need not feare for the time to come but that wee shall also receiue more at his hands who giueth liberally one blessing after another Iam. 1.5 Forasmuch as he is God for the time to come as well as for the time past and all his gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. Thirdly this should mooue vs earnestly to Vse 3 labour for the first grace and neuer to giue rest to our selues vntill we feele an addition and encrease of the second and third grace in our hearts and to multiply them one after another that they may dwell in vs plentifully and make vs fruitfull in all holy conuersation If we haue the first grace in our hearts and be carefull to vse the same well it is as seed sown in good ground it will bring forth a wonderfull encrease and a notable haruest in the end Paul would haue Timothy to stirre vp the gift that was in him 1 Tim. 1.6 If wee bee once in Christ he will purge vs more and more that we shall bring forth more fruit Ioh. 15.8 Lastly obserue that this is a priuiledge belonging Vse 4 onely to the faithfull that they shall haue the mercy and fauour of God continued vnto them The blessings that God bestoweth vpon the wicked doe serue to make them without excuse and are as seales of condemnation they are not assurances vnto them that they shall haue moe bestowed vpon them he hath made no such promise vnto them neither can they gather any hope to haue any farther encrease of the same or any addition of new blessings Albeit it be so with the godly that former blessings of God are pledges of more yet it is not so with the vngodly 2 Sam. 7 17. Iudg. 10 12 13. Eccle. 8.12 13. Esay 65.20 He tooke away his mercy from Saul but hee would neuer doe it from Dauid he deliuered the vnthankefull and rebellious Israelites out of the hands of their enemies but he threateneth that he will deliuer them no more The euill seruant hath his talent taken from him and neuer restored vnto him againe and therupon Christ deliuereth the manner of Gods dealing as well toward the faithful as the vnfaithfull Matth. 25.29 Vnto euery one that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath For they doe abuse his mercies and neuer make any good vse of them how then should they bee continued vnto them nay how should they not be depriued of them They become much more sinfull and grow worse and worse by his blessings God requireth the more of them but they performe the lesse duty vnto him It is therefore a vaine hope and a meere presumption for such to thinke to haue his goodnesse continued rather they may conclude that God will take them away suddenly and bestow them no longer vpon them except they turne from their euill wayes 20 And the Lord said I haue pardoned according to thy word 21 But as truely as I liue all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 23 Because all these men which haue seene my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wildernesse and haue tempted me now these ten times and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce 23 Surely they shall not see the Land c. 24 But my seruant Caleb c. We haue in these words the effect of the prayer of Moses and the answer that God giueth vnto him The summe whereof is this that the fathers should die in the wildernesse because though they had seene his glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wildernesse yet they tempted him ten times that is not once nor twice but oftentimes a certaine number put for an vncertaine as Gen. 31.41 Iob. 19.3 Dan. 7.10 and therefore they should be all destroied excepting Caleb the seruant of God If any aske the question why Ioshua is not expressed â—ction and wherefore his name is concealed I answer â—er because the Lord pronounced the former sentence concerning the people that were in their tents but Ioshua that attended vpon Moses was present with Moses and Aaron before the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation therefore the iudgement denounced against the people that abode in their tents no way touched him Caleb was with the people so that it behoued him who had spoken the truth of the land to be excepted Ioshua was not and therefore there was no need to haue him exempted from them who was not among them For being with Moses and Aaron he is accounted in their number Secondly they are commanded to returne backe againe into the wildernesse by the way of the red sea verse 25 when they were now come to the borders of Canaan which they could not heare without great greefe and anguish of minde Before they wept without cause verse 1. Now they haue cause to weepe for this heauy iudgement Thirdly their children shold beare the burdeÌ„ of their fathers sin wander in the wildernes forty yeres howbeit in the end they should enter into the land Fourthly the Spies themselues that had searched the land which were the authors of all this mutiny and had brought vp an euill report of the land were smitten with a fearefull plague dyed suddenly by the hand of God Heere we may obserue in these words that God heareth the prayer of Moses and pardoneth the people according to his prayer so that the Lord heareth the prayers of the faithfull according to his promise Secondly Gods iudgements are tempered with mercy Thirdly such as haue receiued the greatest mercies and become vnthankfull and disobedient Matth. 11.20.21 22 23 24. Luke 12.47 are the greatest sinners and shal receiue the greatest iudgement Fourthly in excepting Caleb and Ioshua from the common destruction it appeareth that God is a iust righteous God who as he doth not account the wicked innocent so he will not account the innocent to be wicked The Popish teachers alledge this example to prooue that God pardoneth sinne Popish doctâ—ine touching the pardon of sin and the retaining of the punishment and yet punisheth the sinner that the same punishment so inflicted is a satisfaction to God for their sinne and that the eternall punishment due to this people was pardoned at yâ— request of Moses If this were true then all this people were beleeuers and had true faith in the Messiah which is a bold assertion without all shew of reason and likelihood of trueth It may probably and charitably be thought that some of them were beleeuers and repented to them these were chastisements The like may be said of Moses and Aaron and of Dauid of which they were shut out of the land of promise and he was punished by the death of his child and in other his children and house not thereby to satisfie God by bearing part of the temporall punishment belonging to their sin but that Moses
Ministers and to make them labour more conscionably then they haue done so it should stirre vp the people to seeke after knowledge which is as the light of the eye or as a candle in the house whereby we may see what we do and how we serue God whether truely or falsely and whether we goe right or wrong It is enough with the greatest sort to do as most doe and to practise that manner of the worshippe of God which is countenanced and continued by authority albeit they can giue no reason of it neither know how to warrant it It belongeth vnto vs not only to professe the truth but to bee able to maintaine the truth which we professe against all gainsayers and such enemies as seeke to rob vs of it It is a duty required of vs not to content our selues to doe as the rest of our neighbours do but to be ready alwaies to giue an answer to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the hope that is in vs with meeknesse of spirit 1 Pet. 3 15. â—et 3 15. Euery man presumeth he hath the truth and therefore they neuer enquire farther into the matter nor labor to satisfie their own harts vpon what grounds they stand They doe as their honest neighbours they think it no good manners to differ from them they account it folly to seeke to be wiser then their fore-fathers so they iumpe with the Church of Rome that teacheth her Disciples to beleeue as the Church beleeueth albeit they can yeeld no reason how the Church beleeueth Whereby it appeareth that albeit all men are worshippers of God yet the greatest sort know not how they worship God so that we may say vnto them as Christ spake to the woman of Samaria Ye worship ye know not what Iohn 4 22. â—â—â—n 4 22. Let all such know that they want true comfort in their worshipping forasmuch as they know not whether they please God or not They are like men that shoote at a marke which know not whether they shoot short or shoot beyond the marke or whether they shoot wide or how much they are wide or whether they hit the marke Thus it fareth with ignorant worshippers they are wholly ignorant whether they go astray in the matter or in the manner of his worshippe whether they doe that which God requireth or that which hee condemneth For this is no otherwise nor no where learned but by the word so that all such as are ignorant thereof are in a wretched case and wofull condition and not farre from destruction whatsoeuer they doe esteeme of themselues or others iudge of them 5. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 6. Bring the Tribe of Leui neere and present them before Aaron the Priest that they may minister vnto him 7. And they shall keepe his charge and the charge of the whole Congregation before the Tabernacle of the Congregation to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle 8. And they shall keepe all the instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the charge of the children of Israel to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle 9. And thou shalt giue the Leuites vnto Aaron and to his sonnes they are wholly giuen vnto him out of the children of Israel 10. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sonnes and they shall waite on their Priests Office and the stranger that commeth nigh shall be put to death 11. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 12. And I behold I haue taken the Leuites from among the children of Israel in stead of all the first borne that openeth the matrice among the children of Israel therefore the Leuites shall bee mine 13. Because all the first borne are mine Exod. 13 1. Leuit. 27 26. Luc. 2 23. for on the day that I smote all the first borne in the Land of Egypt I hallowed vnto me all the first borne in Israel both man and beast mine they shall bee I am the Lord. Hitherto of the first part of the Preface consisting in a description of Aarons sonnes and in a relation what became of them part of them dying in their sinnes and part succeeding in the Priests Office Now followeth the second part in these words which is a presentation of the Leuites before him Touching this whole Tribe we must obserue that it was diuided and sorted into two rankes whereof the first is the Priests and the second the rest commonly called by the common name of Leuites who were not admitted into the former order as appeareth more euidently in the 16 chapter following as also in the 18 chapter Touching the Priests they are of two sorts Of the high Priest the one was as the head the other as his hands one was the chiefe aboue all the rest the other were inferiour as assistants vnto him The chiefe was the high Priest Sigon de rep Hebâ—ae li. 5 c. 2. of whom the Scripture setteth downe foure things First his consecration he was brought before the Altar he was washed with water he was cloathed with those holy garments that God had appointed he had the sacred oyle powred vpon his head lastly sacrifice was offered on the Altar for his sanctification and his garments were sprinkled with the blood of it Secondly the things that were required in him being consecrated in the former manner which are cheefely these hee might not be defectiue or deformed in body his wife must be a virgin of his owne people he might not vncouer his head rent his garments nor go in to mourn for any that was dead though it were his father or mother Thirdly the Scripture setteth downe his imployment which was to goe daily into the Sanctuary to light the Lampes to burne Incense and euery weeke to prouide the shew-bread on the feast daies to offer the peoples sacrifices with the other Priests and once in the yeare on the day of expiation to enter into the Holiest of all to make prayer for himselfe and the people Fourthly his attire or holy vestiments in which he was to perform this seruice of God which were these six in number a brest-plate an Ephod a Robe a broidred coat a miter a girdle Of the inferiour Priests Touching the Priests of inferiour condition they had the same kinde of consecration which the high Priest had in sacrificing they were like vnto him and in the seruice of the Sanctuary in burning incense in prouiding the bread of proposition and in preparing looking to the lampes and lights This was the difference in these betweene him them that he was the chiefe and they were helpers he was the directer they were directed and guided by him Besides this was peculiar to the high Priest that hee consulted with God by Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28 30. Leuit. 16 30. and entred into the holiest place to make attonement to cleanse and hallow it from the sinnes of the people Their vestiments were the same sauing that the high Priest onely
them and liue with them and yet neuer be infected whereas few dare aduenture their bodies in such cases But put the case it were lawfull yet all things that are lawfull are not expedient all things that are lawfull edifie not 1 Cor. 6 12 1 10 23. We must take heed we do not giue offence to others neither destroy him for whom Christ dyed So then the best way for vs to auoide euill is to take knowledge of our owne weaknesse and to striue against our owne infirmities and to flye as farre as we can from danger Fourthly let vs not flatter our selues with an idle conceit and foolish opinion that wee by keeping them company shall bee able to draw them and perswade them to goodnesse For we see this by the ordinary course of humane affaires that when the good and euill meete together and are ioyned in friendship the godly are rather corrupted by the vngodly then the vngodly corrected by the godly This may appeare vnto vs in Salomon a man greatly beloued of God and greatly blessed with wisedome â—he 13 25 neuerthelesse euen him did outlandish women cause to sinne This was signified also in the Law holy flesh carried in the skirt of a garment did not make it holy but the polluted person â—g 2 13 14. touching any thing did pollute it and make it vncleane with his filthinesse It is an harder thing to cleanse and purifie then to defile and make vncleane and therefore they will sooner tempt vs then we shall teach them â—â—iect What then Is vice of more force then vertue and shall euill preuaile more then good I answer â—â—swer we consider not good and euill as they are in themselues but as they are in vs not as they are being separated from vs but ioyned to vs. The euill men are wholly euill whereas we are but in part good and therefore they are strong we are weake they are wholly flesh we are not altogether spirit but onely in part regenerate so that they hale vs and hold vs with all their power with all their might and with all their strength that we must vse violence to get from them or else we are vndone They are as men that set all their strength to the worke and labour night and day with both their hands we haue our strength diuided and worke as it were with one hand and set too but one shoulder They runne in the wayes of euill wee doe as it were halt with one foote like Iacob when he wrestled with GOD â—n 32 25. whereby he had the hollow of his thigh put out of ioynt They fare as men that descend downe a Mountaine with great violence and haue no stay of themselues vntill they come to the bottome wee creepe vp toward the top with all foure like Ionathan â—am 14 6. that went ouer to the garrison of the vncircumcised we are faine to climbe vp rockes and clifts and craggy places vpon our hands and vpon our feete with much labour and great sweating and oftentimes faint by the way That which they do they do with ease pleasure but we finde many enemies to buckle withall and are constrained not only to fight with beasts at Ephesus but to wrastle hand to hand 〈◊〉 6 12. against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this world and against spirituall wickednesse in high places so that it is more then neede to take to vs the whole armour of God that we may be able both to stand and to withstand in the euill day Fiftly thou must esteeme of euill company as of him that hath a running sore of an infectious disease and hate all vice in thy dearest companions more then the plague They that haue sound eyes are fearefull of themselues carefull to refraine from looking vpon their eyes that are sore and bleared Ouid. lest they should be hurt Can a man haue his conuersation among theeues and not at one time or other be robbed of his treasure Such as haue nothing are sure to lose nothing but they that haue treasure about them by conuersing with deceitfull couzeners and cheating companions are in danger to be depriued of it So if we liue among these spirituall theeues that are more common and subtle and therefore more dangerous then the other we cannot but he spoiled and stripped naked of the precious pearles of Gods graces which enrich our soules and are more of value then all the gold and siluer that is digged out of the earth The sixt and last branch is to teach vs to be in loue with good company whereby we may be bettered and edified Euill persons that infect as a filthy dunghill that casteth vp an vnsauory sent are compared to pitch that defileth to leauen that sowreth to the canker that consumeth and to the scabbed sheepe that infecteth an whole flocke But good and godly company is as the sweet ointments or perfumes of the Apothecaries a man cannot come among them but all his garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia They are annointed with the oyle of gladnesse in their measure and delight greatly the nostrils of such as liue with them If we conuerse among them we shall somewhat sauour of them So then by the workes that we practise it may bee knowne what company we frequent The wise man saith Prou. 13 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fooles shall be destroyed Great is the force of company whether it be to good or to euill With the good we shall learne goodnesse reape the fruite of it to our soules Among the vngodly we shall learne nothing but wickednesse and in the end receiue nothing but a crop of care and shame and dishonour and rebuke and that which is more then all the rest death and destruction for euer 14. And the Lord spake vnto Moses in the wildernesse of Sinai saying 15. Number the children of Leui after the house of their fathers by their families euery male from a moneth old and vpward shalt thou number them 16. And Moses numbred them according to the word of the Lord as he was commanded We haue spoken hitherto of both the parts of the preface that go before the enumeration of the Leuites consisting partly in the description of Aarons sonnes and partly in the presentation of that Tribe before Aaron and his sonnes to serue in the Tabernacle Now we come to speake of the numbring of them which is done apart in a peculiar manner from the rest of the people For God would not haue the Leuites numbred with the rest of the Tribes to the ende he might free them from the warres and except them as a chosen portion to himselfe from ciuill affaires and that they might more diligently more seriously more carefully without all disturbance and distraction apply and imploy themselues in that holy function whereunto they were appointed So then after that the
the children of Zebulun did offer 25 His offering was one siluer charger the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels one siluer bolle of seuenty shekels c. Behold heere how the other Princes are not inferiour to the first that offered nor the other Tribes to the Tribe of Iudah Obserue heere that the spirit of God accounteth it not sufficient to set downe what was offered in generall neither in particular what Nahshon the sonne of Aminadab of the Tribe of Iudah offered the first day or what Nathaniel the son of Zuar Prince of Issachar offered the second day but he goeth forward to set downe the speciall offerings according to euery mans name and according to the day assigned vnto him Obiect It may be demaunded what was the cause why these offerings are thus particularly pointed out why are the same chargers the same bolles the same spoones so often repeated might not all these things heere mentioned haue beene more summarily concluded what need more words haue bene vsed when fewer would haue serued I answere Answer we must not account any thing idle friuolous fruitles or superfluous in holy Scripture The Lord knoweth best what is fittest to bee dilated largely and what to be comprehended shortly If there were no other reason then this so it pleased the Lord it ought to content vs and to make vs rest in it The like example we finde Psal 136.1 2 c. Where in euery verse and at the recitall of euery blessing this reason is repeated for his mercy endureth for euer Adde heereunto Reuel 7.5 6 c. where this is repeated according to the number of the Tribes that twelue thousand were sealed of them Hee might haue said briefly of euery tribe were sealed twelue thousand but he repeateth the words twelue times so in this place the offerings are repeated twelue times particularly according to the number of the twelue Princes The reasons may be first to teach vs to be content to heare the same things though they be oftentimes repeated as Phil. 3.1 The Apostle saith It is not grieuous to me to write the same things often and for you it is safe Wee are ready to forget the best things and therefore must haue them continually sounding in our eares as many strokes giuen with a hammer to make vs heare Secondly that wee should apply these examples vnto our selues and if wee passe ouer one of them without regard yet we should take holde of the next Thirdly to teach vs that no man shall haue that forgotten to the vtmost of his praise who is any way forward in doing good because he will honor those that honor him but they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 The doctrine Doctrine from this particular rehearsal and enumeration of the gifts of those Princes is this Euery good worke of gods children is knowne and shall be rewarded that all the good workes of Gods children done to the setting forth of his glory to the aduancement of his worship to the maintenance of true Religion or the good of his children shall be reckoned vp rewarded and come vp in account before him he taketh notice of them all and will neuer forget any one of them As their deeds are here registred in the booke of God so the doers of them are registred in the booke of life Matth 10.42 Our Sauiour teacheth that a cup of cold water shall not go vnrewarded that is giuen to drinke in the name of a disciple to one of these litle ones And afterward it is said Matth. 25.7 A certaine woman came vnto him hauing an alabaster boxe of ointmēt very precious and powred it on his head as he sate at table and because she had wrought a good worke vpon him verse 10. he sayth Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her verse 13. To this purpose speaketh the Angel that appeared to Cornelius Act. 10.4 Thy prayers and thy almes are come vp for a memoriall before God So then euery thing shall be remembred no one worke shall be forgotten Reason 1 For God is a righteous God giuing to euery one according to his workes Hee is the Iudge of the world Gen. 18. and cannot but iudge vprightly Hereupon the Apostle saith Heb. 6.10 God is not vnrighteous to forget your workes and labor of loue which ye haue shewed toward his Name in that yee haue minstred to the Saints and doe minister He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward for he will reward very bountifully euery good worke If we be not barren in good workes he will not bee behind with vs to recompence vs. Secondly how can they but come into an account seeing he accounteth them as done to himselfe Matth. 25.40 When any thing is giuen to the Saints it is esteemed as done to the Sonne himselfe and when it is bestowed vpon one of the least it is regarded as bestowed vpon the greatest and highest The seruant receiueth it but the Master will reward it Vse 1 Touching the Vses we may first conclude the happy estate and condition of them that leaue this world and depart this life in the true feare of God because we heare their workes shall be remembred and therefore the doings of his seruants be rewarded with eternall glory being done in the loue of God and of his trueth none of them are forgotten but they shall follow them nay goe with them and beare them company This we reade in the Reuelations of Iohn chap. 14.13 I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they rest from their labors and their works follow them to wit at their heels as the word importeth Death cannot cut them off though it be a cruell and mercilesse tyrant and hath as it were a sithe or sickle in his hand to cut downe such as come in his way yea though it cut off riches reuenewes honours pleasures dignities delights wife children houses lands and life it selfe according to the saying of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out with vs yet it cannot cut off good workes neither bereaue vs of the fruits of a liuely faith which are of such great force and efficacy that they are able to breake in sunder the chaines of death and the strength of the graue and cannot be holden in darknes and obliuion It were therefore a point of great wisedome and good policy so many as would willingly die the death of the righteous as Balaamites and all wicked men will seeme desirous to doe to prouide a goodly traine of good works which death cannot keepe backe they will presse so fast and knocke so hard at heauen
is euermore the companion of hypocrisie Fiftly to be confident in good causes and couragious especially in time of perill Prou. 10 9. 28 1. Whereas the hypocrite hauing a corrupt conscience is ouertaken with feare and trembling Esay 33 14. Prou. 28 1. Lastly to be constant and to perseuere to the end in good things to bee resolute neuer to giue ouer a continued course of piety vntil we giue ouer this course of life such bring foorth fruite with patience Luke 8 15. and shall neuer be remoued Psal 15 5. Whereas the double-minded man is vnstable in all his wayes Iames 1 8. his godlinesse and religion is as the morning dew Hosea 6 4. By these signes we may sift and examine our selues whether this grace of sincerity be in vs or not And as the gift is excellent so there are sundry motiues to stirre vs vp vnto it Sundry motiâ—es to 〈◊〉 vs to sincâ— For God is good and gracious vnto such as are pure in heart Psal 73 1. and 125 4 5. hee is the Sun and shield to them Psal 84 11. This is the life and substance of all other graces without it the best things are but counterfet and no better then sinnes against God Our faith must be vnfained and loue without dissimulation and our conuersion must be a renting of the heart Consider also that God is present euery where and knoweth all things Psal 139 7. Prou. 15 verse 3. Moreouer wee must meditate oftentimes vpon the iudgements of God which hee bringeth vpon the world but especially of the last iudgement in the end of the world and of our particular iudgment at the houre of death Ro. 2 16. Eccl. 12 14. The heart is the store-store-house keeper of the graces of God Pro. 4 23. Mat. 13 18 19. Lu. 6 45. Math. 23 26. therefore we ought carefully to looke vnto it CHAP. XIIII 1 And all the Congregation lifted vp their voice and cryed and the people wept that night 2 And all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation saide vnto them Would God that we had died in the Land of Egipt or would God we had died in this wildernesse 3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought vs into this land to fall by the sword that our wiues and our children should be a prey Were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt WE haue seen in the former chapter the occasioÌ„ of this fourth murmuring arising from the report of the spies whereby the seed was sowne which in this Chapter groweth vp to an open obstinate mutiny The fruit was answerable to the seed the successe to the report And who can stay the streame driuen by so violent a winde and tempest When the arrow is once shot out of the bow it is too late to wish it may do no hurt where it falleth because where it hitteth it hurteth But to come to the present matter in hand the people giuing eare to these false reports dream of danger where no danger is like the sluggard that saith There is a Lyon without I shall bee slaine in the streets Prou. 22 13. To minds that are fearfull and perplexed all fansies and coniectures seeme things of truth Consider in this chapt two points first the generall murmuring of all that is of the greatest part of the people secondly the proceeing of God against theÌ„ for their murmuring Their murmuring is accompanied with impatience disobedience vnthankfulnesse blasphemy infidelity and tempting of God Psal 106 24 25 c. and it is set downe generally and particularly Generally they murmured against Moses and Aaron amplified by the effect 〈◊〉 cause 〈◊〉 the Israâ— wept all 〈◊〉 they wept all the night The cause why they wept is the feare of death and the sense of their sinne they supposed that they were led as sheep to the slaughter and brought into the wildernesse as to a place of destruction had forgotten the promise made 400. yeares before to their fathers Wee see heere how quickly and easily they obey euil persons that seduced them they listen with both their ears vnto them â—â—â—trine 〈◊〉 are natuâ— ready to 〈…〉 â—ken to â—cers and â—ers and forget what they had often heard and seen Caleb and Ioshua warned them but all was in vaine The doctrine This is the corruption of our nature we are prone to bee peruerted and ready to hearken to seducers to follow euill liuers and euill teachers while in the meane season wee are hardly drawne to hearken and attend vnto those that tell vs the truth without flattery or forgery Exod. 4 1. The prophet of God sent to prophesy against the Altar at Bethel is easily seduced and forsaketh the word of God 1 Kings 13 21. Our Sauiour complaineth of the peeuishnesse of the Iewes 〈◊〉 11 27. Wee haue piped vnto you and ye haue not danced we haue mourned vnto you and ye haue not lamented c. And Iohn 5 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receiued me not if another shall come in his owne name him yee will receiue 2 Tim. 4 34. Gal. 3 1 2. and 5 7. Titus 1 11. Mat. 24 5. First because in the minde and vnderstanding Reason 1 howsoeuer there remaine certaine generall notions concerning good and euil as that there is a God that he is iust and a rewarder of them that do well that wee must honour our parents and not hurt our neighbors yet euen these are corrupt and serue only to take away excuse Ro. 1 19 20. and besides wee haue all receiued from Adam ignorance or want of knowledge of the things of God 1 Cor. 2 14. Ro. 8 7. Likewise disability to vnderstand spirituall things though they be plainly taught vnto vs Lu. 24 41. 2 Cor. 3 5. vanity of the mind thinking truth to be falshood and falsehood to be truth Eph. 4 17. 1 Cor. 1 21. Prou. 14 12. So then the originall or seede of all errors and heresies is in our nature Secondly satan is mighty and subtle he can Reason 2 transforme himselfe into an Angel of light he employeth many instruments in his worke to seduce vs as he did Eue which also worke mightily with strong delusions 2 Cor. 11 3. False Apostles are deceitful workers transforming themselues into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. they come in sheeps clothing though inwardly they bee rauening Reason 3 wolues Mat. 7 15. 2 Pet. 2 1 2. Thirdly it is Gods deepe yet most iust iudgement vpon all that obey not the gospel to send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies This is a punishment sent vpon the vnthankfulnesse of men when they haue the light and yet shut their eies heare the sound of the Gospel and yet stop their eares and vnderstand the truth yet harden their hearts against the truth Mat. 13 14 15. 2 Thess 2 11 12. This serueth to reprooue and conuince the Vse 1
