not be beneficiall to them that in this life doe not acknowledge him The Paschall Lambe Must be eaten with vnleauened breade to declare that the fayth of Christ may not be mixed eyther with the Sourenesse of error and false doctrine or with corruption of Sinfull and wicked life but altogither with truth and sinceritie Therefore Christ gaue his Disciples warning That they should beware of the * leauen that is the corrupt doctrine of the Pharisies and Saduces And saint Paule to the Corinth Our passeouer is offered Christ Iesu c. Therfore let vs solemnize the feast not in the leauen of malice and craftinesse but in the vnleauened breade of sinceritie and truth The loynes of them that eate the Passeouer must be gyrded as prepared to a iourney in token that they that doe receyue Christ must be as Pilgrimes in this life and in readinesse to passe out of the Egypt of this world into the land of promise our heauenlye Heritage For we haue not here a Citie or place to dwell in but we must looke alwayes to the heauenly Hierusalem that our Sauiour hath purchased for vs. And therefore Luk. 12. Christ warneth vs That vve should haue our loines gyrded and lampes in our handes like vnto seruants that are readie looking for their maister vvhen he vvil come This feast of the Passeouer was ordeyned to be kept once euery yeare not only that the people shoulde themselues call to remembrance their Deliuerie but also by that occasion from time to time instruct their youth and teach them to vnderstande Gods great goodnesse towarde them and his Miraculous woorkes by hys myghtie hande wrought for them Wherefore we also at the solemnising of the memoriall of oure Passeouer should not onely * set forth the death and passion of Christ and the great mercies of GOD thereby brought vnto vs but teach our youth and children also that they may in like maner vnderstande the Benefit of our redemption in Christ and the sweet comfort that riseth thereof And Pharao called vnto Moses and Aaron by night saying rise vp c. Here is the effect of Gods mightie working for his people and the fulfilling of his promise that the obstinate and harde hearte of Pharao which had set himselfe against Gods purpose was nowe so broken that he was not onely wylling to let the Israelites go but also did Hasten them away to depart with speede so that they could not haue time to prepare themselues eyther bread or meate for the iourney in so much that they were faine to take their dowe before it was sowred and carie it on their shoulders And in remembrance of this fulfilling of their promise and of their speedie deliuerāce he willed them euer after to Solemnise the feast of vnleauened bread And the children of Israel did according to the saying of Moyses c. In this place is to be obserued the fulfilling of an other promise of God made not onely to Moses in the third Chapiter of this booke but to Abraham also manye yeares before Gene. 15. Knowe thou sayth God that thy seede shall be a straunger in a lande that is not his and the people therof shall keepe them vnder in bondage and shall afflict them foure hundred yeares but I will iudge that people and afterwarde they shal depart with great substance This promise is here fulfilled For the Israelites depart with great Treasure that they borrowed of the Egiptians As touching the doubt howe the Israelites might spoyle the Egiptians by borrowing their Iewels and not minding to come againe I haue spoken in the exposition of the thirde Chapiter Vers 21. 22. And the children of Israel toke their iourney from Ramesis to Sucoth c. God had promised to Abraham that he woulde multiply his seede as the starres of Heauen which we see in this place also notablie fulfilled Iacob entered into Egipt but with sixtie and sixe persons and nowe although they liued in great seruitude and bondage many yeares in so much that their men Children were slaine and murdered yet they be nowe growen to this great number of men beside Children The dwelling of the children of Israel while they dwelled in Egipt c. This number of yeares is not to be accompted from the entrance of Iacob into Egipt with his familie for that was but two hundred and ten yeres But the reckening must begin from that time that Abraham went into Egipt because of the Famine and from the time that the Promise was made to him for the blessing of his seede Gen. 15. This may appeare by the wordes of S. Paule Gal. 3. This I say that the lawe which beganne afterwarde beyonde 430. yeres doth not disanull the testament c. Whē Paule sayth The law that was made afterward he meaneth after the Promise made to Abraham whereof he had spoken in the wordes immediatly before So that from the promise made to Abraham vnto the making of the lawe was but little aboue .430 yeares And then all that time can not be assigned to the dwelling of the children of Israel in Egipt after Iacob came thether But because the seede of Abraham was so many yeares Pilgrimes in straunge landes therefore is it so sayde in this place Easter day at Euening praier Exodus 14. ANd the Lorde spake vnto Moyses saying 2 Speake to the childrē of Israel that they turne and pitche their tentes before Pi-hahiroth betweene Migdol and the sea ouer against