great matter that they haue done Lastly they are greeuous sinners sapped in them that make no vse of the crosses and afflictions that God sendeth vpon them that are no whit bettered or reformed or humbled by his iudgements Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty to pray vnto God that we may be kept and preserued from this high measure of sinne Psal 19 13. The Prophet prayeth to the Lord to keepe him from presumptuous sinnes This sheweth to vs that we are ready to fall into them And what do they but publish this as with a loud voice that cry out that God is mercifull and thereupon take occasion to goe forward presuming of his mercy We should be carefull to beg from God his grace that we may resist sin in the beginning lest our hearts be hardened by it Heb. 3 13 and we thereby be drawne in the end to make no conscience of sinne â—iect If any aske how wee may know whether we be willing to leaue sin and resist it in the beginning 〈◊〉 I answer we may examine our selues by the contrary rules to the former If a man make the law of God his delight and can therefore loue it make much of it because it maketh his sinnes manifest vnto himselfe hee certainely is no louer of his sinnes Thus it was with Hezekiah when he had receiued an heauy threatning of an heauy iudgement from the mouth of God hee submitted himselfe and said to the Prophet The word of the Lord is good â—g 20 19. which thou hast spoken Secondly hee loueth not his sinnes that loueth him that reproueth him for his sins He that imbraceth that Minister or that brother that telleth him of his corruptions certainely he is not determined to imbrace and entertaine his sins Thirdly he that is so farre from excusing of his sinnes that he is ready to accuse himselfe and he that is so farre from defending and maintaining them that he laboureth to reconcile himselfe to God and to haue a cleere conscience toward God and man hee doubtlesse shall not need to feare to come to the height of sinne Lastly he declareth that he is not besotted with the loue of his sinnes that loueth God that chastiseth him euen for his chastisements sake who so soone as any crosse befalleth vnto him presently runneth home to his owne heart and condemneth his sinne and iudgeth himselfe and layeth all vpon himselfe as iustly befallen him for his sins If these things be found in vs we may reioyce and be glad that albeit we cannot but commit the acte of sinne yet we keepe our hearts and soules from delighting in sinne and the affecting thereof Thus we may acquit our selues of a great deale of the guilt of sinne albeit not of the outward acte it selfe by seeking the asswaging and lessening of it 32 And while the children of Israel were in the Wildernesse they found a man that gathered stickes on the Sabbath day 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him vnto Moses and Aaron and vnto all the Congregation Here followeth an example of Gods iudgment vpon him that gathered stickes on the Sabbath day This is not to be considered in it selfe only but as it dependeth vpon the words immediately going before as a reason or an example of that law that whosoeuer doth any thing presumptuously or with an high hand shall die the death and albeit it be set downe after it yet I take it to haue bene done before it The Israelites had found out a man that had sinned not of ignorance or one that gathered stickes vpon necessity but they said to Moses as the Pharisies did to Christ touching the woman taken in adultery Iohn 8 4. We found her in the very acte so did they take this breaker of the Sabbath in the very acte of gathering stickes who rushed desperately against the law as a Shippe that dasheth it selfe in peeces against a Rocke for he sinned in contempt of God and his ordinances The Lord had deliuered his law to all Israel and repeated the same againe he had commanded it carefully to be kept and none to goe out of his place to gather Manna vpon that day Exod. 16 29. The obseruation of this day was the establishing of the whole law and the breach of it a destroying of the whole worship of God This did this wicked person know wel enough but he neuerthelesse would goe out of his place God hath said they should not kindle a fire throughout their generations that day Exod. 35 2 3. neither could he be ignorant of it yet he would kindle a fire to prouoke God to anger against him In this we see his sin and the manner of it he is brought to Moses and is put in ward Moses asketh counsell of God what shold be done with him God appointeth him for examples sake to be stoned to death which is done accordingly Obiect But this may seeme a small offence he did not beare any great burden on the Sabbath nor labour in the workes of his calling neither offend in any great matter he did onely gather a bundle of stickes and that as it should seeme but once he did not make any practise of it Answer I answer we must consider not onely the deed done but also the maÌ„ner of doing he did it to despise and despite God a sinne in whomsoeuer worthy of no lesse punishment then death it selfe Doctrine We learne from hence that euery sinne is so much the greater The lesse the thing is for which a man will sinne the greater is the sinne by how much lesse the thing is for which men sin I say the lesse the thing is for which a man will sinne and transgresse the law of God the greater alwaies is his sinne A man would thinke it nothing to picke vp a few stickes but the lesse it was the greater was his contempt of God that hee would runne into the breach of the law and prouoke the wrath of God for it Thus wee might speake of the sinne of our first parents God tried their obedience in abstaining from the fruite of one tree Gen. 2 17. and 3 3. yet they would taste thereof and thereby ruined themselues and al their posterity The matter wherein they sinned was small but the sin thereby was made the greater Esau is noted in holy Scripture for his prophanenes which was shewed in this that for one messe of broth he sold his birthright Gen. 25 33. Heb. 12 16. So is it spoken of Iudas that for thirty shekels he sold his Master and betraied the Lord of life into the hands of sinners Mat. 26 15. 27 5. A goodly price at which he that is God of heauen and earth heire of all things was valued saith the Prophet Zachary ch 11 13. The lesse the reward was the greater was his iniquity for thereby he made it manifest at how vile how base and small a price our Lord Iesus Christ the
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
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
and had praied with fasting they commended them to the Lord on whō they beleeued Acts 14 23. Likewise the Apostle left Titus in Crete that he should set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in euery City as hee had appointed him Titus 1 5. Thus we see what the practise of the holy Apostles was toward the Churches which they had planted so that in all kingdomes and Countries and Congregations conuerted to the true faith the ministery of the word must bee firmely established well seene vnto and regarded both to bring them to God and to settle them in God and to continue them with God that they may abide his for euermore Reason 1 Let vs search into the reasons heereof for the confirming of vs farther in this truth First a certaine and setled ministery is an euident signe and token that God hath a Church and people to be wonne and begotten by the precious and immortall seed of the word which is the seed of regeneration and by their ministry whom he sendeth and sanctifieth to teach them in the truth Where he will haue much labour to be bestowed and more planting watering to be vsed then in other places hee hath much people to be gained and gathered vnto him where he will haue little paines bestowed there he hath a small people and a little company to be saued Where he will haue no teaching he hath no Church to be collected and conuerted vnto the faith When Paul had preached the Gospell planted a church at Corinth and was ready to haue departed The Lord spake vnto him in the night by a visian Acts 18 9 10. Be not afraide but speake and hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I haue much people in this City Hee must labour more plentifully and aboundantly among them because God had a greater people in that place On the other side where he would not haue them exercise their ministery it is a signe and token he hath no people there No labourers no corne no haruest men no haruest no shepheards no flocke Hence it is that when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the Region of Galatia they were forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assaied to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not Acts 16 6 7. Thus we see that a standing ministery is a signe of a Church and where the word is not there is no Church Reason 2 Secondly without the light of the word the people remaine in darknesse and cannot see they grope at noone dayes and know not what they doe as it was in Egypt when the plague of palpable darkenes was sent among them they saw not one another neyther arose any from his place Exod. 10 23. Thus it fareth with those that want the light of the candle or the shining of the Sunne of Gods word among them they lye vnder one of the most heauy plagues that can be but whē the word is sent vnto them they haue a great light to direct them in their waies according to the saying of the Prophet Esay 60 2 3. The darknesse shall couer the earth and grosse darknesse the people but the Lord shall arise vpon thee and his glory shall be seene vpon thee and the Gentiles shall come to thy light Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising Such then as haue not the ministery of the word are as a crew or company of infidels as an heard of brute beasts and cattel that are running on heapes to their destruction or like to those swine of the Gadarens