giue to these maintaine them both in idlenes wickednes As then we see vnto whoÌ„ we ought not to giue so we must know to whom we ought to giue To whom we â—â—ght to giue These are poore widdowes and fatherlesse children 1 Tim. 5 16 such as are poore strangers such day laborers as worke hard for their liuing all the week and yet cannot either thorough weaknesse of their body or greatnes of their charge get things necessary and sufficient for them and of these we shall alwaies haue with vs to the end of the world Mat. 62 11 Such also as are falne into decay by ineuitable losses 〈◊〉 15 11. Leu. 23 35. Lastly such as are weake and impotent whether through age or other blemish whether in their feete or in their hands or other parts that thereby though they bee willing yet they are not able to take paines for theyr liuing Acts 3.2 6. but amongst all these they are especially to bee respected that are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6 10. If we be careful and mindfull of these God will recompence vs againe and pay vs home seuenfolde into our bosomes whatsoeuer we haue giuen both in temporall spirituall and eternall blessings Lastly it is our duty to acknowledge Gods Vse 3 great mercy toward vs in the blessings of this life that hee hath giuen to vs that which hee hath denied to many others and when he giueth vnto vs a comfortable vse of these blessings wee must confesse we haue them not by our owne labor and industrie but by his speciall goodnes towards vs Psal 127 1 3. and therfore we ought to sanctifie our daily pains with daily prayer and begin and end our labors with remembring him that remembreth vs and so praise his goodnes that enableth vs to get goods and this shall make our labour sweet and pleasant and the yoake that lyeth in our neckes to be light and easie Againe as God giueth them so he giueth a blessing with them a blessing with a blessing that is bread and the nourishment of bread For a man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Deut. 8. Moreouer as he giueth outward blessings so he can take them away when it pleaseth him euen in a moment Iob 1 Luk 12. 22 And the Lord saide vnto Moses Get thee vp into this mount Abarim and see the land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel 13 And when thou hast seene it thou shalt bee gathered vnto thy people c. 14 For ye rebelled against my commandement c. Here followeth the second part of the chapt touching the successour of Moses in the gouernment of this great people wherein obserue the occasion the calling of Ioshua The occasion is double the death of Moses at haÌ„d his request to God to appoint a man to be set in his place Touching his death he is willed to go vp to mount Abarim and to behold the land that God had giuen to the Israelites for God had foreshewed that he should see the land with his eies though he did not tread on it with his feet when he had seene the land he should dy as Aaron his brother before him chap. 20 24 amplified by the cause they had not sanctified the name of the Lord at the Waters of Meribah of which we haue spoken before Touching the prayer and request of Moses he desireth of the Lord that he wold appoint a fit Ruler ouer his people to succeed him in this gouernment that might be able to beare this great burthen For hearing the vnchaÌ„geable determination of God humbling himselfe vnder his correcting hand chastising his transgression he is not afraid of the sentence of death being at hand and seeing it before him neither doth he craue to haue the stroke thereof prolonged and delayed neither is he troubled with excessiue cares for himselfe and his children and posterity as the manner is of worldly minded men that mind nothing but the earth and earthly things when they must go out of the world shall haue their mouth full thereof but all his care was for the future benefite of the people to leaue them in good estate after his departure This should teach vs after his example to be readie to leaue the world whensoeuer God calleth vs not to staÌ„d in feare of death but to be willing to goe to God knowing the we shall go to an inheritance immortall that fadeth not 1 Pet. 1. and we must all likewise be carefull to leaue our houses places in good state when we are gone of which we haue spoken before chap. 20. Moses was the deere seruant of God yet sinning hee is punished The Lord himselfe receyued his soule and buried his body Deut 34 6 13. He was in high fauour with God liuing and dying an excellent Prophet to whom God spake face to face yet hee was not suffered to enter into the land of Promise Doctrine Many want the outward signes that are partakers of the truth of the Sacraments Wherby we see that many want the Sacraments that are partakers of the truth and substance of the Sacraments He entred into the heauenly Canaan that was not permitted to enter into the earthly Some are admitted vnto the outward signe that neuer receiue the thing signified so was Iudas to the Passeouer as well as Peter and the rest of the Apostles yet he was neuer partaker of the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the world Iohn 1 29. On the other side some take not the outward signe that neuerhelesse partake the inward grace The vses heereof are to teach vs that the outward Vse 1 and inward parts of the Sacraments are not necessarily ioyned together so that hee which partaketh the one should also partake the other and therfore the outward sign doth not simply conferre grace Secondly it condemneth the Church of Rome that holdeth that children dying without baptisme are not saued whereas saluation is not alwayes annexed to the signe so that though infants want the outward washing yet to them may belong the kingdom of heauen Mark 10 14. Lastly it serueth as a great comfort to such as desire to come to the Sacraments yet are hindred sometimes by sicknes and somtimes by other ineuitable occasions that procure their absence forasmuch as we see in this example of Moses that we may bee partakers of the truth of the signes and yet bee barred or banished from the signes themselues In such cases as these God accepteth the will for the deede 2 Cor. 8 12. Againe Doctrine Many are temporally punished that are not eternally condemned we learne by the examples of Moses and Aaron that were not suffered to enter into Canaan a figure of the heauenly Canaan this truth That many are temporally punished which are not eternally condemned Many are chastised in this life not onely with diseases and sicknesses but with death
hanged by the necke yet none I say would repine at such a man so what ground hath any man to fret or fume or enuy at the flourishing estate of any wicked man especially when it is knowne that GOD hath decreed that he shall perish and that not by an honourable death but perish like Haman shamefully in his owne house and after that shall haue all shame and contempt powred vpon him and go to the place of the damned there to suffer torments with the diuel his angels where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Lastly this being well learned will serue Vse 3 as an admonition for euery one to take heede of euery euill way that he be not obstinate in sinne It is one thing to sinne and another to be obstinate in sinne to withstand the word and rod of God and to abuse his patience It is incident to all to sinne but obstinacy in sinning hardnesse of heart and casting off Repentance are the forerunners of destruction Let vs thinke thus with our selues what can a short or fading pleasure profit vs when God shall come with his fearfull destruction Nay what can all the pleasures or profites in the world recompence for the losse of that comfort and peace that otherwise we may enioy What did Esaus red pottage so pleasing vnto his eye profit him in the end when hee lost thereby not onely his fathers blessing but also the blessed life to come What good got Achan by his wedge of Gold when it proued to be the wracke and ruine both of himselfe of his family And therefore doth Christ our Sauiour teach vs Mat. 16 26. What is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world then lose his owne soule Againe this fearfulnesse of iudgement should make a man thinke of the difficulty of repentance and what fearfull things hee shall suffer if he practise it not If it be a hard thing to breake off sinne we shall find it much harder to be broken with the iudgments of God and the fiercenesse of his wrath It is a fearfull thing to fall into the handes of an earthly Prince Prou. 19 10 but more fearefull to fall into the hands of the liuing God especially when he is inraged and incensed by the sinnes of men and therefore we ought to meete him with repentance lest we feele his vengeance to our condemnation A notable mediation to moue to break off â—he course of sinne And let vs labor to set the hardnesse of bearing the iudgements of God against the breaking off of sinne the one will easily counteruaile and ouercom the other If we finde it an hard and harsh saying to repent and breake off our sins we shall find it more hard when it shall be saide Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angels Mat. 25. Let a man seriously and throughly consider what an hard and vnpossible thing it will be to vndergo the wrath of God which maketh the diuels and damned spirits to tremble Iames 2 19 he wil think it an easie and light thing to forsake sinne although it were more deere then all things in the world whatsoeuer What if it were as hard a thing to renounce thy sin and to take vp the practice of true repentance as to pluck out a mans eye or to cut off his arme yet it must be done he hath pronounced it with his owne mouth that must be thy Iudge that is if there be any one sinne as deere vnto thee as thy right eye thou must pull it out or els thou shalt neuer come to the kingdome of heauen or if there be any sin as deere vnto thee as thy right arme by which thou gettest thy liuing if thou canst not be content to cut it off and dost not constantly and confidently resolue to cast it from thee thou canst haue no entrance giuen thee into Gods kingdome We see by common experience daily that men will endure very hard and bitter things from the hand of the Physitian that they may recouer health and escape death and yet it is not to put away death vtterly it is onely to prolong life for a time for they may deferre death they are not able to take it away If then such sharpe and bitter things seeme easie to auoid a temporall death then what ought a man to doe and to suffer to auoid the bitternesse and sharpnesse of eternall destruction and the fierce wrath of God which indeede is nothing but this To forsake sinne and to take vp repentance and the performance of religious and holy duties But alas alas how many are there euery wherin the world that haue bene content to lose many ounces of blood out of the veins for the good of the body that haue neuer shed a few drops of teares out of their eyes for the recouery of their soules To take bitter pilles and potions to purge the grosse humors that distemper vs that haue neuer purged or cleansed themselues from the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of GOD 2 Cor. chap. 7 verse 1. Nay we see men are willing to be seared that caÌ„not abide to haue the wounds of their soule searched by Gods holy Word yea to haue one member cut off to saue the whole bodie who notwithstanding will not leaue one pleasure of sinne for a season to saue both body and soule This is no better then folly and madnesse Heere is wisedome therefore to thinke of this betimes 31 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest did as the Lord commanded Moses 32 And the booty beeing the rest of the prey which the men of warre had caught was six hundred thousand and seuenty thousand and fiue thousand sheepe 33 And threescore c. 34 And threescore and one thousand Asses c 35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all of women that had not knowne man by lying with him c. 37 And the Lords tribute of the Sheepe was sixe hundred and threescore fifteene c. 41 And Moses gaue the tribute which was the Lords heaue-offering vnto Eleazar the priest c. 47 Euen of the children of Israels halfe c. Wee haue heard before the commandement of God touching the diuiding of the prey Now followeth the execution of it by Moses and Eleazar It is worth the obseruation to consider that as before the death of Aaron Moses and Aaron are alwaies ioyned together so after his death Moses and Eleazar The Magistrate and the minister shold ioyne togethâ—r the Magistrate and the Minister as the hand and the eye are in the body Then doth the church and the conmmonwealth flourish when these two go together and on the other side they go to wrack when they are separated draw seuerall wayes The greatnesse of the victorie and conquest that God gaue to his people appeareth further in these wordes by the distribution of the people and by the reseruation of the
sinne voluntary or vnuoluntary and withall he sheweth that such vnwilling man-slaughter is a sinne Yea this is so cleere a point that Cardinall Allen forgetting the doctrine of his fellowes and the foundation whereupon they builde in his booke of popish pardons chapt 5 telleth vs out of the Councell of Ancyre holden well neere 1300. yeares since in the purest time of Christian religion when our aduersaries dare not say that the faith was corrupted that the Apostles and Bishops haue euer beside the preaching of the Gospel exercised the power of the keyes coÌ„mitted to the Church and inflicted due punishment for euery deadly sinne iustly respecting the greeuousnesse thereof and among the rest he noteth that for murtherers if it were not voluntary were appointed seuen yeares penance but if it were wilfull till the ende of their life Now would this Councell so ancient and so pure as the Iesuite pretendeth haue enioyned so long penance and punishment for innocent persons and such as had committed no sinne at all So then to ende this matter albeit the Lord acquit the party after a sort that hath slayne a man vnwittingly so that there shall no iudgement of death passe vpon him yet hee was constrayned to forsake his owne house and inheritance and to dwell in a strange place and to suffer many inconueniences to his decay and impouerishing and peraduenture his vtter vndoing his wiues and children Wherefore God would haue the party that offendeth vnwittingly neuerthelesse to abide some punishment to the intent he may humble himselfe And I suppose there is no good man if such a thing should befall him but would be humbled and greeued for it all the dayes of his life and craue of God forgiuenesse of what is past albeit there were no euill meant on his part and likewise pray vnto him earnestly for the time to come that he would rule his hands and his feete better so order all his steppes that he neuer swarue froÌ„ his holy commandements Now to come to the ground of the Doctrine three sorts are heere directed touching blood the people the auenger and the Iudge The people is restrayned the auenger is permitted the Iudge warranted and allowed The people is restrayned not permitted the auenger is permitted not restrayned the Iudge is permitted and allowed nay commanded to draw the sword The people sinne if they shed blood the Iudge if he do not This teacheth that it is a sinne for men to do that which GOD hath appointed to bee done Doctrine We may not doe lawfull things vnlawfully when they haue no particular calling or commandement for them to doe it This is manifested vnto vs in the facte of Zipporah the wife of Moses taking a knife and circumcising her sonne Circumcision was one of the sacraments that God had ordayned that euery male of eight dayes should be circumcised and haue the foreskinne of his flesh cut off Exo. 4 25. howbeit she sinned greeuously because she would doe it without a calling which was for man not for the woman to do and therefore it appeareth shee had no moe children as we obserued elsewhere chap. 12 and beside she wanted the presence and company of her husband a long time after and when she returned vnto him shee was vexed and afflicteâ— by the emulation of Miriam aâ—â— Aaron So Saul sinned in offering vp sacrifice who ought to haue stayed for the comming of Samuel sacrifices were commanded of God but he did it without a calling therefore Samuel telleth him he had done foolishly 1. Sam. 13 14. The like we might say of Vzziah 2 Chron. 26 16 otherwise a good king he went into the Temple of the Lord and presumed to offer incense which was peculiar to the Priests and therefore hauing no direction from God though hee did a good thing yet he was presently smitten with leprosie 2 Chr. 26 14 20. This we saw before in Korah and his company chap. 16. Amnon abusing his sister Tamar by filthy incest ought by the law of God to suffer death Absolon killeth him with the sword he did that which God commanded Leuit. 18 9 29 and Dauid had to answer for it because he put him not to death neuerthelesse Absolon sinned greeuously in the doing of it because he was no Magistrate 2 Sam. 13 28 So then the point is plaine that a man may sinne and that greeuously in doing the things that God commandeth when he hath no warrant to do them The grounds are these First he doth it Reason 1 without any commandement from GOD. Whensoeuer a commandement is limited to persons and places to them it is a commandement and to no others The commandements and orders that are directed to such as are free of a citty or of a company or incorporation are no commandements to those thar are forrainers so in this case a commandement to some maketh it a sinne to them if they leaue it vndone whereas on the other side the not commanding maketh it a sinne to others that doe it because it is the commandement that maketh things eyther lawfull or vnlawfull Where there is no sight there can be no blindnesse but it is blindnesse when it is found in the subiect where sight ought to be We cannot say there is blindnesse in a stone because it is not capable of sight Therefore wee say that in indifferent things there can be no sinne eyther to do or not to do the ground is because there is no commandement Secondly it is a rule that all good being out of his proper subiect is euil Consider this in the natural body Is it not euil in nature for the eye to be in place of the hand that should be in the head Or for the finger to grow in the fore-head that should be in the hand this maketh a monster in the body when a member is out of his proper subiect So we may say for morall good wheÌ„ it is out of his proper place it is no more good but is turned into euill If any aske what is the proper subiect of good I answere the proper subiect of good is he to whom it is commanded and the vnproper subiect is where there is no such commandement Vse 1 By this a man may looke into himselfe and see as it were in a glasse the defects and deformities of his soule and namely that hee doth many things good for the matter and substance and good in those that haue a calling and commandement for it yet euill in him because he wanteth a commandement and consequently hath no warrant for the doing thereof All such haue cause to humble themselues for the euill which they haue brought vpon themselues by doing good things without any good calling To preach the word to administer the Sacraments to make publike prayer are necessarie parts of the holy worship of God that must be performed they are the onely instruments to saue the precious soules of men and yet these euen these are
serueth not onely to soften the waxe but to harden the clay Hence it is that many are made worse by the word â—atth 13.15 but that falleth out through their owne corruption not through the nature of the word Hence it is that the Lord saith Make the heart of this people fatte and make their hearts heauy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and conuert and be healed Esay 6.10 â—say 6.10 Be it therefore that none are commonly worse then common hearers who heare indeed but doe not vnderstand and see indeed but doe not perceiue yet is the word to be preached and published though it be the sauor of death vnto death in those that heare it It is as the raine or snow that falleth from heauen which returneth not thither againe but watereth the earth and maketh it bud and bring forth that it may giue seed to the sower and bread to the eater so is it with the word that goeth forth out of the mouth of God it doth not returne vnto him voide but it accomplisheth that which he pleaseth and prospereth in the thing whereunto he sendeth it Esay 55. â—say 55 10.11 Lastly the wickednesse of euill hearers ought to be no barre against the preaching of the word forasmuch as euill persons are oftentimes wonne by the Gospel Publicans and harlots are brought by it to the kingdome of God Matth. 21.31 â—atth 21.31 Many of these that crucified the Lord of life and put our Sauiour to death were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do Act. 2.37 â—ct 2.37 They gladly receiued the word and were baptized so that in one day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules The like we might say of the Iailour notwithstanding his cruelty and persecution of the Apostles he came to them and said Sirs what must I doe to be saued Act. 16 30. â—ct 16 30. Who preached vnto him faith in Christ by whose Ministry hee was conuerted Shall we then reason as these men doe Hearers are wicked and as bad as others that heare not therefore away with the word out of the Church pull down the chaire of Moses and downe with all preaching let vs haue no more hearing and let the sound of the word be buried for euer O foolish reason O damnable conclusion Nay wee may inferre contrariwise Such as heard long are sinful stil therfore let them heare more cheerefully and let the Minister deale more roundly with them Let them be told and taught that God will take an account of their hearing according to the meanes he hath afforded vnto them that by the word they shall be iudged at the last day and that as much hath beene committed vnto them so much shal be required at their hands againe that they are to heare the voyce of God while it is called to day and are to take heed they neglect not the accepted time and that as Christ hath knocked long at the doores of their hearts so they know not how suddenly he will depart from them Verse 4. And Nadab and Abihu dyed before the Lord c. We haue already declared how God immediately after the ordering of the Armies of the Israelites describeth the tribe of Leui that was exempted and priuiledged out of that muster and multitude and of what family Aaron came Now wee are to shew what became of his sonnes who albeit they were the sonnes of one man yet they neither liued nor dyed after one manner For the two eldest Nadab and Abihu Leuit. 10.4 Num. 26.60 presuming to offer incense to God and to burne it with strange fire were themselues consumed with fire there went a fire from the Lord and deuoured them and they dyed before the Lord with sudden death Thus by the same thing wherein they offered they perished strange fire brought downe a strange iudgement to declare the iustice of God against sinners but of this point we shall haue better occasion to speake farther in the fift Chapter Thus it fel out in the family of Aaron his two sonnes dyed by fire euen they dyed before their father 1 Chron. 24.2 and had no children to whom the Priesthood might descend therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the Priests office When the Leuites did offer sacrifice in the Tabernacle God sent fire from heauen Leuit. 9.24 to consume the sacrifice whereupon he commanded the Priestes that the fire should be kept euermore burning vpon the Altar and neuer be suffered to goe out Leuit. 6.13 Which the Gentiles also obserued by a foolish imitation So then their transgression against God consisted in these two things First they vsed strange fire contrary to the commandement of God whereas they should haue taken it from the Altar Leuit. 1.8 Leuit. 1.8 Secondly they entred into the holy place which was not lawfull for the high Priest himselfe to doe but vnder certaine conditions and at a certaine time Leui. 16.1 2. Leuit. 16.1 2. Exod. 30.10 Exod. 30.10 Heb. 9.7 Heb 9.7 Thus then as they sinned openly so God punished them openly and made them publike examples vnto others that should succeed them and come after them in that office as he speaketh Leuit. 10.3 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is it that the Lord spake I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified Babingâ—on Leuit ch 10. obser 6. It was but yesterday as it were that Aaron and his sonnes had a famous and a glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignity vpon earth but these sonnes so lately exalted and honoured now lye destroyed before their fathers face to his ouermuch griefe and anguish not by any ordinary and accustomed death but by fire from heauen for their sins and breach of the Law and commandement of God We learne from hence that Godly parents haue Doctrine 2 oftentimes vngodly and disobedient children Godly parents haue oftentimes vngodly children Such as are reformed themselues haue children vnreformed We see this in Adam the first father he had not onely Abel the righteous who obtained good report that he pleased God but also Caine who was of that euill one and slew his brother 1. Ioh. 3. 1 Ioh. 3.12 Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers good Noah a iust man and perfect in his generations Gen. 6.9 had cursed Ham as well as blessed Shim Gen. 9.26 We see this in Abrahams house the Father of the faithfull who rereceiueth this commendation froÌ„ the mouth of God himselfe Gen. 18. Gen. 18.19 I know him that hee will command his children and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to do iustice and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him yet he had in his
build it or when it should be builded or where it should bee builded Hence it is that the Lord sent Nathan vnto him who said vnto him Shalt thou build me an house to dwell in Whereas I haue not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought vp the Children of Israel out of Egypt 2 Sa. 7 5 6 7. euen to this day but haue walked in a Tent and in a Tabernacle In all the places wherein I haue walked with all the Children of Israel spake I a word with any of the Tribes of Israel whom I commanded to feede my people Israel saying Why build ye not me an house of Cedar So then seeing it might be said to him Who required these things at thy hands Who commanded of thee any such worke Who euer spake vnto thee to doe it Howsoeuer his purpose might be commended yet the fact is reprooued And God vseth two reasons to call him backe from his desire and enterprise one taken from his owne person the other from the person of Dauid From the person of God because hitherto hee had liued in a Tabernacle so that there was no cause in respect of him to trouble himselfe with the building of a Temple From the person of Dauid because he was to consider that there were many in Israel besides him many Iudges and Princes beside him and before him yet none of them had any such charge laide vpon them or committed vnto them or required of them so that he ought not to haue enterprised that which was commanded to none of them nor to himselfe True it is GOD saith in the booke of Deuteronomy that there should be one place where he would be worshipped but what or where that place was he did not foreshew therefore his farther pleasure to bee reuealed was to be expected and an expresse commandement to be waited for For wee see in the Scriptures that oftentimes somewhat is commanded which commeth not by and by to be practised and executed as we declared before touching the chusing of a King from among their brethren Deut. 17 14. when they came into the Land which the Lord their God had giuen them So Christ sent out his Apostles into all the world and commanded them to teach all nations but at what time they should go forth they were to expect a new commandement and commission Matth 28.19 Luke 24.49 so that albeit they were bidden to goe yet if they had gone before they had knowne when to goe they had offended The summe and effect of this answer cometh heereunto that Dauids thought and purpose was good and godly if we consider the roote of it inasmuch as it proceeded from a desire of promoting true religion neuerthelesse although God approued his intent yet he suffered him not to goe forward because hee wanted his word to warrant his intent and therefore did not obey God but follow his owne mind and deuice Thus wee see the cause why God forbad Dauid to builde him a Temple and yet afterward the people in the daies of Haggai are reproued Hag. 1 4. being returned from captiuity because they builded not Heere he forbiddeth that which there he cōmandeth These things seeme not to agree together but to be contrary one to the other and yet though different in shew they agree very well in deed in truth For in this place Dauid is pulled back from his purpose as running too fast trauelling as it were without his guide and sailing without his compasse because he had not the word of God whereas they were reproued because albeit they were stirred vp by the Prophets and called continually to that duty by the word of God yet they could finde no leasure to fall to worke but followed wholly their owne profites and pleasures Thus we haue answered the obiections let vs now come to the vses see what we are to learne from hence Vse 1 First of all wee are taught that touching things that are to be done or not to be done we are not to iudge by the false rule of our owne carnall and corrupt reason but according to the sure word of the Prophets and Apostles It seemeth a small thing in our owne iudgement to burne Incense with strange fire but it is a most greeuous sinne and deserued a most greeuous punishment if we consider the word of God thereby transgressed or respect his commandement thereby violated For these two sonnes of Aaron died not the common death of all men nor were visited after the ordinary visitation of the rest of the sons of men but God wrought a strange worke he brought fire from heauen and consumed them Numb 16 18. The like we might say of Corah and his company they contented not themselues with the ordinary calling of the Leuites to do the seruice of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the Congregation to minister vnto them but they would also take euery man his censure and put incense in them but they sought the Priesthood also and vsurped the office peculiarly appointed to Aaron and to his sons It might seeme a small thing to set vp others to burne incense and a man might say Why might not Korah do it as wel as Aaron What skilleth it by whom it bee done But hereby the will of God is broken and little regarded yea God himselfe is contemned and little esteemed in our eyes This then bindeth euery soule to humility not to thinke any thing better wiser or more expedient and profitable to the Church then that which is prescribed vnto it neither yet to account any thing idle or superfluous or vnnecessary or that might be amended There be many prophane men that think most basely and contemptibly of the most excellent things of God as of the Word of the Ministery of the Sacraments and of the prayers of the Church It seemeth to many a slight thing not to be washed with the water of Baptism but it is not so with God who hath instituted that Sacrament and therefore woe vnto them that neglect it or despise it The like we might say of the Lords Supper it is accounted among many a small matter whether they come to the Table of the Lord or not But we must measure the necessity of it not by the outward shew of the outward actions but by the Commandement of God because whatsoeuer Christ hath instituted for the perpetuall vse and benefit of the Church we are commanded to yeeld obedience vnto it Whosoeuer neglecteth to doe what hee appointeth sinneth most greeuously against him Wherefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. 1 Cor. 1◠As often as ye eate this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come Such then as come sildome to this Sacrament declare plainely that they regard not the death of Christ They looke to receiue life and saluation from him but they do not esteeme the meanes whereby they may be made
God Thirdly Touching the vow of single life touching continency and single life which they call chastity they all praise it but not many practise it They think this vow to be very rightly and religiously obserued and that they haue fulfilled it to the ful if they leade their life out of marriage and renounce chaste wedlocke for when they speake of the vow of continency they vnderstand nothing else but single life They suppose it and both openly and odiously defend it The Iesuites teach it to be a lesse sinne to liue in fornication then to marry a wife to be a more heinous sinne for any of the Cleargy to marry a wife then to haue the company of an harlot and to embrace the bosome of a stranger Costerus the Iesuite maintaineth to whom others assent that a Priest that is married sinneth more grieuously then he that keepeth a concubine or committeth fornication The time was when it was made a capitall crime worthy of no lesse punishment then death for a Cleargy man to marry but when the same Law was vrged to be established against such also as entred into stewes and brothel-brothel-houses and kept harlots it could not passe but was nipped in the head as the greene hearbes with a frost Thus while they forsweare and forbeare to haue wiues of their owne Vide Epistol Iesuit Dan. Chamieri to auoide fornication they do not abstaine from whoredome and vncleanenesse Thus they preferre abominable whoredome before honourable wedlocke strange flesh before the bed vndefiled and the lawes of men before the commandement of God For no man can vow continency but he to whom it is giuen from aboue to be able to containe and continue a single life as our Sauiour hath taught Matth. 19.11 12. He that can take it let him take it And he sheweth that all men cannot receiue this saying saue they to whom it is giuen So the Apostle to the same purpose saith I wish all men were as my selfe But euery man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner and another after that 1 Cor. 7.7 We haue not in our owne power the things that are Gods the gift of God is one thing the power of man is another againe to be willing is one thing and to be able is another The gifts of others are not in our power but the gift of continency is the gift of another to wit of God Therefore it is not in our power Againe the Scripture commandeth them to marry that cannot abstaine without burning as 1 Cor. 7.2 9. They that cannot containe let them marry Also he saith To auoide fornication let euery man haue his owne wife It is better to marry then to burne And he writeth to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.14 I will that the yonger women marry c. giuing none occasion to the aduersary to speake reprochfully Nothing must be vowed against the commandement of the holy Ghost but they which cannot containe and yet vow continency sinne against the commandement of the holy Ghost Therefore such persons ought not to vow continency Lastly this sort of votaries is a new doctrine or rather dotage For neither vnder the Law of nature nor vnder the Law of Moses did euer any vtter or minister such a vow of virginitie albeit we reade many lawes concerning vowing Leuit. 27. Numb 6. and 30. Deut. 12. and 23. Yet nothing concerning any such matter In the Law of nature it was said Encrease and multiply Ge. 1.28 In the garden of Eden euen in the time of mans innocency God the authour of marriage said that cannot ly It is not good for man to be alone Ge. 2 18. Christ himself thogh he liued most purely and perfectly yet made no vow of continency The like might be said of the Apostles To conclude it is the property of heretikes and the very doctrine of diuells to forbid marriage 1 Tim 4.1 3. and for religions sake to dissolue it Thus did Marcion and the Manichees and therefore are condemned Vse 4 Fourthly we learne from hence a notable comfort hauing assurance that our calling is of God Let euery one looke to the Lawfulnesse of his calling and to the warrant of his worke and be able to approue it to his owne conscience The word of God is able to giue vs peace and comfort We are sure if we doe our duties to meete with many enemies and oppositions How often did the people murmure against Moses was not Eliah esteemed the troubler of Israel was not Ieremy borne as a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth was it any better with Christ himselfe and his Apostles The LORD of life was hated and persecuted and crucified being deliuered into the hands of sinners The Apostles were made a spectacle vnto the 2 Cor. 4.9 world and to Angels and to men being sent forth as men appointed to death It fareth not much better with the Ministers of the Gospel who succeede them in the gouernement of the Church they are slandered and reuiled they are mocked and misused and accounted as the off-scouring of all things We shall neuer goe through with the worke of the Lord that is in our hands except we rest in God who hath called vs to the Ministery Thus did Dauid comfort himselfe in the Lord when they would haue stoned him 1 Sam. 30.4 The like we see in the Apostles when they were threatned and commanded to speake no more in the Name of Christ they answered that they could not but speake the things which they had seene and heard Actes 4.19.20 and professed that they ought to obey God rather then man Actes 5.29 The consideration of their calling warranted vnto them from God put comfort into them and gaue them all boldnesse to set themselues against their enemies and made them pray earnestly to Christ Iesus the Lord of the haruest and the great Shepheard of the sheep to stand by them and to bee present with them in the busines he had committed vnto their charge Wherefore whensoeuer we see the trueth of God oppugned and our Ministery any way resisted let vs comfort our selues from hence that we are not vsurpers or intruders into this office but hauing our calling sealed vp vnto vs let vs boldly proceede and goe forward to make known the trueth of God to the consciences of all men That which the Lord saith of the first borne in this place that they are his may bee saide of all the Ministers of the Gospel that succeede them and therefore he will succour and sustaine them If then we finde this in our owne soules that we entred into this calling not as theeues that come in at the window to steale and to kill and to destroy Ioh. 10.10 not as souldiers that seeke their prey and booty to enrich themselues not as idle drones that seeke to liue at ease and in pleasure but to worke in the Lords vineyard and to labour in his haruest we
