thee in this worke euen I not any Angels of mine but I my selfe and therefore feare not What greater comfort might he wish And who would not throw himselfe down thus to bee raised vp or who would not see his owne wants thus to receiue grace Remēber how in like sort he comforted Ieremie and Ezechiel with others of the Prophets also his Apostles after in their time saying Be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world and I will be with you till the end of the world With God al things are possible c. 4. It contenteth not the Lord to make this mercifull promise of his presence with Moses but he further asisteth his weakenesse with a Signe saying This shal be a token vnto thee c. Where we may remember that Signes vsed of God to confirm his childrens faith sometimes go before and sometimes follow after Gedeon had a Signe going-before namelie the fléece of wooll first wet and then drie Ezechias had the like in the shadow of the diall going ten degrées backe But in another place the same Ezechias had a Signe
that followed to wit when for assurance that hée would deliuer Jerusalem besieged by the Assyrians he said This shall bee a Signe vnto thee O Ezechias Thou shalt eate this yeare such as groweth of it selfe and the second yeere such things as grow without sowing and in the third yeare sow ye and reape and plant Vine-yardes and eate the fruits thereof As if he should haue said whereas vsually and by reason after war commeth famine because men cannot husband their grounds yet it shall not bée so with you but for two yéeres the ground it selfe shall féede you and let this suffice for a Signe of hope and comfort against this feare So in this place Moses feare not for I will be with thee and for a signe thou shalt bring them forth and serue me in this mountaine This thou shalt sée as truly as I tell thee and then this will be asigne that I was with thee according to my promise What a nature now is this in our déere GOD thus to submit himselfe to mans weakenesse and in steade of chiding and punishing man for it to helpe it and stay it with all comfortable tokens and signes O who would not trust in this God and beléeue what he promiseth Nay who hath not cause that obserueth these things to bée of the Prophet Dauids minde Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him 15. This as it ought contented Moses and therefore leauing the matter of his owne infirmity be casteth his mind next vpon the infirmity of the Israelites to whom he must goe And fearing lest according to their former backewardnesse whereof hée had tasted they would stand in doubt of the truth of his authority to deliuer such matter from the Lord vnto them hée prayeth the Lord to instruct him what he shall say if they aske him what is his Name Which question was allowable in Moses because it had relation to others not to himselfe For when Iacob would know the Angels name that wrestled with him for himselfe that is to satisste his owne curiosity he was answered wherefore doest thou aske my Name and it was not told him yet he blessed him So Manoah Samsons Father asked the Angell the like question in like sort was answered Why askest thou thus after my Name which is secret or wonderfull and told him not The reason may appeare in the place because Manoah askes it that hée might honour him not with an eye to the profit of others as Moses did héere Therefore the Lord answered Moses said I AM THAT I AM thus shalt thou say to the Children of Israel I AM hath sent me vnto you That is the God that is no Changeling but the same for euer who as hee hath done for them and their Fathers very great things so can he againe if they will be obedient to his will with like power mercy and goodnesse deliuer them and free them from this bondage wherein they groane as cruelly vexed and oppressed See then a sweete Comfort in all our feares euen his name I AM. Noting that as he hath beene to penitent sinners so euer he will be without any change If I turne vnto him call vpon him and withall faithfull trust of my inwarde soule depend vpon him I AM is his Name and I may not doubt of him Haue not I my selfe fonnd him sweet cōfortable good 10000. times as well as other sinners Hath not your hearts beene touched by him sundry times to very good purposes Hath not another-man founde him gratious and kinde in his worldly estate and aduancement to honour when hee might have passed him ouer and haue had choise inough So let euery man run-ouer his priuate fauours How then may euer any of vs fall from him without most great reproofe or euer faint and feare that he will forsake vs. I AM I say againe is his Name and we must be taught by it that hee is a God without all change towards such as stedfastly cleaue vnto him The Lord then giue vs vse in all our feares of this Comfort strengthen our weakenesse to beleeue and euer in mercy looke vpon vs. 16. After this hée appointed Moses his Order of going and publishing this message to wit that first hée should goe to the Elders and call them together and make them acquainted with it before he dealt with the Common people Where wée must take the name of Elder for a name of Office not of yeares for so we know the Scripture speaketh Not euer the oldest men beare Office either in Church or common wealth but as God giueth guifts and appointeth in his prouidence Places vnto them of gouernement and charge so in regard thereof they are called the Elders that is the Rulers and Gouernours though in yeares somthing young as Timothy and others were Now marke we to our good in this first that vnder the great tyrannie of Pharaoh yet some liberty was giuen these Israelites to meete for Religion and knowledge instruction and vnderstanding according to the right way which the Lord had acquainted them with albeit that same of the Egyptians was not receiued nor allowed And how doth this amplifie the bloody crueltie of Antichrist who yeeldeth not so much to his fellow-Christians I meane to people professing Christ as he pretendeth he doth as bloody Pharaoh yeelded to the Jewes who ioined not in profession with him Secondly obserue we the Wisedome liked prescribed of God for a Rule euer to guide our selues by and our actions to wit when any new thing is to be published that concerneth any change in the Church or Common-wealth first to acquaint the Magistrates Rulers and Gouernors with it to approue our commission and matter vnto them with all modesty humility loue and care of order and vnitie and then with their consents approbation and aide vnto the people and multitude This is a right course wée sée and this shall haue a blessing from the Author of it as here it had Then shall they obey thy voice c. ver 18. id est credent acquiescent tibi vt prudentes qui promissiones Abrahae patribus factas norunt maximè Gen. 15. Quarta generatione reuertentur huc c. That is they shall beléeue thée and yéelde vnto thee as wise-men and such as know the promises made vnto Abraham and the fathers especially Gen. the 15. In the fourth generation they shall returne hither c. Other vaine-glorious factious and disorderly dealings will haue their confusion and will bee strangled with the haulter of their owne disobedience euen in their youth that is before they come to any perfection or ripenesse For God is the Author of Order Gouernement and Rule who appointing Elders and superiors for the peace and quietnesse of his Church euer hindered with diuisions and tumults will haue them duly regarded and respected as they ought not as far as wee lift Thinke we then of it with a religious féeling and the
slaunder and slaughter and such like but that heere they were idle was an error in the King and a malicious lie in those that so enformed him By which wee may learne and sée how wicked men haue no eyes often to sée the true causes of a thing but most apt and readie to deuise a false Let a man or woman be gréeued extraordinarily with the burthen of their sinnes and with groanes and sighes trauaile vnder the bitternes of it leauing thereupon those recreations which erst they vsed and delighted in what say the wicked oh it is a melancholie and the body would be purged c. But oh they are blinde and haue no eye-sight into the combates of the godly may wee truly say and so leaue them Festus imagineth Paul is mad when he speaketh the words of truth and sobernes and that much learning maketh him mad when learning is wisedome and maketh wise Yea Heli himselfe mistaketh Anna a vertuous woman and déemeth her to be drunke when rauished in her holy féeling shee was crying to GGD with feruent prayer Wherefore the Apostle teacheth To the end Christ might be mercifull a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God it behooued him in all things to be made like vnto his brethren And in another place Wee haue not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne c. 8. And let them not regard vaine words saith Pharaoh Such taste and such conceipt haue vaine persons of Gods word In the 14. of the Acts the truth of God you knowe is called Heresie of the wicked And in the 17. Chapter it is called Newe of vaine Phylosophers that knewe not what it was Examples of vse to giue vs contentment in patience when like ignorance in our dayes bringeth forth like blasphemies Be stayed strong 9. Then went the Taske-maisters of the people and their Officers out and tolde the people saying Thus saith Pharaoh I will giue you no more straw Goe your selues get you straw where ye can finde it yet shall nothing of your labour be diminished Then were the people scattered c. Sée againe what was said before how the néerer that God draweth to his Church and Children to doo them good the more rageth Sathan in and by his members against them Hard hard therefore are the beginnings of deliuerance out of Egypt spirituall Egypt I meane as well as out of this earthly Egypt And therefore when the Lord shall touch thy hand and open thine eyes to sée where thou art how farre out of the way that leadeth to eternall life and giue thée a desire to returne and be saued Remember what the wise-man saith and bee comforted with it My Sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes and feare and prepare thy soule to temptation c. Reade the place to the ende Remember that Example in the Gospell how the foule spirit being commaunded to depart rent and tare the partie more and worse than euer before Wee cannot leaue anie sinne wherein wee haue continued but by and by some contrarie winde will blowe and wee shall be discouraged if it may be somtimes with threatnings and bitter words sometimes with shew of perils and losses that may ensue sometimes with mocks and taunts in very spightfull manner and in a word if wee haue done euill wee must doo euill still and so be cast away or else Sathan will want his will But be strengthened with this Example and others in the Word Here now their burthen and miserie is greater than euer before For now they must haue no more straw but gather it where they can and yet make vp the tale and number of their bricke before which was a great extremitie yet the end is still as the Lord hath decréed his purpose is to deliuer them from this slauerie and when his time commeth they shall bee deliuered and let goe whosoeuer saith nay Though discomfort encrease for a little while to drawe sighes out of the heart to him that can helpe yet it shall end with ioyfull comfort put in the place of it and so much the sooner by how much it groweth the sharper O stand then and shrinke not and say in your heart now now is my God at hand For now I féele and sée the enemie maddest to oppresse me if hee could Come therefore swéete Lord I humbly beséech thée stay not and till thou commest vouchsafe thy hand to stay me that I faint not Thou art strong and I am weake thou art good and I am bad but thou art mine and I am thine O Blessed Blessed support thine owne that I may euer praise thée 10. And the Taske-masters hasted them saying Finish your dayes-worke c. And they beate them Then they cried to Pharaoh c. A Storie to shew you if you note it how the Law worketh without the Gospel euen roughlie sharply and rigorouslie For doo this doo this finish finish the work is stil the voice of it Whereby sin and the Deuill rageth as here Pharaoh doth For sinne saith the Apostle tooke occasion by the law c. So sinne reuiued But I died and the same commaundement which was ordained vnto life was found to be vnto mee vnto death c. Then crieth the true Israelite O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as heere they cried vnto Pharaoh to bee deliuered from their miserie Blessed therefore bee the Lord for his swéete Gospell which helpeth all this rigour and giueth vs comfort and deliuerance in his Sonne from this great rage to our endlesse comfort Sée also how Tyrannie once begunne encreaseth more and more from words to blowes verse 14. And when they crie vnto Pharaoh in hope of remedie verse 15. shewing him the iniquitie of their vsage and how their offence in not making vp their tale of bricke grew by other mens faults that gaue them no straw verse 16 this pittifull complaint which should haue moued him to commiseration worketh but a confirmation of tyrannie in the wicked King first mocking and scoffing at their Religion as wicked men vse to doo verse 17 and vttering his crueltie with his owne mouth There shall no straw be giuen you yet shal you deliuer the whole tale of Bricke ver 18. Wherefore how happie Kingdomes be to which the Lord hath graunted mercifull and gracious Princes full of pittie and clemencie flowing from a true taste of holy Religion and from an immoueable loue of their true Subiects I leaue the Reader if he haue any bowels in him to féele and consider sending vp his thanks where it is due for what hee enioyeth in abundant measure 11. Then the Officers of the Children of Israel saw thēselues in an euill case c. And they met Moses and Aaron who
That the calling of God by seuerall Names as Father Maister or as here Almightie Iehouah and the like ariseth not of any varietie in his Nature which euer was and shall be inuariable but of and from a manifold varietie of affections in vs according to a diuers profiting or not profiting of our soules whereby hee séemeth to be changed with vs that change So may I profit in the way of Godlines that his Name toward me may be a Father and so may I not profit as his Name may be a Judge a Reuenger mightie and terrible c. 2. Let vs obserue these words ver 5. I haue heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keepe in bondage c. Are they not swéete and comfortable Miserable man remembreth and heareth his friends when they are in prosperitie and if aduersitie come vnto them neither hearing nor séeing then but a proude scornefull and bitter forgetting The Lord is not so but when wee are at the worst then he remembreth vs then hee heareth our groanes and sighes and pittying helpeth to our vnspeakeable comfort O kinde O gracious and déere God still continue this eare of mercie towards thy poore afflicted Seruants and giue that deliuerance ease and fréedome that euer euer may bee matter of thy praise to all succéeding learners how swéete thy nature is Amen Amen 3 Also I will take you for my people c. Behold the end of all deliuerance and of all benefites receiued from God euen that wee should be his people that hee might rule in vs ouer vs and his praise be euer in our mouthes Wherefore sée how carefull wee should be alwaies to answere this our Calling and neuer to be found vnmindfull of such fauours For if this plainer manifestation of his goodnes to them more than to their fathers was matter to them iustly to stir them vp to thankfull féeling how much more should his manifestation of himselfe to vs in his owne Sonne in whom he hath opened all the treasures of mercie and louing kindnes moue vs to an eternall and neuer ceasing care to please him serue him honour him and loue him And then more perticularly that hee should accept me me for one of his people O what can I say for such a loue but beséech him euer to make me thankfull Amen Amen 4. And I will bring you into the Land which I sware that I would giue to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and I will giue it vnto you for a possession I am the Lord. Swéete comfortable was this promise as often as God repeated it but many were the difficulties that appeared to mens eies against this hope all which how great so-euer or many the Lord if you marke it easeth with this one word Ego Dominus I am the Lord. Thereby teaching that as long as our hearts holde this perswasion of him that hee is the Lord so long wee must euer rest assured without fearefull fainting that hee can performe his promises in mercie made vnto vs be there neuer such stops and lets in our eyes What then is thy case are thy sinnes many and great remember he is the Lord and play not Cains part to say they cannot be forgiuen Are thine enemies strong and fierce and bitterly bent against thée Hée is the Lord and therefore can stop and stay them they shal not hurt thée aboue his pleasure which shall be no hurt but profit to thée in the end Are thine infirmities many hee can heale them hee is the Lord. Are thy children vntoward or vnkinde hee can change them hee is the Lord. Finally whatsoeuer gréeueth thée remember this and be comforted hee is the Lord he shall euer be the Lord and he shall euer be thy Lord to care for thy woes and to send thée helpe Onely beléeue 5. So Moses tolde the Children of Israel thus but they hearkened not vnto him Sée sée how hard it is as your Marginall Note saith to shewe true obedience vnder the Crosse Neither the word of God nor his miracles wherewith heretofore they iustly haue béene moued and wondred haue now any place with them but all dulled and deaded with conceiued griefes they suffer themselues to be caried away beyond the measure that Gods children should euer holde in their aduersitie which as it is a very dangerous thing so ought it carefully to be auoyded It is often a penaltie that hee layeth vpon the contemners of his Graces that cleauing altogether to the externall fauours and fawnings of this life they taste not comfort in any affliction whereas the godly the more they are pressed and nipped by the schooling hand of their God the more vehemently they sigh vnto God and looke to his promises with patience and hope This may teach the Ministers of God also not to be cast downe and discouraged if their words euer be not hearkened vnto and regarded since so worthie a man as Moses was in the house of GOD found this measure I knowe I knowe the bitternes of it to a heart that hungreth for their good but wee must bee content wee are not like to them that haue spoken in vaine to deafe eares before wee were borne The world will bee the world crooked and crosse froward and vnkinde though wee breake our hearts in labouring to winne to a better course O what a thing is it to come out of Egypt c. 6. Thē the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Goe speake to Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel goe out of his Land Before you sawe how he was bid goe to the people now wee heare him sent to Pharaoh so is there neuer any time for men of place and publique function to be idle Euer euer there is some seruice for them and an vse of their care paines and labour Now they must defend the oppressed and wronged now they must punish the euill dooers now they must comfort now they must chide that euer they may sée and finde honour to bee a burthen and an vnceasing carefulnes Priuate men also may make vse of it for either in flying euill or in doing good there is alwaies a care in good mindes But I leaue it to your meditation I note and sée héere the bottomlesse mercie of the Lord who although he might iustly haue giuen ouer to fauour so froward a companie that would not hearken to his words and messages sent vnto them yet he doth not but still continueth to haue mercy vpō them verifying that spéech of the Prophet Dauid Euen as a Father pittieth his children so is the Lord mercifull to his people I sée it also héere not without my good that when Moses had receiued this discomfort that the people would not regard his wordes and might stand in a maze what more to doe the Lord helpeth him out of this doubt and sendeth him to Pharaoh Surely surely if the Lord helped vs not in many mazes that this
vnkinde world will driue vs into it would be ill with vs. But blessed be God that yéeldeth both consilium auxilium counsell and helpe when we can doo neither our selues Let it strengthen vs to call vpon him in all our néedes if some will not heare vs he can send vs to others and his will be done say wee euer 7. But Moses spake vnto the Lord saying behold the children of Israel harken not vnto me how then shal Pharaoh heare me who am of vncircumcised lips Sée weaknes and wants in the best men still If Israel will not heare hee thinketh it cannot be that Pharaoh should heare and a second stop hee maketh his owne infirmitie of spéech But what is not GOD able to doo that his pleasure is to haue done Can hee not make some heare what others would not the Scripture and our experience are full of examples The Niniuites Ionas 3. the Samaritanes Iohn 4. then we may not at our selues so much and what wee are in our selues and of our selues as at the calling and Office committed to vs of God whose power is euer able to make good his gracious Commission vouchsafed to his creature against all fighters and frowners striuers and spurners at it Trusse vp thy loynes therefore O Ieremiah saith God to him and arise and speake vnto them all that I commaund thee be not afraid of their faces lest I destroy thee before them For I behold I this day haue made thee a defenced Citie an yron pillar and walles of brasse against the whole Land against the Kings of Iudah and against the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people of the Land For they shall fight against thee but they shal not preuaile against thee for I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. The Prophet his feare appeareth before in the 6. ver now this comfort drawn froÌ„ the authoritie function commited to him must take away that feare and giue him strength and courage to doo what the Lord calleth him vnto The like sée in Ezechiel when God saith vnto him Sonne of man Behold I haue made thy face strong against their faces and thy forehead hard against their foreheads I haue made thy forehead as the Adamant and harder than the flint feare them not therefore neither be afraid at their lookes for they are a rebellious house At this day the Lord doth giue to his Ministers the power to binde and loose and hath published this Spéech of vnspeakeable comfort He that receaueth you receaueth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me All which both then and now had and must haue the vse I named euen to draw men from them selues and the regard of their owne power to the consideration of their places and offices vouchsafed of God and of the strength of him who is all in all and hath laid that charge vpon them Not once did it enter into the Lords thought to establish hereby a Title to the Bishop of Rome aboue all others to be called Deus in terris a God on earth as his owne authentical allowed booke calleth him saying Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam non posse statuere pro vt statuit haereticum censeretur To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope may not decree as he decreeth would be iudged heresie Such an impudent boldnes as a man would not thinke any should suffer had not the Spirit of God foretold vs by his blessed Apostle that the Man of sinne should sit in the temple of God and shew himselfe as if he were God Whereunto add that good Saying of S. Gregorie who writing of Antichrist saith thus Cum sit damnatus homo nequaquam spiritus Deum se esse mentitur Whereas hee is a damned man and not a Spirit by lying he feigneth himselfe to be God Also that of Anselmus Simulabit se religiosum vt sub specie decipiat pietatis immo se deum esse dicet se adorari faciet atq regna coelorum promittet Antichrist shall feigne himselfe to be holy that hee may deceaue men vnder the colour of holines yea he shall call himselfe God and shall cause himselfe to be worshipped and shall promise the kingdome of Heauen Thinges which wee all knowe the Pope doth and no man euer but the Pope And heare you what a Note Eusebius maketh of this Hoc est argumentum eos â—disse Deum quod velint seipsos appellari Deos. This is a token that they hate God because they will haue themselues called by the name of God Iraeneus that auncient father saith Antichristus existens apostata et latro quasi Deus vult adorari cum sit seruus regem vult se preconiari Antichrist being a Runagate and a thiefe yet will be worshipped as God and being but a slaue yet will be proclaimed and published as a King But you will imagine they haue some shift for this shame or else it is too shamefull Surely all the shiftes they haue cannot make it otherwise than a most odious insolencie such as might fully open mennes eyes who are yet deceiued to discerne the errour of their course in following his law and loue against God Prince and Country as many doo but that the Lord being angrie with their contempt of his truth letteth them still remaine in their blindnes as a iust punishment of their frowardnes Their shift is this they doo not meane he is absolutely God but in some sence or respect For by their Glosse it is said Papa nec Deus nec homo The Pope is neither God nor man And is not this a worthie qualification Might not all those who as vainely as he haue challenged the Title in like sort defend it as he now dooth Proud Antiochus sometime King of Syria honoured himselfe by the name of God So the Emperour Domitian vsed in his Proclamations Dominus Deus vester Domitianus Your Lord God Domitian So the Emperour Caligula called himselfe Deum optimum maximum Iouem Latialem The best and most mighty God and the great Iupiter of Italy So Sapores the great King of Perfia called himselfe FratreÌ„ Solis Lunae The brother of the Sunne and the Moone The péeuish Phisition Menecrates called himselfe Iupiter Nicagoras made himselfe a paire of wings and would néedes be called the God Mercurie Manichaeus the Heretique called himselfe the holy Ghost The Romaines erected vp an Image in the honour of Simon Magus the Sorcerer with this poesie Simoni sancto Deo To the honour of Simon the holy God And did all these well if the distinction be added of God absolute and God not absolute I thinke not Yet which of all these were comparaable to the Pope in this arrogant vanitie considering the knowledge that he either hath or ought to haue aboue them Neuerthelesse Pope Nicholas saide Constat summuÌ„ Pontificem a pio Principe Constantino