into which the diuels entred at the permission of Christ so that they ranne violently downe a steepe place into the sea and perished in the waters Math. 8 32. Thirdly the necessity of a ministery is so Reason 3 cleere and euident that all the Gentiles had their Priests and Prophets that attended on their prophane and superstitious Altars and it was their first care to establish a religion such as it was among them This were easie to be shewed by the testimonies of antiquity out of all histories and records to haue beene obserued in all places at all times among all people After that Rome was builded and a sufficient people assembled in it immediately they established the worship of their gods indeed a false worship of false gods but therby they testified their great deuotion and theyr seruice and sacrifice done vnto them so that they erected a Colledge pontificall Plutar. in vita Numae ordained Bishops and instituted an High-Priest to haue authority ouer their Ceremonies and Lawes Virgil. Eglo 3. From hence commeth the saying in the Poet A Ioue principium that is Let vs make beginning with GOD. But to omit these wee see how Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne setting vp his two Calues appointed his Priests to attend at them Ahab and Iezabel had their idolatrous Chaplaines many Prophets of the groues 1 Kings 18 19. The colony brought from Babylon and placed in Samaria are saide to make a mixture of religion and to make vnto themselues of the lowest of them Priests of the high places which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places 2. Kings 17. 2 King 17 32. Thus we see that among the very infidels No Priest no religion If it were thus among them who saw darkely and were without the true light of the Scripture much more ought wee to learne it that haue beene taught better things and haue the sure word of the Prophets to guide vs. Fourthly such is our frailety and weakenesse Reason 4 that notwithstanding wee liue vnder a setled ministery and haue giuen our names to the faith and haue yeelded some obedience to the truth yet we are ready to start back againe For as the body is prone to pine away without supply of daily food so are our soules ready to perish being destitute of the heauenly Manna of the word of God The wise man saith Where is no vision the people perish but hee that keepeth the Law happy is hee Prou. 29 18. The preaching of the word is the ordinary meanes of saluation and therefore without it the people perish The people of Zabulon and Naphtali were in the shaddow of death vntill Christ came among them and was reuealed vnto them Math. 4 15 16. The Prophet teacheth that the people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge Hos 4 6. When Moses was absent from the host of the Israelites onely forty daies they fell into idolatry worshipped the Calfe Exod. 32. So where the Minister and ministery of the word is wanting there for the most part no euill is wanting but swarmes of drunkards adulterers swearers theeues lyars and all kinde of impieties doe abound and ouerflow These are alasse too rife where the word is taught diligently and published in season and out
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
Tribes and families of Israel and hauing seene what forces and number of men fit to beare armes were found in euery Tribe from 20. yeares of age vpwards hee appointed vnto them by direction from the Lord such Princes and Leaders as in worth and reputation were in euery Tribe most eminent Numb 1 46. The number of the whole army was 603550. men for the warres besides women and children also beside the strangers which followed them out of Egypt This great body of an army was diuided by Moses into foure grosse and mighty Battalions each of them containing the strength of three whole Tribes hauing Captains and Colonels appointed vnto them Thus did the blessing which Israel gaue to his children and God himselfe before to Israel take place among them In the middest of the foure great armies sorted vnder their seuerall standards was the Tabernacle Numb 3 8 as a portable or mooueable Temple carryed which was surrounded by the Leuites and the Leuites also by the other Tribes so that not onely the Pagans and Heathens were forbidden accesse vnto it Verse 38 but the sentence of death passed vpon euery soule of the Israelites themselues that durst approach it who were not of the Leuites to whom the charge was wholly committed So sacred was the Tabernacle of the Congregation Numb 1 39 and with such reuerence garded and regarded that two and twenty thousand Priests were dedicated to the seruice and attendance thereof For as the industry in framing euery the least part thereof the curious worke-manship bestowed vpon it Exod. 31 3 4 and the charge and expences about it were exceeding great so the dutifull obseruance in the preseruing and laying vp of the holy vessels the solemne remoouing thereof the vigilant eye in attending thereon together with the prudent and prouident defence of the same serued to procure all due reuerence to the holy things of God and to encrease zeale and deuotion in such as approached neere vnto him euen as on the other side this is the maine cause of the prophanation of the Sacraments and of the contempt of the Word and Prayer and of so little practise of true piety among vs because there is so little feare and reuerence in the hearts of men towards the worship of God and the parts thereof Great was the zeale and forwardnesse both of Princes and people as appeareth both in making the Tabernacle and all manner of worke for the seruice of the Sanctuary Exod. 36 5. in offering afterward For after that Moses had taken order for all things necessary written in the Lawes numbred his armies and diuided them into seuerall Regiments or squadrons whereof the Tribe of Iudah led the Vantgard the twelue Princes or Commanders of the Tribes renowned of the Congregation and the heads of thousands in Israel Numb 1 16. brought their Offerings before the Lord to wit sixe couered Chariots and twelue Oxen to draw them therby to transport as they marched the parts of the Tabernacle Numb 7 2. with all the appurtenances the Sanctuary onely excepted which for more reuerence and regard was carried vpon the shoulders of the sonnes of Kohath vnto whom that care and charge was commited Numb chap. 3. verse 31. Neuerthelesse after so many mercies of God vpon them hauing seene so many miracles shewed so many victories atchieued so many remissions obtained so many benefites receiued and so many iudgements inflicted vpon the disobedient yet they as a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation that set not their heart aright Psalme 78 8. whos 's spirit was not stedfast with God neuer ceased to prouoke him by their sinnes and oftentimes as it were made a generall Conspiracy against him and Moses his seruant so that Miriam and Aaron were not free Arist Rhetor. lib. 2. cap 24. Numb 12.1 verifying the saying of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Euen a mans Kindred know how to enuy at him But among all other mutinies and murmurings recorded in this Booke none was greater then that which happened after the returne of the twelue Aduenturers or Discouerers sent out by Moses into the Territories of Canaan as wel to informe themselues of the force of the inhabitants and fertility of the Countrey as also to take knowledge of the Wayes Passages Riuers Foards Plaines and Mountaines thereof that nothing might be hidden from them For the wrath of God was turned against Israel being kindled by the violent breath of their rebellion Numb 14.22.30.31 so that hee punished the same in a most fearefull manner Iude verse 5. and almost extinguished euery soule of the whole multitude which he had brought out of Egypt for onely two Caleb and Ioshua were excepted And albeit Moses was the mildest and meekest man vpon the earth Numb 12.3 and often prayed vnto God for them to renew his wonted mercies and to consider that theyr destruction would encrease the pride of the Heathen Nations both of the Egyptians from whence they came Numb 24 13. and of the Canaanites to whose Land they were going and preuayled by his wonderfull prayers with him For the prayer of a righteous man auayleth much if it be feruent as the Apostle Iames saith chapt 5. verse 16. yet they ceased not to murmure against him witnesse heereof amongst others the insolent behauiour and conspiracy of Korah Dathan and Abiram and their Partisans Numb 16. verse 1. who for the contempt of God and his Ministers and seeking to ouerthrow the order and discipline of the Church were some of them swallowed vp aliue and by the earth opening her mouth deuoured others euen two hundred and fiftie in number which offered Incense with Korah their Captaine were consumed with fire from heauen besides fourteene thousand and seuen hundred which iustified the former mutiny were stricken dead with a sodaine pestilence as Numb 16. verse 49. Thus while the wicked multitude vsurped ecclesiasticall authority and endeauoured to subuert the power of the Church-gouernment and to bring in a parity that is an horrible confusion by making all men alike by pretending that all the Congregation are holy euery one of them as Numb 16. verse 3. and by rebelliously contending against the high Priest and the cheefest Magistrate to whom God committed the ouersight of all the Almighty altered the course of Nature that They dyed not the common death of all men neither were visited after the visitation of other men Verse 29. but he made a new thing and wrought one of the greatest wonders and myracles which fell out in all the time of Moses his gouernment And the better to assure his people and in his great goodnesse to confirme them touching the election of Aaron and his sonnes to the Priesthood it pleased him also to approoue the same by a great miracle of the Twelue Rods giuen in by the hands of the twelue Tribes of which Moses receyued one of euerie Head and Prince of his Tribe all which being