be as a toy or trifle vnto vs yet at least let vs alwaies haue before vs the iudgement of God vpon our selues and be well assured that the wrongfull and vniust detaining of the Lords portion from the Lords Pastours shall bring such a curse vpon the rest of our substance that it shall be as the eares of corne that are blasted yea it shall kindle such a fire in the middest of our houses that it shall consume them with the timber thereof and the stones thereof The Lord hauing by the Prophet Malachi charged his people with spoiling him in tithes and offerings he addeth this in the next words Ye are cursed with a curse for ye haue spoiled me Mal. 3 9. euen this whole Nation The zeale that Dauid had for the house of GOD was very great so that he professeth it had euen eaten him vp Psal 69 and indeed he sheweth no lesse by his owne practise For when Araunah the Iebusite as a King in the willingnesse of spirit offered to giue to Dauid Oxen for burnt sacrifice and the threshing instruments for wood that he might build an altar and offer thereon he would not accept of it at his hands 2 Sam. 24 24. neither offer to the Lord his God that which cost him nothing as one esteeming in so doing the precious things of GOD light and of small account O how farre are these men from this heauenly affection of this holy seruant of God He accounted nothing too good to giue to God but they account it an happy turne if they might goe away scot-free and pay nothing at all toward the maintenance of the Ministery of the word It is strange to see how bountifull many are and euen prodigall that they care not what they waste and consume in following their owne pleasures pastimes and vanities of their corrupt hearts and yet how backward and pinching they are oftentimes for one halfepeny that is going from them and comming eyther toward the poore or toward the Minister But marke the secret and iust iudgement of God vpon them and tremble at it or rather feare him that inflicteth it and paieth them home in their owne kinde punisheth them proportionably according to their sinne for he detaineth his graces from them and sendeth them poore and leane soules that are ready to famish and perish through want of heauenly and spirituall food Two extremes touching the Ministers True it is there haue beene two extremes in the world both touching the estimation of their persons touching the compensation of their labours In former times the people did so highly account of them that they did sticke and cleaue too much to their persons and therefore Paul saith 1 Cor. 3 5 7. Who is Paul and who is Apollo but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued euen as the Lord gaue to euery man so then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that gaue the increase but in our times there appeareth not such forwardnesse wherein they are contemned despised This is one extreme Likewise in former times they were ready to giue all and yet they thought al to be too little now they would willingly if they might take away all so that if some positiue lawes did not stay them and restraine them their consciences are so large How the Ministers are dealt withal that they would suffer them well enough to take the corne and feed the Minister with the straw they could be content to fill themselues with the Calues out of the stall and to eate the fattest of them and then to reserue the refuse for the Minister and to giue them the bones to gnaw vpon which they offer to their dogges and yet thinke that too good for them A goodly recompence for their great paines They are not ashamed to share the wool of the flocke among themselues and to cloathe themselues therewith and then to cast the tailes to their Teachers and to stoppe their mouthes with the dung and drauery that is good for nothing Thus are they affected toward religion and the promoting of the word and worship of God they care not though all rudenesse and barbarisme were among vs and the world were become a receptacle of all atheisme like a wildernesse ouergrowne with nettles bryars and all noysome weeds if so be they might get any aduantage by the ruine and ouerthrow of the Gospel In the late daies of superstition which many now liuing can yet remember the people generally were most bountifull to their sacrificing Masse-Priests who fed them with corne that is musty and mouldred or rather with huskes fitter for swine then for the seruants of God and yet they thought nothing too good for them nothing too much to bestow vpon them as the idolatrous Egyptians nourished their idolatrous Priests in the yeares of famine Gen. 47 Gen. 47 22. so that their Land was not set to sale hauing a portion assigned vnto them of Pharaoh and eating the portion which he gaue them Now our people are better taught yet they pay all duties and demands for the most part grudgingly and murmure at all things that go from themselues as if a man did cut a peece of flesh out of their sides or let them blood at the hart veine Then they had a zeale though not according to knowledge and a conscience though it were blinde now indeed by reason of the labours of the Ministers which stretch out their hands all the day long spend their strength among them they haue science but little or no conscience the Gospel would be welcome vnto them at least in word prouided that it do not any way displease them or disease them neither be costly or burdensome vnto thē otherwise if they must depart with any of their morsels they care not for it nor esteeme any thing of it nor will be ruled by it nor order their liues after it 33. Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites these are the families of Merari 34. And those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and vpward were sixe thousand and two hundred 35 And the chiefe of the house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail these shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle Northwards 36. And vnder the custody and charge of the sonnes of Merari shall be the boards of the Tabernacle and the barres thereof and the pillars thereof and the sockets thereof and all the vessels thereof and all that serueth thereto 37. And the pillars of the Court round about and their sockets and their pinnes and their cords 38. But those that encampe before the Tabernacle toward the East euen before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Eastward shall be Moses and Aaron and his sonnes keeping the charge of the Sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel and the stranger that commeth nigh
in heauen that not one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18 14. He commandeth that not one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18 10. He maketh vs to lye downe in greene pastures he leadeth vs beside the stil water he restoreth our soules and leadeth vs in the paths of righteousnesse for his names sake Psal 23 2 3. Iacob that fed the sheepe of his father in law testifieth touching his care that the drought consumed him in the day Gen. 31.40 and the frost pinched him in the night and sleepe departed from his eyes so that whatsoeuer was torne of beasts or stollen of theeues was required at his hands he bare the losse of it Much more then will the Lord care for the sheepe of his pasture his rod and his staffe shall comfort them and although they walke through the valley of the shadow of death they shall feare no euill Will a king regard onely the chiefe Cities and most populous places of his kingdome and suffer the rest to liue as they list without lawes good orders Or will the master of an house looke to some in his family and not to all If then God be our King if he be our Master he will looke to all his subiects and seruants whatsoeuer they be that they shall haue their meate in due season Secondly such is the grace and goodnesse of God that he would haue all his people Reason 2 come to knowledge Such as know not his will are none of his seruants If then he require the vnderstanding knowledge of his wayes not onely of rich men of great men of learned men and of the Ministers but of all the people of what calling and condition soeuer they be how meane and simple soeuer they be we must hereof conclude that he hath ordained that all of them should haue the meanes of knowledge and saluation offered vnto them and published among them To this purpose the Apostle saith He will that all men shall be saued and come vnto the acknowledgement of the truth 1 Tim. 2 4. And Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. teacheth that The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long suffering to vs ward 2 Pet. 3 9. not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance This is that which the Prophet Ezekiel setteth downe chap. 18 11 23 32 and 33. Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord and not that he should returne from his waies and liue Thirdly the word of God was penned for all estates degrees and conditions of men It Reason 3 serueth as eye-salue to cleere the eyes of all persons and to make the simple wise Psal 19 7. and 119 99 100. It cleanseth the way of the yong man if he take heed thereunto with all diligence Psal 119 9. The booke of the Prouerbes of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel was written to giue subtilty to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion Prou. 1 4. The Apostle Iohn 1 Iohn 2 13. wrote to the Fathers because they had knowne him that is from the beginning he wrote vnto young men because they haue ouercome the wicked one he wrote to little children because they haue knowne the Father If then the word do serue for all sorts and sexes and ages whatsoeuer it followeth that all must be taught from the greatest to the least from the highest to the lowest Fourthly all persons whatsoeuer they be haue soules to saue simple persons small congregations Reason 4 little assemblies as well as others that are many in number We consist not only of bodies we must not onely prouide for this present life but we haue also soules to saue and must prepare for the life to come We shall all giue an account of the things that we haue done in this life whether they be good or euill forasmuch as the Lord will reward euery man according to his workes Rom. 2.6 The day of our particular death and the day of the generall iudgement are both of them dayes of reckoning and account and as the soule is most precious so the account to be giuen for it is very great and therefore from these premises we may necessarily deduct this conclusion that it is the will and pleasure of God that euery place and person should be carefully instructed Vse 1 It remaineth therfore that we come to the vses and as from a good tree gather such fruit as groweth from thence First we learne that it is Gods ordinance and appointment that euery congregation should haue a learned Minister to teach them the true religion and feare of God It is not ynough that there be a setled standing Ministery in one place or corner of the land or in euery great citie but he will haue his people in all places whether great or small to be cared and prouided for euery Church haue a sufficient Minister to instruct euery member of it Hence it is that the Euangelist declareth Acts 14.23 that the Apostles Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders by election in euery Church and then they commended them to the Lord in whom they beleeued And in the Epistle to Titus Paul saith vnto him Chap. 1. verse 5. For this cause left I thee in Creta that thou shouldest continue to redresse things that remaine and shouldest ordaine Elders in euery Citie as I appointed thee By euery Church and euery citie in those places we must vnderstand that wheresoeuer there is a body of people gathered together fit for a Congregation there ought a Minister to bee chosen appointed and set ouer the same For whersoeuer a Church is planted and a distinct congregation established there is an absolute necessity of a setled Ministery as we haue shewed before in the beginning of this Chapter so that it is altogether vnpossible that without it religion should prosper or continue The Lord had no sooner giuen his law concerning the erecting of the Tabernacle but Aaron his sons were annointed and the whole tribe sanctified to the office of the Ministery to attend on holy things to teach the people to offer sacrifices to performe such duties as were required of them He knoweth that euery man standeth in as great neede of food for the soule aa he doth of nourishment for the body and that as the body decayeth without sustenance so the soule famisheth and pineth away without the bread of life Wheresoeuer the Ministery of the word is wanting there wanteth one of Gods ordinances one of his speciall blessings Wee see by common and continuall experience when the corne is blasted and the haruest of the field is perished and the labour of the husbandman is destroyed what crying lamentation is made how much more ought we to be greeued to see the famine of the word brought vpon vs and thousands perish thorough want of this ordinance of God
in those that follow yet there was a legall impurity and a ceremoniall vncleannes in them putting them in mind of the foulenes of sinne Thirdly such as haue touched a dead carcase must also goe out of the hoste these were also vncleane for a certaine season The first sort to wit of the lepers was infectious the two latter were accounted vncleane and abominable in respect of the law and ordinance of God that forbade those ceremonies vntill the time of the restoring of all things and yet some of them could not be auoided as the touching of the dead These are the parts the manner followeth shewing that this commandement is generall and toucheth all ages and sexes yong and old male and female Prince and subiect rich and poore there must no partiality be vsed God will haue none of these vncleane persons to be spared or suffered among his people from the king that setteth on his throne to the begger that lyeth on the dunghill Hereupon Moses saith both male and female ye shal put out without the campe shall ye put them And in the booke of Deuteronomy it is said Deut. 24. â— Take heed in the plague of leprosie that thou obserue diligently and doe according to all that the Priests Leuites shal teach you as I commanded them so ye shall obserue to do Remember what the Lord thy God did vnto Miriam by the way after that ye were come forth out of Egypt She was the sister of Moses and Aaron had gone before the women in singing the praises of God for their deliuerance at the red sea yet when she spake against Moses Num 12.14 she was shut out from the campe seuen dayes according to the law Leui. 13 4â— All the dayes wherein the plague shall bee in him he shal be defiled he is vncleane he shal dwel alone without the camp shal his habitation be The practise hereof we see in Gehazi the seruant of Elisha because he had taken two talents of siluer contrary to the wil of the Prophet he said vnto him 2 Kin 5.27 The leprosie of Naaman shal cleaue vnto thee and vnto thy seed for euer and he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow In the seige of Samaria by the Syrians it appeareth that foure leprous men dwelt out of the citie who for feare of that great and mighty hoste abode at the entring in of the gate 2 King 7.3 and were the first messengers of glad tidings that the enemies had broken vp their campe in haste and were fled away When Ahasiah presumed in the pride of his heart to execute the priests office the Lord smote the king 2 King 15. â— so that he was a leper vnto the day of his death and dwelt in a seuerall house Thus we see how this law was executed without al respect of persons or degrees and estates of men high and low bond and free master and seruant The reasons of the former commandement follow which are two in number the one drawn from the nature and condition of these vncleane persons the other from the person and presence of God The former reason concerning the foulenesse of the leprosie in these words lest they defile their camp may bee thus concluded If the lepers defile the places of their abode then they are to be remooued But the lepers defile the places of their abode Therefore they are to be remooued The conclusion of this argument is the commandement it selfe mentioned in the 2 verse so also is the second part in the end of the same verse The first proposition is to be supplyed The next reason drawne from the Lord himselfe in these words I dwell in the mids of them is thus concluded If God dwel among his people then no vncleane thing is to be tolerated among them But God dwelleth among his people Therefore no vncleane thing is to be tolerated among them The parts of this argument are partly expressed and partly vnderstood as we shewed in the former that went before and therefore need not be repeated Thus much of the commandement the execution heereof followeth in the 4. verse set downe first generally and particularly Generally the children of Israel did so Particularly they put them out of the campe as the Lord spake vnto Moses Now whereas the tents among the Israelites were threefold one of the Tabernacle another of the Leuites the third of the Tribes 〈◊〉 in Nume â—5 sundry of the Hebrews hold that such as were leprous were banished from them all three that such as had running issues were suffered in the campe but neither in the court of the Tabernacle nor among the tents of the Leuites and that such as were defiled by touching the dead were onely banished and excluded out of the court of the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle it selfe But these are more curious speculations then well grounded obseruations whereof the Hebrew Rabbins are full and seeme to be ouerthrowne in this place where they are thought to be established forasmuch as Moses ioyneth all these 3. together and turneth them out of the host â—biect Before we proceed to handle the doctrines of this diuision it shall not be amisse for vs to answer one obiection which we will do briefly and that is whether God in requiring the lepers to be put out of the campe doe respect the bodies of his people or not forasmuch as the leprosie was a contagious and infectious disease â—nswer I answere I am not ignorant how diuersly diuers men doe carry this and vnderstand hereby that God as a prudent and prouident Lawgiuer giueth wholesome counsell and direction lest contagious diseases should creepe among the people and so infect one another But this is too weake a coniecture and collection reacheth not to the purpose nor attaineth to the intent of God who respecteth the soule rather then the body For he doth not in this place giue counsel as a Phisition that prouideth for the health of his patient but he dealeth as a Physition of the soule and therefore vnder these outward rites and ceremonies he would traine them vp teach them to giue themselues to holinesse of life to study to attaine vnto and acquaint themselues with purity and to beware of all filthines and vncleannesse This appeareth in the example before set downe of such as were driuen from the company and society of men being stricken with the leprosie by the hand of God Besides this reason is rendred of their casting out of the hoste lest they should defile the campe in which the Lord dwelled Lastly we see that such as haue issues in the flesh such as touch the dead which are no infectious diseases and the one no disease at all are ioyned with the leprosie in this chapter so that the drift intent of God in this place is not to prouide for the body or to keepe the people in health and strength but for the
heed how we heare Luk. 8 whē we come into his house Christ teacheth that in hearing the Ministers we heare him and in refusing them we refuse him Math. 10. The Apostle commendeth the Galatians for the performance of this duty that they were as carefull to heare him as to heare Christ himselfe chap. 4 14. My tentation that was in my flesh ye despised not nor reiected but receiued mee as an Angell of God euen as Christ Iesus What could he say more for them Or how could he better set foorth their zeale then to giue this testimony of them that they accounted of him in regard of his paines in the Ministerie not as an ordinary man not as a faithfull Minister onely not as an elect Angell onely but as Christ himselfe the head of men and Angels whose person he did represent and whose Church he did feed with wholesome doctrine This example should all of vs follow this doth the Lord require of all true Christians that they receiue his Ministers as his Messengers and reuerence them as himselfe in regard of their doctrine and haue thē in singular loue for their workes sake This we see to be worthily practised by Cornelius as well became a religious Captaine and a deuout Christian Acts 10. ◠10 33. We are all heere present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Loe how great the dignity of the Ministery of the Church is loe how great the excellency of the Ministers of God is we must heare them as if we heard God forasmuch as they are sent of him they preach his word they deliuer no more then they haue receiued and he hath commanded them to publish it in his Name But alasse it is most horrible to behold the contempt that they suffer and the basenesse that is cast vpon this calling which is one of the causes of those greeuous plagues and iudgements that are brought vpon the world The disgrace and ignominy vnder which they lie greeueth the hearts of all the godly and not only greeueth their hearts but pierceth the Clouds and doth not onely pierce the Clouds but reacheth vp to heauen and doth not onely reach vp to heauen but entreth into the eares of the Lord of hosts and not onely entreth into his eares but doth stretch it selfe vnto God himselfe and returne vpon Christ the Prince of all Prophets which ought indeed to pierce and enter into the hearts of all prophane persons and serue to terrifie all those that reuile them and speake all manner of euill against them for the truths sake Let vs remember the saying of the Apostle touching the Thessalonians 2 Thess 2 13. When ye receiued the word of God which yee heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeue This is a worthy commendation of this Church and a notable example which we ought to set before vs to follow it so that we must heare the word as Gods word whose force it carrieth with it Many heare it that do not heare it as Gods word It is a rare thing to finde such an hearer Some heare and then rage and storme when they are reproued Acts 7 57 17 18 and 22 23. Others refuse to heare at all and thinke such as make conscience of hearing to be more curious precise then there is cause Others embrace the word but yet not as the word as we see in Papists and hypocrites The Papists affirme that the Scripture or word written hath no authority in it selfe except it be allowed approued of the Church What other thing is this then to embrace the word but not as the word The hypocrites also doe not receiue the word with due reuerence nor expresse it in true obedience as their life doth witnesse against them These haue men onely in their thoughts and haue not God in their sight they may be said after a sort to receiue the word but they cannot be said to receiue it altogether as the word For if they did seriously and earnestly acknowledge it to bee of God and to haue him the author of it they would not leade their liues in that loose manner that they do Thirdly it reproueth those that contemne the doctrine of the Gospel The third reproofe for the poore and obscure conditiō of the Ministers that preach it For what I pray you was the estate of the Apostles Were they rich and renowned in the world Peter and Iohn going vp together into the Temple at the ninth houre of praier answered the lame man that expected to receiue something of them Siluer and gold haue I none Acts 3 6. Were they much befriended applauded of men The Apostle declareth and complaineth that all men had forsaken him and no man stood with him 2 Tim. 4 16. And Christ himselfe foretelleth that they should bee hated of all men for his Names sake Math. 10 ver 22. Were they honoured and magnified aboue others Or did they liue at ease and in pleasure Paul spareth not to paint out their life 1 Cor. 4 9 I thinke that God hath set foorth vs the Apostles last as it were appointed to death for wee are made a spectacle vnto the world and to Angels and to men Were they clad in purple and fared they deliciously euery day Did they dwell in gorgious houses and Princely pallaces In the words following he telleth vs how it fared with him and the rest of his brethren they were not attired in soft raiment they did not surfet through excesse Verse 12. but euen vnto this present we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place And yet notwithstanding these manifold aduersities and trials the Sonne of God pronounceth of them He that heareth you heareth me and iudgeth the wrongs to be done to himselfe which they suffer Let not vs therefore require honour or riches or glory or pompe or outward dignity in the Ministers of the Gospel but rather consider the goodnesse of God toward vs who knowing that we are not able to beare and abide his infinite Maiesty hath instituted the Ministery of his word that by men equall vnto vs and like to our selues he might teach vs his will and instruct vs in his word We shewed before that when the Lord himselfe in his owne voice preached to Israel at Mount Sinai they were so terrified and afraid that they asked for Moses that he might speake vnto them If the matter stood thus with them that had seene the wonders of God in the Land of Egypt and not many daies before had passed the red sea as it were by dry land what shall befall vs if he should vtter to vs his terrible voice as a most mighty thunder If then we heare patiently and obey readily the word that is brought vnto vs by weake and fraile man it
and tempest while they are secure and thinke nothing of their end while they eate drinke and are drunken and giuen to vnlawfull pleasures the iudgement of God shall be as a swift messenger or a sodaine winde that shall blow them away as chaffe For though God in patience beare with them and put off his iudgements for a season yet when they do come they shall come swiftly and sodainely Indeed it often maketh the best of Gods children to stumble to see the prosperitie of the wicked and greeue much to see men lying in their sinnes as swine in the mire or dogges in their vomit to grow great and continue long without any crosse or affliction but let them waite but awhile and sodainly they shall see the iudgements of God to ouertake them in their greatest ruffe and riot into which they breake Let no man therefore enuy them their honour and glory their riches and prosperity for they all shall bee turned into curses and iudgements Who would repine at it to see a theefe carried along thorough faire fields and greene meddowes in a rich coach to the gallowes or place of execution There is cause rather to bee greeued at it and to pittie him then to enuy him so likewise why should we enuy at the prosperity of the wicked considering it is the highway that leadeth to death and the verie occasion of their ruine they staÌ„d in danger euery houre to be ouertaken with the iudgements of God which come sodainely that they shall haue no time to make their peace or to reconcilde themselues by true Repentance Psal 37.35 36. We haue cause therfore to mourne for them and not to murmure at them Thirdly from hence ariseth comfort to the faithfull What though on the one side the Vse 3 wicked prosper encrease in riches though their eies stand out for fatnesse and cruelty compasseth them as a garment and they haue more then heart can wish And what though on the other side the godly are afflicted and in trouble though they be in want and oppressed though they be in misery and suffer many wrongs Psal 73.13 yet we must not be discouraged nor say We haue clensed our hearts in vaine and in vaine wee haue washed our hands in innocency forasmuch as they are brought into desolation as in a moment they are vtterly consumed with terrors as a dreame when one awaketh Verse 19 20. Let vs therefore bee of good comfort and not shrinke away they are like the grasse or flower of the field which groweth and flourisheth to day and to morrow withereth and is cast into the Ouen or rathey they are much more brittle and subiect to a speedier change Let vs commit our wayes vnto the Lord and trust in him let vs giue all diligence to walke in his waies which are sanctified and holy waies that we may not be reputed among the wicked and so partake with them in the sodainnesse of their downfall Let vs waite patiently vpon him for yet a very litle while and the wicked shall not appeare thou shalt looke after his place and yet shalt not finde him sodaine destruction shall seize vpon him as a sergeant and he shall be caried away as with a strong whirlewinde in a tempestuous and stormy day Vse 4 Fourthly it is our duty to watch and attend with all care for the time of iudgement The day of the Lord or the time of iudgment is twofold generall and particular Generall when Christ shall breake the heauens and come to iudge the quicke and the dead in the end of the world when the pillars of the earth and the whole frame of heauen shal be dissolued Particular at the day of our death when euery particular soule must appear before the barre and giue an account what iâ— hath done Great will be our misery if God come find vs carelesse and secure If a man knew at what houre the theefe would come doubtlesse hee would watch and not suffer his house to bee broken through Marke 13 35 36. And this is the cause wherefore it pleased God to conceale from vs as well the day of iudgement as the day of our death hee would not haue vs know either the one or the other to wit wheÌ„ he will come or when we shall dye to the end we should alwayes watch and pray and be in readinesse hauing our loines girt and oyle in our lampes Nothing is more certain then that he will come Enoch the seuenth from Adam prophesied of it before the flood that the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints Iude verse 14. howbeit nothing is more vncertaine then when he will come for the Angels in heauen and the Sonne himselfe as hee is man know it not but the Father onely Mat. 24 36. Mar. 13 32. So nothing is more certain then our death and dissolution and nothing more vncertaine then the time thereof that we should learn to looke for him euery day nay euery houre nay euery minute It is well obserued by Austine that the Lord would haue vs to know the time of his first comming Aug Epist ad Hesych because the knowledge thereof is profitable and necessary and therefore doth the Lord reprooue the Iewes that they could iudge the face of the sky but they knew not the day of their visitation because he that is ignorant of the first comming can neuer prepare himselfe for his second coÌ„ming Zâ—â—ch de fâ—â— seculi But the day and time of his second coÌ„ming is hidden from vs because it is not expedient for vs to know the same lest we shold say with the euill seruant My master doth defer his comming and so fall to beate our fellow-seruants Luke 12 45. We must be wise-hearted and looke for him euery day and not foolishly promise to our selues a long time of his tarrying lest we deceiue our selues and begin to eate and drinke and to be drunken whereas the Lord of that seruant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him Mat. 24.50 5â— and in an houre that he is not aware of and shal cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth And if wee may not say our master doth delay his comming as euil seruants then we may not say 2 Peter 3 4. where is the promise of his comming as prophane scoffers and mockers do that walke after their owne lusts But bee it that the generall comming of Christ were farre off yet his particular comming to euery one of vs cannot be farre off but is nere at hand we know not whose turne shal be the next woe vnto vs if we be taken vnprouided So then we see that God hath concealed his comming both generall and particular not to our hurt but for our good Lastly this serueth to admonish all men Vse 5 that seeing the iudgements of God shal come sodainely and that sodaine death and sodaine