Baal-sephon and before that shal they pitch by the sea For Pharao wil say of the children of Israel They are tangled in the lande the wildernesse hath shut them in 4 And I will harden Pharaos heart that he shall followe after you and I will get me honour vpon Pharao and vpon all his hoast The Egiptians also shall knowe that I am the Lorde And they did so 5 And it was tolde the king of Egipt that the people fledde And the heart of Pharao and of his seruants turned against the people and they saide Why haue we done this that we haue let Israel go out of our seruice 6 And he made readie his charet tooke his people with him 7 And tooke sixe hundred chosen charrets and al the charets of Egipt and captaines vpon euery one of them 8 And the Lorde hardened the heart of Pharao king of Egipt and he folowed after the children of Israel but the children of Israel went out with an highe hande 9 And the Egiptians folowed after them and all the horses and charets of Pharao and his horsemen and his hoast ouertooke them pitching of their tent by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth before Baal-sephon 10 And when Pharao drew nigh the children of Israel lift vp their eies and beholde the Egiptians folowed after them and they were sore afraide and the children of Israel cried out vnto the Lorde 11 But they saide vnto Moyses because there were no graues in
smite thée and thy people with pestilence and thou shalt perishe from the earth 16 And in verse déede for this cause haue I kept thée â–ª for to shew thée my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde 17 Yet exaltest thou thy selfe against my people that thou wilt not let them go 18 Beholde to morowe this time I will sende downe a mightie great hayle such a one as was not in Egypt since the foundation thereof was layde vnto this time 19 Send therefore now and gather thy beastes and all that thou hast in the fielde for vpon all the men and the beastes which are founde in the fielde and not brought home shall the hayle fall and they shall die 20 And as many as feared the worde of the Lord amongst the seruants of Pharao made their seruants and their beasts â—lee â—â—to the houses 21 But he that regarded not the worde of she Lorde left his seruants and his beastes in the field 22 And the Lord sayd vnto Moses Stretch forth thy hand vnto heauen that there may be hayle in all the lande of Egypt vpon man and vpon beastes and vpon all the hearbes of the fielde throughout the lande of Egypt 23 And Moyses stretched forth his rod vnto heauen and the Lord thundred and hayled and the fire ranne along vppon the grounde and the Lord hayled in the lande of Egypt 24 So there was hayle and fire mingled with the hâ—â—le so grieuous and such as there was none throughout all the lanâ—â— of Egypt since people inhabited it 25 And the hayle smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field â–ª both man and beast and the hayle smote all the hearbes of the fielde and broke all the trées of the fielde 26 Onely in the lande of Gosen where the children of Israell were was there no hayle 27. And Pharao sent and called for Moses and Aaron and saide vnto them I haue now sinned the Lorde is righteous 〈◊〉 I and my people are vngodly 28 Praye ye vnto the Lorde that these thunderings of God and hayle may be 〈…〉 and I will let you go and ye shall â—arâ—e no longer 29 â—â—yses layde vnto him Assoone as I am out of the Citie I will spread abroade my handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder shal ceasse neither shall there be any more haile that thou mayst know howe that the earth is the Lordes 30 But I know that thou and thy seruants yet feare not the face of the Lorde God. 31 And so the flaxe and the barlie were smitten for the barly was shot vp and the flaxe was boulled 32 But the wheate and the rie were not smitten for they were late sowne 33 And Moises went out of the Citie from Pharao and spred abroade his handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder and hayle ceassed neyther rayned it vpon the earth 34 And when Pharao â—awe that the raine and the haile and thunder were ceassed he sinned yet more and hardened his hart he and his seruants 35 And the hart of Pharao was hardened neyther would he let the children of Israell go as the Lord had sayde by the hand of Moises The .6 Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 10. ANd the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses Go into Pharao for I haue hardened his heart and the heart of his seruantes that I might shewe these my signes before him 2 And that thou tell in the audience of thy sonne and of thy sonnes sonne what things I haue done in Egypt and the miracles which I haue done amongst them that ye maye knowe howe that I am the Lorde 3 And so Moyses and Aaron came into Pharao and said vnto him Thus sayth the Lord God of the Hebrewes How long wilt thou refuse to submit thy selfe vnto me Let my people go that they may serue me 4 Or else if thou refuse to let my people go beholde to morrowe will I bring Grashoppers into thy coastes 5 And they shall couer the face of the earth that it can not be séene and they shall eate the residue which remayneth vnto you and is escaped from the hayle