procure one drop of water to coole his scalded tongue The gaine of Gold makes many loose their soules The gréedy wretch that for himselfe still spares doth hoord-up nothing but continuall cares Hermocrates lying at the point of death bequeathed his goods to none but himselfe The fire burneth â—â—ercer the more it hath and so the worlds wormes The Bées doo flocke to the hony dewe and so these wretches vnto gaine The greatest fish deuoure the smaller frie and so these wretches their weaker brethren In aworde as you neuer sée the Sea without waues so shall you neuer see these wretches without woes And as the cloudes doo hide the Sunnes light so their gréedie hearts repell Gods grace But let this suffice touching some vse of this Chapter ¶ â‹ CHAP. 9. The chiefe heades of this Chapter are these three plagues more The Fifth Plague The Sixth Plague The Seauenth Plague 1. WHereof that we may make like vse as before let vs first note froÌ„ whence any murren of cattell doth come when wee are that way punished in a countrie surely euen from the Lord as we sée héere Not simply froÌ„ Witches and Sorcerers set on by malicious neighbours as we vsually thinke for what can a whole Legion of Deuils doe to one swine without leaue graunted from the Lord you know the place and it ought to be thought vpon God sometimes trieth by this afflictioÌ„ and so teach the Scriptures Cursed shall be the increase of thy kine and the flocke of thy sheepe The beasts and the birdes are consumed for their sin that dwel in the land Euery way theÌ„ it is the Lord euery way therfore we ought to séeke to the Lord not to Witches and Sorcerers 2 But still the Lord spareth the Israelites True and sée the vse of it First God in his Justice this way more tormenteth the mindes of the wicked who for their rebellion against him deserue all punishment so saith the Psalme The wicked shall see this and consume away Secondly the Lord assureth his Chosen in all the world that albeit in lesser matters he trieth them or chasticeth them as hee dooth others yet when his great plagues come of Judgement vnto death and destruction eternall he will surely make a separation to the vnspeakeable Comfort of his owne and to the eternall praise of his mercie The wordes of the Prophet are plaine For a little while haue I forsaken thee but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Againe in the Psalme if his wrath be kindled but a little Blessed are they that put their trust in him Meaning because there is euer as I say a partition betwixt the Lords wrath and his Chosen Good therefore is that prayer of Dauid euer to be in our minde wheresoeuer we are O knit my heart vnto thee Lord that I may feare thy name that I may euer cleaue vnto thee euer be thine and neuer be drawne away from thee by any temptation whatsoeuer 3. And the Lord appointed a time saying To morrowe the Lord shall finish this thing in this Land So that not onely the Judgement and affliction which happeneth is of the Lord but the very time also when it shall begin and when it shall end before which time no malice of man or Deuill can bring it no power of any creature can take it away Tempus prâ—fixit vt non casu factum putent vt certitudinem Diuinâ— virtutis ostenderet cui nemo potest resistere Hee appointed the time saith Theodoret that they might not thinke these things came by chaunce likewise to shew the certaintie of Gods power which no creature can resist Againe the truth of his comminations and threatnings you sée héere when it is said So the Lord did this thing on the morrowe all the Cattell of Egypt died but of the Cattell of the children of Israel died not one Learne therefore to tremble when the Lord threatneth and to feare the Euent for as here so euer he will be true vnlesse heartie Repentance step in betwixt and turne away his wrath from vs. 4. Then Pharaoh sent to sée and found all as hath béene said yet saith the Text the heart of Pharaoh was obstinate and hee did not let the people goe Marke it well and thinke with your selfe whether any Preacher or Teacher can be plainer in words than GOD was héere by works or whether any man can euer bee made to sée a truth by teaching more euidently and manifestly than Pharaoh héere sawe this hand of God smiting Egypt and sparing Israel yet though GOD be the Teacher himselfe and the matter subiect to his eyes without deniall Pharaoh still is obstinate still the same still a striuer against God and his grace How then doo wee wonder that where the Word is preached truth soundly and plainly taught yet all be not reformed and reclaimed froÌ„ their errors Is there any fault in the Word or Teacher are not things plaine how then commeth this to passe but euen as héere it did from the fearefull wrath of GOD hardning such hearts and closing such eyes that they can neither sée féele or vnderstand to saluation All because they haue not a loue to the truth but are hypocrites scorners deriders and such as heare onely for fashion thinking themselues abundantly skilfull when indéede they are most ignorant and when as they may sée the Lord by his Prophet affirming that he will looke vnto none but such as are poore of a contrite spirit and tremble at his words That is humble in their owne eyes receauing the Word with reuerence hungring and thirsting after the same as the Spirituall foode of their soules saying in their hearts as Samuel did Speake on Lord thy seruant heareth Surelie neither true matter nor plaine manner will serue vnlesse God strike a holy stroke within vs by his powerfull Spirit that wee may be moued Therefore as it is a blessing to haue truth tolde vs so is it a double blessing to haue a soft heart giuen vs moued yéelding to the truth Otherwise as you sée in the Smiths shop as many hard blowes laide vpon his Anuile as vpon the Iron hee worketh and yet the Anuile remaineth all one and the Iron turneth to the Smithes desire because in the one there is heate in the other none So in the same Auditorie as manie proofes and reasons are laid open to one as to another and yet one moued and not another S. Augustine saith Non verbis hominis fit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit Deus vt intelligatis The words of man cannot make man vnderstand God his word but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand Joy therefore in the Lord his mercie towards you when you haue féeling knowe that it is a grace not giuen to all you sée Pharaoh héere and such hath the world many whom no preaching can reforme c. 5.
offices were all giuen away where hee least wished them and yet the Lord stayed not héere but fearefully destroyed also his posteritie Was not this thundering was not this lightning and was not this Judgment as vpon a stage O let it euer be remembred of all that reade it with their eies and God for his mercy sake make it profitable 14 Only in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were was no hayle In which words as heretofore so stil stil is noted the vnsearchable goodnesse of God to his Church together with his Almighty power to doo euer what He wil. He can saue and He can spill He can make such a wall about his children that no storme or tempest no calamitie or euill shall come nere them though it compasse them round about and others perish with it on euery side Two shall be in the fielde the one receaued the other forsaken two shall be grinding at the mill the one accepted the other reiected c. Blessed therefore is that man and woman who haue the Lord for their God And say vnto my soule I am thy saluation saith Dauid in one of his Psalmes noting thereby the comfort of this aboue ten thousand worldes Let vs therefore euer be carefull to be of the number of those that abide in Goshen where the Sauing hand of God shall defend from al euil 15. In these smooth wordes of Pharaoh verse 27. That he had sinned that the Lord was righteous and he and his people wicked That Moses should pray for him c. returning neuerthelesse to his old byas when the Plague was gone stil obserue as you haue done before the déepe falshood of mans hart making faire shewes without fruite and if God be thus glozed and dissembled with all thinke whether it séeme strange to mortall man to taste of it No no we must reckon of it to be praised to our face to be sclaundered at our backes by the one and the same person Yet let it not discourage vs to doo any good but onely let it make vs carefull to giue no iust cause and tenne thousand times thankfull when wee are released out of such a world and taken into his kingdome 16. Lastly that often repeated Sentence of Pharaohs heardened heart let it remember vs of that Saying in Saint Augustine Corda mala patientia Dei durescunt Euill hearts wax-heard by Gods long-suffering and patience Also of that in Saint Bernard Cor durum dici quod non cōpūctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec mouetur precibus minis non cedit flagellis duratur ingratum ad beneficia ad consilia infidum ad iudicia saeuum inuerecundum ad turpia impauidum ad pericula inhumanum ad humana temerarium ad Diuina preteritorum obliuiscens praesentium negligens futura non praeuidens It is called a heard heart which is neither rent with compunction nor softned with piety nor mooued with prayers which giueth no place to threatnings is hardened with stripes in benefits vnthankfull in Councill vnfaithfull in iudgment cruell vnshamefast in foule things not fearefull in perils in humane things most inhumane in Diuine things rashe forgetting things past neglecting things present and not foreseeing things to come Surely such a description if we our selues haue not Pharaohs hardnes will euer mooue vs earnestly to pray against such hardnesse Thus endeth this Chapter and thus end I hauing giuen you some taste how we may profit by reading of it CHAP. 10. Here you haue following two Plagues more to wit the eight and the ninth The eight from the beginning of the Chapter to the twenty verse and the ninth from thence to the end Concerning the former the Holy-Ghost layeth downe 1. A Commaundement to Moses to goe 2. A Denunciation 3. An Execution 4. The Effect that in the Seruants King 1. TOuching the first the Text saith Againe the Lord said vnto Moses goe to Pharaoh c. Diuers times you know hee had sent before and all in vaine yet ceaseth not the bottomlesse and incomprehensible mercy of God still still againe and againe to send This was euer his gratious dealing with miserable sinners and a swéete comfort it is to a troubled minde to thinke of it The Gospell saith in like sort He sentagaine and againe other and other seruants to those wicked husbandmen to remember them of his due and their duetie At last he sent his owne Sonne vnto them saying they will reuerence my Sonne Againe to Hierusalem how often how often would I haue gathered thy Children together euen as a Hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yet would not O tender Father what a certaine Seale is this thy goodnesse in these examples that true Repentance shall neuer be reiected A sorrowfull sinner neuer repulsed a broken and contrite hart neuer despised Let it profit vs vnto increase of faith for his sake that dyed for our sinnes Our owne experience hath taught vs as much if wee did obserue it For how long haue wee béene sinners haue not some of vs béene 20 yéeres some 30 some 40 and more all of vs too long walking the way that leadeth vnto death And what haue our sinnes béene surely great foule vglie odious to God dangerous to our selues and offensiue to the world yet hath the Lord neither swept vs away in his most iust wrath neither ceased to send Moses againe and againe vnto vs for our reformation Should not this infinite goodnes much moue vs to returne to so swéete a Father Knowest thou not O man saith the blessed Apostle that the long suffering of God leadeth thee to repentance How entertained hee the Prodigall Sonne when hee returned how reioice the Angels in Heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth far be it euer then from vs euer to resist a God so powerfull to confound vs and so mercifull to receaue vs. 2. But the Lord saith héere that he hardened Pharaohs heart and the hearts of his seruants how then was the fault in them that they yéelded not for answere let mee aske you another question whether you thinke it not lawfull that God should punish a sinner as himselfe liketh and whether hardnes of heart be not a punishment if both be true then might the Lord punish him this way Yet all men doo not thinke this such a punishment as it is for if wee be sicke wee looke for helpe if the eye faile the eare growe dull or any sense be weakened we quickly féele it and readily with for remedie onely if our heart growe dull and our vnderstanding féeling and profiting in Gods Schoole be taken from vs wee are not mooued neither thinke it goeth ill with vs preferring the outward sense of body far and far before the light of the minde But let it be lawfull you say with the Lord thus to punish yet it must néedes excuse the partie so punished for how can a man féele and relent whose heart God smiteth with
by reason knowledge so differeth one man from another by more more knowledge in this Booke Woe to those Teachers then that lull vs a sléepe and tell vs that Ignorance is the Mother of Deuotion that giue vs not leaue either to reade or pray or doo any duty in a tongue that we know but like those cursed Scribes and Pharises those hypocrites shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen before men neither going in themselues nor suffering others that would enter to come in Let this now spoken make vs sée their fault and that miserie so to liue as also this most swéet blessing of knowledge now vouchsafed to vs by the mercie of God through the happy gouernment of his Annointed seruant our déere and dread Souereigne and sending vp to God our thankfull thoughts both for it and him and begging the continuance of both long and long vnto vs. 2. It followeth in your Chapter But all the children of Israel had light where they dwelt Which surely was a very admirable thing the houses of Egyptians and Israelites ioyning as it should séeme one close to another as ours in these daies doo For else why should the blood be striked vpon the doore posts of the Israelites for a signe to the destroying Angell where to kill and where to passe ouer if all the Israelites had dwelt by themselues and had not béene mingled with the Egyptians This minde was Gregory Nyssen of and therefore hee saith Nontantum in Gosen vbi cōmuniter morabantur sed cum inter Aegyptios promiscue etiam habitarent in hoc maximum miraculum Not onely in Gosen where onely Israelites for the most part dwelled but among the Egyptians being mingled and dwelling together the Israelites had light and the Egyptian darknes And heerein was the greatest miracle The good wee may take by this strange worke of GOD is first to learne how able our Heauenly Father is to make a separation betwixt his Children and the Wicked when he executeth wrath and Justice if his good pleasure be so to doo though they be in one field together in one house together and in one bed together yet can bee choose the one and refuse the other Wherefore true is that Saying of the Psalme If his wrath be kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Feare wee not then in the time of Plague of Warre or other Publique calamitie least we should perish with the wicked hand ouer head but remember this Place and say in your heart with comfort and faith O Lord my GOD and gracious Father I knowe thine able hand to make a separation if thou please in this calamitie betwixt thy poore Lambes and the Goates as thon diddest in that darknes betwixt the Israelites and Egyptians therefore I flie vnto thee in humble acknowledgement of my sinne and for him that had no sinne I begge that if thy good pleasure may bee so thou wouldest vouchsafe to saue mee from this Sword of thine to let the light of thy mercie and louing countenance shine about my dwelling as thy chéerefull light did about the Israelites So shall my soule and heart euer praise Thee and thanke Thee But if otherwise LORD and Father thy Will bee done and not mine onely in the world to come acknowledge mee as I doo not doubt but thou wilt and it shall suffice Secondly let this place be obserued as a very plaine Figure of that which wee sée amongst vs euery day At one house dwelt an Egyptian and it was all darke at the next an Israelite and it was all light so nowe at one house dwelleth a superstitious Recusant or a prophane Atheist and all is darke At the verie next house dwelleth a zealous Professour of the truth who readeth the Scriptures heareth them preached frequenteth the Sacraments and faithfully laboureth that himselfe with his whole Familie may liue according to the Word and héere is all light which shall leade to the light eternall with God and all his hoste when the good houre commeth God strengthen our hearts euermore in the loue of this light and make vs truly thankfull for these lightsome daies Amen 3. The couetousnes of this great Tyrant verse 24 shadowing the greedie mindes of all Persecutors The stoute care of godlie Moses to haue the Lords whole Will performed and not to rest in a part verse 25. 26. The fearefull driuing away of Moses from his presence shewing the rags of Tyrants towardes their end to bee greater and so comforting the godlie that when they sée the like they may knowe the time is not long and remembring vs what a dangerous thing it is to driue away Gods Ministers from vs with diuers other things in the ver 28. and 29. because I haue béeste too long in this Chapttrr I will leaue to your owne Meditation and so end héere CHAP. 11. There is nothing more common both in these Bookes of Moses and other Bookes of Scripture than to set that after which in precise order was to goe before so is it in this Place For what now is said in these first Eight verses of this Chapter by due order should be put before the 28. verse of the former Chapter which if you doo and bring in the 28. verse after those words in the 8. verse And after this I will depart then the 29. verse of the former Chapter will followe well and after that the end of the 8. verse of this Chapter to wit So he went out from Pharaoh very angry c. The chiefe Heads of this Chapter are these three 1. A Denuntiation of a new plague 2. An Admonition to the Israelites what to do 3. The Plague it selfe 1. COncerning the first it is contained as you sée in these wordes Yet will I bring one plague more vpon Pharaoh and Egypt And to make vse to our selues of it you that are acquainted by your priuate reading with the Course of the Scriptures very well knowe the manner of Gods dealing in this matter from the beginning to the end First how milde it was then how by degrées it encreased to sharper and sharper till the deliuerance of his Church and people were effected At the first he appointed Moses and Aaron with the Elders of Israel to goe to Pharaoh and to entreate him mildly and dutifullie saying The Lord God of the Hebrewes hath met with vs WEE PRAY THEE therefore let vs goe three daies iourney into the Wildernes that we may sacrifice vnto the Lord our God But this praying would not serue wherefore the Lord went néerer them by great and powerfull wonders yet by degrées touching them and not with the greatest at the first He caused Moses rod to be turned to a Serpent c. A thing that hurt them not yet in all reason should haue moued them Then he turned their waters into blood which did somewhat touch them After when that preuailed not hee annoyed them