is slow Reason 1 to anger and of great kindnesse more ready to shew mercy then to send iudgement Psal 103 8 9. Secondly he doth not afflict willingly nor greeue the children of men Lam. 3 33. Thirdly he dealeth with vs as a father dealeth with his children spareth them as a father doth his sonne that serueth him Mal. 3 v. 17. Psal 103.13 Esay 49.15 Fourthly he spareth oftentimes the wicked and vngodly and powreth not all his wrath vpon them and so prone is he to shew mercy that an outward humiliation hath obtained a mitigation and prorogation of the punishment For when Ahab hearing the threatning of God denounced to come vpon him as a fearefull thunderbolt and against all his house so that such as dyed in the city should be eaten of dogs and such as dyed in the field should bee eaten of the fowles of the ayre hee rent his clothes and put on sackecloth vpon his flesh he fasted and lay in sackcloth the word of the Lord came vnto the Prophet saying Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me See the accomplishment hereof 2 King 9.25 because he humbleth himselfe before me I will not bring the euill in his dayes but in his sonnes dayes will I bring this euill vpon his house 1 King 21.27 29. This was but a temporary repentance as appeareth in the chapter following verse 8. yet it was not altogether fruitlesse but obtained a blessing answerable to the repentance the repentance was for a time the deferring of punishment was for a time also If God grant thus much to the penitency of an hypocrite we may be well assured that he will be gracious to such as bring forth true repentance and the fruits thereof Fiftly we are the workemanship of God created by him who willingly destroyeth not the worke of his owne hand therefore hee is not pleased with the striking of them Iob. 10.8 c. Esay 38. Lastly he seeth what is in our hearts he knoweth that we are but dust euen as a wind that passeth away Psal 78.39 Therefore he is full of compassion he turneth his anger away and doth not stirre vp all his wrath Vse 1 Learne from hence that God is compassionate he is soone intreated vpon our serious repentance He taketh no pleasure in our destruction hee desireth not to crush vs vnder his feet he is full of mercy and goodnesse This is the nature of God these are his titles And howsoeuer he may seeme to our corrupt affections to be seuere and rigorous as the euill and vnfaithfull seruant speaketh in the Gospel Matth. 25.24 I knew thee to be an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowen and gathering where thou hast not strewed yet euen in his corrections and our afflictions his great mercy and moderation appeareth 1 Cor. 10.13 This is a singular comfort to all that are in distresse whether it be of body or minde to consider how God is affected toward vs. Vse 2 Secondly we see that happy is the state of the Church no euill shall ouertake those that are truely the Lords farther then tendeth to their good Gen. 19.16 their afflictions shall fall out to the best We deserue to bee made like to Sodome and Gomorrha Wee know the affliction of Iob and the ende that GOD made for hee is very pittifull and of tender mercy Iam. 5.11 Now he is euermore the same with him is no change or shadow of turning as he was good to him so also hee is and will be good to vs. Thirdly is God thus fauourable then be assured that the soule which returneth shall Vse liue Ezek. 18.25 and 33.11 As I liue saith the Lord I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and liue turne ye turne ye from your euill wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel It is with God as it was with the woman that had found her groat as with the shepheard that had found his strayed sheepe as with the father that embraced his leude and licentious sonne Such as beginne to see their sinne must not thinke it to bee too late to returne When God calleth and cryeth out so often so earnestly so louingly turne ye turne ye froÌ„ your euill wayes shall we answere as infidels or as men in despaire the time is past it is too late when God saith Why will ye die shall we reply against God nay indeed against our owne selues It is too late to liue Let vs bewayle the abuse of Gods mercy patience and long suffering but withall we must know that the Lord delighteth not in the death of a sinner but would that the should liue The people iourneyed not till Miriam was brought in againe See here the greeuousnesse of sinne it was committed by one or two but the contagion of it passeth farther it was the worse for them that were neere vnto it for the people were stayed and could not goe forward Sinne therefore hurteth not onely those that commit it but such also as come neere it and troubleth those that are within the reach or sent of it Againe as God is iust in causing her to be shut out of the hoste so he is merciful in suffring her to be brought in And here is an instruction to the Church of God that they be not too rigorous in execution of the discipline and dispensation of the keyes We must be as ready to receiue the penitent as zealous in casting out the impenitent We haue spoken already of putting out of the Church open offenders and of the mitigation of the censure at the commandement of God now before we end the chapter obserue the quality and condition of the person against whom God proceedeth Miriam was a great Prophetesse the sister of Moses and Aaron and great suit and supplication was made to God for her that she might be healed of her leprosie and receiued againe into the assembly yet she continueth a leper and as an excommunicate person We learne hereby this truth That no man Doctriâ—â— None caâ— free from iudgemeâ—â— hauing â—â—â—ned though neuer so excellent of what place soeuer he bee can be free from Gods iudgements when he hath sinned against him What was it that droue Adam out of the garden and as it were banished him into the rest of the earth Gen. 3.24 was it any thing but disobedience 2 Sam. 6.7 Who hath sinned against the most High and hath not reaped the fruit of his owne wayes Let the Angels speake that first sinned and were first punished who because they kept not their first estate but left their owne habitation he hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto iudgement of the great day Iude vers 6. Was it any better with the old world among whom were men of al sorts high and low rich and poore old and yong they sinned together and as it were made a conspiracy with one accord against God in the end they
are swept away together with one vniuersall Flood Gen. 7. The like wee might say of Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities about them which giuing themselues to fornication and going after strange flesh suffered the vengeance of eternal fire Iude ver 7. The like we may say of kings and Princes nobles iudges Magistrates old and yong bond and free 2 Sam. 12.10 11. 2. King 7.19 20. and 1.9 10. Luke 12.20 and 16.22 23. Psalm 82.6.7 and 49.2.10 1. Sam. 2.29.30 Luke 1.20 Eccle. 11.9 2 King 2.24 Reason 1 God chastiseth his children that they shold not be condemned hereafter 1 Cor. 11.30 32 when they runne astray he putteth as it were a bridle in their mouthes whereby they are curbed and kept in obedience Secondly hee is constrained to take this course least they should trust in themselues whereas they should trust in the liuing God 2 Cor. 1.8.9 We are hardly driuen out of our selues and to renounce all confidence in the flesh We are quickely induced to sacrifice vnto our net and to burne incense vnto our drag Hab. 1.16 Thirdly hee doth it to humble vs and to prooue vs Deut. 8.2 Reuel 2.10 and that hee may doe vs good in the latter end Deut. 8.16 2 Sam. 16.12 so that he aymeth euermore at our good Vse 1 Vses follow See from hence the cause why they keepe Gods word whiles other run on in euil Psal 119.6.7.70.71 It is good for them that they are afflicted for before they went astray and wandred from his commandements Doubtlesse if they had all things that the corrupt flesh desireth and lusteth after they would runne into all excesse of riot with other men for as they are no better then other by nature so their workes would be no better then the workes of others God seeing much drosse in them is driuen to cast them into the fining pot to purifie them that they may bee as pure and precious golde in his sight Vse 2 Secondly we must learne hereby to iustifie God and to condemne our selues For if sinne draw downe his iudgements vpon the most excellent that offend then doubtlesse wee are bound to confesse that in his corrections he is iust and mercifull Lam. 3.22 When he afflicteth a nation or particular soule with famine sword or pestilence as his quiuer is full of arrowes he correcteth indeed but the cause is in our selues for his iugements are wrought out by man himselfe and we must learne to search out the cause in our selues It is sinne onely that deserueth and draweth downe his iudgements We must therefore learne to iustifie God in all his wayes and workes yea if he should ouerthrow our nation and strike downe our brethren and sisters and bring vs vtterly to confusion because we prouoke him daily by our iniquities his compassions neuer faile and for that cause alone wee are not confounded Thirdly we learne that there is no respect Vse 3 of persons with God in punishing for none shall escape his hand He punisheth not the simple and letteth others escape no man can pleade any immunity or impunity by his high place by his honour riches possessions or any other prerogatiue whatsoeuer Rom. 2.6 for he will render to euery man according to his deedes He looketh not vpon the outward appearance but so many as haue sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as haue sinned in the Law shall be iudged by the Law As God in the decree of his election respecteth no mans peâ—â—on nor in bestowing his graces of saluation which are the fruits of election as vocation faith Gal. 3.28 iustification sanctification and such like so in his corrections and chastisements hee doth not strike the poore and spare the rich winke at the noble and honourable and strike downe the vnnoble and baser sort but hee respecteth euery one as he findeth him and punisheth sinne wheresoeuer sinne reigneth that all should feare Fourthly conclude necessarily that the Vse 4 wicked cannot escape If he strike his friends he will not passe ouer his enemies If the gold must passe the furnace the drosse shall be reiected If the good corne must be ground in the mill before it can be bread for the vse of man the chaffe shall be burned vp with fire vnquenchable Prou. 11.31 1 Pet. 4.17 18. Behold the righteous shall be recompenced in the earth much more the wicked and the sinner and if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly appeare It is well said of one that the tribulations and afflictions of good men doe not bring them behind the wicked but rather shew that the plagues and punishments of the wicked are yet behind for God reserueth wrath for them Nahum 1.2 and will take vengeance of his aduersaries Ierem 25.29 Luke 23.28.31 The death and passion of Christ hath taken away the vengeance curse of the afflictions of the godly as he hath taken away the sting of death and strength of the law though both death and the Law remaine so that whatsoeuer remaineth in the cup for vs to drinke is wholesome and medicinable The vngodly doe now laugh at vs and deride vs when they see vs beaten at our Fathers hand in the house or at our masters hand in his schoole so it was with Dauid they clapped their hands and made a great shout when he was vnder the rodde saying Aha where is now his God Psal 41.5 now he lyeth he shall rise vp no no more verse 8. Psal 69.12 but let vs waite a while before the time be long we shall see them scourged with whippes and cast in prison where they shall neuer get out They shall be put in the stockes as euill doers they shall be arraigned as guilty persons and receiue the sentence of condemnation as traitors against God woe vnto them there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Vse 5 Lastly let vs learne to reforme our rash iudgement touching the suffering of the seruants of God We are ready to iudge them as plagued of God Psal 73.14 howbeit wee are not to iudge men to bee wicked and vngodly to be strangers from God and from his kingdome because we see sometimes the hand of God to be strangely vpon them for as much as they may belong vnto God albeit they suffer in that manner and measure Rather we ought to admire and wonder at Gods iudgements which are so iust that hee will not spare his owne people when they sin against him and it is rather an argument that they are the Lords because iudgement beginneth at his house and he will begin to plague the citie where his Name is called vpon When we see stones cut and hewed and squared should we therefore thinke and thereby conclude that those stones were not regarded or that they were good for nothing Wee should rather iudge that they are fitted to some speciall part of the building So if a man come into an orchard and find many trees cut and pruned he knoweth it
this is the end that God aimeth at Reason 3 in all his threatnings not the destruction of them that are threatned but their amendment Ezek. 18 23. Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die saith the Lord God and not that he should returne from his waies and liue and ch 33 11. Why will ye die O house of Israel The vses First consider that in the greatest Vse 1 and most fearefâ—ll threatnings of Gods heauy iudgements theâ—e is comfort remaining and hope of grace and mercy to be found there is life in death and health in sicknesse if we can change and amend Thus do the Princes of Iudah profite by the threatnings of the Prophet when he had threatned desolation of the Lords house and the destruction of the whole Land for which the Priests and people would haue put him to death they pleaded the practise example of good Hezekiah for the comfort of themselues and the people of his time and thereby stirred vp themselues to feare the Lord and to turne from their euill waies Ier. 26.18 The place is worthy to be considered where the Princes shew that Ieremy did no more theÌ„ Micah had done before him yet Hezekiah and all Iudah did not put him to death but feared the Lord and besought him of mercy and the Lord repented him of the euill which he had pronounced against them But it may be obiected Obiectioâ— If God threaten one thing and doth another it may seeme his will is changeable and that he hath two wils I answer Answer the will of God is one and the same as God is one but it is distinguished into that which is secret reuealed as the Church is sometimes visible and sometimes inuisible yet but one Church The secret will is of things hidden with himselfe and not manifested in the word The reuealed is of things made knowne in the Scripture Deut. 29 29. and by daily experience The secret is without condition the reuealed with condition and therefore for the most part it is ioyned with exhortation admonition instruction and reprehension But no man is exhorted and admonished to doe his secret will because no man can resist it the reprobate and diuels themselues are subiect vnto it and must performe it Rom. 9.19 Vse 2 Secondly it is the duty of the Ministers to propound the threatnings of GOD with such conditions prouoking and perswading all men to repentance and amendment of life offering grace and mercy to the humble and broken hearted 〈◊〉 1 4 14. â—2 3 Esa â— 16. They are to preach not onely the law but likewise with the law the Gospel And thus they are said both to bind and loose both to retaine sins and to forgiue For as Eliah by his earnest and zealous prayer did both shut vp the heauens 〈◊〉 4.25 Iam. â— 18. and open the windowes of heauen so that it gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruit so the Ministers of God by their earnest zealous preaching do shut vp the kingdome of heauen against all obstinate persons â—â—th 16.19 and also open the heauens to such as are penitent To propound the threatnings of God without condition is to bring men to despaire and to take from them all hope of mercy and forgiuenesse Thirdly it is the duty of the people whensoeuer Vse 3 they heare the theatnings of God to stirre vp themselues to repentance thereby to preuent his wrath and to stay his iudgements Let vs take heed we doe not rush on as the horse in the day of battell 〈◊〉 12.11 12. to our destruction And thus haue the seruants of God vnderstood his threatnings and accounted them as a Sermon of repentance as we heard before of Hezekiah king of Iudah and all Iudah with him when Micah the Morashite prophesied saying 〈◊〉 26.18 Thus saith the Lord of hostes Sion shall bee plowed like a field Ierusalem shall become heaps they fell not into desperation neither concluded an impossibility of obtaining pardon and the continuance of the Temple of the citie and of the whole kingdome but besought the Lord and feared his Name the Lord repented him of the plague which he had denounced against them And no maruell that this godly king conceiued the meaning of the threatning in that manner for so did the King of Niniueh an heathen and idolatrous king vnderstand the threatning of Ionah no otherwise Who can tell if God will turne and repent 〈◊〉 3 9. turne away from his fierce anger that we perish not Thus also did Hezekiah before named vnderstand the message sent to him from God by Esayah when he was sicke vnto death 〈◊〉 3â— 1.2 Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not liue and therefore he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord of life Let vs make this vse of the Ministery of the word and of all the threatnings contained therein to bee stirred vp to repentance and obedience lest we be destroyed If there be no change in vs let vs looke for a change from God and he will neuer change his threatnings except we change our liues and conuersations Vse 4 Fourthly seeing the threatnings of God suppose a condition we must also know how we ought to vnderstand his promises to wit with a condition The threatnings of GOD haue a condition of repentance the promises haue a condition of faith and obedience Esay 1.19 God hath made many mercifull promises vnto vs in his holy word howbeit he hath no otherwise bound himselfe vnto vs then wee will acknowledge our selues bound in duty to serue him We must not only consider what God promised to vs but withall remember what he requireth of vs. Hence it is that the Prophet saith I will speake suddenly concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to built it and to plant it Ier 18.9 10. but if it doe euill in my sight that it obey not my voyce then will I repent of the good wherewith I saide I will benefite them He hath promised to loue vs but he requireth at our hands to loue him againe He hath promised to forgiue vs our trespasses but he chargeth vs to forgiue them that trespasse against vs. He hath promised to be a Father vnto vs but he looketh for at our hands that we walke before him as obedient children Lastly if God threaten and no repentance Vse 5 followeth then certainely the threatnings pronounced will come to pâ—sse God threateneth not in vaine he terrifieth not without cause If we doe not preuent them they will preuent vs and take vs away suddenly See the fearefull examples of the flood of Sodome of the destruction of the ten tribes of Ierusalem and of the Iewes of the seuen Churches of Asia and other Churches planted by the Apostles supplanted in the wrath of God all assure vs of the truth of this point Consider our owne wayes in our hearts We liue where wee
to saluation Moreouer the Apostle speaking of one Mediatour and naming Christ to be that one 1 Tim. 2 5. speaketh in that place of prayer and therefore euen in praier he will haue vs to acknowledge no Mediatour of intercession but Christ Iesus onely A Mediatour of intercession as it is defined by Austine Aug. contra epist â—arm lib. 2 cap. 8. cannot agree to any sauing to Christ for he teacheth that it is commanded that euery Christian shold pray for others but he who requests for all and for whom none requesteth is the one and true Mediatour Againe they obiect Obiect that the Saints pray for vs and therefore we may pray to them Answ I answer this will not follow What the praiers of the Saints departed are Againe they pray for the perfecting of the body of Christ desire the full gathering together of the Saints they long for the resurrection restitution of their bodies which lye in the dust they wish to see the auengement of the blood of the holy martyrs shed for the testimony of the truth and craue to behold the last comming of Christ to iudgment to restore all things howbeit they know not the particular troubles of Gods children neither vnderstand the inward wrastlings and bucklings with sin and Satan which the conscience sustaineth no more then Eli knew the trouble of heart that Hannah had though she praied in his presence Wherefore let vs content our selues with the onely and all-sufficient mediation of Christ remembring the saying of the Apostle Iohn We haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. And seeing he calleth vs vnto himselfe let vs not refuse to goe to him When he saith Come to me Mat. 11 28. shall we say nay we wil go to some other When Mary called her sister secretly saying The master is come and calleth for thee as soone as she heard that she arose quickly and came vnto him So it ought to be with vs Our master Christ calleth vs why doe we run from him why do we not run to him why do we run to any other Let vs not refuse to come to him who gaue his life for vs that we might liue in him Shall we then depart from him that calleth vs to them that call vs not that know vs not that heare vs not that help vs not that saue vs not Secondly this condemneth the ignorant Vse 2 multitude which through palpable and horrible ignorance rush into the presence of God without any Mediator knowing neither God nor themselues They dream that God is mercifull neuer consider what he is in his owne nature to wit a God of perfection a most iust Iudge and we can neuer reconcile his mercy and iustice but by looking vpon him in the face and countenance of Christ Iesus in whom only he is wel pleased Mat. 3 17. We can receiue nothing at his hands except we come to him in his Son For as he is perfect so he accepteth of nothing that is vnperfect But we can offer nothing to God but that which is tainted and defiled with sin and if God looke vpon vs our wants out of his Sonne wee are no better then the children of wrath he findeth matter enough in vs to reiect our workes and to condemne our persons We haue our praiers heard no other way but in the Name of Christ We are no otherwise accepted but in his beloued Iohn 15 6. Eph. 1 6. Acts 4 12. Heb. 2 14 â— Math. 1â— 1 to wit in Christ He is the onely Sauiour of the Church he saueth his people from death and him that hath the power of death that is the diuell He saueth vs from our sins guilt and punishment For sin is the power sting of death an vgly serpent Christ only hath quelled him he hath merited our saluation by his death and passion none else hath done it none else could do it The Saints glorified and all the company of the elect Angels in heauen were too weak and vnworthy to accomplish this work The Papists as we haue shewed make him but half a Sauiour ioyning others with him in the worke of saluation For they teach that with Christs merites we must ioyne the workes of grace in the matter of iustificatioÌ„ that with Christs satisfaction of the wrath of God we must ioyne our satisfaction by temporall punishment But we haue shewed before that he will bee a sole Sauiour or else no Sauiour at all Thirdly it behoueth vs in remembrance of Vse 3 this excellent benefite of Christs attonement to be thankfull to God This is the main cause of al thankfulnes The most common blessings which we receiue must at all times moue vs to be thankfull as meat drinke health wealth liberty peace prosperity and the like but this should as it were swallow vp all the remembrance of all the rest and the zeale thereof coÌ„sume vs Ps 116 12 â— What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefites toward me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord. What deadnesse of hart then remaineth in many meÌ„ that neuer remember this great worke thereby to be prouoked to obedience and newnesse of life that so we may return our loue to God againe who loued vs first Lastly we must acknowledge what we are Vse 4 in our selues to wit vtterly lost the enemies of God the children of wrath the bondslaues of Satan and the heires of condemnation This we must confesse froÌ„ the bottome of our hearts haue a liuely feeling thereof before we can receiue him as our Peace-maker and Sauiour Math. 18 11. and 15 14. Luke 4 18 and 19 10. We must say with Daniel Shame and confusion of faces belongeth vnto vs chap. 9 8. What was due to the people in this place and what might they haue looked for if Aaron had not made an attonement but present death So is it with vs we are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses can looke for nothing but wrath and iudgement and fiery indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries Hebr. 10 27. if Christ do not make peace between God and vs. Let vs therefore looke for saluation from him as men hearing of cunning Physitions to cure diseases do seeke and send to theÌ„ farre and neere Math. 9 20 21. Iohn chap. 7 verse 37. CHAP. XVII 1. AND the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 2. Speake vnto the children of Israel and take of euery one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers of all their Princes according to the house of their fathers twelue rods write thou euery mans name vpon his rod. 3. And thou shalt write Aarons name vpon the rod of Leui for one rod shall bee for the head of the house of their fathers WEe haue seene in the former chapter how the people enuied Moses in the Camp and
of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Where the reason is thus framed Thou art made and taken out of the dust therfore thou shalt returne to the dust Secondly we must all die the death because Reason 2 all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God for the Scripture concludeth al both Iewes and Gentiles vnder sin True it is man was created to immortality and if he had euer loued God and neuer sinned he should euer haue liued without seeing death But wheÌ„ sinne entred death followed in the world as the wages doth the worke according to the threatning of God Gen. 2 17. In the day thou eatest of the forbidden fruit thou shalt die the death For as they that are adiudged and condemned to dye â—sost hom â—â—en 3. are accounted as dead men albeit they be kept aliue in prison so our first Parents although they did not immediately die yet immediately were subiect to death by desart of sinne So the Apostle Rom. 5 12. By one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men in whom all men haue sinned Where he proueth the cause by the effect that sinne was before Moses and the Law giuen by him because death was in the world which seizeth vpon young and old infants sucklings whereby euery one is conuinced of sinne 〈◊〉 3 19. euery mouth is stopped and all the world subiect to the righteous iudgement of God Seeing therefore wee are all made out of the dust and carry about with vs this body of sin we haue here no continuing City but are placed in the world for a season as men set vpon a Stage to play our parts then must be gone to giue roome to others according to the saying of Salomon One generation passeth and another generation succeedeth Vse 1 The vses follow First the rich the mighty the learned and men of high degree must acknowledge that there shall be no difference betweene them and the poore the lowly and vnlearned in the graue vnto which all must descend True it is there is a difference and distinction betweene rich and poore high and low great small in their life time in friends in honours in houses in lands in liuings in food in apparell in duties in dignities such like externall priuiledges and prerogatiues which shall haue an end yet all these shall ceasse and all degrees must equally meete together in the graue so that albeit an vnequall life haue gone before yet an equall death shal follow after â—rat oda li. 1. This is it which Iob pointeth vnto chap. 17 which we named before where he sheweth that all worldly prosperity and hope shall faile They shall goe downe into the bottome of the pit surely it shall lie together in the dust And the Prophet Psal 49 9 10 11. sheweth that neither wit nor wisedome neither might nor mony neither fauour nor policy can preuent or put away death that all without difference respect of persons must yeeld to Nature and that all meanes which they can deuise for the continuance of their names shall come to nought For hee seeth wise men die and also that the ignorant and foolish perish and leaue their riches for others Secondly let men of excellent and eminent Vse 2 places liue iustly and deale vprightly in their callings wherein they are set As they are placed aboue others so they are seene marked before others and notwithstanding all their honour and estimation their riches and retinue they must die and depart hence when it shall be said to them â—â— 16 2. Come giue an account of thy stewardship for thou maiest be no longer steward The remembrance of death must therefore admonish them of their duties that they dreame not of immortality and they promise not to themselues continuance heere and perpetuity This Dauid toucheth and teacheth Ps 82 2 3 6 7. How long will ye deale vniustly and accept the persons of the wicked Doe right to the poore and fatherlesse doe iustice to the poore and needy deliuer the poore and needy saue them from the hand of the wicked I haue saide yee are Gods and ye all are children of the most High but ye shal die as a man and ye Princes shall fall like others So then when we are tempted to euill we must remember death and the estate that followeth death Therefore the Apostle chargeth them that are rich in this world 1 Tim. 6 17 18. that they bee not high-minded neither trust in vncertain riches but in the liuing GOD because we brought nothing into this world and it is certaine that we can carry nothing out Thirdly this consideration of the common Vse 3 condition of al flesh must stirre vp our affections from resting relying vpon men whose breath is in their nostrils to depend vpon the eternall God which continueth and liueth for euer Let vs beware of all vaine confidence We are ready to rest vpon creatures and stay our selues vpon an arme of flesh as vpon a broken Reed whereby we deceiue our selues of our hope and rob God of his honour This we learne Psal 146 3 4 5. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the sonnes of man for there is no helpe in him his breath departeth and he returneth to the earth then his thoughts perish Blessed is hee that hath the God of Iacob for his helpe whose hope is in the Lord his God Man is vaine and all his pompe is lighter then vanity If then we make him our stay and staffe we beate the ayre wee labour in the fire we build vpon a weak foundation and rest vpon the vncertaine life of mortall and miserable man Psal 144. who vanisheth as a shadow passeth as a dreame flieth as an Eagle speedeth as a Poste consumeth as a garment and goeth away as a thought that cannot be recalled His life is as a span soone measured as a vapour soone gone as a tale soone told as an hand-bredth soone measured as a winde soone ouerblowne and as the weauers Shuttle quickly sliding Lastly it is our duty to prepare for it before Vse 4 it cometh that we may bee found ready and haue oyle in our lamps wheÌ„ the Bridegroome cometh For death spareth none it respecteth no person no age no Sexe no State or condition no power can withstand it no wisedome can preuent it no bribe can corrupt it no cunning can ouercome it And albeit we often recouer of some diseases yet in the ende we are taken away The whole life of a Christian should be a continuall meditation of death to teach vs as it were to die daily and to number our daies that we may apply our hearts vnto wisedome not to set our whole loue and liking on the world which wee must shortly leaue Will a man bestow cost and charges on an house and tenement in which hee shall not long dwell
