wee should follow our pleasures and delights eate and drinke and be merry and neuer mind better things or think of any other life like swine and beasts that know not God vers 32. To tell the yong man that he may freely follow the lusts of his eyes and walke in the wayes of his owne heart Eccle 11.9 or the rich man that he may take his ease and pastime while he liueth heere because when he dyeth all is lost Luk. 12.19 or the ambitious man that hee may say in his heart Who shall bring me downe to the ground Obad. vers 3. or the secure person that liueth deliciously that he may say I shall see no sorrow Reuel 18.7 I haue neede of nothing Reuel 3.17 I say to tell them thus is a damnable and pernicious doctrine and not to be taught and heard in the Church of God 1 Cor. 15.33 for this were to open a gappe to all prophanenesse and to hinder all practise of piety This ministreth comfort against all paines sorrowes afflictions wrongs and iniuries done vnto vs wee shall in the end bee free from all all teares shall bee wiped from our eyes we shall shine as the Sunne and be raised againe in glory 1 Cor. 15.43 Thirdly is God able to put life into things Vse 3 that are dead contrary to the course of nature then from hence ariseth a notable comfort to all that are in trouble and affliction though they be neuer so great and so desperate he is able to restore vs bring vs out of the same When the Isralites went into the red sea what was it but as it were to goe to present death and descend into the graue yet God brought them out againe into a place of rest and they beheld the confusion of all their enemies Exod 14.30 We are ready in euery danger and trouble to doubt nay to despaire of helpe and succour which maketh many to seeke vnlawfull meanes to recouer themselues we little remember this flourishing of Aarons rod that the Lord is able to quicken the dead and to preserue in the midst of all perill Psa 33.18 19. and 34.15.19 This point is notably taught by the Lord to Ezekiel vnder a type not much vnlike in substance to this chap. 37.5 6 7 11 12 13 14. The Iewes lay now vnder an heauy iudgement they were in captiuity in Babylon their case seemed to be desperate yet vnder that parable of the dead bones doth God comfort the people with assured hope of deliuerance For as those bones which were shewed to the Prophet in a vision had skinne and flesh and sinewes come vpon them and life and breath put vnto them so should it bee with that captiued people they should be restored to their former estate teaching them and in them vs therby that as it was easie with God to raise vp these dry bones to cloth them with flesh and to quicken them that had bene dead that they stood vpon their legs againe so it is as easie nay more easie for him to bring our soules out of trouble and to restore vs to ioy and gladnesse It is in his power to heare vs and helpe vs in bondage and banishment in sorrow and sickenesse and to deliuer vs out of all aduersity Psal 30.5.11 The arme of God is infinite and stretched out farre and neere hee is Almighty and able to bring to passe whatsoeuer pleaseth him Lastly this setteth forth vnto vs the state Vse 4 and condition of all the faithfull wee may behold an image of our naturall estate wee are by nature borne dead in sinnes and trespasses and there is no life of God in vs Ephe. 2.12 4.18 Neuerthelesse we should not despaire of our saluation or of the saluation of any other Ephe. 5.14 Gal. 2 19 20. There is hope of Gods gracious acceptance though they be greeuous offenders The gate of Gods mercy standeth wide open whose power is so great that of persecutors blasphemers and oppressors of the Church he can make conuerts professors and preachers Matth. 21.31 32. 1 Tim. 1.16 Gal. 1.23 This mercy of God was shewed to Paul yet it was not proper to him but exemplary he was made a patterne to shew the way of forgiuenesse vnto others that he would deale in like maner with them if after his example they should forsake their sinnes and embrace the Gospel This doth Paul teach touching the Iewes that are now strangers themselues from the couenant of God and from the promises God is able to graffe them in againe albeit blindnesse bee hapned vnto them vntill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in Rom. 11.25 Hee can say to the dead liue and they shall liue as hee made the withered rod to flourish This is sufficient to keepe vs and our hope aliue when things seeme to be almost desperate forasmuch as we beleeue in him Theophil enarr in epist ad Rom. to whom it is not vnpossible to make them the sonnes of Abraham which are not his sonnes And as it is easie for vs to call those things that are so it is not hard to him to raise vp those things that are not and to make them appeare When the Gentiles were no people of God hee made them his people and raised them as it were from death to life as also he will doe the Iewes if they abide not still in vnbeleefe Rom. 11.23 for as he brought light out of darknesse in the creation so he bringeth vs from the death of sinne ignorance and infidelity to the life of knowledge faith obedience in our regeneration 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord vnto all the children of Israel and they looked and tooke euery man his rod. 10 And the Lord said vnto Moses Bring Aarons rod againe before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the rebels and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me that they die not 11 And Moses did so as the Lord commanded him so did be The former miracle is made cleere and open to all Israel As God made Aarons rod to blossome so he would haue the children of Israel to looke well vpon it and to take good notice of ir and to beleeue not the words of Moses but their owne eyes The doctrine All the miracles of God are wrought openly apparently cleerely and euidently to the senses of men Doctrine All the miracles of God are wrought openly and euidently that no doubt or controuersie should be made of them Luk. 7.11 12. Ioh. 11.39 44 45. For either men might feele them as the darkenesse of Egypt that was palpable or else they might heare them or taste them or smell them or see them and sometimes the most of them concurre together When the Lord brought his people out of Egypt all the miracles which hee wrought among them were most apparent vnto their senses When they went through the red sea he made the waters to diuide themselues
Iosiah was named of God long before he was borne as we see in the first booke of the Kings chap. 13. and the second verse and so is Cyus Esay 45 1 2. as appeareth in the prophesie of Isaiah For when the Prophet was sent to cry out against the Altar at Bethel he saide O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord Behold a childe shall bee borne to the house of Dauid Iosiah by name and vpon thee shall hee sacrifice the Priestes of the high places that burne Incense vpon thee they shall burne mens bones vppon thee This was threatned long before Iosiah was borne yet God knoweth his name before hee was and reuealeth him as if hee had bene aliue in that time The like we may say of Cyrus the deliuerer of the Iewes whom the Lord nameth and appointeth to free his people from the bondage captiuity wherein they liued albeit at that time hee was not borne nor in an hundred yeares after nor Iosiah in three hundred after his name was published Seeing therefore the very haires of our heads are numbred seeing Christ is the good Shepheard of his Sheepe and seeing all things both past and to come are present with God so that hee beholdeth them with one acte wee conclude that the people of God are knowne to him and that particularly Vse 1 The Vses First this giueth singular comfort to all Gods children if any thing else bee able to minister them comfort If an earthly Prince should vouchsafe to looke vpon vs shew vs this fauour to single vs out from the rest and call vs by our names how would we reioyce and how much would we esteem that the King would stoope so low as to know vs So doth this doctrine seale vp to our heartes this great consolation that the King of heauen doth know vs by our names Are we then in trouble and persecution Are wee accounted silly men obscure base and vnregarded Do we liue as contemptible persons to the men of this world and will they not once vouchsafe to know vs Let not this trouble or grieue vs let it not dismay or discomfort vs we cannot sinke downe in destruction but rather let vs lift vp our heads assuring our selues that albeit they turne themselues from vs yet God looketh vpon vs though they reproch vs yet he will respect vs and though they seeke to roote out our names from the earth yet hee will know vs and call vs by our names Thus the Lord speaketh to Moses and encourageth him Exod. 33. and sheweth how he regardeth him in all trouble because hee knew him by name Thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by name Exo. 33 12.17 Where we see hee ioyneth these two together Finding grace in his sight and knowing him by name The like doth Christ say to his Disciples that returned from preaching of the Gospell Luke 10 20. In this reioyce not that the spirits are subdued vnto you but rather reioyce because your names are written in heauen And indeed what greater comfort can there be then this If thou hadst all the delights and pleasures of this life for a season and haddest thy name written in the blacke book of reprobation and thy condemnation grauen in thy forehead what could the former allurements comfort thee Or how could they driue horror and heauinesse from thy heart So when he sent out his Apostles and gaue them power to cast out vncleane spirits and to heale all sicknesses hauing taught them that the haires of their head were numbred Math. 10 28. he addeth Feare ye not them that kill the body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell So then heere we haue the foundation of sounde comfort laide before vs and this wee must lay vp in store against the day of tentation and time of trouble For albeit we liue now in time of peace and plenty yet we know not how long they shall continue and how soone they may be taken from vs and we bee scourged with the contrary iudgements It is a rule in our holy Religion that the Church must taste of the Crosse and God wil try vs this way that wee may bee acquainted with our owne infirmities that wee may bee preserued from many greeuous sinnes that we should not be condemned with the Worlde that others beholding Gods hand correcting his Church for sinne might learne thereby to hate and abhorre sinne and to loue righteousnesse and that the Church might gaine glory to Gods name by striuing for the trueth vnto the death But when the crosse is any way vp on vs and we feele the sharpnesse of his rod we are ready to sinke downe to desperation and to say wee are no more had in rememberance as Psal 10 1. Why standest thou farre off O Lord and hidest thee in due time euen in afflâ—ction And afterward Psal 22 1 2. My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and art so farrâ— from my health and from the wordes of my roaring O my God I cry by day but thou hearest not and by night but haue no audience Thus are we inclined to iudge in our miseries and to thinke God to haue forgotten vs and to be vtterly absent from vs. But if wee in time of trouble remember him and his name hee will remember vs and our names for good not for euill If we can say in trouble I wil delight in thy statutes I will not forget thy word Psal 119 16 6â— 163. beholde mine affliction deliuer mee for I haue not forgotteÌ„ thy law we may lay this vp as a truth plant it as a chiefe plant in the ground of our hearts that God will neuer forget vs nor put vs out of his sight for euer True it is hee will proue his people and try their faith for a season but he will neuer forsake them nor leaue them as a prey in the iawes of their enemies who reioyce at their fall and delight themselues in their aduersities And as true it is that the vngodly triumph ouer them trample vppon them euen as abiects and men out of the fauour of God but if we waite a little while he will remember his people according to his mercy and recompence his aduersaries according to their iniquity This doeth the Prophet declare Psal 10. where he complaineth of the fraud wrong rapine and tirannie of the vngodly He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth away his face Psal 10 11 12 14. and wil neuer see yet thou hast seene it for thou beholdest mischiefe and wrong that thou mayest take it into thine owne hands the poore committeth himselfe to thee for thou art the helper of the fatherlesse Howsoeuer therefore the faithfull say they are forsaken and the vnfaithfull iudge them also to bee forsaken yet there is great difference betweene the tentation of the
had numbred the people after God sent him this word and offered him the choise of famine or sword or pestilence he saide I am in a wonderfull streight let vs now fall into the haÌ„d of the Lord for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man Who had not rather receiue punishment at his fathers hands of whose loue he is assured then to bee punished with the strokes of an enemy that loueth him not but hateth him to the death Men are proud and cruell fierce ambitious but God is full of compassion and his mercy endureth for euer he knoweth whereof we were made Psal 103.14 Psalme 78 39 he remembreth that we are but dust hee considereth that we are mortall yea a winde that passeth and commeth not againe He will not suffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee are able to beare Hitherto the Lord hath visited vs with his mercifull and gentle corrections famines sicknesses and strange diseases Let vs behold his gracious dealing toward vs and profit by these fatherly admonitions for if he should deliuer vs into the hands of barbarous and beastly enemies we should soone discerne the difference betweene the louing chasticements of a father and the bloody strokes of an enemy 22 Then they departed from Kadesh and the childreÌ„ of Israel euen al the congregation came vnto Mount Hor. 23 And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor neere the border of the land of Edom saying 24 Aaron shall be gathered vnto his people for he shall not enter into the Land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel because yee rebelled against my commandements at the waters of strife 25 Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and charge them to come vnto this Mount 26 And cause Aaron to strip off his garments and thou shalt put them vpon Eleazar his sonne then Aaron shall be gathered vnto his Fathers and shall dye there 27 And Moses did as the Lord had commanded for they went vp vnto Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation 28 And Moses caused Aaron to strip off his garments and he put them vpon Eleazar his son and Aaron dyed there in the toppe of the Mount So Moses and Eleazar came downe from off that Mount 29 And when all the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty dayes Hitherto of the Ambassage of Moses to the King of Edom These words containe the third and last part of the Chapter to wit the death of Aaron after the people were remooued from the borders of the Edomites For albeit the King did so vnkindly deny them any passage yet Moses and the Israelites doe not oppose themselues against them or attempt to breake through by force of Armes multitude of men and dint of sword but passe by their borders peaceably and fetch a compasse about their land True it is those enuious Edomites were worthy to perish and to be vtterly destroyed for their inhumanity yet because the time was not yet come wherein the Lord had prophesied and promised that the elder should serue the yonger Gen. 25 23. therefore the Israelites commit vengeance to the Lord to whom it belongeth Rom. 12 19. Now in these verses we see how God beginneth to execute the former threatning against Moses and Aaron For heere wee are to consider three things First the death of Aaron Secondly the succession of his sonne Thirdly the mourning of the people The father dieth the son succeedeth the people lamenteth the death of the high Priest If Aaron had dyed without any prediction and foretelling