ayme at the marke neuer so right and draw vp his â—owe neuer so stedfastly yet if his loose be not good but his hand starteth aside and swarueth at the point he misseth So we in death which is our last loose not guided by Gods holy Spirit may mar all And therefore we pray and euer should pray that till our end and in our end the Lord would vpholde vs in our strength and giue vs a gracious departure in him For as for that vaine Fable of helpe after death in Purgatorie it serued to rake vp the fat of the earth to those idle bellies and to shift away with faire words and promises those poore soules that shaked quaked after all their works not finding any sufficiencie in them to appease Gods wrath who could neuer returne being once dead to tell them they lied in so teaching the people that Masses Trentalls could helpe after death But for vs we know the Scriptures that as the tree falleth either towards the North or towards the South in the place it falleth there it shall bee Heauen wee reade of and Hell wee reade of but a Third place we finde not Lazarus was caried into Heauen and the rich Glutton into Hell They that haue done well saith the Catholique Faith shall goe into life euerlasting and they that haue done euill into euerlasting fire There is no Third place there mentioned to be beléeued and it is the Catholique Faith which except euery man kéepe holy and vndefiled without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly Let counterfet Catholiques hold what they list they heare the danger S. Augustine agréeably héereunto saith Repentance is onely in this life S. Cyprian also Hic vel accipimus vel amittimus vitam aeternam Heere wee either hold or loose life eternall meaning that if wee die well wee holde it and if wee die ill wee loose it there being no more helpe after death S. Basil againe pretily saith Post mercatum solutum nullus negociatur After the Market is ended there is neither buying nor selling and when I am dead the Market is ended with mee Wherefore let all our care be to take time while time serueth to liue well and doo well according to the rule prescribed and not according to our fancies or any mans inuention that a good life may haue a good death in Gods great mercie and goodnes Then for the place leaue it to God as also the manner and remember well that from euery Kingdome and Country from euery Towne and house yea from all corners and places whatsoeuer there is a readie way to Heauen To which agréeth that pretie Conference betwixt the Husbandman the Sayler wherein the Husbandman asked whether the Saylers father liued or no he answered no. Where died he said the Husbandman At sea saith the Sailer And where your Grandfather At sea also And where your great Grandfather At sea still saith the Sailer Good Lord then saith the Husbandman do not you feare to go to sea since so many of your Ancestors died there I pray you saith the Sailer let me likewise know of you before I answere you whether your Father liue or no and hée answered no. Where then died hee In his bed saith the Husbandman And where your Grandfather and Great Grandfather In their beds also saith hee I thanke God And good Lord then saith the Sayler are not you also afraide to goe to bed since so many of your Ancestors died there So one Question quit another wittily and both of them should teach vs that no place can hurt a setled Christian but as well from Sea as Land the Lord can giue a gracious passage to his Kingdome which hea in mercie graunt vs euer 4. In the death of the first borne Note againe the degrées of Gods punishments in these plagues First hee touched their water sent them Frogges Flies Lice and such other things gréeuous indéede but not so néere them as their goods Secondly the Lord touched their goods A greater plague than the former yet not so néere them as their owne bodies Thirdly therefore hee touched their very bodies by biles and blisters botches and sores verie gréeuous vgly yet he spared their liues But now when all the former would not serue he commeth to life it selfe and smiteth all their first borne that there was no house wherein was not death that of the déerest What may we then sée but a continual encreasing of Gods wrathfull scourges rods as long as wee shall spurne against him and not obey his holy wil Let it touch vs and turne vs awake vs and warne vs to take vp betimes How long we haue followed our owne waies and cast behinde vs the waies of God the Lord knoweth well and wee must also consider What crosses and losses haue likewise béene imposed vpon vs hitherto should bee remembred For they haue all béene Gods messengers as these plagues were to Pharaoh to drawe vs to obedience and if they will not serue the Lord will write as some Judges doo ad grauiora that is the Lord wil encrease his wrath as he did here till it come to very life it selfe Which being once lost in his displeasure the soule also is lost with the body and both of them sent to during woe for euer Urge him then no further as this cursed Pharaoh did but to day if you will heare his voice turne vnto him in true amendment of life and hee shall turne vnto you in mercie and loue eternall 5. Yea Sir God may happily deale thus with some poore people for example sake but he will regard the better sort of men and women who are of reputation in the world and not bring these heauie thinges vpon them But no saith your Chapter heere for this plague must light vpon all sorts from the first borne of Pharaoh which sitteth vpon the throne vnto the first borne of the Maid-seruant that grindeth at the Mill yea the Lord will not spare the very beasts No honours therefore or riches no friends or strength no pompe or port in this world may defend from him but he will smite all degrées and therefore let all degrées profit by it He will bring downe the mightie from their seates and cast euen Crownes vnto the dust Golde and Siluer are drosse before him and nothing can helpe but a reformed heart The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit A broken and a contrite heart the Lord shall neuer despise Trust to this but bid all earthly Titles stand aloofe for they will not serue 6. Then there shall be a great crie throughout all the Land of Egypt such as was neuer none like nor shall be This is a consequent of Gods Plagues euer wheresoeuer they light Cries and great Cries woes and great woes But shall any good Childe offend his Heauenly Father till he force him to make him crie Shall wee not thinke of the daies of truth and peace till wee heare in euery
at large reade in the exposition of that Commandement So great is the honour of Parents before God and so sharpe a Iudge is God against all abusers of them Little thought of by too many in our daies the rather because continually in the Church there is not a beating of these points of Catechisme into Childrens heades and hearts by carefull Ministers O that they woulde bée once drawen to doo this dutie in their seuerall Churches Soone soone shoulde they finde the Fruite of it and the greatnesse of their Sinne in so long neglecting it In Plato an heathen we reade the like law wherein is decréed that all beating and contumelies of Parents should bée punished with perpetuall banishment and death By the Romane lawes the slaier of his parents was not to be slaine either with sword or fire or other ordinary punishment sed in sutus culeo c. sowed in a sacke with a Dogge a Cocke a Viper and an Ape he should be throwne into the Sea or Riuer that the ayre whilest he liued and the earth when he was dead might be denied him who so had wronged them that gaue him a life and beeing in the ayre and vpon the earth A good Writer testifieth hee saw one put to death at Tigurine who had cursed and reuiled his Mother 5 He that stealeth a Man and selleth him if hee be found with him shall dye the death To flocke away as wee speake a mans seruant Man or Maide or to buy or sell a freeman and so to bring him into bondage was a grieuous sinne with God and therefore thus seuerely punished Thus sinned the brethren of Ioseph against him when they sold him to bee a bondman and to be vsed as pleased the buyers which might haue béene so as twentie deathes had béene better Great therefore was their sinne in that action This law is to be referred to the 7. Commandement and to the 5. also 6. When men striue together and one smite an other with the stone or with the fist and he dye not but lyeth in bed If he rise againe and walke without vpon his staffe then shall he that smote him go quite meaning for mans law saue onely he shall beare his charges for his losse of time and shall pay for his healing By the stone or fist are meant all other things whereby any wound is giuen although these onely bée named for example For with sword or dagger or any weapon all was one if hée were wounded and recouered so that hée was as fit for his vocation as before then this was the law but if he were maimed then otherwise If a man smite his seruant or his mayde with a rod and he dye vnder his hand he shal surelie bee punished But if he continue a day or two he shall not be punished for hee is his money These lawes of God were fitted for the state of that people when many things were indured which were not allowed If the seruant dyed presentlie it was more grieuous and therefore punished but if hee liued a time after not so yet before God it was murder also though by Mans law he escaped both in regard he was his money in his masters power and also because there might in that daye or two happen some other cause of death than that beating Perfection in these lawes wée must not looke for because God was pleased to beare with much weakenesse But yet know wée euer what his Morall law requireth and follow that which forbiddeth the abusing of seruants aswell as of others because they also beare the Image of God and God careth for them as hath béene shewed 7 If a man striue and hurt a Woman with childe so that her childe depart from her and she yet dye not hee shal be surely punished as the womans husband shall appoint him or he shall pay as the Arbiters determine But if death follow thē shal he paye life for life eye for eie tooth for tooth hand for hand foote for foote Burning for burning wound for wound stripe for stripe c. Still obserue how these lawes tend to the explanation of some of the Ten Commandements and referre this to the fift The light of Reason and Nature giuen vs of God teacheth That what measure we mete it is iust we should receiue euen the like againe That hee that taketh the sword should perish with the sword That he which spoileth should be spoiled That by what a man sinneth by that he should be punished That what a man doth the same he should suffer That euil should hit the worker and the offendor be pressed with his owne example This law of equalitie was in effect thus also in the 12. Tables at Rome the equitie thereof béeing deriued to them either from other Nations or by the light of Nature The verse saith Iusta malis haec admisso pro crimine paena est Si quae fecerunt eadem patiantur ipsi It is verie iust if men suffer the same things of others which they haue done to others If any man obiect that by Christ in the fifth of Matthew this law is repealed or was disliked we answere neither but there our Sauiour condemneth the abuse of this law according to priuate affections and for the nourishing of a lust to reuenge by priuate persons that are not Magistrates and neuer would be intreated to forgiue any Whereas he liketh euer in his children mercy and kindnesse and patience and so to ouercome our enemies as his words shew Recompence not euill for euill but ouercome euill with goodnesse 8 The other lawes that follow in this Chapter of setting seruants free for hurts done them by smiting Of the Oxe that should gore any bodie Of digging a well whereby my neighbours cattle receiue harme falling into it Of harme by one beast done to an other and such like they are so easie that without any Commentarie you may by reading of them be satisfied All of them teach vs with that care we should liue of our Neighbours goods as well as of our owne no way hurting either the one or the other small or great frée or bond but peaceably spending our daies with all men and doing what good wée can any way God wée sée is iust and we should be iust God careth for the safetie and well béeing not onely of all sorts of Men but euen of the very brute beasts and we must learn to doo the like that by our resembling of him we may be knowne to be his Children one day to inherite with his deare Sonne in his eternall kingdome This will not such cursed courses as many men delight in bring them to who in oppressing their neighbours in hurting their seruants in spoyling mens goods and killing their Cattle in fightings and striuings and all euill take their great and dayly pleasure Who hath eares to heare shall heare and to others doe what we can