had numbred the people after God sent him this word and offered him the choise of famine or sword or pestilence he saide I am in a wonderfull streight let vs now fall into the haÌ„d of the Lord for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man Who had not rather receiue punishment at his fathers hands of whose loue he is assured then to bee punished with the strokes of an enemy that loueth him not but hateth him to the death Men are proud and cruell fierce ambitious but God is full of compassion and his mercy endureth for euer he knoweth whereof we were made Psal 103.14 Psalme 78 39 he remembreth that we are but dust hee considereth that we are mortall yea a winde that passeth and commeth not againe He will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee are able to beare Hitherto the Lord hath visited vs with his mercifull and gentle corrections famines sicknesses and strange diseases Let vs behold his gracious dealing toward vs and profit by these fatherly admonitions for if he should deliuer vs into the hands of barbarous and beastly enemies we should soone discerne the difference betweene the louing chasticements of a father and the bloody strokes of an enemy 22 Then they departed from Kadesh and the childreÌ„ of Israel euen al the congregation came vnto Mount Hor. 23 And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor neere the border of the land of Edom saying 24 Aaron shall be gathered vnto his people for he shall not enter into the Land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel because yee rebelled against my commandements at the waters of strife 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and charge them to come vnto this Mount 26 And cause Aaron to strip off his garments and thou shalt put them vpon Eleazar his sonne then Aaron shall be gathered vnto his Fathers and shall dye there 27 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded for they went vp vnto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation 28 And Moses caused Aaron to strip off his garments and he put them vpon Eleazar his son and Aaron dyed there in the toppe of the Mount So Moses and Eleazar came downe from off that Mount 29 And when all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty dayes Hitherto of the Ambassage of Moses to the King of Edom These words containe the third and last part of the Chapter to wit the death of Aaron after the people were remooued from the borders of the Edomites For albeit the King did so vnkindly deny them any passage yet Moses and the Israelites doe not oppose themselues against them or attempt to breake through by force of Armes multitude of men and dint of sword but passe by their borders peaceably and fetch a compasse about their land True it is those enuious Edomites were worthy to perish and to be vtterly destroyed for their inhumanity yet because the time was not yet come wherein the Lord had prophesied and promised that the elder should serue the yonger Gen. 25 23. therefore the Israelites commit vengeance to the Lord to whom it belongeth Rom. 12 19. Now in these verses we see how God beginneth to execute the former threatning against Moses and Aaron For heere wee are to consider three things First the death of Aaron Secondly the succession of his sonne Thirdly the mourning of the people The father dieth the son succeedeth the people lamenteth the death of the high Priest If Aaron had dyed without any prediction and foretelling of his death all men might haue thought it had fallen out at aduentures and ascribed it wholy to the decaying of strength wasting of nature but being reuealed to Aaron himselfe and manifested to the whole Congregation both the time when and the place where he should die it appeareth that his daies were numbred and his yeeres limited which hee could not passe As then God had determined the death of Aaron and denounced his shutting out of the land of Canaan so that sentence is heere executed vpon him Deut. 34 4 5. the other concerning Moses is reserued vnto his time appointed of God In this place God commanded both of them what to doe euen to ascend vp to the Mountaine and sheweth that Aaron shall die there for his disobedience whose garments must be pulled off and put vpon Eleazar lest by touching of the dead the holy garments should be defiled After this commandement followeth their obedience agreeable to the same they come vp to the Mountain Aaron is stripped Eleazar is cloathed with them Aaron without feare of death or longer desire of life or prayer for life departeth in peace according to the word of God he is gathered to his Fathers Moses and Eleazar descend from the Mountaine Moses Eleazar and the people mourne for Aaron thirty daies Verse 23 24. And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron We see heere according to the former threatning pronounced by the mouth of God verse 12. that Aaron cometh not into the land of Promise but dieth in Mount Hor. We learne heereby Doctriâ— God-thrâ—nings are 〈◊〉 compâ—â—â—â— that the threatnings of God are accomplished Howsoeuer his iudgments are many times deferred and his punnishments prolonged because hee is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all persons come vnto repentance yet in the end all his threatnings shall be verified and fulfilled in their times and seasons Consider this truth in our first parents Ge. 2 17. â— 3 7. God threatned them that if they did eate the forbidden fruite they should die the death we see the effect in them and all their posterity throughout al times and generations Behold other threatnings of God wee shall alwayes reade the execution after the denunciation So when God by the Ministery of Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Peter 2â— had threatned to destroy the whole world if in an hundred and twenty yeeres they repented not wee see how he brought in the flood vpon the world of the vngodly swept them away from the face of the earth which they had corrupted with their cruell and vncleane conuersation This we see likewise taught vnto vs throughout the bookes of the holy history of Ioshua The man is cursed before the Lord Ioshua 6â— that ryseth vp and buildeth the City Iericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest sonne and in his yongest sonne shall he set vp the gates of it meaning therby that whosoeuer should attempt to builde this City he should pay for it deerely because what time hee layeth the foundation of the wals his eldest sonne shall dye and when hee setteth vp the gates and hath finished it his yongest sonne shall dye When this threatning seemed quite forgotten and consumed with the rust of time God doeth bring it to passe as we
3 we see the wicked prosper and florish spredding themselues as the greene Bay tree for loe God hath set them in slippery places Psal 37 53. and casteth them downe in the end vnto desolation they are suddenly destroyed horribly consumed as the chaffe which the winde driueth away and as a dreame when one awaketh This tentation hath ouertaken the children of God and caused them oftentimes to shrinke back when they saw the prosperity of the vngodly Psal 73 2 3. Hab. 1 4. and on the other side the troubles of the godly hath made them to reason within themselues of the prouidence of God But shall not the King rule his owne kingdome or the Master gouerne his own house as pleaseth him And shall not we giue the Lord leaue to dispose of all things in heauen and earth after the good pleasure of his owne will Hee fatteth the wicked against the day of slaughter he leaueth them without excuse and maketh his blessings as a witnesse against them Contrarywise the children of God although they suffer afflictions yet afflictions to them are not euill but try their faith as the furnace doth the gold Senec. de diui prouidentia c. 8 Let vs not deceiue our selues in iudging and esteeming of good and euill That is good which maketh vs better that is euil that maketh vs worse The workes of the flesh adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnes idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies enuy murthers drunkennesse couetousnesse and such like are manifestly euill These God keepeth from his deere children and his deere children from them that they reigne not in them The Israelites in Egypt liued vnder hard masters and carried many heauy burthens and sent vp many passionate sighes to God with deepe grones of spirit whilst Pharaoh and the Egyptians tooke crafty counsell together and sported themselues in the miseries mischiefs which they had brought vpon them But whose condition was the more happie let the red Sea testifie from which the Israelits were deliuered Exo 14 27 29 in which the EgyptiaÌ„s were drowned Dauid taken from the sheepe-folds tasted of many sorrowes being in perils among the Amalekites in perils in the Wildernesse in perils of his owne Nation in perils of his own seruants in perils among false bretheren and was hunted from place to place as a Partridge in the Mountaines 2 Sam. 31 4. whilst Saul sought his life and enioyed the pleasures and treasures of a kingdom But whose estate was the more happy let the end and yssue of them both determine the one liued in glory ended his daies in peace the other sheathed his sword in his owne bowels and so dyed in despaire The Apostle Iames willeth vs to take the Prophets for an example of suffering aduersity and of long patience which haue spoken in the name of the Lord Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob haue knowne what end the Lord made Iam. 5 10 11. for the Lord is very pittifull and mercifull Lazarus a poore begger destitute of succour and friends lying at the rich mans gate hauing his minde as full of cares as his bodie was of sores whilst the rich glutton was clad in purple gorgiously and fared deliciously euery day But whose condition was the more blessed and happy of them twaine let this tell vs and teach vs for our instruction that Lazarus when he died had the holy elect Angels to attend vpon him to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16 22 23 that is to say into the kingdome of heauen Matth. 8 11. the rich man also died his body was buried his soule was carried cast into the torments of hell Where the worme neuer dyeth Marke 9 44. and the fire neuer goeth out the one vnsufferable the other vnquenchable both infinite Let vs not therefore rest in beholding the present face of outward things but possesse our soules with patience in a sweet meditation of Gods prouidence considering that it shall in the end bee well with all them that feare the Lord and that howsoeuer the wicked do prosper in the world increase in riches yet if we enter into the Sanctuary of God Psal â—3 â— we shal see they are set in slippery places they are lifted vp on high and therefore their fall shall be more fearefull seeing all the threatnings of God must without faile fasten vpon them Lastly seeing the menaces and threatnings Vse 4 of God must bee performed this serueth also to assure vs that the gracious promises of God made in mercy to his people shall in truth and righteousnesse bee accomplished The Lord that is alwaies the same as hee is true in his threatnings to the vngodly so wil he be found true in his promises toward the godly For seeing no part of his word shall passe away that he will not falsifie his trueth Psal 89 â— nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth one part serueth to confirme another his threatnings are ratified by the assurance of his promises and his promises are established to bee surer then the heauens by the assuraÌ„ce of his threatnings So then let vs learne to depend vpon God to trust in him knowing 2 Cor. 1 that all his promises are yea and Amen vnto the glory of his name Let vs rest in him for the pardon of our sinnes for the hearing of our prayers for the feeding of our bellies for the resurrection of our bodies for the inheritance of euerlasting life hauing a strong assurance of faith that the Lord is iust and true in all his promises This is a notable comfort and consolation to all the childreÌ„ of God to cause vs to set our hope in him hauing a patient and constant expectation of all things that by faith we haue beleeued saying with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1 12. For this cause I also suffer these things but I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him against that day Verse 25 26. Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and cause Aaron to strip off his Garments and thou shalt put them vpon his sonne Heere is deliuered how Aaron yet liuing his sonne is inuested and installed into his Office with the ceremonies and solemnities thereunto appertaining at the appointment of God to shew the continuance of the Priesthoode to take away al occasions of dissentions from the people Thus we see the good estate of the Church is prouided for by Moses before Aaron dyed Doctrâ— The Châ— must be in good after coâ— parture and went the way of all flesh The Doctrine hence is that the good of the Church must be regarded of vs to leaue it in good case after our death and departure I say it is a principall duty required of vs when wee must leaue the worlde to prouide for the
God and to serue him in the simplicity and sincerity of their hearts This wee must do in health this we must do in sicknesse this we must doe in death and so wee shall glorifie God liuing and dying Thus did Abraham teach his children and seruants and for this is he commended of God Gen. 18 19. I know Abraham my seruant that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the vvay of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgment Thus said Iacob when he dyed Gen. 49 1 2. this must all of vs be carefull to practise if we will bee the children of faithful Abraham to speake of the lawes of God in our houses 〈◊〉 11 13. wheÌ„ we walk by the way when we lye downe and when we rise vp Verse 27 28. And Moses did as the Lord had commanded he caused Aaron to strippe off his garments and he put them vpon Eleazar his son Wee see the obedience of Moses to the Commandement of God for Aaron pulled off his Priestly robes and they are put vpon Eleazar to whom lineally the Priesthood did descend whereby we see that there was a personal succession belonging to the Priesthood from father to son from one man to another Hereby we learne â—â—â—â—rine 〈◊〉 Leuitical 〈…〉 from 〈◊〉 that the Priesthood vnder the law passed from one to another The Priesthood begunne in Aaron and continued in his line rested not in one man but continued by succession from age to age This we see euidently proued throughout the old testament for as they were cut off by death so others arose in their rooms that serued at the Altar As Eleazar succeeded Aaron so did Phinchas succeed Eleazar 〈◊〉 6 â—0 so the Priesthood proceeded from father to son and from one generation to another 〈◊〉 â— 16. as appeareth in the genealogies of the Priests This the Apostle to the Hebrewes plentifully prooueth 〈◊〉 23. Many among them were made Priests because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death declaring that the Priestes after the order of Aaron succeeded each other and confirming it by the reason cause thereof because the Leuiticall Priests were taken away by death and could not endure for euer This then we must hold to be one reason forcible and powerfull to prooue the continued Reason 1 succession of the Priesthood of Leui from father to son because they were cut off by death and so not suffered alwayes to execute theyr Priesthood Seeing therfore these Priests were mortall there must be a succession from one to another This is that reason which was remeÌ„bred before out of Heb. 7 23. shewing that they had many Priests because they were all subiect to mortality and could not continue through necessity of death Secondly the promise of God made vnto Aaron and to his posterity must be accomplished Reason 2 and performed Hee consecrated Aaron and his sons and made a couenant with them not with Aaron alone not with his children alone but with their posterity Exod. 28 1. hee established it as a testimony in Iacob and as a law in Israel that their posterity might know it and the children which should be born of them shold stand vp and minister before the Lord in the beautiful garments and glorious robes of the Priests Exod. 28 2. Therefore the Lord saide by Moses Exod 29 29 30. Num. 3 10. 18 7. The holy garments which appertaine to Aaron shall be his sonnes after him to be annointed therein and to be consecrate therein That son that shall be Priest in his stead shall put them on seuen dayes when he commeth into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to minister in the holy place So God made his couenant of peace with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron Nu. 25 12 13 confirmed the Priests office to him his seed after him because in the zeale of his Spirit hee had turned away the wrath of the Lord from the Children of Israel This teacheth vs first of all the imperfection Vse 1 and insufficiency of it both of the Priestes themselues and of the Priesthood it selfe It pointed out a better Priest and a better priesthood and directed them to rest not in it but in some other So the Apostle Heb. 7 11 12. declareth that the Leuiticall Priesthood was vnperfect because another Priest is promised a long time after according to the order of Melchizedek If any perfection had beene by the Priesthood of the Leuites what needed it furthermore that another Priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek and not to bee called after the order of Aaron c. Where we see he sheweth to what purpose there must bee a Priest after another rule and fashion not after the order of Aaron euen because perfection is not in the Priehhood of the Leuites nor vnder the Law which was established vnder it so that wee must acknowledge it hath an end forasmuch as with the ceremoniall law the ceremoniall Priesthood was cancelled and abolished Vse 2 Secondly from hence we learne to acknowledge a difference betweene the Priesthood of Christ and the Priesthood of the Leuites This standeth in diuers points and circumstaÌ„ces as the same Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes euidently declareth The Priesthood of Christ is eternall as the Prophet declared long before Heb. 7 17. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek he was made with an oath by him that saide vnto him The Lord hath sworne and wil not repent But the Priests of Aarons order were mortall Heb. 7 20 21. not eternall they were made by the word of God but without an oath Heb. 7 26. Besides our great high Priest Christ Iesus holye harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens hath a * Aparabaton Heb. 7 24. Priesthood which cannot passe from one to another wherefore he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them who by his own blood entred in once into the holy place Heb 9.11 14. and obtained eternall redemption for vs purging our Conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Hebru 10 4. for it is vnpossible that the blood of buls Goats shold take away sinnes Thus we see that the Priesthood of Christ can haue no succession inasmuch as being once performed it hath no imperfection and whereas the Iews in the time of the law had Aaron and his posterity which were but mortall and miserable men we haue Christ the immortall and blessed God who liueth for euer to be our euerlasting Priest Vse 3 Lastly we learne that seeing the Leuiticall Priesthood passed from one to another so as by death they were not alwaies suffred to exercise and execute their Priesthood we see I say that the Church of Rome bringing in againe such a Priesthood such Priests as
are cut off by death do renue the Leuitical priesthood and labour to raise it out of the graue which hath long ago bene buried with honor For this is common to them both to end their daies and leaue their Priesthood to others so that the Dart which the Apostle casteth against the Leuiticall Priesthood pierceth and perisheth the very heart of the Popish priesthood when he saith and proueth that there can bee no other Priests but Christ vnder the new Testament Heb. 7 23 24. because he continueth for euer considering that the multitude of Priests and succession of them one after another ariseth from the imperfection and insufficiency of the Priests which were continually by death taken away If then the vpstart Priests of the Sinagogue of Rome will bee Priests properly they cannot be Priests after the order of Melchizedek as they wretchedly and blasphemously claime themselues to bee who was both King and Priest Heb 7 5. neither cā they be successors of Christ forasmuch as hee hath none to succeede him For if the Iews might not continue to offer their sacrifices and oblations after the sacrifice of Christ was once offered because it was perfect and all-sufficient yea the consummation of all that went before it followeth that the Popish sacrifice being an addition vnto that which is perfect as a rotten and ragged patch to a new garment cannot stand but is to bee throwne downe and abolished like an abhominable idoll Verse 29. All the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty daies when the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead The last point obserued in this chapter is the affection of the people after the death of Aaron one of the chiefe pillars and protectors of the Church and of true Religion among the Israelites They mourne for him not a day or a weeke but a whole month to declare what a sensible feeling they had of the incomparable losse of the Church We learne hereby that when the chiefe members stayes props Doctrin◠When the cheefest p◠of the C◠be takē a◠the rest a◠bee gree◠1 Thess 4 ◠and pillars of the church be taken away the rest of the parts are to be hūbled and touched to the quicke for the same True it is a measure in mourning and lamentation is to be vsed that wee bee not sorry as men without hope yet by this example wee see it is lawfull to mourne for the dead the greater losse the Church hath receyued the greater lamentation and greefe ought to bee expressed This is euident by the practise of Gods seruants in all ages of the Church proportioning their sorrow according to the greatnesse of their losse We see Ge. 50 1 10 11. when God called Iacob to himselfe out of this worlde a Father of the Church and a great light that shined not onely within the dores of his owne family but in the darknesse of Egypt hee was greatly and exceedingly lamented for the space of seuenty dayes so that the Canaanites said This is a great mourning vnto the Egyptians So when Moses the seruant of the Lord died like vnto whom there arose not a Prophet in Israel vnto whom GOD spake not by vision or dreame but face to face as a man talketh with his friend Deut. 34 8. the children of Israel mourned for him thirty dayes whom hee had guided with a fatherly care many yeeres So when Samuel another principall pillar of the house of God dyed 1 Sam 25 1. All Israel assembled and mourned for him and buried him in his own house at Ramah When God took away good King Iosiah like to whom there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule 2 King 2◠and with al his might according to all the law of Moses who bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left who remembred his Creator in the dayes of his youth and honoured God with the first fruites of his life all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for him 2 Chron. 35 23 24. yea Ieremy lamented Iosiah and al the singing men and singing women mourned for him in their lamentations and made the same for an ordinance to Israel behold they be written in the Lamentations But touching Iehoiakim the son of Iosia who degenerated from his father walked not in his wayes 〈◊〉 22 1◠19 it is said They shall not lament him saying Ah my Brother or ah my Sister neyther shall they mourne for him saying Ah Lord or ah his glory he shall be buried as an Asse is buryed euen drawne and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem The like comparison wee see in the new Testament when as Stephen was stoned a faithfull witnesse of Christ a worthy member of the Church and a constant defender of the faith 〈◊〉 8 2. certaine men carried him to be buried and made great lamentation for him But when Ananias and Sapphira filled with Sathan keeping away part of the price of their possession tempting the Spirit and lying vnto God fell downe and gaue vp the ghost 〈◊〉 5 5 10. young men arose tooke them vp and buried them but no mention of any teares or lamentatiō much lesse of any great lamentation made for them God swept them away as dung from the earth for their hypocrisie but the Church lamented not the death of these wicked persons So then to omit many other examples that might bee alledged we see that howsoeuer men may be mourned for in a natural affection compassion by their friends and kinsfolks yet chiefly and principally we are to bewaile the losse of the church whē such are taken away as might do good seruice to God and his people Reason 1 This truth appeareth by good force of reason First the Ministers are as the Chariots horsemen of Israel in their Ministery that is the strength and defence of the Church and Commonwealth Therfore Elisha seeing Eliah taken vp by a whirlewinde into heauen cryed out Kings ◠12. My father my father the Chariot of Israel the horsemen thereof And as Elisha said of Eliah so did Ioash the King of Israel of Elisha For being sicke of his sicknesse whereof hee dyed the King came downe vnto him King 13 14. and wept vpon his face and said O my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen of the same Thus spake the King himselfe to the Prophet and these honorable Titles he gaue vnto him And no maruell For they fight and bend their forces against swearing blasphemy contempt of Gods word prophaning of his Sabbaths whoredome drunkennesse idlenesse couetousnesse and such like as lay vs open to the wrath of God These and such like sinnes are they that weaken the land and lay it naked to the inuasion of enemies 〈◊〉 32 25. as appeareth Exo. 32 25. Moses saw that by their idolatry the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked vnto shame among
sword and trouble of war to be thankfull for our long peace and prosperity and pray for the continuance thereof among vs. We may sit euery one vnder his Vine and vnder his Figge-tree we may rest in peace in our gardens and Orchards reasoning of the wayes and conferring of the word of the Lord whilst manie of our neighbor-Nations are shaken and tossed with the tempest of wars and all things round about vs are in an vprore Let vs desire God to spare them and bee touched with a feeling of their sorrowes And if there be such fearefulnes and deuouring in the sword let vs cast off all dissentions and debates let vs cut the cords of all contention and liue peaceably as brethren one with another Hereunto the Apostle Iames perswadeth ch 3 15 16. 4 1 2 This wisedome descendeth not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and diuellish for where enuying strife is there is sedition all maner of euil work From whence are warres and contentions among you Are they not hence euen of your pleasures that fight in your members Let vs take heed we giue no occasion of contention nor sow the seedes of diuision which in time to come may yeelde a comfortlesse croppe of cares and conf sions Let vs not go forth hastily to strife lest thou know not what to doe in the end therof when thy Neighbor hath put thee to shame Pro. 25 8. It is in vain to desire considerations and conditions of peace when we haue layde the foundations of warre like as the bow being drawne and the Arrow discharged it is too late to wish it may doe no hurt where it falleth For after that the coales of contention be once kindled there is no long expectation for the fire to flame and burne amaine with a swift course euen as when a cloud is gathered to his thicknesse the storme of raine that hath bene long in breeding is ready to fal and disperse it selfe It belongeth to all wisemen to foresee a mischiefe before it happeneth â—â—iard hist â—â—b 4. et 10 it is the reward of men vnhappie to lament it when it is once felt The counsell is without fruite that commeth after the fact it is too late to apply the remedy when the euil is hapned The souldier serueth to no turn that beginneth to march when the battell is done The Medicine that is ministred out of time worketh not to the benefite of the Patient It is too dangerous to broach a vessel of poison and haue the vertue of the Antidote or counter-poyson vncertaine or farre to seeke A smoke suffered long to continue conceiueth a sparke a sparke of fire let alone ingendreth a flame and the flame burneth without mercy and measure Let vs therefore resist the first beginnings as it were the first motions of malice and strife Small things increase by concord great things fall and come to ruine by discord and disunion We must therefore desire peace and follow after it albeit it seeme to flye from vs let vs pursue it with all our strength vntâ—l we ouertake it bring it home as a blessing into our owne houses and habitations as a man of warre concludeth 2 Sam. 2 26. Shall the sword deuoure for euer knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end how long then shall it bee ere you bid the people returne from following their brethren As if hee should say If we shall ioyne army against army and forces against forces wee shall fall downe on euery side one brother shall deuoure and destroy another without pitty and compassion This serueth to reprooue those that prouoke to baâ—tell without cause and delight in warre as in a matter of sport and play who delight to shed blood as water Thus speaketh Abner Captaine of the hoast 2 Sam. 2 14. Let the yong men now rise and play before vs. Whereby we see that murther is made as a game pastime to laugh at Let euery man liue contented with his owne estate Great is the benefit of contentation Beware of ambition and aspiring thoughts The power of many rising suddenly to heighth and Soueraignty 〈◊〉 â—â—st Hal. 〈◊〉 taketh end with a ruine more suddaine They are like to a tree that groweth till he commeth to his height and then is plucked vp by the roots in a moment The heauy stone commonly ouerwhelmeth it selfe with his own waight Whosoeuer coueteth the fruite and neuer considereth the height of the tree whereon it groweth let him take heed that whiles he laboreth to climbe to the top he fal not with the boughs which he clasps and embraceth with both his armes It is the part and property of a wise man to consider alwayes his owne estate whereas the vaine ambitious man liueth for the most part in the remembrance contemplation of those things which make him to forget himselfe Let vs therefore all labour in our places to quench this thirst before it doe grow to be as a dropsie that can neuer be cured especially it standeth great men of high callings vpon euen the greatest men of highest callings in hand to looke to this swelling of the heart an euill whereunto they aboue all other are most inclined that they lift not vp their hearts against their Brethren Deut. 17 10. neyther forget that they are mortall and fraile men Lastly seeing the sword respecteth no person neither old nor yong neither learned nor Vse 3 vnlearned but destroyeth father and son maketh the wise widdow and the childe fatherlesse it is our parts when we see such iudgements present or imminent to humble our selues vnto God to desire him to remoue the fearfull noise and rumor of warre and in the meane season to pray that wee may vse our peace aright lest he bend his Bow and shoote his Arrowes and draw his glittering sword vpon vs. We see how Hezekiah when he saw the hoast of the King of Ashur sought the Lord carefully and prayed vnto him to fight their battels 2 Chro. 32 20. 20 3. so Iehoshaphat when a great multitude banding themselues together came against him set himselfe to seeke the Lord reconciled himselfe to him asked counsell of him proclaimed a Fast thoroughout all Iudah Thus the Prophet Lam. 5 20. considering that the strong men were troden down and the enemy reioyced at their trouble prayeth vnto God because the sword deuoured without and the people were ledde into captiuity Behold O Lord how I am troubled my bowels swell mine heart is turned within me for I am full of heauinesse the sword spoyleth abroad as death doth at home VVe liue as yet in great plenty and prosperity we enioy life and liberty we sleepe quietly in our beds and rest in our houses in peace we heare not the sound of the trumpet the clattering â—f armour the fury of the enemy the noise of gunshot the cry of the wounded we see not the blood of the slaine on the right hand and