of his death all men might haue thought it had fallen out at aduentures and ascribed it wholy to the decaying of strength wasting of nature but being reuealed to Aaron himselfe and manifested to the whole Congregation both the time when and the place where he should die it appeareth that his daies were numbred and his yeeres limited which hee could not passe As then God had determined the death of Aaron and denounced his shutting out of the land of Canaan so that sentence is heere executed vpon him Deut. 34 4 5. the other concerning Moses is reserued vnto his time appointed of God In this place God commanded both of them what to doe euen to ascend vp to the Mountaine and sheweth that Aaron shall die there for his disobedience whose garments must be pulled off and put vpon Eleazar lest by touching of the dead the holy garments should be defiled After this commandement followeth their obedience agreeable to the same they come vp to the Mountain Aaron is stripped Eleazar is cloathed with them Aaron without feare of death or longer desire of life or prayer for life departeth in peace according to the word of God he is gathered to his Fathers Moses and Eleazar descend from the Mountaine Moses Eleazar and the people mourne for Aaron thirty daies Verse 23 24. And the Lord spake vnto Moses and Aaron We see heere according to the former threatning pronounced by the mouth of God verse 12. that Aaron cometh not into the land of Promise but dieth in Mount Hor. We learne heereby Doctriâ— God-thrâ—nings are 〈◊〉 compâ—â—â—â— that the threatnings of God are accomplished Howsoeuer his iudgments are many times deferred and his punnishments prolonged because hee is patient toward vs and would haue no man to perish but would haue all persons come vnto repentance yet in the end all his threatnings shall be verified and fulfilled in their times and seasons Consider this truth in our first parents Ge. 2 17. â— 3 7. God threatned them that if they did eate the forbidden fruite they should die the death we see the effect in them and all their posterity throughout al times and generations Behold other threatnings of God wee shall alwayes reade the execution after the denunciation So when God by the Ministery of Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Peter 2â— had threatned to destroy the whole world if in an hundred and twenty yeeres they repented not wee see how he brought in the flood vpon the world of the vngodly swept them away from the face of the earth which they had corrupted with their cruell and vncleane conuersation This we see likewise taught vnto vs throughout the bookes of the holy history of Ioshua The man is cursed before the Lord Ioshua 6â— that ryseth vp and buildeth the City Iericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest sonne and in his yongest sonne shall he set vp the gates of it meaning therby that whosoeuer should attempt to builde this City he should pay for it deerely because what time hee layeth the foundation of the wals his eldest sonne shall dye and when hee setteth vp the gates and hath finished it his yongest sonne shall dye When this threatning seemed quite forgotten and consumed with the rust of time God doeth bring it to passe as we
thy presence is a burden vnto me aske thy reward and wages of thy worke of that God whom thou hast obeyed or of that people whom thou hast blessed to whom thou seemest rather beholden then vnto mee and who I am sure are more indebted to thee for thy paines then I am This is a most shamefull blasphemy of a wretched man whose breath is in his nostrils against the eternall God that made heauen and earth who suffereth with patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The answer of Balaam followeth to be coÌ„sidered The answer of Balaam who is brought in by Moses excusing himselfe and giuing wicked counsell to Balak to bring the people of God to ruine and destruction The Apology and defence that he maketh for himselfe is this that hee certified the messengers sent vnto him and declared to Balak himselfe that he was not at his owne choise and liberty to speake what the King wished and what himselfe desired but was as it were chained and restrained by the mighty hand of God that he could vtter nothing but what he inspired Thus the false Prophet seeketh to pacifie and appease the angry minde of the King and the hyreling laboureth to recouer his wages that was denyed him as if he should say Lay the fault where it is and not where it is not I haue striuen what I can to do that which thou requirest but the God of the Hebrewes hath hindered thy request and my desire Secondly hee promiseth that being now discharged and ready to returne home hee would giue such counsell which should work out the finall confusion of this people if it were wisely and warily followed For when he seeth he cannot curse them he giueth counsell how to hurt them as if hee should haue saide to Balak I see to my griefe thou perceiuest to thy cost that sorcery will not preuaile and serue the turne yet do not despaire but hold on thy purpose try a new conclusion another way I haue another plot in mine head follow my direction and doubt not but thou shalt bring thy matters to a good passe and destroy that people as they hereafter shall destroy thy people But what this counsell was is concealed and not expressed in this place which was not such as the Prophets of God aduised and perswaded to the people of God but diuellish counsell proceeding from that spirit by which he was guided to open a gap to bring vpon them all mischiefe and misery and to pull downe the wall of Gods protection whereby they were fenced and defended and to let in their enemies vpon theÌ„ God being become an vtter enemy vnto them For by the successe and euent in the chapter following it appeareth what this crafty counsell was Numb 25 3. by the peoples falling in fancy and fellowship with the Moabitish women wherby they were drawne into spirituall and bodily fornication And afterward in the one thirtieth chapter of this booke verse 16 Moses speaking of the Midianitish women saieth These caused the children of Israel through the counsell of Balaam to commit a trespasse against the Lord as concerning Peor and there came a plague vpon the Congregation of the Lord. So the Apostle Iohn speaketh writing to the Church at Pergamus I haue a few things against thee because there thou hast them that maintaine the doctrine of Balaam c. Reu. 2 14. Hereby then we see that when Balaam had sundry wayes assayed and attempted to curse the people of Isâ—ael and yet his purpose fayled him because God crossed his deuices hee told Balak that the last refuge and onely way to preuaile against them was to draw them to sin against their God and so to make a breach betweene him and his people Now according as hee counselled him and gaue him instructions so Balak confederate with the Midianites sent forth the most beautiful women in their kingdomes into the Campe of Israel to entice them to the worship of their Idols to banquet with them at their Idoll-feasts whereby â—hey drew them to Idolatry and fornication sinning against God and kindling his wrath against them But of this we shall speake further in the chapter following Verse 10. Then Balak was very angry with Balaam and smote his hands together and saide I sent for thee to curse mine enemies c. See heere the euent of all the conspiracy against the Israelites they had conceiued mischiefe Psal 7 14 15 bring forth a lye They that trauaile with wickednesse trauaile with the winde and the end is not answerable to the beginning They vanish away in their owne imagination whilst Israel standeth as a defenced City From hence we learne that things practised inconsiderately not with good aduice Doctrine Thing vnlawfully atteÌ„pted haue euill ends and attempted vnlawfully with a wicked purpose haue other euents then men thinke of Whatsoeuer wee goe about with a wicked minde hath an euill end in the iust iudgment of God We cannot expect that any euil action should haue a good end Indeed God doth many times suffer euill men causeth them to multiply The causes why wicked men do multiply because our sinnes deserue so many chastisements and scourges as there are wicked men in the world Againe it is requisite that we should all our life long be kept in a continuall exercise of faith prayer patience and repentance Iudg. 2 22. and that they might be as pricks and thornes in our sides Lastly the Lord by suffering the wicked to prosper and proceed doth greatly aduance his owne glory whiles he reigneth in the midst of his enemies Exod. 9 15 16 and preserueth his Church in despite of Satan and his wicked members which daily seeke the ouerthrow thereof Is it not strange that an hundred Sheepe should liue among a thousand wolues not be deuoured It is no lesse wonderfull and to bee maruelled at that any of Gods people should liue vpon the face of the earth being compassed about with an army of wicked men the very limbes of the diuell that open their mouths to swallow them vp and hate them with an vnfained hatred vnto the death Notwithstanding the Lord thus beareth and forbeareth yet in the end hee will cut off the wicked and all euill shall haue an euill end We see this in Pharaoh calling for his Sorcerers they withstood Moses and resisted the truth they turned water into blood and rods into Serpents yet in the end all their cunning was stained and they confessed it was the Finger of God Exod. 7 11. 8 19. Consider the example of those that would builde them a Citty and a Tower to get them a name lest they should bee scattered vpon the whole earth Genesis ch 11. verse 4 the Lord came downe to see the Citty which the sonnes of men builded and there confounded theyr Language that euery one perceyued not anothers speech The Apostle Peter maketh a long rehearsall in his second
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
serueth not onely to soften the waxe but to harden the clay Hence it is that many are made worse by the word â—atth 13.15 but that falleth out through their owne corruption not through the nature of the word Hence it is that the Lord saith Make the heart of this people fatte and make their hearts heauy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their eares and conuert and be healed Esay 6.10 â—say 6.10 Be it therefore that none are commonly worse then common hearers who heare indeed but doe not vnderstand and see indeed but doe not perceiue yet is the word to be preached and published though it be the sauor of death vnto death in those that heare it It is as the raine or snow that falleth from heauen which returneth not thither againe but watereth the earth and maketh it bud and bring forth that it may giue seed to the sower and bread to the eater so is it with the word that goeth forth out of the mouth of God it doth not returne vnto him voide but it accomplisheth that which he pleaseth and prospereth in the thing whereunto he sendeth it Esay 55. â—say 55 10.11 Lastly the wickednesse of euill hearers ought to be no barre against the preaching of the word forasmuch as euill persons are oftentimes wonne by the Gospel Publicans and harlots are brought by it to the kingdome of God Matth. 21.31 â—atth 21.31 Many of these that crucified the Lord of life and put our Sauiour to death were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do Act. 2.37 â—ct 2.37 They gladly receiued the word and were baptized so that in one day there were added to the Church about three thousand soules The like we might say of the Iailour notwithstanding his cruelty and persecution of the Apostles he came to them and said Sirs what must I doe to be saued Act. 16 30. â—ct 16 30. Who preached vnto him faith in Christ by whose Ministry hee was conuerted Shall we then reason as these men doe Hearers are wicked and as bad as others that heare not therefore away with the word out of the Church pull down the chaire of Moses and downe with all preaching let vs haue no more hearing and let the sound of the word be buried for euer O foolish reason O damnable conclusion Nay wee may inferre contrariwise Such as heard long are sinful stil therfore let them heare more cheerefully and let the Minister deale more roundly with them Let them be told and taught that God will take an account of their hearing according to the meanes he hath afforded vnto them that by the word they shall be iudged at the last day and that as much hath beene committed vnto them so much shal be required at their hands againe that they are to heare the voyce of God while it is called to day and are to take heed they neglect not the accepted time and that as Christ hath knocked long at the doores of their hearts so they know not how suddenly he will depart from them Verse 4. And Nadab and Abihu dyed before the Lord c. We haue already declared how God immediately after the ordering of the Armies of the Israelites describeth the tribe of Leui that was exempted and priuiledged out of that muster and multitude and of what family Aaron came Now wee are to shew what became of his sonnes who albeit they were the sonnes of one man yet they neither liued nor dyed after one manner For the two eldest Nadab and Abihu Leuit. 10.4 Num. 26.60 presuming to offer incense to God and to burne it with strange fire were themselues consumed with fire there went a fire from the Lord and deuoured them and they dyed before the Lord with sudden death Thus by the same thing wherein they offered they perished strange fire brought downe a strange iudgement to declare the iustice of God against sinners but of this point we shall haue better occasion to speake farther in the fift Chapter Thus it fel out in the family of Aaron his two sonnes dyed by fire euen they dyed before their father 1 Chron. 24.2 and had no children to whom the Priesthood might descend therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the Priests office When the Leuites did offer sacrifice in the Tabernacle God sent fire from heauen Leuit. 9.24 to consume the sacrifice whereupon he commanded the Priestes that the fire should be kept euermore burning vpon the Altar and neuer be suffered to goe out Leuit. 6.13 Which the Gentiles also obserued by a foolish imitation So then their transgression against God consisted in these two things First they vsed strange fire contrary to the commandement of God whereas they should haue taken it from the Altar Leuit. 1.8 Leuit. 1.8 Secondly they entred into the holy place which was not lawfull for the high Priest himselfe to doe but vnder certaine conditions and at a certaine time Leui. 16.1 2. Leuit. 16.1 2. Exod. 30.10 Exod. 30.10 Heb. 9.7 Heb 9.7 Thus then as they sinned openly so God punished them openly and made them publike examples vnto others that should succeed them and come after them in that office as he speaketh Leuit. 10.3 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is it that the Lord spake I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified Babingâ—on Leuit ch 10. obser 6. It was but yesterday as it were that Aaron and his sonnes had a famous and a glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignity vpon earth but these sonnes so lately exalted and honoured now lye destroyed before their fathers face to his ouermuch griefe and anguish not by any ordinary and accustomed death but by fire from heauen for their sins and breach of the Law and commandement of God We learne from hence that Godly parents haue Doctrine 2 oftentimes vngodly and disobedient children Godly parents haue oftentimes vngodly children Such as are reformed themselues haue children vnreformed We see this in Adam the first father he had not onely Abel the righteous who obtained good report that he pleased God but also Caine who was of that euill one and slew his brother 1. Ioh. 3. 1 Ioh. 3.12 Because his owne workes were euill and his brothers good Noah a iust man and perfect in his generations Gen. 6.9 had cursed Ham as well as blessed Shim Gen. 9.26 We see this in Abrahams house the Father of the faithfull who rereceiueth this commendation froÌ„ the mouth of God himselfe Gen. 18. Gen. 18.19 I know him that hee will command his children and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to do iustice and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him yet he had in his