51. but amongst these there was not a man of them whom Moses Aaron the Priest numbred when they numbred the children of Israel in the wildernesse of Sinai for the Lord had sayde of them They shal surely dye in the wildernes and there was not left a man of them saue Caleb the Sonne of Iephuneh add Ioshua the Sonne of Nun Verse 64.45 This muster being taken Moses as his last enterprize appointed out of them twelue thousand to be chosen out to inuade the Cities of Midian Numb 31 5. who together with the Moabites had practised with Balaam to curse Israel Deut. 23 4 5. and to allure them from the worship of the true God to the seruice of Baal-Peor to the rest of their beastly idolatry ouer which Companies Moses gaue the chiefe charge to Phinehas who slew the fiue Princes of the Midianites who were or had lately bene the vassals of Sehon king of the Amorites Numb 31.8 as appeareth in Ioshua chap. 13 21. Thus hauing subdued all their enemies on this side Iordan and none of them being able to stand before them Moses is commanded by God before his death which followed immediately after to charge the Israelites to bound out the land so soone as they were come into it Numb 24 2. and 35 2 and to assigne to the Leuites certaine cities taken out of the inheritance of their possession that there might be no diuision nor contention among them when once they were passed Iordan which haply otherwise might haue disturbed and disquieted them This is the historicall part of this Booke which hath entermingled with it many and sundrie ceremonies of the Leuiticall Law as touching their Fasts and Feasts the yeare of Iubile their feasts of Trumpets and Tabernacles as also of the Passeouer and Pentecost a few chapters whereof I published certaine yeares past which I haue now reviewed and added the interpretation of the whole Booke from the beginning to the ending which I presume to offer vnto your Worships as a testimony of my loue and duty toward you The Iewes in the Gospel commend the Centurion and make it a motiue to perswade Christ our Sauiour to heale his seruant that was deere vnto him being sicke and ready to dye because hee loued their Nation and had built them a Synagogue Luke 7 5 4. So I may truly affirme of you that you loue our nation and are true friends of the church loue the preachers of the Gospel which is so much the more worthy praise and commendation as there are few in these euill dayes especially of your ranke and calling that affect eyther the one or the other It is a true saying as proceeding from the mouth of the author of all truth Them that honor me I will honor they that despise me shal be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2 30. It is the cheefest honor that we can receiue in this world to honour the Lord which is the beginning of that honor which shall neuer decay whereas all other without this is vaine and vncertaine And albeit I confesse you neede not any helpe or furtherance from mee in the race of godlinesse wherein you runne neither is my weaknesse able to affoord any thing that way yet I am so farre from being discoraged hereby to presse into your presence that I acknowledge it as a speciall reason to induce me to this because I offer the same to you that are able to iudge whose learning and sufficiency that way all men know perfectly that know your person in that both of you are well exercised in the Scriptures and in the doctrine which is according to godlinesse so that I nothing doubt but at vacant houres from waightier affaires you will vouchsafe to peruse this Commentary or at least some part of it it being a duty belonging to all high and low rich and poore to search the Scriptuaes in which our hope is to haue eternall life Thus crauing pardon of my great boldnesse and hoping of your Worships good acceptance and praying the Almighty to increase the sauing graces of his Spirit vpon you I humbly take my leaue resting euer Your Worships at commandement William Attersoll A Recapitulation of the particular Doctrines handled throughout euery Chapter of this Booke of NVMBERS Doctrines out of the Preface OBseruations by the way of preface touching the Author of this booke fol. 1. 2 Obseruations by way of preface touching the Writer of this booke fol. 6. 3 Obseruations by way of preface touching the Title of this booke fol. 8. Obseruations by way of preface touching the principall substance and vse of this booke fol. 10. 5 Obseruations by way of preface touching the diuision and parts of this booke fol. 12. CHAP. I. 1. THe people of God may lawfully make warre fol. 16 2 God knoweth the number and names of all such as belong vnto him fol. 20 3 It is our duty to performe obedience to Gods commandements fol. 29 4 The promises of God made to his children shall be accomplished fol. 41 5 It is the office of the Minister to doe the duties proper to his calling fol. 49 CHAP. II. GOd delighteth to haue a comely order obserued both in Church and commonwealth fol. 55 2 Magistrates and rulers are needfull to be set ouer the people of God fol. 63 3 Gods iudgements are alwayes tempered and seasoned with great mercy toward those that be his fol. 71 4 The Tabernacle of the Congregation is placed in the middes of the hoast fol. 80 5 God bestoweth his gifts and graces freely to whom he pleaseth fol. 85 6 Euery one ought to be content with the present condition wherein God hath set him fol. 98 7 God oftentimes maketh choyce of inferiour things to effect great matters fol. 105 8 It is a duty belonging to all Gods children to yeeld obedience to all Gods Commandements fol. 109 CHAP. III. AMong all people vnder heauen the Ministery aboue all other things ought to be established fol. 118 2 Godly Parents haue oftentimes vngodly and disobedient children fol. 130 3 In Gods worship we must not bee carried by our owne deuices but by his direction fol. 137 4 God hath sole authority to ordaine the Officers and Offices of his Church fol. 146 5 The first borne were sanctified to the Lord and the vses thereof to vs. fol. 158 6 The word of God ought to direct all the actions of our life fol. 167 7 God raiseth vp honourable instruments from meane places to do him seruice fol. 175 8 Euery one in the Church hath his proper peculiar Office fol. 179 9 It is the Ministers office carefully to looke to his charge fol. 188 10 God will haue all places and people taught how small and meane soeuer they be fol. 197 11 The Office of the Ministery is an high worthy and honourable Calling fol. 206 CHAP. IIII. 1 THe Ministers must be men of grauity sobriety and moderation fol. 216 2 Euery one must know
1050 8 It is the duty of Magistrates to do iustice fol. 1057 9 Euill men proceed from worse to worse fol. 1061 10 Actions vnlawfull are made lawfull fol. 1060 11 When sin is punished God is appeased fol. 1070 12 Sin depriueth vs of Gods protection fol. 1074 12 Gods wrath being prouoked is full of rage fol. 1077 14 The faithfull bring a blessing vpon their houses and posterities fol. 1980 15 It is lawfull sometimes to reproue desperate sinners by name fol. 1084 16 God beginneth to chasten his owne Church and children fol. 10â—0 17 The people of God may take armes fol. 1093 18 The seducers and the seduced shall bee punished together fol. 1100 CHAP. xxvi 1 Irreligion prophanensse and impiety make places and persons infamous and reprochfull fol. 1104 2 It is a most wicked impious thing to oppose authority and to withstand gouernment fol. 1108 3 It is no disgrace for godly children to descend come of vngodly par nts fol. 1109 4 It is hard to shun and breake off society with wicked men c. fol. 1112 5 God prouideth for all his people fol. 1113 6 It is a sinne to decline from the pure worshippe of God set downe in the word fol. 1117 7 An whole multitude cannot cleere it selfe from Gods iudgements when he sendeth them fol. 1118 CHAP. xxvii 1 In all wrongs and iniuries wee must resort to the Magistrate fol. 1120 2 Wee may make our selues guilty of other mens sinnes fol. 1123 3 Sin is the cause of death all misery fol. 1125 4 Propriety of goods is Gods blessing fol. 1127 5 Many want outward signes that are partakers of the inward grace of the Sacraments fol. 1130 6 Many are punished temporally that are not coÌ„demned eternally Ibid. 7 God is the Creator and maker of the soule fol. 1132 8 Kings and Princes haue and hold their places callings immediately from God fol. 1134 CHAP. xxviii 1 The first and cheefest care is to bee had of the Church matters of religion fol. 1135 2 Of the morning euening sacrifice c. fol. 1136 3 Of the Iewish Sabbath and the vses to vs fol. 1140 4 Of the new Moones and the vses to vs. fol. 1143 5 Of the Passeouer and the vses to vs. fol. 1146 6 Of the feast of first fruites or Pentecost fol. 1149 CAP. xxix 1 Of the feast of Trumpets with the vses fol. 1150 2 Of the feast of fasting or afflicting the soule together with the vses thereof to our selues fol. 1152 3 Of the feast of Tabernacles the vses to vs. fol. 1155 Chap. xxx 1 Lawfull vowes are to be performed fol. 1159 2 Great is the iurisdiction of parents ouer their children fol. 1166 3 The husband is the wiues head fol. 1169 CHAP. xxxi Sundry Doctrines directing warres and warriers 1 Before men go to battell an hoast of men must be mustered and gathered together fol. 1173 2 An army leuied must be sent out Ibid. 3 An army must be sent out by publike and lawfull authority Ibid. 4 He against whom we wage warre must be known to be an enemy fol. 1174 5 Al sinne must be auoided carefully by such as are emploied in warre Ibid. 6 Wicked men though they be suffered long yet at length God taketh vengâ—ance of them fol. 1176 7 Princes Potentates and great men lye open to iudgements as well as others fol. 1177 8 Sins of omission and neglect of duties which men are bound to perform are displeasing to God fol. 1179 9 Euery mans death and destruction cometh from himselfe fol. 1181 10 Things in themselues vnseemly to bee vttered are modestly to be spoken of fol. 1184 11 The Lord as he wil destroy the wicked so he wil do it fearfully and seuerely fol. 1186 13 For benefits receiued we returne praise to God fol. 1188 14 It is our duty to returne thankesgiuing to God speedily fol. 1189 15 It is our duty in extraordinary blessings to returne extraordinary thankes ibid. Chapter xxxii 1. The loue of this world is dangerous fol. 1191 2 The Ministers of God must reproue sharply and earnestly zealously and powerfully fol. 1194 3 It is a greeuous sin to giue offence to others or to discourage our brethren from wel-doing fol. 1197 4 It is an vsuall thing with the Lord to punish the sins of parents with the sins of their children 1200 5 We must haue a fellow-feeling of the miseries afflictions of Gods people fol. 1203 6 The onely cause of iudgement is sin fol. 1205 7 It is the duty of all Gods children to put foorth their hands to helpe the Church fol. 1206 8 The relikes of idolatry to bee vtterly abolished and all occasions that might draw vnto it to be taken away fol. 1209 Chapter 33. 