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
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
with such neere and necessary bands will not keepe his faith entire to them but betray them also when occasion and opportunity shall serue The Law of God saith Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not raile vpon the Iudges neither speake euill of the Ruler of thy people If he be guilty of punishment that raileth and reuileth them what punishment and reuenge is sufficient for him that seeketh after their life and plotteth after their death we haue a notable example of a loyall heart in Dauid toward Saul who albeit he were elected and annointed King and were persecuted and pursued of Saul yet he would not lay violent hands vpon his person nor seeke to depriue him of his kingdom The Lord said hee keepe me from doing that thing to my master the Lords Annointed 1 Sam 24.7 and 26.9.10 to lay mine hand vpon him for who can lay his hand on the Lords Annointed and be guiltlesse As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or he shall descend into battell and perish the Lord keepe me from laying mine hand vpon the Lords Annointed This was the protestation of Dauid but it is a word of direction to all that Princes persons should be inuiolable as sacred and sent of God whether they be good or euill whether they be iust or vniust whether godly or vngodly It is not vnknowne what manner of king Nebuchadnezzar was euen hee that tooke Ierusalem namely a great oppressor robber cruell tyrant yet the Prophet Ezekiel affirmeth that God gaue him the land of Egypt Ezek. 29.18.19 Dan. 2.37 and 4.14 for the reward of his worke and for the wages of his army wherewith he had serued him and Daniel declareth that God changeth the times and seasons he taketh away kings he setteth vppe kings that liuing men may know that the most High hath power ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he wâ—ll and appointeth ouer it the most abiect among men And in the second Chapter he saith O king thou art a king of kings for the God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome power and strength and glory Who could bee a greater tyrant then Pharaoh who could enact more barbarous and bloody decrees then hee did Or what people could be in greater misery or endure harder bondage and slauery then the children of Israel in the land of Egypt Exod. 2.23 3.7.17 5 7. Yet they performed obedience they neuer prepared or prouided to resist the king they neuer took vp armes their only weapons were supplication to God to man Let vs consider a litle what the Lord himselfe saieth by the mouth of the Prophet Ieremy â—rremy 27 â—6 7 8 9 10 â—1 I haue made the earth the man and the beast that are vpon the ground by my great power and by my out-stretched arme and haue giuen it vnto whom it pleased it me But now I haue giuen all these Lands into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar my seruant and the beasts of the field haue I also giuen him to serue him And all Nations shall serue him and his sonne and his sonnes sonne vntill the very time of his Land come also and the Nation Kingdome which will not serue the same Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel and that will not put their necke vnder the yoke of the King of Babel the same Nation will I visite saith the Lord with the sword famine and pestilence wherefore serue the King of Babel and liue Out of these words we obserue these three points who it is that diuideth bestoweth kingdomes to whom he giueth them and what end remaineth for those that resist them Hee that setteth the Crowne vpon the heads of men is God all power is from him for promotion commeth not from the East nor from the West hee setteth vp and he pulleth downe at his owne pleasure He giueth the same sometimes to euill men and these he maketh his seruants to serue his prouidence and to do his will which he hath to be done by them And therefore such as oppose themselues against them doe set themselues against God and all that resist shall receiue to themselues condemnation â—om 13 2 Hee will haue Tyrants to bee obeyed and honoured because they are lifted vp to the seat of honour and throne of maiesty by his hand Vse 2 Secondly we learne that it is a great blessing to haue good and godly Princes set ouer vs to rule vs in iustice peace and righteousnesse â—say 32 2. â—am 4 20. They are a couering against the heate the breath of our nostrils an hiding place froÌ„ the winde and a refuge from the tempest as riuers of waters in a drie Land as the shaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land Where they are wanting the Sunne is as it were pulled out of the Firmament and all things are left in miserable darknesse the weake are a prey to the strong and mighty as the lesser fish are deuoured of the greater and euery one doeth that which seemeth good in his owne eyes Hence it is that the Queene of Sheba seeing the power and magnificence of Salomon whom GOD had set vpon the Throne of his father Dauid Kin. 10 8. saide Happy are thy men happy are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy w sedome To this purpose speaketh the wise man Eccl. 10 16 17. Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a Childe and thy Princes eate in the morning Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles and thy Princes eate in time for strength and not for drunkennesse Wee must therefore acknowledge it as a great blessing and mercy vpon a Land when he giueth faithfull Magistrates wise Kings wise Counsellers wise Nobles wise Iudges wise Iustices wise Officers to gouerne the State to sway the Common-wealth Blessed are such Rulers nay blessed are the people that are vnder such Rulers and blessed is that gouernment and policy so well and wisely ordered It is a token of Gods heauy iudgement vpoÌ„ a kingdome when he taketh away the Ouerseers of it It is a token of the ruine of an house when the shores and staies that vnderpropped it are remoued When the Tree is pulled vp by the rootes the branches must needs dye the leaues wither and the fruite fall away When the feete of a man faile that beare vp the rest of the body he cannot but fall and when the breath of his nostrils is stopped hee is gone Psal 104 29. quickly returneth to the dust out of which he was taken Our Rulers and Magistrates are as the props pillars that keep the house vpright they are as the roote of the Tree that giueth life and sendeth foorth sappe and iuice into all partes and corners of the Land which are as the body of this tree they are as the heads that is the choisest parts of the Common-wealth and yet
Samaria were deuoured of Lyons he commanded that one of the Priests which had been brought from thence 2 Ki. 17 26 27. should be carried thether to teach them the manner of the God of the Country so that the superstitious King thought it his duty to see them instructed in the truth A notable example of a godly and religious care this way is in Iehosaphat who 2 Chron. 17 6 7 8 9 10. so soone as hee had taken away the high places and the groues out of Iudah hee sent out sundry of the Leuites that they should teach in the Cities and 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 is the foundation and stay of all Kingdomes to giue entertainment to the word of God this maketh a wise King and a wise people So long as Magistrates countenance the truth and Preachers of it they secure theyr owne estates and are blessed of God which ought to bee an encouragement vnto them not to bee slacke or slothfull in spreading abroad the Gospell of Christ Lastly because it were troublesome and tedious to go about to rehearse all their duties we breefely number vp the rest It is their duty therefore to be good examples of piety and godlinesse of life to the people and to prouide for them al things necessary for the body to aske counsell of the mouth of the Lord in theyr weighty affaires that is the ministery of the word and to yeeld obedience vnto it to exhort their inferiors in time of publike calamities to earnest repentance and to expresse the same by prayer and fasting to know the cause throughly before they proceed to giue sentence to punish euill dooers and defend the innocent and to establish such positiue lawes as are necessary for the maintenance of order and decency in the Common-wealth Vse 4 Lastly seeing Magistrates are necessary for the Church and Common-wealth it putteth those that are vnder them in minde of theyr duties partly in regard of themselues partly in regard of the Magistrates and partly in respect of God Touching themselues they must know they be no burdens to the Common-wealth nor superfluous parts that may be spared they are as the head or heart of the body or as the eye in the head all depend vpon their welfare so all depend vpon the Kings and Princes welfare If he be vpholden the Common-wealth standeth if he be vnregarded the Common-wealth falleth He is as necessary as the Sunne in the Firmament yea as fire and water and breathing without which we cannot liue If we iudge otherwise of this ordinance of God we are deceiued wrong both them and our selues Againe we learne that their life and continuance is greatly to bee desired of Gods seruants It is the part and duty of all Subiects to craue their safety and protection that they may safe-guard and protect both Church and Common-wealth Yea Rulers themselues in regard of this end which ought daily to bee before their eies may desire of God to lengthen their daies and to continue their happy reigne that together with the Saints they may do seruice to God in his Church in this respect I say they may desire life not so much aiming at their owne priuate good for in that respect it were better to bee dissolued to be with the Lord as respecting the generall vtility of their people What greater glory what higher honour can they haue then this to be the stay and defence of the church that otherwise were like to decay and goe to ruine and to continue the seuerall parts of it in well-doing That good King Hezekiah foreseeing by the word of the Lord the miserable estate of the Church that should bee after his death and considering with great anguish of heart the wofull effects that were like to follow he turned himselfe in his bed to the wall and wept and was greeued to depart hence Esay 38 18 ◠saying The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot praise thee they that go downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth but the liuing the liuing he shall confesse thee as I do this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth He desired of God to liue and prayed vnto God to prolong his daies not to lift vp himselfe aboue his brethren not to glory in the smoke of lofty titles not to tyrannize ouer the people not to command the things that are vniust or to punish such as do not deserue it but to do good to the Church and to set foorth Gods praise Death indeede which bringeth the dissolution of nature is a welcome guest to them that are the Lords all the godly do make themselues ready to receiue him to meete and entertaine him and so Kings Princes among the rest howbeit in this respect that the Church may bee benefited by them it is no matter of impiety to desire a longer continuance among Gods people much more then is it the duty of such as are vnder them and gouerned by them to desire their continuance as the daies of heauen and as the course of the Sunne to bee Nurses to the godly This was wont to be a common salutation vsed of the people toward theyr Princes not onely of the Infidels but by the faithfull seruants of God Dan. 2 4 and 6 21 and 3 9 and 5 10. When the King came to visite Daniel being cast into the den of Lyons the Prophet so soone as hee heard him saide O King liue for euer that is GOD grant vnto thee a long life Last of all whensoeuer we haue a wise and worthy a godly and religious Prince giuen to vs it is our duty to be thankfull If the Lord grant vnto a Land a prudent and prouident Prince to reigne ouer thē whose heart is bent to seeke the Lord and to serue the GOD of his fathers the people that breathe vnder his shadow must praise the holy name of God It is their duty to pray that princes may be such and to commend them to God with all faithfulnesse For if they must pray for others much more for them When Salomon was annointed with oyle taken out of the Sanctuary they blew the Trumpet and all the people said God saue King Salomon 1 King 1 39 So the Apostle writing to Timothy exhorteth that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in authority 1 Tim. 2 1 2 3 that wee may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Sauiour Now as we are to pray for them so wee are to praise God for them wee are not to forget the least blessings nor to be vnmindfull of smaller benefits and therefore we are much more bound to be thankfull
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
be as a toy or trifle vnto vs yet at least let vs alwaies haue before vs the iudgement of God vpon our selues and be well assured that the wrongfull and vniust detaining of the Lords portion from the Lords Pastours shall bring such a curse vpon the rest of our substance that it shall be as the eares of corne that are blasted yea it shall kindle such a fire in the middest of our houses that it shall consume them with the timber thereof and the stones thereof The Lord hauing by the Prophet Malachi charged his people with spoiling him in tithes and offerings he addeth this in the next words Ye are cursed with a curse for ye haue spoiled me Mal. 3 9. euen this whole Nation The zeale that Dauid had for the house of GOD was very great so that he professeth it had euen eaten him vp Psal 69 and indeed he sheweth no lesse by his owne practise For when Araunah the Iebusite as a King in the willingnesse of spirit offered to giue to Dauid Oxen for burnt sacrifice and the threshing instruments for wood that he might build an altar and offer thereon he would not accept of it at his hands 2 Sam. 24 24. neither offer to the Lord his God that which cost him nothing as one esteeming in so doing the precious things of GOD light and of small account O how farre are these men from this heauenly affection of this holy seruant of God He accounted nothing too good to giue to God but they account it an happy turne if they might goe away scot-free and pay nothing at all toward the maintenance of the Ministery of the word It is strange to see how bountifull many are and euen prodigall that they care not what they waste and consume in following their owne pleasures pastimes and vanities of their corrupt hearts and yet how backward and pinching they are oftentimes for one halfepeny that is going from them and comming eyther toward the poore or toward the Minister But marke the secret and iust iudgement of God vpon them and tremble at it or rather feare him that inflicteth it and paieth them home in their owne kinde punisheth them proportionably according to their sinne for he detaineth his graces from them and sendeth them poore and leane soules that are ready to famish and perish through want of heauenly and spirituall food Two extremes touching the Ministers True it is there haue beene two extremes in the world both touching the estimation of their persons touching the compensation of their labours In former times the people did so highly account of them that they did sticke and cleaue too much to their persons and therefore Paul saith 1 Cor. 3 5 7. Who is Paul and who is Apollo but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued euen as the Lord gaue to euery man so then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that gaue the increase but in our times there appeareth not such forwardnesse wherein they are contemned despised This is one extreme Likewise in former times they were ready to giue all and yet they thought al to be too little now they would willingly if they might take away all so that if some positiue lawes did not stay them and restraine them their consciences are so large How the Ministers are dealt withal that they would suffer them well enough to take the corne and feed the Minister with the straw they could be content to fill themselues with the Calues out of the stall and to eate the fattest of them and then to reserue the refuse for the Minister and to giue them the bones to gnaw vpon which they offer to their dogges and yet thinke that too good for them A goodly recompence for their great paines They are not ashamed to share the wool of the flocke among themselues and to cloathe themselues therewith and then to cast the tailes to their Teachers and to stoppe their mouthes with the dung and drauery that is good for nothing Thus are they affected toward religion and the promoting of the word and worship of God they care not though all rudenesse and barbarisme were among vs and the world were become a receptacle of all atheisme like a wildernesse ouergrowne with nettles bryars and all noysome weeds if so be they might get any aduantage by the ruine and ouerthrow of the Gospel In the late daies of superstition which many now liuing can yet remember the people generally were most bountifull to their sacrificing Masse-Priests who fed them with corne that is musty and mouldred or rather with huskes fitter for swine then for the seruants of God and yet they thought nothing too good for them nothing too much to bestow vpon them as the idolatrous Egyptians nourished their idolatrous Priests in the yeares of famine Gen. 47 Gen. 47 22. so that their Land was not set to sale hauing a portion assigned vnto them of Pharaoh and eating the portion which he gaue them Now our people are better taught yet they pay all duties and demands for the most part grudgingly and murmure at all things that go from themselues as if a man did cut a peece of flesh out of their sides or let them blood at the hart veine Then they had a zeale though not according to knowledge and a conscience though it were blinde now indeed by reason of the labours of the Ministers which stretch out their hands all the day long spend their strength among them they haue science but little or no conscience the Gospel would be welcome vnto them at least in word prouided that it do not any way displease them or disease them neither be costly or burdensome vnto thē otherwise if they must depart with any of their morsels they care not for it nor esteeme any thing of it nor will be ruled by it nor order their liues after it 33. Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites these are the families of Merari 34. And those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and vpward were sixe thousand and two hundred 35 And the chiefe of the house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail these shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle Northwards 36. And vnder the custody and charge of the sonnes of Merari shall be the boards of the Tabernacle and the barres thereof and the pillars thereof and the sockets thereof and all the vessels thereof and all that serueth thereto 37. And the pillars of the Court round about and their sockets and their pinnes and their cords 38. But those that encampe before the Tabernacle toward the East euen before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Eastward shall be Moses and Aaron and his sonnes keeping the charge of the Sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel and the stranger that commeth nigh
in heauen that not one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18 14. He commandeth that not one of these little ones should perish Mat. 18 10. He maketh vs to lye downe in greene pastures he leadeth vs beside the stil water he restoreth our soules and leadeth vs in the paths of righteousnesse for his names sake Psal 23 2 3. Iacob that fed the sheepe of his father in law testifieth touching his care that the drought consumed him in the day Gen. 31.40 and the frost pinched him in the night and sleepe departed from his eyes so that whatsoeuer was torne of beasts or stollen of theeues was required at his hands he bare the losse of it Much more then will the Lord care for the sheepe of his pasture his rod and his staffe shall comfort them and although they walke through the valley of the shadow of death they shall feare no euill Will a king regard onely the chiefe Cities and most populous places of his kingdome and suffer the rest to liue as they list without lawes good orders Or will the master of an house looke to some in his family and not to all If then God be our King if he be our Master he will looke to all his subiects and seruants whatsoeuer they be that they shall haue their meate in due season Secondly such is the grace and goodnesse of God that he would haue all his people Reason 2 come to knowledge Such as know not his will are none of his seruants If then he require the vnderstanding knowledge of his wayes not onely of rich men of great men of learned men and of the Ministers but of all the people of what calling and condition soeuer they be how meane and simple soeuer they be we must hereof conclude that he hath ordained that all of them should haue the meanes of knowledge and saluation offered vnto them and published among them To this purpose the Apostle saith He will that all men shall be saued and come vnto the acknowledgement of the truth 1 Tim. 2 4. And Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. teacheth that The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is long suffering to vs ward 2 Pet. 3 9. not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance This is that which the Prophet Ezekiel setteth downe chap. 18 11 23 32 and 33. Haue I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye saith the Lord and not that he should returne from his waies and liue Thirdly the word of God was penned for all estates degrees and conditions of men It Reason 3 serueth as eye-salue to cleere the eyes of all persons and to make the simple wise Psal 19 7. and 119 99 100. It cleanseth the way of the yong man if he take heed thereunto with all diligence Psal 119 9. The booke of the Prouerbes of Salomon the sonne of Dauid King of Israel was written to giue subtilty to the simple and to the young man knowledge and discretion Prou. 1 4. The Apostle Iohn 1 Iohn 2 13. wrote to the Fathers because they had knowne him that is from the beginning he wrote vnto young men because they haue ouercome the wicked one he wrote to little children because they haue knowne the Father If then the word do serue for all sorts and sexes and ages whatsoeuer it followeth that all must be taught from the greatest to the least from the highest to the lowest Fourthly all persons whatsoeuer they be haue soules to saue simple persons small congregations Reason 4 little assemblies as well as others that are many in number We consist not only of bodies we must not onely prouide for this present life but we haue also soules to saue and must prepare for the life to come We shall all giue an account of the things that we haue done in this life whether they be good or euill forasmuch as the Lord will reward euery man according to his workes Rom. 2.6 The day of our particular death and the day of the generall iudgement are both of them dayes of reckoning and account and as the soule is most precious so the account to be giuen for it is very great and therefore from these premises we may necessarily deduct this conclusion that it is the will and pleasure of God that euery place and person should be carefully instructed Vse 1 It remaineth therfore that we come to the vses and as from a good tree gather such fruit as groweth from thence First we learne that it is Gods ordinance and appointment that euery congregation should haue a learned Minister to teach them the true religion and feare of God It is not ynough that there be a setled standing Ministery in one place or corner of the land or in euery great citie but he will haue his people in all places whether great or small to be cared and prouided for euery Church haue a sufficient Minister to instruct euery member of it Hence it is that the Euangelist declareth Acts 14.23 that the Apostles Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders by election in euery Church and then they commended them to the Lord in whom they beleeued And in the Epistle to Titus Paul saith vnto him Chap. 1. verse 5. For this cause left I thee in Creta that thou shouldest continue to redresse things that remaine and shouldest ordaine Elders in euery Citie as I appointed thee By euery Church and euery citie in those places we must vnderstand that wheresoeuer there is a body of people gathered together fit for a Congregation there ought a Minister to bee chosen appointed and set ouer the same For whersoeuer a Church is planted and a distinct congregation established there is an absolute necessity of a setled Ministery as we haue shewed before in the beginning of this Chapter so that it is altogether vnpossible that without it religion should prosper or continue The Lord had no sooner giuen his law concerning the erecting of the Tabernacle but Aaron his sons were annointed and the whole tribe sanctified to the office of the Ministery to attend on holy things to teach the people to offer sacrifices to performe such duties as were required of them He knoweth that euery man standeth in as great neede of food for the soule aa he doth of nourishment for the body and that as the body decayeth without sustenance so the soule famisheth and pineth away without the bread of life Wheresoeuer the Ministery of the word is wanting there wanteth one of Gods ordinances one of his speciall blessings Wee see by common and continuall experience when the corne is blasted and the haruest of the field is perished and the labour of the husbandman is destroyed what crying lamentation is made how much more ought we to be greeued to see the famine of the word brought vpon vs and thousands perish thorough want of this ordinance of God