build it or when it should be builded or where it should bee builded Hence it is that the Lord sent Nathan vnto him who said vnto him Shalt thou build me an house to dwell in Whereas I haue not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought vp the Children of Israel out of Egypt 2 Sa. 7 5 6 7. euen to this day but haue walked in a Tent and in a Tabernacle In all the places wherein I haue walked with all the Children of Israel spake I a word with any of the Tribes of Israel whom I commanded to feede my people Israel saying Why build ye not me an house of Cedar So then seeing it might be said to him Who required these things at thy hands Who commanded of thee any such worke Who euer spake vnto thee to doe it Howsoeuer his purpose might be commended yet the fact is reprooued And God vseth two reasons to call him backe from his desire and enterprise one taken from his owne person the other from the person of Dauid From the person of God because hitherto hee had liued in a Tabernacle so that there was no cause in respect of him to trouble himselfe with the building of a Temple From the person of Dauid because he was to consider that there were many in Israel besides him many Iudges and Princes beside him and before him yet none of them had any such charge laide vpon them or committed vnto them or required of them so that he ought not to haue enterprised that which was commanded to none of them nor to himselfe True it is GOD saith in the booke of Deuteronomy that there should be one place where he would be worshipped but what or where that place was he did not foreshew therefore his farther pleasure to bee reuealed was to be expected and an expresse commandement to be waited for For wee see in the Scriptures that oftentimes somewhat is commanded which commeth not by and by to be practised and executed as we declared before touching the chusing of a King from among their brethren Deut. 17 14. when they came into the Land which the Lord their God had giuen them So Christ sent out his Apostles into all the world and commanded them to teach all nations but at what time they should go forth they were to expect a new commandement and commission Matth 28.19 Luke 24.49 so that albeit they were bidden to goe yet if they had gone before they had knowne when to goe they had offended The summe and effect of this answer cometh heereunto that Dauids thought and purpose was good and godly if we consider the roote of it inasmuch as it proceeded from a desire of promoting true religion neuerthelesse although God approued his intent yet he suffered him not to goe forward because hee wanted his word to warrant his intent and therefore did not obey God but follow his owne mind and deuice Thus wee see the cause why God forbad Dauid to builde him a Temple and yet afterward the people in the daies of Haggai are reproued Hag. 1 4. being returned from captiuity because they builded not Heere he forbiddeth that which there he cōmandeth These things seeme not to agree together but to be contrary one to the other and yet though different in shew they agree very well in deed in truth For in this place Dauid is pulled back from his purpose as running too fast trauelling as it were without his guide and sailing without his compasse because he had not the word of God whereas they were reproued because albeit they were stirred vp by the Prophets and called continually to that duty by the word of God yet they could finde no leasure to fall to worke but followed wholly their owne profites and pleasures Thus we haue answered the obiections let vs now come to the vses see what we are to learne from hence Vse 1 First of all wee are taught that touching things that are to be done or not to be done we are not to iudge by the false rule of our owne carnall and corrupt reason but according to the sure word of the Prophets and Apostles It seemeth a small thing in our owne iudgement to burne Incense with strange fire but it is a most greeuous sinne and deserued a most greeuous punishment if we consider the word of God thereby transgressed or respect his commandement thereby violated For these two sonnes of Aaron died not the common death of all men nor were visited after the ordinary visitation of the rest of the sons of men but God wrought a strange worke he brought fire from heauen and consumed them Numb 16 18. The like we might say of Corah and his company they contented not themselues with the ordinary calling of the Leuites to do the seruice of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the Congregation to minister vnto them but they would also take euery man his censure and put incense in them but they sought the Priesthood also and vsurped the office peculiarly appointed to Aaron and to his sons It might seeme a small thing to set vp others to burne incense and a man might say Why might not Korah do it as wel as Aaron What skilleth it by whom it bee done But hereby the will of God is broken and little regarded yea God himselfe is contemned and little esteemed in our eyes This then bindeth euery soule to humility not to thinke any thing better wiser or more expedient and profitable to the Church then that which is prescribed vnto it neither yet to account any thing idle or superfluous or vnnecessary or that might be amended There be many prophane men that think most basely and contemptibly of the most excellent things of God as of the Word of the Ministery of the Sacraments and of the prayers of the Church It seemeth to many a slight thing not to be washed with the water of Baptism but it is not so with God who hath instituted that Sacrament and therefore woe vnto them that neglect it or despise it The like we might say of the Lords Supper it is accounted among many a small matter whether they come to the Table of the Lord or not But we must measure the necessity of it not by the outward shew of the outward actions but by the Commandement of God because whatsoeuer Christ hath instituted for the perpetuall vse and benefit of the Church we are commanded to yeeld obedience vnto it Whosoeuer neglecteth to doe what hee appointeth sinneth most greeuously against him Wherefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. 1 Cor. 1◠As often as ye eate this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he come Such then as come sildome to this Sacrament declare plainely that they regard not the death of Christ They looke to receiue life and saluation from him but they do not esteeme the meanes whereby they may be made
Ministers and to make them labour more conscionably then they haue done so it should stirre vp the people to seeke after knowledge which is as the light of the eye or as a candle in the house whereby we may see what we do and how we serue God whether truely or falsely and whether we goe right or wrong It is enough with the greatest sort to do as most doe and to practise that manner of the worshippe of God which is countenanced and continued by authority albeit they can giue no reason of it neither know how to warrant it It belongeth vnto vs not only to professe the truth but to bee able to maintaine the truth which we professe against all gainsayers and such enemies as seeke to rob vs of it It is a duty required of vs not to content our selues to doe as the rest of our neighbours do but to be ready alwaies to giue an answer to euery man that asketh vs a reason of the hope that is in vs with meeknesse of spirit 1 Pet. 3 15. â—et 3 15. Euery man presumeth he hath the truth and therefore they neuer enquire farther into the matter nor labor to satisfie their own harts vpon what grounds they stand They doe as their honest neighbours they think it no good manners to differ from them they account it folly to seeke to be wiser then their fore-fathers so they iumpe with the Church of Rome that teacheth her Disciples to beleeue as the Church beleeueth albeit they can yeeld no reason how the Church beleeueth Whereby it appeareth that albeit all men are worshippers of God yet the greatest sort know not how they worship God so that we may say vnto them as Christ spake to the woman of Samaria Ye worship ye know not what Iohn 4 22. â—â—â—n 4 22. Let all such know that they want true comfort in their worshipping forasmuch as they know not whether they please God or not They are like men that shoote at a marke which know not whether they shoot short or shoot beyond the marke or whether they shoot wide or how much they are wide or whether they hit the marke Thus it fareth with ignorant worshippers they are wholly ignorant whether they go astray in the matter or in the manner of his worshippe whether they doe that which God requireth or that which hee condemneth For this is no otherwise nor no where learned but by the word so that all such as are ignorant thereof are in a wretched case and wofull condition and not farre from destruction whatsoeuer they doe esteeme of themselues or others iudge of them 5. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 6. Bring the Tribe of Leui neere and present them before Aaron the Priest that they may minister vnto him 7. And they shall keepe his charge and the charge of the whole Congregation before the Tabernacle of the Congregation to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle 8. And they shall keepe all the instruments of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the charge of the children of Israel to doe the seruice of the Tabernacle 9. And thou shalt giue the Leuites vnto Aaron and to his sonnes they are wholly giuen vnto him out of the children of Israel 10. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sonnes and they shall waite on their Priests Office and the stranger that commeth nigh shall be put to death 11. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 12. And I behold I haue taken the Leuites from among the children of Israel in stead of all the first borne that openeth the matrice among the children of Israel therefore the Leuites shall bee mine 13. Because all the first borne are mine Exod. 13 1. Leuit. 27 26. Luc. 2 23. for on the day that I smote all the first borne in the Land of Egypt I hallowed vnto me all the first borne in Israel both man and beast mine they shall bee I am the Lord. Hitherto of the first part of the Preface consisting in a description of Aarons sonnes and in a relation what became of them part of them dying in their sinnes and part succeeding in the Priests Office Now followeth the second part in these words which is a presentation of the Leuites before him Touching this whole Tribe we must obserue that it was diuided and sorted into two rankes whereof the first is the Priests and the second the rest commonly called by the common name of Leuites who were not admitted into the former order as appeareth more euidently in the 16 chapter following as also in the 18 chapter Touching the Priests they are of two sorts Of the high Priest the one was as the head the other as his hands one was the chiefe aboue all the rest the other were inferiour as assistants vnto him The chiefe was the high Priest Sigon de rep Hebâ—ae li. 5 c. 2. of whom the Scripture setteth downe foure things First his consecration he was brought before the Altar he was washed with water he was cloathed with those holy garments that God had appointed he had the sacred oyle powred vpon his head lastly sacrifice was offered on the Altar for his sanctification and his garments were sprinkled with the blood of it Secondly the things that were required in him being consecrated in the former manner which are cheefely these hee might not be defectiue or deformed in body his wife must be a virgin of his owne people he might not vncouer his head rent his garments nor go in to mourn for any that was dead though it were his father or mother Thirdly the Scripture setteth downe his imployment which was to goe daily into the Sanctuary to light the Lampes to burne Incense and euery weeke to prouide the shew-bread on the feast daies to offer the peoples sacrifices with the other Priests and once in the yeare on the day of expiation to enter into the Holiest of all to make prayer for himselfe and the people Fourthly his attire or holy vestiments in which he was to perform this seruice of God which were these six in number a brest-plate an Ephod a Robe a broidred coat a miter a girdle Of the inferiour Priests Touching the Priests of inferiour condition they had the same kinde of consecration which the high Priest had in sacrificing they were like vnto him and in the seruice of the Sanctuary in burning incense in prouiding the bread of proposition and in preparing looking to the lampes and lights This was the difference in these betweene him them that he was the chiefe and they were helpers he was the directer they were directed and guided by him Besides this was peculiar to the high Priest that hee consulted with God by Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28 30. Leuit. 16 30. and entred into the holiest place to make attonement to cleanse and hallow it from the sinnes of the people Their vestiments were the same sauing that the high Priest onely
the Lyons brake their bones in pieces and tore them in sunder that had cast Daniel into the denne Dan. 6 24. Thus shall it bee with all persecuters that plot the ruine of the Church They may gather themselues together but they shall be scatterd they may pronounce a decree but it shall not stand they may digge deepe to hide their counsels but they shall be discouered come to nothing Hee hath not made his Church a prey vnto their teeth but hath vtterly destroyed them and made hauocke of them that they became dung to the earth and a prey to the fowles of heauen They then are greatly to be reproued who behold euery where and at all times the workes of God both of his mercy toward his people and of his iudgements against his enemies and yet are neuer moued to glorifie his Name nor to walke in obedience before him In the middest whereof I dwell Wee haue heard the strength of the reason and how necessarily and demonstratiuely it concludeth The presence of GOD with vs is a forcible meanes to pricke vs forward and to prouoke vs to holinesse of life and to all well-doing Now let vs consider the words in themselues without the consideration of others Wherein we see hee giueth his promise for his presence or setteth downe plainely vnto theÌ„ that he is continually among them to wit the holy God among his holy people â—ine â—euerâ—â—resent 〈◊〉 peoâ— This teacheth vs that God is euermore present with his people he is in the middest of them he is neuer absent from them He watcheth ouer theÌ„ for their good he neuer slumbreth nor sleepeth hee neuer forsaketh them that he should bring them into danger This appeareth in the example of Ioseph Gen. 39 21 23. The Lord was with him and shewed him mercy and gaue him fauour in the sight of the keeper of the prison Where hauing shewed that God was with Ioseph he expoundeth and expresseth what his presence was and wherein it consisted and how it was manifested Hee was cast into prison and lay in great misery yet did not God forsake him but was with him euen in prison God abhorreth not the loathsome prisons into which his seruants are cast He commandeth vs to visite his Children that are put in prison much more therefore will he do it himselfe This is set downe in the praier of Dauid for Salomon his sonne Arise and be doing and the Lord be with thee 1 Chron. 22 11 16. and in the prayer of Salomon at the dedication of the Temple 1 Kings 8 57. The Lord our God be with vs as he was with our Fathers let not him leaue vs nor forsake vs. This also is that mercifull promise which he maketh to his people Exod. 29 45 46. I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God and they shall know that I am the Lord their God that brought them foorth out of the Land of Egypt that I may dwell among them I am the Lord their God Heereby doth the Prophet comfort himselfe Psal 23 4. Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare none euil for thou art with me thy rodde and thy staffe doth comfort me This is such a principle as is so plaine that it needeth no farther confirmation that wheresoeuer two or three are gathethered together in his Name he is in the middest of them Mat. 18. I will propound a few reasons and that Reason 1 breefely First he will saue those that are his His presence is not a vaine presence neither is he an idle beholder of things that are done but his presence is to prosper and to saue The end of his beeing with vs is the saluation of vs. This is the reason that God giueth to his people and the promise of deliuerance after long trouble Ier. 30 11. I am with thee saith the Lord to saue thee though I make a full end of all Nations whither I haue scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leaue thee altogether vnpunished And to the same purpose he speaketh in the 42 chapter Bee not afraid of the King of Babylon of whom yee are afraid be not afraid of him saith the Lord for I am with you to saue you and to deliuer you from his hand We must not therefore dreame of a presence that effecteth nothing hee is not one that standeth still and doth nothing as he that is in a dreame but rather willeth his people oftentimes to stand still while he worketh all in all Secondly they haue good successe in their Reason 2 lawfull labours and honest endeuours so that he maketh the workes of their hands prosperous Except the Lord do builde the house watch the City the labours of the builder and the cares of the watchman profit nothing at all This reason is rendred in the example of Ioseph Gen. 39. God was with him and hee made all that he had to prosper So it is said in the booke of the Iudges The Lord was with Iudah Iudges 1 19. he draue out the inhabitants of the Mountaine In like manner we reade concerning Dauid 2 Sam. 5 10. Dauid went on and grew great and the Lord God of hosts was with him Seeing then God saueth his people in times of danger and prospereth the workes of their hands that they vndertake in his feare it followeth that he is continually with them Let vs now come to the vses that arise from Vse 1 hence First for the encrease of a sound faith in God in whom we are to trust we may conclude that seeing God is with his seruants therefore they shall not fall downe or take the foile but shall prosper and preuaile He leaueth them not to themselues he withdraweth not his strength from them he deliuereth them not to the lust and pleasure of their enemies This is it which he telleth Ioshua after the death of Moses Iudg. 1 5. There shall not any be able to stand before thee all the daies of thy life as I was with Moses so I will bee with thee Whensoeuer we prosper in our waies finde the blessing of God to haue beene with vs in our actions let vs not ascribe it to our industry and pollicy to our owne diligence and endeuours but acknowledge from whence it springeth and proceedeth it is because God is with vs. This is a notable comfort vnto vs to consider that the gates of hell shall neuer be able to preuaile against the Church to deface it and to roote it out and to destroy it If the Church faile God shall faile with it If this be vnpossible so is the other If the church should faile Christ must also faile and all the benefits of his death and passion which can neuer come to passe forasmuch as he died not in vaine but will make his death auaileable in all the members of his body
is euermore the companion of hypocrisie Fiftly to be confident in good causes and couragious especially in time of perill Prou. 10 9. 28 1. Whereas the hypocrite hauing a corrupt conscience is ouertaken with feare and trembling Esay 33 14. Prou. 28 1. Lastly to be constant and to perseuere to the end in good things to bee resolute neuer to giue ouer a continued course of piety vntil we giue ouer this course of life such bring foorth fruite with patience Luke 8 15. and shall neuer be remoued Psal 15 5. Whereas the double-minded man is vnstable in all his wayes Iames 1 8. his godlinesse and religion is as the morning dew Hosea 6 4. By these signes we may sift and examine our selues whether this grace of sincerity be in vs or not And as the gift is excellent so there are sundry motiues to stirre vs vp vnto it Sundry motiâ—es to 〈◊〉 vs to sincâ— For God is good and gracious vnto such as are pure in heart Psal 73 1. and 125 4 5. hee is the Sun and shield to them Psal 84 11. This is the life and substance of all other graces without it the best things are but counterfet and no better then sinnes against God Our faith must be vnfained and loue without dissimulation and our conuersion must be a renting of the heart Consider also that God is present euery where and knoweth all things Psal 139 7. Prou. 15 verse 3. Moreouer wee must meditate oftentimes vpon the iudgements of God which hee bringeth vpon the world but especially of the last iudgement in the end of the world and of our particular iudgment at the houre of death Ro. 2 16. Eccl. 12 14. The heart is the store-house keeper of the graces of God Pro. 4 23. Mat. 13 18 19. Lu. 6 45. Math. 23 26. therefore we ought carefully to looke vnto it CHAP. XIIII 1 And all the Congregation lifted vp their voice and cryed and the people wept that night 2 And all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation saide vnto them Would God that we had died in the Land of Egipt or would God we had died in this wildernesse 3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought vs into this land to fall by the sword that our wiues and our children should be a prey Were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt WE haue seen in the former chapter the occasioÌ„ of this fourth murmuring arising from the report of the spies whereby the seed was sowne which in this Chapter groweth vp to an open obstinate mutiny The fruit was answerable to the seed the successe to the report And who can stay the streame driuen by so violent a winde and tempest When the arrow is once shot out of the bow it is too late to wish it may do no hurt where it falleth because where it hitteth it hurteth But to come to the present matter in hand the people giuing eare to these false reports dream of danger where no danger is like the sluggard that saith There is a Lyon without I shall bee slaine in the streets Prou. 22 13. To minds that are fearfull and perplexed all fansies and coniectures seeme things of truth Consider in this chapt two points first the generall murmuring of all that is of the greatest part of the people secondly the proceeing of God against theÌ„ for their murmuring Their murmuring is accompanied with impatience disobedience vnthankfulnesse blasphemy infidelity and tempting of God Psal 106 24 25 c. and it is set downe generally and particularly Generally they murmured against Moses and Aaron amplified by the effect 〈◊〉 cause 〈◊〉 the Israâ— wept all 〈◊〉 they wept all the night The cause why they wept is the feare of death and the sense of their sinne they supposed that they were led as sheep to the slaughter and brought into the wildernesse as to a place of destruction had forgotten the promise made 400. yeares before to their fathers Wee see heere how quickly and easily they obey euil persons that seduced them they listen with both their ears vnto them â—â—â—trine 〈◊〉 are natuâ— ready to 〈…〉 â—ken to â—cers and â—ers and forget what they had often heard and seen Caleb and Ioshua warned them but all was in vaine The doctrine This is the corruption of our nature we are prone to bee peruerted and ready to hearken to seducers to follow euill liuers and euill teachers while in the meane season wee are hardly drawne to hearken and attend vnto those that tell vs the truth without flattery or forgery Exod. 4 1. The prophet of God sent to prophesy against the Altar at Bethel is easily seduced and forsaketh the word of God 1 Kings 13 21. Our Sauiour complaineth of the peeuishnesse of the Iewes 〈◊〉 11 27. Wee haue piped vnto you and ye haue not danced we haue mourned vnto you and ye haue not lamented c. And Iohn 5 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receiued me not if another shall come in his owne name him yee will receiue 2 Tim. 4 34. Gal. 3 1 2. and 5 7. Titus 1 11. Mat. 24 5. First because in the minde and vnderstanding Reason 1 howsoeuer there remaine certaine generall notions concerning good and euil as that there is a God that he is iust and a rewarder of them that do well that wee must honour our parents and not hurt our neighbors yet euen these are corrupt and serue only to take away excuse Ro. 1 19 20. and besides wee haue all receiued from Adam ignorance or want of knowledge of the things of God 1 Cor. 2 14. Ro. 8 7. Likewise disability to vnderstand spirituall things though they be plainly taught vnto vs Lu. 24 41. 2 Cor. 3 5. vanity of the mind thinking truth to be falshood and falsehood to be truth Eph. 4 17. 1 Cor. 1 21. Prou. 14 12. So then the originall or seede of all errors and heresies is in our nature Secondly satan is mighty and subtle he can Reason 2 transforme himselfe into an Angel of light he employeth many instruments in his worke to seduce vs as he did Eue which also worke mightily with strong delusions 2 Cor. 11 3. False Apostles are deceitful workers transforming themselues into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. they come in sheeps clothing though inwardly they bee rauening Reason 3 wolues Mat. 7 15. 2 Pet. 2 1 2. Thirdly it is Gods deepe yet most iust iudgement vpon all that obey not the gospel to send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies This is a punishment sent vpon the vnthankfulnesse of men when they haue the light and yet shut their eies heare the sound of the Gospel and yet stop their eares and vnderstand the truth yet harden their hearts against the truth Mat. 13 14 15. 2 Thess 2 11 12. This serueth to reprooue and conuince the Vse 1
need not feare for the time to come but that wee shall also receiue more at his hands who giueth liberally one blessing after another Iam. 1.5 Forasmuch as he is God for the time to come as well as for the time past and all his gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. Thirdly this should mooue vs earnestly to Vse 3 labour for the first grace and neuer to giue rest to our selues vntill we feele an addition and encrease of the second and third grace in our hearts and to multiply them one after another that they may dwell in vs plentifully and make vs fruitfull in all holy conuersation If we haue the first grace in our hearts and be carefull to vse the same well it is as seed sown in good ground it will bring forth a wonderfull encrease and a notable haruest in the end Paul would haue Timothy to stirre vp the gift that was in him 1 Tim. 1.6 If wee bee once in Christ he will purge vs more and more that we shall bring forth more fruit Ioh. 15.8 Lastly obserue that this is a priuiledge belonging Vse 4 onely to the faithfull that they shall haue the mercy and fauour of God continued vnto them The blessings that God bestoweth vpon the wicked doe serue to make them without excuse and are as seales of condemnation they are not assurances vnto them that they shall haue moe bestowed vpon them he hath made no such promise vnto them neither can they gather any hope to haue any farther encrease of the same or any addition of new blessings Albeit it be so with the godly that former blessings of God are pledges of more yet it is not so with the vngodly 2 Sam. 7 17. Iudg. 10 12 13. Eccle. 8.12 13. Esay 65.20 He tooke away his mercy from Saul but hee would neuer doe it from Dauid he deliuered the vnthankefull and rebellious Israelites out of the hands of their enemies but he threateneth that he will deliuer them no more The euill seruant hath his talent taken from him and neuer restored vnto him againe and therupon Christ deliuereth the manner of Gods dealing as well toward the faithful as the vnfaithfull Matth. 25.29 Vnto euery one that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath For they doe abuse his mercies and neuer make any good vse of them how then should they bee continued vnto them nay how should they not be depriued of them They become much more sinfull and grow worse and worse by his blessings God requireth the more of them but they performe the lesse duty vnto him It is therefore a vaine hope and a meere presumption for such to thinke to haue his goodnesse continued rather they may conclude that God will take them away suddenly and bestow them no longer vpon them except they turne from their euill wayes 20 And the Lord said I haue pardoned according to thy word 21 But as truely as I liue all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 23 Because all these men which haue seene my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wildernesse and haue tempted me now these ten times and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce 23 Surely they shall not see the Land c. 24 But my seruant Caleb c. We haue in these words the effect of the prayer of Moses and the answer that God giueth vnto him The summe whereof is this that the fathers should die in the wildernesse because though they had seene his glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wildernesse yet they tempted him ten times that is not once nor twice but oftentimes a certaine number put for an vncertaine as Gen. 31.41 Iob. 19.3 Dan. 7.10 and therefore they should be all destroied excepting Caleb the seruant of God If any aske the question why Ioshua is not expressed â—ction and wherefore his name is concealed I answer â—er because the Lord pronounced the former sentence concerning the people that were in their tents but Ioshua that attended vpon Moses was present with Moses and Aaron before the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation therefore the iudgement denounced against the people that abode in their tents no way touched him Caleb was with the people so that it behoued him who had spoken the truth of the land to be excepted Ioshua was not and therefore there was no need to haue him exempted from them who was not among them For being with Moses and Aaron he is accounted in their number Secondly they are commanded to returne backe againe into the wildernesse by the way of the red sea verse 25 when they were now come to the borders of Canaan which they could not heare without great greefe and anguish of minde Before they wept without cause verse 1. Now they haue cause to weepe for this heauy iudgement Thirdly their children shold beare the burdeÌ„ of their fathers sin wander in the wildernes forty yeres howbeit in the end they should enter into the land Fourthly the Spies themselues that had searched the land which were the authors of all this mutiny and had brought vp an euill report of the land were smitten with a fearefull plague dyed suddenly by the hand of God Heere we may obserue in these words that God heareth the prayer of Moses and pardoneth the people according to his prayer so that the Lord heareth the prayers of the faithfull according to his promise Secondly Gods iudgements are tempered with mercy Thirdly such as haue receiued the greatest mercies and become vnthankfull and disobedient Matth. 11.20.21 22 23 24. Luke 12.47 are the greatest sinners and shal receiue the greatest iudgement Fourthly in excepting Caleb and Ioshua from the common destruction it appeareth that God is a iust righteous God who as he doth not account the wicked innocent so he will not account the innocent to be wicked The Popish teachers alledge this example to prooue that God pardoneth sinne Popish doctâ—ine touching the pardon of sin and the retaining of the punishment and yet punisheth the sinner that the same punishment so inflicted is a satisfaction to God for their sinne and that the eternall punishment due to this people was pardoned at yâ— request of Moses If this were true then all this people were beleeuers and had true faith in the Messiah which is a bold assertion without all shew of reason and likelihood of trueth It may probably and charitably be thought that some of them were beleeuers and repented to them these were chastisements The like may be said of Moses and Aaron and of Dauid of which they were shut out of the land of promise and he was punished by the death of his child and in other his children and house not thereby to satisfie God by bearing part of the temporall punishment belonging to their sin but that Moses