1 God preserueth his Church in the midst of dangers and deliuereth it out of slauery and boÌ„dage fol. 1212 2 The 42. Mansions of the Israelites in the wildernesse fol. 1214 3 No familiarity is to be vsed with idolaters fol. 1219 4 Coldnes in Gods cause is a greeuous sin fol. 1222 CHAP. 34. 1 God setteth bounds to euery mans possession and limiteth what he shall haue fol. 1225 2 The estate of Gods people is such that some among them do alwayes stand in need fol. 1229 3 Faith apprehendeth and applyeth all Gods promises as present fol. 1232 CHAP. xxxv 1 The Ministers must be prouided for fol. 1237 2 All men by nature are proue to reuenge fol. 1240 3 Murther is an hainous sinne in the sight of God fol. 1244 4 To do lawfull things without a calling is vnlawfull fol. 1247 5 GOD will haue no innocent person put to death fol. 1252 6 Inferiors ought to reuerence their superiors fol. 1255 7 Lawes touching the inheritance of the Israelites fol. 1257 CHAP. xxxvi 1 The marriage of Cousen-germans is lawfull fol. 1267 A Commentary vpon the Fourth Booke of Moses called NVMBERS Generall Obseruations out of the whole Booke by way of Preface or Introduction BEfore wee come to the Exposition of this Booke of Moses and to the handling of the particular points contained therein it may not be thought vnprofitable or vnnecessary to prefixe somewhat by way of a Preface that our mindes may bee enlightned and our hearts prepared and our iudgements setled for the better conceyuing and receiuing of that which followeth Now as in the Booke of Genesis Moses hath deliuered the creation of the world together with the originall and first beginning of the church laying as it were an happy foundation as wel of the one as of the other and in Exodus hath handled the publishing and promulgation of the Law together With the miserable thraldome and bondage of the people of God in Egypt and in Leuiticus hath particularly expressed the sacrifices and oblations as Types of the sacrifice and oblation of Christ the promised Messiah together with the inauguration of Aaron and his sonnes and the consecration of the Tribe of Leui so in this Booke of Numbers
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
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
sentence of death gone out against vs Euen as the children of Israel had beene all the children of death as well as the first borne of Egypt had not God in great mercy and compassion spared them For albeit he deliuered Goshen where the Israelites were from the plagues that wasted and wearied the Egyptians was this thinke we because Israel deserued to be spared or because God could not in iustice comence any action against them No they had learned too much the manners of Egypt they beleeued not the word of the Lord for their deliuerance but murmured against the Ministers of God sent vnto them albeit they had seene his wonders and signes that were wrought among them Their first borne therefore had beene in no better case then the first borne of Egypt had not God beene mercifull vnto them and shewed pitty vpon them So then we are all put in mind of our naturall corruption by sin deriued from Adam in regard of which corruption which is spread as a foule and filthy leprosie ouer all the powers of the soule and parts of the body we are guilty both of temporall and eternall death vnlesse we haue redemption by Christ the promised Sauiour of the world We are by nature wretched and miserable sinners borne as it were out of due time and deserue the wages of sin that is death 1 Ioh. 1 8. Tit. 3.3 Rom 6.20 We our selues were in times past vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing diuers lusts and pleasures liuing in malice and enuie hatefull and hating one another There are many branches of this corruption and sundry points necessary to be knowne of vs concerning the same First we must acknowledge no difference between our selues and others Are we better or more excellent then they No in no wise We all lie vnder sinne and haue the seedes therof within vs. Rom. 3.9 and are ready to fall into all the most horrible sinnes can be named if we be not stayed by the hand of God Secondly we must looke into the Law of God as in a glasse that we may see our defects and deformities We are blinde and cannot see the Law is a true glasse and will shew vs our face truly it telleth what is amisse and flattereth no man for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3.20 There cannot be the least spot but it will be made to appeare so that he which is ignorant of the Law knoweth not himselfe Thirdly we must confesse the loue of God to be great toward vs in freeing of vs from the bondage of sinne and setting vs at liberty to be the seruants of righteousnesse Thus doth the Apostle Rom. 7.24 25. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord c. Fourthly ' we must learne the vilenesse and greatnesse of our fall which Paul calleth the disobedience of one man containing all sinnes of what kinde and nature soeuer Adams sinne how great which may be considered in those few particulars First he regarded not the promise of God wherby he was willed to hope for euerlasting life so long as he cōtinued to eat the tree of life Secondly he despiseth the commandement of God restraining him from the forbidden fruite and maketh no account of it Thirdly hee breaketh out into horrible pride and ambition whereby he would be equall vnto God and seeke an estate higher then that wherin he had set him He was not content with his present condition albeit it were most excellent Fourthly he sheweth an vnfaithfull heart to depart away from the liuing God his creator so that he did not beleeue or not regard the threatning of God which was that when he sinned he should die he becommeth the most vnkinde and vnthankefull wretch that could be not considering what infinite benefites he had receiued for himselfe and his posterity and that he was to loose them and leaue them in such sort that they departed both from himselfe and from his posterity Lastly he brake out into foule and fearefull Apostacy from God to the diuell from his maker to the tempter giuing more credite to him that charged God with lying with enuy and with malice then to the Almighty of whose goodnesse he had so great experience Thus he preferred the father of lyes before the God of all truth So that in the first sinne of man August Enchir. ad Laurent ca. 46. we may discerne many sinnes if it bee deuided into his particular parts and considered seuerally as it ought to be of vs. The fift branch is that we must all of vs take notice of the fruits and effects of the former disobedience whereby the image of GOD after which we were created at the first is blotted out onely some few remnants remaining of it so that in stead of wisedome power trueth goodnesse holinesse and righteousnesse wherewith our first parents were clothed as with garments more precious then the carpets of Egypt and all the ornaments of gold and siluer wherein the Nobles of the earth are attyred he punished them with the contrary euills and pulling these from them and stripping them starke naked they appeared most deformed through blindnes weakenesse falsehood foolishnesse prophanenesse and vnrighteousnes which swarmed in them and all their children A cursed roote cursed fruite a wretched cause a wofull effect Hence it is that we are prone to fall into all euil and not able to thinke one good thought 1 Cor. 2.14 2 Cor. 3.5 we are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses Ephe. 2.1 Ier. 17.19 Iob 15.15 And yet this is not all our misery but it brought in as by a violent wind or a raging flood an heape of sicknesses diseases aches and a traine of ten thousand calamities that attend vpon our whole life vntill they bring vs into the chambers of death Lastly when we haue taken good notice of the former miseries and bondage vnder which we lie and thought well vpon them with due meditation they will driue vs out of the loue of our selues and make vs labour to be regenerated and borne againe by the spirit of God Ioh. 3.5 Ezek. 36. ◠we must seeke to repaire the decayed image of God to be renewed in our mindes that we may be no longer the seruants of sin but of righteousnesse Our olde man must be crucified that the body of sinne may be destroyed Rom. 6.5 Let it not therefore reigne in our mortall body that we should obey it in the lustes therof neither let vs yeeld our members as instruments of vnrighteousnes but yeeld our selues vnto God as those that are aliue from the dead and our members as instruments of righteousnesse vnto God Againe What we are by grace as the figure of the first borne expresseth the natural condition of all mankind deseruing to be destroyed so it setteth foorth the prerogatiue of the faithfull and sheweth what we are by grace For as Christ being