and they shall eate euery gréene trée that beareth you fruite in the fielde 6 And they shall fill thy houses and all thy seruaents houses and the houses of all the Egiptians after such a maner as neyther thy fathers nor thy fathers fathers haue séene since the time they were vpon the earth vnto this day And he turned himselfe about and went out from Pharao 7 And Pharaos seruantes sayd vnto him Howe long shall he be hurtfull vnto vs Let the men go that they may serue the Lorde their God knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed 8 And Moyses and Aaron were brought againe vnto Pharao and he sayde vnto them Go and serue the Lorde your God but who are they that shall go 9 And Moyses answered We will go with our yong and with our olde and with our sonnes and with our daughters and with our shéepe and with our Oxen we must go for we must holde a feast vnto the Lorde 10 And he saide vnto them Let the Lorde be so with you as I will let you go and your children take héede for ye haue some mischiefe in hande 11 Nay not so but go ye men and serue the Lorde for that was your desire And they were thrust out of Pharaos presence 12 And the Lorde saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thine hande ouer the lande of Egipt for Grashoppers that they may come vpon the lande of Egipt and eate all the hearbes of the lande and all that the hayle left behinde 13 And Moyses stretched forth his rod ouer the lande of Egipt and the Lorde brought an east winde vpon the lande all that day and all that night and in the morning the east winde brought the grashoppers 14 And the grashoppers went vp ouer all the lande of Egipt and remained in all quarters of Egypt verie grieuously before them were there no such grashoppers neyther after them shall be 15 For they couered all the face of the earth so that the lande was darke and they did eate all the hearbes of the lande and all the fruites of the trées whatsoeuer the hayle had left there was no greene thing left in the trées and hearbes of the fielde through all the lande of Egipt 16 Therefore Pharao called for Moyses and Aaron in haste and saide I haue sinned against the Lorde your God and against you 17 And nowe forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lorde your God that he may take away from me this death onely 18 And Moyses went out from Pharao and prayed vnto the Lorde 19 And the Lorde turned a mightie strong west winde and it tooke away the grashoppers cast them into the red sea so that there was not one grashopper in all the coastes of Egipt 20 And the Lord hardened Pharaos heart so that he woulde
so often desire pardon of his speeche What if tenne shall bee founde there He answered I will not destroy c. Some may doubt why Abraham descended not to a smaller number of sixe or foure but stayed at ten But it may be that he was stayed with Modestie and â—ash fulnesse hauing so often before excused his boldnesse Or else wheÌ„ he perceyued the Angell to yelde to tenne he thought it were vnlikely that in so Great a companie there should not be that number of Iust men Or else vnderstanding by the Angel that there were not tenne he did not iudge them Worthie to be preserued by Gods mercie and therefore so stayed himselfe But whatsoeuer the cause hereof was This is of Gods exceeding great Mercies and a singular Comforte to the Iust and godly that the Angel of God in punishing the wicked shall not only Fynde them out and Preserue them as appeareth by * Loth but also in respecte of a smal number of them will spare the Sinfull and wicked that they may haue loÌ„ger * tyme to Repent This Horrible wickednesse of the Sodomites did not at once encrease to so greate an outrage as it may before be perceyued by the Angell but first began Riot and Seusualitie thorough Wealth and plentie of Gods benefites Then followed Pryde Crueltie and Vnmercyfulnesse And lastly InduratioÌ„ with Contempt of God and all godlie Aduertisementes so that they * gaue themselues ouer to all Fylthynesse euen with Delight And the Lord went his way so soone as he had lefte communing with c. The other two Angels are mentioned before Vers 22. to haue departed toward Sodome but this thirde to whom Abraham had directed his talke taried with him vntill this tyme. So that we haue here a testimonie of Gods great goodnesse who wold not haue his Angel departe before that Abraham had finished euen his Last demaund And then Abraham also departed homewarde beeing vndoubtedly very pensiue and sorie for the plague that should fall vpon the inhabitantes of Sodome and Gomorrha But in the meane tyme they themselues whome this thing shoulde haue moste nighely touched were drowned in deepe Securitie and delighting in filthie pleasure to fulfil the same assaulted the house of iust Loth to pul foorth the StraÌ„gers that were with him Thus * sodainly when the sinfull least thinke of it doth their Plague fall vpon their heads by the iust iudgement of God. Trinitie Sundaye at Euening prayer The firste Chapiter of Iosuah AFter the death of Moyses the seruaunt of the Lorde it came to passe that the Lorde spake vnto Iosuah the sonne of Nun Moyses minister saying 2 Moyses my seruant is dead nowe therefore aryse goe ouer this Iordane