as the Dogge that returneth to his vomit Or the Swine that walloweth in the myre that is wickedly filthily and beastly This taught Irenaeus many yeares agoe and both for his antiquitie and worthinesse let vs marke his words They that haue the Pledge of the Spirit saith hée and serue the concupiscence of the flesh but subiect themselues to the Spirit and reasonably behaue themselues in all things rightly of the Apostle are called spirituall because the Spirit of GOD dwelleth in them And they that cast away the Counsaile of the Spirit and serue the pleasures of the flesh liuing vnreasonably and vnbridledly following their sinfull desires hauing no working of the Spirit but liuing as dogges or swine rightly hee calleth carnall because they sauour of nothing but the flesh And the Prophets for the selfe same cause compared them to bruite and vnreasonable beasts as to fed-Horses neighing after their Neighbours wiues c. Dauid also in the Psalme Man being in honour hath no vnderstanding but is compared to the beasts that perish c. Now all these things are done Figuratiuely to note cleane and vncleane persons as before For they that haue a true Faith and a good life by meditating in the Word are such as diuide the hoofe and chew the cudde and they are cleane Such doe neither or but the one are vncleane as hee that beleeueth in GOD but liueth not well or hee that liueth in an outward honestie but beleeueth nor rightly hee also that doth neither liue well nor beleeue well all these are vncleane The Iewes saith this Father may be sayd in some sort to chewe the cudde because they read the Scriptures but they diuide not the hoofe because they beleeue not in the Sonne of GOD Christ Iesus as well as in the Father To this effect Irenaeus Others haue by cleane beasts parting the hoofe noted the true Teachers of the Word which diuide the same aright the Lawe and the Gospell Praecepts and promises c. They againe say others may be well called cleane diuiding the hoofe who doe not beléeue in great or in grosse but discerne and distinguish things as Christ and Moses Nature and Grace Truth and falshood c. Not beleeuing euery spirit but trying the Spirits whether they be of God or no. Things may not bée taken euer litterally And againe we may not be too bold with Mysteries and Allegories leauing the letter but a true wisedome is to be prayed for and vsed in both Hee that is spirituall saith the Apostle discerneth all things That for diuiding and be wise vnto Sobrietie that for beeing too busie in deuising Mysteries For chewing the Cudde They may bée said to doe it and so to be cleane who meditate of that they heare and learne out of Gods Booke and often repeating it in their mindes ponder it in their heart as is said of the blessed Virgin A thing much commended in the Scripture as in the first Psalme Blessed is that man that meditateth in the Law of God day and night Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my hart be alway acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength my Redemer Isaac went out to meditate c. Commended also by the Fathers Meditatio Dei dulcis est To meditate of God is a sweete thing Saith Saint Augustine Meditatione pericula agnoscimus oratione euadimus And by meditation saith Saint Bernard Wee know perils by prayer we auoyd them 2 Your Chapter nameth many particulars which were but curiositie to stand on A few may be touched for example sake The Cony was vncleane because hee cheweth the cudde and diuideth not the hoofe And by this some haue thought were figured out such men and women as lay vp their treasures in earth because the Conies digge and scrape and make their berryes in the earth whereas the Scripture teacheth vs not to doe thus but to lay vp our treasures in Heauen where no theefe no moth c. These men and women are vncleane and God will haue none of them 3 The Hare was also vncleane for the same cause because hee cheweth the cudde but diuideth not the hoofe The Hare is a very fearefull creature and therefore by him figured out fearefull men and women despayring of grace and shrinking from God fearing crosses and losses and forsaking Faith Such persons are vncleane and excluded out of the Kingdome of GOD. Read Apoc. chap. 21. But the fearefull and vnbeleeuing and the abhominable and murtherers and whore-mongers and forcerers and Idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and Brimstone which is the second death 4 The Swyne was vncleane beause hee parteth the hoofe but cheweth not the cudde and of their flesh they might not eate nor touch their carkeise c. Tertullian saith Herein was figured such vncleane persons as bee good for nothing but to be slaine For if you consider what a creature the Swyne is Hee neuer looketh vp to Heauen but hath his mouth euer in the earth and myre caring for nothing but his belly Hee serueth not to ride vpon as doth the horse to till the ground as doth the Oxe to giue milke as doth the Cowe to cloath vs with his fléece as doth the Sheepe to watch by night for vs as doth the Dogge and so foorth but he is onely nourished for the knife and his death hath vse his life hath none Such ought not men and women to bée and if any be such they are vncleane God would admonish the Iewes by this Figure and still we may learne by it to be no Swyne no Hogge no filthy myrie creatures wallowing in sinne and vncleanes without regard and féeling louing the earth and looking euer on the earth rooting in it all the day and féeding the belly with all gréedinesse nourished onely to the slaughter and profiting no way whilest we liue A profitable meditation for Gods children that they may so continue and a profitable remembrance to others not yet called that they may become his children A good caueat to rich Cormorants in this world who neuer profite any till they dye with all the wealth they haue A knife therefore for the Hogge that wée may haue Puddings and death for such Wretches that the Common-wealth may haue vse of their bagges 5 From the Land Your Chapter commeth to the Water and so from the beastes to the Fishes therin vers 9. shewing what was cleane and what vncleane what might be eaten and what might not But Fishes in particular are not named as the beastes were the Fowles afterward are because the most part was vnknowen to Iewes hauing little vse or none of Fish and few Waters or none but Iordan for Fresh-fish Sea-fish was sold néerer the East and came not to the Iewes much where they were By the markes therefore God describeth them and saith Whatsoeuer hath finnes and skales in the Waters
hardnes no it excuseth not because a man may sinne necessarily and yet not constrainedly but willingly which consent of will maketh him guiltie as in common experience you sée one in a great heate drinke necessarily in respect of heate yet not constrainedly but very willingly Looke not therefore at Gods secret Decrée but at mans willing approbation of what is euill And in this matter remember the modestie and reuerence of S. Paule when he saith O man who art thou that pleadest with God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus c. O the deepenes of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his Iudgements and his waies past finding out Remember also howe S. Augustine imitateth him in this vertue saying O man thou lookest for an aunswere of me and I also am a man my selfe therefore let vs both heare him that saith Who art thou that disputest with GOD Better is holy ignorance than rash knowledge Seeke thou for merit thou shalt finde but punishment O deepenes reason thou I will meruaile dispute thou I will beleeue and hee that liketh not of this answere let him séeke one more learned but take héede hee finde not one more presuming 3. That thou maist declare in the eares of thy sonne and thy sonnes sonne what things I haue done in Egypt c. A Notable place to teach vs as the end of Gods workes and wonders so the dutie and office of all Christian Parentes and Gouernours euen to teach their Children and Charge carefully and zealouslie by them and in them to knowe the Lord. The like place you haue againe in Deuteronomie These wordes which I commaund thee this day shall bee in thine heart And thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thoutariest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp c. Thus is God himselfe the Author of that Catechizing and instructing of youth in his holy feare and true Religion which so much is neglected in our daies and whereunto not onely youth who knowe not their owne good are hardly drawne but euen their elder Parents and Maisters are very vnwilling to haue them drawne But can the stubborne and headstrong contempt of so holy a Commaundement of him that made vs be euer vnpunished no no it both hath and euer shall haue his due correction both in those that should come and those that should send them and sée them come Parents Maisters Godfathers and Godmothers and the like Hence it commeth that children are often disobedient to their Parents wanton wilfull wicked and in the end die a shamefull death Parents can get for their Sonnes the Landlords Cloath thereby to haue countenance and aide in the world but they neuer cast nor care to get them Gods holy feare in their hearts who is Landlord of all Lands and Lords thereby to haue both the promise of this life and of that to come O blindnes doo we not sée how great and how foule how grosse and how sinfull if we doo let vs héereafter amend this fault and assure our selues that all the countenance in the world is not like his fauour that made both our posteritie and the world ruleth them and the world destroyeth them and the world Wherefore he promised it to Abraham as a thing aboue all the riches of the world that he would be his God and the God of his seede if he walked before him in vprightnes Follow this Meditation further in your owne minde and you shall finde it worke to a carefull course touching such as are committed to you 4. How long wilt thou refuse to humble thy selfe before me These wordes tell vs the drift of all crosses and afflictions in this life euen to bring downe the swelling pride of our sinfull hearts that yéelding God what is due to him we againe from him might reape mercie and goodnes more and more to our endlesse comfort for he would the contrary of the Storie in Genesis where for ten righteous if they could haue bene founde the whole Citie had bene saued Houses and whole kingdomes haue bene fauoured for one righteous man dwelling therein proofes are many both in Scripture all Stories Ioseph Daniel and such like 7 This spéech of Pharaohs seruants preuailed so farre that Moses and Aaron were sent for to Pharaoh and had an offer made them to depart if they would with some company but not with all vnto which Moses answered that they must néedes all goe Young and old Sons and Daughters sheepe and cattell orels none Wherein I profit thus by the graunt of Pharaoh of some to goe and not all I obserue the malice of Satan and his members against the Church and the true seruice of God if they cannot wholly destroy it hurt it and hinder it then in part as farre as they can they will doo it euer valuing much but a little gaine herein By the answere of Moses I obserue againe on the other side that we must not yéelde an inch to these plottes and fetches of the wicked but zealously must stand vpon the full obseruance of all Gods Will according to his commaundement and not according to the fancies either of others or of our selues Where the Lord dispenseth not wée must not dispense where al are bound to departe out of Egypt we must not capitulate for some to goe and some to tarrie Whereof would God men in our dais had due consideration where the Husband goeth to Church but not the wife the Father but not the Sonne the Seruant but not the Maister Moses would not doo thus in this place but knowing all to be bound requireth all leauing vs therein a fearefull assurance that this playing at halfe stake with the Lord as it is most odious to him so most dreadfully by him it will one day be punished 8. The wordes following in the eleuenth verse are not to be passed ouer without some profit Then they were thrust out from Pharaohs presence For they notably shew the too common entertainement of Gods messengers in this wicked world namely to be thrust out and very vnkindly entreated without any fault So were the Prophets and Apostles in their times yea the great Maister himselfe when they forcibly caried him toward the top of a mountaine with a purpose violently to haue cast him downe But let it comfort vs and shake the hearts of such wicked wretches euer that the very dust of our féete shall bee a witnesse for vs against them in the great day of iust iudgment and due reuenge for such sinne He that receaueth you receaueth me and he that refuseth and thrusteth you out refuseth and thrusteth me out Vengeance is mine and I will repay 9 By occasion of these Grashoppers sent in the wrath of God as a Plague to annoy the