corner of the stréete kill kill God forbid To learne by other mens harmes was euer yet accounted wisedome and therefore let these Egyptian Cries so crie in our eares and our hearts continually as our owne Cries through the mercy of a gracious God may neuer be heard any where 7. But against the children of Israel shall not a Dogge moue his tongue neither against man nor beast that you may knowe how the Lord putteth a difference betweene the Egyptians and Israel A blessed separation by a swéet Father able to kindle in our hearts if we be aliue a burning flame of loue and dutie towards such a God The like wee saw in the plague of moraine and the plague of darknes before the Cattell of the Israelites were safe and they had light wheresoeuer they were So still and so euer if you marke the Scriptures one way or other Betwixt the olde world and his seruant Noe what a difference was there put Betwixt Lot and Sodome how did the Lord distinguish When God sent Ioseph before to prouide for his Father against that Great future famine did hee not put a difference betwixt his owne and others When the Shunammite was so mercifully admonished of the dearth to come and willed to goe soiourne where shee might to preuent the danger and when shee came backe againe so to helpe her to her Land with all the meane profites by such accident of the Kings talke with Gehazi and her fit comming in with her Petition while they were talking who séeth not the finger of a swéete GOD putting a difference betwéene the Israelites and the Egyptians that is betwixt his owne and others In that Great destruction of Hierusalem had he not a little Pella by to saue such as it pleased him to pull out of that fire Let vs then neuer feare we sée he hath care of his owne and what hee will doo he can doo If it be good for vs to escape these worldly woes wee are as sure wee shall as wee are sure wee liue And if otherwise it please him to wrap vs with others in the outward punishment yet shall wee euer be sure to be distinguished from them in the eternall paine and those outward griefes shall be but meanes to leade vs to lasting ioyes O cleaue we then fast vnto him for you sée the difference of being Religious and being prophane of leuing the Word and loathing the exercises of the same And this difference héere will make a fearefull difference in the world to come when you cannot helpe it had you the treasure of all the earth to purchase your ease withall No not one drop of water to coole your scalded tongue shall you be able to get with all that euer you possessed in this world for the loue whereof against all Admonitions you haue lost your selfe for euer 8. Lastly more power againe you sée of this mightie God in the 8. verse where he made the rebellious heart to stoope and to séeke with intreatie what before could not be had with any petition All thy seruants saith Moses shall come downe vnto me and fall before me saying Get thee out and all the people that are at thy feete They shall séeke and sue begge and craue prostrate before him that with spéede they would depart O glorious God that canst thus humble thy foes make them fall before them whom erst they scorned Let it knit vs glue vs vnto thée for euer I am amazed at thy Mercie and I cannot speake what I think Lord encrease our faith it shall suffice and be well with vs. CHAP. 12. The generall Heads of this Chapter are chiefely three The Institution of the Passeouer The Execution of the former plague The Departure of the Israelites out of Egypt 1. OBserue first the words in the second verse This moneth shal be to you the beginning of moneths it shall be to you the first moneth of the yeere And herein remember how diuersly diuers Nations and people haue made the beginning of the yeere Some when the Spring began Some at the Sommer Solstitium or Stay of the Sunne Some at the Winter Stay And some from the Autumne or Haruest time which vsually is reckoned frō the sixt of August The old Romanes as did the Hebrewes began their yéere in March Which order séemeth most agréeable to Nature because all things then begin to reuiue and shewe forth their life vigour In regard whereof some are of opinion that the time of the Creation of all things was then and that the Names of our Moneths September October Nouember December are as if it were said the 7. the 8. the 9. the 10. from March making March the first and so reckoning from thence forward But for other policies the Iewes reckoned also frō September Reade Iosephus in his Antiquities Chap. 4. and Hierome vpon the 3. of Ezechiel c. With vs in England the vsuall Reckoning is frō the 1. day of Ianuary which we call New-yeeres day yet the Merchants amōg vs vsually begin frō the 25. of March So seueral places haue seuerall Customes we must leaue them 2. Touching the Passeouer The Name in Hebrewe is well expressed in English for our vnderstanding when it is called the Passeouer not the passing ouer into the Land of Promise nor the passing ouer the Red Sea whereof sée S. Augustine but the Lords passing ouer or the Angels passing ouer those houses which had the posts striked with the blood Therefore in the 11. verse it is expreslie called the Lords Passeouer and so Leuit. 23. 5. The time of the Institution was before their Deliuerance because things taught in affliction both better sinke in vs and longer are remembred of vs. The Place where it was eaten nowe was in Egypt but after they were come into the Land of Promise setled we reade in Deut. thus Thou mayest not offer the Passeouer within any of the gates which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee But in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his Name there c. Which place being at Hierusalem all resorted thither at this Feast since Hierusalem hath béene destroyed they haue not dared write some to offer else where 3. The manner of this Passeouer with the signification of euery thing is next to be thought of Where you sée first a méeke Creature so was Christ it was a Lambe a harmlesse creature so was Christ a profitable creature by wooll to cloath vs flesh to féede vs so was Christ his righteousnes couereth his flesh féedeth all those that truly beléeue in him That this Paschal Lambe was a figure of Christ remember Iohns words in the Gospel But when they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead alreadie they brake not his legges that it might be fulfilled not a bone of him shall be broken Words written in this Chapter ver 46. of the Paschal Lambe and so Iohn maketh
more pericula fugere illos voluit id nos facere docens etiam dum apertissimé Deum adiutorem habemus God doth not worke all things as he can but sometimes doth eschew perils after the maner of men therein teaching vs to doe the like namely by vsing meanes euen then when most plainly we haue God our helper 2. The Children of Israel went vp armed out of the Land of Egypt saith the Text. And it may teach vs warinesse and circumspection in our vocatiens euer reckoning of the enemie in this our holy march towardes the Land of Promise Iosephs bones are caried away with them according to the oath made vnto him which may teach vs faithfulnes and truth in the desires of dead men euermore a thing alwaies of good regard with good men and too little regarded by many that would be iudged good men But no shewe of warrant héere for the Popish fooleries and impieties vsed about their Reliques For this promise to translate his bones was taken by Ioseph to shew his Faith in the promise of GOD touching the Land of Promise to be giuen in time and it was performed by the Israelites in discharge of truth without any superstition or Idolatrie as in Poperie is vsed most offensiuely The 3. part THe last generall Head is concerning the signes of direction which the Lord vouchsafed them namely a Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night Whereof the Psalme speaketh alluding to this Storie In the day time he led them with a Cloud and all the night long with a light of fire And againe Hee spread a cloud to be a couering and fire to giue light in the night season By this Great miracle shewing that the Israelites deliuerance was from himselfe and by no other meanes vnder Heauen Secondly that hee was present with them to defend and saue them from all their enemies And thirdly that in like sort hee guideth and protecteth his faithfull marching out of Egypt towardes the promised Land through the Wildernes of woe and affliction which indéede hee still doth by his Word and Sacraments two guides to vs as these pillars were to them So necessarie is it after deliuerance to be guided that without the one the other will not serue And if more particularly you wil meditate on them consider in the Cloud how it not only directeth the way but is spread as the Psalme saith for a couering namely against the heate of the Sunne sauing them from the violence thereof and comfortably cooling and refreshing them Remember also howe the afflictions of this world in the Gospell are noted by the heate of the Sunne And be you assured in a true Faith that euen euer euer against these heates the Lord in his good time will send you defence and comfort For still you must know that yesterday and today and for euer He is the same Meditate on the Apostles experience 2. Cor. 1. Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations sée the cooling Cloud that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith wee our selues are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ c. Thus to Paule thus to you thus to all assuredly In the other pillar of fire obserue that beside direction by going before it also gaue light vnto them in the night And thereby learne with a féeling comfort that whosoeuer followe Christ as their Guide and Leader they still haue light in others darknes So saith Hee himselfe Hee that followeth mee shall not walke in darknes but shall haue that light of life In both the one and the other sée a Notable Figure of Christ in whoÌ„ there is cooling without whom there is scorching heate in whom there is light and without whom there is hellish darknes In the world yee shall haue trouble but in mee yee shall haue peace The wordes which followe That they might goe both by day and by night most notablie remember vs that in trauelling towardes the spirituall Canaan we must not rest but labour forward continually The Chiidren of this world are often looking back toward Egypt and often pitch downe their Tents so in this Wildernes that they are loath euer to take them vp and to remoue But with the Sonnes of God it is not so but they say with themselues We haue here no abiding Citie and fixing both eye heart on their Heauenly house they iourney on still both day and night in true pietie and obedience and they are not quiet till they haue attained to the Hauen sée their God with his holy company in the highest Heauens Last of all when it is said Hee tooke not away the pillar of the Cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people Let it euer assure your fearing heart cooling comforting shining and lighting guiding and directing his little flocke shall neuer be taken away froÌ„ any member thereof but euer be readie present with vs both by day night to the eternall praise of his goodnes and vnspeakeable comfort of our soules blessed againe and againe be his name for it And thus far of this Chapter CHAP. 14. The Heads of this Chapter may be these 1. The pursuing of Pharaoh after them 2. The feare of the Israelites wheÌ„ they saw him vâ— 10. 3. Their fall and sinne through their feare ver 11. 4. The Lords deliuerance of them 1. TOuching the first marke what a straite the Lord brought his people into when He commaunded Moses to speake vnto them to campe before Pâ—-hakiroth betweene Migdol and the Sea ouer against Baal-zephon where the Sea was before them Mountaines on either side and Pharaoh with his Host at their backes the Lord hardening his heart to follow after them yet was not this distresse for their hurt but for their good that God might be honoured they miraculously deliuered and their enemies gloriously ouerthrowne How then doo wee feare in euery aduersitie before wee sée the end Surely we wrong the Lord much and our selues in so doing he being as good as euer he was as mightie as euer he was to finde meanes and as iust as euer hee was to punish our malicious enemies O thinke then with your selfe and reason thus Loe héere I am distressed on euery side as the Israelites were at the Red-Sea and it is the prouidence of God that I should be thus as it was his Will they should pitch in that place But doo I know the Lords meaning what he will doo No indéede And therefore I will patiently waite for his blessed Will not murmuring as the Israelites did but comfortably assuring my selfe that one way or other the Lord will giue issue to his glory and my
good although as yet I sée not how because hee is no Changeling in his loue to his Seruants and did beyond all conceite of man deliuer these Israelites from this perill Surely there can be no perplexitie in this world greater than this was if all things be considered and yet all was most well in the end Remember we therefore alwaies the words of Dauid in his Psalmes When I am in heauines I will thinke vpon God when my heart is vexed I will complaine I wil cry vnto God with my voice yea euen to God will I crie with my voice he shall hearken vnto me c. The whole Psalme is comfortable if you reade it 2 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel they are tangled in the Land the Wildernes hath shut them in c. So they were indéede if wee consider the place where they were yet there is no tangling where the Lord will haue a passage But sée you here in your Meditation how when the destruction of the wicked is at hand the Lord in his iustice offereth them some baite or other to pull them on that as here He saith He may winne his honour vpon them they know he is the Lord. So was Ahab drawne to his end with a desire to recouer Ramoth Gilead which once was his the bait allured him the wrath of God flewe him So were Senacharib the Asyrians baited as it were with former successe with their multitude the smallenes of Ezechias his number But how gloriouslie did the Lord deliuer his and destroy them that so boasted Many such Examples may you remember by your selfe all teaching what a sure thing it is to belong to God to haue our trust in him onely For otherwise there will be a time of falling for vs we shall euen runne vpon it gréedily as these men did You may also here think of the number noted by Iosephus who addeth to the 600. Chariots mentioned in the Text ver 7. fiftie thousand Horsemen two hundred thousand footmen more all marching after Gods people with great confidence iolity yet all ouerthrowne in the déepe by a mighty God most easely So great a God is our God and it must euer comfort vs make vs strong Obserue againe their words vttered before they pursued after them Why haue we this done let Israel goe out of our seruice Which sheweth how quickly the wicked repent them of their good but seldom or neuer of their euill For to let them go was good yet they repented but to pursue after them was euill they repented not Many such there be in our daies which often grieue at an houre spent in the Church and neuer of daies yéeres spent in sin But let them looke vpon these Egyptians here be warned in time if God so will The difference of the hosts againe in this place is verie worthie obseruing the one all warriers well appointed the other full of weake women little children The chiefest men without great munition or any exact order militarie to match with them yet the weaker liueth the stronger dieth euer to teach vs to fixe our harts vpō God not to be tied to outward shew For there is no wisedom no counsell nor strength against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battell but saluation is of the Lord. And as the Prophet Esay saith Gather together on heapes O yee people yee shall be broken in pieces and hearken all yee of far Countries gird your selues and you shall be broken in pieces gird your selues you shall be broken in pieces Take counsaile together yet it shall be brought to naught pronounce a decree yet shall it not stand for God is with vs c. Repeating things ouer and ouer that we may be assured alwaies strong in him 3. Againe I sée héere and marke it for my good that when wee are once deliuered out of Egypt then doth the Deuill muster his Chariots Horsemen after vs he wil if he can get leaue He cannot abide to loose his seruants so His we were he hath lost vs and his we must be againe if by all his strength he can possibly gaine vs. A Land that floweth with milke and honey may not be inherited without resistance Out of Egypt wee may be deliuered but from following afflictions we shall not be quite fréed Hue and Crie will be made by Hell after vs we shall be tried as God pleaseth Thinke of that Deuill in the Gospell who when he must néedes depart loose his possession did rend and teare the poore party most cruelly Thinke of those Stories of the Primatiue Church how Nero Domitian Dioclesian all those persecuting Emperours pursued the Christians deliuered from darknes to light What were they all but Sathan Hoast doing then as Pharaoh did here by the mighty hand of a iust reuenging God The Land of Canaan is ours but in our way thither looke for lets When the Deare is hued-in by the Hunters the dogges placed to make a course if hee take his way vpon the Dogges euery man is silent and letteth him goe for that is the way to death and it well pleaseth the Hunters But if hee offer to breake out some other way to escape the Dogges then they crie and beate the hedges to driue him backe againe and if he escape how disconted are they So so in our Deliuerance from Death and Hell doo wee plainly sée it And therefore hoping for the best when God shall sée it fit be prepared alwaies in your selfe for the worst and reckon of it Pharaoh will pursue you 4. When Pharaoh drewe neere the Israelites weresore afraide and cried vnto the Lord. Others said vnto Moses hast thou brought vs out of Egypt to die in the Wildernes c. Philo saith Quatuor tribus in aquis submergi voluisse ne ad Aegypttorum manus peruenirent alias quatuor se tradere Aegyptijs constituisse cum spe veniam impetrandi sed reliquas quatuor scilicet Iuda Leui Ioseph Beniamin vsque ad mortem cum illis pugnare decreuisse That 4. Tribes resolued to drowne themselues in the waters rather than to fall into the Egyptians hands other 4 Tribes determined to submit themselues to the Egyptians in hope of pardon and forgiuenes but the 4 Tribes left after these namely Iuda Leui Ioseph and Beniamin setled themselues to fight as long as they should be able to stand aliue against them Note then héere how affliction trieth what is in vs for such as héere rested vpon God cried you sée vnto him and no doubt hoped of helpe from him well considering that vbi humanum deest consilium ibi Diuinum adest auxilium Where mans Counsaile faileth there Gods helpe is present Others not so grounded setled foulely and sinfully discouered their corruption quarrelled
with Gods Minister sent for their comfort reproaching him bitterly as you sée in the Text. Looke therefore how the fire trieth the gold parting the drosse from that which is pure so doth aduersitie try the sonnes of men seuer the good from the â—uill Be we rooted therefore in his holy promises and looke not too much vpon heapes of men as these murmuring Israelites did for it is all one with the Lord to ouercome many and fewe and with many or few Faith must euer looke at him and say chéerefully as Dauid The Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I bee afrayde Though an hoast of men vvere layde against me yet shall not my heart be afraide And though there rose vp warre against mee yet will I put my trust in him c. For if wee looke at the billowe of the Sea comming against vs wee shall bee afraide and begin to sinke 5. Then Moses saide to the people feare yee not but stand still and beholde the saluation of the Lord which hee will shewe to you this day For the Egyptians whom you haue seene to day yee shall neuer see againe The Lord shall fight for you therefore holde you your peace Iosephus relateth a long Oration wherewith Moses exhorteth them but these wordes are effectuall and containe the substance A worthie and wonderfull strength in the seruant of GOD who héeretofore looked at the difficulties of his Calling at his owne weakenes and wants and at the ingratitude of men towardes those that haue best deserued yet now raiseth himselfe aboue all these in a most holy Faith and comforteth the people with assurance of a great and most gracious Deliuerance Thus can the Lord giue strength to any man in his vocation when hee will making him mount aboue all earthly conceites and to sée nothing but the power of God and truth euer in his promises Wherefore pray for this Grace in all touches and plunges of this miserable world And learne of Moses here by vse experience to cast behinde vs the vndeserued spéeches of men either malitious or vnthankfull and bee strong and chéerefull in our Charge notwithstanding a thousand of them Learne also of him both in our selues to be assured and to assure others in the distresses of the Church that as God waketh when we sléepe so will hee fight for vs when we stâ—nd still and that in our greatest weakenes his strength shall appeare The Egyptians are vanitie saith the Prophet and therefore God crieth to Hierusalem That her strength is to sit still And againe to Iehosaphat Feare not neither be afraide for this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods You shall not neede to fight in this battell stand still mooue not and behold the saluation of the Lord toward you c. Iehosophat thereupon to the people Heare O Iuda and inhabitants of Hierusalem put your trust in your Lord your God and you shal be assured beleeue his Prophets and yee shall prosper All Notable places euer to be in our rembrance yea euen in spirituall conflicts say thus with your selfe O my Soule feare not though Sathan thrust thus sore at thée and séeke thy destruction but looke vnto him that is mightier than al Hell beléeue his Prophets beléeue his promises beléeue his Word and the Egyptians whom thou hast seene to day thou shalt neuer see againe that is those frights and those feares enemies to thy peace and comfort in God thou shalt neuer be troubled with them any more but God shal so drowne them in the Red-sea of his deare Sons bloud that they shall not hurt the nor harme thee shake thée nor shiuer thee nip thee nor touch thee as they haue done The Lord shall fight for thee O my Soule therefore stand thou still and wait vpon him c. Further may you goe in this meditation if you will 6. And the Lord saide vnto Moses why cryest thou vnto me bid the people goe forwarde God doth not speake this saith One quòd eius clamor illâ— displiceret sed vt se exauditum cognosceret because his cry did displease him but that he might know that he heard him Sée the course of a holy Gouernour the people murmur and reproach him wickedly yet be for them prayeth most hartily See also the mercy of God in sparing and not confounding such vnthankfull sinners and see the force of prayer though it be but in groanes of your inward heart it euen cryeth in Gods eares it pearceth the heauens and pulleth downe comfort as is fit See likewise the dutie of all faithfull beleeuers To goe forward as here is said to the Israelites notwithstanding Seas before vs hilles about vs and whatsoeuer it may be that is against vs leauing all to the Lord who knoweth his owne purpose and will manifest the same in due time Forward Forward saith God héere speake vnto the Children of Israel that they goe forward And let it ring in our eares whilest we liue But why did Moses cry thus in his hart to God when it was reuealed to him what should be the end of the Egyptians Surely because neither promises nor reuelatioÌ„s hinder the Children of God froÌ„ vsing ordinary appointed means but in stead of being made any whit slouthful or careles therby they are enen more more stirred-vp by the same to beg craue the performance effect of them The lifting-vp of his rod to smite the waters in shew was but a simple ridiculous thing but when the Word concurreth with a Signe then not the Signe but the Word is to be looked vpon and the Signe in the Word as here not the Rod but the might of him that commaâ—ndeth God hardening their harts to follow sheweth how in wrath the Lord blindeth sinners till they run and rush into their due destruction as we haue noted before and then they know acknowledge him to bee the Lord when it is too late Wherefore God in his sweete mercy vouchsafe vnto vs eies in time to see him hearts in time to loue him liues in time obedient to him that it neuer be said vnto vs it is too late Amen Amen 7 And the Angel of God which went before the host of Israel remooued went behinde them Who this Angell was we saw in the Chap. before ver 21. we may sée againe in this Chap. ver 24. euen Christ the Son of God by whose conductioÌ„ they into the Canaan both they and we withall true beléeuers into the true Canaan are conducted brought This God going before now remooueth behinde and so keepeth them safe from their pursuing eâ—emies The Cloude on the one side gaue light to the Israelites on the other side was dark to the Egyptians in respect of the darke side was called a cloude