thou and all this people vnto the lande the which I to them the children of Israell doe giue 3 All the places that the soales of your féete shall treade vpon haue I giuen you as I sayde vnto Moyses 4 From the wildernesse and this Libanon vnto the great riuer Euphrates all the lande of the Hethites euen to the great sea towarde the goyng downe of the Sunne shall be youre coast 5 There shall not a man be able to withstand thée all the dayes of thy lyfe for as I was with Moyses so will I be with thée and wil not fayle thée nor forsake thée 6 Bée strong therefore and bolde for vnto this people shalt thou deuide the lande for inheritance whiche I sware vnto their fathers to giue them 7 Only be thou strong and of a stoute courage that thou mayste obserue and doe according to all the lawe whyche Moyses my seruaunte commaunded thée turne from the same neyther to the ryght hande nor to the lefte that thou maist doe wysely in all that thou takest in hande 8 Let not the booke of this law depart out of thy mouth but occupie thy mynd therin day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalte thou doe wisely 9 Haue not I commanded thée that thou shouldest be strong and hardie and not feare nor be faynte hearted For I the Lorde thy God am with thée whether soeuer thou goest 10 Then Iosuah coÌ„manded the officers of the people saying 11 Go through the middes of the host coÌ„maunde the people saying Prepare you vitailes for after thrée days ye shall passe ouer this Iordane to goe in and enioy the land which the Lord your God giueth you to possesse it 12 And vnto the Rubenites Gadites and halfe the tribe of Manasses spake Iosuah saying 13 Remember the worde whiche Moyses the seruante of the Lorde commanded you saying The Lord youre God hath giuen you rest and hathe giuen you this lande 14 Youre wyues youre chyldren and youre cattell shall remayne in the lande which Moyses gaue you on this side Iordane but ye shal go before your brethren armed all that be men of warre and helpe them 15 Vntill the Lorde haue giuen youre brethren rest as he hath you and vntyll they also haue obteyned the land whiche the Lorde your God geueth them and then shall ye retourne vnto the land of your possession and enioy it whiche land Moyses the Lords seruant gaue you on this side Iordane toward the sunne rising 16 And they aunswered Iosuah saying All that thou hast commaunded vs we will doe and whither soeuer thou sendest vs we will go 17 According as wée obeyed Moyses in all thyngs so will wée obey thée onely the Lorde thy God be with thée as he was with Moyses 18 And whosoeuer he be that doth disobey thy mouth and will not hearken vnto thy words in all that thou commandest him let him die only be strong and of good courage The Exposition vpon the firste Chapter of Iosuah After the death of Moyses the seruant of the Lorde it came to passe c. THe fyrste Chapiter of the Booke of Iosuah conteyneth three parts First the Calling Comforting of Iosuah secondly the accepting of the Charge by Iosuah and thirdely the Submission of the people vnto his gouernement After what manner God spake to Iosuah at this tyme it is not in the Scripture expressed whether it were by inwarde inspiration or by vision or by the ministerie of an Angell or some good man Only we haue to vnderstand that the wordes here vttered to Iosuah proceeded from God and from hys authoritie and teache vs these good lessons Firste that Moyses the good seruant of God dyed and went the common waye of all fleshe and therfore that we that folow may not looke for any * perpetuitie or long continuance in this life but must loke and * long alway for the blessednesse and Happie estate of the Lyfe to come where Death shall * ende his kingdome bothe of Soule and Bodie Secondly wee are instructed what to iudge of Moyses after his death and by him of all other the
Saintes of God that is to Iudge thē the good seruāts of God and the blessed Ministers of his vnestimable Benefites towarde Mankinde but yet not so that wee make them Gods by worshipping of them by putting trust and confidence in them and by calling on them in the time of our distresse For those pointes of * honor belongeth to God alone can not be giuen to other without manifest perill of Idolatrie And therefore it may be thought that the prouidence of God did hide and keepe secrete the bodie of Moyses from the Ievves Deut. 34. that they myghte not haue that occasion to abuse it to Idolatrie Thirdly wee haue to obserue by the example of Moyses that albeit God sometyme doth punish good mē temporally for offences cōmitted yet he doth not perpetually reiect them but after their death acknowledgeth thē for his seruants as he did here call Moyses notwithstanding that for his mistrust at the * Waters of strife he did cut him off frō enioying that lād of promise Fourthly lette vs learne That when good Princes or Magistrates be taken away that it is in the hand of God to * place others and that his diuine Prouidence hath singular care therof as we may vnderstand as wel by this place as by a number of other examples in the scriptures God punished Nabuchadnezer Daniel 4. Vntill he vnderstode that the moste high ruled in the kingdom of men and gaue it to vvhō he