the Saduces Luke 20 27. Actes 23.8 which denyed the rising againe of the body and the subsisting of the soule after the separation For when Paul cryed out in the Councell I am accused of the hope and resurrection of the dead there was a dissention betweene the Pharisees and the Saduces for the Saduces say That there is no resurrection neyther Angel nor spirit but the Pharisies confesse both These Christ confuteth and conuinceth in the Gospel by the testimony of Moses I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Matth. 22 32. Exodus 3 6. And if these heretickes and enemies of God would not for conscience sake yeelde to this truth and subscribe with heart and hand vnto it yet at least for the profit of it and the excellency aboue their beastly dotage about the mortality of the soule they should embrace it and cleaue vnto it For it is surer and safer to beleeue as the Church holdeth For if this opinion bee true that the soule is immortall It is morâ—ty leâ—â—ger to bâ— the soulâ— be immâ— then mâ— whosoeuer beleeueth it not in heart and confesseth it not with the mouth shall suffer eternall punishment and beare his condemnation If it should not be true which we speake onely by supposition the doctrine being most certaine there is no daunger after death to haue holden the immortality of the soule in the time of our life forasmuch as if the soule do not remaine it cannot be reproued of error nor punished for sinne Againe it is most honest and honorable to hold the dignity of our soule receyued of God and so to thinke reuerently and religiously of it resembling it to God the Angels not to debase and disgrace it making it like vnto the beasts and vnreasonable creatures Lastly it is better to beleeue the soules eternity as fitter to stirre vs vp to liue soberly righteously godlily in this present world and to deny vngodlinesse and worldly lusts to minde heauenly things that we may bee holy as our heauenly Father is holy For if we beleeue our selues to be immortall Math. 16 26 wee will haue a greater care of vertue a greater respect to the reward a greater conscience of Religion a greater feare of sin and of the punishment due to sin So then as there is greater verity so there is more safety security to hold the immortality of the soule against the erroneous opinions of all hereticks that haue desperately and damnably denyed the same to the decay of piety dishonor of God and vnto the vtter confusion of their owne soules Vse 2 Secondly acknowledge from hence a great difference betweene the soule of man and the soule of a beast Euery beast and liuing creature hath a kind of soule which perisheth with the body so that he which killeth the body of a beast destroyeth also the soule which ariseth from the mixture and temperature of the Elements But man was made after the image of God Gen. 1 26. according to his likenesse Eph. 4 24 to resemble him especially in his soule which is of an heauenly nature albeit not of the substance of God This difference and distinction Moses teacheth and obserueth Gen. 9 4 6. But the flesh with the life thereof I meane with the blood thereof shall ye not eate who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood bee shed for in the image of God hath hee made man Where hee maketh an opposition betweene man and beast and between the soule of man and beast Man was made in his soule to resemble his Maker and Creator but the soule of a beast is in his blood And therefore God charging his people to abstain from eating of blood euen of cleane beasts vseth these two reasons Leuit. 17 11 14. First because theyr blood is the seate of the soule secondly God hath commanded it to be vsed in attonemeÌ„ts for sinne as a type and figure of the blood of Christ The soule of man is a substance the soule of a beast is an accident whose being is alwayes to be in another The soule of man is a spirit the soule of a beast is a quality arising of the matter of the body vanishing also with the body and hauing no beeing at all out of the body Thirdly see here a difference between the Vse 3 soule and the body of a man For as this truth teacheth a distinction betweene the soule of a man and the soule of a beast so it maketh a diuision betweene one part of man and the other Man consisteth of two parts of the bodie which is visible and of the soule which is inuisible The body dyeth and is laid in the graue for as it was taken out of the earth so it returneth to the earth againe But the soule as wee haue proued by diuers Scriptures and confirmed by strong reasons neuer dyeth or decayeth Therefore albeit we be taught in the Articles of our faith to beleeue the resurrection of the body yet wee are neuer taught to beleeue the resurrection of the soule For a rising vp presupposeth first a falling down The soul falleth not into the iawes of death nor goeth downe into the house of the graue This difference the wiseman teacheth Eccles. 12 7. Dust returneth vnto the earth as it was and the spirit returneth vnto God that gaue it The dwelling place of the body is the earth the habitation of the soule is with God The soule neuer dyeth nor decayeth nor sleepeth nor riseth againe but is a spirituall substance and inuisible hauing neyther flesh nor bones liuing and abiding for euer as wel out of the Tabernacle of the body as in the same But the body is an earthly and visible substance consisting of sensible parts neuer liuing nor breathing without the soule Wherefore these abide together as two the nearest and dearest friends reioycing together sorrowing together and alike affectioned one toward another yet the day of separation commeth and will come when a departure must be made of these two that cannot alway continue together the body must returne to the earth the soule must bee carryed vnto God the eternall Iudge who immediatly wil passe the sentence of life or death vpon the same Fourthly we must be careful to liue a godly Vse 4 and vpright life that when we shal goe the way of all flesh our soules may bee receyued vp into the heauenly habitations and bee carryed by the Angels into the glorious presence of God There is no man if he bee to stand before Princes and to come into the presence of great men but prepareth and maketh himself ready for that purpose When Ioseph was to appeare before Pharaoh Gen. 41 14. albeit he were called hastily and brought sodainly before him yet he shaued his head and changed his rayment How then ought our care to be increased and how ought we to work out our
and the heart to feele the horror thereof together with the heauinesse of his wrath indignation for the same This made Cain to speake desperately My punishment is greater then I can beare Gen. 4 13. This made Iudas to do desperately when he wrought his owne destruction and hanged himselfe Mat. 27.5 This made Dauid to say If thou Lord streightly markest iniquities who is he that shal be able to endure thy iudgement They then are grossely deceyued and most vnhappy who thinke happinesse to consist in committing of sinnes with all greedinesse These are in the number of those fooles howsoeuer worldly wise that make a mocke of sinne Prou. 14 9 12 13. There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the issues thereof are the wayes of death euen in laughing the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauines The world hath alwayes bene full of such fooles but if they depart hence without the feeling of Gods fauor in the forgiuenesse of their offences it had beene good for them that they had bene bruite beasts or that they had neuer bene borne as it is sayd of Iudas Math. 26 24. No vncleane thing shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Such as haue not their sins pardoned haue no part in Christ Out of Christ there is no saluation nor vnto such any imputation of his righteousnes Sinne shutteth vp the way that leadeth vnto life it separateth vs from God and his Kingdome it maketh vs the children of the diuell God displeased with vs for they that are in the flesh cannot please God Thirdly we see some are happy in this life Vse 3 and attaine to the certainty of their saluation The saluation of the Church standeth in the remission of their sinnes Luke 1 â—7 We doe not then begin to be happy when at the end of our dayes we enter into the kingdom of heauen but while we are vpon the earth we lay the foundation of our happines and set the first stones of it or else we neuer attaine vnto it We are all in this life builders 1 Cor. 3 9. We haue a great and waighty work to set vp it requireth a long time and great labour to bring it to passe and perfection Euery day of our life shold adde somwhat to the building this day should make it in greater forwardnesse then the former Let vs diligently consider these things and seriously examine our selues what wee haue done for the furthering of our saluation whether wee haue alreadie made an happy entrance into it So soone as we begin and the first stone is laid the doore of the kingdome of heauen is opened vnto vs. The further we proceed the neerer wee come to the marke This our Sauiour preached to his hearers Iohn 5 24. Verily verily I say vnto you he that heareth my word beleeueth him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnatioÌ„ but hath passed from death to life When Zacheus was conuerted to the faith and testified the sincerity of his repentance by actuall restitution he saide This day is saluation come vnto this house forasmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham Luke 19 9. So the Apostle speaketh Rom. 13 11 Considering the season it is now time that we should arise from sleepe for now is our saluation nerer then when we beleeued it And in that holy Praier of Christ recorded by the Euangelist Iohn hee saith This is eternall life to know thee to be the only very God whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ Iohn 17 3. This is the great mercy of God to giue vs here a taste of the glory to come We haue heere as it were the first fruits of eternal life and by hope possesse that which we shall really inherit so wee may truly say with the Apostle 2 Tim. 1 12 I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him against that day Heereby we see that it is not a doctrine of pride and presumption as the Church of Rome teacheth to beleeue the remission of our owne sinnes For generally to beleeue that God forgiueth sinne or that some men haue their sinnes forgiuen is no priuiledge of the Church but the common faith of the diuels Iam. 2 19. All the Articles contain the confession of a speciall faith and a particular application to our selues As I must beleeue God the Father to be my Creator the Son my Redeemer the holy Ghost to be my Sanctifier so I am bouÌ„d to beleeue the remission of mine owne sinnes the resurrection of mine owne body and that life euerlasting shall be giuen to me Thus the Apostle speaketh Gal. 2 20 I liue by the faith of the Son of God who loued me and gaue himselfe for me This special faith must be the faith of vs all Vse 4 Lastly from hence we are put in minde of sundry good duties necessary to bee practised of vs. First seeing euery true member of the Church hath the forgiuenes of his sins giuen assured vnto him it is our duty to acknowledge our selues to bee greeuous sinners to haue godly sorrow for them which may cause repentance not to be repented of and to seek pardon by dayly prayer for the forgiuenes of them at the hands of God â—â—g 8 46. Hee resisteth the proud and giueth grace to the humble He filleth the hungry with good things and sendeth the rich empty away He is ready to forgiue and to haue compassion on his children he is slow to anger and of great kindnes Hee doth not deale with vs after our sinnes nor reward vs according to our iniquities Hence it is that the Apostles haue taught and the godly haue acknowledged themselues greeuous sinners yea euen the most regenerate as Dauid Daniel Paul and others Seeing therefore we haue a promise of forgiuenes as it were a priuiledge aboue others of the world it behooueth vs to haue in vs an humble acknowledgement of our sinfull estate ioyned with godly sorrow and earnest prayer for the forgiuenes of them Secondly it is required of vs to haue a reuerent care and feare not to offend him any more as heeretofore wee haue prouoked him yea a most earnest studie and desire to please him better theÌ„ we haue done This the Prophet teacheth Psal 103 3 4. If thou O Lord streightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand But mercy is with thee that thou maist be feared This was the instruction that Christ gaue vnto the diseased man whom he had healed when hee found him in the Temple hee saide vnto him Behold thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee Ioh. 5 14. Thus the Apostle Paul describeth true repentance by the fruites and effects of it 2 Cor. 7 11. Behold this thing that ye haue bene godly sorry what great care it hath wrought in you yea what clearing of your selues yea
he shall not preuaile ouer them for there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Indeed God is able to foyle him and destroy him at once and to giue vs a full and finall conquest ouer all the powers of darknesse in a moment if it pleased him but lest we should bee puffed vp in pride and forget our selues lest wee should leaue calling vpon the Name of almighty GOD and the sorrowing and sighing for our owne weaknesse lest we should be besotted with selfe-loue fall asleepe in security the Lord will worke by little and little he will proceed as it were by liâ—â—â— and leuell he will roote out our spirituall enemies by degrees Let vs not therefore looke to be freed wholly from tentations but know that it is profitable for vs to be exercised vnder them And let vs be sober and watch seeing our aduersary the diuell as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure whoÌ„ if we resist stedfast in the faith he will flie from vs 1 Pet. 5 8 9. Iam. 4 7. Let vs put on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against all the assaults of the diuell And let vs remember that he is resisted and driuen away not by any superstitious crossing of our selues which is no armor of proofe but by faith by prayer proceeding from faith which are of great force and effect 25 Then Balak said vnto Balaam Neither curse nor blesse them at all 26 But Balaam answered and saide vnto Balak Told I not thee saying All that the Lord speaketh that must I do 27 Againe Balak saide vnto Balaam Come I pray thee I will bring thee vnto another place if so bee it will please that God that thou maiest thence curse them for my sake 28 So Balak brought Balaam vnto the top of Peor that looketh toward the wildernesse 29 Then Balaam saide vnto Balak Make me heere seuen Altars and prepare me heere seuen Bullocks and seuen Rammes 30 And Balak did as Balaam had saide and offered a Bullocke and a Ram on euery Altar Thus much touching the Prophesie it selfe now followeth the last part to wit the issue and effect therof both in Balak and in Balaam For heere we see the King chafing the Sorcerer excusing hee commanding and the King obeying First of al when Balak perceiued that hee was deceiued of his hope and expectation his wrath is kindled and he chargeth the hyreling that if he will not curse the people as he appointed yet he should not blesse them as he had enterprised For the wicked had rather haue the truth of God smothered buried in silence then themselues offended and disappointed The mercenary Prophet excuseth himselfe that he was vniustly accused hauing foreshewed that it was not at his choise to hold his peace or to speak what he would but was constrained by a superior power to open his mouth and to vtter that which was deliuered vnto him After this answer the king taketh him vp into another place to Peor in which Mountaine their Idoll had a Temple hoping that at the last the God of Israel would change his minde and grant his request Behold the peruersenesse of vnbeleeuers who albeit they be crossed in their euill intentions inuentions yet they proceed in their purposes and betweene voide hope and vaine feare hold on their courses in the blindnesse of their hearts Therefore Balaam seeking to keepe his credite and entertaining the King in an expectation of better successe to come reneweth his former practise commanding seuen Altars to be builded and seuen Bullocks and Rams to be prepared to whom the credulous King obeyeth and suffereth himselfe to be deluded by the diuellish sorceries and idolatrous sacrifices of that false Prophet These particular points haue beene before considered and the principall Doctrines arising from hence likewise opened Ierom lib. 2. apolo aduers Ruffin For heereby we see the rage and fury of the enemies to be vnsatiable and vnappeaseable albeit their might be not answerable to their malice nor their power so great as their desire to hurt they are like the sea that neuer resteth but casteth vp mire and grauell No malice or cruelty can be comparable to the malice and cruelty of a naturall man vndertaken for religion or rather against religion and the truth of God The father in this case hath not spared the son Math. 10 35. the brother hath betrayed the brother to death a mans enemies haue beene they of his owne house and they haue beene as wolues one to another Againe we see how euill men albeit they be crossed in their attempts yet will not giue ouer but returne to their former sinnes As the dogge to his owne vomite So deceitfull a bayte is sinne ensnaring the conscience that hardly they returne that are holden in the chaines thereof hauing satan at their elbow to tempt them and their owne corruptions within theÌ„ to helpe them forward Notwithstanding it shal not be amisse for vs to obserue the points laide before our eyes one in the person of Balaam the other in respect of Balak the third in respect of them both Verse 26. Balaam answered and saide vnto Balak Told I not thee saying All that the Lord speaketh that must I do We haue oftentimes noted before that the words which Balaam deliuered he spake as moued and inspired by the Spirit of God his prophesies are not mingled with his owne dreames and deuices as drosse with pure gold as chaffe with cleane wheate or as saw-dust with wholesome meat these came not from the will of man nor proceeded from any priuate motion and interpretation he was guided and directed by the holy Ghost and therefore he saith in this place All that the Lord speaketh that must I do and in the chapter following If Balak would giue me his house full of siluer and gold I cannot passe the commandement of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine owne minde what the Lord shall command that same will I speake Numb 24 13. So then he declareth that in vttering pronouncing these prophesies he was limited and restrained his tongue tyed vp to that which God should put in his mouth Numb 22 38. He was not left at liberty to speake at randon what he would he must speake onely that which the LORD would haue him Doctrine It belongs to the Ministers to deliuer Gods word onely and wholly From hence we learne that it is a duty belonging to all the Ministers whom God hath separated and called to that Office to deliuer the will of God fully perfectly as they haue receiued it of God without adding to it or detracting from it True it is the Ministers of the Gospel haue now no extraordinary reuelations or immediate inspirations God doth not appeare or reueale his word vnto them eyther by dreames in the night or by visions in the day neither do they heare his voyce froÌ„ heauen
day to day with their vnlawfull deeds Let vs delight in the sweet society of Gods children take pleasure to be in the presence of them that fear God As for the vngodly let vs desire their places rather then their persons their roome rather then theyr company Hence it is that Salomon teacheth vs not to enter into the way of the wicked nor to walke in the way of euill men Prou. 4 ver 14 15 16 to auoyd it and not to goe by it to turne from it and to passe by for they cannot sleepe except they haue done euill and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall What an heape of words doth Salomon vse and to what ende serue these so many repetitions but to shew the exceeding danger of communicating with the wicked and how hardly wee are drawne to leaue theÌ„ It is all one as if a man would throw himselfe willingly and wilfully into the hands of theeues We would be ready to call and account him a starke foole without any signe or shew of wisedome that would runne into the company of theeues and robbers especially hauing any charge of mony or money-worth about him The seruants of God that are indued with heauenly gifts and haue the graces of Gods Spirit giuen vnto them which are the cheefest treasure haue a great charge about them it standeth them therefore vpon to take heed that by euill company they bee not robbed and depriued of them The holy Ghost dealeth with vs as a Merchant doth with his Factor or seruant whom he sendeth foorth furnished with store of money to buy and sell withall and fearing lest he should bee robbed and spoyled warneth him to auoid suspitious places and passages and to turne aside out of the path till he be past the danger So should we beware of the company conditions of the wicked if we count our selues happy to be in league with them we are vtterly lost and are walking in the path-way that leadeth to death Verse 13. If Balak would giue mee his house full of siluer and gold I cannot passe the commandement of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine owne minde This wicked man and couetous Prophet thogh he neither feared God nor loued the way of righteousnesse yet teacheth what should bee in all the seruants of God that they should not for filthy lucre and couetousnesse which is the roote of all euill trangresse the commandement or breake out beyond their calling This teacheth vs this truth That worldly Doctrine businesse should not draw vs from christian duties Worldly sinesse shoâ— not withoâ— vs from Câ—stian dutiâ— Matters of profit and commodity must not carry vs beyond our calling wee must not pursue them and follow after them when we haue no warrant to desire them albeit there be profit in them A notable example heereof we haue in Gideon he had a kingdome offered vnto him for the men of Israel said vnto him Reigne thou ouer vs both thou and thy sonne and thy sonnes sonne he thought not gouernment in it selfe vnlawfull or vnlawfull for them to haue a Gouernor but he saw no calling from God and therefore refused it and betooke himselfe to a priuate life saying I wil not reigne ouer you neither shall my childe reigne ouer you but the Lord shall reigne ouer you Iudg. 8 22 23 We see that Dauid had his enemy put into his hand Abishai besought Dauid that he might smite him once with a speare to the earth and his seruants vsed importunity vnto him as if God had offered him to be slaine saying See the day is come whereof the Lord said vnto thee Behold I will deliuer thine enemie into thine hand and thou shalt do vnto him as it shall seeme good to thee 1 Sam. 24 26. But he would not hearken vnto them he would wait the time which God had appointed saying Either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall descend into battel and perish The like we see in our Sauiour Christ he refused to be made a temporall and earthly King Ioh. 6 15 for when hee perceiued that the multitude would come and take him to make him a King he departed againe into a Mountaine himselfe alone We see the Disciples of Christ left all neglected the seruice of themselues and the seeking of their owne benefit for the seruice of God Math. 19 27. So the faithfull Christians sold their possessions being warranted vnto it by a speciall calling and guided by the worke of the Spirit Acts 4 39. Moses might haue enioyed the treasures of Egypt and the dignity of a kingdome yet chose rather to suffer aduersity with the people of God and to follow the calling whereunto hee was called Heb. 11 24 25. Whereby we see that albeit profits be in time and place to be looked after yet we must all looke to haue our warrant in seeking for them The reasons remaine to be considered to Reason inforce this truth and to gaine our affections to the embracing of it For first by too much following the profits of this life we may lose a greater profit If we should win the world and lose our soules if wee should catch the riches of this life and cracke the peace of a good conscience it would proue in the end a small gaine vnto vs but rather the greatest losse The soule is a precious iewell and therefore the losse of it is an incomparable losse This is it which our Sauiour saith in the Gospel What shal it profit a man to win the whole world and to lose his owne soule Or what shall a man giue for the recompence of his soule Mat. 16 26. Seeing then by seeking the things of this life we may lose the things of the life to come it followeth from the danger of eager pursuing after them that no worldly busines should choake vs and hinder vs from better things required of vs. Reason 2 Secondly the things of this life serue onely for a season we our selues are heere Pilgrims and strangers we haue no continuing City The hope that we haue is this we looke for a kingdome We cannot haue an heauen in this life and another in the life to come The greatest glory that euer was vpoÌ„ the earth is gone in a few ages Therefore the Apostle teacheth That the fashion of this world goeth away This world passeth away and the lustes thereof but hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer 1 Cor. 7 31 1 Iohn 2 27. So that we must know it is required of vs that we preferre not this world before the world to come nor be led away from the duties of our calling by the loue of the profits thereof Vse 1 The vses come now to be stood vpon First wee see it is a dangerous bayte to be in loue with the world How many are there that eueÌ„ make it their god and do chiefly mind earthly things Our
frozen harts and shew themselues vnworthy of so great mercy Vse 2 Secondly it sheweth vs that it is vnpossible for all the tyrants and enemies vnder heauen to prolong the time for the further vexation of Gods people when God hath determined the release and appointed the end of their troubles All the creatures of God shall helpe them and worke for them yea hasten the purpose and counsell of God This appeared very notably in the deliuerance of Israel out of Egypt When the time of foure hundred yeares which God had appointed were expired albeit the King and his people had concluded to detaine them in bondage they were by the ouer-ruling hand of God moued to thrust them out of the land Exod 12 33 and 14 22. yea euen to hyre them at a great price to depart giuing them iewels of siluer and gold and casting vpon them the most precious things that were in their possession Pharaoh and his people forced them out of the land in hast and whē they were hardned to follow after them to bring them backe againe the winde wrought for them the sea gaue them passage and GOD that ruleth both winde and sea drowned their enemies The time of deliuerance was come and who could hinder or deferre it The like wee see in the bringing of this people out of captiuity and bondage in Babylon nothing seemed more vnlikely or vnpossible vnto the Saints themselues for when the proclamation for the returne of the people was published Psal 126 1 2. the wonderfulnesse of the deliuerance seemed so great and incomprehensible that they could hardly perswade themselues of the truth thereof vntill they saw the Gentiles speake of it and helpe them forward with ayd toward theyr country This serueth greatly to comfort and cheare vp the hearts of the faithfull that seeing God will giue rest vnto his beloued people vaine are the practises of the enemies althogh they band themselues together as Herod Pontius Pilate and the high Priests did in the dayes of Christ yet we haue assurance of deliuerance they shall not alwayes preuaile the people of God shall be preserued and all shall work for the best for their owne safety Thirdly this must teach vs in the time of Vse 3 our distresses while wee lye vnder the Crosse to relye vpon God whatsoeuer troubles and tentations arise although we should come to the gates of the graue and passe by the doore of death we must lift vp our heads knowing that our deliuerance draweth nere This then serueth to worke patience in the seruants of God and to teach vs to waite vpon him vntill the time of rest and refreshing come from the presence of God for surely it will come as the Prophet Habbakkuk teacheth chapt 2. verse 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the last it shall speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it shall surely come and shall not stay So when the Angel had limited the time of the desolation of the holy people and of the deliuerance of the Church he pronounceth him blessed that waiteth vntill that time Dan. chap. 12. verses 11 12. And when the soules of them that were killed for the Word and the Testimony which they had maintained cryed out with a lowde voyce from vnderneath the Altar How long Lord which art holy and true Dooest not thou iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth An answer was giuen vnto them That they should rest for a little season vntill the number of their Brethren were fulfilled Reuel chap. 6. verse 10. This the Prophet Dauid sheweth to haue beene his practice earnestly waiting vppon the Lord for helpe and deliuerance out of all his troubles and dangers as Psalme 123 verses 1 2. I lifte vp mine eyes vnto thee which dwellest in the heauens Behold euen as the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maid vnto the hand of her mistris so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God vntill he haue mercy vpon vs. Great are our feares and troubles and many bee our infirmities it behooueth vs greatly therefore to cleaue vnto the liuing God without separation and euermore continue our trust in him and to poure out our meditations and prayers before him vntill such time as hee graciously looke vpon vs and grant our petitions yea it is our dutie whensoeuer we perceiue the time of our deliuerance to approach or to be expired or any signes and tokens thereof as the sprouting of the Figge-tree to appeare and to bee offered vnto vs from GOD it is our duty I say to raise vp our faith and to intreat God to bring his purpose to passe and to make good the words of his owne mouth When Daniel by reading the Prophets of God knew that the number of yeares appointed for the desolation of Ierusalem was expired he turned his face to the Lord with prayer Daniel 9 2. in fasting in weeping in sackcloth and ashes Vse 4 Lastly it is the duty of all such as lye not vnder the crosse to commend the common cause of their brethren to God Hath God giuen vs rest on euery side Do we liue in ease sitting vnder our Vines and Figge-trees enioying peace and liberty vnder a gracious Prince Do we enioy health and wealth and taste not of the bitter cup of affliction that others drinke of It is required of vs not to forget the affliction of Ioseph but to be mindfull of the miseries of other parts of the Church and to haue a fellow-feeling of their sorrows as that we be thereby prouoked to call vpon God for them This the Apostle vrgeth the Church of the Corinthians to thinke vpon 2 Corinthians chap. 1. verse 7 that they being partakers of the suffering of the Saints may also be partakers of the consolation This is a duty needfull to be learned and considered Wee know not what troubles may fall vpon our selues There is nothing that happeneth vnto any of our brethren but it may fall vpon our owne heads Let vs therefore call vpon God for others and remember them that are in trouble Heb. 13 2. as if we were troubled with them that so we may haue the benefit of other mens prayers be deliuered when wee fall into troubles It is therefore a duty that we owe to God and our brethren being touched with a respect of his commandement of their misery His commandement should compell vs their miserie should mooue vs not to be forgetfull of their condition And from hence we should haue a double meditation First it is our parts to praise the name of the Lord when hee giueth to our brethren or to vs any share of this outward prosperity and manifesteth his loue vnto vs by deliuering our soules from death our eyes from teares and our feete from falling Psalme 116 8.14 When he causeth our houses to be inhabited our streets to bee replenished our