to saluation Moreouer the Apostle speaking of one Mediatour and naming Christ to be that one 1 Tim. 2 5. speaketh in that place of prayer and therefore euen in praier he will haue vs to acknowledge no Mediatour of intercession but Christ Iesus onely A Mediatour of intercession as it is defined by Austine Aug. contra epist â—arm lib. 2 cap. 8. cannot agree to any sauing to Christ for he teacheth that it is commanded that euery Christian shold pray for others but he who requests for all and for whom none requesteth is the one and true Mediatour Againe they obiect Obiect that the Saints pray for vs and therefore we may pray to them Answ I answer this will not follow What the praiers of the Saints departed are Againe they pray for the perfecting of the body of Christ desire the full gathering together of the Saints they long for the resurrection restitution of their bodies which lye in the dust they wish to see the auengement of the blood of the holy martyrs shed for the testimony of the truth and craue to behold the last comming of Christ to iudgment to restore all things howbeit they know not the particular troubles of Gods children neither vnderstand the inward wrastlings and bucklings with sin and Satan which the conscience sustaineth no more then Eli knew the trouble of heart that Hannah had though she praied in his presence Wherefore let vs content our selues with the onely and all-sufficient mediation of Christ remembring the saying of the Apostle Iohn We haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. And seeing he calleth vs vnto himselfe let vs not refuse to goe to him When he saith Come to me Mat. 11 28. shall we say nay we wil go to some other When Mary called her sister secretly saying The master is come and calleth for thee as soone as she heard that she arose quickly and came vnto him So it ought to be with vs Our master Christ calleth vs why doe we run from him why do we not run to him why do we run to any other Let vs not refuse to come to him who gaue his life for vs that we might liue in him Shall we then depart from him that calleth vs to them that call vs not that know vs not that heare vs not that help vs not that saue vs not Secondly this condemneth the ignorant Vse 2 multitude which through palpable and horrible ignorance rush into the presence of God without any Mediator knowing neither God nor themselues They dream that God is mercifull neuer consider what he is in his owne nature to wit a God of perfection a most iust Iudge and we can neuer reconcile his mercy and iustice but by looking vpon him in the face and countenance of Christ Iesus in whom only he is wel pleased Mat. 3 17. We can receiue nothing at his hands except we come to him in his Son For as he is perfect so he accepteth of nothing that is vnperfect But we can offer nothing to God but that which is tainted and defiled with sin and if God looke vpon vs our wants out of his Sonne wee are no better then the children of wrath he findeth matter enough in vs to reiect our workes and to condemne our persons We haue our praiers heard no other way but in the Name of Christ We are no otherwise accepted but in his beloued Iohn 15 6. Eph. 1 6. Acts 4 12. Heb. 2 14 â— Math. 1â— 1 to wit in Christ He is the onely Sauiour of the Church he saueth his people from death and him that hath the power of death that is the diuell He saueth vs from our sins guilt and punishment For sin is the power sting of death an vgly serpent Christ only hath quelled him he hath merited our saluation by his death and passion none else hath done it none else could do it The Saints glorified and all the company of the elect Angels in heauen were too weak and vnworthy to accomplish this work The Papists as we haue shewed make him but half a Sauiour ioyning others with him in the worke of saluation For they teach that with Christs merites we must ioyne the workes of grace in the matter of iustificatioÌ„ that with Christs satisfaction of the wrath of God we must ioyne our satisfaction by temporall punishment But we haue shewed before that he will bee a sole Sauiour or else no Sauiour at all Thirdly it behoueth vs in remembrance of Vse 3 this excellent benefite of Christs attonement to be thankfull to God This is the main cause of al thankfulnes The most common blessings which we receiue must at all times moue vs to be thankfull as meat drinke health wealth liberty peace prosperity and the like but this should as it were swallow vp all the remembrance of all the rest and the zeale thereof coÌ„sume vs Ps 116 12 â— What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefites toward me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord. What deadnesse of hart then remaineth in many meÌ„ that neuer remember this great worke thereby to be prouoked to obedience and newnesse of life that so we may return our loue to God againe who loued vs first Lastly we must acknowledge what we are Vse 4 in our selues to wit vtterly lost the enemies of God the children of wrath the bondslaues of Satan and the heires of condemnation This we must confesse froÌ„ the bottome of our hearts haue a liuely feeling thereof before we can receiue him as our Peace-maker and Sauiour Math. 18 11. and 15 14. Luke 4 18 and 19 10. We must say with Daniel Shame and confusion of faces belongeth vnto vs chap. 9 8. What was due to the people in this place and what might they haue looked for if Aaron had not made an attonement but present death So is it with vs we are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses can looke for nothing but wrath and iudgement and fiery indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries Hebr. 10 27. if Christ do not make peace between God and vs. Let vs therefore looke for saluation from him as men hearing of cunning Physitions to cure diseases do seeke and send to theÌ„ farre and neere Math. 9 20 21. Iohn chap. 7 verse 37. CHAP. XVII 1. AND the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 2. Speake vnto the children of Israel and take of euery one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers of all their Princes according to the house of their fathers twelue rods write thou euery mans name vpon his rod. 3. And thou shalt write Aarons name vpon the rod of Leui for one rod shall bee for the head of the house of their fathers WEe haue seene in the former chapter how the people enuied Moses in the Camp and
full of good workes and almes deedes he kneeled downe and prayed 〈◊〉 9.40 and turning him to the body hee bad her arise and she opened her eyes and sate vp Heereunto also we may not vnfitly apply the examples of such as haue recouered out of eminent dangers and haue beene in a manner in the iawes of death and helde their soules in their hands as Hebr. 11.17 19. Touching Isaac hee lay bound with cords as a sacrifice vpon the Altar the knife was lifted vp to haue killed him and his father ready to haue offered him for a burnt offering and therefore he is also said to haue offered him accounting that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead from whence also he receiued him in a figure The like we might say of many other the Saints that haue had experience of Gods power who being no better then dead in their own opinions by incurable diseases and incredible dangers haue notwithstanding been suddenly restored Hezekiah was willed to set his house in order for he should die his disease was mortall yet by prayer hee obtained the prolonging of his dayes When Daniel was in the lyons denne and the three seruants of God in the fiery furnace Noah in the Arke vpon the waters Ionah in the belly of the Whale where were they but after a sort in death yet all these had deliuerance and flourished againe like the Almond rod in this place The like we might say of Paul Cor. 11.26 and 1.9 10 he was pressed with trouble out of measure aboue strength insomuch that he despaired euen of life and receiued the sentence of death in himselfe yet God which raised the dead deliuered him from so great a death We reade in the actes of the Apostles that he was stoned with stones so that they drew him out of the citie supposing that he had beene dead but when the disciples stood round about him 〈◊〉 14.19 20 〈◊〉 2.27 he rose vp and came into the citie So doth this Apostle speake of Epaphroditus he was sick nigh vnto death but God had mercy on him and not on him onely but on me also lest I should haue sorrow vpon sorrow This was likewise the flourishing of the Almond rod of Aaron Reason 1 This is not to be maruelled at forasmuch as God is the liuing God he hath life and being in himselfe and he giueth life and breath and being vnto other things This is a title proper and peculiar to God Matth. 22.32 and therefore it is said Hee is not the God of the dead but of the liuing Secondly he is of infinite power and was Reason 2 able in the beginning to create all things of nothing Heb 11.3 so that the things which were seene were not made of things which doe appeare Thirdly he Reason 3 can take away life and breath so often as it pleaseth him yea cast body and soule into hel Psal 104.29 Matth. 10.28 The vses remaine First this was a type as Vse 1 also the whole Priesthood was of the person doctrine Priesthood and kingdome of Christ as appeareth in many places of the Prophets Esay 11.1 2. Psal 45.6 and 22.14.18 Act. 13.23 Al our saluation springeth from his crosse and our life from his death He offered vp himselfe vpon the crosse for the redemption of our bodies to obtaine for vs euerlasting peace perfect righteousnesse and the kingdome of heauen he rose againe from death to life for our iustification Rom. 4 25. This is the rod that came out of the stemme of Iesse and as a branch that grew out of his roots who though he were put to death in the flesh and became as a dry and withered stalke and staffe that was not regarded 1 Pet. 3.18 Rom. 4.24 yet he was quickened by the spirit and God raised him from the dead so that hee became as the flourishing rod of Aaron in whom we haue redemption through his blood the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1.7 Secondly heere is also a type set forth for Vse 2 the confirmation of our faith in the doctrine of the resurrection of the body at the last day which as dry seede is cast into the earth and brought to dust yet in due time shall flourish againe as the rod of the almond in this place Dan. 12.2 Ioh. 5.25 and 11.24 25. Ioh. 19.25 26 29. This hath beene taught in all ages of the Church from the very beginning Gen. 4.10 and 5.24 Heb. 11.5 Iude ver 14 14. Exod. 3.6 15. 2 King 2.11 Esay 26.19 Notwithstanding in all ages some haue been found that haue denyed the resurection Among the people of God that Sadduces taught that man perished wholly and that after death there is no rising or returning to life but that he perisheth as the beast Matth. 22.23 Act. 23.8 And the Apostle Peter foretelleth that in the last dayes should mockers arise that should say Where is the promise of his comming 2 Pet. 3.3 4. and what is this else but not to beleeue that Christ will come againe to iudgement nor raise vppe the dead to life And in the Church of Corinth some were found which said there is no resurrection of the dead 1 Cor. 15 12. Some haue confessed the immortalitie of the soule as many also of the heathen did but touching the resurrection they haue fansied it to be in this life and not after death so that the resurrection with them is nothing els but regeneration to wit a dying vnto sin and arising againe to newnesse of life The authours of this heresie seeme to haue beene Hymeneus and Philetus of whom the Apostle saith Concerning the truth they haue erred saying that the resurrection is already past 〈◊〉 thereby doe destroy the faith of some 2 Tim. 2.18 Neither is this heresie dead with them but is reuiued and continued in the damnable sect of the Family of loue who hold that hell and heauen are in this life and no other resurrection of the body or day of iudgment or comming of Christ thē in this world To these we may ioin as next neighbors the Anabaptists of our times who vtterly deny that the same bodies which now we haue and shal lie in the dust shal euer rise againe but they hold that God at the second comming of Christ will make vs new bodies This is to maintaine a new creation of new bodies but to deny the resurrection of the former bodies For it is one thing to make and another to raise vp Against all these errors wee must cleaue to the simplicity of the Scriptures The resurrection proued For this is a fundamentall point of Religion if this be shaken and ouerturned all religion is pulled vp by the rootes Hence it is that the Apostle reasoneth against these at large 1 Cor. 15. and prooueth the point soundly substantially by many arguments The first reason First if there be no resurrection
a true miracle But if it were a miracle men might discerne it by sense as all the miracles of Christ were discerned Let them giue vs an instance in any creature in heauen or earth where the Lord wrought any miracle which he did not subiect to the senses of man but heere is nothing that can be discerned by the senses for as much as the bread by the iudgement of all the senses remaineth and appeareth to bee the same in substance which it was before of the same quality quantity colour taste handling smelling vertue and nourishment there is not any one sense or all the senses together that can iudge otherwise of it then it did before therfore it can be no miracle No work is a miracle which cannot bee felt smelled seene tasted or perceiued Wherefore let the Church of Rome teach in their schooles write in their bookes preach in their Pulpits and decree in their Councels neuer so often that there is a miracle wrought in their Sacrament of the Altar yet because we can neither see nor touch nor taste nor feele any thing but the same that it was before we cannot beleeue them But they tell vs Obiect that though the outward forme and accidents of the bread remaine yet the substance of it is turned into the body of Christ which though we cannot perceiue by our senses yet wee are bound to receiue by faith I answer Answer that if the natural body of Christ were there present we might feele him as Thomas did forasmuch as Christ still retaineth his true body albeit it be now glorified Wherefore seeing there is no miracle in the Supper apparent to the senses there can be no miracle at all The difference which is is in the vse before it was common bread ordained for the nourishment of our bodies now it becommeth holy bread sanctified by the Lord not so much to feede the body as the soule To conclude then by this strange and new found miracle they ouerturne the doctrine of the Scriptures touching miracles For wheras we haue shewed that a miracle is a rare worke apparently to the senses wrought by the sole omnipotent power of God they make it to be an vsuall common and ordinary worke wrought by euery Priests pronouncing of fiue words yet so as no sense at all can discerne of it 12 And the children of Israel spake vnto Moses saying Behold we die we perish we all perish 13 Whosoeuer commeth any thing neere to the Tabernacle of the Lord shall die shall wee bee consumed with dying Hitherto of the first part of the Chapter heere followeth the second part to wit the repentance of the people crauing to bee deliuered from present death and from their sinne wherewith they had prouoked God to anger As if they had said We acknowledge that we deserue to die and perish through our sinnes neither did wee know so much vntill the plague that brake in among vs taught vs and the blossoming of the rod conuinced vs to our faces We presumed to meddle with the office of the Priesthood that belonged not vnto vs and therfore we deserue iustly and worthily to die But is there no place for mercy and forgiuenesse We may obserue from hence that this should bee the effect of all punishments which God bringeth vpon sinners to humble vs â—â—d explic â—â—m to make vs auoide sinne and to submit our selues to God with all obedience Againe we must neuer despaire of Gods mercy which is greater then our sinnes as a garment wider then the body and therfore more then able to couer the nakednesse thereof Thirdly we must acknowledge and confesse our sinnes to God because all sinne is committed against God him onely we haue offended Psal 51.4 Briefly also learne that the first degree of pardon is to know that our sinnes are pardonable this is as a sparke of light in a darke night and giueth hope of great mercy But to leaue these particulars this is the generall doctrine In all chastisements â—trine â—t is to bee â—owled iust in all chastiseâ—ts how grieuous and sharpe soeuer they be God is to bee acknowledged iust and righteous in laying them vpon vs Dan. 9.6 7 8 9 16 19. Ezr. 9.6.10 13 15. Psal 51.4 5. 