eternall glory we must bee more then flesh blood Thou wilt therfore be ashamed to confesse that thou vnderstandest by flesh and blood that thou art nothing but a lumpe of flesh What then art thou flesh in part spirit in part as thou must acknowledge thy self to be if thou be the Lords Why then dost thou not performe the workes of the spirit Rom. 8.5 They that are after the flesh do sauour the things of the flesh Ver. 6 but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit To be carnally minded is death Verse 7. but to be spiritually minded is life and peace The carnall minde is enimity against God Verse 13. for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be If ye liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body Ver. 14. ye shal liue For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of GOD Vers 8. so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Thus we see that the flesh and the spirit are alwayes opposed the one to the other so that by this wee may prooue our selues whether we be regenerate or not Let vs not therefore boast our selues that we are flesh blood forasmuch as such as are onely flesh cannot yet assure their owne hearts that they are the Lords Obiect 5 Fiftly it may be obiected that to repulse wrong is a note of courage and fortitude and to put vp wrong a token of pusillanimity and of a faint heart If then I must not reuenge I shall be accounted not onely a foole but a dastard and coward Answer I answere this is no better then the diuels sophistry and openeth a gap to the common practise that is in the world to quarrell for euery word speaking It is no argument of courage to be ready to draw the sword and dagger but rather of rashnes headinesse vnstayednesse and of a ruffian like spirit And it is no disgrace to be of a bearing and forbearing nature Our chiefest honour consisteth in fighting against sin vnto the death and shewing all might and manhood in the subduing of it He is stronger that ouercommeth his owne passions then he that winneth a city We must remember that we are made kings and Priests vnto God the Father and therefore let vs not make our selues slaues and captiues to Satan to sin and to the world This then serueth to meete with three sorts of men Perk. on Mat. 5.39 to condemne their euil courses whose whole life pleadeth for nothing more theÌ„ priuate reuenge First they are reproued that for euery crosse word supposed iniury are ready to challenge one another into the field the accepting of that challenge when it is giuen This fighting a single combat is vnlawfull That which the naturall man accounteth valour God esteemeth a vice and therefore it is no disgrace to refuse it but rather true grace in yeelding obedience vnto God For we must set down this as a rule that no man must sinne against God for the sauing of his credit reputation among men And if we did duly consider what sin is against whom it is committed and what punishment is procured therby vpon our selues we would neuer question the former ground set downe vnto vs. Secondly out of the case of challenging the field the common practise of fighting quarrelling is condemned which are no better then forerunners of murther and haue a bloody face in the sight of God The Apostle Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 3 1â— Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him Many there are that hold it vtterly vnlawfull to giue the first blow but if another strike them then they thinke that therby they are warranted to strike againe If any giue the occasion of a fray they hold him worthy to be condemned but if they be prouoked by another they account themselues to be bound to returne him the like This is directly contrary to the doctrine of Christ whereunto all must submit themselues that wil be the disciples of Christ He would haue vs take many wrongs and not seeke to reuenge our selues And it is contrary to the practise of Christ and of his Apostles When one of the officers of the high Priest smote Iesus with the palme of his hand Ioh. 18. â—â— because he held his peace would answer nothing he smote not againe as these men thinke he was bound to do for his honour But this was no disgrace or reproch to Christ how then should it be any shame for a true Christian We will needs be accounted Christians whosoeuer say nay but we scorne and disdaine to follow the example of Christ Act. 23.1 Ananias the high Priest commanded them that stood by to smite Paul on the mouth he reprooueth him fot it but he smote not againe this was no infamy but a glory vnto him Lastly their opinion also is condemned that make it a matter of praise and an argument of valour to turne away his face froÌ„ no man This indeed is foole-hardinesse It is the commendation of Magistrates to be men of courage to feare the face of God but not the faces of men They must accept no mans person in iudgement neither decline to the right hand or to the left But a priuate man may turne his backe to his aduersary without any impeachment of his credit or diminishing of his valor or lessening of his honor or slander to his reputatioÌ„ But of this we haue spoken sufficiently before therfore we wil proceed Lastly it may be obiected that vnder the Obiect law of Moses when any man had killed his neighbour the auenger of blood might slay the murtherer whensoeuer and wheresoeuer he met him Numb 35 19. If a man had killed any person at vnwares and hated him not before he must flie to one of the Cities of refuge and abide in it vnto the death of the high Priest which was annointed with the holy oyle but if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the Citty of refuge whither he was fled 〈◊〉 27. and the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the City of his refuge and the reuenger of blood kill the slayer he shall not be guilty of blood If then he be not guilty of blood how is it that God aloweth no priuate reuenge but commandeth to render good for euill to pray for them that curse vs and to doe good to our enemies and such as persecute vs I answer the politicke lawes serue not to bring men to perfection such as are made for ciuill gouernment When God speaketh as king of Israel and maketh statutes tending to outward peace and tranquility he aimed not at the spirituall perfection which is contained in the moral law which is the rule of
neuer regard to pay what they haue borrowed They care not how deepely they runne in other mens bookes and bands but are slacke to returne that is due debt vnto them and to make paiment of that which they owe. This also is a breach of the eighth commandement and made a note of a wicked man by the Prophet Psal 37.21 The wicked borroweth payeth not againe but the righteous sheweth mercy and giueth Heere we see who they are that neuer repay nor restore that which they haue borrowed they are such as are iustly branded with the title of wicked men A litle that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked forasmuch as their riches many times are not their owne if euery bird had his feather and euery owner could get that which hath beene taken from him It is the property of the vngodly to hold fast other mens goods which they can get to themselues These are of two sorts some are rich and some poore There are some rich men who albeit they be proud and prodigall yet are carelesse to pay their debts which through their riotousnesse and excesse they runne into or if they pay them it is so hardly wrested from them that they shew how vnwilling they are therunto If they set men at worke they are backeward to pay them their wages and to giue the recompence of the labours of their hands Others doe store and enrich themselues by borrowing wares and other like commodities and then of purpose breake rather then of necessitie if they be cast into prison they liue delicately and at ease with their stollen goods as I haue shewed at large elsewhere Thus are many poore men â—ent on â—de ver 20. 〈◊〉 Doct. 1. their wiues children oftentimes vndone by these bankroutes of whom we may say it skilled not if they were also neck-rupt rather then so many innocents should perish through their wickednesse Some againe are of the poorer sort and earne their liuing by daily labour who had rather follow idlenesse and liue of other mens purses then busie themselues painfully in their callings These are constrained through their owne folly to borrow what they can and are so importunate sometimes by complaint and sometimes by flattery that they get money into their hands of other mens and when they once can seaze vpon it as a prey or booty they no sooner obtaine it but they lauish it out in eating in drinking in gaming in feasting and good fellowship as they call it as if they had found a treasure or as if it had bin freely giuen them and as if they should neuer giue an account for it or restore it to the owner These men when they are asked againe those things which they haue receiued do reproch their creditors and returne vnto them euill words for their good wils They are not ashamed to tell them that they are no Christians that aske againe that which they haue lent and by such like cozening tricks they seeke to delude and doe dally with their creditors When they come to borrow they speake with other tongues and haue learned another language then their wordes are softer then butter then they will promise any thing But when the day of restoring commeth they haue forgotten their owne words and they haue lost the conscience which before they seemed to haue had so that wee may say to them as it is in the Psalme Psal 52.3.4 Thou louest euill more then good and lying rather then to speake righteousnesse thou louest all deuouring words O thou deceitfull tongue Both these kindes of men are to be auoided of vs and their practises are to be abhorred as they that sauour altogether of impiety and no whit beseeme the profession of Christianity Secondly it is not sufficient for men to get Vse 2 goods into their hands a thing that most men doe ayme after by raking and scraping and scratching to become rich but they must know how they are gotten and with what conscience they are kept and detained forasmuch as goods euilly gotten shall neuer prosper but will surely bring vengeance vpon their heads which withhold them as Prou. 22 16. He that oppresseth the poore to encrease his riches shall surely come to pouerty We haue many examples of this point left vnto vs in holy Scripture both of the old and new Testament That we should beware by their harmes and be wise by their falles and take heed by their ruines Achan did steale away the wedge of gold and a Babylonish garment but it cost him his life Iosh 7.25 Ahab tooke possession of Naboths vineyard whom he had caused to be stoned to death but it brought the destruction of him and his posterity 1 King 21.19 Gehazi coueted after an euill couetousnesse and gaue himselfe to receiue bribes 2 King 5.27 but he gat with it the leprosie so that his losse was a thousand times greater then his gaines Iudas sold his master for thirty peeces of siluer but he was neuer quiet after he had receiued it so that he brought backe the money and went and hanged himselfe Matth. 27.5 The like we might say of Balaam who loued the wages of vnrighteousnesse and was hyred with loue of reward to curse the people of God he went his way without his hyre and lost his life among the Midianites Numb 31.18 It is not enough to get goods but we must get them iustly and lawfully It is not enough to eate bread according to the exhortatioÌ„ of the Apostle 2 Thes 3.11 12. We heare that there are some which walke among you disorderly working not at all but are busi-bodies them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Iesus Christ that with quietnesse they worke and eat their own bread Our Sauiour teacheth vs to aske at the hands of God the Father our daily bread Matt. 6.11 and not other mens For it is so called because it is gotten by our lawfull labour and by honest meanes and is prouided for vs of his liberality If we doe not consider this carefully wee may get goods and withall get a curse with them so long as we haue the least iot of other mens in our owne keeping And howsoeuer we iudge of our selues we are no better theÌ„ theeues so long as we retain in our houses or our hearts other mens goods Let vs remember the saying of the Apostle Ephes 4.28 Let him that stole steale no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing which is good that he may haue to giue to him that needeth Many there are that make no difference betweene their owne and other-mens as if all things were common They care not whose they haue so that they haue what they lacke It is sweet vnto them whatsoeuer they can fasten and lay hold vpon But euill gotten goods goe neuer alone the curse of God doth euer go with theÌ„ which will bring vpon them all miseries of soule
a sinne as to iustifie the wicked Wee ought none of vs to doe that which is abhominable in the sight of God the which he greatly abhorreth A Iudge may offend two waies both by oppressing the innocent and by deliuering the guilty person by pronouncing the transgressor righteous and the righteous man a transgressor This is set downe Prou. 17 verse 15. He that iustifieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust euen they both are abhomination vnto the Lord. Such a one spareth the wolfe and hurteth the lambes turneth the edge of the sword vpon the godly and the backe of it toward the wicked and vngodly Reason 4 Fourthly God would haue no man put to death without witnesses For wherefore doth he often establish this in the Law that the witnesses shall come face to face be heard but that no man should perish beeing innocent Wherefore doth hee ordaine that one onely witnesse shall not be taken as sufficient but that hee would haue the cause cleered by moe witnesses This is the decree of God Deut. 17 verse 6. At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death die but at the mouth of one witnesse shall he not dye Hee will not by any meanes haue innocent blood shed Reason 5 Fiftly innocent blood cryeth to heauen for vengeance and shall not suffer him that sheddeth it to escape It is one of the crying sinnes as wee shewed before in this chapter which ascend vp and enter into the eares of the Lord of hosts There is indeed no sinne so little but commeth vp in remembrance before him against whom it is committed his eyes see and his eares heare all the workes of men 〈◊〉 4 13. which are all naked and open before his eyes and nothing kept from his knowledge neuerthelesse to note out the horrour and hainousnesse of some sinnes in comparison of others the Scripture teacheth that they cry vnto the Lord. Moses to shew the greatnes of Caines sinne committed against his naturall brother bringeth in God speaking vnto him Behold the voice of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me and to shew the barbarous cruelty and inhumanity of the vexing and exacting Egyptians whereby they ouercharged and ouerburdened the people of God he saith to Moses I haue seene I haue seene the oppression of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their cry because of their Taske-masters Exod. chap. 2 verse 9. Thus also he speaketh to Samuel at another time of their oppression by the Philistims I haue looked vpon my people and their cry is come vnto me 1 Sam. chap. 9 verse 16. Thus God heareth the cry of the afflicted Iob chap. 34 verse 28. They haue caused the voice of the poore to come vnto him and he hath heard the cry of the afflicted This is the reason vrged by the Lord himselfe Exod. chap. 23 verse 7. And Ieremy protesteth and professeth as much to the face of his enemies and persecutors that sought his destruction chapter 26 verse 14 15. As for mee behold I am in your hands doe with mee as yee thinke good and right but know yee for certaine that if yee put mee to death yee shall surely bring innocent blood vpon your selues and vpon this Citty and vpon the inhabitants thereof for of a truth the Lord hath sent me vnto you to speake all these words in your eares Thus we see how God sheweth himselfe an enemy against all wrong iudgements and he will not suffer them to escape vnpunished but will enter into iudgement with such partiall and corrupt Iudges The vses heereof are to bee marked diligently Vse 1 of vs. First this serueth to reprooue all rashnesse headinesse and heedlesnesse of such as make haste to inflict punishment before an exact knowledge of the fact and fault Such are no better then cruell wolues that seeke and sucke the blood of the innocent lambes This was the sinne of wicked Iezabel that caused Naboth to bee stoned to death 1 Kings 21. We reade in the Acts of the Apostles how the chiefe Chaptaine commanded that Paul should be scourged that he might know wherefore they cryed so against him Acts 22 verse 24. Heere is a preposterous course to punish first and to enquire of the fault afterward so that the punishment shall be certaine whiles the offence is vncertaine But this is the lot and euer hath beene of Gods children they are punished heere oftentimes as malefactors and euill dooers and their enemies both rage and rush most furiously vpon them that doe possesse their soules with patience and doe not by violence resist against them They are more hungry then Beares more mercilesse then Tygers more rauenous then Wolues more greedy then Lyons more fierce then dogges against them they shew no mercy and they extend no compassion at all toward them They hate them in their hearts they slander them with their tongues they smite thē with their fists they grin and grinde their teeth at them they nod at them with their heads they circumuent them by fraud they oppresse thē with sorrow they take oftentimes their liues from them Thus did the persecuters deale with Ioseph with Ieremy with Dauid with Daniel with Paul with Silas with Iohn Baptist with Stephen with Iames with Peter and many others But God will in the end make their innocency knowne and the iustice of their cause manifest to all men It is noted by the Euangelist touching Pilate that albeit hee confessed hee found no fault at all in Christ yet hee would scourge him let him go He was the Iudge yet by his owne mouth he may be iudged himselfe that adiudged him worthy to be scourged that was vnworthy to receiue a stripe in whom he could finde nothing blame worthy He called together the high Priests and the Rulers and people and saide vnto them Ye haue brought this man vnto mee as one that peruerted the people and behold I haue examined him before you and haue found no fault in this man of those things whereof ye accuse him no nor yet Herod for I sent you to him and loe nothing worthy of death is done of him I will therfore chastise him and let him loose Luke 23 14 15 16. And as it befell the Master so the lotte fell vnto the seruants that they might drinke of the cup that he dranke off and be baptized with the baptisme wherewith hee was baptized For the Apostles were diligent in preaching Christ and teaching in his Name so that their enemies were not able to withstand the Spirit of God that spake in them and albeit they oftentimes examined them yet their best arguments and cheefest reasons and strongest motiues to put them vnto silence were beatings scourgings threatnings and imprisonments for otherwise they were not able to deale against them Hence it is that when Gamaliel exhorted them to take heed to themselues Acts 4 35. what they intended to doe touching those men to refraine from them
out before you and the land is defiled therefore I will visite the wickednesse thereof vpon it and the land shall vomit out her inhabitants The Prophets are full in all places of the like threatnings There is a notable testimony to this purpose Ier. 5.7 8 9. where the Lord complaineth of this iniquity and of the abuse of his manifold benefits Though I fed them to the full yet they committed adultery and assembled themselues by companies in the harlots houses they rose vp in the morning like fedde horses euery man neyed after their neighbours wife shall I not visite for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be auenged on such a natiō as this We reade in the booke of Genesis that when Pharaoh at the commendation of his Courtiers had taken Abrahams wife into his house the Lord plagued him and his house with great plagues 〈◊〉 12 17. and they ceassed not vntill he had restored her againe and giuen his seruants commandement to doe him no hurt The like we might also speake of Abimelech the king of Gerar when he also sent and tooke her though he had not yet come neere her but onely purposed euill yet the Lord came to him in a dreame by night ◠20.3 and said vnto him Behold thou art but dead because of the woman which thou hast taken for she is a mans wife So then there is ordained for all adulterers and fornicators both temporall and eternall punishments These sinnes shall bring a man to beggery euen to a morsell of bread Prou. 6.26 they shall roote out his house destroy his posterity consume his flesh waste kingdomes yea shut out of Gods kingdome and bring to the condemnation of the diuell forasmuch as no vncleane thing shal enter into the heauens but all murtherers and sorcerers and idolaters and whoremongers shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Reason 1 The reasons hereof are these First the wrath of God is kindled against such In his fauour is happinesse but if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all that trust in him For this cause the Apostle saith Ephe. 5.6 Let no man deceiue you with vaine words for because of these things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience In the words going before he had shewed that no whoremonger or vncleane person hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God the reason is because such lye vnder the heauy wrath of God He is angry with them and therefore woe vnto them If the child see the father angry with him how is hee greeued what saith the Lord vnto Moses concerning the sinne of Myriam his sister Numb 12.14 If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seuen dayes And the Apostle to the Hebrewes chap. 12 9. We haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits and liue What subiect can beare the displeasure of a Prince The feare of a king saith Salomon is like the roaring of a Lyon Prou. 19.12 and 20.2 and 16.14 who so prouoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soule If the lyon hath roared who would not feare as testifieth the Prophet Seeing then the wrath of a king is as messengers of death what shall we thinke the wrath of the King of kings to be who is euen a consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 and deuoureth all as straw and stubble before him Secondly it appeareth to bee a greeuous sinne because it is worse then theft as Salomon Reason 2 maketh the comparison Prou. 6.30.32 Men doe not despise a theefe if he steale to satisfie his soule when he is hungry c. but whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh vnderstanding he that doth it destroyeth his owne soule It is an odious name to be called a theefe but it is more odious to be called an whoremaster A theefe when he hath stollen is carried to the gallowes but the adulterer deserueth it much more What an horrible offence is it to destroy a mans owne soule we pittie him that layeth violent hands vpon his owne body and killeth himselfe Who doth not account Saul and Achitophel and Iudas most infamous who perished with their owne hands but the adulterer doth a thousand times worse he destroyeth his owne soule which is a greater price then the body Thirdly adultery and vncleannesse defile Reason 3 the land not onely the persons and the houses but whole cities and countries vntill all become abominable and the land become full of sinne and therefore no marueile though it be punished of God To this purpose the Lord speaketh in the Law of Moses Leuit. 19.29 Doe not prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore lest the land fall to whoredome and the land become full of wickednesse This sinne is of an infectious nature aboue other suffer it but a little and it will quickly encrease like fire that is kindled in dry wood which suddenly taketh hold and easily passeth from one to another vntill the whole be enflamed Fourthly we must know what our calling Reason 4 is The Gentiles that knew not God and were ignorant of his law defiled themselues with these abominations and were cast out before his face for the land did spew them out as loathsome But we haue learned better things and God hath vouchsafed vs greater mercy he hath called vs to be an holy people to himselfe and redeemed vs that wee should serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues This the Apostle noteth 1 Thess 4.3 4 5 7. This is the will of God euen your sanctification that ye should abstaine from fornication that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in sanctification and honour not in the lust of concupiscence euen as the Gentiles which know not God c. for God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse but vnto holinesse To this we shall adde sundry other reasons afterward when we make vse of this doctrine Vse 1 This serueth to teach vs sundry instructions both touching our knowledge and concerning our obedience First let no man flatter himselfe in this sinne It is accounted of the greatest sort a small and sleight matter a veniall sinne a tricke of youth Such scoffers as these it seemeth were in the Apostles times but now they are more common as the sin is more commonly practised and aboundeth euery where This doth the Apostle declare 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God be not deceiued neither fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate shall inherit the kingdome of God It is a fire that shall deuour to destruction and bring strange punishments vpon the workers of such iniquities The first reproofe Iob 31.3.12 This serueth to reprooue diuers sorts of men