wee likewise may raine-downe abundance of teares praying for our sinnes and thanking him for his goodnes knowing it as a most assured truth that no dewe of the night can so glad the earth as this swéete moisture of thy wet eye in these respects doth please thy God Good therfore was that Counsaile of a most honourable Father to his Childe that aboue all other times hee should haue a care in the quiet night to talke with his God Dauid goeth on in another Psalme and saith I haue thought vpon the Lord in the night season and remembred him when I was waking At midnight will I rise to giue thanks to Thee because of thy righteous Iudgements In the night I commune with mine owne heart and search out my Spirits With my soule haue I desired thee in the night saith the Song of the Faithfull And all these thinges should be our instruction In Iob it is said God giueth songs in the night and it is a Place much to be thought on Therefore I say againe since mercie and iudgement thus stir in the night the one for his children the other for his Enemies awake thou that sleepest in most dull securitie going to thy bed as the Dogge to his kennell without anie thought either of God or of Deuill Full little knowest thou what may happen vnto thée before it be day It may be with thée as with these first borne with the fiue Kings with the Citie Ai c. Thy selfe may be dead thy houses on fire thy goods spoyled thy children destroyed and a thousand wofull miseries vpon thy friends Wherefore goe to bed with prayer awake with prayer and arise with prayer Let God and grace be in thy first thoughts and not anger and wrath not Shéepe and Oxen not money and mucke which shall all perish with thée when God is angrie We see how the faithfull haue done before vs and let it suffice in this point concerning the time when this plague was executed 2. The second thing is the Plague it selfe which was the death of the first borne To make vse of it to our selues let vs consider how great a gréefe it is to haue any childe die and that to haue the eldest and first borne to die is commonly a griefe much greater but yet this was not all the griefe of the Egyptians For besides the particular griefe of any one to haue it generall through the whole Land and not to knowe whether God would there stay or extend his wrath vpon them all for they said we all shall die this was a thing most full of feare and woe So by all these circumstances the iudgement was terrible vpon them and to them past our féeling and conceite except the Lord assist our vnderstanding and féeling But why will some say séeing wee all owe a death to God first or last young and olde and all degrées I answere that death in it selfe to any grounded vpon God is neither hurtfull nor fearefull yet Nature is Nature when the separation commeth and wee are allowed to mourne for them that die but when death commeth with a circumstance or shewe of Gods anger in manner or suddainnesse or such like then is there not that comfort which we otherwise haue For Example sake Lot knewe well his wife must die but to sée her changed so suddainly and strangely into a pillar of Salt was very fearefull and discomfortable both to him and all her friends Those sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu their Father knewe full well must haue a death but to sée them both together suddainly slaine by a fire frō God iudge in your heart what griefe it was Corah Dathan ond Abiram must haue died and no friend of theirs but well knewe it yet to haue the earth open and swallowe them vp with all their families O what a dreadfull spectacle was it Add vnto these those Tormentors which died with the flames flashing out of the fierie fornace where into they had cast the three seruants of God those Accusers of Daniel who were cast into the Lions denne and shaken in peeces ere they came to the ground Ananias and Saphira his wife suddenly smitten by the hand of God This Pharaoh here and so many of his Nobles and people drowned and ouerwhelmed in the Red-sea were they not all full of woe and griefe to friends more than if they had died orderly without any such circumstance of Gods anger Surely they were And the best Learned are of opinion that Dauid so doubled his crie for Absolon more in regard of the manner of his death than of the death it selfe For hee died in rebellion against his naturall Father and King he was hanged by the haire of his head betwixt Heauen and Earth in a tree till his enemies came and stabbed him through againe and againe There were no signes knowne of his repentance Which all laid together and considered of a wise Father made his heart turne and ouerturne within him crying O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne Conclude we therefore that though naturally wee must all die and there is nothing more sure yet either the kinde of death or the suddennes may depriue friends of much comfort So was it heere in Egypt for these first borne in euerie house 3. But yet you will not iudge may some say all that die a suddaine or extraordinarie death No indeede For things reuealed belong to vs and the Lords secrets appertaine to himselfe The Lords mercie is restrained neither to time nor manner and the Apostle saith what shall or can separate a man or woman once grafted into Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword No no. Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature can doo it No suddainnes of death then or extraordinarie manner which may happen to the best either by naturall causes in their bodies or otherwise as God shall please in his vnsearchable wisedome But in such cases we are to remember for our comfort what Testimonies of Faith Religion of vertue and pietie they gaue in their life time to rest vpon those The Lord is no Changeling but loueth to the end whom hee once loued although sodainly they depart and say nothing Neuerthelesse wee entreate the Lord if it may be his blessed will to deliuer saue vs frō sodaine death and to giue vs spéech memorie and hearing to our last breath Because the Last part is all in all of this transitorie life and being once gone cannot be restored againe as a Carpenter can pull downe his house if hee dislike it and make it new againe Also because it fareth with vs in this point as with the Archer who though he
are set about the Mount to kéepe the people downe with the punishment of death if they passed bounds teach vs what an odious thing to GOD curiositie is in matters forbidden and how God would haue euery man content with that which it pleaseth him to vouchsafe him of reuelation and knowledge Such curiositie is it to aske what God did before he made the world and such like foolish Questions To all which it may be answered as God would not haue the people to créepe vp to the mountaine and to péepe and pry what Moses did there with him but set bounds and limits for them beyond which they should not passe without death So is it still The Lord hath in his Word reuealed his Will and beyond our limits wée must not goe hauing an eare where he hath not a mouth If wée doo for this busie curiositie we shal dye eternally as they for that temporally c. 5 And the third day when it was morning there were thunders and lightning a thicke cloude vpon the mount and the sound of the trump exceeding loude so that all the people that was in the campe was afraide This is the third branch of the particular preparation reaching vnto the 20. verse and containing an increase of the Lordes manner of the communication of himselfe specified before in the 9. verse By all which fearefull things the Lord declared his Maiestie saith Chrisostome and the people were touched with a féeling knowledge of their infirmitie But besides that wée may well learne by it how profitable it is to make a good and carefull hearer of Gods voice First to shake him and throw him downe in himselfe by some good waies and meanes For then assuredly the Word entereth more powerfully he hath a more excellent touch than without such humbling he would euer haue had Remember how the Lord called S. Paul when he was riding to Damascus First throwing him downe and by making a sudden light shine about him from heauen and then when he trembled and was astonâ—ed speaking to him with profitable effect Remember also how there came suddenly from heauen a sound as of a rushing a mighty winde in an other place Surely such rushings shakings spirituall frightings in conscience hath the Lord his gratious meaning in to beate vs downe in our selues that we may more carefully hearken vnto him And because the greater part of men is not acquainted with them therefore they remaine dul hearers and dull hearted so that the Preacher looseth but his labour with them How many haue profited in sicknesse by words spoken who in health neuer cared what was spoken so in debt and pouertie in prison and trouble men haue other eares than they haue in prosperitie Doth not our Chronicle mention a Gentleman who at his death vowed openlie that he had learnd more good touching his soule in a darke hole within the Tower of London in a few daies than euer in all his life when he was in light libertie abroad Full well knoweth God the way to winne vs and happy are we if it please him to vse it how sharpe soeuer it be that yet wée may liue hereafter in ioy though presently for a season wée taste of woe I could tell you by experience if it were néedefull of some that haue said to my selfe they had heard many Sermons and read the Scriptures but they neuer felt either Sermon or Scriptures as then when they so spake béeing some way touched in-wardly by their louing God But be Judge your selfe in your selfe if you know any thing Againe these signes shewed the terror of the law to mens consciences for it thunders it threatens it feareth and frighteth and it vtterly condemneth all men to Hell and damnation were there not a CHRIST to saue vs from it The law causeth wrath saith the Apostle that is it denounceth wrath against vs for that wee cannot kéepe it When Iudas could sée nothing but the Lawe his agonie drane him to hang himselfe So was Saul Achitophel and many others driuen to desperate conclusions feareful ends Wherefore the Apostle well addeth that we are not come to this fearefull mount nor vnto burning fire nor to blacknesse darknesse and tempest c so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake But we are come vnto the Mount Sion to the Citie of the liuing God the coelestiall Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels c. AND TO IESVS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEVV TESTAMENT c. Here here is our helpe against the law without whom we were cast away euery one of vs for cursed is he and she that doth not all things written in the law 6 This descending of the Lord we must vnderstand of the Signes of his pretence and not that the Lord is here not there or there and not here moouing from place to place as man dooth Neither speaketh he as man dooth but his Angell in his person taketh by his power the voice of man and as God is said to speake by his Ministers here so by his Angels then and there as he pleased Remember Steuens words in the Acts This is he meaning Moses that was in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in the wildernes with the Angel WHICH SPAKE TO HIM IN MOVNT SINA c. The iterating of his commandement to Moses to sée that the people passe not their limits which we touched before ver 21. 24. sheweth the itching nature of man after hidden secrets to see and know nouelties And the great dislike God hath of this curiositie and how profitable the presence of the Magistrate is to make people kéepe order For surely men are maruellous apt to transgresse and therefore againe againe they must be admonished by Moses and well if many or any admonitions will serue Giue lawes neuer so good and let there not bée a Gouernour to sée to the execution of them and wée sée with griefe what litle good such lawes doo Well therefore and wiselie haue they spoken who said Lex Magistratus mutus et interdum mortuus Magistratus lex loquens et viua The Law is a dumb Magistrate and sometimes a dead but the Magistrate is a speaking Law and a liuing 7 The Priests also are mentioned aswell as the people that they likewise should not passe their limits wherby wee sée that no dignitie authoritie or higher place may be a warrant to doo more than God permitteth But rather should these before others giue example of sobriety order What Priests were now when as yet the Priesthood was not established men differ in opinion some thinking they were the first-borne and others thinking otherwise as Caluin for One vpen this place to whom I refer such as will and go no further in this Chapter CHAP. 20. 1. THe Congregation béeing prepared as you haue heard to receaue the Law now in this Chap. followeth the Law it selfe it is set down in