lusted All the places that the soales of youre feete shall treade vpon c. In this place the Lord as it were boūdeth out that land countrey that by his promise he gaue to the seede and issue of Abraham On the East part vnto the great riuer Euphrates vnto which the bounds of the dominion of the Ievves were extended vnder Dauid and Salomon and not before On the West with the great Sea that is the middle Sea whiche is here called Great in comparison of those pooles which in the Hebrue tongue are called Seas as the Sea of Tyberias On the Northe with Mounte Libanus On the Southe wyth the Desertes of Arabia and the Countrie of Aegypte In these bounds is cōteined the whole land of Chanaan There shal not a man be hable to withstand thee all the dayes of thy life c. Forsomuche as Iosuah might iustely be abashed to take vpon him that Charge and gouernement whiche besides the way wardnesse of the people was ioyned with so greate Difficultie and * danger it pleaseth God in this place to Comfort and strengthen hym with the assured* promise of his assistāce and good Successe in his doings against all his enimies whatsoeuer they be Out of which words al good Princes Magistrates Officers may gather singular instruction of comfort to Animate them against the difficulties troublous Storms of their charge which are such as oftētimes hath caused euē Heathen persons rather to desire to liue a Priuate life than to abide the hazard and daunger thereof And surely there is no State of men that needeth so greate comforte of the Prouidence and care of Almightie GOD for them as Princes and Magistrates do Their office is not only to * Establish and Spread the true Religion and worshipping of God but also to * represse the contrarie To make and defende good lawes agaynst all kynde of enormities To iudge iustly and to defende the cause of the poore and innocente againste the violence and iniurie of the oppressoure Yea and oftentimes to leuie warre either againste the * foraine enemies or to represse wicked and rebellious * subiectes which things if they doe faithfully and diligentlye it cannot be but they shall cast themselues into so great perils daungers as will greatly abashe and trouble them if by this place and suche other they doe not * conceaue an assured trust in the helpe and assistaunce of God whose Magistrates and Officers they be For this cause doth God so oftē repeate here vnto Iosue that he should be Strong and Stoute and Bolde and of good Courage for that he vvould be vvith him and not faile him in anie distresse c. Onlie be thou strong and of a stoute courage that thou mayest obserue c. Aboue all things God will haue a Prince or Magistrate to be constante earnest and of stoute courage in the obseruation and maintenance of his holy lawe and so to cleaue to his word that he depart not from it Either on the right hand by adding Superstitious holines vnto it Either on the lefte hande by Altering or Diminishyng any thing therin conteined For this cause doth he so straitely charge Iosua in thys place to bende his studie especially to his lawe and to occupie his minde therin both daye and nighte By whych wordes their * wicked errour is reproued which bothe dehorte Princes from the Study of the Scriptures as a thyng not fitte for them and also pull from them the charge to see vnto the Maintenance of true Religion and Holinesse as a matter that litle belongeth to their office But God here doth not onely require it of Iosue but also addeth a promyse that So he shall doe vviselie in all that he taketh in hand and make his vvaies and doyngs prosperous Then Iosuah commaunded the Officers of the people saying c. This is the second part of the chapiter wherin Iosuah vndertaketh the office and sheweth example of his Faith and Obedience to the calling of almightie god For albeit there mighte appeare many things in sighte of the worlde to deterre him from it yet because he had the calling of God and the promise of his assistaunce he cleaueth to that and is not driuen backe wyth the apparance of anye worldlye daunger like to fall vnto him Vpon this Pillar ought all good Princes to staye themselues in their calling and in doyng anie thing that apperteineth to their office Iosuah putteth the people also in mind of their duetie and appoynteth them in good order and Policie what to doe Wherin Magistrates also haue to learne that althoughe their chiefe staie and comforte be in the prouidence promise of God whose Ministers they are yet they may not neglect suche lawfull and Politique meanes in doyng of things as by the which God commōly vseth to giue Salftie Successe Victorie to his people For to neglecte ordinarie meanes so long as a man maye haue them vse them is rather to tempt God than truelie to put confidence and trust in him The Rubenites and Gadites Iosuah appointeth to goe before their brethren bicause they had their possession assigned them on that side of Iordane and forsomuche as they had that preheminence first to know their portion of the lande of Promise it might seeme good reason that they did abide the greater burden vntill their brethrē also were settled in their places that shoulde be allotted vnto them And so the Rubenites and Gadites did promise to