especially to tempt and seduce them These are great motes in Satans eies as marks set vp for him to shoot at because these do most of all seeke the subuersion of his kingdome and the withdrawing of others out of his snares wherein he holdeth them captiue and therefore he hateth them to the death We see he began with Christ and he euermore desireth to hit the fairest marke and to strike downe the highest tree It was a cunning policy of a crafty captaine to command his souldiers to strike at no part of the enemy but at the face and the king of Syria commanded his chiefe commanders to fight neither with small nor great saue only against the king of Israel â— 22.31 Such is the policy of Satan he desireth to winnow and wound the chiefest and choicest of al and he hath oftentimes preuailed as we see in the examples of Noah Lot Dauid Moses Aaron Salomon and many others yea he bendeth his forces and fury so much the more to ouerthrow and ouerturne these because he knoweth that in ouer-mastering them he commonly in their fall giueth the foile to diuers others It is noted that Satan stood at the right hand of Ioshua to resist him Zac. 3.1 So Paul was assaulted aboue his fellows because of his rare and excellent gifts this was the cause why he was so much maligned And Christ telleth his disciples that Satan desired to winnow them â—2 31 them I say aboue others as their calling was aboue others for they were the master-builders and laid the foundation of the Church vpon which others builded Let al those therfore whose place and calling and gifts make theÌ„ euident eminent aboue others take heed to themselues to their carriage and conuersation let them labour to cleaue more closely to God â—5 36 and so to let their light shine before men that they seeing their good works may glorifie their Father which is in heauen These are as chiefe Captaines of the hoste and the ensigne-bearers of the Church to shew the way to others and to go in and out before them in an vnreproueable and vnblameable course and though they draw not all vnto them by their example yet their forwardnesse and feruency their zeale earnestnes shall serue to instruct many others Vse 3 Thirdly seeing these Nazarites must keep themselues from wine and strong drinke as also from eating fresh or dryed grapes so long as the daies of their separation endured or learn hereby that it is our duty to fly from all euill euen all the occasions and allurements of sin whatsoeuer though they be neuer so pleasant to the eye or sweet to the taste inasmuch as we shall find them in the end to be more sharp then vineger more bitter then wormewood more deadly then poison Abner the Captaine of Saul and of his sonne accounted warre as a sport which yong fellowes did make howbeit he confessed the end would prooue bloody 2 Sam. 2.26 when he cryed out Knowest thou not that it will bee bitternesse in the latter end so howsoeuer the foole make a mocke of sinne and it seeme pleasant and profitable at the first yet the end wil be mourning and lamentation This did Zophar teach in the book of Iob Though wickednesse bee sweet in his mouth though hee hide it vnder his tongue yet his meate in his bowels is turned it is the gall of aspes within him c. Hence it is that the Apostle Iames saith Iam. 1.27 Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widows in their affliction and to keepe himselfe vnspotted from the world If we doe this then we shall bee true Nazarites separated from the world and brought neere vnto God then we shall bestow our mindes and meditations vppon him and withdraw our cares and cogitations from the desire of earthly things When God called Abraham out of Vr of the Caldees Gen. 17.1 he required of him to walk before him and to be vpright Such a spirituall Nazarite was Noah God saw him iust in that prophane age when all the earth had corrupted their wayes Gen. 6. Such a Nazarite was Lot in sinfull Sodome 2 Pet. 2.7 when he vexed his righteous soule from day to day beholding the vncleane conuersation of those cursed Sodomites Thus was Noah out of the world while he was in the world thus was Lot out of Sodome even while he was in Sodome and thus should our conuersation be in heauen while we haue our being and dwelling vpon the earth Phil. 3. Such a Nazarite was Nathaniel in whose spirit there was no guile Ioh. 1. for as he is said to be an Israelite indeed so it may be said he was a Nazarite indeed And as these were holy vnto God so must we labour after purity and offer vp our bodies an holy and liuing sacrifice to God Rom. 12.1 Euery one that calleth vpon the Name of the Lord must depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 We must labour to be cleere from the workes of darknesse and from the sinnes of worldlings and wicked persons marking what the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 7 1. Cleanse you selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God For as these Nazarites were not to taste of the iuyce of liquour of the grape so we should not intermeddle with any sinne but shunne and shake off the same much more then we would to be defiled with mire and dirt 2 Cor. 6.17 remember the counsell of the same Apostle What agreement what fellowship is there betweene light darkneâ— therefore come out from among them and separate your selues touch no vnclean thing then shall we be the sonnes and daughters of the Lord Almighty Vse 4 Fourthly consider from hence the false ground that the Papists build vpon to establish the Monkish and Fryarly Orders wherby they build an house vpon the sand which cannot continue For from this ceremony and vow of the Nazarites being a more strict kind of life in the abstinence from sundry pleasures that others lawfully tooke in the moderate vse of the good creatures of God and consequently a profession of greater holinesse by sequestring themselues from the company of men to giue themselues wholly to prayer and meditation Bellar. contro 5. cap. 5. lib 2. de Monachis the Popish doctors goe about to defend the Monks and Friars and that swarme and rabble of Locusts that came out of the bottomelesse pit and to set vp their vnorderly Orders to be a profession of life of greater holinesse and perfection aboue others which the common sort cannot attaine vnto Howbeit if we consider the matter aright compare them together we shall see there is no agreement nor likenesse betweene them This vow was grounded vpon the word of God and warranted from thence the Monkish life is deducted from the puddles of mans inuention These bound themselues
belong vnto them much more the outward signe may bee administred vnto them so we say touching the other that if the blood of Christ and remission of sins belong to the people of God much more doth the cup which is a seale thereof Againe they deale no better with theÌ„ for the word it selfe They haue corrupted and poisoned their food with apochryphall additions Papists dâ— starue the people of God with humane traditions with keeping it in a strange toong as it were vnder locke and key and so starue them whom they should nourish and strengthen And how can they deale better with the people in the word and sacraments who haue set vp another Christ a false and counterfeit Christ they destroy his natures his offices they deny him to be the onely King the onely Teacher the onely Priest of his Church they make other Mediatours and Redeemers they scoffe at our righteousnes standing in the imputation of his righteousnesse So then the diet that the Romanists allow vnto men is a poore thin diet it is not able to maintaine life in the body for whereas the food wherwith the Lord would haue vs fed standeth in three things in beleeuing in Christ in receiuing the word and in partaking of the Sacraments they feed the Church with chaffe and huskes no better then saw-dust for the word they haue corrupted the sacraments they haue mangled and Christ Iesus himselfe they haue vtterly denied Secondly it reproueth such Ministers as feed their sheep in short pastures and allow vnto them a more sparing diet theÌ„ the great Shepheard of the sheepe hath appointed vnto them They giue them no more food if so much then serueth to keepe the soule in life and therefore the sheepe that depend vpon their feeding and allowance are leane and starueling sheep such as euery bush and brier is able to entangle and euery ditch is able to drown Some feed them with bread that is dry and mouldy vnfit for nourishment Some thinke it enough to preach once a moneth â—e sheepe of â—â—rist should â—ell fed or once a quarter It were rather to be wished that they would allow theÌ„ two meals a day that the sheepe of Christ may be fat and strong according to the bodily diet which our selues do take Let vs not therefore feede our selues to the full and starue the sheep for which Christ Iesus died and when God hath dealt liberally with them let vs not pinch theÌ„ and pine them away but as good Stewards of the house bring forth store both old new We ought to preach the word in season out of season 〈◊〉 3 2. and not deale as greedy and couetous masters do with their seruants that pinch theÌ„ of their meate and seeing we reape plentifully of the people let vs not deale sparingly with them Lastly it reproueth the people themselues that when God would haue them well fed in their soules care not how little food they receiue themselues The Sabbath is the Lords feast day Why should we refuse to take two meales on this day when it is prouided for vs If wee tooke our food but once in the day we should starue our bodies oh take heed we do not so to our soules And let vs beware we doe not make more reckoning of feasting and filling of the body then of feeding the soule Alasse how many are there that are content to buy their pleasures and pastimes with the losse of the word of God! and yet are neuer a whit touched with it Are not these like Esau are not these I say as prophane as Esau Vse 5 Lastly it behoueth vs to redeeme the time that is to come and to be more carefull of the soules health diet strength and nourishment then of the bodies according to the counsell of Christ Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for that meate which endureth vnto euer lasting life 〈◊〉 27. c. Seeing then we haue such choise and variety of dainty food sweet meats banquetting dishes and all other good things offered vnto vs and set before vs in Gods house and at his table let no other feasting pleasure banquet meeting or voluptuous liuing keep vs from his house or make vs to come vnreuerently or vnworthily vnto the same Many do so fill nay glut and gorge themselues with eating and drinking that they are more fit to sleepe then either to heare or to pray Let vs be more carefull to fill our soules with marrow fatnesse then to fulfill the desires of the flesh and to surfet on our carnall pelights Ver. 11 14 15. Then Moses heard the people weepe c. Thus much of the murmuring now we come to the communication which is double First the complaint of Moses the answer of God secondly the exception of Moses replying against Gods answer as if his word had not beene sufficient and then another answer of God satisfying him In the first part of the first answer set downe in these verses we haue Moses complaining of two things both because God had not dealt well graciously with him to lay so great a burden vpon him to take the charge of so great a people without helpers and assisters which made him euen wish for death and because he was not able to feed them and to satisfie their requests touching the flesh that they lusted after saying Giue vs flesh that we may eate It is remembred in Exodus ch 16 12 13. that they murmured against Moses Whether the quailes lusted after Exod 16 13. be the same set down in this place and lusted after flesh and had quailes sent them wherevpon the question may bee asked whether that history be the same that is mentioned in this place and whether both were sent at one and the same time I answer the histories are diuers both in regard of the circumstances of time and place These were giuen to satisfie them a whole moneth the other but one time These fell a daies iourney without the host on each side the other onely couered the campe they lusting after these are sharply punished the other are not We may obserue out of the words of Moses that many are the failings of the best seruants of God for in many things we sinne all Againe Moses doth rashly expostulate with God and vnaduisedly wish for death So did Iob chap. 3 3. and Eliah 1 Kings 19 4. and Ieremy chap. 15 10. and 20 14 and Ionah ch 4 30 So it is with many though they haue not yet learned what it is to liue neither are any way prepared for death yet through impatience vnder the crosse wish for death But this is our weaknesse rather to wish not to be then to be in any misery and aduersity Rather it behoueth vs to tarry the Lords leysure to hope in him for he shall bring it to passe Psal 37. But to let this passe obserue the title that Moses giueth to Magistracy he calleth it
others from wrath wee might haue some couer for our sinnes but all this can doe vs no good we lie open to Gods punishments This serueth to reproue many carnall and Vse 1 formall Christians that oftentimes encourage themselues in euill and strengthen themselues by the example of others and especially by the fall of such as they finde recorded in holie Scriptures They alledge for themselues that Noah fell into drunkennesse Dauid into adultery Lot into incest Peter denied his master Thomas one of the twelue doubted thorough infidelity and such like These examples are written not to the end we should follow them and doe the like Why the fals of the faithful are recorded in Scripture but that others should bee warned by their fals not to do the like and be stirred vp by repentance after their example Nay these are the rather to be reproued who seeme to builde vpon such examples because they finde that these men were plagued punished for the euilles which they committed The Scripture doth not set down their offence and then hide their punishment but ioyneth the one with the other as if this were written before our eyes Do not the like Seeing therefore others before vs haue beene visited with great iudgements for the same sins feare least the same befall to vs also that befell to them If we will follow multitudes to euill because such sinnes are in fashion and in common practise if we will do as the most doe let vs take heede there is no comfort in such companie neither shall it ease any one to goe to hell in a throng Let vs not regard the number or authority or learning of euill men but rather follow the truth in matter of faith and profession for otherwise we shall quickly be remoued from it Acts. 28 22. The truth was euerie where spoken against It hath beene the portion of the truth in all ages Esay 55 1. Who hath beleeued our report None of the Princes or Gouernors beleeued in Christ Iohn 7 48 49. but a few of the people whom they pronounced and accounted to be cursed Vse 2 Secondly from hence we ground a reproofe for children and seruants following their Parents and masters and thinking it a sufficient discharge to themselues because they doe as they see them do before them Wo vnto those that giue them euill example and lay a stumbling blocke before them Such parents are greatest enemies to their owne seruants Parents many times are the greatest enemies to their own children We must follow our heauenly Father before earthly fathers our Master in heauen before our masters on the earth Wee must follow them when they command vnder God not when they command aboue him or against him We must follow our teachers so long as they sit in the chaire of Moses and teach vs out of the Law and the Prophets Matth. 23 2 3. When the mother of Christ saide vnto him by way of taxing him for not following them he answered Luke 2 49. Wist ye not that I must bee about my Fathers businesse The Disciples of Christ replied vnto the Councell charging them to preach no more in the name of Christ Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more then vnto God iudge you Act. 4 19. And Paul willeth the Corinthians to be followers of him as far forth as he was of Christ 1 Cor. 11 1. Wee must giue an account to God whose steps we follow and therefore wee ought to say Wee ought to obey God rather then men Actes chap. 5 ver 29. Vse 3 Thirdly wee may gather from hence a reproofe of sottish and ignorant Recusants standing and grounding onely vpon their Forefathers such as can giue no other reason of their religion but that they were borne and bred in it Psal 78 8. They should not bee like their Fathers a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God And indeede what doe these poore seduced soules say for themselues which the Turkes and Infidels may not obiect and alledge as well as they For haue not they sucked in their superstition and impiety together with their mothers milke and continued from father to sonne for manie hundred yeeres It is an horrible abhomination wherein they haue bene nuzled can it be a good argument therefore from their birth and nurture to conclude their continuance in that damnable religion If they thinke this to be a grosse comparison wrongly applyed vnto them because they hate that superstition and professe the Christian religion I would know of them whether they thinke vs to be right or not The most learned and best approoued amongst them deny vs to bee any church at all because we liue not vnder the gouernment of the byshop of Rome yet this is the Religion that we were borne and bred in wee haue had it from our Fathers we haue seene the practise of no other If then they will not allow vs to reason in that manner and to make the example of our Fathers a president to our selues how is it that they take liberty to builde their faith vpon others and to follow the footsteps of their forefathers But as our religion thogh we be ready to defend it to bee good because it is builded vpon the foundation of the Prophets Apostles yet it is not therefore good because we haue receiued it by tradition from men but because wee haue learned it from the word of God so if they haue no more to say for the truth of their religion and the iustification of their faith then that they were born and brought vp in it they build their faith and religion vpon the sand which cannot continue when the raine falleth and the winde bloweth vpon it Fourthly this should perswade euery one of vs how to carry our selues namely that we Vse 4 should not take any approbation or liking of the euill of other neither ought we to imitate any in sinne how holy soeuer they seeme to be neither giue consent to them by our practise forasmuch as Gods hand hath ouertaken them at one time or other If a man surfet on that meat which he hath seene another before him to surfet no man will pitty him or if he see another drinke a cup of poyson and therevpon to fall downe dead before him if he notwithstanding will aduenture to drinke of the same cup he must needs be without all excuse and perish iustly so is all euill as a cup of poyson he that taketh and toucheth it shall speed no better then we know thousands haue done before vs who haue bought their pleasures of sinne at too deare a rate If men cry out vnto vs as the children of the Prophets did There is death in the pot 2 Kings 4 40. what do we but bring death and damnation vpon our owne soules and as it were willingly lay hands vpon our selues if we
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
This is farther to bee strengthened with reason First true godlinesse and religion haue the Reason 1 promises of the blessings of this life and of the life to come 1 Tim. 4 8. Deut. 28 1 2 3 4 c. then it will follow on the contrary that impiety and vngodlines haue the curses plagues both of the one and the other due vnto them For it were great iniustice in God if he should reward the workes of piety and religion and should not as well punish the workes of impiety and prophanenesse Secondly such workes are committed directly Reason 2 and immediately against the person of God himselfe but the workes of vnrighteousnesse are against men He is more seuerely punished that flieth in the Princes face woundeth him then he that hurteth any of his seruants Such as with an high hand breake the first Table do as it were flie in Gods face and rebell against them such as transgresse the second hurt some of his seruants So then when we fall to practise against his owne person or his honour there is great reason to thinke hee will visite for those especially and therefore such lawes are called the first and great commādement Math. 22 36 38. Thirdly such works of impiety are the causes Reason 3 of wrong iniustice hatred and of all vnrighteousnesse The breach of the first Table procureth the breach of the second Rom. 1 21 22 23. Because they regarded not to know God he gaue them ouer to vile affections When he gaue them vp to vncleannes it was a punishment of their vnthankfulnesse and not honouring of him The vses follow Such are first of all reproued Vse 1 as are accounted ciuill honest men in the world and reputed vnblameable among their neighbours I doe not meane that they are to bee reproued for their ciuility and honesty which are not to be condemned in themselues for they are good but such as content themselues with an outward ciuill carriage among men and to be praised of them hauing no feare of God or care of religion in them but all their care and conscience is to deale iustly with men and in the mean season wholly neglect their duty to God these are liable to Gods iudgements as well as those that are altogether prophane and wicked These are they that haue no care to sanctifie the Sabath no delight in praier no hungring thirsting after knowledge but remaine in blindnesse ignorance carelesse in frequenting the hearing of the word and in receiuing of the Sacraments They will boast they loue the Church as well as any of their neighbors but small fruites appeare of their going thither or of their coming from thence They thinke all is well enough if they be iust in their outward dealings they make account that they are not to be blamed and they stand in feare of no iudgments of God at all So it was with the rich man Math. 19 20. he thought he had done al euen from his youth that he lacked nothing but being tried by the first commandement whether he did loue God aboue all he plainly descried that his ciuill honesty was meere hypocrisie and his fulfilling of the law no better then a flattering of himselfe In like manner do such men much deceiue themselues and are like to a subiect whose whole care is to deale iustly and vprightly with his fellowes but vtterly neglecteth his duty to his Prince and practiseth rebellion against him all his life If such a man deale iustly among other men and will not commit adultery or murther by any meanes tell me in reason can all this his care helpe him when he shal be conuicted for high treason against his Prince Certainely this iust and vpright carriage toward the people shall stand him in little stead Likewise many men in all places do liue continually in the practise of rebellion against the person of God himselfe howsoeuer they seeme very carefull and conscionable of their duty toward men yet God will finde them out for the contempt of him For they are growne to this prophanenesse What need so much preaching or so much hearing and so they begin to scorne and scoffe at those that liue in the obedience of these holy duties Let me tell these though they be neuer so iust in their conuersation doing no wrong paying all mē shewing mercy to them that need yet they lie open notwithstanding all these to Gods iudgements for want of the true power of religion If thou shouldst see a man liue in the grosse sinnes of the second Table in murther adultery robbery drunkennesse false witnes-bearing and the like wouldst thou not think him worthy to be plagued by the hand of God why then should we thinke that such as liue in the breaches of the first Table more grosse thē these which haue the first place are not liable to iudgement as wel or rather much more then the other Vse 2 Secondly this teacheth all such as haue any rule ouer others to be carefull to teach such as are vnder them in the waies of godlinesse that they may know the Father to be true God him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Iohn 17 3. First it is the duty of Princes and Magistrates to haue a great care of true religion that God be faithfully serued by their people It is not enough for them to prouide that they may haue a people faithfull and loyall to thēselues except they be also faithfull to God The godly kings are commended for their care in aduancing the glory of God and for their zeale in causing all the people committed to their charge to be instructed It were easie to enlarge this by the examples of Dauid of Asa of Iehoshaphat of Hezekiah and Iosiah they made a couenant with God to serue him themselues and to cause him to bee serued of their people Asa commanded Iudah to serue the Lord of their fathers and to doe the law and the commandements that whosoeuer would not seeke the Lord whether he were small or great whether man or woman should be put to death 2 Chron 14 4 and 15 13. Deut. 17 19. 2 Kings 23 2 3. 2 Chron. 19 7 8 9. Thus it ought to be with all fathers and masters they must teach their children seruants that they may know the Lord and set their hope in him not forget his works but keepe his comandements Psal 78 6 7 4 9 and 11 19 21. Eph. 6 4. Deut. 6 7. Eli the Priest of the Lord is first threatned and afterward punished for neglect of this duty 1 Sam. 2 and 3. The example is written for our instruction that we should beware of the like transgression Thirdly see the fearefull condition of many Vse 3 men of all sorts for they liue vnder a fearfull iudgement of God and yet do not see it because through the whole course of their liues they practise the workes of impiety liuing in palpable ignorance in contempt of the Word