2 Sam. 24.10 The reasons which are as the grounds of this truth are euident First because his punishments though many times they be greeuous burdens to beare yet are alwayes lesse then our deserts and offences Psal 103.10 He dealeth not with vs according to our offences Secondly our sinnes are the procuring causes of all the euils which we suffer Mic. 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him So then the cause of all our sufferings is in our selues Thirdly in all his corrections and iudgements hee remembreth mercy Hab. 3.2 Wee see this often in this book though the whole people sinned as one man yet iudgment came not vpon the whole but the mercifull God striketh some to admonish and amende others The vses follow First it reprooueth such Vse 1 as stand out with God and are ready to iustifie themselues and accuse God of ouermuch sharpenesse and seuerity These men neuer consider Gods manifold blessings and their owne vnthankefulnesse vnto him who reneweth his mercies toward vs euery morning Lam. 3.23 But we render vnto him euill for good and hatred for his good will We are like vnto stubborne children that murmure vnder the rod and cannot abide correction So it is with vs we can abide to sinne but wee cannot abide to suffer Wee regard not how much we prouoke him but we care not how little he punish vs. It is one of the hardest things in the world to iustifie God and to condemne our selues worthy of eternall death and damnation We see it from the beginning in our first parents they sought shifts and fig leaues to couer the nakednesse of their soules more then they did the nakednesse of their bodies as indeed there appeared much more deformity in the one then in the other and they had more cause to be ashamed of the nakednesse of their soules then of their bodies For sinne maketh vs naked of Gods protection and causeth him to depart from vs it taketh away our shield and defence and leaueth vs in the hands of our enemies We see also in the example of Achan Iosh 7. of Saul 1 Sam. 15. how hardly they were drawne to confesse their sinnes they heard sentence pronounced against them before they would pronounce sentence vpon themselues Let vs not tarry vntill God iudge vs but rather learn betimes to iudge our selues Secondly let vs humble our selues vnder Vse 2 the mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 and when he draweth out his sword let vs not say wee are righteous like the Pharisee that condemned another but iustified himselfe Luk. 18. rather let vs cry out in the eares of God Spare Lord Ioel 2.17 and confesse that it is
3 we see the wicked prosper and florish spredding themselues as the greene Bay tree for loe God hath set them in slippery places Psal 37 53. and casteth them downe in the end vnto desolation they are suddenly destroyed horribly consumed as the chaffe which the winde driueth away and as a dreame when one awaketh This tentation hath ouertaken the children of God and caused them oftentimes to shrinke back when they saw the prosperity of the vngodly Psal 73 2 3. Hab. 1 4. and on the other side the troubles of the godly hath made them to reason within themselues of the prouidence of God But shall not the King rule his owne kingdome or the Master gouerne his own house as pleaseth him And shall not we giue the Lord leaue to dispose of all things in heauen and earth after the good pleasure of his owne will Hee fatteth the wicked against the day of slaughter he leaueth them without excuse and maketh his blessings as a witnesse against them Contrarywise the children of God although they suffer afflictions yet afflictions to them are not euill but try their faith as the furnace doth the gold Senec. de diui prouidentia c. 8 Let vs not deceiue our selues in iudging and esteeming of good and euill That is good which maketh vs better that is euil that maketh vs worse The workes of the flesh adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnes idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulations wrath contentions seditions heresies enuy murthers drunkennesse couetousnesse and such like are manifestly euill These God keepeth from his deere children and his deere children from them that they reigne not in them The Israelites in Egypt liued vnder hard masters and carried many heauy burthens and sent vp many passionate sighes to God with deepe grones of spirit whilst Pharaoh and the Egyptians tooke crafty counsell together and sported themselues in the miseries mischiefs which they had brought vpon them But whose condition was the more happie let the red Sea testifie from which the Israelits were deliuered Exo 14 27 29 in which the EgyptiaÌ„s were drowned Dauid taken from the sheepe-folds tasted of many sorrowes being in perils among the Amalekites in perils in the Wildernesse in perils of his owne Nation in perils of his own seruants in perils among false bretheren and was hunted from place to place as a Partridge in the Mountaines 2 Sam. 31 4. whilst Saul sought his life and enioyed the pleasures and treasures of a kingdom But whose estate was the more happy let the end and yssue of them both determine the one liued in glory ended his daies in peace the other sheathed his sword in his owne bowels and so dyed in despaire The Apostle Iames willeth vs to take the Prophets for an example of suffering aduersity and of long patience which haue spoken in the name of the Lord Ye haue heard of the patience of Iob haue knowne what end the Lord made Iam. 5 10 11. for the Lord is very pittifull and mercifull Lazarus a poore begger destitute of succour and friends lying at the rich mans gate hauing his minde as full of cares as his bodie was of sores whilst the rich glutton was clad in purple gorgiously and fared deliciously euery day But whose condition was the more blessed and happy of them twaine let this tell vs and teach vs for our instruction that Lazarus when he died had the holy elect Angels to attend vpon him to carry his soule into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16 22 23 that is to say into the kingdome of heauen Matth. 8 11. the rich man also died his body was buried his soule was carried cast into the torments of hell Where the worme neuer dyeth Marke 9 44. and the fire neuer goeth out the one vnsufferable the other vnquenchable both infinite Let vs not therefore rest in beholding the present face of outward things but possesse our soules with patience in a sweet meditation of Gods prouidence considering that it shall in the end bee well with all them that feare the Lord and that howsoeuer the wicked do prosper in the world increase in riches yet if we enter into the Sanctuary of God Psal â—3 â— we shal see they are set in slippery places they are lifted vp on high and therefore their fall shall be more fearefull seeing all the threatnings of God must without faile fasten vpon them Lastly seeing the menaces and threatnings Vse 4 of God must bee performed this serueth also to assure vs that the gracious promises of God made in mercy to his people shall in truth and righteousnesse bee accomplished The Lord that is alwaies the same as hee is true in his threatnings to the vngodly so wil he be found true in his promises toward the godly For seeing no part of his word shall passe away that he will not falsifie his trueth Psal 89 â— nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth one part serueth to confirme another his threatnings are ratified by the assurance of his promises and his promises are established to bee surer then the heauens by the assuraÌ„ce of his threatnings So then let vs learne to depend vpon God to trust in him knowing 2 Cor. 1 that all his promises are yea and Amen vnto the glory of his name Let vs rest in him for the pardon of our sinnes for the hearing of our prayers for the feeding of our bellies for the resurrection of our bodies for the inheritance of euerlasting life hauing a strong assurance of faith that the Lord is iust and true in all his promises This is a notable comfort and consolation to all the childreÌ„ of God to cause vs to set our hope in him hauing a patient and constant expectation of all things that by faith we haue beleeued saying with the Apostle 1 Tim. 1 12. For this cause I also suffer these things but I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him against that day Verse 25 26. Take Aaron and Eleazar his sonne and cause Aaron to strip off his Garments and thou shalt put them vpon his sonne Heere is deliuered how Aaron yet liuing his sonne is inuested and installed into his Office with the ceremonies and solemnities thereunto appertaining at the appointment of God to shew the continuance of the Priesthoode to take away al occasions of dissentions from the people Thus we see the good estate of the Church is prouided for by Moses before Aaron dyed Doctrâ— The Châ— must be in good after coâ— parture and went the way of all flesh The Doctrine hence is that the good of the Church must be regarded of vs to leaue it in good case after our death and departure I say it is a principall duty required of vs when wee must leaue the worlde to prouide for the
God and to serue him in the simplicity and sincerity of their hearts This wee must do in health this we must do in sicknesse this we must doe in death and so wee shall glorifie God liuing and dying Thus did Abraham teach his children and seruants and for this is he commended of God Gen. 18 19. I know Abraham my seruant that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the vvay of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgment Thus said Iacob when he dyed Gen. 49 1 2. this must all of vs be carefull to practise if we will bee the children of faithful Abraham to speake of the lawes of God in our houses 〈◊〉 11 13. wheÌ„ we walk by the way when we lye downe and when we rise vp Verse 27 28. And Moses did as the Lord had commanded he caused Aaron to strippe off his garments and he put them vpon Eleazar his son Wee see the obedience of Moses to the Commandement of God for Aaron pulled off his Priestly robes and they are put vpon Eleazar to whom lineally the Priesthood did descend whereby we see that there was a personal succession belonging to the Priesthood from father to son from one man to another Hereby we learne â—â—â—â—rine 〈◊〉 Leuitical 〈…〉 from 〈◊〉 that the Priesthood vnder the law passed from one to another The Priesthood begunne in Aaron and continued in his line rested not in one man but continued by succession from age to age This we see euidently proued throughout the old testament for as they were cut off by death so others arose in their rooms that serued at the Altar As Eleazar succeeded Aaron so did Phinchas succeed Eleazar 〈◊〉 6 â—0 so the Priesthood proceeded from father to son and from one generation to another 〈◊〉 â— 16. as appeareth in the genealogies of the Priests This the Apostle to the Hebrewes plentifully prooueth 〈◊〉 23. Many among them were made Priests because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death declaring that the Priestes after the order of Aaron succeeded each other and confirming it by the reason cause thereof because the Leuiticall Priests were taken away by death and could not endure for euer This then we must hold to be one reason forcible and powerfull to prooue the continued Reason 1 succession of the Priesthood of Leui from father to son because they were cut off by death and so not suffered alwayes to execute theyr Priesthood Seeing therfore these Priests were mortall there must be a succession from one to another This is that reason which was remeÌ„bred before out of Heb. 7 23. shewing that they had many Priests because they were all subiect to mortality and could not continue through necessity of death Secondly the promise of God made vnto Aaron and to his posterity must be accomplished Reason 2 and performed Hee consecrated Aaron and his sons and made a couenant with them not with Aaron alone not with his children alone but with their posterity Exod. 28 1. hee established it as a testimony in Iacob and as a law in Israel that their posterity might know it and the children which should be born of them shold stand vp and minister before the Lord in the beautiful garments and glorious robes of the Priests Exod. 28 2. Therefore the Lord saide by Moses Exod 29 29 30. Num. 3 10. 18 7. The holy garments which appertaine to Aaron shall be his sonnes after him to be annointed therein and to be consecrate therein That son that shall be Priest in his stead shall put them on seuen dayes when he commeth into the Tabernacle of the Congregation to minister in the holy place So God made his couenant of peace with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron Nu. 25 12 13 confirmed the Priests office to him his seed after him because in the zeale of his Spirit hee had turned away the wrath of the Lord from the Children of Israel This teacheth vs first of all the imperfection Vse 1 and insufficiency of it both of the Priestes themselues and of the Priesthood it selfe It pointed out a better Priest and a better priesthood and directed them to rest not in it but in some other So the Apostle Heb. 7 11 12. declareth that the Leuiticall Priesthood was vnperfect because another Priest is promised a long time after according to the order of Melchizedek If any perfection had beene by the Priesthood of the Leuites what needed it furthermore that another Priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek and not to bee called after the order of Aaron c. Where we see he sheweth to what purpose there must bee a Priest after another rule and fashion not after the order of Aaron euen because perfection is not in the Priehhood of the Leuites nor vnder the Law which was established vnder it so that wee must acknowledge it hath an end forasmuch as with the ceremoniall law the ceremoniall Priesthood was cancelled and abolished Vse 2 Secondly from hence we learne to acknowledge a difference betweene the Priesthood of Christ and the Priesthood of the Leuites This standeth in diuers points and circumstaÌ„ces as the same Authour of the Epistle to the Hebrewes euidently declareth The Priesthood of Christ is eternall as the Prophet declared long before Heb. 7 17. Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedek he was made with an oath by him that saide vnto him The Lord hath sworne and wil not repent But the Priests of Aarons order were mortall Heb. 7 20 21. not eternall they were made by the word of God but without an oath Heb. 7 26. Besides our great high Priest Christ Iesus holye harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens hath a * Aparabaton Heb. 7 24. Priesthood which cannot passe from one to another wherefore he is able perfectly to saue them that come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them who by his own blood entred in once into the holy place Heb 9.11 14. and obtained eternall redemption for vs purging our Conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Hebru 10 4. for it is vnpossible that the blood of buls Goats shold take away sinnes Thus we see that the Priesthood of Christ can haue no succession inasmuch as being once performed it hath no imperfection and whereas the Iews in the time of the law had Aaron and his posterity which were but mortall and miserable men we haue Christ the immortall and blessed God who liueth for euer to be our euerlasting Priest Vse 3 Lastly we learne that seeing the Leuiticall Priesthood passed from one to another so as by death they were not alwaies suffred to exercise and execute their Priesthood we see I say that the Church of Rome bringing in againe such a Priesthood such Priests as