should be more curious than profitable Diuers haue done so but with little contentment to their Reader because their assertions are but guesses and verie vncertaine The Names grauen in the Onix stones might teach both the Priest to remember the people and the people to rest in the iudgement of the priest The bearing of them vpon his shoulders shadowe how Christ the true High priest with his power and strength noted by the shoulders doth and euer will support his Church defend and preserue his little flocke Deutro 32. Esay 49. And therefore in all perils flie comfortably to this Meditation The Breastplaces twelue stones with particular names figure that God hath not onely a ioynt care and knowledge but euen a particular of one by one c. Sweete also against temptation c. The bearing of the names of the Tribes vpon Aarons brest being in grauen in the pretious stones which were vpon his breast may profitably remember a godly Minister how déere vnto him his flock and people committed vnto him should be euen grauen as it were in his breast euer in his mind to profit them by all the meanes he may that they may be saued Chiefly it noted the loue of Christ to his Church and euerie member of it who beareth vs not onely in his armes as a nurse or on his shoulders as a strong man but vpon his heart and in his heart as a most kinde God Esay 49. Can a mother forget c The Vrim noting knowledge and Thummim holines shew how fit for a Minister these vertues are The Bels about the garment how a Minister should not be dumbe but heard euer in his Church preaching and teaching the Gospell of GOD for woe be vnto mee saith the blessed Apostle if I preach not c. The Pomgranats good works with good words gold life with true doctrine From the 40. verse to the ende of the Chapter Apparell is appointed for the inferiour Priestes So both Superiour and Inferiour the Lord had a care to haue fitly attired for their holy Calling and it much should mooue all honest mindes to obey the lawefull Orders of a Christian Church wherein they liue The punishment of contempt in going in without these garments is death and shall contempt of Christian Magistrates in disobeying their good lawes be life Let it sinke and he religiously thought vpon CHAP. 29. 1 OBserue how the Lord procéedeth First hee will haue a Church Then Priestes to serue in the same Thirdly comely and fit apparrell for them and Now a verie reuerent and solemne consecration of them to for their holy office of which Consecration as before of the apparrell there is much good to be taken by due consideration of it For it serued greatly to the honouring and gracing of this high Function in the eyes of the people who are much mooued with outward Ceremonies It serued beeing no idle shew for the procuring of Gods blessing vpon them For the Lord gratiously wrought in their hearts by his holy Spirit what was outwardly shadowed by Ceremonie The anoynting oyle outwardly was powred vpon them and the Holy Ghost signified by the oyle was effectually giuen 2. Cor. 3. We are not the ministers of the letter but of the Spirit that is by our preaching the Holy Ghost is not onely effectuall but indeede truely giuen to them that beleeue By oyle the Holy Ghost was signifyed for the fitnesse of resemblance betwixt them For the oyle hath igneam vim a force of fire and so hath the Holye Ghost Oyle penetrateth and pearceth inwardly so doth the Holy Ghost Oyle cherisheth and comforteth so doth the Holy Ghost and Oyle confirmeth and strengthneth and so doth the Holy Ghost It serued to shadowe out the anoynting of Christ with the holy Spirit without measure The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me to preach and so forth Esay 61. God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes Psalme 45. But to iustifie Popish oyling or necessarie vse of it now by this example were to reduce the Ceremoniall law againe and not to be Christians but Iewes Consecration againe in this sort notably serued to seale vp to their consciences their vocation to this office that in all troubles and afflictions they might be cheered with it they had not thrust themselues in but of God were appointed and that God neuer would forsake eyther them or his owne ordinance In the beléefe whereof let vs euer reuerence and defend the ministerie vse the blessing of it with true thankfulnesse to the Author and beséech him heartely that in his tender mercie to his poore lambes he would continually send faithfull labourers into his haruest In this faith againe let vs cheere vp our hearts when we sée the Church shaken with rage of worldly troubles so that many fall away in weaknesse For if the Lord will euer haue a ministerie greater or lesse surely he will also euer haue a flocke for those true Pastors to imploy their gifts vpon greater or lesse Thinke of the Speech in Amos often Behold the eyes of the Lord God are vpon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth Neuerthelesse I will not vtterly destroy the house of Iacob saith the Lord. And let faithfull Ministers of God lay vp in their hearts that example of Alexander the Great to Iaddus the High-priest and his companie at Ierusalem with other such like testimonies of Gods power when he pleaseth to vse it This Great conquerour of the world Alexander hauing besieged seuen monethes the strong Citie of Tyrus sent to his néere neighbours the lewes for some men and helpe to besent vnto him but they by pretense of gratitude to the kings of Persia who had euer béene kinde they said to them denied him any ayde Whereupon entering into a great rage against them assoone as hee had gotten the Citie be gathered all his forces to goe against Hierusalem to be auenged of them which when Iaddus the High priest vnderstood he put on all his Priestly attire and tooke the rest of his company also with him and went to méete Alexander in the way desiring peace at his hands Whom when Alexander saw now sée the finger of God with his Minister he presently alighted downe from his horse and falling vpon his knées to the High-priest granted him and all the Iewes their desired peace A most admitable sight in such a warriour such an Emperour such a powerfull Prince as made all the world to stoope himselfe so to humble his bodie to an vnarmed Priest vnknowne to him and neuer séene before His chiefe Counsellours Parmenio Clitus and others were amazed at it and asking a reason Alexander tolde them God had shewed him in a dreame the verie same man so attired and so accompanied and promised him victorie which now remembring and hauing preuailed against Tyrus in reuerence of that vision and hope of
righteousnesse Christ helpeth this hunger being made righteousnesse and wisedome and sanctification and redemption vnto vs. Am I afraid to die and hunger for comfort Christ is my helpe for this hunger and telleth me that blessed are the dead which die in him He that beleeueth in him shall not die eternally But though he be dead yet shall he liue Death is swallowed vp in victorie O Death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victorie Thankes Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs Victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ 5 He shall powre Oyle vpon it and put Incence thereon saith the Text Oyle delighteth the taste and Incense the smelling Neither of them careth God for we know But thus it pleased him to shadow-out vnto his people that they should euer serue him according to his owne presciption which is acceptable as a good taste or smell is and not with the vnsauourie inuentions of their owne braine as hatefull vnto him as the other is pleasing Againe the Oyle noted Christ his kindnesse and mercie which he should euer shewe to poore penitent sinners wounded and smitten with woe for their manifold frailties and sinnes He should not be rough vnto them sterne and cruell but soft as Oyle gracious and kinde swéete and comfortable ready to receiue them and pardon them Learne of mee I am meeke and lowly in heart take my yoke vpon you and you shall finde rest vnto your soules For my Yoke is easie and my burden is light Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden and I will ease you 6 Incense againe figured out the prayers of Christ for his Church so powerfull with God his Father that not onely he was heard himselfe but thereby he obteyned that whatsoeuer we should aske in his Name and for him we should receiue also The vaine vse of Frankincense in Popish Churches as an imitation of the Law is still to loue darkenesse when God vouch safeth light still to continue abolished Ceremonies and still to be stubborne against God with a will-worship of our owne neglecting his Will And shall bring it vnto Aarons sonnes the Priests and he shall take c. Whatsoeuer was offered to God must be giuen into the hand of the Priest still representing vnto men this Doctrine That onely by Christ there was accesse to God and no way els According to that plainer Reuelation in the Gospel by himselfe No man commeth to the father but by me I am the way And let vs therefore by him offer the Sacrifice of praise to God c. Heb. 13. verse 15. 2 A handfull of the Flowre and of the Oyle with all the Incense and the Priest shall burne it for a memoriall vpon the Altar for it is an offering made by fire for a sweet sauour vnto the Lord. Not all the Flowre but a handfull not all the Cakes but one not all was burned but onely a little part of one the rest went to the Priests and none could eate of it but the Priests It was a Memoriall to them to assure them that God did respect the partie Offering and would be mercifull vnto him And because it so pleased God it should be to him also it was a Memoriall to extend his swéete goodnesse to his penitent seruant 3 This Meat-offering you sée in your Chapter was either baked vers 4. or fryed in the Frying-panne vers 5. or sodden in the Caldron vers 7 And which way so-euer it was thrée Rules were to be obserued specified in the Text. First It must be without Leauen vers 11. In the 7. Chapter vers 13. and in the 22. Chap. verse 20. You may read of a lawfull vse of Leauen but it was neuer lawfull by the Law to offer vnto GOD for a Sacrifice any Leauened bread Leauen being a Figure both of corrupt Doctrine and bad life Beware of the Leauen of the Scribes and Pharisees that is of their corrupt Doctrine Mat. 16. And let vs keepe the feast not with old Leauen neither in the Leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth 1. Cor. 5. 8. Leauen noted bad life Christ thē being shadowed in al these burnt Offerings by this Rule of hauing no Leauen they were taught the puritie of Christ his Doctrine and the holinesse of his life His Doctrine so pure that it maketh others pure Ye are cleane through the Word which I haue spoken vnto you And Verily verily I say vnto you if any man keepe my Word he shall not see death Then you sée it maketh cleane His life also so pure that not onely his false accusers could fasten no fault vpon him but by his innocencie he appeased Gods wrath for our impuritie Againe it taught the Church in that Legall fashion by darke figure that after Christ his example they ought also to be frée from both these to wit false doctrine and ill manes Not teaching if they be Teachers any corrupt matter not beléeuing and holding if they be no Teachers and absurd vntrueths Neither Teachers nor People leading a wicked life but in holinesse and righteousnesse as the Lord shall inable spending all their dayes The second Rule is That there he no hony in his Meat-offering made by fire vnto the Lord. Of Hony we read many things as that the nature of it is to preserue bodyes not suffering them to rot and putrifie That many by the vse of it liue vnto a great age as namely in the I le of Corsica by Plinies Testemonie who calleth them long-liuers onely by the dayly vse of Hony Hony hath a swéete and pleasing taste not sharpe Whereupon Salomon saith Faire words are as a hony combe sweetnes to the soule and health to the bones My Sonne eate Hony for it is good and the hony-combe for it is sweet vnto the mouth What might be the reason then that God did forbid any hony to be vsed in this Offering Answere is made that hony although it be swéet in taste yet it is bitter by effect For it greatly increaseth choler which is as bitter as the hony is swéet Secondly although hony be good to eate yet a man may eate too much of it Prou. 25. 26. Thirdly euen in taste it will not séeme swéete if you eate much but very bitter or sowre Lastly it hath the very nature of Leauen béeing boyled and so hauing gotten a little sharpenesse Nowe forasmuch as none of these things are in Christ who was shadowed by this Sacrifice therefore is hony forbidden to be vsed in it as you read here in your Chapter aswell as Leauen vers 11. First in Christ there is no such swéetnesse as ingendreth bitternesse or any euill to the true Cater of him by Faith Secondly Christ cannot be receiued or eaten too much but the more we féede on him the better Thirdly Christ is not swéet at the beginning and bitter at the