hath another two edged sword the sworde of his iudgement that shall cut vs in peeces and bring vs to vtter confusion If the former bee not sharpe enough to cut the cords of our sins which we haue so strongly twisted yet the latter shall be able to consume vs and wee shall not be able to resist it 33 And it came to passe as hee had made an end of speaking all these wordes that the ground claue asunder that was vnder them 32 And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them vp and their houses and all the men that appertained vnto Korah and all their goods The threatning of the iudgement went before denounced by God pronounced by the mouth of Moses the execution followeth with wonderfull terror and astonishment on euery side when the earth which GOD had made firme and established by a perpetuall decree to stand fast vnder our feete could no longer sustaine and beare vp these wretches but swallowed them vp We see here that all the threatnings of God in their times and seasons come to passe and that all the elements are armed for the confusion and destruction of the wicked wicked â—dly crie â—od when â—oo late Now these rebels beginne to cry verse 34. but they cry out and howle when it is too late they should haue cryed vnto God for mercy and forgiuenesse while it was time and pardon was offered Thus no doubt did many men of the old world cry out when they were in the water but then the acceptable time was past they should haue watered their harts with the teares of repentance when Noah preached vnto them The Sodomites no doubt cried out when fire and brimstone was come downe vpon them but they shold haue cryed to God when hee cryed vnto them by Lot whom he sent among them But then was the time of iudgement the time of mercy was gone and past So it was with Esau when he had sold his birthright and lost the blessing he cryed with a great cry and a bittter but it was too late Heb. 12 17. Gen. 27 28. So did the rich man being in hell in torments Luke 16 23. then he called for mercy but mercie was departed from him Heere is time and place for mercy but there is no mercy to be had in hell The earth is the schoole of instruction hell is the house of correction There the Reprobate cry and yell where is nothing but weeping gnashing of teeth but it is without ease without end without profite They that could shedde neuer a teare to God in this life shall be constrained to shed abundance of teares in the pit of destruction The teares of repentance that we poure out ascend vp vnto heauen and are kept in a bottle of remembrance but the teares that are wrung from the reprobate in hell are neuer gathered vp nor regarded of God and are vtterly vnprofitable to our selues Let it therefore bee our wisedome to make vse of the time of Gods mercy and patience and know that there is no place of repentance after this life â—rine But to leaue this to our farther meditations â—us perâ—all com â—ruction consider with me in these fearefull examples of Korah Dathan and Abiram and their companions as well those that were swallowed in the earth as those that were consumed by fire the end of all Conspirators and seditious persons such as rise vp against Princes and lawfull Magistrates that are the Lords annointed haue their power from him they cannot prosper or haue good successe but are made examples to others The doctrine from hence assureth that seditions persons come to destruction to an vntimely death albeit timely enough in respect of their merits and deserts Such as resist lawful and publike authority are iustly cut off by that authority which they resist I will not handle this point at large as it would require I will be short in it as the life of these men also ought to bee Looke vpon the attainder of the two Eunuches that sought to lay hands vpon King Ahashuerosh Ester 2 21. In whose enditement though there were no fact found but onely a plot and purpose to haue done it yet they dyed as iustly as Mordecai was iustly honoured and rewarded for the discouerie thereof The Scripture is full of prohibitions and examples ratifying the same Eccle. 10 20. Prou. 24 21 22. Ier. 27 8. 2 Sam. 18 9. 16 23. This Dauid knew well enough For when Saul was deliuered into his hand and lay asleepe in his tent he would not kill him neither suffer any to touch him but said Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Annointed and be guiltlesse 1 Sam. 26 9 10. and 24 7 11. They that slew Ishbosheth and brought his head to Hebron vnto Dauid looking for a reward were indeed iustly rewarded with death and had their hands and feete cut off and were hanged vp 2 Sam. 4 11 12. hee required his blood at those wicked mens hands and tooke them away from the earth Heereunto come the words of Iezebel 2 Kings 9 31. Had Zimri peace which slew his master But we need not seeke so farre for forreine examples wee haue seene the truth of this oftentimes at home I may not forget the late examples very memorable and remarkeable I meane the righteous most deserued execution of those that prepared the powder and would haue lighted the match in that late monstrous Gun-powder Treason some of them hang in the aire others hanged themselues c. None escaped the hand of God or man And no maruell because such as fight against Reason 1 God from whom commeth all power and it is hee that setteth Princes vpon their throne Iohn 19 11. Rom. 13 1.2 Psal 75 7. Prou. 8 15. Daniel 2 21. He annointed Saul by the hand of Samuel to be Head ouer his people 1 Sam. 10.1 and he chose him to be King ouer Israel verse 24. He sent his seruant Eliah to annoint Hazael and Iehu the one to be King of Syria the other ouer Israel 1 King 19 15 16. The God of heauen gaue to Nebuchadnezzar a kingdome power strength and glory thogh he knew not God neither acknowledged the hand that set him vp Daniel 2 verse 27. 2. Chron. 9. verse 8. and 1 Chronic. chapt 28. verse 4. If then Caesar be ordained to be Caesar of God they cannot prosper that set theÌ„selues against Caesar because they set themselues against God Secondly such are seuerely punished because Reason 2 disobedience and disloyalty rebellion treason are not one sinne onely but the sinke of all sinnes and as Paul speaketh of another the roote of all euill An heathen man could say That Rebellion is all kinde of euill and as a Channell from whence they doe flow The first sparke of that fire is pride and ambition discontentment giueth it entertainement enuy bloweth the coales wrath malice increase the flame till all things farre and neere
be in a combustion Thirdly as rebellion is an heape of manie sinnes so it ruineth many persons and therefore they iustly deserue first of all to be buried in those ruines themselues and to fall into the pit which they digged for another The life of one Prince is of more value then of many others Therefore the people suffered not Dauid to goe in person against Absolon but saide vnto him If wee flye away they will not care for vs neither if halfe of vs dye will they care for vs but now thou art worth tenne thousand of vs as 2. Samuel chap. 18. verse 3. And againe when Ishbi-benob which was of the sonnes of the gyants was like to haue slaine Dauid with the sword had he not beene presently succoured by Abishai who smote the Philistim and killed him his men sware vnto him saying 2. Sam. 21 17 Thou shalt go no more out with vs to battell that thou quench not the light of Israel The King is the Sunne and shield of the Land he is the light of Israel take him away and all is left in miserable and vncomfortable darkenesse Many mens liues depend vpon his life and the safety of thousands vpon his safetie Princes are the Fathers of the Country more dangerous for the subiect to kill one of them then for the childe to kill the Father as much more as the ruine of the commonwealth consisting of innumerable thousands of houses is worse then the fal of one particular and priuate house As then the Captaine of an hoast is worth many souldiers and the Gouernour of a ship many common passengers and Marriners so is the Head of the kingdome more of valew then many subiects Though many souldiers haue fallen in battell yet often the victory hath beene gotten sildome or neuer when the Generall falleth 1 Kings 22 35 36. And to this purpose wee may well apply that which is written though spoken to another end I will smite the Sheepheard and the sheepe of the Flocke shall bee scattered abroad Matth. 26 verse 31. Fourthly such as conspire against Princes haue bene punished oftentimes in their house in their lands in offices in death in buriall in name and in posterity For who knoweth not the custome obserued euen from the beginning as we may see also in holy Scripture Ester 8 1. 2 Sam. 16 4. 1 Kings 2.16 Ier. 22 8. Prou. 10 7. All dignities and preferments are taken away from such greeuous torments and tortures are laide vpon them a violent death is prepared for them an honourable buriall is denied vnto them their blood is stayned and tainted and the children vnborn feele the smart of it Vse 1 This putteth vs in minde of sundrie duties due to Kings and Princes First we must stand in feare of them they carry not the sword in vain Rom. 13.4 Iob 19 29. It is not put into their hands for a shew for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Therefore Salomon saith The wrath of a King is as the Messenger of death Prouer. 16 14. and like the roaring of a Lyon chap. 19 12. We must therefore feare the sword of Caesar and therefore haue Princes the sword of iustice born before them that the beholding thereof might put all persons in remembrance of this dutie Plutar. in 〈◊〉 Romes Among the heathen the Romane kings Dictators Pretors and Consuls had their Rods and Axes euermore carried before them to breed a terror of their authority in all that see them A good subiect as one saith feareth blame as much as paine and reproch as much as death The good subiect hath alwayes one eye vpon the sharpnesse of this sword that he doth not prouoke it and the other vpon the heynousnesse of this offence that hee neuer commit it This feare is the best porter at the Princes gate it serueth notably to keepe all traitors and rebels out of the kings Court and treachery out of the peoples heart It is as a bridle that curbeth all disobedience where it is not there is an easie entrance for traitors and treasons like the horse which hauing the bridle pulled out of his mouth rusheth forward into the battaile without order and gouernment Hence it is that Salomon ioyneth the feare of God and the fear of the King together Prou. 24 21. where the feare of GOD is which is the beginning of wisedome there will follow the feare of superiour powers ordained of God Another duty is to honour Princes whom Vse 2 God hath first honoured Rom. 13 7. Giue honor to whom ye owe honor So Exod. 20 12. and 22 28. 1 Pet. 2 17. Ester would not presume into the presence of the great King vntill hee held out his golden Scepter Chap. 5 1 2. Ioab though hee were Captaine of the hoast gaue Dauid the honour of the victorie 2 Sa. 12 27. Nathan the Prophet and Zadok the Priest made obeysance before Dauid with their faces to the ground 1 Kings 1 23. And Bathsheba the Queene bowed her face to the earth and did reuerence to the King and saide Let my Lord King Dauid liue for euer v. 31. Euery soule is bound to yeeld this honour if they would be honoured of God Thirdly we are to performe obedience Vse 3 whereunto a way is made by the former For if wee truely honour them wee will readily obey them euen for Conscience sake This is a dutie yeelded by the Childe vnto the Father by the Seruant to the Maister much more then ought it to bee yeelded by the Subiect vnto his Soueraigne as in Titus chapter 3. verse 1. and in the 1. Peter chapt 2. verse 13. This must bee performed readily sincerely and heartily Obiect But it may bee sayde That some are euill Princes wicked men contrary to God whence springeth all goodnesse are such to bee obeyed I answer Answer It skilleth not what their persons bee the full security and therefore it is iust with God to make vs feele his iudgements in our owne persons 41 And on the morrow all the Congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye haue killed the people of the Lord. 42 And it came to passe when the Congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron that they looked toward the Tabernacle of the Congregation and behold the Cloud couered it and the glory of the Lord appeared 43. And Moses and Aaron came c. 44 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying c. 45 Get you vp from this Congregation c. In these words to the ende of the chapter we see another murmuring the day after the former The earth that had opened her mouth was scarse closed and the fire that was kindled was scarse quenched when they fell to a fresh conspiracy This is the nature of wicked men they are neuer at rest like the sea that is euer troubled Esay 57 20. This is the nature of sinne if it be not by and
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
mocke to our enemy 4 After they departed from mount Hor by the way of the red sea to compasse the land of Edom and the soule of the people was sore greeued because of the way 5 For the people spake against God and against Moses saying Wherefore haue ye brought vs out of Egypt to die in this wildernesse for heere is neither bread nor water c. 6 Wherefore the Lord sent fiery serpents c. 7 Then the people came to Moses and saide We haue sinned c. 8 And the Lord said vnto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent c. 9 So Moses made a serpent of Brasse c. Hitherto of the first part of the Chapter containing the encounter betweene the Canaanites and the Israelites now we come to the second part handling the eight and last murmuring of the people through wearinesse of their way and compasse they were compelled to fetch through the vnmercifulnesse of the Edomites wherby they offended God againe In this history we are to consider sundry circumstances setting downe their sinne who fal againe into their former faults and offences As the dog returneth to his vomite 2 Pet. 2.22 and the Sow vnto the wallowing in the myre First the place and occasion hereof is described Secondly the manner of their sinne Thirdly the matter and substance thereof wherein it consisteth is set downe Fourthly the punishment and iudgement of God inflicted vpon them for their sinne Lastly the euents and effects following the punishment First touching the circumstances of the place and occasion of the sinne obserue that the Israelites departing from Hor and crossed in their purpose weree constrained to trauell all along the coasts of Edom and to passe ouer a most perilous and dangerous desert as it is set forth Deut. 8.15 Where the hearts of the people failed and fainted where the fiery serpents stung and destroyed them and where thirst pined them away It was no small greefe and vexation vnto them hauing onely a short cut into Canaan by crossing ouer the countrey of the Edomites to wander vp and downe to trauerse the ragged rockes the high mountaines and the vaste wildernesse and thereupon they brake out through impatiency of spirit to murmure against Moses They thinke themselues in the high pride of their hauty hearts able to match and to meete with the king of Edom in the field to giue him battell and to worke their owne peace and passage by dint of the sword as they had ouerthrowne Harad a king of the Canaanites and destroyed his cities and therefore needed not to stand at the mercy and courtisie of others nor fetch such compasses as Moses made them to doe in the wildernesse Secondly the manner of their murmuring is remembred verse 5. where the hand of God being heauy vpon them in that great and terrible wildernesse they do not cry to him they doe not call to mind that blessed experience of his helping hand which they had found euer ready to succour and sustaine them Exo. 14.13 14 they consider not the reuenge and punishment that God from time to time had taken of their murmurings but they flye vpon him as a mad dog in the face of his master that feedeth and fostereth him that breedeth and bringeth him vp they reuile and raile vpon his seruant Moses Such is the slippery place of gouernement such is the nature of the multitude and such is the lot of Gods Ministers Thirdly the summe and substance of their mutiny and murmuring is two-fold First a very vehement expostulation with Moses for bringing them out of Egypt wherein they disgorge their malice with full or rather foule mouthes Exod. 14.11 As if he had aduisedly and purposely brought them into the wildernesse to destroy them Secondly obserue the reasons of that expostulation which are two first because at this present no bread no water no foode appeared vnto them who measured the strength of God by the length of their bellies now they account themselues ready to bee famished Which kind of death proceeding from hunger and famine of all other kinds that can be thought vpon is most wretched and miserable it hath driuen men and women to this exigent to eate their owne flesh Deu. 28.53 2 king 6.29 and the flesh of their children Secondly because they were weary of Manna which they call a light a sight or vile meate such as no reckoning or account was to be made thereof Wherein they slander God bring vp an euill name and report of his miraculous work and complaine of their necessity where no want was and of hunger where no hunger was and so their vnbridled tongues testifie their vnthankefull hearts saying That they were weary of their liues for this light meat which God notwithstanding had sent them from heauen Psal 78.25 and fed them with Angels foode in great aboundance verifying the saying of the Wiseman Prou 19.3 The foolishnesse of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord. The fourth point followeth namely the punishment which God inflicted without any communication had with Moses or denouncing of it before it fell as God had done before when he hid not from Moses what he was determined to doe before he hid it but presently punished them to shew the greeuousnesse of their sinne and the greatnesse of his wrath conceiued against them The punishment was Psal 140.3 That whereas they had sharpned their tongues like Serpents so as the poison of adders and astes was vnder their lippes he sent among them a kind of Scorpions and Serpents which with their biting infused their venome and poison which immediately being shed dispersed it selfe into all their body whereby they were inflamed with such extraordinary heate that they endured great drought and suffered a great thirst whereof they complained before They thought they complained of thirst iustly but now they feele it indeed to the full so that such are were stung with this venemous byting dyed the death The last circumstances to bee considered are the effects following For first the people in this great extremity and anguish of spirit come in haste to Moses against whom before they maliciously murmured to whom they confesse their offence â—n 5.16 that now began to lie sore vpon their conciences and desire earnestly his prayers that they might bee preserued and deliuered from the venemous bytings of those stinging serpents which Moses doth willingly faithfully performe being mindfull of his owne duty and vnmindfull of their wrongs Secondly the Lord hauing brought the people to a sight of their sinnes by a feeling of his iudgments that they humble themselues before him confesse their offences and call for mercy he heareth the prayer of Moses For the prayer of a faithfull man preuaileth much if it be feruent 〈◊〉 5.15 is reconciled vnto them and witnesseth the same by giuing them a true token and shewing the meanes and remedy of their present malady commanding a
Captaines and Moses himselfe disdained not to set their hands to worke No doubt many of the people ioyned with them as helpers forward but the principal men and heads of the families are heere named because they did direct strengthen and encourage others that were vnder them by their good example The doctrine arising from hence is this That publicke persons vnto whom God hath granted honor and principality Doctrine All Supeâ— must giue eâ—ample to â— Inferiors and preferred before their brethren are not only to informe their inferiors and giue directions vnto them by word but by their example and practise to go before them All superiors are to teach by example of life as well as by word of mouth their inferiors So then we are all from this example of the zeale of Moses and forwardnesse of the Princes of the Tribes to consider that it is required of cheefe personnes whose heads are aduanced aboue others to haue in them a zeale and forwardnes to further good things in others that so their care may be answerable to the place wherein God hath set them This is proued vnto vs in the example of Eliud one of the Iudges who hauing slaine Eglon King of Moab and knowing there was a greater worke behinde to do it is sayde he blew a Trumpet in Mount Ephraim he assembled the people and he went before them saying vnto them Follow me Marke here how he thought it not enough to shew the Children of Israel what was to be done and to direct them in the way but himselfe ioyneth with them nay goeth before them hee followeth not his owne ease hee seeketh not his owne pleasure he layeth not the burthen vpon them to keepe at home himselfe but being fitted called of God hee began the enterprize and looked for the issue from him His example not onely in speaking but in going before them was very auaileable The like we see in Dauid whose zeale for the Lords house had euen eaten him vp hauing an intent to cal the Arke home to Sion from the house of Abinadab he called the people together â— 6 1 5 he praised God with instruments of musicke he danced before the Arke and gaue a notable testimony how feruent he was and with what ioy of heart he went about it The like practise wee see in Salomons sonne who sate in his Throne when once the Temple was builded when the worke of the Lord was finished and when the people were assembled hee in their sight and hearing doth dedicate the Temple with a fruitfull comfortable and passionate prayer and intreateth the Lords gracious presence when in that holy place they should call vpon him 1 Kin. 8 22. The like forwardnes in the workes of the Lord wee finde in Iehoshaphat Hezekiah Iosiah Ezra Nehemiah Zerobabel Mordecai and sundry others these went before others in zeale and accounted it a shame reproch vnto them to be matched in goodnesse of those whom they ouer-matched and ouer-mastered in greatnesse This made Iosua say who was Gouernor of the people I and my house will serue the Lord Iosh 24.15 This made Dauid say Psal 101 2. I will walke in the vprightnesse of my heart in the midst of my house This made the Apostle say 2 Thes 3 7. speaking of the idle that walked inordinately and would not worke Ye your selues know how yee ought to follow vs for wee behaued not our selues inordinately among you vrging his owne example to prouoke and pricke them forward Reason 1 This truth will yet further appeare vnto vs when we shall consider how it is proued and vnder-propped by strength of Reason â—irst it is the Lords dooing to make them a distinct people and order by themselues Hath he aduanced them to no purpose had he no end in choosing them from among their brethren and setting them in degree of dignitie before them We know that all Gods workes haue som end which he respecteth he worketh nothing idlely euery action hath his special and proper end His separation of them to rule in the Land or Church is that they should execute the things that concern Gods glory with all zeale This we see in the booke of Ester ver 4 when she was desirous to shrink backe and not aduenture her selfe beholding the hazard of her life and the danger of death before her eyes except the king did graciouslie respect her and fauâ—urably hold out his golden scepter Mordecai presseth her with this reason Who knoweth whether the LORD hath brought thee to the kingdom for such a time And Nehemiah aimeth at this in chap. 6. ver 10 11. where being counselled to hide his head and to shut the doores of the Temple vpon him because the enemies would come sodainely vpon him and slay him hee opposeth his calling Should such a man as I fly Who is he being as I am that would go into the temple to liue I will not go in As if he shold say God hath promoted me to this place of honor hath brought vpon me the dignity that I neuer looked for and therefore I will aduenture to stand out in the discharge of the worke of the Lord inasmuch as promotion commeth neither from East nor West but from him Secondly such as are aduanced aboue others Reason 2 lye open to wrath and iudgement as well as others Albeit they bee great in the world and can plead with men yet they cannot pleade with the Lord seeing the greatest men lye open to the greatest punishments If therefore they would not kindle Gods wrath against themselues against their houses and against their posterities they must go before others in all godlinesse and instruct them by word and by example This is the reason that king Artashasht vseth Ezra 7 23. Whatsoeuer is by the commandement of the God of heauen let it be done speedily for the house of the God of heauen for why should he be wroth against the realm of the King and his children So in Num. 25 4 9. the Lord commaunded a thousand of the Rulers of the people to be hanged before him against the Sunne because they stayed not the people from ioyning themselues to Baal â—cor In like manner because Eli reformed not his sonnes but suffered them to run forward in their sins who through their extreme wickednes caused all Israel to abhorre the offerings of the Lord his house was destroyed 1 Sam. 2 31. his sons were slaine and himselfe brake his necke with a fall from his seate The Vses are these First of al see how comfortable Vse 1 it is to all inferiours when the Lord blesseth a land and people to giue them faithfull Rulers godly Princes zealous Nobles righteous Magistrates painfull Ministers by whose example and practise they are led and guided to all wel-doing It is an ancient saying Of what disposition soeuer Princes are â—laudianus the people will not be vnlike â—hem Experience in all ages and places teacheth vs