and potentates of the earth beleeued in Christ and were sub dued to him Who whilst they raged against the poore ship were so farre from sinking her as they desired to doo Vt plané illis persimiles inuenti sint c. That altogether saith Theodoret they became like vnto those that seeking to quench the flame fondly poure oyle in and so make it greater And euen as the bush that Moses sawe was not consumed with fire no more could the enemies with their warres and weapons ouerthrowe it Simones Marciones Valentini c. The Simoncans the Marcionits the Valentinians and a number more saith Greg. Nazianz. they are all drowned in their owne déepes and the Church is deliuered Euer therefore as the Israelites héere against Pharaoh and his heast so shall Gods Church haue victorie against her enemies but in Gods time not at her owne will Till then constant Faith and painfull rowing be graces becomming the Church and euery member of it I am Ioseph your brother was a word of great comfort you knowe in the Figure and It is I it is I be not afraide is a farre greater comfort in Christ who was figured blotting all feares whatsoeuer out of our hearts Lastly Thus Israel sawe the mightie power which the Lord shewed vpon the Egyptians so the people feared the Lord and beleeued the Lord and his seruant Moses This is the end of Gods mercies to his Children and of his iudgement vpon their foes To encrease all good duties in them towards him and by name a reuerend feare of his Maiestie and a faithfull assurance in his loue They beléeued before in some measure but now in a greater measure as may bee saide of the Disciples where the like Spéech is vsed Iohn 2. 11. They beleeued also his seruant Moses that is they nowe plainly sée that God was with him whom they so wickedly had abused Let it profit vs to beware by them either to distrust God or to wrong his Ministers appointed ouer vs and let vs learne that although Faith respect GOD onely yet is there such an vnion betwixt him and his Ministers as in déede and truth we cannot beléeue him vnlesse we also beléeue his Ministers speaking from him And therefore whō God hath ioyned euen in this sense also let no man seuer but beleeue the Lord and his seruant Moses What is past of vnkindnes towards your faithfull Minister caring for you praying for you and wéeping for you when you are fast on sléepe in your bed Let it grieue your heart in your secret chamber and doo so no more the Lord is with him his service is Gods mercie to you the abuse or contempt of him will so grieue the Lord that you are sure to féele his heauie hand for it Be wise therefore let both this particular and the whole Chapter profit you in Gods blessing CHAP. 15. Consider in this Chapter these two generall Heads 〈◊〉 The thanksgiuing both of men and women 2. The fall againe of these Israelites at Marah 1. TOuching the first obserue the antiquitie of writing in verse and the reason why Moses vsed verse here euen to continue a longer and better remembrance of so famous a worke of God for his Church for we all sée by experience that what is written in verse both more affecteth and more sticketh in the memorie than what is written in prose We must learne also by this Example euer after mercies and comforts to giue thanks For the Custome of the Church is the instruction of euery particular man and woman in the Church The custome wee sée héere and in other places What Melchisedech did after Abrahams victorie wee reade in Genesis What Deborah and Barak did wee reade in Iudges What the women sang to Saul and Dauid we reade in that Storie as also what was carefully done after that great victorie and deliuerance vouchsafed to Iehosaphat A feast was kept euery yéere to remember thankfully Hamans destruction and the Iewes ioyfull deliuerance Iudeths seruice and blessing with God is not forgotten And if you goe to Dauids Psalmes how many of them are Psalmes of thanksgiuing after benefits Of the cleansed Leapers though nine forget yet one is thankfull The man healed of the palsie taketh vp his bed praiseth God The Creeple healed entred into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God God and man abhorre the contrarie and when thou art truly said to be vnthankfull but euen to man there is in that one word all euill contained and affirmed of thée Now if priuate benefites should be remembred much more publique which touch so many Whereforefor both be euer thanksfull to God as the fountaine and to man as his meanes Imperfection in this dutie beséech him to pardon c. 2. When was this thanksgiuing made The Text telleth you in this word THEN Then sang Moses the children of Israel That is euen presently as soone as they could gather all their companie together on the other side of the sea whither so happily they were brought on drie foote by a mighty God In the 5 of Iudges you may note it also THEN sang Deborah Barak euen the same day And surely to defer it is alwaies dangerous so soone are we cooled and become dull and heauie after the greatest mercies Doo it therefore whilest thy heart is hot thy féeling swéete of his fouour found Doo it quickly hartily and so thou mouest the Lord to more mercy For gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum inuitatio Thankfulnes is an inuiting of God to giue more saith S. Ambrose Doo what wee can wee shal be weake and our best duties be full of wants but yet spéede will helpe somewhat and our care in making spéede shall finde mercie for such wants When dulnesse crept in by carelesse delay shall be punished 3. Note with your self again the maner of their Song namely how they being many yet vse the singular number say I will sing When in a right phrase of spéech they should haue said we will sing This plainely teacheth vs that a good forme of giuing thanks is euery particular person out of his owne feeling to say I I good Lord doo yéeld vnto thy Maiestie my bounden thankes for my selfe and for my brethren for my selfe and for thy whole Church And so euery one féeling and euery one thanking the Lord is praised of all as his mercie and goodnes reach To all A contrarie course it is to trust to other mens giuing of thanks for me and to be dull and dumbe my selfe Dauids words haue another touch Thou art My God and I I will praise thee euen My God therefore I will exalt thee I I againe in mine owne person and with mine owne heart and with mine owne tongue c. 4. I will sing that is not onely in heart will I féele and thinke but with my voice will I expresse and publish the due praises of
it to vs euer Amen The words in the 8. Verse your murmurings are not against vs but against the Lord notably may feare vs frō abusing of Gods Ministers and conferre with them the words in Samuel They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away And the words in the Gospell He that despiseth you despiseth me The 2. part In the Morning the dew lay round about the host And whē the dew that was fallē was ascended behold a smale round thing was vpon the face of the Wildernesse small as the hoare frost on the earth And when the children of Israell saw it they saide one to an other it is Man for they wist not what it was And Moses said vnto them This is the bread which the Lord hath giuen you to eate Here is also mention made of Quailes ver 13. but wee will respite that for an other place and consider now onely of Manna wherein we may obserue many profitable and comfortable things 1. Concerning the Name it is somewhat obscure as it lieth in our English They said it was Manna for they wist not what it was But the Hebrew maketh it very plaine wherein it is thus They said this is Man that is as your Mariginall Note hath a part a portion a gift or meate prepared for they wist not what it was on the suddaine and at first sight but a thing giuen or prepared for them that they knew it was Or which for my part I like better They said Mah hu or Man hu What is this for they knew not what it was 2 Concerning the manner of the comming of it some question is made whether it was naturall or miraculous They that would haue it naturall tell vs of the Manna of Arabia which is sould in our Apothecaries shoppes and say that out of the earth there issueth and commeth dulcis halitus a certaine sweet vapoure which béeing drawne vp by the heate of the Sunne is purged from his grosse earthlinesse and made more pure and swéete then with the cold of the night is hardened and before Morning falleth downe againe vpon the earth like dew or the hoare frost and so is gathered dried and kept as medecineable for mans bodie They say that is small and white so was this That falleth downe with the dew so did this both of them sweete euen as the hony and happely the substance of both one c. But what of all this Therefore shall it follow that this was not giuen miraculously to the Israelites nothing lesse For as they weare like in some things so were they also vnlike This Manna in the shoppes is not so swéete as this giuen héere was it melteth not away with the Sunne as this did neither is it so hard that it néedeth to be brayed in a morter or ground on a mill as this was to make bread of it This Manna came not before a certaine time and houre appointed by God and foretold by Moses No change of the aire and alteration of the weather hindered the comming of this Manna but in Sommer in Winter in Frost in Raine still still it kept his course and fell downe euery night against the morning for the space of fortie yeares together The abundance of it was aboue any naturall course euen inough to suffice for six hundred thousand men beside women and children so long The sixt day it was doubled to them that they might gather both for that day and the next which was the Sabbaoth and so rest vpon the Sabbaoth a very plaine token that all was not naturall If vpon any day they gathered more than their limmitted proportion it putrified and rotted wormes grew in it and it sauoured ill But on the sixt day when they gathered double it did not so but was very swéete and good till the next day yea a pot of it was kept in the Arke sweet and good long which would not haue béene so if all had béene naturall Againe wheresoeuer the Israelites were it followed them and was about their tents not in other fieldes and places remote from them Now they that write of the Arabian Manna sould in shops say it springeth not out of all earth and by name not out of desert places but out of some certaine places only in Arabia as wée sée in other matters some kinde of earth yeeldeth a swéeter a fatter and better sap than other earth dooth But this Manna followed the Israelites whatsoeuer the earth was and by name in the wildernesse and desert No way therefore was this Manna altogether naturall Lastly when they came into the Land of Canaan which was a more excellent earth presently it failed and came no more A great miraculous worke therefore of God this Manna thus giuen from Heauen was and so to be estéemed that God may haue his due glorie we such comfort and instruction as will flowe from it A tast whereof in this that followeth you may take The 3. part 1. THey are commaunded to goe forth euery morning to gather this Manna and to make them bread of it which teacheth vs thus much that as God doth something for his part towards the nourishing maintaining of vs so wil he haue vs likewise againe to doo something for our parts Hee wil giue Manna in his mercy and goodnes but we must goe out and gather it That is hee wil prouide meate money cloath and all worldly matters for vs as shall be good for vs but we must labour in some honest lawfull vocation and so come by these things Idlenes he will not foster nor abide in any man Corne he will giue to the Husbandman but conditionally that he plough and sowe Riches hee will giue to the Merchant but so that he goe to sea and take paines Whereupon the Heathens did say Dij omnia vendunt laboribus The Gods sell all things for labour And for the Scripture it is plentifull in this point as hath béene shewed else-where Man in his innocencie was appointed to dresse the Garden and not suffered to be idle Againe euery man heere was appointed to gather Manna which néeded not if God had liked of Ingrossers to take vp all into a fewe hands and then to deliuer out to others as they please but follow this Note farther your selfe and be bettered by it 2. How much might euery one gather euen so much saith the Text as is sufficient for euery day ver 4 that is they shal prouide for the day no more Wherein Note howe carefull the Lord is to haue men depend vpon his prouidence with chéerefull hope in his goodnes and not wretchedly and despairefully to mucker vp what shal neuer doo them good nor any peraduenture that they purpose it for Thus is the prayer which our Sauiour taught vs Our daily bread giue vs for the day And from distrustfull feare the whole Scripture driueth vs in euery place He that féedeth the Sparrowe so
children of Israel c. Secondly an argument drawne from the former benefits of God to them in these words Yee haue seene what I did to the Egyptians and how I caried you vpon Eagles wings and haue brought you vnto me Thirdly an Argument from future benefits If you will heare my voice indeede and keepe my couenant then you shall be my chiefe treasure aboue all people though all the earth be mine Yee shall be to me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation All which if you will applie vnto your selfe and make vse of them then may you in like sort euer stir vp your hart and prepare your minde to good things in this sort and by the selfe same Arguments As for Example to goe to the Church and to ioyne with the Congregation both in prayer hearing of the word preached First because it is not mans Cōmandement but God requireth the Minister to call speake to you for it as here he did Moses Secondly the fauours of God passed to you require it Thirdly future fauors if you do it shal be added vnto you It is also worthy marking still how he ioyneth here hearing keeping together saying If you will heare my voyce indeede and keepe my couenant Keepe without hearing you cannot hearing without keeping will neuer profit you or any Joyned therefore you sée they must néedes be as the Lord shall make vs able Moses doing as God bad him teacheth all Ministers to bee faithfull and to doo their Message Many are the Commaundements in Scripture to them to speake to crie to lift vp their voyces like trumpets and to tell their people what God requireth If they doo it great is their reward with God and if they bee false and idle and negligent men-pleasers and time-seruers as great againe is their iudgement Grandis est dignitas sacerdotum grandis est ruina si peccant Great is the dignitie of Priests by their office and as great is the fall of them if they offend It can neuer be too often repeated nor too much remembred The peoples aunswere to Moses what is it They answered all together and said all that the Lord hath commaunded wee will doo A most notable patterne for a Christian congregation to looke vpon and to followe Thus should it be betwixt Pastor and People euer Hee to speake what God commaundeth and they to heare answere zealously we will we will doo what God commandeth vs. O swéete ioy where this agreement is Such care and such conscience both in pastor and people will giue no place to iarres and contentions to sutes and vexations or to any thing that displeaseth God and is offensiue to the world c. 2. The particular preparation followeth frō the 9. verse to the end of the Chapter hauing 4 members First the maner of Gods Communicating of himselfe to Moses namely in a thick cloud together with the end thereof that the people may heare whilest I talke with thee and that they may beleeue thee for euer A singular instruction to all men in the world that desire to please God and especially to Great Ones shewing them how carefull they should be to grace and countenance the Ministers of the word before the people to the end their wordes may haue more weight with their hearers and their seruice and paines doo more good Would men doo thus O how comfortable to the painfull and faithfull Teacher and how profitable to the Church would it bee The Lord would sée it and acknowledge it done for him and with eternall comforts reward it for euer But now it is otherwise with too many For Great men must shewe their greatnes in disgracing the Lords Prophets and meaner men must shewe their malice in spreading false rumors of their spirituall Teachers in open assemblies and priuate conuenticles motes are made mountaines and spots surmised where none are Neuer I thinke since the world was did mens eares so itch and their hearts so boile in this sinne as at this day But what shall wee say Surely euen turne to the Lord in prayer and comfort our selues in this example of the Lords goodnes who as hee is not Moses his God alone nor Moses alone his messenger so will not he tye his countenance onlie to him but giue euery true labourer in his good time his due credite notwithstanding all the malice of man and Deuill O Lord doo it for thy Name sake and as thou gracedst héere Moses that hee might euer be beléeued so couuert or confound these Disgracers of thy Ministers whose iniquitie tendeth to hinder Beleefe and consequentlie to destroy the soules of thy poore people Encrease the number of them that followe thy example and labour by all meanes to further thy worke in the hands of thy workemen Set a Crowne of glory vpon their heads and dailie reward their loue into their bosomes with thy good blessings vnto them and theirs 3. The second branch of this particular preparation is laid downe in the 10. verse and the rest following to the 16. consisting in certaine outward matters vsed in those times among those people and figuratiuely teaching inward puritie and cleanenes of heart to come to God with all As washing of their cloathes not comming at their wiues and such like The Ceremonies are taken away but the truth remaineth namely that we are all by our corruption most vnfit profitably to heare the word of God vnlesse we be sanctified and prepared thereunto by the good Spirit of God And therefore we ought to make readie for so holy a worke by all due care before hand to purge our hearts from other cares troubles and impediments whatsoeuer The word of GOD is not to be handled with vncleane hands neither will enter into vncleane hearers It is a precious pearle it should not be cast before Swine For this cause assuredly many heare and reade without profit because they came without feare and reuerence in their mindes This abstaining from their wiues noteth no impuritie in holy Matrimonie but by this particular figuratiuely teacheth a godly abstinence from all worldly pleasures whatsoeuer in generall for a time that wee may more fully attend the seruice of God wee goe about vpon speciall occasion To which end the Apostle Paul also requireth the like by consent for a time to giue themselues to fasting and prayer and then to come together againe that they be not tempted of Sathan to incontinencie Thomas Aquinas himselfe could say thus of it Hoc ex sepeccatum non erat sed multa tunc ad carnis munditias exigebantur quae iam non sunt necessaria quia lex uostra spiritualem munditiam requirit non carnis This was not a sinne of it selfe but many things were then required to the outward clensing of the flesh which are not now necessarie because our lawe requireth spirituall cleanenes not an outward of the flesh onely c. 4. The markes that