haue their Page 206. line 34. would haue you eschue Page 234. line 34. Miriams Page 242. line 20. Sin Page 244. line 5. heare of Page 329. line 16. make you a Page 332. line 8. said not to be Page 351. line 17. president Page 355. line 19. this rash Page 366. line 22. funerall Page 436. line 1. but God Some other faults there are escaped which the diligent reader may easily amend The like notes vpon euery Chapter of the bookes of Exodus and Leuiticus TOuching this booke of Exodus in genenerall wée may note two things in it First the authority of it and secondlie the profit we may take by it The authority of it very well appeareth by such allegations as are made out of it in the new Testament for the confirmation of most weighty points of our Christian faith as the resurrectien of the dead our free election by grace not by merit with other such like The profit of it is double historicall and mysticall Historicall by notable examples of Gods wrath and mercy Wrath towards the Egiptians Maleâ—hites and such like mercy towards the Israelites and those that shew mercy vnto them as Rahab the Midwiues and others The former may teach the wicked to beware because God certainely payeth home at the last The latter may confirme all true beléeuers in Gods promises which euer were and shal be performed in their time Also make vs patient to endure the Lords good pleasure euer séeing he both so gratiouslie regardeth and so mercifully moderateth the afflictions of his children Both the points togither may teach vs that kingdomes gouernments are disposed by God euen as shall please his holy will For hée setteth vp and he taketh downe hée establisheth and changeth according as hée is serued and obeyed by Princes and people gouerning and gouerned Able to shiuer in péeces the greatest that euer was and as able againe to support the weakest when he pleaseth The mystical profit of this booke is a declaration of our Sauiour Christ and the merits of his passion which is most notablie made héerein by types and figures and liuelie resemblances as will appeare in their places The whole booke may bée deuided into these two parts The birth as it were and the beginning of the Church in the first fiftéene Chapters Then the education and bringing vp of the same in the rest of the booke CHAP. 1. This first Chapter hath these chiefe heads in it The multiplication of the Israelites The crueltie of the Aegyptians The vertue of the Midwiues COncerning the first point you sée in the fifth verse that all the soules which came out of the loines of Jacob into Egypt with him were but seuentie soules of which little flocke God made such an increase as the Egyptians grew afraide of it For they brought-forth fruite and increased in aboundance saith the seuenth verse and were multiplied and were excéeding mightie so that the land was full of them Some make the Hebrew word to signifie an increase like corne where one graine bringeth forth thirty sixty or a 100. Some as fishes which multiply in greater number than any creature R. Salamoh saith the womeÌ„ had oft foure and fixe at a burden God so prouiding to fulfill his promise touching their increase Genesis 22. 17. In the booke of Numbers you may more particularlie sée what came of euerie one For Reuben the eldest son of Jacob so increased that his branches there are saide to be sixe and forty thousand and fiue hundered Simeon his second sonne increased to nine and fifty thousand thrée hundered and fifty Gad his third sonne to fiue and forty thousand six hundred and fifty and so for the rest read their increase in that place Whereof to make some good vse to our selues wée may note and marke first the truth of Gods propromise made to Abraham in the 15. of Gen. when he bad him looke vp to the stars of heauen and number them if hée could assuring him then that euen so would hée make his posteritie and ofspring a mightie people and a great kindred which wée all sée héere was fulfilled So assuredlie true are all other of Gods promises and therefore thinke of what you will your faith and comfort shal not faile you That swéete promise that at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth truly of his sinnes God in mercy will forgiue him it shall neuer faile Hée may as soone cease to bée God as cease to be true in any thing which hée hath spoken And for this particular he hath not onely spoken it but sworne it that as he liueth he will not the death of any true peâ—itent and sorrowfull sinner Wée may not therefore do him wrong and doubt of it It is no pride to take fast hold of this word but it is duty due from vs to confesse his truth and to be thankefull An other promise he hath made to vs that if we seeke the kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof these worldly wants of ours shall euer be supplied as shall bée fit and good for vs. This also will he as assuredlie kéepe as he is God to the great quietnesse of our hearts if wée will beléeue him In a word that promise of all promises that if we beleeue in his Son we shall neuer perish but haue eternall life hée will performe So both for this life and that to come wée haue his word and no more than hée failed Abraham in multiplying his séede will he faile vs in any promise Only his time wée must tarry and hasty mindes learne humble patience Hée knoweth when is best both for him and vs. Tary hée may but come hée will Neuer vntruth passed from him neuer any that beléeued in him was disappointed of his hope Secondly we may obserue héere the rising of houses and families whence it is euen from the Lord who blesseth where he pleaseth with increase of children maketh a name spread as likewise drieth vp and cutteth off as he pleaseth others It must make vs cease from enuie where we sée increase and stay rash iudgment where we sée decrease For it is the Lords worke in whose matters wée must well beware how wée meddle A third vse ariseth from the time of this increase which was chiefelie and especially after Iosephs death whereupon S. Austin giueth this obseruation Ioseph is dead the children of Israel increase what is this my brethren As long as Ioseph liued they are not said to increase but after his death Surely bretheren these things figured in that Ioseph were fulfilled in in our Ioseph For before our Ioseph died few beléeued in him but after his death and resurrection throughout all the world the Israelites increased and multiplied that is the Christians So saide the Lord himselfe in the Gospell except the corne die that falleth into the gronnd it remaineth but it selfe alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite Now not in Iudaea onely
slaunder and slaughter and such like but that heere they were idle was an error in the King and a malicious lie in those that so enformed him By which wee may learne and sée how wicked men haue no eyes often to sée the true causes of a thing but most apt and readie to deuise a false Let a man or woman be gréeued extraordinarily with the burthen of their sinnes and with groanes and sighes trauaile vnder the bitternes of it leauing thereupon those recreations which erst they vsed and delighted in what say the wicked oh it is a melancholie and the body would be purged c. But oh they are blinde and haue no eye-sight into the combates of the godly may wee truly say and so leaue them Festus imagineth Paul is mad when he speaketh the words of truth and sobernes and that much learning maketh him mad when learning is wisedome and maketh wise Yea Heli himselfe mistaketh Anna a vertuous woman and déemeth her to be drunke when rauished in her holy féeling shee was crying to GGD with feruent prayer Wherefore the Apostle teacheth To the end Christ might be mercifull a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God it behooued him in all things to be made like vnto his brethren And in another place Wee haue not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne c. 8. And let them not regard vaine words saith Pharaoh Such taste and such conceipt haue vaine persons of Gods word In the 14. of the Acts the truth of God you knowe is called Heresie of the wicked And in the 17. Chapter it is called Newe of vaine Phylosophers that knewe not what it was Examples of vse to giue vs contentment in patience when like ignorance in our dayes bringeth forth like blasphemies Be stayed strong 9. Then went the Taske-maisters of the people and their Officers out and tolde the people saying Thus saith Pharaoh I will giue you no more straw Goe your selues get you straw where ye can finde it yet shall nothing of your labour be diminished Then were the people scattered c. Sée againe what was said before how the néerer that God draweth to his Church and Children to doo them good the more rageth Sathan in and by his members against them Hard hard therefore are the beginnings of deliuerance out of Egypt spirituall Egypt I meane as well as out of this earthly Egypt And therefore when the Lord shall touch thy hand and open thine eyes to sée where thou art how farre out of the way that leadeth to eternall life and giue thée a desire to returne and be saued Remember what the wise-man saith and bee comforted with it My Sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes and feare and prepare thy soule to temptation c. Reade the place to the ende Remember that Example in the Gospell how the foule spirit being commaunded to depart rent and tare the partie more and worse than euer before Wee cannot leaue anie sinne wherein wee haue continued but by and by some contrarie winde will blowe and wee shall be discouraged if it may be somtimes with threatnings and bitter words sometimes with shew of perils and losses that may ensue sometimes with mocks and taunts in very spightfull manner and in a word if wee haue done euill wee must doo euill still and so be cast away or else Sathan will want his will But be strengthened with this Example and others in the Word Here now their burthen and miserie is greater than euer before For now they must haue no more straw but gather it where they can and yet make vp the tale and number of their bricke before which was a great extremitie yet the end is still as the Lord hath decréed his purpose is to deliuer them from this slauerie and when his time commeth they shall bee deliuered and let goe whosoeuer saith nay Though discomfort encrease for a little while to drawe sighes out of the heart to him that can helpe yet it shall end with ioyfull comfort put in the place of it and so much the sooner by how much it groweth the sharper O stand then and shrinke not and say in your heart now now is my God at hand For now I féele and sée the enemie maddest to oppresse me if hee could Come therefore swéete Lord I humbly beséech thée stay not and till thou commest vouchsafe thy hand to stay me that I faint not Thou art strong and I am weake thou art good and I am bad but thou art mine and I am thine O Blessed Blessed support thine owne that I may euer praise thée 10. And the Taske-masters hasted them saying Finish your dayes-worke c. And they beate them Then they cried to Pharaoh c. A Storie to shew you if you note it how the Law worketh without the Gospel euen roughlie sharply and rigorouslie For doo this doo this finish finish the work is stil the voice of it Whereby sin and the Deuill rageth as here Pharaoh doth For sinne saith the Apostle tooke occasion by the law c. So sinne reuiued But I died and the same commaundement which was ordained vnto life was found to be vnto mee vnto death c. Then crieth the true Israelite O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as heere they cried vnto Pharaoh to bee deliuered from their miserie Blessed therefore bee the Lord for his swéete Gospell which helpeth all this rigour and giueth vs comfort and deliuerance in his Sonne from this great rage to our endlesse comfort Sée also how Tyrannie once begunne encreaseth more and more from words to blowes verse 14. And when they crie vnto Pharaoh in hope of remedie verse 15. shewing him the iniquitie of their vsage and how their offence in not making vp their tale of bricke grew by other mens faults that gaue them no straw verse 16 this pittifull complaint which should haue moued him to commiseration worketh but a confirmation of tyrannie in the wicked King first mocking and scoffing at their Religion as wicked men vse to doo verse 17 and vttering his crueltie with his owne mouth There shall no straw be giuen you yet shal you deliuer the whole tale of Bricke ver 18. Wherefore how happie Kingdomes be to which the Lord hath graunted mercifull and gracious Princes full of pittie and clemencie flowing from a true taste of holy Religion and from an immoueable loue of their true Subiects I leaue the Reader if he haue any bowels in him to féele and consider sending vp his thanks where it is due for what hee enioyeth in abundant measure 11. Then the Officers of the Children of Israel saw thēselues in an euill case c. And they met Moses and Aaron who