to deferre the celebrating of it together with others one is vncleannesse the other is a iourney both of them must bee vnderstood as grounded vpon necessity For to thrust himself into the vncleannes heere ment without a calling or to absent himselfe by a iourney vpon euery trifling occasion thereby omitting the busines of God because he wold further his own busines is rather to be ceÌ„sured very sharply theÌ„ to suffer an excuse vpoÌ„ necessity of whom we may say with Salomon As a bird that wandreth from her nest Pro. 27.8 so is a man that wandreth from his place For there are very many in al places that had rather leaue the Lords worke vndone then spare one day of their owne It is a great matter with them to lose a dayes worke but they regard it as a matter of nothing to rob God of his day that he hath kept for himselfe They had rather goe to a drunken feast abroad theÌ„ to feast with God in his house They had rather go speak to others in their owne affaires then either to God by prayer or heare him speak to theÌ„ in his word on the Sabboth day But to leaue this and to returne to the matter in hand by vncleannes in touching the dead is ment by proportion all other kinds of legall vncleannesse whatsoeuer which signifie the defilements of sin continued without repentance the Lord leading his Church in the minority of it by outward things to inward by earthly to spirituall by the shadow to the body The dead body is accounted vncleane because death which hath seazed vpon it is the fruite of sin wherby men are truely made vncleane The Passeouer was to the Israelites the same that the Supper is to vs the equity therfore and truth of that which is heere described and directed to the people remaineth to vs for euer and teacheth That necessitie brought vpon any by the hand of God Doctrine or by an ineuitable duty of a mans calling Necessity brought vpon any by Gods hand dispenseth with Gods seruice for that time doe for that time free him from the publike exercises of religion and of Gods worship If it be to saue a mans life or to preserue his house and goods from destruction it giueth liberty a toleration and dispensation for the present to leaue the immediate worship of God Such is the immediate hand of God in sickenesse as we see in Hezekiah Esay 38. Such was the case of Dauid in persecution Psal 84. Such is the case of those that are in a long iourney as in this place Likewise whensoeuer the publike meanes are for a time taken away through persecution Psa 74 In time of sicknesse God requireth another duty of vs to wit to looke to our health in danger of life to looke to our safety in danger of our goods to looke to our wealth Reason 1 For whensoeuer God denyeth the meanes his will is that the things themselues should ceasse For other meanes may not be inuented or any other forme then that which he hath ordained as Ioel 1.19 he threatneth that the meat offering and drinke offering should ceasse Whensoeuer the will of God is that these things shall be done he will offer vnto vs and put into our hands the meanes he will giue vs the time and opportunity to do them Secondly it is Gods pleasure to accept of mercy rather then sacrifice Mat. 12.7 Hence it is that to saue from fire and water to preserue life to visit the sick and to look to them is to be preferred and more to be respected then going to the Church or hearing of the word What man shall there be among you saith Christ Mat. 12.11 that shall haue one sheepe and if it fall into a pit on the Sabboth day will he not lay hold on it and lift it out how much then is a man better then a sheepe for the Sabboth was made for man and not man for the Sabboth God ordaining it for our good not for our hurt Vse 1 Hence it followeth that it is not simply the omitting of â—he Sacraments but the neglect and contempt of them is dangerous to neglecters and contemners They shall beare their sinne as they iustly deserue whose default it is The Israelites in the wildernesse were forty yeeres together vncircumcised yet were they to be holden the people of God because they cannot be charged with negligence nor reprooued for any contempt in as much as they wanted leysure being in their iourney or daily expecting the signe of remoouing All the people that came out of Egypt were circumcised Iosh 5.5 but al the people that were borne in the wildernesse by the way them they circumcised not and it is excused or defended by necessity For the Sacraments doe not conferre grace neither are they absolutely necessaâ—y to saluation as if without them a man could not possibly be saued Hence therefore are the Romanists reprooued that do teach that children are damned that dye without Baptisme Children dying without Baptisme arâ— not damned as though all the Israelites that dyed in the wildernesse which were borne there and were not circumcised were condemned no doubtlesse no more then that all which were circumcised were saued True it is Moses was reprooued and was neere to death because he circumcised not his sonne who had time and leisure to doe it Exod. 4.24 and we must take heed of contempt which deserueth a cutting off from the people of God Gen. 17.14 because he hath broken the Couenant Howbeit as it is said in the prouerb Necessity hath no law The grace of Christ taketh away all the sinnes of all beleeuers and therefore the generall guilt brought in by originall sinne Rom. 5. This grace is not tyed to outward signes but dependeth vpon the free pleasure of God This is receiued by faith only as appeareth in the example of Abraham and farther confirmed by the Sacâ—aments Neuerthelesse we acknowledge a necessity in respect of the commandement of God and of the proper end and therfore is with all reuerence and conscience and obedience to bee yeelded vnto Secondly where the ordinary and precious Vse 2 meanes of saluation the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments are taken away and remooued as the standard out of the campe or the light out of the candlesticke there the extraordinary and more weak meanes are to be vsed of vs and Gods blessing in such cases is to bee hoped for and looked after In the dayes of persecution priuate reading meditation and conference are blessed of God and his Church maintained continued and encreased thereby yea the beholding of the constant suffering of the holy martyrs was a forcible meanes to worke the conuersion of many and made them in loue with that doctrine for which they suffered and gaue their liues In times of famine when there is no bread left in a citie and the inhabitants are constrained to fare hard and short yet it
second and the second with falling into a third Sin is like the infant that is in the mothers wombe where it groweth by little and little vnto the birth â—am 1.15 and neuer stayeth till it come to perfection This must Vse 1 teach vs that there is no dalying with sin it is not barren but very fruitfull Many think they may stretch their conscience a litle and make bold with God and his law for once but they deceiue themselues for they sow that seede which in short time will spring vp and grow a monster For as the sluggard saith yet a little more sleepe so the sinner saith yet a little more sin He is like the couetous man that saith euermore Bring bring and as he thinketh he neuer encreaseth his substance enough so the sinner supposeth he neuer encreaseth his sin enough This will bite as a serpent in the end though it delighteth in the beginning Againe it teacheth vs to acknowledge Gods great mercy toward his children in staying them back that they goe not forward being once entred into the practise of it When Paul would haue entred in among the furious people it might haue cost his life if the disciples had let him alone howbeit they suffered him not Act. 19.30 So if God should suffer vs to runne on it might cost vs our liues and cause vs to bee condemned with the world When we open a port and passage for sinne wee are as a man that is falling or rouling downe a very high mountaine how can he escape death except he be stayed by a very strong hand So is it with vs if once we make a breach into our conscience it is vnpossible to stop it if God himselfe do not set to his hand If he take the matter in hand and determine to shew mercy vpon the poore perishing soule that beginneth to suffer shipwracke though we had one foote in hel he can bring vs backe again And how should not that soule so deliuered and seeing the snare of death and hell broken and hauing experience of the power and mercy of God in raising him to life but in a sweet feeling of them cry out Blessed be the Lord who hath not giuen me as a prey vnto their teeth Psal 124.6 and againe My helpe is in the Name of the Lord who made heauen and earth ver 8. This mercy is the greater both because it is rare for not one among an hundred maketh vp the breach that sinne hath made and because it is wholly gracious and freely bestowed the sinner deseruing to be forsaken vtterly who hath fearefully forsaken God God hath fast hold vpon all that are his from their election Ier. 14.7 and therefore hee will neuer withdraw his hand from them nor suffer them to be drowned Lastly it must be our care to stop the beginnings of sinne Iosh 24.14.15 and then we shall be sure it will neuer come to perfection Againe these murmuring Egyptians seeing the mighty works and miracles of God in Egypt would needs become proselites they ioyne themselues to the people of God and seeme so forward that they forsake their idolatry their countrey and kinred their owne people and their fathers house neuerthelesse they starte backe as a deceitefull bow and they reuolt backe to their olde manners as dogs to their vomit and as swine to their former mire filthinesse â—â—ctrine 〈◊〉 are in 〈◊〉 profession 〈◊〉 are not 〈◊〉 members 〈◊〉 church Wherby we learne that many are in the profession of the faith which are not indeed faithfull neither true members of the Church as wee see in Ismael Gen. 21 9. and Caine chap. 4 3. there are many temporizers that beleeue for a season Luk. 8 13. Others are offended and fall away Iohn 6 66. Such professe that they know GOD but they deny him in their workes and become abhominable and disobedient Tit. 1 ver 16. 