say vnto them For their hearts he will touch their eares he will bore or open and they shall see with their eyes heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts to eternall life But how they must come to God in the Cloud couered with it c. that is in the humanitie of Christ whereof this Cloud was a figure For wâ—thout him there is no accesse to God and by him we come and that boldly He is become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Search without him be oppressed of Maiestie search by him be comforted with mercy Kisse the Sonne and feare not The sight of the glorie of the Lord was like consuming fire on the top of the mouÌ„taine in the eyes of the children of Israell saith your Chapter but to them whom he drew to him he appeared as a pleasant Saphir vers 10. Certainly euen so to carnal men and to such as are his called by his holy Spirit there is a great difference of him the one seeing but feare and trembling the other séeing féeling and tasting ioy swéetnes comfort and gladnes aboue that which mans pen can lay downe or his narrow heart once conceiue Lastly Moses was in the Mount fortie daies and fortie nights without meat or drinke when as God could haue dispatched him in a moment All to giue authoritie to him and his lawe as hath béene said that the people might sée in his long abstinence the diuine power of God and so euer estéeme of the thing wherein they saw no earthly course held Let it teach vs still and euer to reuerence Gods ministers to whom he hath reuealed his will for our good They are now his meanes as then Moses was and by his word he hath graced them as here he did Moses by these miracles He that heareth you saith hée heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee Thus much briefely of this Chapter CHAP. 25. GOds holy Spirit hauing from the beginning of this Booke vnto the twentie Chapter laid downe such things as went before the lawe in the twentie Chapter he entered to declare the lawes and first laid downe the Morall law theÌ„ the Iudiciall lawes Chapters 21. 22. and 23. Now by a transition and way made Chapter 24 in this 25. Chapter he beginneth with the Ceremoniall lawes and so continueth vnto the 31. Chapter Which Ceremoniall lawes were eyther common and touched all whereof hée speaketh in this Booke or particular concerning onely the Leuites whereof in the next Booke called Leuiticus by reason of those lawes In this Chapter first there is a preparation to the appointing of Ceremonies euen vnto the tenth verse and then a prescription of them thence forward to the thirtie Chapter In the preparation you may note these heads 1 A Commaundement that the people should offer 2 What they should offer 3 With what heart and minde 4 To what vse and purpose 5 To what vse should the Sanctuarie serue viz. that God might dwell there 6 Of what fashion it should be viz. Like the patterne that Moses saw c. 1 The commaundement to offer is expressed in these words Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israell that they receiue an offering for me of euery man c. The vse and profit whereof to vs may be this First to obserue how although the Lord haue no neede of any mans goods whatsoeuer it is that wée possesse in this world because the whole earth is his and all that is in it yet his pleasure is sometimes to séeke these things and so to make men as it were his helpers in such workes as he will haue done that thereby hee may euen honour his creature with a great fauour and take occasion vpon our readie willing performance of what he séeketh to heape more and more fauours vpon vs. Remember with your selfe the 50. Psalme I will take no Bullocke out of thine house nor Goates out of thy folds For all the beastes of the forrest are mine and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hilles I know all the fowles vpon the mountaines and the wilde beastes of the field are in mysight If I be hungrie I will not tell thee for the whole world is mine and all that is therein Remember the 16. Psalme My goods are nothing vnto thee c. Whensoeuer therefore He séeketh it it is for our good and not for his neede which being well weighed may make vs more quicke and readie to giue As for example could not he relieue a poore man himselfe or make of poore rich all the honors in the world being disposed by him yet you sée he will not but sendeth him to you and others for a morsell of bread and meat that you being his instruments he may take occasion to reward you So in all other workes of charitie and pietie wherein your purse is vsed surely if he had not a purpose to benefit you hee would passe you ouer and do the thing without you Hurt not your selfe then a pound by sparing a pennie A second profit may be this to note that as this material Sanctuary figured out the spirituall temple which the Lord hath in our bodies and mindes 1. Cor. 6. 19 so this offering to that noted what should be the dutie of Gods seruants euer to this euen to bestowe part of such thinges as God blesseth them withall of riches and goods towards the maintenance of this spirituall temple erected within vs and among vs by the preaching of his word the admininistration of his Sacraments all other offices of the Ministerie to the saluation of our soules and all our children seruants or neighbours that liue with vs and are by Almightie God committed to our charge For as then they had grieuously sinned if they denied God an offering to that so shall we if we be wanting to this Thirdly that our goods are not ours to wast at our wils but God looketh to bee honoured with them imployed to good purposes Lastly in séeking this offering to erect an externall worship of his holy Name among theÌ„ we sée learn that God will be worshipped outwardly also with our bodies aswel as inwardly with our spirits for they are both the Lords 2 Touching the things to be offered as Golde Siluer brasse Blew silke and purple skarlet fine linnen Goates haire c thus you profit by them First in the varietie and the seuerall kindes you sée shadowed out vnto you the difference of spirituall giftes and graces giuen by God to men for the building vp of his spirtual Temple or Sanctuarie in our hearts whereof remember the Apostles words in diuers places of his Epistles as to the Romanes when he saith Seeing then that we haue gifts which are diuers according to the grace which is giueÌ„ vnto vs whether we haue prophesie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of fayth Or an
and Gentiles had all things so rich and costly in their Temples therefore it pleased God to match and excéede that beautie least ignorant soules should haue thought him lesse worth being the true and euerlasting God than those Idols and his children and people baser and lesse to be regarded than those Idolaters true Religion worse than false and so haue fallen away to their vtter consusion Which also was some reason why the Lord burdened them with such a multitude of Ceremonies lest they should haue leasure to looke vnto the Gentiles and to deuise new matters in imitation of them as mans curious Nature is too apt to do Ablessed care of humane frailtie and an vnsearchable goodnes to keepe man from falling But a second Question ariseth vpon this whether now vnder the Gospell it should not be so also séeing Temples of Idolaters Idolatry are now also very glorious to the eye The Answer is true No. For as S. Paule teacheth all these Mosaicall Ceremonies were but shadowes of things to come and the Epistle to the Hebrewes plainely saith that the Old Testament was nothing but the shadow of the New which shadowes are vanished the bodie and truth being come as was said a little before For a time thus it pleased God to submit himselfe to man to teach him by these things but it was not the course he intended to continue Since therefore the Iewes had a commandement and Romish Idolaters now haue none since those things represented what now is come and can no longer be represented as future you sée the case is farre differing and He said well that said it Tell me ye Priestes what doth gold in the Church or in Gods worship c Thus could the Satyricall Poet reprehend the excesse of the Gentiles in adorning their Churches Exuperius Bishop of Tolouse a citie of Narbon in France néere the Pyrene mountaines carried the Sacrament in a little wicker basket I meane the bread the wine in a glasse S. Hierom writing to Nepotian inueigh eth also against too much glorie glistering in Churches Saint Ambrose likewise in his Offices lib. 2. cap. 28. And when in the Councill it was argued whether golden or wooden vessels were fit for the Temple Boniface the martyr answered Cum aurei essent Sacerdotes ligneos habuerunt calices nunc lignei Sacerdotes volunt habere aureos calices When the Priestes were golden they had wooden cups but now when the Priestes are wooden they will haue golden cups These things reprooue not what is fit in Churches but condemne rightly all vnnecessarie excesse and superfluity such as is in Popish Churches at this day and was in vse among the Gentiles God is now worshipped in spirit and trueth Iohn 4. 24. Now as an appendix héere I may remember you what Beda saith of these things to wit Cuncta haec quae Dominus sibi a priore populo ad faciendum Sanctuarium materialiter offerri praecepit nos quoque qui spirituales filij Israel hoc est qui imitatores Dei viuentis populi esse desideramus spirituali intelligentia debemus offerre quatenus per huiusmodi oblationes voluntarias ipsi Sanctuarium ei in nobis facere mereamur ipse in medio nostrum habitare hoc est in corde nostro mansionem sibi consecrare dignetur Cui videlicet Aurum offerrimus cum claritate verae sapientiae quae est in fide recta resplendemus Argentum cum ex ore nostro confessio fit ad salutem Aes cum eandem fidem publica praedicatione diuulgare gaudemus Hyacinthum cum sursum corda leuamus Purpuram cum corpus passioni subijcimus Coccum bis tinctum cum gemino hoc est Dei Proximi amore flagramus pilos caprarum cum habitum poenitentiae luctus induimus pelles arietum rubricatas cum ipsos Dominici gregis ductores suo sanguine baptizatos videmus pelles ianthinas cum nos post mortem spiritualia corpora habituros esse speramus Ligna Sittim cum expugnatis peccatorum spinetis munda carne anima Domino soli seruimus Oleum ad luminaria conciunanda cum fructibus charitatis misericordiae refulgemus Aromata vnguentum Thymiamata boni odoris cum opinionem bonae nostrae actionis multis ad exemplum bene viuendi longè latèque diffundimus Lapides onychinos gemmas ad ornandum Ephod cum miracula Sanctorum quibus cogitationes Deo deuotas opera virtutum ornauere digna laude praedicamus atque haec in adiutorium fidei nostrae vbi opus assumimus c. All these things which the Lord commaunded to be materially offered vnto him by the people of Israell to make a Sanctuarie we also which are the spirituall children of Israel that is which desire to be the followers of the people of the liuing God must offer the same vnderstanding thē spiritually so farre as by such vountarie offrings both we may deserue to make a Sanctuarie vnto him in vs and also he may vouchsafe to dwell in the middest of vs that is to consecrate vnto himselfe a mansion place in our hearts For example we offer vnto him Gold when we do shine by the brightnesse of true wisedome which is the right faith Siluer when with the mouth also confession is made to saluation Brasse when we delight to noise abroad the same faith by publike praising of it Blew silke when we lift vp our hearts Purple when we make our bodie subiect to suffering Scarlet when we be inflamed with a two-folde loue that is of God and our Neighbour Fine linnen when we feele or perceiue in our selues the cleannesse of the flesh Goates haire when we put on the habit of penaunce and mourning Rammes skinnes coloured red when we see the guides or rammes of the Lords flocke washed in their bloud The skins of Badgers when we hope that after death we shall haue spirituall bodies The wood Shittim when the thickets and the thornes of sinne being broken through with a cleane bodie and soule we serue the Lord onely Oyle for the light when we be beautified with the fruites of loue mercie Spices for annoynting oyle and for the perfume of sweet sauour when we spread farre and wide the opinion of our well doing to be an example vnto many of well liuing Onix stones stones to adorne the Ephod when we doe publish with due prayse The myracles of Saints wherewith they haue beautified their deuout thoughtes and vetuous deeds And these things for helping our faith when neede is we take to our selues The Arke HAuing passed ouer the Preparation of Ceremonies and shadowes now in the tenth verse beginneth the matter it selfe and first of the Arke They shall also make an Arke of Shittim wood two cubits and a halfe long and and a cubit and a halfe broad and a cubit and a halfe high And thou shalt ouerlay it with pure golde within and without and so
of gold that so it might shadow and shew that all though Christ should suffer die for sin yet he should himselfe haue no sinne but be pure as gold that is holy iust vnspotted the immaculate Lambe of God in whom there is no blemish of impuritie In all things saith the Apostle he was tempted in like sort yet without sinne 3 There were two Cherubims set vpon this Mercie seat in manner as you sée expressed in the picture of your Bible which Cherubims whatsoeuer Iosephus saith were in the most receiued opinion like Angels happely to shadow out the subiection of all Angels to Christ and their readie seruice at his commaundement for the Church and any particular member thereof For vnto which of the Angels saith the Apostle did God say at any time Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee No it is said Let all the Angels of God woship him And of the Angels he saith He maketh the Spirits his messengers and his ministers a flame of fire Also to shew as they are obedient and seruiceable at all appointments so should we be remembring the incomprehensible goodnes of our God who among other his infinite fauours whereby he bindeth vs to his seruice hath made euen this one That these holy Angels also are our seruants by his appointment A mightie motiue to a good and thankfull minde to labour to become obedient and dutiful to such a Father to such a Creator to such a God Lastly to figure out that when we draw néere to the Propitiatorie a figure of Christ and are of God in his great mercie adopted in Christ for his sonnes we are called and as it were ioyned to the companie and societie of the Cherubims and holy Angels of God A comfort also for vs that come vnto him 4 The Cherubims stretch their wings on high couering the Mercie Seate with their winges so representing the maiestie of Christ who though he should humble himselfe to a verie low estate for mans good yet indéede was of that glorie and brightnesse in his Godhead as no flesh could be able to behold but must hide their eyes and acknowledge their infirmitie if but a small glimse thereof should be shewed them Figuring also the most comfortable protection of the Lord Iesus our Sauiour who spreadeth as it were his wings ouer his Church and euerie member of it to repulse any harme that might happen other than he will graciously turne to his glorie the Church or parties good which then indéed is no harme but a benefit rather although bitter to the flesh disgracefull in the world Thus spread he his winges ouer Iacob and saued him from Laban ouer Ioseph saued him from his brethren ouer Eliah saued him from Iesabell ouer Elisha 2. King 6 and thus euer as the Hen to her chickens so is the Lord our gracious God to all that truly feare him A maruellous swéet Meditation if you follow it 5 The faces of these Cherubims were one towards another and both of them toward the Mercie Seat so representing the consent of the Old and New Testament in both which there is but one truth and one doctrine the Olde hauing his face towards the New and the New also looking at the Olde For what is the Olde Testament but the newe obscure and what the new Testament but the Olde made plaine And both Olde and New looke vpon Christ the promised seed of the woman that should bruise the Serpents head They being saued in the olde Testament by beleeuing he should come and we being saued in the New by beléeuing he is come 6 And there saith God I will declare my selfe vnto thee and from aboue the Mercie Seat betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the Testimonie I will tell thee all things which I will giue thee in commaundement vnto the children of Israel Still note the excellencie of this figure of the Mercie Seat For as God before had spoken out of the bush Exod. 3. 4. vers and out of the cloud Numb 12. 5. vers so hereafter saith he I will speake to you from betwixt these Cherubims and so he did For in the Booke of Numbers you reade thus When Moses went into the Tabernacle of the congregation to speake with God he heard the voyce of one speaking vnto him from the Mercie Seat that was vpon the Arke of the Testimonie betweene the two Cherubims and he spake to him Whereupon the Prophet Esay saith God dwelleth betweene the Cherubims And Dauid in his Psalme also The Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient he sitteth between the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnquiet And againe Heare O thou Shepeheard of Israel thou that leadest Ioseph like sheepe shew thy selfe also that sittest vpon the Cherubims And fitly did this resemble Christ by whom God afterward would speak vnto his Church whatsoeuer he would commaund As the Apostle writeth to the Hebrewes when he saith At sundrie times and in diuers manners God spake in the olde time to our Fathers by the Prophets but in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his Sonne which still hee continueth and will vnto the end of the world though not by liuing voice and personall presence in earth as he did for a time How then Still looke vpon the figure Two Cherubims were vpon the Mercie seat representing as you haue heard the Two Testaments and from betweene those two Cherubims God spake so doth Christ still by the Two Testaments the olde and the new the lawe and the Gospell the Prophets and Apostles and so will he still speake to the end Other waies wee must not now expect Reuelations and dreames visions and miracles are ceased and if they will not heare Moses and the Prophets neither wil they beleeue if one should rise and come from the dead vnto them In Moses and the Prophets is the new Testament conteyned though obscurely as you haue heard and therefore still to these Cherubims resort if you meane to heare your God speake Huge is the heape therfore of their sinne that barre Gods people from this way and will make themselues to be Cherubims onely to be heard and beléeued shamefully affirming That the people are not to search the Scriptures but to receiue all things from their Teachers vpon their bare credit not reasoning not disputing not asking any Questions more than the horse asketh his maister why he turneth him this way or that but simply obeying Thus neuer dealt God with people since he gaue them his Scriptures you well know but as the other parts of their spirituall armour Helmet Breastplate and so forth so he bad them take their weapon without which what should armour do euen their sword which saith he is the word of God But truth séekes no darkenesse and lies loue no light Be you armed being warned and go you to the Cherubims where you
answereth Thou shalt speak to all cuÌ„ning men or men wise in hart whom I haue filled with the Spirit of wisdome that they may make Aarons garmeÌ„ts to consecrate him c. By which words two things are taught vs. First that in the seruice of God nothing ought to be done but what procéedeth from the directioÌ„ of God his Wisdome Will that being the Rule and only Rule of his owne worship Mens inuentions without warrant from him haue no place be they neuer so gloriously coloured painted with good intents and meanings Secondly that mechanicall Arts Trades OccupatioÌ„s haÌ„dy-crafts are not fouÌ„d out by men without directioÌ„ of Gods Spirit but God is the Author of them as here appeareth to the great coÌ„fort of the vsers of them well Many men otherwise good men do coÌ„demn Gold smithes Iewellers perfumemakers Imbroiderers Arace-weauers such like as though they serued onely for vanitie excesse when indéede they be the workes of God I meane their seuerall skils and fruits of his Spirit as héere we sée If any man abuse them it is the fault of man not of the skill and what may not be abused The verie Heathens haue acknowledged these things Inuenta Deorum the Inuentions of God Our Bookes mention strange garments the workes of mens handes Yet none like vnto this haue béene described being Exquisitioris artificii diuinioris inuenti vtpote à Spiritu sapientiae coelestis dignioribus sanctioribusque hominibus tributus Of a more exquisite workmanship and of a more diuine inuention giuen by the spirit of heauenly wisedome to more worthie and more holy men Let vs giue God the glorie and make right vse of the skill of men 5 The seuerall sorts are laid downe in the 4. verse are Six in number A Brestplate an Ephod a Robe a Broidred coat a Miter a girdle The matter is specified of all these garments namely gold blewsilke purple and scarlet fine linneÌ„ He beginneth with the Ephod v. 6. sheweth how that should be made vnto the 15. ver Where you are to remember that there were two sorts of Ephods one of this sort that is here described rich precious vsed only of the High-priest and an other of plaine linnen which was common to others whereupon it was said that Saule caused foure-score and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod to be slaine that is so many Priestes Little Samuel also being a childe is said to minister before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod And his mother made him a little coat that is say some a little Ephod and brought it to him from yeare to yeare when she came vp with her husband to offer the yearely sacrifice Dauid againe danced before the Arke girded with a linnen Ephod Touching the first kinde of Ephod you sée here it is said that in two Onix stones the Names of the children of Israell were to be grauen Six Names of them in one stone and sixe in the other And these stones to be put vpon the shoulders of this Ephod that Aaron might beare their Names before the Lord c. Whereupon Beda thus noteth lib. 3. de Tabernac cap. 4. Tres ob causas Aaron nomina Patriarcharum in humeris portasse sicut in pectore Primò vt ipse fidem vitamque Patriarcharum meminisset imitari Secundò vt 12. tribuum quae de his natae sunt in orationibus sacrificijs memor existeret Tertiò vt idem Pop. scripta in veste Praesulis sui patrum nomina videns curaret sedulo ne ab illorum meritis desciscens ad errorum contagia declinaret For three causes Aaron did beare the names of the Patriarches vpon his shoulders as vpon his breast First that he might remember to imitate the faith and life of the Patriarkes Secondly that he might remember both in his prayers and sacrifices the twelue Tribes whereof the Patriarches sprang Thirdly that the people seeing the Names of their Fathers written in the garment of their high Priest might diligently take heed that they fell not from the vertue which was in them vnto vice and error Mysticus vsus vt signaret Christum humeris suis portantem instar Pastoris oues perditas c. A mysticall vse of this Ephod with these Names to represent or shadow Christ like a Shepeheard bearing his sheepe vpon his shoulders c. The second is the Breastplate froÌ„ the fifteenth verse to the thirtie one In which brestplate was Vrim Thummim Vnde certior factus est Sacerdos de Dei erga se populuÌ„ voluntate quoties de iure consulentibus responsa erant danda Num. 27. vers 21. Esdr 2. vers 63. Nehem. 7. vers 65. By which the priest was informed of Gods wil toward himselfe the people as often as counsaile was sought and an answere to be giuen How this was done seuerall men are of seuerall mindes Iosephus saith Tantus erat splendor in 12. lapidibus quos suprapectus Pontifex portabat vt omni fieret multitudini manifestum Eorum auxilâ—is adesse Deum li. 13. Antiq cap. 12. The twelue stones which the Priest did beare vpon his breast did so shine and glister that the whole multitude might obserue Gods fauour to them Suidas in the word Ephod if I forget not hauing not the booke now with me maketh mention of an Adamant in the Ephod which the priest putting on when he sought counsell of God and putting his hands vnder it Cum detraheret depreheÌ„debat eas quasi colore quodaÌ„ infectas When he drewe them out he did finde them as it were stayned and coloured with a certaine colour Et si Deus petitioni annuebat confestim micabat lapis Adamas sin negabat nihil ad proprium pristinum lapidis fulgoreÌ„ accedebat quod si Deus voluit pop obijcere gladio lapis reddebatur cruentus si autem imminebat mors lapis fiebat niger And if God would graunt the petition presently the Adamant stone would glister extraordinarily but if God denied it then the Adamant remained still without any change in his colour and shining if God would deliuer the people to the sword then the stone was made bloodie and in case of death it would shew blacke The like things Epiphanius hath speaking of the Adamant which the High-priest did beare and weare August was of an other minde and beléeued not those things Quest 117. in Exod. And so you sée in a matter obscure mens guesses Diuers others I might repeat but let it be a vertue sometimes to professe ignorance The third is the Robe from the 31. verse to the 36. The fourth is the golden plate vpon his forhead or miter whereon was grauen HOLINES TO THE LORD from the 36. vers to the 39. The fift is the broidred coate verse 39. And the sixt the girdle in the same verse Of euerie parcell to stand and search out particular significations