bound to reioyce and praise GOD for their Prince who is as the comfort and consolation of our life and the verie instrument of our peace wee are they Vnder his shadow wee liue and abide as in a place of rest and sleepe quietly in our beddes free from all feare and danger whatsoeuer This we see described in the peaceable and prosperous dayes of Salomon there is no crying and complaining in our streetes We are blessed with earthly blessings we are an astonishment and wonder to our neighbour Nations They haue all deeply drunke of the cup of Gods wrath that hath beene filled with full measure whiles we haue looked on and our soule hath escaped And aboue all the rest we haue all this time enioyed and do enioy the bright light of the glorious Gospel and haue beene most of vs borne vnder the profession thereof to the establishing and continuing of many millions of thousands in the coueuant of grace and eternall life when other haue beene kept in horrible darknes and damnable idolatry to the destruction of their soules We are therefore vnhappy wretches if among all the mercies of God vpon vs this be not remembred as one of the first and cheefest And let vs learne to haue in abhomination from the bottome of our hearts the bloody practises and desperate attempts of all cursed Shemeis â— 15 6 7. who open their mouthes against the Lord and against his annointed with horrible execrations I meane the Iesuites and Priests brethren in euill together with the rest of that damned crew and generation who in stead of prayer and thanksgiuing for our Soueraigne vse falshood practise treasons and deuise mischieuous conspiracies seeking the life of their gracious Prince and labouring to stop the breath of our nostrils â— 4 20. whereas he that curseth the King should dye the death The Prophet Ieremy speaking of the estate of the people after the death of Iosiah bringeth them in thus complaining The breath of our nostrils the annointed of the Lord was taken in their Nets of whom we said Vnder his shadow we shall bee preserued aliue among the heathen Whereby he meaneth that the office of the King as the Superiour Pet. 2 13 14 and of all Magistrates as Gouernours sent of him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that do well is to protect and preserue the people in peace and safety euen as the breath that we draw in at our nostrils giueth life and health to the body Wherefore it standeth vs that are Subiects vpon not onely to be obedient for conscience sake vnto all lawfull ordinances of Princes who are the Lords Lieutenants appointed of him ouer his people for their good â— 82 1 2. but to pray earnestly for them that they may further vs in piety keepe vs in honesty and maintaine vs in tranquility one with another piety in respect of God honesty in respect of our selues tranquility in respect of others This charge the Apostle giueth when Magistrates were Infidels and Heathen that the Church should pray vnto God for them how much more therefore doth it stand vs vpon to practise this duty when as our Magistrates are the children of God and pillars of the Church And thus much of the third part of this chapter 21 Then Israel sent Messengers vnto Sihon King of the Amorites saying 22 Let me goe through thy Land we will not turne aside into the Fields nor into the Vineyards neither will we drinke of the waters of the Welles We will goe by the Kings way vntill we be past thy Border 23 But Sihon gaue Israel no licence to passe through his Border and Sihon assembled all his people and went out against Israel into the Wildernesse and he came to Iaboz and fought against Israel 24 But Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and inherited his Land from Arnon vnto Iabbok euen vnto the children of Ammon for the Border of the children of Ammon was strong 25 And Israel tooke all those Cities therefore Israel dwelled in all the Cities of the Amorites in Heshbon and in all the Villages thereof 26 For Heshbon was the City it selfe of Sihon King of the Amorites who fought against the former King of the Moabites and tooke away all his Land out of his hand euen vnto Arnon 27 Wherefore they that speake in Prouerbs say Come to Heshbon let the City of Sihon beâ— built and repaired 28 For a fire is gone out of Heshbon and a flame from the City of Sihon and hath consumed Har of the Moabites and the inhabitants of the high places of Arnon 29 Woe be to thee Moab O people of Kemosh thou art vndone he hath deliuered his sons which escaped and his daughters into captiuity to Sihon the King of the Amorites 30 Their Empire also is lost from Heshbon vnto Dibon and we haue destroied them vnto Nophah which reacheth vnto Medeba 31 Thus Israel dwelt in the Land of the Ammorites In these words and those that follow to the ende of the Chapter is contained the last part of this Chapter to wit the subduing of two mighty enemies in two seuerall battels namely Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the King of Bashan The Amorites were a people that came of Ham the youngest sonne of Noah as appeareth Gen. 10 verses 6 15 16. For Ham begat Canaan who disclosed the nakednesse of his Grandfather and Canaan begat Emori of whom came the Amorites who inhabited the Land of Bashan Mount Gilead This History is more at large recorded Deuter. chapter 2 and 3. â—irst touching Sihon we must obserue two things the iust occasion and aduantage which he gaue to Israel to subdue him and take possâ—ssion of his Land For the Lord had hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate because he would deliuer him into the hands of the Israelites Deuteronomy chapter 2 verse 30. Then secondly the ouerthrowing of him the entring into his Country the possessing of his Citties Hitherto they had compassed the Land of Edom with great danger with much wearinesse and sundry tentations they come to the Land of the Amorites there the King withstandeth them and will giue them no passage but fiercely and furiously encountreth with them Touching the occasion whereby Israel was iustly moued compelled to enter fight with the Amorites it offereth two points to be considered First a friendly and louing request of Moses Secondly a currish and vnkinde deniall made by Sihon Concerning the petition of Moses obserue the Embassage which he sent together with the reasons containing both the ground of his reasonable demand shewing the equity of the petition and laying down most equall conditions of peace because he desired onely passage through his Land without spoyle of the Country in generall or dammage to any person in particular The refusall of the King followeth and albeit the Israelites freely and frankly professed that their purpose was to passe by all
when Rabshakeh with his bold and blasphemous mouth had â—ailed vpon the strength of Israel and had proudly threatened the King and his people that they should be compelled to eate their own dung and to drinke their owne water Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard behold I will send a blâ—st vpon him and he shall heare a noise returne to his owne Land and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his owne Land Esay 37 6 7. And afterward chap. 43.1 5 when the people of God were greeuously oppressed by their bitter and bloody enemies so that they were robbed spoyled snared thrust and throwne into Dungeons fettred in prison-houses and euery way euilly entreated he speaketh vnto them on this manner Thus saith the Lord that created thee O Iacob and he that formed thee O Israel feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by name thou art mine feare not for I am with thee So Christ forewarning his Disciples what entertainment they should finde in the world Mat. 10 26 28 and how hardly they should be tryed as to be betrayed hated persecuted imprisoned scourged railed vpon and in the end brought to their end hee prepareth them to this duty and repeateth it oftentimes Feare them not And the Apostle Paul after he had earnestly instructed the Philippians to grow in all graces to leade their conuersation worthy the Gospel of Christ he remembreth theÌ„ of this point In nothing feare your aduersaries Phil. 1 18 Answerable to these precepts are the worthy practises of the faithfull Hereunto cometh the example of Moses Heb 11 Exod. 11 8. 27 when he led the people of Israel out of Egypt notwithstanding the threatenings and bloudy words of Pharaoh he feared not the fiercenesse of the King but endured a constant maintainer of the Church of God ceassed not to encourage the people agaâ—â—â—â— their enemies whose hearts failed and qâ—â—â—led when they were pursued and ouertaken by the Egyptians Likewise the three seruants of God beeing threatned by that great Tyrant Nebuchadnezzor to be cast into the fiery Furnace were not daunted or feared by his high power fierce displeasure but answered him We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter Dan. 4 15. This appeareth at sundry times vpon sundry occasions in Dauid wheÌ„ he waxeth bold and couragious in the Spirit saith I will not be afraid for ten thousand of the people that should beset me round about Psal 3 6. Reason 1 The reasons follow First God is with his people If he be with them shall we feare any to be against them If we haue a protection from the Prince shall we feare the face of the subiect If the Lyon fight for vs shal we feare the flye or the worme that are weak in strength This is the reason vrged by the Lord in the Prophet Feare not for I am with thee Esay 43 5. Now God is with vs by his power and prouidence If we consider these things that are in God as his generall speciall prouidence which guideth and ouer-ruleth all things for the glory of his Name and the benefit of his children the holy meditation hereof ought to remoue from vs all distracting and distrustfull feare When Christ had disswaded his Disciples from the feare of men he saith Are not two Sparrowes sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father Yea the haires of your head are numbred Math. 10 29 30. And indeed the cause why in trouble we faint and faile for feare of men whose breath is in their nostrils and whose malice is limited is because we distrust Gods promises and prouidence which is indeed a fearefull sinne Againe if we consider that God is with vs by his power which being endlesse infinite is able to redresse represse the greatest tyrant and tyrany in the world we shall finde nothing more auaileable to keepe vs from the excessiue feare of weake man seeing he can restraine them when it pleaseth him This the three seruants of God acknowledge in their danger Behold our God whom we serue is able to deliuer vs from the fiery Furnace and he will deliuer vs out of thine hand O King Dan. 3 13. Againe let vs haue our conuersation without Reason 2 feare in regard of the persecuters themselues and the power which they haue For consider the difference betweene that which God can do and that which man can do The most vile and cruell tyrant that breatheth out threatnings and slaughter against the Saints when he hath done his worst and raged to the vtmost when he hath disgorged al his malice and quenched his thirst in bloud can goe no further but to kill the body but God can goe further who hath the keyes of hell and death Nay these enemies cannot so much as kill the body or touch the skin with all their power without the will of God as our Sauiour speaketh to Pilate when he boasted of an absolute power in his owne hands to binde or loose to crucifie or to absolue Thou couldst haue no power at all against mee except it were giuen thee from aboue Iohn 19 10 11. This is that reason which Christ himselfe expresseth Mat. 10 28. Feare not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell Thirdly the enemies shall be destroyed Reason 3 They fight against God they fight against his people therefore they cannot prosper True it is they may for a time preuaile and proceed in their euill enterprizes and God may for a season vse them as his Rod to try the faith of his children but when he hath vsed them as instruments to bring his iudgements to passe they shall preuaile no longer This consideration serued to encourage the people of Israel when Pharaohs hoast pressed vpon them and marched toward them Feare not stand still behold the saluation of the Lord which he will shew to you this day for the Egiptians which yee haue seene this day ye shall neuer see them againe the Lord shall fight for you therefore holde you your peace Exod. 14 13 14. The vses remaine to be stood vpon First this teacheth that the childe of God must be Vse 1 a man of valour and courage and as a mighty man of warre not to be daunted with any terrour to forsake his faith a good conscience but such an one as is able by the fortitude power of Christ to vndergo all tryals to ouer-stride al dangers to ouercome al enemies and to triumph ouer all things that oppose themselues against their peace So then the godly whose faith ouercommeth the world are not onely souldiers but valiant souldiers 1 Iohn 5 and victorious conquerors The Apostle hauing commended Moses that he forsooke Egypt feared not the fiercenesse of the King addeth this
blindnes as hee did Elymas with crookednes deformity as the woman in the Gospel with foolishnes as hee did Achitophel with want of reason vnderstanding as he did Nebucadnezzar to teach vs to take heed to our selues and our senses lest we abuse them to our destruction Lastly seeing God can blinde the eyes and Vse 3 bind vp the senses when it pleaseth him let vs go forward walk boldly in the duties of our calling let vs not feare any enemies seeing the Lord hath so many wayes to helpe his chosen people to succour them to saue them harmlesse Let vs commit commend our selues to his prouidence who albeit hee suffer vs to fall into many dangers yet hee can smite his enemies with many suddain iudgments He can visit them oftentimes in sundry manners Euery thing serueth to his wll therfore if we serue God let vs be assured he wil make it serue to our benefit They shal not stir a foot or moue any member or lift vp an hand but at his beck and appointment Ieroboam stretched out his hand from the Altar to lay holde on the Prophet but immediatly it dried vp 1. King 1â— and he could not pull it in again vnto him Ananias Sapphira his wife were among the Apostles and seemed to be in perfect health far from death yet suddainly they fell down were caried out Olde Eli whose sons walked not in the steps of their father sate vpon a seat by the way side waiting for the successe of the battel fought against the Philistims A man would haue thought he sate safely and surely at his owne pleasure and no doubt he iudged no lesse himselfe of himselfe but when hee heard that the Arke was taken suddainly hee fell from his seate backward 2 Sam. 4. â— and his neck was broken When Vzziah King of Iudah presumed to burne incense vpon the Altar of incense lift vp his heart to his owne destruction while he waxed wroth against the Priests of the Lord had the incense in his hand to burne it 2. Chroâ—â— 19. suddainly the leprosie arose in his forehead he was compelled to depant out of the Temple We are able to do nothing of our selues as of our selues seeing that in him we liue moue Act. 17 2â— and haue our being Let vs in all our sufferings comfort our selues heerein that the Lord holdeth the wicked in his owne hand turneth their wisdome into foolishnes Absalom rebelled against his father and was assisted by Achitophel Dauids companion and chiefe counseller for the counsell which hee counselled in those dayes was like as one had asked counsell at the oracle of God Dauid prayed vnto God to turne his counsell into foolishnes 2 Sam. 1â— God heard his prayer and confounded the deep wisdome of this great Polititian so that he set his house in order hanged himselfe 1 Cor. 3â— 20 Hee catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse for the wisdome of this world is foolishnes with God the Lord knoweth that the thoughts of the wise be vain If any therefore seeme to be wise in this world let him bee a foole that hee may be wise All humane wisdome in the vnregenerate is oftentimes turned into extreme folly Iezabel enemy against the Church hated Eliah vnto the death but sending him this word by a messenger The Gods do so to me and more also if I make not thy life like one of theirs whom thou hast slaine by to morrow this time 1 Kings 19 2.3 hereby he had fit occasion and opportunity to flye away and to shift for himselfe receiuing warning and learning wisedome by his enemy Herod a subtle Fox and withall a bloody Lyon and wise in his generation might haue sent one of his Courtiers with the wise men for his greater assurance yet hee sendeth them alone and appointeth not one to goe with them Mat. 2 8. Thus the Lord striketh his enemies with the spirit of giddinesse and turneth all their deuices into sottishnesse he circumuenteth the wise in their owne pollicies and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish They meete with darknesse in the day time and grope at noone day as in the night but he saueth the poore from the sword from their mouth and from the hand of the violent man so that the poore hath his hope but iniquity shall stoppe her mouth Iob 5 12 13 14 15. Indeed they seeke wayes imagine meanes to destroy the godly but they cannot finde them out they are endued with wisedome iudgement counsell they are very subtle and deceitfull but that which happened to the eyes of the Sodomites falleth vpon their mindes They are smitten with blindnesse and madnesse are smitten with astonying of heart c. Deut. 28 28 29. Verse 34. Then Balaam saide to the Angel of the Lord I haue sinned Heere is offered to our considerations the corrupt conscience of an euill man So soone as the Lord charged him with his sinne by and by his heart smote him and he confessed his offence Heere was no true sanctificatioÌ„ of the conscience which indeed did checke and condemne him for his disobedience and couetousnesse but did not bridle suppresse the inclination of his heart vnto euill neyther could testifie that his transgression was pardoned We learne in this example â—â—â—ine 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 â—â—â—traiâ—â—â—â—onâ—â—â—â—innes that euill men are oftentimes compelled to confesse their owne sinnes God wanteth not many wayes and sundry meanes to draw from men a confession of their owne iniquities This wee see in Pharaoh when the hand of God was heauy vpon him and his plagues pressed sore against him he called for Moses and Aaron and said vnto them I haue now sinned the Lord is righteous but I my people are wicked Exod. 9 27. Albeit he could not beleeue to obtaine remission yet he confessed his sinnes to his condemnation The like we see in Saul who persecuted Dauid and sinned against his owne conscience yet when he saw that Dauid had saued his life when some willed and cryed to kill him he saide Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rendred mee good and I haue rendred thee euill I haue sinned come againe my sonne Dauid for I will do thee no more harme because my soule was precious in thine eies c. 1 Sa. 24 18. and 26 21. So then howsoeuer the vngodly delight in sin and regard not to prouoke God to wrath yet theyr owne mouthes are made witnesses against theÌ„selues and they publish theyr owne shame as with the blast of a Trumpet The Reasons are these First the wrath of Reason 1 God is gone out against them and their owne consciences summon them vnto iudgement to answer for their sins before the high Iudge of heauen and earth so that the more they seeke to couer and smother them in the ashes of their owne corruptions that the flame of them breake not out the more
of we must prepare strength and courage we must get vs faith and patience that we may be able to hold out vnto the end Secondly this is a singular comfort to all Vse 2 the children of God and able to season and sweeten the bitternesse of the Crosse make vs to vndergo it with ioy and gladnesse WheÌ„soeuer therefore we shall be hated for the Gospels sake and suffer persecution at the hands of our enemies let vs comfort our selues with these meditations First afflictions shall not separate vs from God howsoeuer for the present they seeme not ioyous but greeuous yet afterward they bring the quiet fruite of righteousnesse vnto them which are thereby exercised Heb. 12 11. This the Apostle teacheth That neither tribulation nor anguish neither persecution nor famine neither perill nor sword shall separate vs from the loue of Christ Rom. 8 35. Secondly the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall be reuealed vnto vs Rom. 8 1â— which neither the eye hath seene nor the eare heard nor the hart of man conceiued True it is our afflictions are oftentimes great but the reward is greater our troubles are of great continuance of long durance but the glory to come is with out end when we shall be crowned and cloathed with immortality 2 Cor. 4 17 18. Our persecutions are many but the ioyes laide vp for the faithfull are infinite not to be numbred Thirdly all our crosses which wee beare and sustaine shall haue an happy euent and a glorious end for such as hold out to the ende shall be saued Mat. 10 22 32 39. Whosoeuer shall confesse Christ before men him he will acknowledge before his Father which is in heauen and whosoeuer shall lose his life for his sake and the Gospels shall be sure to finde it inasmuch as he hath committed it to a faith full keeper who is able to keepe that which hee hath committed vnto him against that day 2 Tim. 1 12. Fourthly we must consider that the same calamities nay farre greater haue happened to Christ himselfe and his Apostles to the Prophets and holy men of God remembred vnto vs in the Scriptures Now the seruant must not looke for a better condition then the Master Mat. 10 24 25 nor the disciple then his Lord nor the houshold then the Housholder nay we must nor dreame of a better estate theÌ„ our fellow-seruants haue had before vs. Fiftly the enemies in their greatest rage snarling like Dogs hurting like Serpents byting like Cockatrices deuouring like Lyons bloody like Wolues subtle as Foxes raging as wilde Boares as vnreasonable as Beasts yet can proceed no farther then to kill the body they cannot destroy the soule Math 10 28. nay they can exercise no power ouer the body except it be giuen them from aboue seeing the prouidence of God so ouerswayeth all things that not an hayre falleth from our head nor a sparrow to the ground without the will of our heaueÌ„ly Father These are great comforts that arise vnto vs in our troubles wherewith we should be wholly possessed that we murmure not against God On the other side this doctrine serueth to set downe the wofull condition of the persecuters and enemies of the Church they may prosper and preuaile for a time but in the end they shall not escape Math. 10 33 38 39. for the church and the members of the Church must haue the vpper hand when all their aduersaries shall be shamefully confounded This we see notably set before vs in the booke of Daniel he had many and mighty aduersaries that plotted his death and sought his ruine incensed the King against him and caused him to be cast into the Lyons denne But what was the yssue of these things Surely he was deliuered they were destroyed For by the commandement of the King these men which had accused Daniel were brought and cast to the Lyons they their children their wiues and the Lyons had the mastery of them and brake all their bones apeeces or euer they came at the ground of the den Dan. 6 24. This is it which Salomon teacheth Prou. 11 5 8. Looke vpon the examples of Pharaoh of Sancherib of Haman of Herod and sundry others in al which we see that the wicked shall bee a ransome for the iust and the transgressour for the righteous Prou. 21 18. This serueth to terrifie all vngodly meÌ„ to teach them not to set themselues against the godly that are more righteous then themselues Thirdly heere is matter giuen vnto vs of Vse 3 praise and glory to be giuen vnto God for the safety and deliuerance of his people It is the worke of his right hand and therefore the glory also must be his Our helpe cannot come by our owne strength nor we ouercome by our owne pollicy when we haue searched and examined all that is in vs we shall finde it to come short of working our deliuerance It is God onely that hath done it and therefore we must yeeld him the honour of all the victories that he giueth vs against our enemies When a man hath done vs any wrong or put vs to some trouble and we be deliuered from it we must assure our selues that it is God that hath giuen vs the vpper hand to the end our mouths should alwayes be opened to giue him thanks and we by our whole life shold acknowledge how much wee are bound and indebted vnto him This is it which Moses pointeth vs vnto â—eut 32 43 when he willeth the Iewes and Genetiles to praise Gods Name For he will auenge the blood of his seruants and yeeld vengeance to his aduersaries but he will bee fauourable to his Land and bee mercifull vnto his owne people Lastly as Balaam heere declareth that the Vse 4 Church hath sure and certaine hope of victory and shall rise vp as a Lyon in defiance of all their enemies so th s shall especially appeare in respect of spirituall enemies which fight against our soules This victory shal be finished and fully accomplished in Christ who as the victorious Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah with his foote of brasse shall stampe downe and trample vnder his feete by little and little the enemies of our peace and saluation This is it which the Apostle assureth the Saints of God Rom. chap. 16 verse 20. The God of peace shall tread Satan vnder your feete shortly This is a sweete and singular promise which should be as the Anchor of our soules both sure stedfast wheâ—ein it is vnpossible that God should lye that we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to lay hold vpon that hope that is heere set before our eyes True it is the diuell doth alwayes renew the battaile against the seruants of God he doth sift and winnow them as Wheat and as it were bruise their heele but his head is broken Gen. chap. 3 vers 15 he hath receiued his deadly wound and
Sauiour in the Parable of the Sower that went forth to sowe declareth that the seed that fell among thornes signifieth those hearers in whose hearts the cares of this life the deceitfulnesse of riches and the lustes of other things do choake the word make it vnfruitfull Math. 13 22. What was it that moued Iudas to betray his Master but for loue of money for he saide vnto the High-Priests What will you giue me and I will betray him vnto you Math. 26 15. Whereby Satan entred into him possessed his hart so that it wrought his destruction in soule and body What caused Demas a professor of the faith to forsake Paul 1 Tim. 4 10 and deny the faith surely he embraced this present world in greater loue then he did the truth that endureth for euer and caught after the shadow in stead of the body Our hearts are as a ground that is rich and ranke and bringeth foorth store of these weeds that choake the growing of the word of God we would faine come to God yet are so glewed to the world that it drowneth all desire of the world to come We offer one hand to Christ and the other to the diuell but he will haue both of them or none at all If we giue the Lord one part of our heart and lodge couetousnesse in the other we driue the Lord from vs and cause him to depart No man can serue two Masters for either he shall hate the one and loue the other or else hee shall leane to the one and despise the other ye cannot serue God and riches Math. 6 24. This made our Sauiour say How hardly shall a rich man enter into the kingdome of heauen it is easier for a Camel to goe through the eye of a Needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Math. 19 3 making it as it were a rare extraordinary worke to bring them to saluation We must vse this world as though we vsed it not and they that buy as though they possessed not knowing that godlines is the greatest gaine 1 Tim 6 6. if a man be content with that he hath for we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out therefore when we haue foode and rayment let vs be content for they which will be rich fall into tentations and snares into many foolish and noysome lustes which drowne men in perdition and destruction What stirred vp Ahab and Iezebel to worke out the death of Naboth and his children 1 Kings 21 8. that the one of them was sicke with sorrow the other caused them to be stoned but the desire of his vineyard that was a sore in his eye and lay so fitly for him And yet when wee haue done when we haue embraced our dwellings and encroched on the bounds and borders of others when we haue ioyned house to house and land to land our neighbours hedge must be next vnto vs and hold vs hard that we can passe no further Secondly we see that our owne priuate respects Vse 2 are not the chiefe things that we must respect but seeke a sanctified vse of the blessings of this life and a warrant to our consciences for the right vsing of them These blessings of God become curses vnto vs vnlesse we vse them lawfully But if we set vp our rest vpon them and seeke our happinesse in them we prize them at a high rate Eph. 5 5. Col. 3 5. and commit the foulest and filthiest Idolatry that can be For the preferring of priuate profit before heauenly duties causeth a man to be an Idolater First because hee preferreth his riches before God or godlinesse in his affections depending vpon them as vpon God and making them the stay of his life Againe he accounteth his life to rest vpon his wealth rather then vpon the prouidence of God as his riches encrease so his hope encreaseth so his comfort encreaseth when his wealth sayleth all his hope comfort fayleth Therefore the Apostle chargeth vs to mortifie our members which are on the earth the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnesse which is Idolatry for the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience So then the things of this life and the things of the life to come being propounded and set before vs we are to chuse the better of them This our Sauiour taught Martha Luk. 10 41 42. that she disquieted and incumbred her selfe about many things but one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the better part which shall not be taken from her So likewise our Sauiour chargeth vs not to lay vppe treasure for our selues vpon the earth Where the Moth and Canker corrupt and where theeues digge thorough and steale but to lay vppe for our selues treasure in heauen where neither the Moth nor Canker corrupteth and where theeues cannot dig through and steale Mat. 6 19 20 33. Let vs first of all seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these earthly things shall be ministred vnto vs. Let our study and meditation be on heauenly things whereunto we are called Let vs take heed we lose not greater blessings by affecting the lesse Let vs remember Lots wife a fearefull myrrour and monument of carefull thoughts who got and gained nothing by all her cares Let vs waite vpon God and looke vp vnto him Who openeth his hand and filleth all things with his goodnes Ps 104 28. Let vs obey the voyce of the Lord our God and then all his blessings shall come vpon vs and ouertake vs. Vse 3 Lastly this doctrine serueth to reproue those that esteeme earthly things aboue heauenly minde their profits more then their saluation These inuert the course of nature and turne al things vpside downe they set the earth aboue the heauens and thrust downe the heauens beneath the earth This is like that confusion and disorder which the wise man speaketh of Eccl. 10 6 7. Folly is set in great excellency and the rich set in low place I haue seene seruants on horses and Princes walking as seruants on the ground These are like to the Gadarens that desired their swine more then Christ and had rather lose Christ and haue him depart out of their coasts then lose their swine Math. 8 34. These are of the brood and off-spring of prophane Esau who for one messe of meate solde his birthright Heb. 12 16 But we haue not so learned Christ we must looke vp to the eternall inheritance reserued for vs wee must not make our riches to be our heauen our belly to be our god our shame to be our glory and our owne profit to be our happinesse Wee must account one spark of grace and the least taste of the kingdome of heauen and of the ioyes of the life to come to be better worth and to bring with it more sound ioy of heart then all these transitory things and