are cut off by death do renue the Leuitical priesthood and labour to raise it out of the graue which hath long ago bene buried with honor For this is common to them both to end their daies and leaue their Priesthood to others so that the Dart which the Apostle casteth against the Leuiticall Priesthood pierceth and perisheth the very heart of the Popish priesthood when he saith and proueth that there can bee no other Priests but Christ vnder the new Testament Heb. 7 23 24. because he continueth for euer considering that the multitude of Priests and succession of them one after another ariseth from the imperfection and insufficiency of the Priests which were continually by death taken away If then the vpstart Priests of the Sinagogue of Rome will bee Priests properly they cannot be Priests after the order of Melchizedek as they wretchedly and blasphemously claime themselues to bee who was both King and Priest Heb 7 5. neither cā they be successors of Christ forasmuch as hee hath none to succeede him For if the Iews might not continue to offer their sacrifices and oblations after the sacrifice of Christ was once offered because it was perfect and all-sufficient yea the consummation of all that went before it followeth that the Popish sacrifice being an addition vnto that which is perfect as a rotten and ragged patch to a new garment cannot stand but is to bee throwne downe and abolished like an abhominable idoll Verse 29. All the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty daies when the Congregation saw that Aaron was dead The last point obserued in this chapter is the affection of the people after the death of Aaron one of the chiefe pillars and protectors of the Church and of true Religion among the Israelites They mourne for him not a day or a weeke but a whole month to declare what a sensible feeling they had of the incomparable losse of the Church We learne hereby that when the chiefe members stayes props Doctrin◠When the cheefest p◠of the C◠be takē a◠the rest a◠bee gree◠1 Thess 4 ◠and pillars of the church be taken away the rest of the parts are to be hūbled and touched to the quicke for the same True it is a measure in mourning and lamentation is to be vsed that wee bee not sorry as men without hope yet by this example wee see it is lawfull to mourne for the dead the greater losse the Church hath receyued the greater lamentation and greefe ought to bee expressed This is euident by the practise of Gods seruants in all ages of the Church proportioning their sorrow according to the greatnesse of their losse We see Ge. 50 1 10 11. when God called Iacob to himselfe out of this worlde a Father of the Church and a great light that shined not onely within the dores of his owne family but in the darknesse of Egypt hee was greatly and exceedingly lamented for the space of seuenty dayes so that the Canaanites said This is a great mourning vnto the Egyptians So when Moses the seruant of the Lord died like vnto whom there arose not a Prophet in Israel vnto whom GOD spake not by vision or dreame but face to face as a man talketh with his friend Deut. 34 8. the children of Israel mourned for him thirty dayes whom hee had guided with a fatherly care many yeeres So when Samuel another principall pillar of the house of God dyed 1 Sam 25 1. All Israel assembled and mourned for him and buried him in his own house at Ramah When God took away good King Iosiah like to whom there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule 2 King 2◠and with al his might according to all the law of Moses who bowed neither to the right hand nor to the left who remembred his Creator in the dayes of his youth and honoured God with the first fruites of his life all Iudah and Ierusalem mourned for him 2 Chron. 35 23 24. yea Ieremy lamented Iosiah and al the singing men and singing women mourned for him in their lamentations and made the same for an ordinance to Israel behold they be written in the Lamentations But touching Iehoiakim the son of Iosia who degenerated from his father walked not in his wayes 〈◊〉 22 1◠19 it is said They shall not lament him saying Ah my Brother or ah my Sister neyther shall they mourne for him saying Ah Lord or ah his glory he shall be buried as an Asse is buryed euen drawne and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem The like comparison wee see in the new Testament when as Stephen was stoned a faithfull witnesse of Christ a worthy member of the Church and a constant defender of the faith 〈◊〉 8 2. certaine men carried him to be buried and made great lamentation for him But when Ananias and Sapphira filled with Sathan keeping away part of the price of their possession tempting the Spirit and lying vnto God fell downe and gaue vp the ghost 〈◊〉 5 5 10. young men arose tooke them vp and buried them but no mention of any teares or lamentatiō much lesse of any great lamentation made for them God swept them away as dung from the earth for their hypocrisie but the Church lamented not the death of these wicked persons So then to omit many other examples that might bee alledged we see that howsoeuer men may be mourned for in a natural affection compassion by their friends and kinsfolks yet chiefly and principally we are to bewaile the losse of the church whē such are taken away as might do good seruice to God and his people Reason 1 This truth appeareth by good force of reason First the Ministers are as the Chariots horsemen of Israel in their Ministery that is the strength and defence of the Church and Commonwealth Therfore Elisha seeing Eliah taken vp by a whirlewinde into heauen cryed out Kings ◠12. My father my father the Chariot of Israel the horsemen thereof And as Elisha said of Eliah so did Ioash the King of Israel of Elisha For being sicke of his sicknesse whereof hee dyed the King came downe vnto him King 13 14. and wept vpon his face and said O my father my father the Chariot of Israel and the horsemen of the same Thus spake the King himselfe to the Prophet and these honorable Titles he gaue vnto him And no maruell For they fight and bend their forces against swearing blasphemy contempt of Gods word prophaning of his Sabbaths whoredome drunkennesse idlenesse couetousnesse and such like as lay vs open to the wrath of God These and such like sinnes are they that weaken the land and lay it naked to the inuasion of enemies 〈◊〉 32 25. as appeareth Exo. 32 25. Moses saw that by their idolatry the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked vnto shame among
giue to these maintaine them both in idlenes wickednes As then we see vnto whoÌ„ we ought not to giue so we must know to whom we ought to giue To whom we â—â—ght to giue These are poore widdowes and fatherlesse children 1 Tim. 5 16 such as are poore strangers such day laborers as worke hard for their liuing all the week and yet cannot either thorough weaknesse of their body or greatnes of their charge get things necessary and sufficient for them and of these we shall alwaies haue with vs to the end of the world Mat. 62 11 Such also as are falne into decay by ineuitable losses 〈◊〉 15 11. Leu. 23 35. Lastly such as are weake and impotent whether through age or other blemish whether in their feete or in their hands or other parts that thereby though they bee willing yet they are not able to take paines for theyr liuing Acts 3.2 6. but amongst all these they are especially to bee respected that are of the houshold of faith Gal. 6 10. If we be careful and mindfull of these God will recompence vs againe and pay vs home seuenfolde into our bosomes whatsoeuer we haue giuen both in temporall spirituall and eternall blessings Lastly it is our duty to acknowledge Gods Vse 3 great mercy toward vs in the blessings of this life that hee hath giuen to vs that which hee hath denied to many others and when he giueth vnto vs a comfortable vse of these blessings wee must confesse we haue them not by our owne labor and industrie but by his speciall goodnes towards vs Psal 127 1 3. and therfore we ought to sanctifie our daily pains with daily prayer and begin and end our labors with remembring him that remembreth vs and so praise his goodnes that enableth vs to get goods and this shall make our labour sweet and pleasant and the yoake that lyeth in our neckes to be light and easie Againe as God giueth them so he giueth a blessing with them a blessing with a blessing that is bread and the nourishment of bread For a man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Deut. 8. Moreouer as he giueth outward blessings so he can take them away when it pleaseth him euen in a moment Iob 1 Luk 12. 22 And the Lord saide vnto Moses Get thee vp into this mount Abarim and see the land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel 13 And when thou hast seene it thou shalt bee gathered vnto thy people c. 14 For ye rebelled against my commandement c. Here followeth the second part of the chapt touching the successour of Moses in the gouernment of this great people wherein obserue the occasion the calling of Ioshua The occasion is double the death of Moses at haÌ„d his request to God to appoint a man to be set in his place Touching his death he is willed to go vp to mount Abarim and to behold the land that God had giuen to the Israelites for God had foreshewed that he should see the land with his eies though he did not tread on it with his feet when he had seene the land he should dy as Aaron his brother before him chap. 20 24 amplified by the cause they had not sanctified the name of the Lord at the Waters of Meribah of which we haue spoken before Touching the prayer and request of Moses he desireth of the Lord that he wold appoint a fit Ruler ouer his people to succeed him in this gouernment that might be able to beare this great burthen For hearing the vnchaÌ„geable determination of God humbling himselfe vnder his correcting hand chastising his transgression he is not afraid of the sentence of death being at hand and seeing it before him neither doth he craue to haue the stroke thereof prolonged and delayed neither is he troubled with excessiue cares for himselfe and his children and posterity as the manner is of worldly minded men that mind nothing but the earth and earthly things when they must go out of the world shall haue their mouth full thereof but all his care was for the future benefite of the people to leaue them in good estate after his departure This should teach vs after his example to be readie to leaue the world whensoeuer God calleth vs not to staÌ„d in feare of death but to be willing to goe to God knowing the we shall go to an inheritance immortall that fadeth not 1 Pet. 1. and we must all likewise be carefull to leaue our houses places in good state when we are gone of which we haue spoken before chap. 20. Moses was the deere seruant of God yet sinning hee is punished The Lord himselfe receyued his soule and buried his body Deut 34 6 13. He was in high fauour with God liuing and dying an excellent Prophet to whom God spake face to face yet hee was not suffered to enter into the land of Promise Doctrine Many want the outward signes that are partakers of the truth of the Sacraments Wherby we see that many want the Sacraments that are partakers of the truth and substance of the Sacraments He entred into the heauenly Canaan that was not permitted to enter into the earthly Some are admitted vnto the outward signe that neuer receiue the thing signified so was Iudas to the Passeouer as well as Peter and the rest of the Apostles yet he was neuer partaker of the Lambe that taketh away the sins of the world Iohn 1 29. On the other side some take not the outward signe that neuerhelesse partake the inward grace The vses heereof are to teach vs that the outward Vse 1 and inward parts of the Sacraments are not necessarily ioyned together so that hee which partaketh the one should also partake the other and therfore the outward sign doth not simply conferre grace Secondly it condemneth the Church of Rome that holdeth that children dying without baptisme are not saued whereas saluation is not alwayes annexed to the signe so that though infants want the outward washing yet to them may belong the kingdom of heauen Mark 10 14. Lastly it serueth as a great comfort to such as desire to come to the Sacraments yet are hindred sometimes by sicknes and somtimes by other ineuitable occasions that procure their absence forasmuch as we see in this example of Moses that we may bee partakers of the truth of the signes and yet bee barred or banished from the signes themselues In such cases as these God accepteth the will for the deede 2 Cor. 8 12. Againe Doctrine Many are temporally punished that are not eternally condemned we learne by the examples of Moses and Aaron that were not suffered to enter into Canaan a figure of the heauenly Canaan this truth That many are temporally punished which are not eternally condemned Many are chastised in this life not onely with diseases and sicknesses but with death
hanged by the necke yet none I say would repine at such a man so what ground hath any man to fret or fume or enuy at the flourishing estate of any wicked man especially when it is knowne that GOD hath decreed that he shall perish and that not by an honourable death but perish like Haman shamefully in his owne house and after that shall haue all shame and contempt powred vpon him and go to the place of the damned there to suffer torments with the diuel his angels where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Lastly this being well learned will serue Vse 3 as an admonition for euery one to take heede of euery euill way that he be not obstinate in sinne It is one thing to sinne and another to be obstinate in sinne to withstand the word and rod of God and to abuse his patience It is incident to all to sinne but obstinacy in sinning hardnesse of heart and casting off Repentance are the forerunners of destruction Let vs thinke thus with our selues what can a short or fading pleasure profit vs when God shall come with his fearfull destruction Nay what can all the pleasures or profites in the world recompence for the losse of that comfort and peace that otherwise we may enioy What did Esaus red pottage so pleasing vnto his eye profit him in the end when hee lost thereby not onely his fathers blessing but also the blessed life to come What good got Achan by his wedge of Gold when it proued to be the wracke and ruine both of himselfe of his family And therefore doth Christ our Sauiour teach vs Mat. 16 26. What is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world then lose his owne soule Againe this fearfulnesse of iudgement should make a man thinke of the difficulty of repentance and what fearfull things hee shall suffer if he practise it not If it be a hard thing to breake off sinne we shall find it much harder to be broken with the iudgments of God and the fiercenesse of his wrath It is a fearfull thing to fall into the handes of an earthly Prince Prou. 19 10 but more fearefull to fall into the hands of the liuing God especially when he is inraged and incensed by the sinnes of men and therefore we ought to meete him with repentance lest we feele his vengeance to our condemnation A notable mediation to moue to break off â—he course of sinne And let vs labor to set the hardnesse of bearing the iudgements of God against the breaking off of sinne the one will easily counteruaile and ouercom the other If we finde it an hard and harsh saying to repent and breake off our sins we shall find it more hard when it shall be saide Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angels Mat. 25. Let a man seriously and throughly consider what an hard and vnpossible thing it will be to vndergo the wrath of God which maketh the diuels and damned spirits to tremble Iames 2 19 he wil think it an easie and light thing to forsake sinne although it were more deere then all things in the world whatsoeuer What if it were as hard a thing to renounce thy sin and to take vp the practice of true repentance as to pluck out a mans eye or to cut off his arme yet it must be done he hath pronounced it with his owne mouth that must be thy Iudge that is if there be any one sinne as deere vnto thee as thy right eye thou must pull it out or els thou shalt neuer come to the kingdome of heauen or if there be any sin as deere vnto thee as thy right arme by