such Incense as this in the lawe was and that also shadowed that no creature is to be prayed vnto but this honor reserued only to God Euery Morning and Euening this Incense was offered vp that so might bee shadowed the continuall vse and exercise of prayer both when wee rise and when wee goe to rest The Apostle therefore commandeth true CHRISTIANS to pray continually Thinke with your selfe I pray you as you reade this Note what fearefull negligence is in this behalfe and for your owne part neuer be guilty in it but let the Lord smell your swéete odours Morning and Euening at least sent vp to him which many wayes he assureth you are to him acceptable and to your selfe most profitable Last of all Note it that this Altar of inceÌ„se was once in a yeere sprinkled with the blood of the expiatorie sacrifice to signifie so that no prayer auaileth any thing with God vnlesse he or she that prayeth be reconciled to God in the blood of his Sonne Iesus Christ the true sacrifice of reconciliation So haue you this figure of the lawe euery way leading your prayers to God only in the Name and mediation of his Sonne Christ and all other waies and meanes condemned which if you be the Lords shall so sinke in your hart as all the Inchanters of Egypt shal not remooue you from yemaner of praying You may follow the meditatioÌ„ further if you please 3 Afterward the Lord spake vnto Moses saying when thou takest the summe of the children of Israel after their number then they shall giue euery man a redemption of his life c. Unto the seuenteenth verse This is the second part or point of this Chapter concerning a Tribute raised vpon the people of Israell toward the maintetenance of the Tabernacle and what belonged thereunto and diuers things wee may obserue in it First that to number people in a Land is lawfull And if you thinke of Dauid why he was plagued for so dooing surely it was not for that he numbred the people but because he did it in a pride and confidence in mans strength which indéede is very odious before God all victory and prosperitie resting in the helpe of God and not in man or horse or any humane meanes These are things men may vse not trusting in them but in the Lord but to slip from the Lord in any measure or degrée to a confidence and vaine hope in these is most sinfull The Hebrewes say Dauid offeÌ„ded because he numbred the people and tooke not this Tribute here spoken of according to the lawe But the former opinion is more like Among the Romanes we read one Seruius â—ullus first ordained this mustering or numbering of the people that so he might know the number of able men for the warres the worth of them in worldly estate and so impose a Tribute accordingly with other such ends and vses But here neither wealth nor other such ends were respected rather obedience was aimed at and that they should professe themselues thus Gods people him their King and themselues his tributaries and so be strongly comforted euer in his protection and defence of them whose power no worldly Princes could match It was also a redemption of their liues or a matter expiatorie to them that there should be no plague among them when they were numbred How often this was is not mentioned whether euery yeare or euerie fiue yeare as it was in Rome How Moses numbred you may reade in the Booke of Numbers at large From tweÌ„ty yeares olde and vpward they were numbred and what they gaue you reade in the Text. That the poore payde as much as the rich and the rich no more than the poore it is worthy noting It was a personall tribute imposed to testifie obedience to God and therefore equally was payde to signifie that God is no respecter of persons but the poore are as déere and acceptable vnto him dooing his will as the rich we are all wholly the Lords the price of our redemption is one the precious blood of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus In worldly matters the rich may go before vs but in matters belonging vnto God his seruice and worship we ought to be as forward as the rich c. Againe here may you thinke what an acceptable thing to God it is to preserue the Ministerie to giue to the Church on the contrary side how odious to spoile the Ministery to take from the Church what men women of better harts than we haue gaue to the Church You sée how this was not posted ouer to Princes and great men only but euen priuate men also must ioyne in this For if he be borne to inherite Heauen he must thinke himselfe borne to maintaine the meanes that leade vs vnto Heauen Our shéepe and cattle we prouide for because they labour for vs and féede vs what hearts then should wée haue to sée them comfortably maintained that labour for vs in a far higher sort féede vs with a much better foode They draw body and soule out of the pit of death and leade them both to eternall comfort Of this tribute againe was the question mooued in Christ his time For the Romanes hauing conquered tooke this tribute to themselues which was here appointed for God and this offended much the Iews but Christ knowing these legall types were ended by his comming bad them giue Caesar that which was his God that which was his Himself also paying for himself Peter 4 This Lauer spoken of in the next place wherein the Priestes washed their hands and feet when they went to performe their office plainly resembled how with vnwashen hands we ought not to medle with holy things that is with prophane hearts tongues or mindes as they doo that reade the Scriptures not to guide their liues but to maintaine table-discourses with vnholy tongs speake most vnholy and false things drawing the Scriptures to their iudgments not framing their iudgments according to the Scripture The Pharisies were great washers of the out-side and still left the in-side very foule Such washers still the world is full of But as Christ rebuked that superstitious folly in them so hee will iudge sharpely this hypocriticall mockery in vs. These washings againe in the law had a â—urther reach béeing vsed in Faith euen vnto the inward washing of the spirit whereof they were true Sacraments to the beléeuers So you sée by Dauid in his Psalme Wash me O Lord and I shall be cleane that is inwardly inwardly O Lord by thy blessed Spirit from my foule transgression and fall So you may sée by the Prophet Esay 1. 16. 17. Wash you make you cleane how it followeth take you away the euill works from before mine eyes cease to doo euill Learne to doo well seeke iudgment relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the Widow This washing was shadowed by the other and wrought by Gods holy
in this matter The third part 1 THen Moses prayed and said O Lord c. Heere héere then sée A faithful Magistrate A faithfull Minister A true Shepeheard ouer his people coÌ„mitted to him of God Who knoweth what iudgements godly Gouernours turne away by their earnest intercession to God for their people We sée this place we read what Hester did and the mercie of God is plaine for their sakes It should worke in vs all loue and obedience and dutie to them and make vs day and night pray for the continuance of them Treasons and treacheries raylings and reuilings slaunders and defamations wrongs and iniuries any way are not fit requitals of such good receiued by them and for them This prayer of Moses if you marke it is most vehement as comming from a mooued heart and vseth vehement and vrging arguments vnto God As first of his fauour all waies extended to them vers 11. Secondly of his glorie which would be obscured by the Aâ—gyptians lewd speaches if he destroyed them ver 12. Thirdly of his promises made vnto their fathers Abraham Isaac and Israel the trueth whereof might not be violated vers 13. with which the Lord moued in mercie stayeth as you see Such Reasons serue euen at this day and may be vsed to the Lord in our prayers Hee hath béene good to vs infinite waies and we may intreat him by these passed fauours to vouchsafe future and to stay his wrath which we haue deserued Nothing more commonâ—with Dauid in euerie Psalme if you marke it Againe euen by our punishment the enemie will be proud and speake euill they will call both himselfe and his truth into question and ecclipse his glorie to the vttermost His promises also we haue most richly and therefore in all these respects we may craue pardon and doing of it heartely with true repentance and purpose to amend he is the same God still and we shall finde fauour 2 Upon this earnest praier the Lord saith the text v. 14. changed his minde from the euill which he threatned to doe vnto his people with which comfort Moses came away and drawing neere the host he first heard the noyce of singing vers 18. for they were making merrie about their new God then comming nearer he saw the Calfe and the dancing vers 19. But then although he were the meekest man in the world yet his wrath waxed hote and he cast the Tables out of his hands and brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine Which breaking of the first Tables allegorically shewed that the law of God lighting vpon our vnregenerated nature is brokeÌ„ as it were and by the meanes of our inabilitie cannot iustifie vs. But the second written tables are put in the Arke that is when God by his Spirit worketh in vs we are regenerated and the law is obeyed of vs though not fully yet in measure this imperfect obedience is made perfect by Christ Aug. Magno etiam mysteris figurata est iteratio Testamenti noui qucniam vetus erat abolendum constituendum nouum Quaest 144. By a great mysterie the abrogating of the olde Testament by the comming of the new was figured But vnderstand Augustine rightly Then he tooke the Calfe which they had made and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder and strowed it vpon the water and made the children of Israel drinke of it vers 20. Partly to despight them and partly that they should haue no occasion to remember it After he rebuked Aaron vers 21. And if Aaron now elect High priest a Figure of Christ be so sharply rebuked of Moses surely great men must be reprooued and it is a cursed doctrine that though the Pope should carrie thousands of soules to hell yet no man may say Sir why do you thus Secondly in matters concerning the glorie of God we must rebuke euen our néere ones as others no place for affection After that he called for such as would reuenge this wrong done to the Lord vers 26. and the sonnes of Leui gathering to him he bad euerie man put his sword by his side goe to and fro from gate to gate through the host slay euerie man his brother euerie man his companioÌ„ euerie man his neighbour vers 27. so that there fell of the people the same day about three thousand men vers 28. This was the zeale of his heart to the glorie of God it must be a glasse for vs to look in whilst we liue in this world The Lord hath placed the commaundements in the Decalogue the petitions in the Lords prayer which concern his honor before those which coÌ„cerne our selues to teach vs that we ought to prefer his glorie before all worldly things yea euen life it selfe if they come in Question together Thus did Shadrach Meshach and Abednego thus did Daniel when he he opened his window and made his prayer to God notwithstanding that cruell law thus did the Mother and her seuen sonnes in the Machabees thus did Elias Phinees Dauid and others Thus did not olde Heli and therefore the Lord smote him Mine eyes gush out with teares saith the holy Prophet because men keepe not thy law And doe not I hate them that hate thee and am grieued with them that rise against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were mine enemies He that loueth Father or mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And he that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than mee is not worthie of mee c. 3 And when the Morning came Moses said vnto the people yee haue committed a grieuous crime but now I will goe vp to the Lord if I may pacifie him for your sinne Moses therefore went againe vnto the Lord and said Oh this people haue sinned a great sinne and haue made them gods of Gold Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written When Moses had fought on Gods part with the sword now he striueth for the people with his prayer so both true to God in a holy zeale and carefull of his people in the bowels of loue was this holy man this faithfull Gouernour and leader of this multitude Anotable example for all Magistrates and all Ministers euer to follow But heere is more than I said in the former Note For here is a preferring of Gods Glorie before euen life and comfort eternall which is farre more than this temporall life and all the ioyes of it So shall you sée in Saint Paule to the Romanes and what a measure of Gods holy Spirit it was consider you Farre are we from this that preferre euerie small profit and pleasure before this glorie of God and yet say we hope to be saued as well as they A true féeling of our owne iniquitie herein may much amend vs hereafter and God for
therefore let the prayer of Dauid bée in our mouth and vttered from our heart O knit mee fast vnto thee that I may feare thy Name Let vs ioyne inward truth to out-ward shew For the Lord loueth trueth in the in-ward parts Absolon Ananias and Saphira Iudas c had their vncleannesie and how ended they 9 The forbidding to eate the fat was a Ceremonie that euen at home in their houses contynued them after a sort in the exercise of Religion For still they remembered the Law and obeyed the same It also as I haue noted before preached vnto them figuratiuely that for God if he so appoint all the swéet pleasures of this world riches honours friends and whatsoeuer else being as the fat pleasing and delightfull are forsaken forborne refused and left A Lesson neuer ynough learned though often repeated so cleane our hearts to this earth and this fatnesse thereof But pray often and pray heartily with Saint Augustine That the Lord would vouchsafe to giue vs what hee requireth and then require what he pleaseth Hée is strong though wée be weake can make vs as contentedly leaue them as euer we receiued and inioyed them 10 The forbidding of them to eate the blood also as before hath béene noted signified vnto them that the Lord abhorreth crueltie in euery Childe of his and will haue them mercifull pitifull gentle c. In the 30. vers The bringing of the Sacrifice with his owne hands and not sending it by others taught humilitie and dutie to God taught that euery one must liue by his owne Faith and not by anothers and may serue vs now to sée how foolish an Error it is in Poperie to giue another his beades to say them ouer for him that day c. The heauing of it vp was a Figure of the lifting vp of Christ vpon the Crosse So was also the lifting vp of the Brasen-Serpent Some haue made it a Figure also of his Exaltation after Death Hell conquered of which the Apostle speaketh when hée saith Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a Name aboue all names that at the Name of IESUS euery knee should bowe c. That is hath highly exalted him and giuen him Authoritie and Power and Rule whereunto All shall bée subiect men women and creatures whatso-euer Little thinking of any earthly scraping with the foote at the Word of Iesus when neither word déed nor thought yéeld him reuerence due to him Popish eleuation of their consecrated Cake was neuer thought-of in this heauing and therefore vainely doe they vse this proofe The shaking of it too and fro foure wayes East West North and South shadowed the spreading of that lifting-vp of Christ that is of Christs death and Passion throughout all the world by the preaching of the Gospell 11 Lastly the brest and the shoulder were the Priests and so they were admonished to bée as Brests and shoulders to the people Brests for counsaile and direction in all their affaires Shoulders to beare-vp the burthen of care and labour of them to vnder goe Crosses and troubles in gouernment for them and for them to rest as it were and leaâ—e vpon in all their woâ—s of heart and agonies of minde whatsoeuer A profitable Meditation for all faithfull Ministers euer thus to bée as the Lord shall inable them to their seuerall Flockes in this world And as worthy a Meditation againe for the people to increase loue and singular loue in their hearts towards their Pastors for their worke sake euen for this vse of them in all their distresses and occasions whatsoeuer A godly Pastor is a brest of swéete comfort in aduersitie and a faithfull Shoulder to leane vppon euer and to support both vs and ours when without him we shall fall fearefully and paraduenture eternally Happie are the people that haue them and God worke in their hearts to make much of them In the 37. verse sée a short Rehearsall of all the sorts These are some of the chiefest things in this Chapter CHAP. VIII IF you turne to the 28. Chapter of Exodus you shall finde the most of this Chapter there explaned and therefore a bréefer touch may serue héere It contayneth the Sacrifices and Ceremonies vsed at the Consecration of Aaron and his sonnes into the Priests Office and fitly followeth vpon the other Chapters because after Sacrifices appointed the next care is for Priests to offer and vse them according to appointment For vse and benefite to our selues First let vs note that this Office of holy Priest-hood was not of man nor from man but the Lord Almightie first instituted and ordained it by his owne expresse commandement then being ordained he confirmed the honour and reputation of it by that great Miracle of the budding of Aarons rodde and he very seuerly and fearefully punished the contempt of it in Corah and his companie whom the earth opening swallowed vp with their Wiues and children and families all their goods Upon Ieroboam also and Vzziah for inâ—hroching vpon it And the Law was sharpe and generall If any stranger whatsoeuer not called to this Office by GOD approach the Altar hee was to dye The Reasons why the Lord thus precisely appointed these Priests and would not leaue it to euery man to performe this Office were these and such like First it was to be knowen that not euery man No not any man but the Man Christ Iesus could appease Gods wrath satisfie his iustice and take away the sinnes of the world reconciling vs to GOD and putting vs in assurance of eternall life This could not be figured out better than by secluding all the whole Hoste of Israel from this Office and choosing but Aaron and his sonnes as Types of Christ this onely able Priest to doe as I haue said and therefore they onely were chosen and so by such ordinance the Maiestie authoritie and if wée may so speake the propriety of Christs Office resembled and shadowed Secondly God was euer the God of order decencie and comelines and therefore in his Church would haue all things done accordingly not induring any to be an inuader of an other mans right an intruder of himselfe into another mans Office and a busie-body out of Rule out of order Certaine men therefore are appointed and they onely shall doe it Others if they meddle being strangers because not called shall dye the death as you heare before Thus hath he also in the New Testament established a Ministerie and giuen some Apostles some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors for the building-vp of his Church c. Hée also decréed that the contempt of these is the contempt of him and then iudge you first or last what punishment will insue In neither Olde nor New-Testament can we finde the Popish Priest-hood ordained to Sacrifice for the sinnes of quicke and dead For this is to denie the perfection of
his word séeing it is so sure a way for mée to walke in Or why should any Teacher deliuer to me that which hée neuer receiued of God to be deliuered to his people If they craue obedience why should they bée angry that I pray to haue it shewed out of his word whom onely I must obey Hée hath prescribed a forme of seruing him that forme hée will accept and blesse with eternall peace all other formes hée will abhorre and punish Nadab and Abihu preach so vnto vs and all flesh They wish vs to take héed by their harme God is in other things full of patience but in this he is full of wrath and his authoritie to appoint his owne worship he will not indure it to be taken from him by any man Let Popish whisperers then make good out of Gods word Latine Prayers when we vnderstand no Latin Calling vpon Saints that heare vs not Flying from the sufficiencie of Christs Passion to our owne merits crossings and creepings with a thousand deuised toyes and we will obey them But if they cannot let them leaue vs to serue God according to his word that we may bée accepted 3 You may also well note it here that Nadab Abihu were two of Aarons eldest sonnes which after their father should in his place haue succéeded him yet there is no mercie with God to stay his iudgement when they will not be ruled by his word No prerogatiue therefore of any man shall saue him from wrath if hee thus offend but the eldest shall die aswell as a yonger the richest aswell as the poorer a great man or woman aswell as a small There is no regard with God of these things But the soule that serueth him according to his owne will reueiled in his VVord that is regarded and euer déere vnto him c. Build we not therefore vpon any titles and so swarue from the rule laid downe vnto vs. If so little a transgression cannot be qualified any way by any circumstance O what will bée their case one day that so many wayes stray from the Law of God and almost in no one iote of their worship haue any warrant Thinke with your self more of this matter and meditate further of it at your times 4 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neere mee and before all the people I will be glorified You can conceiue what wo it was to Moses to sée this end of two of his brothers sonnes but he must stoope to God and so he doth telling Aaron the trueth of the fault and so consequently defending God that he did but iustly In déede saith he we must confesse that this is that we were told before how God will be sanctified in them that come neere vnto him that is how he will haue his Law obeyed and followed in his worship and not any way else how though he vse the Ministerie of man yet no man liuing must be wiser than Hee to swarue from the forme appointed and to follow his owne libertie but man must thinke it his wisedome to doe as God biddeth c. 5 But Aaron held his peace saith the Text that is was so astonished with the fearefulnes of it that he had no spéech but all amazed and shaken with the woe of it held his peace He howled not out with any vnséâ—mly cries neither vttered any words of rage and impatiencie but méekly stooped to Gods will kissed his rodde and held his peace If thus Aaron in so great a iudgement how much more we when our friends dye naturally swéetly and comfortably so that we may boldly say NoÌ„ amisimus sedpraemisimus VVe haue not lost them but sent them before vs whether we our selues hope to follow Lay to this heauie harted father yet silent and patient the example of olde father Elye the Priest to whom when Samuel had related such fearefull things quietly he answered It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The example also of Dauid who in his distresse very bitter and heauie yet notably said Let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes These are most excellent Paterns for vs to follow in all our crosses and griefes not forgetting that golden Saying of Iob Wee haue taken good things at Gods hands and shall we not take euill O yes yes The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and euer euer blessed be his Name for all The fish groweth greater in salt waters and the Lord for his mercie make our Faith Pacience and Comfort in him great in the saltest and bitterest waters of this world Amen 6 Obserue here againe with your selfe the strange and admirable change of these worldly matters in the turne as we say of a hand For but Yesterday as it were Aaron and these sonnes of his had a famous and glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignitie vpon earth nothing vnder the Sunne being more glorious than that Priest-hood in those dayes And how may you thinke his heart reioyced to sée not onely himselfe but his children which Parents often loue more than themselues so blessed and honoured But O change now sudden and fearefull O fickle fading comfort that man taketh hold of in this world whatsoeuer it be if wordly These sonnes so lately exalted and honoured to their old Fathers swéet and great ioy now lye destroyed before his face to his extréeme and twitching torment And how Not by any ordinarie and accustomed death but by fire from Heauen a sore and dreadfull iudgement For what also Euen for breach of commaunded dutie by the Lord all which doubled and trebled the fathers sorrow As it did in Dauid when his sonne Absolon died not an vsual death and in rebellion and disebedience against his king and Father You remember his passion then vttered O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne He considered the cause wherein he dyed the manner how he dyed to a father so kinde as Dauid was both of them full of woe and sorrow Let neuer therefore any prosperitie in this world puffe vs for wée little know what to morrow-day may bring with it The glasse that glistereth most is soonest broken the rankest corne is soonest layd and the fullest bough with pleasant fruite is soonest slit hauing more eyes vpon it moe stones cast at it than all the other boughs of the trée Pleasant wine maketh wise men fooles and fooles often starke mad Thousands fall at the left hand but tenne thousand at the right Multos fraÌ„git aduersitas sed plures extollit prosperitas Many saith Saint Bernard are crushed with aduersitie but more are puffed vp by prosperitie Lacertus Milonem perdidit ambitio Caesarem Nimis alter Naturae nimis alter Fortunae credidit Milo his strong arme ouerthrew him and Caesar his ambition The one