the wicked into sheards like a potters vessel Psal 2 9. We see how men admire the proud and haughty of the world and esteeme the vngodly as the great Magnificoes that may not be contemned or controlled the poorest and meanest Saint of God shal in time to come be their Iudge sit with Christ vpon the bench in glory when they shall stand as their vassals at the barre and bee iudged as most wretched caitiffes and malefactors and receiue their wages according to their works Then they shal say with horror of conscience We fooles thought their life madnes their end without honor but now they are counted among the children of God and haue theyr portion among his Saints Hence it is that the Apostle reprooueth the Corinthians that abased and abused their dignity that did bring their causes to be tryed and iudged before the wicked Do ye not know that the Saints shal iudge the world If then the world shall be iudged by you are ye vnworthy to iudge the smallest matters c 1 Cor. 6. verses 2 3. This is a great honour vouchsafed to the faithfull no earthly honor can be compared vnto it all temporall glorie hath not so much as a shew or shadow of it On the other side great shall be the dishonor and disgrace the shame and contempt that shall be poured out vpon the vngodly Dan. 12 2. They haue heere the riches of the world the pleasures of this life the praise of men they are feared of some and flattered of others but when this glory shall passe away as the wind and flye as an arrow that is shotte at a marke then they shall be arraigned as euill doeâ—s and euery seruant of God shall treade them vnder their feete Then they shall be separated from the presence of God Then they shall see all the godly whom they haue scorned and derided receyued into the kingdome of heauen and themselues shut out of the doores Then they shall haue the continuall fellowship of the diuell and of his angels in hell fire where shal be weeping and gnashing of teeth Vse 2 Secondly we must all be carefull to walke worthy of so great a calling We must bee as spirituall Kings to rule and beare sway ouer our thoughts wils and affections ouermastering them as much as may be proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures against the diuell and against the world And verily he that can beare rule ouer his owne heart is a true king indeede and shall surely reigne for euermore with Christ in the life to come Reuelat. 1 6. He that hath beaten downe the kingdome of sinne and sathan and receyued some measure of grace to reign ouer himselfe hath performed a greater and more glorious work then he that hath subdued a kingdome For all these enemies of our saluation be horrible hideous monsters and fearfull Serpents Their sting is deadly their poyson is mortall It is an hard labour to pull out their sting and take away their poison from them But they which are caried away with the swinge of their corruptions as with a violent streame hauing blindnes ignorance to reign in their minds rebellion in their wils and loosenesse in their whole life are not spirituall kings but base slaues and bondmen The strong man sathan keepeth the hold of theyr hearts Luke 11 21. and as Lord and King setteth vp his scepter there Wherefore my brethren in respect of this our high calling wee must make conscience of euery sinne We heard before that we are made the iudges of the world It is a shame for a Iudge to be a Theefe that sitteth in iudgement to condemne a theefe so is it a shame for vs to be giuen to wickednesse that must iudge the wicked world when the iust shall appeare A Iudge must take heede of those sinnes in himselfe which he must condemne in others lest it be sayd vnto him Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe Rom. 2 21 22. This is that vse which the Apostle maketh to the Thessalonians chap. 1 10 11 after he had shewed that at the comming of the Lord Iesus in might and maiesty he would bee glorious in his Saints made maruellous in them that beleeue hee intreateth that God would make them to walke worthy of their calling And surely if we haue any the least sparke of grace or any feeling of our naturall condition when we were the children of wrath and the fire-brands of hell it could not but work in vs a maruellous loue vnto God a desire to please him and a delight to bring foorth the fruites of righteousnes Thirdly our victory in Christ offereth comfort Vse 3 vnto vs in all troubles tentations pouerty and in death it selfe We are to arme our selues with this power of Christ agaynst all terrors and feares that seeke to dismay vs. We are in Christ appoynted Kings and Iudges ouer those that trouble vs conquerours ouer sathan and death Our feare then is already past let vs lift vp our heads and bee of good comfort This is that which the Apostle is bold to put vs in mind of 1 Cor. 15 56 57. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory Now thankes be vnto God who hath giuen vs the victory through our Lord Iesus Christ We shall not neede to feare the day of iudgement for then our redemption draweth nere We shall not neede to be affrayd of the comming of the Iudge for he shal be our Sauiour Howsoeuer therefore we seeme base vnto the world and of vile account in the eyes of carnall men whose portion is in this life yet wee are indeed aduanced into the highest honour about him receyuing by our communion and fellowshippe with him a communication of his kingly power and glory to subdue vnder vs the diuell and his angels For if wee fight with him and vnder his banner wee cannot lose the field but shall bee assured to reigne with him They then are deceyued that think them the scum and off-scouring of the world This should also perswade all carelesse and backward persons to embrace true Religion and giue it the cheefe seat in theyr hearts forasmuch as it maketh them of the vesselles of wrath and vassals of sathan glorious Kings and triumphant Conquerors ouer the powers of darknes Furthermore it should encourage the Ministers of the Gospel and make them glad to labour in preaching the Word and in winning soules vnto God being set apart by Gods mercies to consecrate men Kings and Priests vnto him which is a great priuiledge For they haue mighty weapons giuen them by their captaine Christ to wit the power of his Spirit and the vigor of his mighty word which causeth them to preuayle Therefore the Lord sayth by his Prophet Hosea chap. 6 5. I haue cut downe this people by the Prophets slaine them by the words of my mouth And the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 10 5 6 That the weapons
the kingdome nor he in accepting of it inasmuch as they did it not out of any obedience to the will of God but they did it to ease themselues from the cruelty and tyranny that Rehoboam was likely to vse toward them and therefore they sinned because they had no commandement from God Let vs come to the vses First this confuteth Vse 1 the doctrine of the Anabaptists or Libertines that deny all authority as not fitting for Christians to beare They teach their owne dreames that neyther Christians should bee Magistrates nor yet subiect to Magistrates an horrible impiety in them and it would not be worth the time to shew how they wrest the Scripture to defend their owne errour which otherwise they nothing regard Secondly it serueth to taxe Popery and Vse 2 that out of their owne grounds for the Rhemists haue a rule vpon Iude verse 6 that they are heretiques that deny authority and they would father it and fasten it vpon vs because we deny subiection to the Pope But we retort it vpon themselues For neuer was there any that did cast off the yoke of authority so much as they haue done They haue put downe the mighty from their seates and trod vpon the neckes of Princes they haue dethroned Kings and armed the sonne against the father Vnder a colour of the holy warre they haue sent them abroad and betrayed them into the hands of the Sarazens and in their absence seized vpon their Dominions There was neuer heretique did so shrinke vp the sinewes and shake off the yoke of authority as they haue done It is a rule that they haue that Ecclesiasticall men ought to be free from all ciuill authority whatsoeuer and that Cleargy men must be exempted from subiection to the secular powers so that they not we are the heretiques that despise authority As for the Bishop of Rome wee owe him no seruice neyther may he claime iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall Church eyther by Scriptures Fathers Councels or imperiall Constitutions for many ages Vse 3 Lastly this serueth as an information to vs that wee auoyde all such proud and peeuish conceits as these to imagine there shold be no authority and bee prouoked to bee thankfull vnto almighty GOD that we do enioy authority seeing by it wee are freed from confusion and desolation from much mutiny and misery that otherwise would befall vs. For notwithstanding by the great goodnesse of God we haue authority such is the fury and fiercenesse of wicked men that they breake out into strange enormities and commit many feareful things by poysonings by stabbings by cousenages by oppressions by forgery and falsehood and such like mischeeuous and monstrous practises what then would they presume to do if there were no authority to bring them and their doings into question and to call them to an account for their audacious courses A man should alwayes haue his life in his hand there could be no peace or safety in our houses and habitations if there were no authority to rule to controlle to terrifie to punish and therefore how thankfull ought we to bee to almighty God for that authority which he hath set ouer vs and for the peaceable gouernment we enioy vnder our gracious Soueraigne Now this must withall be acknowledged of vs that no man can be truely thankfull for authority that is not willingly and cheerefully subiect to authority It is a friuolous and vaine thing to pretend thankfulnesse and yet not vndergoe the yoke of obedience with cheerefulnesse Verse 11. Notwithstanding the Children of Korah died not What became of Korah himselfe we haue seene before His name was famous in the Congregation but he became infamous through his rebellion and it is called the gainesaying of Korah to this day Iude verse 11. Notwithstanding marke heere that the sonnes of Korah perished not when their father perished and was punished who spake euill of them that were in authorty for it appeareth that they were preserued aliue and became afterward famous in the Church of God and honourable mention is made of them in the booke of Psalmes and of the Chronicles 1. Chronicles chapter 6 verse 22. Psalm 42 and Psalme 44 and Psalme 45 and sundry others afterward as 2 Chronicles chapter 20 verse 19. From hence ariseth this Doctrine Doctrine It is no disgrace for godlie children to descend of vngodly parents that it is no disgrace for godly children to descend and come of vngodly parents Howsoeuer sinne be a reproch to the parents themselues yet it taketh not hold of their issue except they walke in those sinnes Ezek. 18 14. If hee beget a sonne that seeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and considereth doth not the like c. he shall surely liue Iephte is commended for a faithfull man that fought the battels of the Lord subdued the enemies of his people yet he was the sonne of an harlot Iudg. 11 1. Heb. chap. 11 verse 32. This farther appeareth in Saul and Ionathan the one of them the greatest enemy the other the greatest friend of Dauid the one sware his death the other his life the father to kill him the sonne to saue him and therefore it was no dishonor to him to haue such a father The like we might say of Ahaz a most wicked man and Hezekiah a most godly King one of the best sonnes of one of the worst fathers yet who accounteth the worse of good Hezekiah because he had wicked Ahaz to his father Ieroboam king of Israel set vp idolatry and caused Israel to sinne and therefore the Lord threateneth to bring euill vppon his house that the dogges should eate him that dyed in the City and the fowles of the ayre him that dyed in the field 1 Kings chapter 14 verse 10 so that they should all be swept away as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone yet God gaue him one good sonne whom in mercy he tooke to himselfe and saued as a brand out of the fire or as a Sheepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lyon two legges or a peece of an eare Amos chapter 3 verse 12 and therefore it is said All Israel shall mourne for him for hee onely of Ieroboam shall come to the graue because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel The grounds of this truth follow First Reason 1 that election might stand wholly by grace forasmuch as almighty God sheweth mercy where and to whom hee will If religion should descend from father to son in a common and ordinary course of generation or propagation without any interruption it might be thought to bee a worke of nature not of grace and to proceede from parents not from almighty GOD. Therefore bee often breaketh off that course so that wicked parents haue sometimes good and godly children and contrariwise godly parents haue wicked and vile children that the purpose of GOD according to election might stand not of works
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
it self who notwithstanding are saued in the day of the Lord. This appeareth in Lots wife Gen. 19 she looked backe contrary to the commandement of the Angel and was turned into a pillar of salt Her offence might seeme little at the first and the punishment to be ouergreat howbeit we must not measure sinne by the outward acte but by the commandement and will of God which is the onely rule of righteousnes This her disobedience seemeth to proceed from infidelity vnthankfulnesse curiosity and the immoderate loue of the world of the substance which they had left behind and therefore she is punished and made as a mirror and monument of Gods iustice which Iosephus testifieth to continue to his time Ioseph antiq Iud. lib. 1. ca. 1◠yet we doubt not but her soule was saued and she receyued to mercy The like we might say of Iobs childred they were all sodainly slaine by the fall of the house wherin they were assembled yet they gaue good testimony of their godlynesse in their life for as no euil is recorded of them in the Scripture so it appeareth they were wel taught and trained vp in the feare of God by their carefull father euen in the daies of theyr youth God heard their father when he praied for them when bee sent for them they came dutifully and obediently vnto him if they had despised that God whom their father worshipped he would not haue said It may be my sonnes haue blasphemed God and it had beene a vaine thing for him to speake to them of sanctification Moreouer if their bankettings feastings had bene like our Wakes and reuels which they commonly call Yeauals or drunken feasts of such as call themselues good fellowes he ought to haue forbidden their meetings and not to haue prayed to God to pardon their sins which they might commit in their meetings and thereby suffer them to liue in the continual practise of sin forasmuch as that were to mocke and dally with God not desiring pardon for sinne past but to craue free liberty to sin for the time to come And if the father had doubted of their saluatiō no doubt hee would haue bewailed their destruction Lastly it is to bee noted that they feasted in their owne houses they did not run to Ordinaries or haunt Ale-houses or frequent Tauernes neither did they feast euery day like the rich glutton whose daily dinners were daily feasts for hee did nothing else but feast euery day neither did they keepe companie with ruffians swearers drunkards swaggerers and such like but they inuited one another to witnesse their good will and to continue mutuall loue among themselues The like wee might say of Vzzah that stayed vp the Arke and was stricken with sodaine death because he laid his hand vpon the Arke 2 Sam. 6 7. So was it with Vriah the faithfull seruant of Dauid yet he was slain by the sword of the Ammonites 2 Sam. 11 17. Iosiah that good king serued the Lord from his youth yet dyed hee a violent death and was slaine by Pharao Nechoh at Megiddo and al the people of the land mourned for him 2 Kings 23 29. Reason 1 Thus doth God deale with his owne children oftentimes they are chastised in this world lest they should be condemned with the wicked in the world to come 1 Cor. 11 32. Secondly those whom God loueth hee loueth vnto the end Ioh. 13 inasmuch as all his giftes are without repentance Rom. 11. therefore temporall chastisements cannot alter his loue or make frustrate the gifts that once he hath bestowed vpon his children Thirdly euen his owne people sinne against him for in manie things we sinne all Iames 3 ver 1. and therfore when they sinne against him he chastiseth thē with death as with a rod howbeit his mercie he neuer taketh from them Thus did Iosiah offend he would not heare the word of the Lord which was brought vnto him therefore he was smitten by the hand of God Vse 1 This teacheth that it is a false rule and a deceitfull measure to iudge of the saluation of men by temporall things whereas commonly all things fall out alike to the godly vngodly Eccl. 9 12. Many there are that wil take vpon them to iudge and censure men to bee out of the fauour of God because sometimes they dye sodainly and sometimes strangely and contrarywise if they dye in their beddes quietly and calmely they conclude that they must necessarily bee the children of God for that cause onely But if we haue no better testimony to discerne a childe of God then this note we may soone be deceiued for this may often happen more by the nature of the disease then through any grace in the soul of the diseased The constant course of a mans life is the best witnesse what is in man A man may dye rauing and haply blaspheming and yet be the seruant of God by the violence and rage of some sicknesse disturbing the head and the braine For as Paul sayeth It was not hee but sinne that dwelled in him Rom. 7 15 so I may say it is not they that raue and blaspheme it is the force of their sicknesse to which they do not consent and againe a man may go away like a Lambe and yet dye out of Gods fauour and go to hell as Iob chap. 21. verses 13 14. Vse 2 Secondly this reprooueth the Popish sort that commonly condemne Zuinglius a sound defender of the true and Apostolike faith Zuinglius defended because he died in the field as a good Patriot against the enemies of his country Hee did no more then euery true Minister and faythfull man ought to be ready to do Hee was slaine with the sword of wickedmen but that death was an honourable death Hee exhorted the people to constancy in the faith as the Priest is commanded in the Law to do Deut. 20 23 It is no reproach to dye in a good cause and a iust quarrell If he had dyed as Sanders an arch enemy to the Queene and State dyed in Ireland in the rebellion which himselfe had procured who died distracted and in a frenzy to behold the hand of God gone out against him and all his plots and proiects crossed O what outcries would these men then haue made he died as a Traitor against his lawfull Prince in the Popes quarrel and was in the field against his owne Soueraigne whereas Zuinglius dyed with his owne Cittizens in a good cause and was lamented of all good men Lastly we must take heed we doe not iudge Vse 3 rashly and rigorously of the Churches sorrowes and afflictions albeit they seem oftentimes both strong and strange when God feedeth them with the bread of teares giueth them teares to drinke in great measure Psal 80 5. The dead bodies of his seruants haue the enemies giuen to be meate to the fowls of the heauen and the flesh of his Saints to the beasts of the earth their
holden to be ominous And in another place hee sheweth Rom. quest 25 that they held the morrowes after the Calends Nones and Ides dismall and disastrous dayes eyther to set forward vpon any iourney and voyage or to march with an army into the field It is not worth the labour to spend time to rehearse the folly of our sottish Prognosticators that in euery moneth tell vs which are good dayes and which are euill dayes and set downe particular predictions what shall befall vs and how we shall prosper or not prosper and yet themselues cannot tell what shall happen to themselues I remember a pleasant story Eros de lingua reported by Erasmus in the reigne of Henry the seuenth a wise and iudicious Prince of a certaine wizard who would needs be accounted as a Prophet and able to foretell things to come hee prophesied at a time of the Kings death that he should dye that yeare The king hearing of his Prophesie withall laughing at his folly sent for him as if he meant to take notice of his deepe and profound skill and to reward him highly and when he was come into his presence he asked him whether hee had any knowledge of things to come and could tell what should come to passe heereafter he answered he had great skill that way The king demanded of him whether he knew where he shold be those holy dayes that were at hand for this fell out not long before the feast of the Natiuity he answered No Why then quoth the king I perceiue thou hast no skill at all and knowest not so much as I doe for I know where thou shalt be how long and withall willed his seruants to carry him presently to the Tower and after a while hauing made himselfe merry and derided the folly of that wise foole he dismissed him which was more fauour then he deserued This practise of propheticall diuinations and predictions is meere Gentilisme and great pitty it is once suffered among vs Christians to make some dayes lucky and some vnlucky some fortunate and some vnfortunate whereof wee see the practise in the booke of Ester chapter the third verse seuenth They cast Pur that is the lot before Haman from day to day from Moneth to moneth to the twelfth Moneth Howbeit we see how he was deceyued and the enchanters vpon whom he builded and in whō he trusted like to the Papists who long looked for the yeare 88 of which they hadde many Astrologicall predictions and trusted in it no lesse then in the Oracle of Apollo howbeit they were maruailously in a manner miraculously defeated and disappointed and therefore one saith well D. Fulk preface before the Rhē Testam Octogefimus octanus mirabilis annus Clade papistarum faustus vbique pijs But if we be the true seruants of God our wayes shall prosper Psal 1 3 and it shall go well with vs if we make the word our study and meditation Iosh 1 8 if not let the times be what they will and prognosticate what lucke as they call it soeuer they can yet nothing shal prosper or do vs good whatsoeuer we imagine to the contrary Thirdly the consideration of the feast of Vse 3 the New Moones did put them and doth put vs in minde that we should be new creatures and walke in newnesse of life by the holy Ghost regenerating vs as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 5 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature olde things are past away behold all things are made new Hence it is that we are so oftentimes warned in the Scripture that wee must be renewed in the spirit of our mindes Rom. 12 2. Eph. 4 23. that wee must put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse Eph. 4 24 and must put off concerning the former conuersation the olde man which is corrupt according to the deceiueable lusts verse 22. As then the Moone which ruleth the moneth changeth and reneweth the light so should we be changed not in substance of the body but in quality and that in euery part euen in the whole man forasmuch as we are altogether corrupt Now this that must be changed Why our corruption is called the old man is called the old man first because it is in time before regeneration first we are carnall then spirituall first the first Adam then the second Adam hath place in vs first we are borne then we are borne againe Iohn 3. Secondly because as age maketh loathsome and deformed so this maketh vs full of spots and wrinkles before such time as wee taste of the renewing power of God Thirdly because it draweth neere to death for as old age bringeth downe to the graue so doth the olde man draw vs to destruction of soule and body which is the second death This old man therefore must be cleane cast off or else it shall not profite vs for wee must deny our selues and crucifie our sinfull lustes wee must kill and mortifie our vaine desires as Abraham would haue killed his sonne but wee must go farther for wee must after a sort kill our selues cast off the things that are most deare vnto vs though they should bee as our right hand or as our right eye Math. 5. And we must so cast off the old man that no remnant of him cleaue or sticke vnto vs we should put it off not as if we were loth or vnwilling to leaue it but cast it away with a purpose neuer to take it vp or to put it on againe no nor once touch the same but to account it as a menstruous cloth lest we be like to the dogge that returneth to his vomite or to the sowe that was washed and by and by walloweth in the myre or to the Crocodile that layeth aside her poyson but taketh it vp againe On the other side we must put on the new man called new because nothing auayleth without this Gal. 5 6. Againe it is wrought in vs in the second place for we are first old before we are new for this is the latter birth Lastly because it is strong to do the will of GOD as young men are lusty and able to doe the businesse of this life with great alacrity and actiuity Lastly we must remember that it is not enough Vse 4 to serue God outwardly and to keepe the bare ceremony except we ioyne thereunto the seruice of the heart And if the Iewes had resorted diligently euery first day of the moneth to the seruice of God in the Tabernacle or the Temple yet what could it auayle them if theyr hearts were vncleane theyr hands stained with cruelty Therefore the Prophet saith The new Moones and Sabbaths the calling of assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity your new Moones and your appointed feasts my soule hateth they are a trouble vnto mee I am weary to beare them Esay 1 13 14. The Iewes regarded no more