1 Iohn 2 vers 19. And no maruaile for many loue the praise of the world more then the praise of God and neuer had found rooting and therefore though they go farre in the right way yet they returne backe and are neuer the neerer nay they are set farther off then euer they were The Church had alwaies such all are not the true seed of Abraham that are of Abraham neither the Israel of God that came of Israel Good fish and bad fish are taken in the net Math. 13 and good wheate and Vse 1 chaffe are mingled together This teacheth vs good vses First that it is not enough to saluation or sufficient to entitle vs to Gods kingdome to make an outward profession The diuell himselfe may this way go as farre as the best for Satan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light 2 Cor. 11 14. a wolfe may put on a sheepes skinne Math. 7 15. Yea a Parot and an Ape can imitate and therefore trust not too much to the outwarde appearance and profession if thou goe no farther neither account it sufficient that thou art baptized and made partaker of the Word and Sacraments and of the praiers of the church this is no better then to trust in lying words which shall not profit nor prosper Ier. 7 4. Secondly we must ioyn to our profession sanctification and holinesse of life Ier. 7 5. Such as content themselues with outwarde shewes are like the tree that hath leaues without fruite are ranke hypocrites like weeds that grow among good herbes God hath chosen and redeemed vs that wee should bee holy Eph. 1 4. Luke 68 75. The condition of such is no better then of the heathen and infidels Math. 5 20. Nay it is not so good Lastly let vs heereby try and proue whether we be in the faith or not 2 Cor. 13 5. Many liue in the Church that neuer examine themselues whether they be of the Church nor consider that they may deceiue themselues many others forasmuch as an hypocrite and a reprobate may go farre in christian religion Many haue in them the first beginnings of christian religion as it were the foundation of a building and there they stand at a stay but wee must build forward vntill the spirituall building be perfected It is not enough to runne except we obtaine the prize He that doth perseuere to the end shall be saued and he that is faithfull to the death â—â—â—trine 〈◊〉 euil man â—pteth aâ—er shall receiue the crowne of life Moreouer see heere how the Israelites are led by the example of the Egyptians to murmure with them and therfore one euill person entiseth corrupteth and infecteth another as Eue did Adam and the serpent did Eue Prou. 13 20. Psal 106 35 36 39. For sin is as leauen 2 Tim. 2 17. 1 Cor. 5 6. and as a contagious disease Woe therefore to the world because of offences Vse 1 Mat. 18 6.8 and they are pronounced to be accursed that lay a stumbling block before the blinde to make them to fal Deut. 27.
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-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
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
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
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
brazen serpent was a figure of Christ crucified and hanging on the crosse who is made of the Father to bee a Sauiour vnto vs. This Christ himselfe testifieth Ioh. 3.14 15. As Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man bee lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Heereunto likewise hee alludeth Chap. 8.28 29. Then Iesus said vnto them When ye haue lift vp the Sonne of man then shall ye know that I am he and that I doe nothing of my selfe as my Father hath taught me so I speak these things In both these places our Sauiour hath respect and reference to the brazen serpent in the wildernesse shewing that as it was erected to heale the body so must Christ bee crucified to cure the soule therefore this serpent set vp was a type of his death Caluin in Iâ—han â—ap 3 2â— 14. And howsoeuer some of reuerent account in the Church doe vnderstand this lifting vp of the preaching of the Gospel which is as a banner displayed that all men may behold him and esteeme the referring of it to the Crosse neither to bee pertinent to the matter nor to agree in the text yet if we compare the former places phrases with another like Testimony of Iohn chap. 12.32 33. the true interpretation of the words will easily and euidently appeare where Christ speaketh thus to the Pharisees Now is the iudgment of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out and I if I were lift vp from the earth will draw all men vnto me Heere by lifting vp Calu. in Iob. 〈◊〉 ver 28. we must necessarily vnderstand the death of Christ vpon the Crosse on which he was lifted vp on high and seene a farre off as the Euangelist himselfe expoundeth it in the verse following saying Now this said he signifying what death hee should die The reasons of this similitude shadowing Reason 1 out the manner of Christs death are very euident and apparent For first as the brazen serpent in the wildernesse had the shew and shape of a serpent but within there was no venemous or deadly thing as the true fiery serpents had so Christ tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant he was made like vnto men he was sent of God in the similitude of sinfull flesh and was counted among the wicked Rom â— 3 Mark 15. â— Esay 53 1â— yet he was pure and voyde of sinne neither could be charged of his enemies with any sin so that this is no vnpropper or far-fet similitude but fit and naturall Secondly euen as the brazen serpent was Reason lift vp on high vpon a pole appointed for that purpose so was Christ first lift vp vpon the wood of the Crosse and was after exalted by the Gospel and set in the sight of all as the Prophet Esay teacheth Esay 11.10 12. And as the brazen serpent before it could be a type of healing must be aduanced and lifted vp so before Christ Iesus could be a Sauiour of his people to saue them from their sinnes he must be fastened vpon the Crosse 〈◊〉 14 15 he must haue his hands his feet pierced that he might spoyle the principalities and make a shew of them openly with triumph As therefore it was not sufficient once to make the brazen serpent and so to looke vpon it but it must as well be mounted as at the first made so it was not enough to bring vs to life and saluation for Christ to be conceiued by the holy Ghost and borne of the virgin Mary vnlesse he also suffer death for our sinnes and so beare our sinnes in his body on the tree Thirdly as the Israelites which obeyed the Reason 3 commandement of God embraced his promise beleeued his word and so beheld the brazen serpent standing on the pole were healed of the deadly bitings of these fiery serpents so all men who are moued with the commandement of God embracing the promise do behold Christ hanging on the tree of the crosse with the eyes of faith 〈◊〉 3.16 are cured of the sting of that old serpent the diuell and recouer of that mortall wound being freed from death and restored into the glorious liberty of the sons of God A serpent did hurt a serpent did heale the Israelites Man did destroy vs man did restore vs. 〈◊〉 5.19 The first Adam did draw into condemnation the second Adam draweth vnto saluation The brazen serpent albeit it were lift vp neuer so high and mounted into the open ayre profited none but such as stedfastly beheld it and looked vpon it so Christ crucified profiteth none but such as beleeue in him by faith Many beheld him with the bodily eyes that reaped no benefit by him they heard him with their outward eares and handled with their hands that word of life yet it auailed them nothing to know him after the flesh 〈◊〉 5.16 neither furthered them in their saluation Reason 4 Fourthly as it seemed to humane wisdom a most foolish and ridiculous thing to be healed by the bare and onely sight of a brazen serpent so to all naturall wise men of the world it seemeth as vnlikely and vnreasonable that any shold be saued by faith in Christ crucified â—r 1.23 as the Apostle sheweth We preach Christ crucified vnto the Iewes euen a stumbling blocke and vnto the Grecians foolishnesse onely to them that are saued Christ is the power of God and the wisedome of God So then it is cleere and euident that the serpent set vp vpon the pole signifieth Christ hanging on the Crosse Vse 1 The vses of this type and similitude are many directing vs to sundry points of religion As what sin is whence it came what it worketh and bringeth forth likewise what the force of the Law and Gospel it who Christ is how we must vse and apply him to haue comfort and saluation in him First seeing the serpent was a signe and signification of Christ we learne that Christ was preached and published in the time of the law albeit darkely and obscurely For as there is but one saluation so there is but one way to attaine vnto it to wit faith in Christ The faith of the fathers is one and the same with the faith of the children There was neuer any man saued without the knowledge of IESVS CHRIST neyther is at this day saued neither shall be hereafter to the end of the world This the Apostle teacheth to the Hebrewes Heb. 13.8 Iesus Christ yesterday and to day the same also is for euer And to this truth Iohn giueth witnesse All that dwell vpon the earth shall worship the Beast Reuel 13.8 whose names are not written in the booke of life of that Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the world Albeit he were manifested in the flesh and crucified on the Crosse in the last age of the world when the fulnes of time was