deceiued and shal be disappointed of our hope Let vs not looke for any consolation from him but woe and confusion of faces This our Sauiour teacheth in the Gospel Iohn 3 19. This is the condemnation that light came into the world and men loued darknesse rather then that light because their deeds were euill It must needs be a strange darknesse that cannot be driuen away by the beames of this bright shining It must be a very grosse and wilfull blindnesse where the continuall light of the Gospel proceeding from the louing face of Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse hath wrought no knowledge nor profit in the wayes of godlinesse The Apostle in this respect saith If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4 3 4. in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minde that is of the Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse hath appeared and shined gloriously in this part of the earth and yet alasse how many are there starke blinde and willingly blinde euen vnder the ministry of the most painefull seruants of God that labor in the Lords vineyard and spend their strength to giue light to others If a man hearing the voyce of a trumpet yet will stop his eares or hauing the light of the day yet will shut fast his eyes this is a wilfull ignorance 2 Pet 3 5. and a presumptuous sin that shall encrease their iudgement and condemnation This doth our Sauiour teach Iohn 15 12. If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloake for their sinne The Prophets prophesying of the times of the Gospel and of the people that should beleeue in Christ declare as we noted before that God would poure out his Spirit vpon all flesh Esay 11 9. 2 3. that all should bee taught of God that the earth should bee full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters do couer the sea What shall we say of these things The palpable ignorance and horrible blindnesse which is seene in the world sheweth plainly that we are not that people The Prophet telleth vs what readinesse and forwardnes should be in men to come into Gods house for encrease of knowledge to be instructed in his wil and to walke in his wayes that they should say one to another Vp let vs goe and pray before the Lord let vs seeke the Lord of Hoasts and I will goe also Zach. 8 21. We are farre from this zeale and from encouraging one another in good things and therefore the blessings of God do stand farre from vs also So then we see such as liue in ignorance and sinne are darknesse and haue no communion with Christ for what fellowship can there be betweene light and darknesse Vse 2 Secondly wee must all haue a speciall care that this Starre may rise in our hearts that the Sunne of righteousnesse may reioyce and refresh vs. Now the right way to haue him with a gracious aspect to shine vpon vs is for vs to regard and giue heed to the lesser lights the candle-lights or starre-lights which are fore-runners of this starre to wit the light of the Prophets of the Apostles and other seruants of God which are appointed to direct vs in the course of our life and to point out vnto vs this light So the Apostle saith Ye haue a sure word of the Prophets vnto which yee shall doe well to giue heed as vnto a light that shineth in darke places vntill the day dawne and the Day-starre arise in your hearts 2 Pet. 1 19. And our Sauiour calleth his Disciples the light of the world and a City set vpon an hill Iohn Baptist was a burning and a shining Candle Iohn 5 35. They that will not follow these lights nor seeke to be guided by these starres shall neuer feele the comfort of this Starre of Iacob So thē these places of the world where those lesser lights haue no entertainment or where by the malice of the people they are remoued or their lights put out are most wretched and miserable The people are said in the Prophet to haue walked in darknes Esay 9 2. Math. 4 13. and to haue dwelled in the land of the shadow of death before these lights shined on them So long as Israel was without a preaching Priesthood to deliuer vnto them the Law of God so long they were without God and his word 2 Chron. 15 3. So long as they wanted these Stewards of the Lords house to giue them their portion of meate in due season they endured a greeuous famine of the soule and perished for want of food It standeth vs therefore vpon to reioyce in these lights and to be glad when these starres begin to shine among vs they are the ioy and solace of the earth howsoeuer they be basely esteemed off in the world and reproched by them that loue darknesse more then light because their wayes are euill Iohn 3 20 21 for euery man that euill doth hateth the light neyther commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproued but hee that doth trueth cometh to the light that his deeds might bee made manifest that they are wrought according to God The Galatians did so affect Paul that they would haue pulled out both their lights to wit their eyes to do him good Gal. 4 15. But the practise of our times and the lamentable experience of our dayes sheweth the contrary men seeke by all wayes and deuices they can to dim and darken these lights by greeuing and vexing them by disgracing and slandering them by molesting and troubling of them by discouraging and discountenancing of them that so they might hinder the building of the Lords house If these men were asked the question whether they would haue Christ shine in their hearts and arise as a bright starre to scatter the cloudy mistes of their vnbeleeuing minds no doubt they wold answer it is their desire and that they finde more vse of the light of Christ in their soules then of the shining of the Sunne in the Firmament and yet so long as they do not vse those meanes whereby the beames of this Starre of Iacob may shine vpon them they make it manifest they regard not the Starre it selfe And therefore let no man flatter himselfe that hee regardeth the Gospel or Christ the bringer of the glad tydings of saluation when they will not open their eares to the Gospel preached by such as Christ hath appointed ouer vs. Vse 3 Lastly we must take heed we be not deceiued in iudging of this light For many imagine they haue the light of this Sunne of righteousnes and of this starre of Iacob whē they haue but a false light True it is Christ is in himselfe of himselfe alwayes a light howsoeuer he be receiued albeit men shut
darknesse in the nosthrils of God that he was constrained to wash them away with an vniuersall flood Wee must therefore search into the true causes of euils and not falsely accuse the times but lay the fault vpon them that liue in the times If we would grow better the times also would become much better But so long as mens manners are deformed the times cannot be reformed and amended Thus then we see 〈◊〉 Virg de 〈◊〉 lib. 2. 4. 10. that the confusion of warre hath bene of olde and therefore they no better so that it behoueth vs to bee contented with those things which presently we enioy and not to breake out blasphemously against God and ignorantly against the times Vse 3 Lastly seeing the rage of men to ioyne in battell meete in hostile manner in the field hath beene of great antiquity let vs all consider that as warres haue beene of olde so they may come againe wee know not how soone Though we seeme now to liue secure without danger of enemies or feare of warre yet the miseries of a cruell warre and the loosenesse of a secure peace may sodainely meete together It standeth vs in hand to giue GOD the praise that hath sent vs peace and made vs to dwell in safety How many of our brethren do see and haue seene many pittifull spectacles Esay 13 16. felt many wofull mischiefes this way The butchering of men the ryoting with women the ruinating of families and noble houses the vtter sacking of Cities and Kingdomes Let not vs promise to our selues any security let vs not dreame of perpetuall peace tranquility and so lull our selues asleepe with deceitfull hope There is nothing that hath bene that may not be againe There is a time to loue and a time to hate a time of warre Eccl. 3 8. and a time of peace If God send this scourge among vs the Cities full of people are made solitary being quickly wasted and made desolate Let vs be thankful to God for the daies of our peace and pray to him to giue vs grace to vse our peace aright lest he draw the glittering sword vpō vs. For if he bring the sword vpon a Land and say Sword goe through the Land and destroy both man and beast out of it Ezek. 14 17. as we our fathers and our posterity are at his commandement it is nothing for him to make hauocke among vs and to worke out a plentifull desolation Amalek was the first of the Nations but his latter end shall come to destruction Wee haue spoken already of the former part of these words touching the Amalekites inuading of Israel and making warre against them the history whereof we reade in the booke of Exodus chap. 17 verse 16. Now we are to consider the latter part wherein we may behold the recompence of their worke and how God retaileth the inuasion of his people They soght to destroy Israel themselues shall be brought to destruction They drew the sword themselues are threatned to perish with the sword That which themselues worke they are constrained to suffer at the hands of other so that with the same that they do offend they are punished From hence we learne Doctrine The wicked are punished according as they offend that God oftentimes plagueth men in those things and by those things wherein they haue sinned and offended God auengeth and punisheth in the same kinde and measure as men prouoke him We haue a notable example heereof in Adoni-bezek Iudg. 1 6 a proud insolent and bloody minded man he is serued as hee serued others he had the thumbes of his hands and of his feet cut off as he had serued the seuenty kings which he tooke in battell This it is which Samuel saide to Agag one of the Kings of these Amalekites that now we speake of 1 Sam. 15 33. As thy sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childlesse among other women and so he hewed him in peeces before the Lord. Dauid defiled his neighbours wife the hand of God did so follow him that his owne wiues were defiled by his owne sonne in the sight of all Israel 2 Sam. 12 11. We reade how Ahab shed Naboths blood to obtaine his vineyard which he refused to sel vnto him but the Prophet was sent vnto him with an heauy message saying Thus saith the Lord In the place where dogges licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs licke euen thy blood also 1 Kings 21 19 23. and also of Iezabel the worker of all this mischiefe spake the Lord saying The dogs shall eate Iezabel by the wall of Izreel He slew Naboths children his owne sonnes were slaine He took possession of the vineyard but he lost his owne kingdome The wicked man saith Dauid in the Psalmes hath made a pit and digged it for his brother and is fallen into it himselfe he prepared a sword to kill his neighbour and it entred into his owne heart Psal 7 13 15. So the Prophet speaking of Babel the ancient enemy of the Church denounceth this iust retribution of God Woe to thee that spoilest and wast not spoiled and dost wickedly and they did not wickedly against thee when thou shalt ceasse to spoile thou shalt be spoiled when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedly they shall do wickedly against thee Esay 33 1. And this truth is verified not onely by these examples but by continuall experience The extortioner and cruell dealing man is oftentimes in his posterity eaten out consumed by the extortioner Psal 109 13. The Gamester making game his delight and his pleasure his God is snared in his owne wayes so that gaming is his ruine The drunkard many times perisheth in his drunkennesse and is brought to an vntimely death sometimes by the immediate hand of God sometimes by dropsies and other diseases The vniust and wrongfull dealer hath that which hee deuoured drawne out of his bowels and is made by the hand of God to vomit it vp againe The couetous man that ioyneth house to house land to land that heapeth vp liuing and riches by fraud and oppression to his destruction is made as a spunge which when it is full and hath soaked vp what it can is crushed and wrung out to nothing The vncleane liuer and filthy fornicator hath his strength consumed his substance wasted his flesh eaten and the markes of his beastly vncleannesse set vpon him by the reuenging hand of God to his perpetuall shame infamy reproch and confusion The like we might say in all other sinnes God doth most commonly make euery mans sinne his bane his poyson his fall his woe his destruction and vtter ruine verifying that which Salomon speaketh Prou. 1 31 and 26 27. They shall eate the fruite of their owne way and be filled with their owne deuices he that digs a pit shall fall therein and he that rolleth a stone it returnes vpon him The Reasons follow First God is a iust
taketh the ready way to bring all to nought and fall into decay Hee is at the doore to be blowne out But if he be streight and hold fast if hee get carefully and labour by all meanes by right or wrong to encrease in wealth hee taketh this to be the pathway to thriftinesse and the next course to grow in riches carnall men that see nothing but with fleshly eyes are of the same iudgment This is the common opinion but it is false and wrongfull For all such as giue themselues to fraud and oppression that caâ—e not how they store their houses with abundance and thereby thinke that neyther they nor their posterities shall want doe exceedingly deceiue themselues and offer the greatest wrong to their children that can be Such as wee heard out of Salomon trouble their owne houses and are the greatest enemies to those they with the greatest good vnto To this purpose hee speaketh in another place The treasures of wickednesse profit nothing but righteousnesse deliuereth from death Prou. 10.2 This the Prophet setteth downe Their houses with their lands and wiues shall be turned vnto strangers for I will stretch out mine hand vpon the inhabitants of the land saith the Lord for from the least of them euen vnto the greatest of them euery one is giuen vnto couetousnesse and from the Prophet euen vnto the Priest they all deale falsely Ier. 6 11 12 13. And in another place Woe vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers without equity c. Ier. 22 13. Iehoiakim is threatned because his eyes and his heart were onely vpon couetousnesse to bee cast out without lamentation and to be buried as an asse is buried euen to be drawne without the gates of Hierusalem To this purpose commeth the sentence of Salomon recorded in the three and twenty chapter of the Prouerbes verses 4 5 Trauaile not too much to be rich but cease from thy wisedome wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon it which is nothing for riches taketh her to her wings and flyeth into the heauen Thus hee sheweth the vanity vnprofitablenesse of riches that we should not trauell to hoord vp heapes thereof to our own confusion as many worldly minded men doe Vse 2 Secondly it is our duty to walke plainly and sincerely to be true Israelites indeede in whom is no guile so we haue hope of sound comfort in the workes of our hands that we shall take vpon vs whatsoeuer the successe be This is it which Solomon teacheth Prou. 10 9. He that walketh vprightly walketh boldly but he that peruerteth his wayes shall be knowne It is a gracious thing for a man alwayes to haue a good cause and a good conscience Such a one feareth none euill but assureth himselfe of the protection of the Lord. But such as commit wickednesse without care or conscience shal be troubled with inward feares and chastened with outward punishments All men desire to auoyde perils and dangers to liue safely and without feare of euill but all men doe not take the right course nor vse the right meanes to attaine their end None think themselues in greater safety then such as giue themselues to craft and deceitfull dealing to filthinesse and vncleannesse to hypocrisie and dissimulation and to all excesse of wickednesse But these men wander wide out of the way and know not the place where safety dwelleth For none are further from safety and security then these are who when they shall say Peace and safety 1 Thess 5 3. then shall come vpon them suddaine destruction Looke vpon the examples of the old world drowned with the floud of Sodom consumed with fire of Dathan and Abiram couered and swallowed with the earth of Herod smitten of the Angel and sundry other wicked persons who haue felt the truth of this whose steppes if we follow we must look to their ends It is he that feareth God and walketh vprightly that is bold as a Lyon and goeth safely in his wayes hee hath this comfort which the other want that God will keep and defend him that he will be his protectour and deliuerer and therefore in all assurance is able to say Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare none euill Psal 2 3 4 27 1 50 15. Againe the Lord is my light and my saluation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid for they know the infallible promise Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee This serueth to reprooue all such as giue or receiue deceitful wages with a supposed assurance of good successe when that which they goe about is against GOD and the rule of righteousnesse Thus the high-Priests dealt with Iudas they gaue and hee tooke money to betray into the hands of sinners the Lord of life but the curse of God fell vpon the one and the others So the Elders took counsell and offered large money to the souldiers to say that the disciples came by night and stole away the body of Iesus Math. 28.12 13. But if we depend vpon God for his blessing and would haue him to prosper vs in our enterprises wee must not turne into these by-pathes but keepe the straight way that leadeth to life which howsoeuer fewest enter into it shall bring vs to eternall life Lastly let vs learne to auoyde couetousnes Vse 3 and bee content with such things as God giueth and knoweth to be necessary and sufficient for vs This is it which the Apostle teacheth Godlinesse is great gaine if a man be content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out therefore when we haue food and rayment let vs therewith be content 1. Tim. 6 6 8. This is the touchstone to try our hearts whether wee be couetous or not Who is it if he be demanded nay conuinced to his face will confesse he is couetous although hee circumuent his brother and defraud him in buying and bargaining though hee long and lust after his neighbours goods though he liue by miserable fraud and oppression though he grind the faces of the poore and care not how or which way he get yet who is it but will stiffely and stontly deny that he is couetous Seeing then euery one is accounted couetous and no man will father that which he doth beget bring forth nor confesse that which all the world seeth he doth notoriously practise let vs come to the rule how we may try him The workeman hath his rule and square to try his worke God hath left vs the leuell of the law hath set downe markes to examine and prooue euery mans worke The rule to try our affection is our contentednesse with our estate and a quiet resting in that portion which GOD hath allotted vnto vs Phil. 4 11. Thou sayest thou art not couetous and thinkest thy selfe
Adam which also is our sin Now there are four things that doe continually and distinctly cleaue to sinne Foure things cleaue to sin the fault the guilt the blot and the punishment The fault is the offence committed against God in the action which is the root of all the rest The guilt is an obligation to punishment for the fault and offence which we haue committed The blot or spot thereof is as it were a marke or print set and branded in the soule of him that sinned when he groweth to an hight in wickednes like the marke that was set vpon Cain when he had killed his brother For the multiplying of offensiue actions is the continuall encrease of the blot or blemish of the soule til in the end the light of nature be vtterly extinguished and men come to a reprobate sense and grow to be past feeling through the blindnesse of their mindes and the hardnesse of their hearts Euen as the dropsie man the more he drinketh the more hee dryeth so the more a man sinneth the more he is giuen to sinne As the couetous person alwayes desireth to get more so the sinner alwayes desireth to sinne more and to worke al vncleannes with greedines The punishment it selfe is the wages and iust recompence of all the former which is the first second death The first death is a separation of the soule and body the second a separation of the whole man from God for as the soule is the life of the body so is God the life of the soule Know therefore and acknowledge from hence that it is an irkesome and bitter thing to prouoke him by our sin which driueth away his comfortable presence from vs. Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth that none can escape death by streÌ„gth or policy by friends or fraud or by any occasion in asmuch as all are sinners euen from their mothers wombe vnto the day of their death Psal 58 3. 51 5. Gen. 8 21. Iob 4 17. 15 14. 25 4. It is a fearefull and cruell tyrant an outragious and wasting enemy that maketh spoyle and hauocke wheresoeuer hee commeth sparing neyther young nor old rich nor poore Prince nor people good nor bad Psal 89 48. It standeth vs therefore in hand to account of euery day as our last day and to know that euery moment may cut off the threed of our life so that wee are suddenly gone are no more we must prepare for it continually our whole life should be a meditation of it Againe we must pull out of our hearts this false conceit and imagination whereby euery man naturally blesseth and notably deceiueth himselfe and thinketh though he haue one foot in a maner in the graue yet hee shall not die this yeere but he may liue one yeare longer as the rich man was in a pleasant dreame did forecast for many yeares Luke 12 19. And yet alas we know not what shal be to morrow Iam. 4 14 no nor what one day may bring forth Pr. 27 1 Vse 3 Lastly let euery one labor to take away the power and strength of his own death And to this end we must deale with it as the Philistims dealt with Sampson they neuer gaue ouer till they had learned where his strength lay Iudg. 16 5 6 and then they quickly weakned him and preuailed ouer him who before had preuailed ouer them So ought we to doe we must know wherin the strength of death consisteth that is in sin onely Take this away by repentance from dead works faith in Christ and you shaue off the seuen locks of it that is you shall weaken it that it shall neuer bee able to hurt you So many sinnes as liue and reigne in vs so many stings hath death which serue to wound our soules to eternall death If then we would die the death of the righteous let vs endeauour to the vtmost of our strength to liue the life of the righteous Then we shal lay a good foundation that shall neuer be shaken and build our house vpon the rocke wee shal begin our eternal life in this mortall life and haue our conuersation in heauen while we walke vpon the earth Phil. 3 20. Let vs beware of putting off the time from day to day whatsoeuer we would do at the last gaspe grone when we are dying let vs doe the same euery day while wee are liuing The most wicked when he seeth he is presently to leaue the world will seeme desirous to pray though he neuer prayed in his health and to require others to pray for him and haply those whom before he contemned and derided their prayers also then likewise hee will promise and protest amendment of life make solemne vowes couenants with God Let vs therefore do this daily which these men doe at their last day that when death commeth wee may be found ready and prepared with oyle in our lampes like the wise virgins Math. 25. To conclude he that would liue when he is dead must dye when he is aliue and there is no way for vs to come to life but first to enter by the gate of death 6 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 7 The daughters of Zelophehad speake right thou shalt surely giue them a possession of an inheritance among their fathers brethren c. 8 And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying If a man die and haue no sonne c. 9 And if hee haue no daughter then yee shall giue his inheritance vnto his brethren 10 And if he haue no brethren then ye shall giue his inheritance vnto his fathers brethren 11 And if his father haue no brethren ye shall giue his inheritance vnto his kinsman c. The deciding of the former question being referred by Moses vnto GOD followeth in these words wherein he returneth his answer consisting of two parts the one special the othe general the one respecting the time present the other the time to come The speciall belongeth to the cause of these fiue sisters God approueth theyr suite requireth that an inheritance should be giuen to them all so much as theyr father should haue inherited if he had liued longer The accomplishment of this designement is afterward related Iosh 17 3 4 c. where hee performeth this Commandement of the Lord. The generall ariseth vpon the former particular case and this belongeth to all the children of Israel wherein God determineth in what order they shall inherite Now these are the degrees First the neerest heyres are the heyres males The law for iâ—heritances a mans owne sonnes Secondly if hee haue no heyres males his daughters shall be his heyres Thirdly for default of such yssue the inheritance shall go to his owne brethren for after his children his brother is next in nature and blood vnto him therefore if his owne children faile his brother must be his heyre Fourthly if he haue no brother then his fathers
Lastly this daily sacrifice importeth the daily sacrifice of prayer which we ought to offer Vse 4 to God as our dayly seruice due vnto him 1. Kings 18 36. Rab. Menachem fol. 115. And thus do the Hebrew Doctors speake The continuall sacrifice of the morning made attonement for the iniquities that were done in the night and the euening sacrifice made attonement for the iniquities that were by day It is therefore required of vs to pray vnto God not once in a moneth or once a weeke nor onely vpon the Sabbath day or publikely in the assemblies of the faithfull but we must remember him daily that remembreth vs euery houre The time of prayer is euery day and that in respect of our daily sinnes Fine strong motiues to stir vs vp to praier our daily wants dangers tentations and decayes so that we must obserue the rule of the Apostle Pray continually 1 Thess 5 16. These are fiue strong motiues to stir vs vp daily to performe this duty so that we may say with the Prophet I waite for the Lord my soule doth waite euen in his word do I hope my soule waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning c. Psal 130 5 6. First to speake of them in order we haue daily sins We prouoke God euery day and therfore are taught daily to pray for forgiuenes to say If thou Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Ps 130 3. For as he lades vs daily with his benefits so we lade him daily with our sinnes so that they are a burden vnto him he is weary to beare them therfore we should make euen reckoning with the Lord euery day and renew our repentance euermore Secondly we haue dayly wants and who feeleth them not and therefore it is our duty daily to bewayle them and daily to craue the supply of them If there be any feeling of grace or sparke of Gods Spirit in vs we cannot bee ignorant that we want both temporall spirituall blessings for body and soule A blinde man may see them they are so great and so many Thirdly we haue dayly dangers euery creature if God giue vs ouer is able to work our destruction We go not from home but our returne is vncertaine no man can assure himselfe of safety If we get vp on horsebacke in the slipping of one foote we slip into danger sometimes into death If we be in the house the misstepping of one foot bringeth trouble If a man enclose himselfe in his garden a serpent may byte him If he walk in the streetes a tyle from an house may strike him downe nay dead Where can a man secure himselfe or how long or from whom When we haue escaped one danger may we afterward promise vnto our selues safety nay wee are presently in danger of another danger as we see in the Syrians who when they had escaped the sword of the Israelites fled to Aphek into the Citty for refuge But there a wall fell vpon twenty and seuen thousand of them that were left and slew them 1 Kings 20 30 so that it is with vs as the Prophet Amos speaketh as if a man did flie from a Lyon and a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him Amos 5 19. Therefore our onely safety standeth in prayer and in sanctifying the Name of God and begging his assistance Fourthly we haue dayly tentations bodily and ghostly arising from the flesh the world and from the diuell Our aduersary the diuell neuer resteth but walketh vp and downe like a roring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure Iob 1 7. 1 Pet. 5 8. He is neuer ydle nor weary he is an importunate suter he will neuer giue ouer nor take any denyall and therfore Christ saith Math. 26 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into tentation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake and he instructeth his Disciples Luke 32 21 that Satan desired to haue them that he might sift them as wheate howbeit he telleth Peter he prayed for him that his faith should not fayle Among all these tentations pleasure and prosperity are none of the least when we enioy health wealth peace and liberty ease and abundance If euer we forget God it is most commonly when we are full Psalm 30 6. Deuter. 6 6 7.8 c. Luke 21 34 35. Lastly wee haue dayly decayes in good things It is with vs in the matters of the soul as it is in the state of our bodies Our naturall heate and moysture wherein the life consisteth is dayly impayred and would quickly consume were not nature dayly supplyed by meate and drinke whereby the decayes of these as it were the breaches made in nature are made vp so would faith and repentance and other graces of God be weakned and diminished dayly in vs if they were not encreased by the continuall vse of the Word of the Sacraments and of Prayer and therefore we must not ceasse to stirre vp these gifts in vs lest they be as a spark of fire in greene wood which will soone go out if it be not kindled So then this morning euening sacrifice shold direct vs how and when to worship God wee must remember him in the morning in the euening hee must be in our thoughts first and last we must begin the day and ende the day with him Let him be in our first meditations when we awake out of sleepe If the heart and thoughts be well setled in the morning they are like to be better ordered and disposed all the day after This made the Prophet say Psalm 5 3. My voice shalt thou heare in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my praier vnto thee and will looke vp and Psalm 22 2 and 53 17 and 119 55 62 164. Dan. 6 10 Then are the faculties of the soule most fresh and cheerefull then are the senses comforted and refreshed because of the nights rest and therefore best able to performe any duty to God or man Againe the morning is a time wherein the world and the businesse of this life haue not yet forestalled and possessed our hearts and affections and therefore wee are then the most fit to perform any special or spiritual duty required of vs. Lastly it is the first part of the day and therefore the most worthy to be consecrated to God after wee haue newly tasted his great mercy in the night past which he might haue made euerlasting darknesse vnto vs neuer raised vs vp againe Moreouer as the greatest part neglect this time so doe they also at euening they forget what blessings they haue receiued what dangers they haue escaped what tentations they haue resisted what wants they haue obtained what decayes they haue supplyed and repayred for which they should giue him thanks and lastly what sinnes they haue committed in the day for which God might
5 Lastly it is the duty of all Gouernors to looke to theyr families and therefore GOD beginneth with them and directeth the commandement vnto them Why the commandement of the Sabbath is directed to gouernors and that for these causes First because they must giue an acount of theyr gouernment to God of whō they haue receyued it who is the high Commander and generall Master in Heauen and Earth and of all theyr soules that are vnder their charge forasmuch as hee will search and enquire not onely how ciuill and iust among men and toward men our gouernment hath beene but how godly and religious Secondly GOD setteth them in the first place to teach them that God requireth at their hands to teach theyr families to command theyr sonnes and housholds to feare God to bring them vp in his faith feare and in true religion Eph. 6 4. Gen. 18 19. Thirdly because they must go before them by good example and practise of all holy duties as Paul wold haue Timothy to do 1 Tim. 4 12 as we look for any comfort at the Lords hand in that great day of his dreadfull iudgement when he will bring euery worke to light with euery secret thing whether good or euil Eccl. 12 12. If we haue beene examples in good things we shall receyue euerlasting life if examples in euill euerlasting death Fourthly the Lord singleth out the father and master in the first place because if they go before and leade the way the rest of the house wil quickly follow after Iohn chap. 4 verse 53. Acts chapter sixteene verse 32 contrarywise if they yeeld not obedience for conscience sake to the duties of the Sabbath they may by the abuse of their authority hinder frustrate the holy endeauours of his children seruants Hence it is that many fathers vrge their children many masters command their seruants to go about their owne busines and send them from place to place at that time when they should attend to the holy commandement of the Lord whereas both of thē might well and lawfully reply to their fathers and masters and say with Christ our Sauiour Luke 2 49 Wist yee not that I must be about my fathers businesse Lastly the Lord layeth this waighty charge vpon them that such as are vnder their gouernment may yeeld willingly and cheerfully to Gods will considering how straight a charge God hath giuen to all gouernours If they should do it of their owne head or lay an heauy burden vpon thē which themselues would not touch with their little finger the charge could carry no authority It is not therefore their fathers or masters that restraine them of their liberty tye vp their wicked and wandring affections but GOD himselfe to whom all obedience is due The father doth shew loue to his children whē he restrayneth them from wickednes the master doth no wrong to his seruants that brideleth them from following theyr owne willes and pleasures So then the poynt to be learned and practised is that we must first keepe the Sabbath in our owne persons and begin reformation within the doores or closets of our owne hearts or else we will be very remisse negligent in reforming of others or if we be forward we shall bee charged and chalenged to be hypocrites while we teach others but doe not teach our selues Rom. 2 21. Secondly we must cast our eyes vpon others and looke to them that belong vnto vs that they may sanctifie the Sabbath as well as our selues It is not enough for vs to come to the house of of God alone but wee must come with the trayne of our families as a Captaine with his army Psal 110 3 and 42.4 The father oftentimes is praying in the Church when his children are playing in the streetes The master many times sitteth in the house of God when his seruant lyeth at the alehouse The wife sometimes goeth with her husband to the sermon when the daughters and maid-seruants eyther are sent or suffered to runne to lasciuious dancing and wanton company whereby theyr mindes and oftentimes theyr bodyes also are defiled as it fell out to Dinah Gen. chapter 34 verses 1 2 and so the saying of Salomon is verified Prouerbs chap. 29 verse 15. A childe left to himselfe bringeth his mother to shame But haply some Masters will alleadge for themselues that their seruants are vnruly Obiect as the vntamed heyffer and will not be ordered by them that they are much greeued they can preuaile no more with them and that they breake out and will not be holden in by them I answer Answer this is not a good plea but a vayne excuse and no better For if thy authority serue to bridle them and keepe them vnder in the sixe dayes how commeth it to passe that thou wantest power to preuayle ouer them on the seuenth day Can wee rule them in our owne cause and can wee not rule them in the cause of God Haue we meanes to enforce them to looke to our businesse and want wee meanes to compell them to do Gods busines It seemeth therefore to me to be rather want of will in vs Obiect then of power If we pretend farther that they be incorrigible and will haue their owne swinge and be at theyr owne liberty that day Answ we haue no warrant to burden our houses with such persons that will neither serue the Lord nor obey vs but rather infect others that liue with them The Prophet Dauid professeth that they should not serue him that were vngodly his eyes should bee vpon the faithfull to dwell with him but the wicked should not tarry in his house Psal 101 6 7. Why then should wee keepe them in our house that loue not the house of God Wee will quickly discharge that seruant which hath no care of our businesse why then will we trouble our selues our house with him that is vnfaithfull toward God Thus then wee see the care that all ought to haue of the Sabbath both master and seruant father and sonne husband and wife But alasse the prophanenesse of our times is so great that the Sabbath is in a manner vtterly contemned we giue him least seruice on that day wherein we are bound to giue him most duty For we see heere vnder the Law how the Lord commandeth that the daily sacrifice which euery morning and euening was offered should bee doubled vpon the Sabbath But our people for the most part performe single seruice and double impiety vpon that day The greatest seruice is done to our selues or that which is worse to the diuell But of the Sabbath we haue spoken before chap. 15. 11 And in the beginnings of your moneths yee shall offer a burnt offering vnto the Lord two yong Bullocks and a Ramme and seuen Lambes of a yeare old without spot 12 And three tenth deales of flower for a meat offering c. 13 And a seuerall tenth deale of fine flower mingled with oyle