which thou gettest thy liuing if thou canst not be content to cut it off and dost not constantly and confidently resolue to cast it from thee thou canst haue no entrance giuen thee into Gods kingdome We see by common experience daily that men will endure very hard and bitter things from the hand of the Physitian that they may recouer health and escape death and yet it is not to put away death vtterly it is onely to prolong life for a time for they may deferre death they are not able to take it away If then such sharpe and bitter things seeme easie to auoid a temporall death then what ought a man to doe and to suffer to auoid the bitternesse and sharpnesse of eternall destruction and the fierce wrath of God which indeede is nothing but this To forsake sinne and to take vp repentance and the performance of religious and holy duties But alas alas how many are there euery wherin the world that haue bene content to lose many ounces of blood out of the veins for the good of the body that haue neuer shed a few drops of teares out of their eyes for the recouery of their soules To take bitter pilles and potions to purge the grosse humors that distemper vs that haue neuer purged or cleansed themselues from the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of GOD 2 Cor. chap. 7 verse 1. Nay we see men are willing to be seared that caÌ„not abide to haue the wounds of their soule searched by Gods holy Word yea to haue one member cut off to saue the whole bodie who notwithstanding will not leaue one pleasure of sinne for a season to saue both body and soule This is no better then folly and madnesse Heere is wisedome therefore to thinke of this betimes 31 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest did as the Lord commanded Moses 32 And the booty beeing the rest of the prey which the men of warre had caught was six hundred thousand and seuenty thousand and fiue thousand sheepe 33 And threescore c. 34 And threescore and one thousand Asses c 35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all of women that had not knowne man by lying with him c. 37 And the Lords tribute of the Sheepe was sixe hundred and threescore fifteene c. 41 And Moses gaue the tribute which was the Lords heaue-offering vnto Eleazar the priest c. 47 Euen of the children of Israels halfe c. Wee haue heard before the commandement of God touching the diuiding of the prey Now followeth the execution of it by Moses and Eleazar It is worth the obseruation to consider that as before the death of Aaron Moses and Aaron are alwaies ioyned together so after his death Moses and Eleazar The Magistrate and the minister shold ioyne togethâ—r the Magistrate and the Minister as the hand and the eye are in the body Then doth the church and the conmmonwealth flourish when these two go together and on the other side they go to wrack when they are separated draw seuerall wayes The greatnesse of the victorie and conquest that God gaue to his people appeareth further in these wordes by the distribution of the people and by the reseruation of the
be as a toy or trifle vnto vs yet at least let vs alwaies haue before vs the iudgement of God vpon our selues and be well assured that the wrongfull and vniust detaining of the Lords portion from the Lords Pastours shall bring such a curse vpon the rest of our substance that it shall be as the eares of corne that are blasted yea it shall kindle such a fire in the middest of our houses that it shall consume them with the timber thereof and the stones thereof The Lord hauing by the Prophet Malachi charged his people with spoiling him in tithes and offerings he addeth this in the next words Ye are cursed with a curse for ye haue spoiled me Mal. 3 9. euen this whole Nation The zeale that Dauid had for the house of GOD was very great so that he professeth it had euen eaten him vp Psal 69 and indeed he sheweth no lesse by his owne practise For when Araunah the Iebusite as a King in the willingnesse of spirit offered to giue to Dauid Oxen for burnt sacrifice and the threshing instruments for wood that he might build an altar and offer thereon he would not accept of it at his hands 2 Sam. 24 24. neither offer to the Lord his God that which cost him nothing as one esteeming in so doing the precious things of GOD light and of small account O how farre are these men from this heauenly affection of this holy seruant of God He accounted nothing too good to giue to God but they account it an happy turne if they might goe away scot-free and pay nothing at all toward the maintenance of the Ministery of the word It is strange to see how bountifull many are and euen prodigall that they care not what they waste and consume in following their owne pleasures pastimes and vanities of their corrupt hearts and yet how backward and pinching they are oftentimes for one halfepeny that is going from them and comming eyther toward the poore or toward the Minister But marke the secret and iust iudgement of God vpon them and tremble at it or rather feare him that inflicteth it and paieth them home in their owne kinde punisheth them proportionably according to their sinne for he detaineth his graces from them and sendeth them poore and leane soules that are ready to famish and perish through want of heauenly and spirituall food Two extremes touching the Ministers True it is there haue beene two extremes in the world both touching the estimation of their persons touching the compensation of their labours In former times the people did so highly account of them that they did sticke and cleaue too much to their persons and therefore Paul saith 1 Cor. 3 5 7. Who is Paul and who is Apollo but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued euen as the Lord gaue to euery man so then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that gaue the increase but in our times there appeareth not such forwardnesse wherein they are contemned despised This is one extreme Likewise in former times they were ready to giue all and yet they thought al to be too little now they would willingly if they might take away all so that if some positiue lawes did not stay them and restraine them their consciences are so large How the Ministers are dealt withal that they would suffer them well enough to take the corne and feed the Minister with the straw they could be content to fill themselues with the Calues out of the stall and to eate the fattest of them and then to reserue the refuse for the Minister and to giue them the bones to gnaw vpon which they offer to their dogges and yet thinke that too good for them A goodly recompence for their great paines They are not ashamed to share the wool of the flocke among themselues and to cloathe themselues therewith and then to cast the tailes to their Teachers and to stoppe their mouthes with the dung and drauery that is good for nothing Thus are they affected toward religion and the promoting of the word and worship of God they care not though all rudenesse and barbarisme were among vs and the world were become a receptacle of all atheisme like a wildernesse ouergrowne with nettles bryars and all noysome weeds if so be they might get any aduantage by the ruine and ouerthrow of the Gospel In the late daies of superstition which many now liuing can yet remember the people generally were most bountifull to their sacrificing Masse-Priests who fed them with corne that is musty and mouldred or rather with huskes fitter for swine then for the seruants of God and yet they thought nothing too good for them nothing too much to bestow vpon them as the idolatrous Egyptians nourished their idolatrous Priests in the yeares of famine Gen. 47 Gen. 47 22. so that their Land was not set to sale hauing a portion assigned vnto them of Pharaoh and eating the portion which he gaue them Now our people are better taught yet they pay all duties and demands for the most part grudgingly and murmure at all things that go from themselues as if a man did cut a peece of flesh out of their sides or let them blood at the hart veine Then they had a zeale though not according to knowledge and a conscience though it were blinde now indeed by reason of the labours of the Ministers which stretch out their hands all the day long spend their strength among them they haue science but little or no conscience the Gospel would be welcome vnto them at least in word prouided that it do not any way displease them or disease them neither be costly or burdensome vnto thē otherwise if they must depart with any of their morsels they care not for it nor esteeme any thing of it nor will be ruled by it nor order their liues after it 33. Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites these are the families of Merari 34. And those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and vpward were sixe thousand and two hundred 35 And the chiefe of the house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail these shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle Northwards 36. And vnder the custody and charge of the sonnes of Merari shall be the boards of the Tabernacle and the barres thereof and the pillars thereof and the sockets thereof and all the vessels thereof and all that serueth thereto 37. And the pillars of the Court round about and their sockets and their pinnes and their cords 38. But those that encampe before the Tabernacle toward the East euen before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Eastward shall be Moses and Aaron and his sonnes keeping the charge of the Sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel and the stranger that commeth nigh
shall be put to death 39. All that were numbred of the Leuites which Moses Aaron numbred at the commandement of the Lord throughout all their families all the males from a moneth old and vpward were twenty and two thousand Wee haue already handled the numbring of two of the families that haue their foundation in the sonnes of Leui to wit the Gershonites and the Kohathites Now followeth the third and last that is the Merarites touching whom we are to consider sundry particular points as we haue done in the two former diuisions For first the families descended of Merari are named which are two the Mahlites and the Mushites verse 33. Secondly the number of persons the summe of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and aboue was sixe thousand two hundred verse 34. Thirdly the Ouerseer or Superintendent of them all was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail Fourthly the place of their abode in the host was on the North-side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Lastly the office and function committed vnto them was the woodworke and the rest of the instruments These things were committed to their charge and custody Hitherto wee haue handled the numbring of this Tribe simply considered in it selfe according to the particular families of it now let vs obserue how it is concluded In this conclusion set downe in the two last verses of this diuision we are to marke two points first the persons that went before the Arke of the Couenant on the East-side secondly the totall sum of the whole Tribe is reckoned vp The persons that were to pitch on the fore-front of the Tabernacle toward the East are these both Moses himselfe as the chiefe Captaine Commander ouer the whole and also Aaron with his sons the Priests ministring vnto God and his Church whereunto is annexed a certaine prouiso that none should dare to thrust himselfe into their office verse 38. Secondly the totall sum of all the former particulars is brought together and the accounts cast vp which are said to amount to two and twenty thousand v. 39. Out of which generall number must be deducted the Priests and the first borne of the Leuites themselues for otherwise the whole Tribe of Leui consisting of the Priests and such as are called by the common name of Leuites amounted to the number of twenty and two thousand and three hundred soules Verse 33. Of Merari was the family c. In this diuision we see more plainely and particularly that which was in part noted before namely the seuerall mansions and situations that these Leuites had about the Tabernacle which being the place of Gods publike seruice they compassed it round about that they might not be farre from any of the people of God but alwaies resident among them The Gershonites pitched behinde the Tabernacle westward verse 23. The Kohathites pitched on the south-side of the Tabernacle verse 29. The Merarites pitched on the north side of the Tabernacle verse 35. Now lest any part should be left vnfurnished and vnprouided Moses and Aaron and his sonnes are commanded to take vp the fore-front of the Tabernacle and to pitch on the East-side GOD might haue put and placed all the Leuites in one corner of the host if it had pleased him but in great mercy both toward the Leuites and people they are seated in the middest of the army and charged to compasse the Tabernacle round about to the end they might serue the better for giuing direction and instruction indifferently to all the rest of the Tribes that were to vse their Ministery Thus we see that neither the Teachers were constrained to go farre to their hearers nor the hearers to take any tedious iourney to their Teachers This teacheth vs that God will haue euery part of his people taught Such is the goodnesse Doctrine 1 of almighty God God wil haue all places and people taught euen the smallest that he will haue none of his seruants vntaught how small soeuer the places be how meane soeuer the persons be None are too high in regard of their great places none are too low in regard of their obscure callings none are too good to be taught whatsoeuer their degrees be We see this most euidently in the Tribe of Leui it selfe To what end and purpose were they diuided in Iacob and scattered in Israel Gen. 49 Gen. 49 7 but that all the Lords people might be instructed from the highest to the lowest and haue their portion in due season alotted vnto them of God This is giuē as a commendation of the Leuites and of Iehoshaphat that sent them 2 Chron 17 9. They taught in Iudah and had the booke of the Law of the Lord with them and went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people This we see in the Apostle Paul writing to the Ephesians and setting downe the notable fruites and ends of the Ministery of the word Eph. 4 13. He gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastours and Teachers Till we all meete together in the vnity of faith vnto a perfect man and the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ Touching the practise of this duty we haue a notable example in Christ our Sauiour in many places of the Euangelists Luke 8 1. It came to passe afterward that he went throughout euery City and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of the kingdome of God and chap. 13 22. He went through the Cities Villages teaching and iournying toward Ierusalem The like we reade of the twelue Apostles who walked in the steps of their master going through the Townes preaching the Gospel and healing euery where Luke 9 6. So also it was with the seuenty Disciples the Lord sent thē two and two before his face into euery city and place whither he himselfe would come Luk. 10 1. Seeing then the Priests and Leuites Christ his Disciples went about through all the Citties of Iudah published the Gospel in euery city and village preached euery where and went into all places we conclude that it is the ordinance of God that all places great and small all persons high and low all congregations bigge and little should haue the word of God established and setled among them Reason 1 This will be made plaine and cleere vnto vs by diuers reasons First consider with me the titles that are giuen vnto God in the Scriptures He is worthily called the King of his Church and the Lord Master of his house-Is not he the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like sheepe Psal 80 1. Will a Shepheard that hath any care of his Sheepe or any loue vnto them looke vnto some of them and not to all Or will he not rather if any be gone astray Lu. 15 4 5 6. leaue ninety and nine in the wildernesse and seeke that lost one vntill he finde it So is it the will of our Father that is