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
from dangers acknowledge that it is Gods preseruation and be thankfull for it This should put vs in minde of two things first that if wee happen to liue vnder such a iudgement we must stoope down our neckes vnder this yoake and humble our selues vnder the most mighty hand of God that hath brought so fearfull a iudgement vpon vs. For if we thinke it to be a iudgement when the earth bringeth not foorth her fruite vnto vs then much more may wee thinke it to bee a iudgement when the earth is not able to beare a man but casteth and vomiteth him out into captiuity as the stomack doth grosse and euill humors out of the bodie For this cause doeth the Lord charge the Israelites to keepe his statutes and his iudgements That the Land do not spew them out also when they defile it as it spewed out the Nations that were before them Leuit. chapter 18. verse 25 28. 20. verse 22. And afterward he sheweth that if they did not walke obediently before him the land whither hee bringeth them to dwell therein should spew them out as Reu. 3 16. Of all iudgements to bee carried into captiuity is one of the greatest The very mercies of the wicked are cruelty Dauid made choyse to be vnder the plague and pestilence rather then to flye before the enemy because hee is vnmercifull Wee sit vnder our owne Vines and Figge-trees wee haue seene no inuasion nor heard any complainings in our streetes wee know not what bondage meaneth or to bee carried captiues into a strange Land howbeit it is apparent that wee haue beene very neere vnto it as neere to the pit as could bee and yet not fallen into the same For if the Gunne-powder Treason had taken place which was verie neere vnto the time appointed for the execution of it we had long ere this beene in slauery and bondage againe vnto the bloodie Papists who haue long lyen in waite for such a day and albeit that be defeated and all theyr imaginations bee scattered as chaffe before the winde yet who knoweth how neere we may bee to as great captiuity Wee are secure and put away the euill day farre from vs but the greater our security is the neerer our captiuity may bee We haue close and secret enemies amongest vs neuer more lusty and neuer more couragious then they are at this day which are left to remaine amongst vs to be prickes in our eyes and Thornes in our sides and to vex vs in the Land wherein wee dwell verse 55. These neuer leaue plotting and conspiring our ouerthrow and destruction Wee heare of rumours of Warre abroad and spreadings of errours and heresies which threaten ruine both to Church and Common-wealth these are but the beginnings of sorrow Againe if we looke vnto our selues our sinnes are very great and call continually for vengeance vnto heauen at Gods hands and no doubt he is comming downe to see whether wee haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto him All these laide together and weighed as it were in a ballance what can wee in reason and iustice expect but that GOD deliuer vs into the enemies hands and suffer them to carry vs captiue and so make slaues and bondmen of vs Secondly if any desire to enioy the land wherein hee dwelleth in peace and safety let him labour not to pollute and defile it by his sinnes The Iewes had a promise of God to be his people yet because of their sinnes he suffered them to bee carried into captiuity where they remained long in a strange land Haue we any greater priuiledge then they or may we expect to escape No if wee follow them in contempt of the word and other open sinnes wee shall bee sure to follow them also in the punishment which will be answerable to our iniquities Lastly this assureth vs that as GOD deliuereth his people from temporall danger and bondage so hee will deliuer them much more from spirituall bondage For if he will deliuer our bodies hee will much more deliuer our soules that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1 74 75. Wherefore wee ought patiently to waite his leysure knowing that if hee haue such a speciall care of our bodies that must lye in the dust to set them free from temporall bondage hee will much rather deliuer our soules from spirituall bondage wherein Satan holdeth vs. When Christ our Sauiour would shew that hee came to redeeme the soules of men hee taught them by deliuering their bodies from diseases For when hee restored sight to the blinde by opening their eyes what did it signifie but that hee came to scatter the darknesse of the minde and to make them see that before saw not the light of the truth as Math. 4 16 The people that sate in darknesse saw great light and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung vp The Prophets in the time of the Law smote the people with blindnes that they knew not what they did neyther whither they went 2 Kings 6 18 as the Angels did the Sodomites so that they wearied themselues to finde the doore Gen. 19 11. But Christ to shew that hee came to seeke and to saue that which is lost restored sight to the blinde and opened the eyes of their vnderstandings when hee healed the bodies of such as were lame and halted what was it but a teaching of them that he came to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at liberty them that were bruised When hee raised some to life from the dead what did it teach and shew but that hee is able to raise out of the graue of sinne and to giue the life of the spirit When hee cleansed the lepers what was it but a making knowne to the world that hee will cleanse from the foule and filthy leprosie of sinne And when he did cast out diuels that possessed the bodies of men what was it but to shew that he casteth the diuels out of the hearts and consciences where they desire to dwell as in an house If then it be no small comfort vnto vs to know that the Lord will deliuer his people from an earthly bondage certainely it cannot but minister much more comfort vnto vs to consider that the Lord is more careful of our soules and if hee be mindfull of vs for things of this life hee cannot be forgetfull of vs for the life to come seeing hee hath sent his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all which beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 7 And they remoued from Etham and turned againe to Pihahiroth c. 8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea c. 9 And they remoued from Marah and came vnto Elim c. 9 And they remoued
people of GOD Doctrine Some among Gods people do alwayes want some among Gods owne seruants do alwayes want and stand in need Deut. 15 7 11. Matth. 26 11. and 11 5. Acts 2 45. and 4 34. and 6 1. 1 Cor. 4 11. 2 Cor. 8 1. and 9 1 2. and 11 27. Acts 3 6. Reason 1 The grounds are apparent that they should learne alwayes to depend vpon GOD and to call vpon him and not to put confidence in the flesh This the Apostle expresseth touching his troubles and the rest of the Apostles 2. Cor. 1 8 9. We were pressed out of measure aboue strength insomuch that wee despayred euen of life yea we had the sentence of death in our selues That we shold not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead If the faithfull did neuer stand in neede of Gods helpe they would forget God and themselues and the next life If the childe did neuer want any thing he would not know his father from another but would quickly forget him and so likewise it wold be with vs toward almighty God Reason 2 Secondly God will neuer haue those that haue plenty abundance to be without obiects vpon whom to shew mercy that his gifts may be tryed which he hath giuen them For why doth God suffer the poore to bee in the Church but onely to offer occasion to vs to do good as Marke 14 7. Ye haue the poore alwaies with you and whensoeuer yee will ye may doe them good but me ye haue not alwaies We neuer want persons vpon whom to exercise our pitty and compassion whensoeuer wee will Therefore when we see one man poore and another rich let vs not ascribe this to fortune but consider the prouidence of God therein which disposeth al things in that manner God maketh tryall what is in vs and would haue the poore to be his collectors or receyuers to take away all excuse from vs that we should not say We knew not to whom to do good and therefore the Lord saith The poore shall neuer ceasse out of the Land Deuteronomy 15 verse 11. Thirdly as hee will haue the gifts of such Reason 3 as haue receyued what to giue to be tryed so he will haue their patience proued that bee in need which could not bee if they did not suffer For where there is no paine there can be no patience and therefore the Apostle teacheth that Tribulation bringeth foorth patience Romanes 5 verse 3. And this serueth much for the glory of God and the good of them that are in necessity Fourthly that wee should not settle and Reason 4 nestle our selues heere nor make the earth to be our heauen nor our treasure to be our god but that we shold seeke for another life where shall be no want no misery no necessity but God shall be all in all This meeteth fitly and fully with the church Vse 1 of Rome that make temporall felicity a note of the Church to liue in pompe and glory of the world This wee see handled at large by Cardinall Bellarmine among the notes of the church De not eccles lib. 4. cap. 18. but it is so far from being a note of the Church that it is rather a note of the Church of Antichrist And the Spirit of God foretelleth in the booke of the Reuelation that this should bee the voyce of spirituall Babylon chap. 18 7 8. She saith in her heart I sitte a Queene and am no widow and shal see no sorrow Loe how we are warned before hand in what sort the Romane Church shall aduance it selfe in regard of temporall happinesse and of good successe But when that shall come to passe which the Scripture prophesieth in the same place that how much shee hath glorified her selfe and liued deliciously Reuel 17 16 so much torment and sorrow she shall suffer so that her plagues shall come in one day death and mourning and famine and when the kings of the earth who haue liued deliciously with her shall hate and detest the whore and make her desolate and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire and when the people of God that are called to come out of her shall reward her euen as she rewarded them and double vnto her double according to her works and in the cup which she hath filled shall fil to her double what shall become of this temporall felicity whereof they glory so much where shall this note be found among them which now they cry out to bee wanting among vs Doubtles then they will tell vs of new notes and disclayme the old which they now maintaine at this present for their own aduantage For what hath the state of the Church beene vpon the earth from the beginning The posterity of Caine liued in greatest felicity Gen. 6 1 encreasing in strength in glory in might and in multitudes while Abel was killed by his brother and Adam liued childlesse And after the flood God suffered his people the posterity of Abraham to soiourne as strangers in a strange Land and to be euilly intreated foure hundred yeares Gen. chap. 15 ver 13 while the Canaanites liued in peace and pompe and yet the Church was among that poore distressed company and not among the Canaanites Therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet I haue forsaken mine house I haue left mine heritage I haue giuen the dearely beloued of my soule into the hand of her enemies Ier. 12 7. The kingdome of Christ is not of this world neyther doth hee promise to the children of the kingdome the pleasures delights of this world The Saints of God finde not the best entertainment vpon the earth and therefore Christ saith Iohn 16 20. Verily I say vnto you that yee shall weepe and lament but the world shall reioyce and ye shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy And afterward verse 33. In the world yee shall haue tribulation but bee of good cheere I haue ouercome the world All the felicity and happinesse of Gods seruants is a promised and a reserued happinesse we heare of nothing here but crosses afflictions Hence it is that Espenceus one of the popish Writers affirmeth In 2 Tim. p. 103. that Crux est ecclesiae nota that is The Crosse and therefore not temporall felicity is a note of the Church And againe he telleth vs that Christ foretold of labour and sorrow as he saide to his Disciples They shall scourge you in their Synagogues but the false christs prophesied of prosperity If such bee false christs then by the verdict and sentence of this man Bellarmine must needs be a false prophet for he dreameth of nothing but of felicity prosperity True it is the Church sometimes hath rest from enemies and enioyeth externall peace but besides that this lasteth not long they that are out of the Church haue for the most part a greater portion of this blessing And all these outward things riches
Priests seruant if he had called to minde that the sword was not put into his hands Math. 26 51. Let euery man labour to see what God hath called him vnto and looke to the things commanded vnto him priuate men may not take vpon them to reforme euery thing that is amisse hauing no authority thereunto and if they should come to suffer for such things they shall finde but little comfort in theyr sufferings because this is to suffer as euill doers albeit not for doing of euill Vse 3 Lastly if it be vnlawfull to do good sometimes when it is done vnlawfully then how much more is it vnlawfull to do that which in it selfe and in it owne nature is vnlawful And if God reiect the actions of men when they are done in an euill manner how much more doth hee abhorre the workes of carnall men when they are wicked vngodly in the very substance And if he accept not those actions which might be don wel if they were done by another how much lesse those that can be wel done by none Of which wee may say with Salomon Behold the righteous shall bee recompenced in the earth how much more the wicked and the sinner Prou. 11 31. If the faithfull offend in doing lawfull things much more doe the vngodly that neuer regard to doe any good And if they sinne against God that heare his word amisse how much more sinfull are they that will not heare it at all And if they prouoke the wrath of God that doe good in an euill manner much more doe they that sinne in an euill matter and most of all when the heart is euill also as Prou. 21 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked minde The faithfull haue many times a good intent when they thinke to doe God good seruice and yet are not accepted because they faile in the maner woe then to those whose very hearts are set vpon euill and haue no delight in that which is good at any time 30 Whoso killeth any person Deut. 17 6 19 15 Math 18 16 2 Cor. 13 1. Heb 10 28 1 Tim. 5.19 the murtherer shal be put to death by the mouth of witnesses but one witnesse shall not testifie against any person to cause him to die 31 Moreouer ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murtherer which is guilty of death but he shal be surely put to death 33 And yee shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the citty of his refuge that hee should come againe to dwell in the land vntill the death of the Priest 33 So yee shall not pollute the land wherein yee are for blood it defileth the land and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it 34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shal inhabite wherein I dwel for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel The third and last part remaineth laying forth the office of the Iudges touching slaughter wherein obserue two things first the Law of putting the murtherer to death which must passe by the verdict of two or three witnesses verse 30. Secondly the Iudges are forbidden to take any satisfaction for the life of a murtherer because innocent blood shed defileth the Land yea in such an horrible manner and measure that all the water in the sea cannot wash it away for the Land cannot be clensed of the blood that is shedde but by the blood of him that shedde it And no maruaile seeing they might take no satisfaction for him that bad killed a man at vnawares to deliuer him from the city of his refuge before the death of the high Priest From these words we learne how heynous a sin murther is Againe that wilful murtherers are not to be spared the eie of the Magistrate must not pitty thē if they be desirous to reuenge the dishonour done vnto God or to clense their own Land or to saue their own liues But marke farther how GOD will haue such proceeded against they shall not dye by the mouth of one witnes he requireth in iudiciall courts that euery matter should be tryed by two or three witnesses that the guilty should not be acquited and that the innocent might not be condemned Doctrine God wil haue no innocent person put to death So then the point from hence is this that God will haue no innocent person put to death but that euery one should receiue according to his owne works Deut. 13 14 and 17 4 Thou shalt enquire and make search and aske diligently whether it be a truth and the thing certaine hee will haue no man condemned vpon accusations suspitions and presumptions Esay 5 13 Psal 37 6 Pro. 24 23. This was the sin of Saul who commanded to kill the Priests of the Lord 1 Sam. 22 16 as if they had conspired agaynst him Iob 29 16. Reason 1 The grounds are these first from the nature of God he is a iust and righteous God the Iudge of all the earth and hee respecteth no mans person therefore they that sit in his place and execute his iudgment and haue his Name communicated vnto them ought to deale vprightly Deuter. 1 16 17. Secondly wrong iudgement is abominable in the sight of God Pro. 17 15 whether it be to iustifie the wicked or to condemne the innocent Thirdly it kindleth the Lords wrath against the land when innocent blood is shedde Ier. 26 14 15 As for mee behold I am in your hand doe with me as seemeth good and meete vnto you but know ye for certaine that if ye put me to death yee shall surely bring innocent blood vpon your selues and vpon this citty and vpon the inhabitants thereof as 1 Kings 21 19. Vse 1 The vses follow First this serueth for instruction to all that are in authority to take heed to themselues that they walke with a right foot and turne neyther to the right hand nor to the left according as God requireth Leuit. 19 15 Thou shalt doe no vnrighteousnes in iudgment thou shalt not respect the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but in righteousnesse shalt thou iudge thy neighbour Against this they offend many wayes when they giue false iudgment and cause the same to be executed when they deferre iudgment put it off as Felix did from day to day Acts 24 25 for while iudgment hangeth thus in suspense the iust is often taken for the vniust and contrarywise the vniust fot the iust lastly when the sentence rightly pronounced is delayed and sometimes not at all executed The Scripture expresseth the fault and the punishment by one and the same word Gen 4 7 13 Esay 24 20 1 Peter 2 24 to teach that they should be ioyned together and not seuered and that hee should be holden for innocent and vnblameable that hath no punishment inflicted
Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God Our aduersaries teach that the Church is the supreame Iudge of the Scriptures and hath absolute authority to expound the same and by the Church they vnderstand the rabble of Priests and Iesuites and Cardinals and Councels and by them all at last the Pope whoe holds the Oracles of God shut vp in his brest whose iudgement also they hold to bee infallible so that he cannot erre Thus they will haue Scriptures Fathers Councels and the Church it selfe passe vnder the sentence of his Consistory Thus b Reason why the â—pists refuâ—â— the Scripâ—â—â—â— to be Iudâ—â— all controâ—â—â—sies they do partly because they know and their hearts condemne them that the greatest number of the causes controuersies debated between them and vs haue no foundation of the Scriptures to leane vpon and therefore must of necessity stagger fall downe c Andrad thod expliâ— vnlesse they bee supported by traditions and partly because they woulde make themselues Iudges in their owne cause which notwithstanding is against all Law of God and man For they disable the Scriptures from being the rule of our faith and cast them downe from the chaire of honour in which they were seated by the author of them and cast all power vpon the Church and then they define the d Bristo 〈◊〉 12. in maâ— Catholike Church to bee the Romane Church Rhem. annot in Rom. 1 8. and make the Catholike and Romane faith all one who seeth not heereby and smileth not at it that seeing the Church is made the rule of faith and their Romane Church the true catholike Church of Christ that they meane to stand to no iudgment but their own and bee iudged by no other Iudge but themselues and to receiue nothing for trueth but their owne opinions Indeed we cannot deny but they cast many shaddowes to blinde our eyes and pretend at euery word the Catholike Church but they meane nothing thereby but the Popes determination which verifieth in them the common Prouerbe Aske my fellow if I bee a theefe Thus they are made Iudges that are parties and partially referre all thinges vnto the tribunall of their owne iudgement Wee teach and affirme that the Holy Ghost and the Scripture it selfe haue chiefe authority to interprete the Scriptures the Scriptures must expound the Scriptures and out of themselues the meaning of them must be taken Our Sauiour teacheth a Iohn 5 47. that they which beleeue not Moses writings will not beleeue him The Apostle teacheth b Ephes 2 20 Wee are all built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Christ himselfe beeing the Head-corner-stone in whom all the building is coupled together by the Spirite 2 Tim 3 15 and that the Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto saluation Thus it is saide c Nehe. 8 8 that the Leuites read distinctly the Lawe to the people and gaue the sense and caused them to vnderstand it by the Scripture it selfe Thus did the men of Berea reade the Scriptures d Acts 17 11. and by them tried the Apostles doctrine whether those things were so or not So then we conclude that the iudgement of all men is vncertaine and doubtful that resteth vpon their sole authority and that the Scriptures are to bee expounded by the same Spirit whereby they were written for heereby onely we can know assuredly the vndoubted meaning of them and from hence we can appeale to no superior iudge Vse 3 Thirdly from this consideration of the Author of the Scriptures we haue a direction to the Minister what he must preach vnto the people not the inuentions of his owne braine not the conceits of his owne wit not the excellency of wordes not the entising speech of mans wisedome e 1 Cor 2 14 which Paul disclaimeth and disalloweth in his owne practise but he must come in the plaine eu dence of the Spirit and of power that the knowledge of God may be furthered and the conscience informed in the wayes of godlinesse He must deliuer nothing to the people but the pure and precious word of God hee must content himselfe with the simplicity thereof and bee able by the scriptures to warrant the doctrine that he deliuereth so that hee may truely say with the Prophets Thus saith the Lord. Thus doth the Apostle ground his doctrine as vpon a sure and certaine foundation f 1 Cor. 11 23 1 Corinth 11 23. I haue receiued from th Lorde that which I also haue deliuered vnâ—o you This doth the Apostle Peter require at his hands 1 Pet. 4. g 1 Pet. 4 11 If any man speake let him speake as the words of GOD. VVee see therefore what must be the matter and subiect of our Sermons and from whence as from a plentiful store-house we must furnish our selues not from Fathers or Councels or Doctors of the Church much lesse from Poets Philosophers Orators Historiographers to paint our exhortations with the flourishing colours of humane learning which may for a season tickle the eare and delight the outwarde man but can carry no weight to the Conscience nor transforme the inward man into the obedience of the will of God Such as seeke to please men that haue itching eares doe beate the aire and labour in vaine neither must they thinke to winne a souâ—e thereby to the knowledge of the Gospell This doth the Prophet Ieremy set downe chap. 23. h Iere 23 22 If they had stood in my counsell and had declared my words to my people then they should haue turned them from their euill waies and from the wickednesse of their inuentions Heere then we haue a direction what to do and in what manner to furnish our selues to the worke of the ministery wee must bee as good Stewards set ouer the Lords house to feede the family with bread not with wine with wholesome food not with chaffe that wee may discharge our duties with comfort and the people bee builded vppe in knowledge and obedience Lastly seeing God onely is the Author Vse 4 of the whole Scripture and of euery particular booke and branch contained therein which are the rule of our life and the foundation of our faith it belongeth as a speciall duty to the people of GOD to reade them to receiue them to study them to reuerence them to obey and keepe the doctrines deliuered in them forasmuch as they proceede from such an Author Wee learne to put a difference betweene the speeches of person and person and wee vse to giue better audience and greater reuerence vnto the word of a Prince then to others wee will not lose a worde willingly that commeth from his mouth and according to the Maiestie of the person so is our respect and so wee attend vnto him If one shoulde contemne a Prince and not regard him speaking vnto him hee would bee iudged worthy of death or of some sharpe and seuere punishment