our owne flesh in the lusts thereof Rom 13 14. If wee should giue the bridle to our flesh it is as a bottomlesse pit that will neuer be filled Secondly such as are planted commodiously in this world must beware that they doe not forget the world to come and they that enioy the earth at will must remember the kingdome of heauen wherein they must onely place the toppe of their happinesse If wee seeke heauen vpon earth we shall neuer finde it in the next life Thirdly let vs vse this world as though wee vsed it not reioyce as though wee reioyce not and weepe as though wee weped not considering that the fashion of this world vanisheth away 1 Cor. 7 30 31. Heere can bee no certainety nor assurance of any thing but in health we haue one foot in sicknesse and in life wee bee at the brinke of death In ioy and gladnesse wee are neere to the house of sorrow and affliction Lastly wee must account of euery day as our last day what is present wee see before our eyes but what is to come wee see not we know not The rich man builded and planted and plotted for many yeares and promised to himselfe a long life vpon the earth but it was saide vnto him This night shall they take away thy soule from thee c. Luke 12. CHAP. XXX 1 ANd Moses shake vnto the heads of the Tribes concerning the chilâ—ren of Israel saying This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded 2 If a man vow a vow vnto the Lord or sweare an oath to bind his soule with a bond hee shall not breake his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth The contents of this chapt and the diuision of it NOw Moses commeth to speeke of such Lawes as are voluntary that is of vowes whereof he setteth downe two sorts one concerning men the other concerning women and sheweth in what persons they are ratified and in what persons they are frustrated Touching the man which is the head of the woman he is charged not to falsify his word or his oath lest hee prophane the Name of GOD which he hath taken in his mouth but to performe his promise that he hath made as Psal 15 4 he shall dwell in the holy hill of GOD that sweareth to his owne hurt and changeth not Touching the woman she is ordinarily and by the Law of nature vnder the power and authority of another Wherfore touching their vowes we must giue iudgment according to the place which they hold and the calling into which they are entred For the woman that taketh an oth or maketh a vow either is in the power of her father or in the power of her husband or in her owne power or else in the power of one when shee vowed and in the power of another when she is to performe it A woman in her fathers power is bound to performe that which shee hath sworne or vowed but conditionally if the father allow of it eyther by his word or by his silence so that the vow standeth if he approue of it eyther by speaking or by holding his peace Qui tacet consentire videtur For heere the common prouerbe is verified Hee that wittingly willingly holdeth his peace doth closely secretly giue his consent But on the other side if the father dislike and disallow the vow she is freed because she is not free And if the woman be married and at the disposition of her husband it followeth by proportion of the former Law that if her husband approoue her vow eyther openly or secretly directly or indirectly by speaking or holding his peace so soone as he heareth it or heareth of it shee is bound to keepe it but if he consent not but disallow and disavow it her vow is voyde and she is to aske pardon of her rashnesse If she be a widow and set free being at her owne liberty and not vnder the iurisdiction of father that bestowed her or of the husband to whom shee was bestowed in marriage she is bound to performe her vow The Apostle teacheth that the woman which hath an husband is bound by the Law to her husband so long as he liueth but if hee be dead shee is loosed from the law of her husband Rom. 7 2. As shee is free to vow so he is bound to pay that which he hath vowed because the promise was voluntary and free and there is none can make it voide Lastly the widow must not thinke her selfe discharged by her new or second marriage but the time of making her vow to wit in her widowhood must be considered and remembred But such as are cut of the fathers power or by death of the husband set free must pay their vowes to the most High without denying or delaying or diminishing what they haue solemnely and aduisedly vowed From hence we may learne how to answere sundry particular questions touching the vowing of men and women Obiect And first the question may be asked what if it be the vow of a sonne or of a daughter vnder their father or one any way vnder the power of another as of a seruant vnder his Master shall that vow be good or such person be bound to performe it I answere Answ a vow must be of things in our owne power but hee that is in the power of his father and of his master is not at his owne hand his will dependeth vpon the wil pleasure of another and therefore Ionathan telleth his father that Dauid had asked leaue of him to goe to Bethlehem 1 Sam. 20 28 for their family had a sacrifice to offer in that citty If then being the seruant of Saul he would not presume to go before he had obtayned leaue of the Kings sonne doubtlesse such vowes are to be held vnlawfull vnlesse his gouernour confirme it or he that hath vowed ratify it when he commeth to be at his owne hand Againe it may be demanded whether such do not sin Quest as vow being in the power of others in not performing their vow True it is they ought not to haue vowed but hauing made the vow do they not sinne except they performe it Answer I answere they sinne in vowing but they do not sinne in their not performing of it wherefore Moses saith afterward The Lord shal forgiue her he meaneth not her forbearing to performe the vow forasmuch as if she should performe it she should set at nought her fathers power authority which God by no meanes will suffer and consequently adde sinne vnto sinne but God will pardon her rash and vnaduised vow which shee had vttered The doctrine from the first words is this Doctrine Vowes to be made to God lawfully or vnlawfully to be preserued that vowes made to God lawfully are to bee performed Deut. 23.21 Psal 76 11 and 66.13 and 50 14 Deu. 12 17. This is further confirmed vnto vs by sundry examples of the
and turning to God wee must not put off the matter from day to day The lepers that were cleansed delayed this duty all of them on onely excepted and in the end vtterly did forget it When wee delay a duty thinking to doe it better afterward it groweth quite our of minde The Prophet sayth To day if you will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Psal 95 7 8. Heb. 3 13 Esay 55 6. If we put off our repentance a while who is sure to haue the meanes offered him againe whereby God ordinarily worketh repentance Who can tell whether hee shall heart the word of God preached to him any more The word is translated from place to place we are translated from life to death frō our house to the graue and we know not whether wee shall carry our selues when wee are gone from the Church or be carried by others to the Church againe Besides the longer wee delay our repentance the more hard and difficult it will be because a thicke skinne will grow ouer the heart that it will bee past feeling and sinne will take deeper roote through custome and continuance and therefore wee must set vpon it betimes There lacketh not a man of vs therefore wee haue brought an oblation This was an extraordinary mercy receiued It is a great blessing of God to ouercome the enemy and to obtaine the victory but thus to ouercome and to haue such a victory required an extraordinary thankesgiuing We learne from hence Doctrine It is our duty in extraordinary blessings to returne extraordinary thanks that as men ought to returne thankes to God for al his blessings so they ought for extraordinary blessings to returne extraordinary thankes and praises As in times of distresse it is our duty to humble our selues and in extraordinary visitations to vse extraordinary humiliation so when God sheweth any mercy especially extraordinary the Church hath great cause to bee thankfull accordingly and vpon that occasion to bee stirred vp to set forth his noble praise Exodus 15.1 2 c. Esay 38 9. Hezekiah returneth great thankes for his great deliuerance Luke 1 46. Psalme 145 7. The grounds follow Reason 1 First all acknowledge that they are tyed to some duties for blessings receiued Now this is the onely recompence that we can make we cannot requite him to come before him with burnt offerings with calues of a yeare old hee will not be pleased with thousands of rammes or with ten thousands of riuers of oyle Mic. 6 6 7 hee hath shewed vs what is good and what he requireth of vs the onely accepted sacrifice and seruice is an humble contrite and thankfull heart Psal 116 13 14 this is more acceptable to him then all sacrifices that haue hornes and hoofes all the fowles of the mountaines are his the wilde beasts of the field and the cattel vpon the hilles and therefore he willeth vs to offer vnto him thankesgiuing and to pay our vowes to the most High and to glorifie him for our deliuerances Secondly the least mercies of God such as are most ordinary continuall deserue thanks yea the greatest thanks that we can possibly giue that the tongue and heart should ioyne together in that action for the least drop of his mercy is greater then our deserts then how much more doe his greatest mercies and blessings deserue the greatsst thankes and praise at his hand to performe the same with all our soule with all our mind and with all our strength Hence it is that the seruants of God as we see in Dauid Hezekiah and others after wonderfull and great and mightie deliuerances did vse to penne their songs and often to repeat them to quicken the memoriall of Gods blessings and his kindnesse that they had receiued and thereby to stirre vp their owne hearts and the hearts of others that they might be more closely knit and linked vnto God The like we see in Ionah when he was deliuered from the Whale that had swallowed him vp where the waters compassed him euen about to the soule the depth closed him round about and the weedes were wrapt about his head Ionah 2 5 9 that his deliuerance might seeme after a sort a resurrection from the dead as indeed his lying in the belly of the fish three dayes and three nights Ionah 1 17 did figure out the resurrection of Christ to be so long in the heart of the earth Math. 12 40. I say when he had receiued such a deliuerance what could he do but sacrifice vnto God with the voyce of thankesgiuing and pay that which he had vowed considering that saluation is of the Lord Thirdly Nature it selfe doth teach that the greatest blessings should haue the greatest thankfulnesse inasmuch as great blessings fill the heart more full of ioy now where the heart of a man is extraordinarily ioyfull there the mouth of a man also ought to be extraordinarily thankful Fourthly it standeth with equity that in all things that we do toward God we should do them in proportion and in this matter of thankfulnes wee ought to make out thankes to bee in some sort and in some weake measure proportionable to his blessings The vses remaine First how glorious ought Gods Name to be in all places who doth daily lode vs with Vse 1 his benefites He dealeth not sparingly with vs but liberally thereby to magnifie his great Name that all the world might acknowledge his greatnesse and sing to his praise saying O Lord our Lord how excellent is thy Name in all the earth who hast set thy glory aboue the heauens Psal 8 1 2 3 c. Secondly this reproueth many of vnthankfulnes Vse 2 howsoeuer they seeme to themselues to be very thankfull yet they are not proportionably thankfull and therefore they may be said not to bee thankfull at all because they giue not according to his workes and therefore he requireth of vs that wee should praise him according to his blessings But alas which of vs doe not for the most part receiue much of him and returne little or nothing vnto him againe It is not enough for vs to say God be thanked and then thinke wee haue performed all that can be required of vs but as we receiue double mercy so should wee yeeld double obedience Lastly this teacheth Vse 3 euery man that he should consider Gods dealing toward him and what blessings hee hath receiued from him that so hee may see how much thankfulnes he oweth vnto him For where the gifts of God are encreased vpon a man there he hath much cause of thankfulnesse If others that haue receiued lesse blessings from God haue beene more thankfull vnto him for them how shall we escape that haue greater blessings if we shew our selues lesse thankfull Let euery one enter into the meditation of these things Wee haue receiued blessings of all sorts generall and particular what Nation hath beene honoured and aduanced like vnto ours what people haue receiued such deliuerances
to seeke reuenge but hee must not doe it with his owne hands but as the poore widow that came to the Iudge saying Auenge me of mine aduersary so hee must complaine to the Magistrate and so seeke for remedy by iust and lawfull meanes And that wee may be free from the fact it selfe and not fall into it let vs looke well to the fountaine and beginning of all our actions and first labour to purge our hearts because out of the heart proceedeth all kinde of wickednesse Now if that be cleansed of euill thoughts wee shall thereby stoppe and hinder euill workes that they breake not out 22 But if he thrust him sodainly without enmity and haue cast vpon him any thing without laying of waite 23 Or with any stone wherewith a man dy seeing him not and cast it vpon him that he dye and was not his enemy neyther did seeke him any harme 24 Then the Congregation shall iudge betweene the slayer and the auenger of blood according to these iudgements 25 And the Congregation shall deliuer the slayer out of the hand of the reuenger of blood and the Congregation shall restore him vnto the City of his refuge whither he was fled and he shall abide in it vnto the death of the high Priest c. 26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the City of his refuge whither he was fled 27 And the reuenger of blood find him without the borders of the Citie of his refuge and the reuenger of blood kill the manslayer hee shall not bee guilty of blood 28 Because hee should haue remayned in the City of his refuge till the death of the high priest but after the death of the high priest the slaier shal returne into the land of his possession 29 So these things shall bee for a Statute of iudgement vnto you thoroughout your generations in all your dwellings The Law touching killing at vnawares is deliuered in these words the substance wherof is this That if a man take away life from any sodainly without any enmity or doe cast a stone at aduenture without laying of wait or cast any thing vpon him and see him not the Congregation shall deliuer him out of the hand of the auenger of blood because though hee did kill him yet he was not his enemy neyther sought his hurt or plotted his death So the Lord in his law propoundeth sundry like cases Exod. 21 13 14. and Deut. 19 4 5. Whosoeuer killeth his neighbour ignorantly whom he hated not in times past as when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree and the head slippeth from the helâ—e and lighteth vpon his neighbour that he dye he shall flee into one of those Cities and liue c and hee must abide therin vnto the death of the high Priest which was annointed with the holy oyle But if such slayer shall go out of the border of the City of his refuge whither he was fled and the auenger finde him and slay him hee shall not bee guilty of blood because he had a place of safety and refuge giuen vnto him and hee ought to haue remayned therein according vnto the law Out of this diuision some questions wil be mooued Obiect which are needfull to be handled considered as first of all whether the Auenger of blood while his heart is hot might lawfully pursue him that killed another of ignorance and when he found him out of his Citie and Sanctuary might slay him Answ I answer God doth not approoue or allow such dealing simply but doth indeed vtterly condemne it For the iudiciall and politicke lawes doe not alwayes serue to bring men to perfection and to establish perfect holynesse and righteousnesse amongst vs but in some sort to remedy the vices whereunto wee are inclined so that the Lord hath an eye to the inconueniences that might ensue whereas if wee will speake what the eternal law of right wrong which is the law of righteousnesse alloweth what euery mans duty is towardes men made after the image of God then doubtlesse when a man hath giuen a blow with his hand vnwittingly so as it doe sufficiently and euidently appeare to be so the next friend or kinsman ought not to steppe vp to seeke reuenge because in so dooing hee offendeth God both in setting vpon the party that hath done him no wrong by his will Rom. 12 29. Matth. 5 44. and in fathering that thing vpon a mortal maÌ„ which God had ordayned in his secret prouidence Exod. 21 13. God hath deliuered him into his hand This is the perpetuall law of equity and honesty and therefore that which is deliuered in this place is onely a positâ—â—â— Law established noâ— to instruct but to restrain theÌ„ and to remedy a greater mischiefe in case they had bene altogether brideled and wholly 〈◊〉 reaued of all power This teacheth vs a plaine truth God tollerateth things which he neuer alloweth which I onely point aâ— with the finger that God tolerateth many things among his people which he neuer liketh and alloweth as appeareth in the cause of diuorce Deâ— 24 1 they were permitted vpon dislike to put away their wâ—â—â— prouided that they deliuered vnto her a bill of diuorcement to be a witnes of her honesty that through the wilfulnesse and waywardnesse of her husband she should not be defamed Neuerthelesse God neuer liked this simply no more then their marrying of many wiues because she was giuen to him to be the companion of his life and the delight of his eyes and the comfort of his heart all his dayes and was as it were one part of his owne person and therefore to cast her off was after a sort a cutting off of himselfe in the middes whereupon Christ saith Math. 19 8 9 Exod. 22 25. that the Lord did it for the hardnesse of their hearts So in the case of vsury he permitteth them to take vsury of the stranger that they might not practise it toward their brother and sundry such like lest they should do worse Secondly the question may be asked Obiect whether this killing at vnawares or against ones will whom God is said to haue deliuered into his hands be a sinne or not This is so much the more necessary to he thought vpon because the Lord sheweth Deut. 19 6 thar such a man is guiltlesse of the other mans death forasmuch as he did not hate him before neyther did presumptuously rise vp against him to slay him with guile Howbeit in this place such a person is commanded to remaine as a banished man out of his owne place house and from his owne kindred and is confined to the citty of refuge vntill the death of the high Priest which no doubt had relation to Christ I answer Answ there is no repugnancy in all these things For this fact must bee considered two
shall be put to death 39. All that were numbred of the Leuites which Moses Aaron numbred at the commandement of the Lord throughout all their families all the males from a moneth old and vpward were twenty and two thousand Wee haue already handled the numbring of two of the families that haue their foundation in the sonnes of Leui to wit the Gershonites and the Kohathites Now followeth the third and last that is the Merarites touching whom we are to consider sundry particular points as we haue done in the two former diuisions For first the families descended of Merari are named which are two the Mahlites and the Mushites verse 33. Secondly the number of persons the summe of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and aboue was sixe thousand two hundred verse 34. Thirdly the Ouerseer or Superintendent of them all was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail Fourthly the place of their abode in the host was on the North-side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Lastly the office and function committed vnto them was the woodworke and the rest of the instruments These things were committed to their charge and custody Hitherto wee haue handled the numbring of this Tribe simply considered in it selfe according to the particular families of it now let vs obserue how it is concluded In this conclusion set downe in the two last verses of this diuision we are to marke two points first the persons that went before the Arke of the Couenant on the East-side secondly the totall sum of the whole Tribe is reckoned vp The persons that were to pitch on the fore-front of the Tabernacle toward the East are these both Moses himselfe as the chiefe Captaine Commander ouer the whole and also Aaron with his sons the Priests ministring vnto God and his Church whereunto is annexed a certaine prouiso that none should dare to thrust himselfe into their office verse 38. Secondly the totall sum of all the former particulars is brought together and the accounts cast vp which are said to amount to two and twenty thousand v. 39. Out of which generall number must be deducted the Priests and the first borne of the Leuites themselues for otherwise the whole Tribe of Leui consisting of the Priests and such as are called by the common name of Leuites amounted to the number of twenty and two thousand and three hundred soules Verse 33. Of Merari was the family c. In this diuision we see more plainely and particularly that which was in part noted before namely the seuerall mansions and situations that these Leuites had about the Tabernacle which being the place of Gods publike seruice they compassed it round about that they might not be farre from any of the people of God but alwaies resident among them The Gershonites pitched behinde the Tabernacle westward verse 23. The Kohathites pitched on the south-side of the Tabernacle verse 29. The Merarites pitched on the north side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Now lest any part should be left vnfurnished and vnprouided Moses and Aaron and his sonnes are commanded to take vp the fore-front of the Tabernacle and to pitch on the East-side GOD might haue put and placed all the Leuites in one corner of the host if it had pleased him but in great mercy both toward the Leuites and people they are seated in the middest of the army and charged to compasse the Tabernacle round about to the end they might serue the better for giuing direction and instruction indifferently to all the rest of the Tribes that were to vse their Ministery Thus we see that neither the Teachers were constrained to go farre to their hearers nor the hearers to take any tedious iourney to their Teachers This teacheth vs that God will haue euery part of his people taught Such is the goodnesse Doctrine 1 of almighty God God wil haue all places and people taught euen the smallest that he will haue none of his seruants vntaught how small soeuer the places be how meane soeuer the persons be None are too high in regard of their great places none are too low in regard of their obscure callings none are too good to be taught whatsoeuer their degrees be We see this most euidently in the Tribe of Leui it selfe To what end and purpose were they diuided in Iacob and scattered in Israel Gen. 49 Gen. 49 7 but that all the Lords people might be instructed from the highest to the lowest and haue their portion in due season alotted vnto them of God This is giuē as a commendation of the Leuites and of Iehoshaphat that sent them 2 Chron 17 9. They taught in Iudah and had the booke of the Law of the Lord with them and went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people This we see in the Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians and setting downe the notable fruites and ends of the Ministery of the word Eph. 4 13. He gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Teachers Till we all meete together in the vnity of faith vnto a perfect man and the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Touching the practise of this duty we haue a notable example in Christ our Sauiour in many places of the Euangelists Luke 8 1. It came to passe afterward that he went throughout euery City and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of the kingdome of God and chap. 13 22. He went through the Cities Villages teaching and iournying toward Ierusalem The like we reade of the twelue Apostles who walked in the steps of their master going through the Townes preaching the Gospel and healing euery where Luke 9 6. So also it was with the seuenty Disciples the Lord sent thē two and two before his face into euery city and place whither he himselfe would come Luk. 10 1. Seeing then the Priests and Leuites Christ his Disciples went about through all the Citties of Iudah published the Gospel in euery city and village preached euery where and went into all places we conclude that it is the ordinance of God that all places great and small all persons high and low all congregations bigge and little should haue the word of God established and setled among them Reason 1 This will be made plaine and cleere vnto vs by diuers reasons First consider with me the titles that are giuen vnto God in the Scriptures He is worthily called the King of his Church and the Lord Master of his house-Is not he the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like sheepe Psal 80 1. Will a Shepheard that hath any care of his Sheepe or any loue vnto them looke vnto some of them and not to all Or will he not rather if any be gone astray Lu. 15 4 5 6. leaue ninety and nine in the wildernesse and seeke that lost one vntill he finde it So is it the will of our Father that is
and Aaron might learne together with all the people to put their trust in Gods promises made vnto them and to waite on him with patience The end therefore was not Gods satisfaction but their owne reformation and the peoples instruction And Dauid had many punishments that the mouths of the heathen might thereby be stopped who were likely to blaspheme God because of his sinne The truth is before forgiuenesse such iudgements are punishments of sinne but after forgiuenesse obtained August de peccâ—t merit remis lib 2. cap. 34. Origen in Gen. hom 16. they are the fights and exercises of the iust This is the difference betweene the afflictions of the faithfull and of the vnfaithful that which is to the iust the exercise of vertue is to the vniust the punishment of sinne That which is laid vpon vs after forgiuenesse in Christ is onely in respect of the time to come to weaken and weare away the power of sinne and in death vtterly to destroy it If any obiect that death is the wages of sinne and that yet it continueth after forgiuenesse I answer it is so indeed originalâ—y and naturally but to the faithfull it hath lost his sting the poison of it is taken away and turned into a medicine and is made the way to life and saluation Bern. in Cant. Serm. 26. That which was the gate of hell is made an entry to the kingdome of heauen Thus we see that the Popish satisfaction is weakely grounded and the gainefull fire of purgatory standing vpon the rotten and ruinous pillar of satifaction is vtterly quenched that though the Iesuites and their instruments labor to blow the bellows to kindle it againe yet they are not able to put any sparke of heat into it When the sinne is forgiuen the punishment is also remitted For this is a certain doctrine that when God pardoneth sinne he also remitteth the punishment For first the fault the punishment are relatiues which stand together and fall together admit of the one you yeeld the other take away the one you ouerthrow the other Againe when God doth not remit the fault he doth retaine the punishment who can deny this therfore on the contrary when he forgiueth the fault he doth not retaine the punishment The fault is a greater matter then the punishment if then God forgiue the fault which is the greater it may not seeme strange that he should forgiue that which is lesser and onely depending vpon the fault Besides when once a debt is discharged it were extreme wrong and iniustice to require the payment thereof againe but sinnes are debts Matth. 6.12 The obligation standing against vs is cancelled and the creditour is fully satisfied how then should we feare any arrest or imprisonment who shall sue vs or who can lay any thing to our charge In a ciuill court he were a very corrupt iudge who hauing acquitted cleared a man that stood as guilty from al offence would notwithstanding giue sentence that he shold be executed for this were as much as to pardon the theft and to hang the theefe They that are iustified by faith are at peace with God Rom. 5.1 and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.1 When God forgiueth the sinnes and transgressions of the penitent he remembreth them no more Ier. 31.34 hee blotteth them out of his sight he setteth them as farre from vs as the East is from the West Psal 103 he scattereth them as a cloud and casteth them into the bottom of the Sea The meaning of the words Mic. 7.19 But touching the pardon mentioned in this place the answer of God is to be referred to the prayer of Moses is proportioned out according to his request He desired that God would not vtterly root out that whole people as one man according as he had threatned his prayer is granted and God declareth that hee had pardoned them not absolutely but according to his word he requested they might not vtterly be destroyed he receiueth answer they shall not vtterly be destroyed And concerning satisfaction to God for our sinnes by our selues it is more then we are able to make it cost more to redeeme a soule and to pay a price sufficient for it For to satisfie is to yeeld a sufficient recompence to God for the transgressions that we haue committed against him This Christ our redeemer is onely able to doe and his satifaction is all sufficient Obiect But they tel vs that mans satisfaction is not a supplying of any want in Christs satisfaction Answer but an applycation of it to vs. A most foolish and witlesse conceit For when a man hath a medicine fully sufficient and auaileable for the curing and healing of a wound what needeth another medicine for the healing the same wound which he must apply and lay to the former medicine to make it good is not this applycation needlesse And if a surety vndertaking for vs hath discharged our debts it is very ridiculous to suppose that we must pay the debt againe that so our sureties payment may stand in effect We reade of the satisfaction that Christ hath made and we beleeue it but of a satisfaction applying his satisfaction we reade not and therfore we beleeue not which is no better then a cloake to couer their shame and soundeth harsh to the eare of reason it selfe But to passe ouer these things let vs consider the sentence pronounced against these men that all of them should die in the wildernes as they had all broken out into open wickednesse The doctrine Doctrinâ— sinne generally entertained bringeth a generall destruction Where 〈◊〉 is generaâ— entertainâ— it bringeâ— a generaâ— destructiâ— Gen. 6.5 〈◊〉 7.17 and 20 and 15 24 25. Deâ— 9.4 Iosh 〈◊〉 21. Hos 4. 3. Ze. 1 1â— when it is once come to the height in the maner and measure it causeth destruction to come vpon such persons The reasons follow This is agreeable to the course of Gods iustice that his iudgements may be answerable to the sinne A generall sinne deserueth a general plague Secondly as sinnes are resembled to sicknesses so punishments are to medicines which must be fitted to the diseases and not to a part thereof Reas 1 Now if vniuersall and spreading sins should not haue vniuersall spreading iudgments brought vpon them the plaster should be lesse then the wound the remedy much weaker then the disease The vses remaine First seeing God giueth sentence to bring Vse 1 desolation vpon this people for their common sinnes we haue great cause to feare that the day of our desolation and iudgement cannot be farre off For seeing it hath beene already prooued that we are growne a cold and carelesse people a lukewarme Church neither hote nor cold seeing wee are growne to the height of wickednesse Deut. 19 and haue added sinne to sinne as it were drunkennesse vnto thirst what can be expected in the next