come yet his death was as forcible froÌ„ the beginning of the world is now also as auaileable and effectuall and shal be euer hereafter to the end of the world as when he hung vpon the Crosse in the dayes of his Passion and when the blood really streamed and issued out of his body The Israelites in the time of the Law were the children of God heires of eternall life and had the promises of saluation as well as we vnder the Gospel God did not seed them and fat them as swine in a stye but vnder certaine figures and types hee gaue them a taste of heauenly things The offering of bruite beasts in sacrifice was a signe that they were made partakers of the redemption wrought by the blood of Christ which was shed to wash away our sinnes Vnder the promise of giuing theÌ„ the earthly Canaan so often remeÌ„bred he gaue theÌ„ a taste representation of the heauenly inheritance The aboundance of temporall blessings was a pledge and earnest penny to them of the life eternall they hauing the same faith Ephe. 4.4 5. 1 Cor. 10. â— 4. the same Father the same spiritual meat the same spirituall drinke the same Lord the same hope the same heauen the same Christ that wee haue Albeit Gal. 4.1.2 3.4 they were as little children vnder tutors and gouernours and were taught in rude manner by shadowes and ceremonies which are as certaine pictures and looking glasses to behold the outward manner of his dispensation whereas wee are come to mans estate in comparison of them and behold Iesus Christ openly in the face we know his death resurrection ascension and opening the kingdome of heauen to vs. Therefore our Sauiour saith Ioh. 8.56 Your father AbrahaÌ„ reioyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad Heb. 11 13 14 15 16. So the Apostle to the Hebrewes sayth That the Fathers dyed in faith and receiued not the things promised but saw them afarre off beleeued them receiued them thankefully confessed that they were Pilgrims and strangers on the earth so that they iudged the promises made to them to bee spirituall and expected more then temporall blessings This is one point which we are to learne and imprint in our mindes touching the Iewes who had an image of the serpents lifted vp to teach them the doctrine of Christ hanging on the crosse If then the vnbeleeuing Iewes in these dayes blaspheme Christ crucified account the blood of the new Testament an vnholy thing and vnpossible to giue saluation let theÌ„ know that their fathers receiued life and recouered health by a brazen serpent an image without life and motion the meaning signification heereof were not hard but easie to gather sauing that the Apostle teacheth that their mindes are obstinate and that a veile is laid ouer their hearts in reading the old Testament so that they vnderstand nothing c. 1 Corin. 3 14. Thus doth God send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies that all they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse 2 Thess 2 11 12. Thus then we see that the Couenant which GOD made with man to be gracious and fauourable vnto them is one in substance and matter seeing there is but one God 1 Tim. 2 5. one Mediatour betweene God and man one faith one meane of reconciliation and one way of saluation to all that are saued and haue bin saued from the beginning Christ Iesus was appointed ouer all things to be the head of the Church by whom all the body is coupled and knit together Eph. 1 22 4 16. He is the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by him Iohn 1 18 and 14 6. All therefore he being onely the way as well vnder the Law as vnder the Gospel who were to be saued had respect to the only Mediatour Christ by whom alone they were reconciled to God and saued by faith The differences betweene the Iewes and vs were onely in certaine circumstances in promising of corporall benefits in giuing them outward signes and oblations in propounding things more obscurely and darkely in restraining his gifts and in limiting them to the Iewish Nation whereas otherwise the old and new couenant agree together not only in the Author of them which is God and in the Mediatour of them which is Christ but in the promises of grace touching remission of sinnes and euerlasting life to bee freely giuen for Christs fake and in the condition in respect of man that we should walke before him vprightly beleeue the Gospel vnfainedly Vse 2 Secondly we obserue from this similitude the naturall estate and condition of all mankinde what it is wee are all naturally stung with the poison of the olde serpent and the wound is mortall All the Israelites that were bitten by the fiery serpents whether deeply or but a â—ittle whether more or lesse whether once or often dyed the death if they vsed not the remedy ordained of God albeit the wound were slender and shalow So such as looke not on Christ hanging on the Crosse are sure to fall into damnation The guilt of sin is as the poyson of a serpent this we haue drawne froÌ„ our first parents by whose offence we are culpable of iudgement We are all stung with it vnto death The wound is so deep deadly that we are guilty of the transgression of Adam being in his loynes We haue the spawne and seed of all sinne in vs we are corrupt in soule and body we are prone to fall into the most dangerous and desperate sins The Israelites felt the anguish of the paine and the danger of death otherwise they would neuer haue looked vp to the brazen serpent If the sicke man finde not the want of his health feele not the greefe of his sicknesse feare not the losse of his life he wil neuer seeke to the Physition for ease and recouery And indeed what should it haue auailed these distressed Iewes to haue any recourse to the brazen ferpent vnlesse they had perceiued themselues to be stung euen to death and no other way or remedy to procure their deliuerance So it behooueth all of vs to haue a liuely and sencible feeling of our spirituall wounds We must know that sinne is as a poyson to the soule and the Law giueth strength to sinne We must be greeued for our sins which draw vpon vs the losse of Gods fauour more then for the lacke and losse of bodily health Let vs not therefore make a mock of sin We see no man will dally or delight in poyson no poyson is so dangerous to the body as sin is to the soule Let vs beware of the wiles and subtilties of the old serpent lest as he beguiled Eue through his craftinesse so hee corrupt our mindes from the simplicity that is in Christ 2 Cor. 11â— carry vs headlong to destruction and damnation of soule and
Citties to be stored and great concourse of people to be assembled it shold moue vs to render thankes to God to pay our vowes in the presence of all his people and to craue the continuance of his goodnesse vpon vs. This is it which the Prophet acknowledgeth Psal 116 12 13 saying What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefites towardes me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the name of the Lord So the Prophet setting downe the behauiour of the people what it shall be being deliuered from captiuity sheweth that they shall say in that day O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thy wrath is turned away and thou comfortest me Behold God is my strength and song he also is become my saluation Esay 12 1 2. Let this be our practise when we haue tasted of his mercy and haue receiued any deliuerance from him out of our afflictions Secondly we ought from hence to consider the peace and rest that God hath reserued for vs in the life to come For they are but a shadow of that comfort which wee shall feele in the kingdome of heauen This is that which the Apostle concludeth from the rest in the land of Canaan that there remaineth a rest for the people of God to wit in the kingdom of heauen Heb. 4 9. For euen as the punishments and plagues that befall the vngodly which the Lord raineth downe vpon their heads are as the messengers of death and the fore-runners of destruction and giue vnto them a tast of the paines and torments of hell so the blessings bestowed vpon the godly are as the first fruites of all their comfort Rom 8 23. The first fruites which the Israelites vnder the law offered to God gaue hope and assurance vnto them to enioy the rest of the increase so the faithfull hauing a feeling of the gifts giuen vnto them and receiuing them as assured pledges and tokens of the fauour and loue of God towardes them in this life do gather hope to haue the heauenly inheritance in time to come For if God be so gracious and mercifull vnto vs in these dayes of our pilgrimage doubtlesse hee reserueth greater mercies for vs in the life to come when we shal possesse euerlasting ioyes which no man shall take from vs which neyther the eie hath seen nor the eare hath heard nor the heart can conceiue when we shall really inherit that which now by hope we wait for with much patience 1. Cor. 2 9. V. 18. A Star shal come out of Iacob a Scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the coasts of Moab and shall destroy all them that are behinde And Edom shall be possessed Seir shall be a possessioÌ„ to their enemies for Israel shal do valiantly We haue heard before that the purpose of Balak and Balaam was onely to curse the people of God Heere we may see vpon whom the curse lighteth and falleth Wherein see how differing the wayes and thoughts of God are from the purposes and pretences of men The King of Moab intended a curse against Israel and a blessing vpon himselfe in both which he is disappointed For as Balaam before pronounced a blessing vpon Israel so in this place hee denounceth a curse to come vpon Moab When the King perceiued the continuance of Balaams blessings to follow Israel Numb 23 25. he bad him in choller and indignation neyther blesse nor curse he would haue taken it for a blessing if Balaam would haue held his peace said nothing But he cannot finde this nothing at his hands for hee proceedeth now to