offices were all giuen away where hee least wished them and yet the Lord stayed not héere but fearefully destroyed also his posteritie Was not this thundering was not this lightning and was not this Judgment as vpon a stage O let it euer be remembred of all that reade it with their eies and God for his mercy sake make it profitable 14 Only in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were was no hayle In which words as heretofore so stil stil is noted the vnsearchable goodnesse of God to his Church together with his Almighty power to doo euer what He wil. He can saue and He can spill He can make such a wall about his children that no storme or tempest no calamitie or euill shall come nere them though it compasse them round about and others perish with it on euery side Two shall be in the fielde the one receaued the other forsaken two shall be grinding at the mill the one accepted the other reiected c. Blessed therefore is that man and woman who haue the Lord for their God And say vnto my soule I am thy saluation saith Dauid in one of his Psalmes noting thereby the comfort of this aboue ten thousand worldes Let vs therefore euer be carefull to be of the number of those that abide in Goshen where the Sauing hand of God shall defend from al euil 15. In these smooth wordes of Pharaoh verse 27. That he had sinned that the Lord was righteous and he and his people wicked That Moses should pray for him c. returning neuerthelesse to his old byas when the Plague was gone stil obserue as you haue done before the déepe falshood of mans hart making faire shewes without fruite and if God be thus glozed and dissembled with all thinke whether it séeme strange to mortall man to taste of it No no we must reckon of it to be praised to our face to be sclaundered at our backes by the one and the same person Yet let it not discourage vs to doo any good but onely let it make vs carefull to giue no iust cause and tenne thousand times thankfull when wee are released out of such a world and taken into his kingdome 16. Lastly that often repeated Sentence of Pharaohs heardened heart let it remember vs of that Saying in Saint Augustine Corda mala patientia Dei durescunt Euill hearts wax-heard by Gods long-suffering and patience Also of that in Saint Bernard Cor durum dici quod non cōpūctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec mouetur precibus minis non cedit flagellis duratur ingratum ad beneficia ad consilia infidum ad iudicia saeuum inuerecundum ad turpia impauidum ad pericula inhumanum ad humana temerarium ad Diuina preteritorum obliuiscens praesentium negligens futura non praeuidens It is called a heard heart which is neither rent with compunction nor softned with piety nor mooued with prayers which giueth no place to threatnings is hardened with stripes in benefits vnthankfull in Councill vnfaithfull in iudgment cruell vnshamefast in foule things not fearefull in perils in humane things most inhumane in Diuine things rashe forgetting things past neglecting things present and not foreseeing things to come Surely such a description if we our selues haue not Pharaohs hardnes will euer mooue vs earnestly to pray against such hardnesse Thus endeth this Chapter and thus end I hauing giuen you some taste how we may profit by reading of it CHAP. 10. Here you haue following two Plagues more to wit the eight and the ninth The eight from the beginning of the Chapter to the twenty verse and the ninth from thence to the end Concerning the former the Holy-Ghost layeth downe 1. A Commaundement to Moses to goe 2. A Denunciation 3. An Execution 4. The Effect that in the Seruants King 1. TOuching the first the Text saith Againe the Lord said vnto Moses goe to Pharaoh c. Diuers times you know hee had sent before and all in vaine yet ceaseth not the bottomlesse and incomprehensible mercy of God still still againe and againe to send This was euer his gratious dealing with miserable sinners and a swéete comfort it is to a troubled minde to thinke of it The Gospell saith in like sort He sentagaine and againe other and other seruants to those wicked husbandmen to remember them of his due and their duetie At last he sent his owne Sonne vnto them saying they will reuerence my Sonne Againe to Hierusalem how often how often would I haue gathered thy Children together euen as a Hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yet would not O tender Father what a certaine Seale is this thy goodnesse in these examples that true Repentance shall neuer be reiected A sorrowfull sinner neuer repulsed a broken and contrite hart neuer despised Let it profit vs vnto increase of faith for his sake that dyed for our sinnes Our owne experience hath taught vs as much if wee did obserue it For how long haue wee béene sinners haue not some of vs béene 20 yéeres some 30 some 40 and more all of vs too long walking the way that leadeth vnto death And what haue our sinnes béene surely great foule vglie odious to God dangerous to our selues and offensiue to the world yet hath the Lord neither swept vs away in his most iust wrath neither ceased to send Moses againe and againe vnto vs for our reformation Should not this infinite goodnes much moue vs to returne to so swéete a Father Knowest thou not O man saith the blessed Apostle that the long suffering of God leadeth thee to repentance How entertained hee the Prodigall Sonne when hee returned how reioice the Angels in Heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth far be it euer then from vs euer to resist a God so powerfull to confound vs and so mercifull to receaue vs. 2. But the Lord saith héere that he hardened Pharaohs heart and the hearts of his seruants how then was the fault in them that they yéelded not for answere let mee aske you another question whether you thinke it not lawfull that God should punish a sinner as himselfe liketh and whether hardnes of heart be not a punishment if both be true then might the Lord punish him this way Yet all men doo not thinke this such a punishment as it is for if wee be sicke wee looke for helpe if the eye faile the eare growe dull or any sense be weakened we quickly féele it and readily with for remedie onely if our heart growe dull and our vnderstanding féeling and profiting in Gods Schoole be taken from vs wee are not mooued neither thinke it goeth ill with vs preferring the outward sense of body far and far before the light of the minde But let it be lawfull you say with the Lord thus to punish yet it must néedes excuse the partie so punished for how can a man féele and relent whose heart God smiteth with
away and their Deliuerance be wrought by a gracious GOD. Thus comforted Paule the Church in his time saying As Iannes and Iambres withstoode Moses so doo these also resist the truth But now marke they shall preuaile no longer for their madnes shall be euident vnto all men as theirs also was An end therefore will be of all troubles which these Locusts shall worke vnto the Church and Elect of God Fiue moneths is not long in respect of that eternitie which followeth and therefore in comfort be wee patient their time is set and they shall haue an end Againe this place may notably assure you and euery one that all which died in the time of Poperie were not cast-away but that at one time or other by one way or other the Lord gaue them light a holy departure in his truth and Stories tell vs how still in the time of darknes God raised vp some zealous and able Teachers of their brethren by whose ministerie and helpe many receaued light and ouercame the power of error Whereunto agrée the words of Primatius Illi hic intelliguntur qui licet falsis fuerunt irretiti doctrinis circa finem tamen vitae compuncti diuinam recipiunt veritatem They heere are vnderstoode who though they haue beene abused by false Doctrine yet in the end of their life hauing remorse they entertained the Heauenly truth The words following that in those dayes men shall seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to die and death shall flie from them verie effectually shew forth the tortures of conscience which Popish Doctrine casteth men into so well knowne by fearefull Examples as I néede not to stand vpon it Also the misteries of the Time wherein the Locusts should swarme fully expressed in Stories which indéede made many a man and woman wearie of life The little short time of Quéene Marie her Reigne how full it was of vexation and griefe is not nor cannot be forgotten Thirdly in the place of the Reuelation it is saide The forme of the Locusts was like vnto horses prepared vnto battell And sée how it resembleth Romish Locusts Horses are proud so are they Horses are bolde and sturdie fierce and cruell not turning backe but rushing forward so are they bold and bloodie sturdie and mercilesse not looking backe by repentance but rushing forward in hardnes of heart Horses are fat and faire and full of neighing so are they And for being prepared to battell all Histories shew what warres they haue caused and still doo in the world themselues being Leaders Captaines and Generals in them whereas wee knowe that the true Church of God by the Rule and Example of the Gospell ought to be a Daughter of peace not a Mother of debate A forgiuer of iniuries not a renenger of her selfe or a séeker of warres The Tragicall Storie betwixt Frederick the 2 and Gregorie the 9 may serue in steade of many to prooue what warres and treacheries come from Rome That horrible slaughter betwixt both sides of thirtie thousand the most Citizens of Rome whom will it not moue that readeth it This Pope was in the daies of Henry the 3 King of England The open warres proclaimed against the Gréeke Church shewe much But I will lay downe the very words of Pandolphus who wrote in Italian the life of this Frederick the 2 that such as haue not the Storie may sée this point fully and I pray you marke them well Truly saith He when I consider with my selfe that Christ whose Vicar the Romaine Bishops boast themselues to be said vnto his Disciples that they should follow him and imitate his Example as of their Maister and Teacher and commaunded them farther that they should not draw the sword but put the same into the scabbard and gaue them in precept that they should not onely forgiue iniuries 7. times but 70. times 7. times to those that offended them And when I now compare the liues of the Bishops of Rome how neere they follow him whose Vicars they say they are and consider so many and so great conspiracies treasons rebellions disloyalties lyings in waite and treacherous deuises so many Legates of the Popes being Ecclesiasticall persons which will needes be called the Sheepheards of Christ his Flocke to be such Warriours and Captaines of Souldiers in all the parts of Italy Campania Apulia Calabria being the Emperours Dominions in Picenum Aemilia Flaminia and Lumbardie to be sent against him Also when with my selfe I meditate the destruction of so many great and famous Cities the subuersion of such CoÌ„mon-weales the slaughter of so many men and the effusion of such Christian blood Lastly when I behold so victorious prosperous and fortunate Emperours to be and so many miserable infortunate vanquished Popes to be put to flight I am perswaded with my selfe to thinke and beleeue that the Iudgements of God are secret and marueilous and That to be true that Aeneas Siluius writeth in his Historie of Austria That there is no great and marueilous clade no notorious and speciall calamitie that hath hapned either to the Publique-weale or else to the Church of GOD whereof the Bishops of Rome haue not beene the Authors Add vnto this that Notable place in the Prophet Micah where speaking of Gods true Church it is saide they shall breake their swords into Mattocks and their speares into â—ithes that is their fierce affections shall by the power of the word be mortified and brotherly loue encreased with desire of peace and quietnes But these men euen contrarie breake their Mattocks into swords and their â—ithes into speares being so great so fierce so ambitions and common Warriours as they are The strange cruelties of Vrban the 5. making bloodie great warres vpon many and bringing them by force in subiection to him I omit These things shew how truly this Prophecie of the Apocalyps concerning Locusts like vnto horses prepared to battell agréeth to these Romish Locusts Popes Cardinals Legats Monkes Fryers Priests Iesuites and such like Nicholas Machiauel saith all the ruinous calamities and miserable clades that either Italy or whole Christendome hath suffered haue béene brought in by the Popes of Rome A faire warning to all Gods people to know them and auoide them Fourthly on their heads were as it were crownes like vnto gold And these haue Shauen Crownes tokens as they say of their Priestly and Kingly dignity Such Crownes are rightly said by S. Iohn to be like Crownes not Crownes indeede Surely right Notes they are of Romish Locusts and that may suffice as many as will be warned by any thing Fiftly And their faces were like the faces of men So are these not terrible in shew but curteous kinde fawning flattering watching catching with smooth wiles to effect their purpose They pretend all good making men beléeue that they can bring them to true Blessednes that they will teach them true Religion true Deuotion and giue them Pardon for