Euery worde of God is the word of a great person and euery part and parcell of it is the Decree of a King nay of the King of Kinges to whom all Kinges and Princes are subiect and must rise vppe from their Throne when they appeare before him whose Throne is the Heauen and though they bee Lordes of the Earth they must resigne their Crowne vnto him that hath the earth for his footestoole and therefore the greatest regard and respect must be giuen vnto it For a Heb. 2 2 3. as the Apostle teacheth Hebr. 2 2 3. If the word spoken by Angelles was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receyued a iust recompence of reward how shall wee escape if we neglect so great saluation which at the first began to be preached by the Lorde and afterward was confirmed vnto vs by them that heard him Woe vnto them therefore that reiect the food of their soules and surfet of this heauenly Manna and do not hunger and thirst after the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby Neither let any obiect Obiection If God did speake we would heare and if he did call wee would answere if hee did threaten wee would feare and if hee did teach we would obey but so long as all proceedeth from man as sinfull as our selues wee cannot be so affected Answere This was the Obiection of the Reprobate rich man in the Gospell who albeit his Brethren had Moses and the Prophets yet hee would haue Lazarus sent from the dead vnto his Fathers house to testifie vnto them b Luke 16 28 29 30 31 Lest they should come into that place of torment But what was the answer of Abraham If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they be perswaded to amend their liues though one arise from the dead againe If we reason on this manner with the rich man and put on his affection let vs also take heede lest wee haue that recompence of reward that the rich man had He supposed that extraordinary meanes would worke extraordinarie effects and vndoubtedly procure the conuersion of those to whom they were sent but therein hee was vtterly deceyued and if wee were not Fooles and blinde we would not follow so foule and fearefull an example Wherefore to informe our iudgement aright and reforme our affection we are to obserue two points first we must acknowledge that it is Gods mercy to speake vnto vs by men like vnto our selues and subiect vnto the same infirmities and passions that we are who applyeth himselfe to our weakenesse and respecteth our capacity who are not able to abide his presence who is so glorious in holynesse fearefull in praises doing wonders We see this in the Israelites at the deliuerie of the Law when the voice of God sounded in theyr eares they ran away and could not abide it they feared to be consumed at once cryed out vnto Moses c Exod. 20 19 Talk◠thou with vs and wee will heare but let not God talke with vs lest wee dye When the Lord reuealed a part of his glory sitting vpon an high throne the angels couered their faces were not able to abide the beauty brightnes of his maiesty the lintels of the doore cheeks moued the house was filled with smoke the Prophet himselfe said d Esay 6 5. Woe is me for I am vndone because I am a man of polluted lippes and I dwell in the middest of a people of polluted Lippes for mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of hostes In like manner if God should appeare vnto vs and vtter his voice from heauen we should feare and quake and fall downe as dead men and cry out with great astonishment Alas we shall dye beecause we haue seene and heard the Lorde as many of the Fathers did then we would make request to haue the Ministers of the worde speake vnto vs whom now we despise and whose word wee contemne as base and contemptible It is therefore to bee accounted and receyued as a notable token of his great mercy toward vs that he sendeth vs to school to learne of our Brethren to whom wee may freely and familiarly resort for counsell in our doubtes for comfort in our afflictions for knowledge in our ignorance for instruction in godlinesse and for resolution in all our wants Secondly we must labour to perswade our owne hearts that it is his word which we heare and his Ministers that speake vnto vs and that it is our duty to heare them as the Lord himselfe whose Messengers they are whose calling is from him and whose mouths he hath opened to speak his word with boldnesse as it ought to be spoken Let vs craue this mercy at Gods hands to resolue vs of this point and to settle our consciences in the full assurance of it This will be a forcible means to make vs heare it and regarde it as Gods owne ordinance ought to bee heard and regarded And vntill wee haue learned this Lesson we can neuer reuerence the preaching of the worde as is required of vs either for the aduancement of Gods glory or the comfort of our owne soules Let vs therefore perswade our selues of this and set it downe as a principle and firme conclusion that as the words of the Prophets and Apostles are of great authority euen the word of the eternall God most vndoubtedly to bee receyued and most assuredly to bee beleeued so likewise the words of all Gods true and faithfull Ministers truely expounding and faithfully giuing vnto vs the naturall sense and meaning of the Scriptures and gathering sound doctrine out of them for the instruction and edification of the people of God grounding all they teach on the sure foundation of the Prophets and Apostles the words I say of Gods Ministers in these dayes are no lesse to be esteemed and acknowledged the word of God himself then if Esay or Ieremy thē if Paul or Peter or any of the rest did write or speak vnto vs. For the Scripture standeth not in words letters or syllables but in the sense vnderstanding So long then as the Minister vttereth not the conceits of his own brain nor deliuereth the traditions and precepts of men but holdeth himself to the doctrine of the Scripture which is the touchstone to try truth from falshood to descern the word of God from the word of man hee is no otherwise to bee heard and the Gospell no otherwise to be receiued from his mouth then if some Prophet of God or Apostle of Christ were among vs. For wee must not haue the Faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons but when the same faith the same truth the same word is preached both by the former Prophets and Apostles and by the ordinary Ministers of the Church of the times wherein wee liue if it should bee receiued when it is published by them and reiected when it is deliuered by these a
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
the children of Zebulun did offer 25 His offering was one siluer charger the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels one siluer bolle of seuenty shekels c. Behold heere how the other Princes are not inferiour to the first that offered nor the other Tribes to the Tribe of Iudah Obserue heere that the spirit of God accounteth it not sufficient to set downe what was offered in generall neither in particular what Nahshon the sonne of Aminadab of the Tribe of Iudah offered the first day or what Nathaniel the son of Zuar Prince of Issachar offered the second day but he goeth forward to set downe the speciall offerings according to euery mans name and according to the day assigned vnto him Obiect It may be demaunded what was the cause why these offerings are thus particularly pointed out why are the same chargers the same bolles the same spoones so often repeated might not all these things heere mentioned haue beene more summarily concluded what need more words haue bene vsed when fewer would haue serued I answere Answer we must not account any thing idle friuolous fruitles or superfluous in holy Scripture The Lord knoweth best what is fittest to bee dilated largely and what to be comprehended shortly If there were no other reason then this so it pleased the Lord it ought to content vs and to make vs rest in it The like example we finde Psal 136.1 2 c. Where in euery verse and at the recitall of euery blessing this reason is repeated for his mercy endureth for euer Adde heereunto Reuel 7.5 6 c. where this is repeated according to the number of the Tribes that twelue thousand were sealed of them Hee might haue said briefly of euery tribe were sealed twelue thousand but he repeateth the words twelue times so in this place the offerings are repeated twelue times particularly according to the number of the twelue Princes The reasons may be first to teach vs to be content to heare the same things though they be oftentimes repeated as Phil. 3.1 The Apostle saith It is not grieuous to me to write the same things often and for you it is safe Wee are ready to forget the best things and therefore must haue them continually sounding in our eares as many strokes giuen with a hammer to make vs heare Secondly that wee should apply these examples vnto our selues and if wee passe ouer one of them without regard yet we should take holde of the next Thirdly to teach vs that no man shall haue that forgotten to the vtmost of his praise who is any way forward in doing good because he will honor those that honor him but they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 The doctrine Doctrine from this particular rehearsal and enumeration of the gifts of those Princes is this Euery good worke of gods children is knowne and shall be rewarded that all the good workes of Gods children done to the setting forth of his glory to the aduancement of his worship to the maintenance of true Religion or the good of his children shall be reckoned vp rewarded and come vp in account before him he taketh notice of them all and will neuer forget any one of them As their deeds are here registred in the booke of God so the doers of them are registred in the booke of life Matth 10.42 Our Sauiour teacheth that a cup of cold water shall not go vnrewarded that is giuen to drinke in the name of a disciple to one of these litle ones And afterward it is said Matth. 25.7 A certaine woman came vnto him hauing an alabaster boxe of ointmēt very precious and powred it on his head as he sate at table and because she had wrought a good worke vpon him verse 10. he sayth Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her verse 13. To this purpose speaketh the Angel that appeared to Cornelius Act. 10.4 Thy prayers and thy almes are come vp for a memoriall before God So then euery thing shall be remembred no one worke shall be forgotten Reason 1 For God is a righteous God giuing to euery one according to his workes Hee is the Iudge of the world Gen. 18. and cannot but iudge vprightly Hereupon the Apostle saith Heb. 6.10 God is not vnrighteous to forget your workes and labor of loue which ye haue shewed toward his Name in that yee haue minstred to the Saints and doe minister He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward for he will reward very bountifully euery good worke If we be not barren in good workes he will not bee behind with vs to recompence vs. Secondly how can they but come into an account seeing he accounteth them as done to himselfe Matth. 25.40 When any thing is giuen to the Saints it is esteemed as done to the Sonne himselfe and when it is bestowed vpon one of the least it is regarded as bestowed vpon the greatest and highest The seruant receiueth it but the Master will reward it Vse 1 Touching the Vses we may first conclude the happy estate and condition of them that leaue this world and depart this life in the true feare of God because we heare their workes shall be remembred and therefore the doings of his seruants be rewarded with eternall glory being done in the loue of God and of his trueth none of them are forgotten but they shall follow them nay goe with them and beare them company This we reade in the Reuelations of Iohn chap. 14.13 I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they rest from their labors and their works follow them to wit at their heels as the word importeth Death cannot cut them off though it be a cruell and mercilesse tyrant and hath as it were a sithe or sickle in his hand to cut downe such as come in his way yea though it cut off riches reuenewes honours pleasures dignities delights wife children houses lands and life it selfe according to the saying of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out with vs yet it cannot cut off good workes neither bereaue vs of the fruits of a liuely faith which are of such great force and efficacy that they are able to breake in sunder the chaines of death and the strength of the graue and cannot be holden in darknes and obliuion It were therefore a point of great wisedome and good policy so many as would willingly die the death of the righteous as Balaamites and all wicked men will seeme desirous to doe to prouide a goodly traine of good works which death cannot keepe backe they will presse so fast and knocke so hard at heauen
gates that the gates thereof shall open wide and our workes shall enter with vs because they cannot be forgotten but shal come vp into the presence of God Wee see how it fareth with Kings and Princes and great men of this world they haue great traines and troupes of seruants and a goodly retinue that follow their heeles in the streetes O how happy are they if at the howre of death and the great day of account when their honours and their pleasures their riches and their friends their seruants and retainers shal forsake them and all earthly profits shall faile them they haue as goodly a traine of good works to attend and waite vpon them They shall finde much more comfort and peace in these then in all their life they felt in all the other as the wise virgins found much contentment in that they had store of oyle for their lampes Secondly shall good works come into account Vse 2 with God and be remembred of him then on the other side we may conclude that euill workes shall also be remembred True it is we are ready to forget the euils that we commit but God wil neuer forget them no time shall weare them out they are euer fresh in his sight Hence it is that Nehemiah saith Neh. 13. â—â— Remember them O my God because they haue defiled the Priesthood and the couenant of the Priesthood c. And Reuel 16.19 Great Babylon is come in remembrance before God to giue vnto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath He will remember the sinnes of the wicked and his owne iudgements These though they be great in this world shall not haue their honours and dignities to follow them but their sinnes shall all follow them The swearer shal be sure to haue his oathes and his blasphemies laid before him the adulterer his vncleannesse the drunkard his intemperancy the contemner of God and of his word his prophannesse the couetous person his oppression they shall accompany them vnto iudgement euen vnto hell that there they may receiue the reward and wages that their workes haue deserued It were a great benefit to the vngodly if they might appeare before the iudgement seat of God without their euill deedes and that they could winde themselues out of the company of their sinnes which will be their strong accusers and giue in euidence against them but they cannot by any meanes for they follow them and pursue after them with a loude cry for vengeance and punishment and therefore woe and misery shall befall them that commit them Vse 3 Thirdly we must marke this point albeit good workes be so much regarded yet wee must take heed we giue not too much vnto them nor ascribe any merit to attaine eternall life by faith that it might bee of grace Rom. 4.16 it is the gift of God through Iesus Christ Rom. 6.23 If any of our works should merit then the works that are most glorious and eminent aboue others which the holy witnesses of the trueth of God wrought who did suffer for the Name of Christ and resisted the enemies euen vnto the blood should be meritorious But the Apostle denyeth this vertue to them Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall bee reuealed in vs. If any workes might deserue saluation doubtlesse the workes of righteousnesse but it is the kindnesse and loue of God toward man that the Apostle magnifieth who saueth vs not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his owne mercy Tit. 3.5 Eph. 2.8 9. So Paul preacheth Act. 13.48 39. that through Christ we haue remission of sinnes and that by him all that beleeue are iustified from all things from which they could not be iustified by the Law of Moses Againe the Lord Iesus himselfe teacheth vs that when we haue done all that possibly we can we must say we are vnprofitable seruants Luk. 17.10 but he that is an vnprofitable seruant and doth onely what he ought to doe is not in any case of meriting He that will merit any thing at Gods hands must first giue him somewhat and so bind him as a debtor vnto him if no man can hinder him any thing of his owne who oweth all euen himselfe to God of whom he hath receiued all it is certaine that no man can merit any thing before him Rom. 11.35 Who hath first giuen vnto him and it shall be recompenced vnto him againe but no man can doe so verse 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for euer Amen Now where is no benefit there can be no merit because merit presupposeth a benefit receiued howbeit our well-doing extendeth not to God he can receiue no good turn at our hands 1 Cor. 4.7 Phil. 2.13 Eph. 2.10 When the husbandman bringeth to his Lord the fruit of his own ground he meriteth nothing because he giueth him of his owne Moreouer the Scripture teacheth vs that temporall benefites and deliuerances are not granted and bestowed vpon the faithfull for any desert of any their good deedes Dan. 9.18 much lesse therefore eternall life The Israelites had not the nations cast out before them nor themselues brought in to possesse the land for their owne righteousnesse 〈◊〉 9 5. or for the vprightnesse of their hearts but because he had chosen them set his loue toward them Let vs not therefore trust in our owne workes which when they are at the best are vnperfect and defiled but rather as the very enemies of the grace of God do admonish in regard of the vncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaineglory â—â—â—â—r de iustif 〈◊〉 5. cap 7. let vs rest wholly as the safest way in the onely mercy of God If then this be the surest and safest way let vs all goe the safest way and leaue by-pathes and dangerous passages vnto others He that walketh safely walketh surely There is but onely one life and there is but one right way vnto life namely Christ Ioh. 14.6 The way by workes is a wrong way a false way he shall neuer come to his iourneyes end by the way of his works that is for the merit of his works because eternall life is neuer giuen for them There is no other name vnder heauen whereby we may be saued Act 4.14 Ephe. 4.5 then by the Name of Christ but if our works deserued lifâ— eternall there should be another name to saue vs because the merit of our workâ— is not the Name of Christ but setteth vp our selues in his place or at the least to ioyne a fellow and companion with him in the worke of our redemption This would minister occasion to vs to glory in our owne selues before the Lord as if wee were somewhat and could saue our selues but no man hath any thing wherein or whereof to boast himselfe Ro. 3.27 and
and fals past let vs cal to minde the remeÌ„brance of Gods mercies past and rest in them as in a Sanctuary or place of refuge against all the stormes that Satan raiseth and the floods that hee sendeth to sinke our soule in the gaping gulfe of hellish despaire So long as God bestoweth vpon vs one drop of mercy let vs neuer doubt of his great goodnes to be continued toward vs and to dwell in vs for euer Wherefore the Apostle Paul saith We reioyce in tribulation Rom 5 3â—â— knowing that tribulation bringeth foorth patience and patience experience and experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. This is an excellent notable vertue to be throughly acquainted with Gods prouidence dealing toward vs wrought in vs by patience to haue experience of his continuall eye watching ouer his Now we can say to our endles comfort in this manner God hath kept mee from many dangers he hath blessed mee with many graces he hath assisted me against many enemies I will therefore still trust in him and depend vpon him thus one benefit draweth on another From this experience we haue a certaine hope of his mercies to be continued toward vs and are assured of the truth constancy of Gods promises and of his good wil toward vs so that in all tribulations and afflictions we must consider with our selues the former benefits of God and from them gather new hope of the continuance thereof whose mercy is a Fountaine that neuer can be dry but springeth vp to euerlasting life and as a Tree that is alwayes greene and yeeldeth the sauory fruites of righteousnesse Thirdly this Doctrine teacheth a notable Vse 3 difference between God and man in bestowing of benefits We see men are soone weary of their liberality cannot abide continuall beggers It is not so with the Lord our God rich in mercy aboundant in kindnesse and plentifull in redemption toward all that call vpon him The more bold wee are in asking the more bountifull he is in granting It is a common thing in the richer sort to checke a man for often crauing and to vpbraid and reproch the poore with those things they haue bestowed vpon them as when they say Why do you alwayes come to me and beg of me I haue giuen you this and that at this time and at that time in such and such a place aske no more of me for if you doe you shall go without Thus do men reproue and reproch for often demanding But see the different dealing of God to our endles comfort vnto the faithfull be doth neuer vpbraid his benefits he is not vnwilling to grant he refuseth no mans person he giueth liberally and bountifully to all that come vnto him This is also a singular comfort to the weake conscience and afflicted soule wheÌ„ he is tempted to reason thus Will God heare me or respect me Will he shew his louing countenance toward me a greeuous sinner a miserable and wretched sinner a silly and simple soule Aske boldly of him he reprocheth none as the Apostle Iames teacheth chap. 1 5 6. If any of you want wisedome let him aske of God who giueth to all men liberally reprocheth no man and it shall be giuen him The oftner we aske the better we are accepted The more we do desire the more alwayes we doe obtaine He chargeth vs to call vpon him in the day of trouble and assureth vs of our deliuerance Psal 50 15. He would haue all come to him that are heauy laden with promise to be refreshed and eased This is a notable encouragement to all persons to flye vnto God not to runne to Saints or Angels which neyther can heare vs nor giue any gifts vnto men Let vs alwayes be ready to craue of him praise him for his mercies receiued seeing they assure more vnto vs as we see the Apostle doth who hauing experience that God had deliuered him and gathering from thence that God would deliuer him breaketh foorth into this thankesgiuing To whom bee praise for euer and euer Amen 2 Tim. 2 18. Lastly let vs not stand in feare of any enemies Vse 4 that rise vp against vs and conspire to hinder the peace of the Church and stop the passage of the Gospel when God beginneth to take the cause of his people into his owne hand and smiteth any of his enemies on the iaw-bone the rest are reserued to the like destruction For wherefore doth God punish his aduersaries and enter into iudgement with them Wherfore doth he visite them strike them downe with his right hand Is it onely to take vengeance on their sinnes to shew his iustice in their confusion No it serueth for the comfort and consolation of his seruants that howsoeuer God be patient yet in the end they shall not escape This did Ioshua the Captain of the Lords hoast teach the people and men of warre chap. 10 24 25 when they had brought out those Kings vnto Ioshua which they had taken he called for al the men of Israel and said vnto the chiefe of the men of warre which went with him Come neere set your feet vpon the neckes of those Kings and they came neere and sâ—t their feet vpon their necks And Ioshua saide vnto them Feare not nor bee faint hearted but be strong and of a good courageâ— for thus wil the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight Where we see that as God destroyeth not all the enemies of his Church at once but singleth out some that the rest might haue a time of repentance so if the rest despise the riches of his bâ—untifulnes patience and long-suffering Not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth them to repentance Ro. 2 4 they shall be bound vp in the same bundle and be cast into the fire as the Tree that being spared brought forth no fruite The Lord saide vnto Moses Feare him not for I haue deliuered him into thine hand and all his people and his Land This King of Bashan was a strong and dreadfull enemy descended as we haue shewed of the race of the Gyants mighty in body fearefull to behold terrible to the Israelites as may appeare by the comfort ministred vnto them For God neuer exalteth and raiseth vp in vaine he neuer willeth any to cast off feare where no feare is From hence we learne Doctrine The enemies of the church are not to bee feared That the enemies of the Church are not to be feared Howsoeuer such as set themselues against the people of God be many mighty growing in strength excelling in malice raging with cruelty yet must not Gods seruants bee fearefull and distrustfull by dreading the power of men but alwayes relye vpon God keeping faith and a good conscience depending vpon him in life and death Thus did the Lord strengthen the feeble hart of Hezekiah