deliuer sundry curses against the Moabites as before he had deliuered sundry blessings to come vpon the Israelites And hereby is notably verified the saying of the Prophet Psal 109 17 18. As hee loued cursing so shall it come to him and as he loued not blessing so shall it be farre from him as he cloathed himselfe with cursing like a raiment so shall it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones We haue heard already how these things were performed when God raysed vp Dauid out of the loynes of Iacob who smote the Tabernacles of Moab and made the Curtaines of Edome to tremble But these things howsoeuer temporally fulfilled in Dauid and Salomon haue spiritually and for euer their accomplishment and consummation in Christ Iesus he is a King for euer and hath an euerlastaing kingdome albeit not of this world Therefore the Apostle saith This man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinne sitteth for euer at the right hand of God and from henceforth tarrieth till his enemies be made his footstoole Hebr. 10 22 23. Hee is the true star that shineth to euerlasting life heere spoken of and the Scepter of his kingdome is a Scepter of righteousnesse Hee shall be Ruler in the midst of his enemies Psalm 110 2 and 45 6. Hence it is that the Prophet Malichi calleth him the Sunne of righteousnesse the brightest of all the stars that shine in the Firmament and from which all the rest borrow and receiue their light when he saith Vnto you that feare my Name shall the Sunne of righteousnesse arise and health shall be vnder his wings c. Mal. 4 2. Thus Christ speaketh of himselfe in many places Iohn 8 12. I am the light of the world hee that followeth mee shall not walke in darknes but haue that light of life Thus Iohn witnesseth chap. 1 5 9. This was that true light which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world So Zachary calleth him The Day-spring from on high that hath visited vs Luke 1 78. And the Apostle Peter The Day-starre that ariseth in our hearts 2 Pet. 1 19. Likewise in the last chapter of the Reuelation verse 16. he saith Reuel 2 28. I am the roote and generation of Dauid and the bright morning Starre Now as he is the Starre of Iacob to giue them light so he is the King of Iacob to rule them through whom they shall do valiantly and bee enabled to ouercome their enemies Heereby we learne that the Church through Christ Doctrine The 〈◊〉 shall tâ—â—â— ouer alâ— the â—nemies or their peace hath victory ouer spirituall enemies The elect in Christ shall subdue and triumph ouer all the enemies of theyr peace and saluation both wicked meÌ„ and reprobate angels yea shall in Christ haue power ouer all the world This promise was made from the beginning vnto mankinde and vttered by the mouth of God Gen. 3 15. That the seed of the woman should breake the serpents head which belongeth both to Christ and vnto his members For the souereigne power of Christ is not giuen to the creature but the ftuite and benefite thereof is giuen to the elect and that two wayes first he maketh all his members partakers of part of his glory in heauen whereas the whole world besides lying in wickednesse is condemned in
extreamely wronged to be charged with so foule a crime but art thou contented with those things which thou hast Doest thou beleeue the diuision of Gods gifts befallen to thee to be the best measure and most profitable for thee yea alsufficient vnto thee Then thou art voyde of couetousnesse but if thou doe not thinke thine owne portion sufficient it is certaine thou wilt be crauing and coueting after an other mans Answer But will some say I am a poore man I haue small meanes to liue and many children to prouide for how can I be content or how can I think that I haue sufficient I answere if thou feare God Obiection and haue godlinesse in thine heart thou hast enough thou canst not want that which is sufficient Thou hast the promise of God that he will not leaue thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.4 5 His word is a sufficient assurance for all things needfull Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that which is to come GOD commandeth that our conuersation should be without cotousnesse 1 Tim. 4 8. The rule to try our practice and obedience is to be contented with our own estate The way and meanes to worke in vs contentednes is godlines for it maketh a man contented with that he hath So farre as a man is godly so far he is content with his outward condition Let vs therefore lâ—bour to plant godlines in our hearts and to store them with the true feare of God which will bring with it contentednesse and sufficiency in euery estate And Balak also went his way Balak and Balaam laid a plot to curse the people of God but are disappointed and part company one from another Balaam returned to his people that is he purposed to returne with a full intent to goe home but he was stayed by the way where he perished among the Midianits Balaks hope fayling him hee goeth his way and nothing is done of the one to the other This euent betweene them teacheth Doctrine The deuices of euill men against the Church come to nothâ—ng that the deuices of euill men come to nothing God disappointeth the policies and purposes of the vngodly intended against the Church so that how cunningly soeuer they are contriued hee bloweth them away as dust with the winde and hee melteth them as waxe with the fire Many rest in vaine hope and put confidence in deceitfull things Esau promised vnto himselfe a time of his fathers death of weeping for him and then he would be auenged for the birthright and blessing of his brother but his expectation was made frustrate and the blessing tooke place Gen. 27 41. The Egyptians had a purpose to kill all the males of the Israelites that all hope of issue from them might decay but see how wide they shot and how farre they missed Exod. 1 12 God encreased them exceedingly and they were constrained to driue them out enriched with the spoyles of Egypt The enemies of Christ say in the pride of their hearts Let vs breake their bands and cast their cords from vs yet hee that sitteth in the heauen laugheth them to scorne and giueth to his Sonne the heathen for a possession Psal 2 3. Hereunto commeth the saying of the Prophet Psal 7 14. When Christ had preached the Gospel at Nazareth they were filled with such wrath against him that they rose vp and thrust him out of the citty and led him euen vnto the top of the hill whereon their citty was built that they might cast him downe headlong but hee passed through the midst of them and went his way Luke 4 30. The like example we finde Iohn 7 53 the Scribes and Pharisies being gathered together in a councell where the death of Christ was practised God raysed vp one to speake in his cause one of their own bench that sate in the councell consistory with them so that they brake vp in a rage without doing any thing Great maters wer purposed but nothing determined mightymen and rulers were assembled but nothing could be concluded So we reade in the Acts of the Apostles that certaine Iewes made an assembly and bound themselues with a curse saying That they would neither eate nor drinke till they had killed Paul Acts 23 22 but they were disappointed and their purpose though closely contriued was vtterly disanulled Reason 1 The Reasons will make this truth more apparent First if wee consider this essentiall property of God that he is full of iustice hee will reward and recompence as our workes are If we rest in vaine and wicked practices he will not winke at them or hold his peace but throw down that which we build vp and he will disappoint that which wee hope for This the Prophet Dauid handleth at large Psal 62 3 11 12. where he reproueth his aduersaries for deuising and practising of euill against him and sheweth that all their deuices shall profite them nothing but be the meanes to bring them suddainly and speedily to destruction The children of men are vanity the chief men are lyers to lay theÌ„ vpon a ballance they are altogether lighter then vanity Trust not in oppression nor in robbery be not vaine if riches encrease set not your hearts vpon them for thou rewardest euery one according to his worke If their expectation were alwayes satisfied and desires accomplished Gods Iustice should be impayred and called into question so that the crossing of their hopes discouereth and reuealeth him to be a iust and righteous God Secondly the expectation of the wicked is Reason 2 vanity because they can giue no comfort or assurance No man is able to assure himselfe of life or of any thing else for what man can redeeme the life of his brother to keepe it from the graue If then we cannot secure life either to our selues or to our brethren much lesse can wee other things So the Prophet reasoneth They trust in their goods and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches yet a man can by no meanes redeeme his brother hee cannot giue his ransome to God Psal 49 6 7. The vses are next to be considered as they Vse 1 arise from this doctrine And first we may conclude from hence the vnhappy and wretched estate of them that haue onely eyes of flesh to rest on things which they see with their foolish and fleshly eyes If we regard and receiue onely present blessings they are of lâ—ttle account and of small moment If then we waite on lying vanities forsake God our strength and our saluation wee are vnhappy and most miserable This doth the Prophet preach vnto vs Thus saith the Lord cursed is the man that trusteth in men and maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord Ier 17 5 6 7. And the Prophet rendreth the reason hereof in the words following Hee shall be like the heath in the wildernesse and shall not see when any good
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
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
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