of Egypt darknes euen darkenesse that may bee felt Then Moses stretched-forth his hand toward heauen and there was a blacke darknesse in the land of Egypt 3. dayes no man saw an other neither rose vp from the place where he was for 3. daies The manner of this darknes is described first in these wordes euen that may bee felt whereby either litterally a very vile grosse matter is meant which indéede might be felt or at least so thicke foggie and filthy as was most noisome might be saide as it were palpable Secondly such it was as no man sawe an other neither role-up from the place where he was which flit be taken litterallie as is said was a most strange and fearefull thing and if figuratiuely that it disabled them to go to worke abroad according to the Psalme The sunne ariseth and man goeth forth to his laboure euen that way also it was a great plaguè Thirdly the time is noted for the space of three dayes a great while to be in such a case as were wée but one houre in it would make the strongest natural man shake and be amazed Fourthly in the booke of Wisedome it is described by much feare in these wordes When the vnrighteous thought to haue thy holy people in subiection they were bound with the bands of darknes and long night and being shut vp vnder the roofe did lye there to escape the euerlasting Prouidence And while they thought to be hid in their darke sinnes they were scattered abroad in the darke couering of forgetfulnesse fearing horribly and troubled with visions For the den that hid them kept them not from feare but the sounds that were about them troubled them and terrible visions and sorrowfull sights did appeare No power of the fire might giue light neither might the cleare flames of the starres lighten the horrible night According whereunto is that in Philo written Ignem domesticum quo quotidié vtimur vel extinctum fuisse turbato aere vel crassissimis tenebris victum vt nullum lumen caligo illa admitteret That fire and candell was either quite extinguished or so ouercome with the troubled ayre that no light could be admitted in that darknes This then was the fearefull most fearefull maner of that darknes which maketh me remēber that great darknes which is said to haue béen in Hispaniola when Columbus came thither the second time about the yéere of Christ 1493 And that which Tullie writeth of to haue béene in Cicilie vt per biduum homo hominem non agnosceret that by the space of two daies one man could not knowe another All should make vs with thankfull hearts acknowledge the Mercie of God in this one benefit of Light amongst infinite moe that we enioy and humbling our soules vnder him as the Lord of Light and darknes Life and Death Hell and Heauen serue him in reuerence and feare according to his Wil all the daies of our life S. Augustine and others goe farther in the Meditation of this darknes of Egypt and say that it was a signe of the darknes of their mindes then and a plaine shadowe of their wofull Night of ignorance and blindnes that is ouer some men in all times and admitteth no light For the Egyptians it is manifest that extreame was the fogge in their hearts when such Wonders wrought no more Such déepe securitie before punishment such inflexible obstinacie in and vnder punishment such high pride after punishment and such a monstrous dissembling of repentance euer which both deceaueth the beholders and hurteth the vsers as One well saith argued darknes of minde thicke and blacke vehemently to be prayed against by all that wish to haue saued soules in that Great day of God And for vs in these times and so euer to the worldes end wee are all to consider that our Ignorance is darknes in déede and that very great darknes so termed by God himselfe more dangerous than this of Egypt in that the Soule is héereby destroyed and by that onely the body was annoyed Whereupon by this horror in Egypt wee may take occasion to consider of our selues and by that darknes noted to be such a plague to thinke whether our darknes be a vertue The Light of the body is the Eye saith our Sauiour Christ If then the Eye be single thy whole bodie shall be light But if thine Eye be wicked or euill then all thy body shall be darke Wherefore if the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darknes Now as the Eye is to the body so is the Judgement of the minde to the whole life and therefore darknes in iudgement most dangerous S. Paule in like sort noteth Ignorance by the name and fruite of darknes when he saith of the Gentiles to the Ephesians that their vnderstanding was darkned and they strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them And of the Ephesians themselues Yee were once darknes but now are yee light in the Lord walke as the children of light Many other places in the Scripture say the like terming still and euer Ignorance to be darknes and noting an inward darknes in man of his minde as well as an outward of his eye Which may make vs thinke why God should so speake and by consideration thereof hee euer speaking most fitly draw vs to the obseruance of certaine properties wherein there is agréement betwixt inward and outward darknes First outward darknes hindereth our eyes from discerning the outward obiects which by them should bee discerned and therefore haue their name tenebrae á tenendo because they hold the eye from doing his dutie so doth Ignorance our inward darknes hold and hinder our iudgement which as an eye should guide our actions frō discerning things fit to be done and fit to be left vndone whereby as blinde men wee fall into many ditches that is wee commit and omit doo and leaue vndone many things contrarie to our duties both to God and man Secondly outward darknes hindereth our going and walking about our worke or for our health and comfort For he that walketh in darknes cannot tell whither he goeth saith Christ and it is true in this sense so Ignorance the inward darknes hindereth our iudgements our harts and mindes from going and walking through the swéete fields of true Comforts true knowledge and Heauenly Meditations for in this sense also our Sauiours wordes are true A blinde man thus knoweth not whither he goeth A darke iudgement and a blinde heart knoweth not féeleth not tasteth not the pleasant pathes of knowledge either in matters Humane or Diuine Miserable therefore is this darknes and a wofull effect of our fall in Adam to be prayed against and laboured against as much as we possibly can although whilest we liue we shall groane vnder part of it knowing but in part seeing but in part in this life as the Apostle teacheth vs.
appeareth by the Lawe made for Recompence in case of hurt done to the thing lent which would neuer haue béene made had it béene at our pleasure It is also a part of our loue to our Neighbour and a breach of the Eight Commaundement to denie when I may lend Wherefore that which Augustine saith of the rich man may bee truly also saide of one that will not lend Diues ille non damnatur quod aliena tulerit sed quod egentisua non tribuerit ad petenda minima peruenit qui hic paruanegauit That rich man was not condemned because hee tooke from others what was not his owne but because he gaue not to others what was his owne and he was driuen to aske lesser things who heere denied little things But it is withall a dutie againe on the other side truly to restore what is borrowed and kindly to make recompence for any hurt done Craft cunning in the matter of borrowing lending I like not to call honest Iosephus hath another opinion in his Antiquities namely that the Egyptians did fréely giue these thinges to the Israelites partly to be rid of them without any further death for they said we shall die all and partly in a remorse for the passed wrongs which they had done vnto them so long The first Reason may teach vs to prefer our liues before any worldly trash whatsoeuer which yet many among vs will not doo but sparing money in meate in apparell in physicke in healthie dwelling and such like cast away the maine Chaunce which is their life and loose all Mezentius his crueltie is said to haue béene this To tie a quick man to a dead till the dead should kill the quicke And surely it is Sathans crueltie at this day to locke some so fast to their dead treasure that in the end they perish by it and that eternally S. Augustines Spéech is too true Mundus clamat Ego deficiam Caroclamat Ego inficiam Diabolus clamat Ego decipiam Christus clamat Ego reficiam The World crieth I will faile thee The Flesh crieth I will infect thée the Deuill crieth I will deceaue thée Christ crieth I will refresh thée and yet for one that will followe Christ the other thrée shall haue many The second Reason may drawe vs to the like remorse when euer there shall be the like occasion For it was a grace of God in Dauid that his heart smote him when hee had sinned And in those Iewes that they were pricked In the King that he would aske what had beene done for Mordecai in recompence of his faithfull seruice then reade of in that Chronicle Our iniuries are many and our fauours few but thankfull requitals please God and man An aged Maister and Mistris vnder whom you grewe vp to be able to liue should not be forgotten when God maketh you rich and them poore Among the vertues of Dauid this was not the least that hee carefully enquired for some of Sauls house to whom hee might shewe kindnes for Ionathans sake c. The Third opinion in this Question is S. Augustines whereof I like best because expresly it mentioneth the Commaundement of God which indéede was all in all in this point Hoc Deus iussit qui nouerat quid quemque pati oportebat nec Israelitae in hoc furtum fecerunt sed Deo iubenti ministerium praebuerunt This God commaunded who well knewe what was fit for euery man to suffer neither did the Israelites in this commit any stealth but yeeld their obedience to God commaunding To the same end speaketh Nazienzen also Rapuerunt spolia ab eo qui dicit meum est argentum meum est aurum They tooke these spoiles by the warrant of him who saith siluer is mine gold is mine Rupertus saith mercedem quam illi iniusté detinuerunt hij iustè abstulerunt The wages which they vniustly with-held these Israelites iustly tooke away But that could not bee without warrant of Gods Commaundement and therefore that must necessarily be vnderstoode Which being so we plainly héere sée to our comfort how carefull God is to haue his Children well recompenced for either the wrongs which they haue sustained or the faithfull seruice which they haue performed The Egyptians when they least thinke of it shall recompence them héere and that fully Iacob was thus regarded also you knowe by God for his honest seruice to Laban when the sheepe brought forth young of party colour till hee was encreased exceedingly and had many flockes Mayd-seruants and Men-seruants Camels and Asses Neither euer shall any Seruant Artificer or painfull man finde it otherwise if he walke in his place as in the sight of God doing his dutie God can doo it God will doo it and men should be staide with it both from idlenes and vntruth in their dealings 3. Another swéete thing we may also sée by this point namely how Crosses and losses by a gracious God are turned in time to his Childrens ioy and gaine Abraham had no Childe in many yéeres and to him it was a great griefe but in the end hee had one giuen of whom came the blessing of all Nations and a multitude like to the Starres of Heauen for number So was griefe turned into ioy to Abraham Iacob lost his Ioseph looking vpon his bloodie Coate brought home by his brethren and O woe of woes but Iacob had afterwerd his Ioseph againe with which ioy the Scripture saith the Spirit of Iacob reuiued Anna likewise was barren to her great griefe but in the end shee had a Samuel to her vnspeakable ioy Dauid endured many sharpe showers but at last hee hath the Crowne and many comforts Mordecai his feare and Quéene Hesters feare howe ended they with ioy to themselues and the whole Nation Tarie then Gods time liue in his feare you sée what a swéet Regarder he is in time of his childrens woes 4. But how came it to passe that the Egyptians so willingly parted with such thinges when they were asked The Text answereth and telleth you because the Lord gaue the Israelites fauour in the sight of the Egyptians So are all hearts in his hand and he turneth them euer as he pleaseth for his Childrens comfort To Abraham Isaack and Iacob he wrought fauour in strange places with the Greatest and with the smallest Nehemiah found grace with the Great King by His working Ioseph Daniel and many moe And the Lord giueth grace and worship saith the Psalme with-holding no good thing from them that liue a godly life Flatterie and briberie may get fading friends but when the Lord worketh fauour the cōfort is great and the fauour is permanent 5. For our imitation of this Act the matter is soone answered what they did here had warrant from him whose Will is Regula iustitiae the Rule of right and they did well But such extraordinarie thinges may not be followed when the like warrant is wanting Yet in some sort