inward trueth and cleanenesse of heart euer fit for such as belong to him and without which none can be accepted of him At this therefore as I sayd wée must carefully ayme that we may be holy as our heauenly Father is holy And among all vncleanenesse beware of that which is noted by such things as goe vpon their pawes Namely to professe the Gospell for lucre-sake For where that is the cause the effect will fayle with the cause and whilest it continueth and faileth not yet is it hatefull to GOD for his ground The Gospell must bée loued to gaine Heauen and not to purchase the earth by it further than GOD shall please to cast it as an adiacent by his promise Seeke first the Kingdome of GOD and the Righteousuesse thereof and all these things shall be cast vnto you Saul his Armour was not fit for Dauid neither could hée march well against Goliah till hée had put it off no more shall men clogged with earthly cares couragiously and effectually goe against Satan that proud Philistim that would destroy them Peter walked aboue the water and Peter began to sinke vnder the Water Whilest thou louest GOD vnfeynedly thou walkest and when thou louest the world thou sinkest Loue not the world therefore neither the things that are in the world c saith Saint Iohn 1. Epist Chap. 2. verse 15. For it flattereth vs to deceiue vs it allureth vs to slay vs and it lifteth vs vp that it may throwe vs downe with a greater fall But meditate further with your selfe what inconstancie in earthly things you haue â—éene and let this suffice of this Chapter CHAP. XII IN this Chapter is contained the maner of VVomens purifying in those dayes after Child-birth A thing not to bée forced vpon vs in maner and forme as it then was vsed no more than other the Ceremoniall Lawes of Moses Yet is the Law and honestie of nature still and euer to be obserued amongst all people And forasmuch as in the Gospell there is mention made of the Blessed Virgins Purifying let vs bréefly consider this custome and labour to draw fit profit from it to our selues 1 Moses is willed to speake vnto the Children of Israel that is to the men that when a Woman hath brought foorth seede c. Why should the Law for VVomen be published and giuen to the men and not rather to the women themselues Surely to the ende that men might ioyne also with the women in a care to sée it obserued and kept according to the Commandement As the Lawes of Kings and Princes which belong to Labourers are giuen to Lords to sée them executed and performed Let Men note what trust God reposeth in them to sée that their wiues kéepe his Lawes and Ordinances and let them neuer be vnfaithfull to one of such loue towards them to trust them and of such power to punish their breach of trust Let WomeÌ„ note it to mooue their hearts to thinke both of their Husbands charge and their duetie They may not breake a Ceremonie but their Husbands shall be shent for it much lesse the substance of all Religion and obedience to God What a happy grace then for both to ioyne together and either to striue to excell other in carefull kéeping of God his Lawes 2 By this Ceremonie of Purification the Iewes and in them all men were put in minde of their naturall corruption and led as it were by the hand to the remedie against the same Christ Iesus Of the former plainly speaketh Dauid in his Psalme when hee sayth Behold I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne hath my Mother conceiued mee Before our birth and in our birth wée are vncleane and from our vncleanenes our mothers also become vncleane Which very plainly and truely confuteth that grosse error of Pelagius denying the propagation of sinne from Parents to children and affirming that by Imitation onely and not originally wée became euill But if the birth were cleane the mother by the birth should not become vncleane as this Ceremonie of Purifying did shadow that shee was God would therefore haue all men know what they are by Nature and inheritance from their Parents and what by grace through the remedie prouided Christ our onely righteousnesse and puritie Also that God had rather haue them neuer enter into the Church than to enter with corruption vnsorrowed for and vncared for 3 But why then was the Virgin Marie purified since the Childe shee bare had no vncleanenes or corruption in him being neither conceiued nor borne in sinne but the immaculate Lambe and the Sonne of God The Answere is that although Christ in himselfe was not onely pure but euen puritie it selfe and the Virgin Marie his Mother was not indéede properly and directly subiect to this Lawe because shee conceiued not by mans seede of which the Law was meant and Christ was Lord of the Lawe Yet forasmuch as it pleased him to take vpon him the person of all mankinde which was corrupt and sinfull so and in that respect both hee and the Blessed Virgin became obedient to the Law He saith the Apostle that he might redeeme vs from the curse of the Law who were indéed subiect to it as also by this his voluntary submission to it He might take away abrogate and giue an end to this Ceremonie so that now it is not néedfull to present any children in the Temple with an Offering as then was vsed but all puritie and cleanenes is to be sought for in Christ Iesus himselfe onely the body and truth of all these Figures and shadowes in the Law 4 A Question againe may bée asked why the time of Purification was doubled in a woman-childe to that it was in a man-childe And Answere is made by some that it was in respect of a naturall cause in the body which I leaue Others because in women there is more vice and euil than in man A hard iudgement and without any Warrant for who knoweth what is in either but onely God I meane the greatnes and full measure of euill Thirdly therefore it is answered and with more probabilitie that it was because the woman was the beginning of our fall deceiuing her husband when she was deceiued her-selfe and so drawing all her posteritie into the like fall and ruine with her But the last Answere and best as I thinke is because a man-childe was circumcised and not the woman therefore the punishment of being vncleane was lessned in the Male and doubled in the Female 5 The Difference of Offering allowed to the poorer sort very comfortably sheweth the gracious care God hath of our pouerty meane estate as also how little he passeth for any of our pompe riches accepting aswel of two Turtles or two yong Pigeons as of a Lambe when abilitie serueth not to bring a Lambe Let the due meditation hereof raise vp our hearts if wée
this be not Saint Iohn telleth vs Hee Hee not she shee is the propitiation for our sinnes And therefore Come vnto him all that trauell not vnto her c. But thus séeing our manifold vncleanenes and the right remedie of it by modestly and chastly reading ouer this Chapter I wade no further in it This is a taste of the vse of it More will follow in the next Chapter and Chapter 23. CHAP. XVI 1 STill the Lord goeth on to note mans imperfections how he is freed from them séeing herein consisteth all that wée truely know our selues to be as we are and the way of God appointed for our remedie First hée forbiddeth Aaron at al times to enter into the holiest of all whereby may be learned that euen Ministers aswell as other men are not rashly to enter into all the things of God but to stand in reuerence of some mysteries either dealing not at all or very aduisedly and sparingly with them as their nature requireth 2 It is shewed how he should come in when hée did enter Namely with a yong bullocke for a sinne offering and so foorth Learne wée may by it with what ornaments men and women should come before God It is not silke nor veluet that he careth for neither the costly Iewels of pearle and stone that wée thinke so highly of but come with a sinne offering that is come with an humble acknowledgement as this sinne offering figured that thou art a sinner confesse it to God with a gréeuing heart and bring Iesus Christ in thy soule with thée offering him by thy true faith to God his Father as a sure safetie for all sinners against deserued wrath and punishment 3 Hee must also put on the holy linnen coate c. Another shadow of Christ his righteousnes wherewith wée must be clothed and couered if wée euer finde acceptance with God For to that end Aaron did change his garment to shewe that hée sustayned an other person who was holy he himselfe beeing but a man subiect to imperfection and sinne To which end tended also his washing and sacrifice héere mentioned 4 This likewise serued to beat into the people their corruption when they sawe Aaron thus changed that was the Priest chosen of God and anoynted with the holy Oyle For if hee might not enter but in such sort how much lesse might they appeare at any time before God but in Christ and by Christ shadowed in all these sacrifices And concerning this once entring into the Holy place you haue had the figure of it before and the Place to the Hebre. noted Chap. 9. verse 8. Aaron entred but once a yéere and Christ but once the Tabernacles diuers Aaron by blood Christ by blood but the blood diuers Aaron made an Atonement Christ made an Atonement but in a differing manner Aaron outwardly or ciuily as touching the sight of man Christ of the conscience truely and rightly and touching God Hebr. 9. verse 9. 13. Aaron often Heb. 10. 11. Christ but once verse 12. 14. Aaron confessed sinnes and layd them vpon the Goate but his owne sinnes aswell as the peoples Christ had no sinnes of his owne and ours hee bare himselfe and layd them vpon himselfe not vpon any creature whatsoeuer 5 The two hee Goates béeing presented lots were to be cast ouer them one Lot for the Lord and another for the Scape Goate Thus was it shadowed that in a sinner there is nothing to make him worthy of God his choise And therefore as GOD would not chuse either the one Goate or other but by lot the one was appoynted and not by choyse so wee are accepted whensoeuer we finde fauour without all merit or matter worth or dignitie in our selues to mooue the Lord to such goodnesse 6 The Goate vpon which the Lords lot fell was offered for sinne-offering And Incense cast vpon the fire to make a cloude to couer the Mercy-seate that Aaron dyed not the one shadowing the death of the Sonne of God the other with what feare reuerence we ought euer to come before God For if to Aaron the Maiestie of him were so dangerous how much more to others not to bée compared to Aaron Would God we thought of this euer when we come to Church to doe our duties to him Then would there not in that place bée so much light behauiour and sléepie vsage of our selues as is by which things the holy place is defiled verse 16. Homines ita contaminant Dei sacra ne quid tamen discedat eorum naturae nec dignitas violetur Quare diserte exprimit Moses purgari Sanctuarium ab inquinamentis non suis sed Filiorum Israel Men doe so pollute the holy things of God that nothing departeth from their nature neither is their glorie violated Therefore playnly doth Moses lay downe that the Sanctuarie is to bee purged from pollutions not of their owne but of the Children of Israel 7 But as touching the other Goate called the Scape Goate it was brought aliue And Aaron saith God shall put both his hands vpon his head of it and confesse ouer him all the iniquities of the Châ—ildren of Israel all their trespasses in all their sinnes putting them vpon the head of the Goate and shall send him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wildernesse So the Goate shall beare vpon him all their iniquities into the land that is not inhabited c. From this Law of God no doubt did spring that Custome among the Heathens who offering Sacrifices as Herodotus witnesseth of the Aegyptians vsed to banne and curse the head of the beast offered in Sacrifice with these words That if any Euill bee to come either vpon the Sacrificers themselues or vpon the whole Countrey of Aegypt it would please the Gods to turne all vpon that Head The Massilians also yearely vsed to make an Atonement or expiation for their Citie with some holy man whom decked and set out with holy garments and with Garlands after the maner of a Sacrifice they led through the Citie and putting all the euils vppon his head that might any way hang ouer their Citie they cast him into the Sea sacrificing of him so vnto Neptune speaking these words with great solemnitie Be thou an expiation for vs. Thus the Heathen catched at things but not in a right maner whereby wée may well sée what a darkenesse it is to bee depriued of the light of the Word of God In like maner receiuing it from the Doctrine of the olde Fathers by the tradition of Noah his sonnes that there should in time come a Man who taking vpon him the sinnes of all men should become a Sacrifice for the saluation of all men and not vnderstanding the maner how this should bée they vsed in great extremities perils as Plagues Famine Warres c to offer vp men to their Gods to appease their wrath thereby So in Liuie wée
being Vehiculum animae vitalis for the Vitall spirits which yéeld vnto man through his whole bodie heate and motion and action are begotten of blood by the power of the heart and therefore mans life and the life of euery other creature is said to bée in the blood Secondly because the Lord had ordained blood to bée vsed in the Atonements made for sinnes as a plaine Figure of the blood of Christ the only able thing to purge and wash away our sinnes and offences therefore hée would haue blood regarded as a holy thing and not vsed by man as other meates might bée Thus God in his Law would not suffer man to eate the blood of a beast because it figured the blood of his Sonne in poperie we are taught to make no bones at Christ his own blood but to beléeue that the Wine in the Sacrament is turned into his very blood really and then to drinke the same boldly The Gospell shall not yéelde so much reuerence to Christ as the Law did Is it to be taught and bléeued God forbid 2 You may remember how the Apostles continued this Law Acts 15. 29. and aske why being a ceremoniall Law it was more continued than others To which answere is made that chéefly for three Causes they did it First to auoyd offence in the mindes of ignorant people not yet taught nor of the suddaine apt to heare of the abrogation of so ancient a Lawe euer since Noah his time Secondly that thus they might shewe that their doctrine was no other but euen the old ancient doctrine since the beginning of the Church And thirdly for discipline that men might still be afraid of murther by this continued ceremonie After when God had vouchsafed to his Church further knowledge this also was abrogated and men left to their liberties to eate blood as well as the flesh CHAP. XVIII IN a godly Common-wealth two things are necessarie right Religion according to Gods word and holy honesty of Matrimonie The first the Lord hath laid downe both in the ten Commandements Exod. 20. and in these Sacrifices thus passed ouer Now therefore it pleaseth him to come to the second Vnspotted Marriage Where he first vseth a Praeface to mooue them to diligent obseruation of what héerein he should say and then he commeth to the matter it selfe The first is contayned in the fiue former Verses And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them I am the Lord your God After the doings of the land of Aegypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the maner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances But doe after my iudgements and keepe my ordinances to walke therein I am the Lord your GOD c. This Praeface of some is taken generally to concerne all the Lawes of God the obseruation whereof is euer the sure safetie of a state publike or priuate For it is not the munition of walles leagues aliance with forreigne Princes largenes of confines plentie of treasure or such like that preserue a Common-wealth but carefull and diligent obseruation of publicke Lawes ordeyned of God for the good of man It is sayd Lacedemon flourished whilest Lycurgus his Lawes were obserued much more any Common-wealth when Gods be kept for what comparison betwixt mans Lawes Gods Demosthenes saith It was the maner of the Locrenses that if any man would publish deuise a New law he should put his necke into a halter ready to be put to death if the Law were not good by which meanes they made men more carefull to obserue old ancient tryed knowne Lawes than with busie heads to make new Now what Lawes so olde and so approued good as Gods Lawes Euer therefore are they to be regarded and hearkened vnto Others take this Praeface particularly of these Lawes concerning Mariage now following that if they be carefully kept a kingdome long flourisheth and if not soone it commeth to a fearefull fall For so odious and abhorred of God is the vnlawfull mixture of man and woman that the Lord cannot long with-hold great iudgements And thus much remember as you reade them euer that these lawes doe not concerne the Iewes onely as the Ceremoniall lawes now spoken of and iudiciall did but these lawes belong to all men and women and to all succeding times being eternall immutable grafted by God in mans nature and giuen by him for holinesse sake Note all the wordes well that God would not haue them like either the Aeygptians or Canaanites and wish with mée that there were a like law against our béeing like forreigne nations néere vs with Ruffes dipped in the deuils liquor called starche bursten-belly doublets garded as the French fringed as the Venetian Turkish heads Spanish backs Italian wastes c. giuing dayly occasion to the mockers that say French nets catch English fooles 2 The Praeface ended God commeth to the matter it selfe in the 6. verse saying None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh to vncouer her shame I am the LORD Kindred is of two sorts by societie of blood which is called Consanguinitie or by carnall coniunction of man and woman which is called Affinitie That popish kindred which they called spiritual kin dred arising by baptisme or confirmatiō this Chapter knoweth not neither any other part of Gods booke it was onely deuised for Popes gaine 3 The greatest Consanguinitie is betwixt Parents and children and therefore that is forbidden in these words Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy father nor the shame of thy mother for she is thy mother c. The very Heathens abhorred this wickednes as most vnnaturall and vile Yea the Camels saith Aristotle abhorre it by nature and the Colt will not come néere in this sort to the Dam God being pleased in brute beasts to giue vs an example against this thing Hermiene in Euripides could crie it was barberous Now when thus hée nameth father or mother you must not tie the words to our immediate parents onely and to immediate children but the words stretch to all the right line of Consanguinitie either ascending or descending For as it is vnlawfull for the daughter to marry with her grandfather or so vpward in the streight line so is it for the Father to marrie the Neece his Neeces daughter or her daughters daughter or any other down-ward again in the right line For all these if you reckon ten thousand of them are said to be as parents and children in respect one of another And by the Lawe of Nations it was euer accounted incest to marry vpward or downeward in the right line 4 The next Lawe is The shame of thy fathers wife shalt thou not discouer for it is thy fathers shame Hée meaneth the wife of my father that is my step-mother not mine
and bondage May not we remember burnings and killings and most hateful handlings of bloudic Butchers and persecutors May not we remember great warres and dissentions in this our natiue Countrie the fall of our friends and the change of many houses May not we remember great impositions and payments and in one word verie many miseries and calamities Laying them to the present times wherein we enioy truth and libertie of conscience without either death or danger or so much as any feare what a change is this to a man or woman that knoweth and feeleth the blessing O that we may send vp to God most thankful thoughts for it while we liue Now againe we entoy peace such as no Nation hath had the like We are not eaten vp with heauy and continuall payments but we liue as in heauen by comparison to former times The Lord hath driuen away the Cananites that would haue inuaded coÌ„quered had not he resisted for vs and ouerthrowne them He hath made vs a terror to our foes â—a refuge or sanctuarie for our friends when earst forreigne nations were Lords ouervs And for the last point we haue no more certaintie of abode here theÌ„ they had but looke for the same end of faith an induring house in heaneÌ„ Let vs theÌ„ do what we ought to do and what they did thank God most hartily for the change beséech him in his bottomles mercie to coÌ„tinue his fauors to vs that in peace we may liue in peace die in peace that neuer endeth liue with him for euer God for his sons sake grant it to vs. AmeÌ„ Amen CHAP. XXIIII IN this Chapter the first thing spoken of are the Lights vsed in the Tabernacle whereof mencion was made also before in the 17. Chapter These lights were not ordeined for our imitation now vnder the Gospel but in those times of shadows and figures they signified that while they were thus vsed the true light was not yet come by which all true beléeuers should be deliuered from the darknesse of death as Saint Paul speaketh of the Tabernacle Heb. 9. Papists lights then vsed still in their Churches and Massing places are euident signes that themselues see not the true light and as much as lyeth in them they thus confirme that Iewish expectance of the true light Christ as if yet hée were not come I know they haue their excuses or reasons for euerie thing but who is able to abide most of them As in this particular why vse they lights Forsooth in representation of the Trinitie the wax representing the Father the weeke the Sonne and the light the holy Ghost This boldnesse is fearefull and sinfull hauing neither warrant fitnesse nor reuerence Away with these lights therfore and imbrace we the true light who lightneth all that come into the world c. 2 This light also was a figure of true doctrine which euer must shine in the Church and Tabernacle of God The oyle Oliue which they are commaunded to bring you see here must bee pure to note that doctrine must haue no mixture of mans deuices but be pure The Priest is the man that hath charge of these lights and God his Ministers still are the Ministers of light and haue the charge of it in the house of God Happie they if they be carefull of it to their best abilitie that they may one day heare that ioyfull voyce Come come thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull ouer little and therefore now I will make thee ruler ouer much Enter enter into thy Maisters ioy c. 3 The next thing spoken of is the Shew-bread spoken of also before It likewise represented that as yet the true bread from heauen was not come That it is God vpon whom the eyes of all things wait and that openeth his hand feeding both man and all his creatures with his blessings That God so loued the Iewes as hee had them continually at his table with him yea euery Tribe particularly he loued there being 12. Cakes for euerie Tribe one c. More you may see Chap. 25. 4 The third thing touched in this Chapter is the matter of blasphemie vers 10. wherin your words are these And there went out among the children of Israel the son of an Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian and the sonne of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel stroue together in the host So the Israelitish womans sonne blasphemed the name of God and cursed and they brought him vnto Moses And they put him in ward till he told them the mind of the Lord. Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Bring the blasphemer without the host and let all that heard him put their hands vpon his head and let all the Congregation stone him And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying Whosoeuer curseth his GOD shall beare his sinne And hee that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death aswell the stranger as he that is borne in the land when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord let him be slaine What this blaspheming was if you looke your marginall note it saith by swearing or despiting God Interpreters mencion diuerse opinions and scanne both the Hebrew wordes and the Greeke translation of them all which I omit as still mindfull for whom I lahour and I ioyne with him that saith Ego hunc locum sic intelligo quod filius viri Egyptii male precatus sit alteri in iurgio vt fieri solet exoptauerit ei exitium aut calamitatem idque non simpliciter sed per nomen Dei. Non dixit tantum exopto tibi malum sed addidit ac diserte nominanit Deum aut nomen Domini inquiens Dominus det tibi malum per dat te perpetuo I vnderstand this place thus that the sonne of the Egyptian father cursed the other in chiding as the maner is wishing destruction or some calamitie to him and that not simplie but by the name of God For hee said not onely I wish thee euill but added and plainly named God or the name of God saying the Lord giue some euill to thee and vtterly destroy thee Our fearful damned phrases are Gods curse light on thee the plague of God take thee c. Which kind of speaking is most grieuously to abuse the name of God and to prophane it being not onely a breach of the second Table concerning the loue of our neighbour but a breath also of the first Table by taking his most holy name in vain This grieuous offender therfore is not winked at by theÌ„ that heard him neither yet punished by them that had no authoritie out of a colour of zeale but he is orderly and by a right zeale carried to Moses the magistrate and his offence opened there Moses againe although such a man yet will do nothing hasâ—ily in iudgement and especially touching life but he will be
performance of what they promise And those in honestie 〈◊〉 firme vntill they bée either performed or r 〈…〉 ased by him or them to whom they were made Religious Vowes are such as are made to performe thereby some worship to GOD and they are of two sortes either such as are Vere Religiosa Truely religious Or Speciem habent or such as haue a shewe of Religious Vowes Truely Religious are they that bynde to the performance of things commaunded as that in Baptisme named before and in the other Sacrament of the LORDS Supper with such like In Prayer also and Thanksgiuing vnto which vsually Vowes were annexed in Prayer shewing their most earnest desire to obtaine their requests at Gods hand and in thanksgiuing shewing their due féeling of his goodnesse and in regard thereof promising to doe this or that lawfull thing when they should come to the place where Sacrifices onely were to be offered all places as you know béeing not allowed but the place which God did choose from which many Iewes dwelled farre came but at times And as prayers were made in perill of sicknesse of sea of warre and such like so were Vowes Such as haue a shewe of Religious Vowes are those that are deuised for the honouring of God but haue no warrant from him neither indéede are allowed of him And these againe may be said to bée of two sorts For sometimes they are directly against and â—ontrary to the Word as to vow any mans death as they did Pauls in the Acts to vow to call vpon Saints and Creatures in our prayers with such like Sometimes they are not contrary yet not expresly commanded but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indifferent And these things béeing drawen by a vowe from their true nature of indifferencie and made necessarie to saluation and to Gods seruice there is a will-worship dispeasing to God But because this matter of Vowes will come in a more fit place to be spoken of if God please in the Booke of Numbers there 〈◊〉 leaue the orderly Treatise of them to that pl 〈…〉 9 The reference here made to the 〈◊〉 farre it is from establishing any Popish eare-shri 〈…〉 〈…〉 ry childe may perceiue and therefore weake is that doctrine that leaneth vpon such weake grounds I haue else where sufficiently disprooued this error and therefore stand not vpon it here 2. The second part of the Chapter is concerning Tythes which matter hath been also some-what touched before with this people of the Iewes there were three kindes of Tythes One that was yearely giuen to the Leuites of all corne and cattle An other that the Leuites payd to the Priests out of those which they receiued of the people which Tythes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tythes out of tythes whereof you read Numb 18. 26. Speake also vnto the Leuites and say vnto them when yee shall take of the Children of Israel the Tythes which I haue giuen you of them for your inheritance then shall yee take an heaue offering of that same for the Lord euen the tenth part of the tythe A third that was payed euery third yeare beside the general tythes out of all fruites growen vpon the earth and layd vp to the reliefe of the poore and of the Leuites and strangers which tythes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poores tythes whereof yo 〈…〉 ead Deutro 14. 28. At the end of the third yeare thou shalt bring foorth all the tythes of thine increase of the same yeare and lay it vp within thv gate c. Read the Marginall Note there in your Bible The like againe in the 26. Chap. The paying of tythes wil tauâ—ht them that life and all the nourishments of life which the â—arth yealdeth are the giftes of a gracious God that ouer and aboue all deseruings powreth his mercies vpon men They maintained the Ministerie relieued the poore c. As hath been sayd and they shadowed Christ the inheritance of the Leuites and as yet of all Ministers and the comfort of all men that depend vpon him The number of Ten is a perfect number and absolute beside which there is no other which is not conteyned in it So is Christ the beginning and end of all And they taught that a part being made holy by dedication to God all the rest should bée holily vsed and neither spent in ryot and sinne nor hoorded vp to make a dearth and famine to the destruction of the poore c. 2 There are spirituall tythes which the godly haue a care euer to giue vnto God by referring all the gifts of body and minde which the Lord had bestowed vpon them to the seruice and glory of his Name Which tythes Pharaoh payd not when hee said Who is the Lord that I should obey him or heare him Neither Asshur when he boasted of his strength and power against God whereof Esay 10. Verse 7 and so on read it I pray you Neither Nabuchadnezzar Antiochus and others that being wormes meate and dust yet insulted ouer God and forgot themselues God kéepe vs out of the companie of them and the ranke with them and God graunt that wée may carefully as wée are able giue the Lord Tythe of our seuerall abilities any way My Brethren the Ministers of his holy Word and Sacraments by teaching and labouring euery way to saue foules and to bring men to the fold of Christ neuer caring what euill men may say of their preaching or writing of the plainenesse of it manner of it or such like but pitching their eyes and hearts vpon God and his people Feede feede feede his Sheepe his Lâ—mbes the price of his Sonnes blood with all their loue strength thinking whilest there is 〈◊〉 how much the prayse of man for curiositie eloquence and affectation shall differ from the praise of GOD when hee shall say O good and faithfull seruant c. What should I adde some men will scorne all admonition yet all neither doe nor will So to fly a pitch here as a man may both fly-vp and pitch in heauen hereafter is an happy thing And I say no more Thus much shall suffice of this Booke called Leuiticus the vse whereof I shewed in the beginning and I hope haue now fully made manifest by the perticulars that haue been handled My poore labour I humbly commend to him that made my heart and knoweth my heart Hée hath blessed and can blesse euery mans indeauours according to his gracious will and pleasure In which had I not rested too well I know these dayes and times what discouragements they yéeld many wayes than in them to haue gone foreward any further but to haue staied with that which I began when things were better taken Yet blessed bée GOD hée hath his portion and Wisedome is iustified of her children The Preacher saith Saint Gregorie should bee like the Smiths burning iron which not onely heateth those that are neare but casteth sparkes farre of The Sunne saith
affliction fitting vs to Gods Kingdome and the Lawe teaching vs what to doo and what to flie Consider of these Marginall Quotations by your selfe and add the like vnto them And touching these bitter waters marke howe they are a meanes to discouer the hidden bitternes which lay in the hearts of these Murmurers and thinke with your selfe that euen so doth bitter aduersitie in many men and women at this day disclose secrets and shewe them to haue weakenes before not knowne or thought of Secondly Note howe in trauelling to the Land of Canaan wee must assuredly passe by Marah and there wee must make a pitching place for a time till it shall please God to graunt a Remoue Bitter bitter and very bitter will the waters prooue but murmure we not as these men did for hee that was so gracious as to make them sweete to such Repiners what will he doo in his good time to vs if we patiently abide his will surely he will much more respect vs and euen boast of our patience to our eternall good as he did of his seruant Iobs righteousnes But now for the tree some aske whether there were any such vertue in it by Nature to swéeten waters and if there were what néede God had to vse any such meanes séeing with his onely word hee could haue helped them for answere whereunto it may first be saide concerning the first that the Lord hath giuen most excellent vertues to his creatures beastes hearbes plants stones trées and such like thereby to shewe his mightie power wisedome and mercie As for beasts their blood their flesh their fat c what vertues are in them for hearbs some comfort and helpe the braine some the eyes some the liuer some the heart some one part some another with most rare and souereigne qualities giuen them of GOD for this end The consideration whereof hath greatly delighted many worthy persons and caused them both to speake and write of them with great pleasure Methridates that great King of Pontus and of one and twentie Kingdomes more for his wonderfull skill in hearbes and his souereigne remedie against poyson and contagious diseases called after his name Methridate is become in all Bookes and Monuments of learning renowned and famous Lysimachus Eupator King of Ilyricum is said to haue béene most skilfull in hearbs Artemisia the wife of Mausolus King of Caria was an excellent Lady for knowledge in hearbes Marcus Valerius Coruinus a worthie Romane was so delighted with the studie of hearbs that he withdrewe himselfe into the Countrie where he might wholely as it were dwell in his Garden But what speake I of these since we all knowe what is written of Salomon namely how he wrote of all Trees from the Cedar which is in Libanon vnto the Hyssop which springeth out of the wall that is from the highest to the lowest hee wrote of plants and hearbes besides of beasts fowles creeping things and fishes worthie Bookes no doubt if it had pleased God to let them continue to this day The strange vertues of precious stones diuers likewise haue written whom both with pleasure and profit we may reade Concerning all which happie qualities vouchsafed to these Creatures and euen particularly of this wood we now speake of remember with your selfe that Notable Testimonie of Iesus the sonne of Syrach in his Booke The Lord saith he hath created medicines of the earth and he that is wise will not abhorre them Was not the water made sweete with wood that men might knowe the vertue thereof So he hath giuen men knowledge that he might be glorified in his wondrous works With such doth he heale men taketh away their paines Of such doeth the Apothecarie make a confection c. Such vertue therefore was in the wood giuen to it by God who is the God of Nature and giueth all these things To the second why God should vse such meanes being able with his word to swéeten them true Answere may bee made that although God be able to doo all things by himselfe yet chooseth hee often to worke by meanes and that for our good As first that so he might teach vs his Souereigne power ouer all Creatures vsing them at his pleasure when and how he shall best like and draw vs to the true reuerence worship of him as Creator Ruler Lord and Gouernour of all the creatures Secondly that hee might manifest by this meanes his loue and goodnes to vs much more when he maketh all his creatures serue to our health comfort and good and so drawe and stir vs vp to true thankfulnes vnto him for it Thirdly that he might teach vs thus not to abuse those his creatures which with so excellent vertues and qualities are created for vs to doo vs good Fourthly that we might learne by this meanes not to contemne second Causes and meanes by abusing through a vaine presumption the holy Doctrine of his prouidence For when God himselfe is pleased to vse these instrumentes who are wee that wee shoulde reiect them and if we doo what doo we contemne and reiect but his Ordinance Lewd and wicked therefore are the Anabaptists who as of the soule so of the body cast away the meanes of health and yet say they desire the health of both S. Augustines words I cannot passe ouer fit for them and fit for vs in this matter in his whole 29. Chapter of the 7. Booke of the Citie of GOD shewing howe God vseth second causes in the gouernment of the world because he hath created them to that purpose Yet euer he doth not tie himself to these things but sometimes without them and euen contrarie to them hee worketh his will also that thereby wee might learne his vsing of them to be without néede séeing hee can worke without them if he please Secondly that when hee vseth them it is he that worketh by them and not they without him as he giueth light in the Sun he féedeth vs in our meate c. For if without them it be he much more in them and by them it is he Thirdly that wee might sée how many waies he is able to helpe vs when any thing is wanting vnto vs which is néedefull And this we may well thinke was the cause héere why it pleased GOD to shewe this Tree that they might be ashamed of their impatiencie and mistrust neuer more so sinning againe séeing by one meanes or other there is with him euer so readie easie helpe Yea this is the cause also why euen contrary to Nature he worketh often that neither to Nature we should tie him despairing of health wealth or liberty when we sée no means or meanes in reason working to the contrary forasmuch as he is stall about all and can with meanes without meanes agréeably to Nature contrary to Nature giue his Name praise and his children comfort in a moment Profit wee therefore thus by this Tree shewed to Moses in
extremity to make the waters sweere withall 4 There he made them an ordinance and a lawe and there he prouoked them and said If thou wilt diligently hearken O Israel vnto the voice of the Lord thy GOD and wilt doo that which is right in his fight and wilt giue eare vnto his Commaundements and keepe all his Ordinances then will I put none of these diseases vpon thee which I brought vpon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee Where the Lord tryed them by want of water there he also admonished them by his Word declaring vnto them their inst deseruing of such Plagues and diseases as were inflicted vpon the Egyptians from which they had béene frée hitherto onely by his frée mercy and goodnesse and acquainting them that the only way for them so to continue still was to hearken to his Will and to obey the same otherwise he being the only Author of health it could not be so with them Which word of his let it informe vs what also is our defence from all euill certainely euen the same LORD and none but Hee The way also to obtaine it the very same that was then To hearken and to obey not our willes but his not our wisdomes but his 〈◊〉 our lawes but his This this shall abide and 〈◊〉 and only this All mans deuises and will worship shall varnth as vile from before him Consider well of the Psalme where first is put forgiuenesse of Sins and then the healing of all infirmities 5. Then came they to Elim where were twelue fountaines of water and seuenty Palme trees and they camped there by the waters So commeth comfort after sorrow and plenty after scarcety For now they haue 12. fountaines of water and goodlie trees to yéelde them cooling shadowes for their comfort And surely the trialls of the Church or of any particular member therein shall haue a ioyful end and though they be neuer so many yet the Lord deliuereth out of them all Who would not trust then in such a God and tarry his time that neuer faileth God for his mercy sake giue vs faith and constant patience Amen Amen CHAP. 16. The generall Heades of this Chapter are chiefely these The grieuous murmuring of these Israelites The gift of Manna from heauen The lawes and Orders concerning the same 1. BEfore their murmuring there is in the first verse mention made of another camping namely in the Wildernesse of Sin which was the 8. place they had pitched in since their comming out of Egypt And in the booke of Numbers a particular Record is made of all the places together as likewise in an other place of that Booke That at the commaundement of the Lord they iournied and at the commaundement of the Lord they pitched By all which wée comfortably may sée that the Tabernacles or Tents of the Church and euery particular member are pitched where the Lord will and taken-vp and remooued when hée will and whither hée will For hée it is that gouerneth and guideth all these things euen as hée dooth all other matters in this world nothing is done without his Will. The lot is fallen to me saith the Prophet Dauid in a faire place I haue a goodly heritage Thereby ascribing to the Lord this honour that by him euery mans portion and place in this world is appointed He diuided the Land of Canaan and gaue to euery Tribe that part which by his seruant Iacob he had foretoldlong before Whiâ—h doctrine may yéelde euery heart patience and peace to be quiet and contented with Gods Will howsoeuer it be For beggars may be no choosers and wée are all his beggars that ruleth these things Haue I little it is his Will and I ought to be pleased Haue I more it is more mercy and God make me thankfull Thankfull for the one and thankfull for the other and euer contented with his Will My pitching is here or there by his prouidence in a faire house or a foule in a rich liuing or a small in a good countrie or a bad in England or in Fraunce and wheresoeuer or howsoeuer it is aboue my merit and therefore I should bée pleased and thankfull 2 The time is named to wit the fifteenth daie to let vs all know that euen so much more detestable was their ingratitude by how much the remembrance of so great and wonderfull a deliuerance from their enemies was more fresh in me 〈…〉 rie béeing solate And will it not bée so in vs Therefore thus wâ—ulde I haue vs profit by it euen to thinke in the Morning of our safety by his mercy all the Night And at Night of our safety all the daye And still 〈◊〉 of freshe fauoures which vnlesse I bee thankefull for I must néeâ—â—s bée a great offender séeing it is not possible to pleade forgetfulnesse in such fresh and newe thinges Nay if it were a fault in these Israelites to forget or to be dull in a matter of fiftéene dayesolde how much greater a fault in the morning to forget to bée thankfull for the nights mercy last before and but euen now ended but you sée my drift follow it further by yourselfe Surely surely fresh fauours would haue fresh remembrances and zealous and hearty thankes for them 3. Their murmuring is next spoken of and next by vs to bée considered A foule and grieuious fault euer but in this people so blessed with happie experiences of care and loue of might and mercy in their Allsufficient GOD more 〈…〉 nable and more odious than in others Whereupon the Apostle giueth them for an example to all people in all ages to learne to auoide this wickednesse saying Murmure nor as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Numb 14. 36. For all these things came vppon them for examples and were written to admonish vs vppon whom the ends of the worlde are come The whole course of Gods sacred Scriptures crieth out of this sin in men and Women chiefely professing God For doo al things saith the same Apostle without murmuring reasoning And S. Peter Beyâ— harbâ—â—durs one to an other without murmuring The care of Ielousie saith Wisdome heareth all things the noise of grudgings shall not be hid Therefore beware of Murmuring which profiteth nothing and refraine your â—onge from slaunder for there is no word so secret which shall got for nought and the mouth that speaketh lies flayeth the soule Caine murmured and the Scripture noteth it as his sinne These Israelites were grieuous murmurers sometimes for their labour sometimes for drink sometimes for flesh sometimes in distrust to obtaine the Cittie so strongly walled sometimes for feare to bée killed of their enemies sometimes at GODS iustice vpon their disobedient bretheren sometimes for want of dainties as Figges Pomegranats Uines c. sometimes for that they were ouerdoied with Manna 〈◊〉 and for other like causes vpon all which the