this a fore-shewing of that and that a true fulfilling of this In like sort doth S. Paule when he saith Our Passeouer is offered vp speaking of Christ If the Familie were too little to eate a whole Lambe then must they take their neighbours next vnto them to make a fit number Whereby was noted and figured that Christ is not deuided into diuers houses and families kingdomes and Countries but he doth vnite and gather diuers houses and Nations to make one Church euen as héere many did eate one Lambe A comfortable Figure and worthy often remembrance Wee may not deuide the Lambe but we must gather our selues to the Lambe and that is the true Church where people are so gathered Be sure then of the Lambe and not of the place where the Lambe once was but now is not féede vpon this Lambe in manner prescribed that is beléeue in Christ according to the Scriptures and be sure you are right other notes may deceaue you this will not And if as yet you be not thus gathered make no longer stay in so dangerous an estate but be reformed and blesse God for his Truth 4. Your Lambe shall be without blemish saith the next verse first to prefigure the puritie and vnspottednes of Christ frée and cleane from all sinne And secondly to teach that a more excellent ransome was to be had to saue man from sinne than in all mankinde was to be found which wholly was sinfull In Apish imitation of which immaculate puritie our profound Romists take great care that their Cake be whole round and sound not bitten nor broken but without blemish as this Paschal Lambe was giuing themselues rather to abolished Ceremonies than to the teaching of Christ now come in whom these Ceremonies had end It must be a Male not a female thereby figuring the spirituall strength of Christ according to which the Prophet Esay spake of him before That hee should deuide the spoile with the strong and that great number of Angels about the throne euen thousand thousands saying that he is worthie to receaue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glorie and praise Thirdly the Lambe must bee of a yeere olde thereby to prefigure our Sauiours experience of infirmities and miseries which euen a daies continuance in this wretched world yéeldeth both to man and beast much more a yéere Of which the Prophet also foretolde when he said of Christ Hee is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities Surely he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes c. Reade ouer the whole Chapter Whereunto the Apostle agréeth againe when he saith We haue not a High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne The comfort and vse whereof followeth in the next verse Therefore let vs goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receaue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede And indéede a Comfort of comforts it is that in his owne bodie and our true Nature it pleased him thus to taste our woes For hee did it onely that wee might be assured of his knowledge and loue that he both knoweth our case better than we can expresse it and in his loue towards vs will helpe and succour vs as shall be fit Fourthlie ye shall take it of the Lambes or of the Kids saith the Text To shadowe out how Christ should be taken from amongst the stocke of sinfull men from whom hee descended without sinne as appeareth by the Scripture 5. And you shall keepe it vnto the 14. day of this Moneth from the 10. day wherein it was taken Whereby Two things chiefely were figured First that Christ should not by and by suffer after he was borne but liue and abide a certaine time in the world and then die euen as this Lambe taken vp the 10. day was not killed till the 14. day All which we knowe was fulfilled accordingly he being at the time of his Passion about thirty and thrée yéeres olde Secondly it both serued to prepare their hearts to the right eating of it being a Remembrance before their eies those 4. daies before and also to prefigure vnto vs with what meditation and preparation wee ought euer vnto our liues end come to the eating of the true Passeouer whereof this Lambe was but a shadowe in that holy Sacrament which is left vnto vs as a Remembrance of his Passion for mankinde Other conceipts haue some Writers which I omit onely I will remember His words that saith Decimo quarto die immolabatur quia tunc plenilunium est Luna recepta luminis sui plenitudine Sole iam occidente in Oriente consurgit quia morienti Christo Sole iustitiae Ecclesia quae in Luna intelligitur ad vitam consurgit c. The 14. day this Lambe was offered because then the Moone being at full and rising in her full light when the Sunne was set thereby might bee shadowed that the Church vsuallie signified by the Moone riseth with light and to light that euer shall endure in great fulnes after the setting of the Sunne that is by the death of Christ the true Sunne both of light and life to all that faithfully beléeue in him 6. It was to be killed at night and why at night more than any other time Surely to note and remember vnto them alwaies the time of their Deliuerance out of Egypt which was in the night Againe it might shadowe out the time of Christ his comming in the flesh which was as it were in the Euening of the world that is in the last times 1. Cor. 10. In regard whereof as some haue noted many of his mercies and miracles were shewed vpon men in the Euening or towards Euening as when it is saide in the Gospell When the Euen was come they brought vnto him many that were possessed with Deuils and hee cast them out c. Likewise in Marke when Euen was come at what time the Sunne setteth they brought to him all that were diseased and hee healed them Thus shewing by the time of Euening that he was indéede that health of mankinde which in the latter time should come 7. The blood was to be sprinkled and striked vpon the doore posts with a bunch of Hyssope that it might be a signe for the Lord to passe ouer their houses by when he executed wrath vpon the Egyptians Non quod incorporea natura huiusmodi signis egeret sed quia conueniebat vt per symbolum intelligerent illi prouidentiam Dei c. Not that God had any neede of such signes but that by such outward meanes it was comfortable to them to knowe and be assured of Gods prouidence for their safety saith Theodoret. And it figutatiuely shewed the effect and vertue of Christes blood the true paschal Lambe euer to saue from
Remembrance of it that all the first-borne should be offered to him in sacrifice Which plainely sheweth our dulnes to be so great that either not at all or very slightly wée remember the Lords mercies and benefits vnlesse by sundry meanes we be raised and stirred-vp thereunto Let vs therefore thinke of our selues as the Lord knoweth vs to be and rest euer thankefull for this great care of his ouer vs testified in his sundrie waies and meanes to awake and worke in vs due duties towards him and vse the same appointed meanes continually and euer as we are commaunded otherwise we condemne both the Lords care and wisedome and the punishment at last must néedes be very fearefull Let it strike all negligent hearers of the Word all secure and earthly contemners of the Sacraments all that refuse to read to conferre and to doo whatsoeuer els as a meanes that leadeth to the Lord. The Reason which the Lord aleageth of this Law of the first-borne to be sanctified vnto him is because they were his for they are mine saith he Which doth not note any reiectiō of the second-borne or third from his grace and fauour or yet tye his mercy and liking euer to the eldest for we know He hated Esau and loued Iacob but we are to vnderstand it thus that albeit all were his indéede yet these first-borne he challenged to be his by a double right both because he had deliuered them from bondage and seruitude as the rest and because he saued them aliue and slue them not when he killed all the first-borne in Egypt I make this vse of it euen to think with my selfe That the more God hath done for me the more titles he hath vnto me and the more I am his and ought to be in al the duties and seruices that may flow from either heart or body of so wretched a creature And if I doo not so thinke and so striue to shew my selfe euen so many witnesses against me are his sundry mercies to me and I shal be destroyed The ends then of this Law of sanctifying the first-borne vnto the Lord were these To be a Remembrance of their deliuerance To be a witnesse of the Lords right to them and ouer them whom he had so gratiously and mightily deliuered euen as an earthly Lord séeketh a peny or a Rose for an acknowledgment of his right not for any increase of his welth That the Priestes might haue hereby a maintenance to liue to preserue doctrine knowledge among them That Christ hereby might be liuely shadowed and shewed who being the first-borne was offered-vp a holy and sufficient sacrifice for all our sinnes c. The Law of Redemption of the children ver 13. 15. was to mittigate the rigour of the Lawe if they should haue dyed and still sheweth how swéete and mercifull the Lord is Afterward the Leuites were taken in their place and the Redemption of the vncleane beastes teacheth vs that God will haue his due if not by sacrificing them because they were vncleane yet by a price for them or by their death Which all wicked Robbers of God in his Tithes and Offerings may make an vse of and cease so to offend any more if admonition may finde place with them Other things haue béene touched before as the vnleauened bread the instructing of their children and such like wherefore I passe them ouer The frontlets spoken of in the 16. verse béeing for Remembrance the Iewes afterward abused and had their Philacteries c. As our Papists haue sundrie superstitious things about their neckes and armes to put them in minde of I know not what The 2. part 1 COncerning the way by which GOD led them you sée héere in the 17. verse what is said namely That God caried them not by the way of the Philistims Country though it were neerer lest any should repent when they saw warr and turne againe to Egypt Si enim cum longius esset Numb 14 regredi voluerunt quid si tam vicini essent For if when they were farther of they would haue returned Numb 14. what when they were so neere saith Saint Cyril wherin behold a most singular Testimonie of Gods fatherly care ouer our infirmities in not suffering vs to be farther tryed than in him and through him we shal be able to indure and at the last to ouercome also according to the most gratious promise specified by the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. 12. Let a troubled Spirit euer thinke vpon this and euen féede upon it to the comfort of Soule as one would féede vpon swéete and pleasing meate for the good of bodie Your weakenesse is knowne to God and as you sée here he thinketh before hand what you can beare and what you cannot what will lead you to the Land of promise and what will make you turne backe to Egypt and had he not strength in store for you in his good time to be giuen you thereby to ouercome the troubles you now are in whatsoeuer they are spirituall or worldly in such sort as he knoweth to be best truly hee would haue preuented them and neuer haue suffered you to fall into them more then hee would suffer héere the Israelites to passe by the Countrie of the Philistims for he is not the God of the Israelites alone but your God and my God also no respecter of persons but swéete to all that cleaue vnto him And therefore since these things are thus now with you rest in hope and be chéerefull there is a good houre comming assure your selfe wherein his strength shall appeare and giue you victorie these things turning to your good and not to your harme For euen as an Eagle fluttereth ouer her birds stretcheth out her winges taketh them and beareth them vpon her wings so doth the Lord for his people saith the Song of Moses and let it comfort you for God is true Another vse againe I make of this place thus The Lord héere I sée would not suffer them passe by the Philistims lest they should start backe and so sinne gréeuouslie againg him And what if in like sort hee preuent my sinning and your sinning against him by taking away from vs such things as he in his wisedom knoweth would be occasions of euill vnto vs if we had them whatsoeuer we thinke as Riches friends power health of body peace of minde and such like is not he therein carefull of vs and as gracious vnto vs as héere hee was to these his people in not suffering them to goe that way which though it were néerer night endanger them Certainly he is and therefore pray for eyes to sée it and a hart to féele it with assurance be content with your estate and with his will the end shall shew you all this is true Why but could not God haue stayed them from returning although they had gone the néerer way Cyril answereth Non Deus omnia operatur vt potest sed quandoque humano
when the Sea was deuided honoured him greatly You can neuer giue any people so many causes to sticke vnto you as he did giue this people to cleaue vnto him and yet they failed Write it therefore in your hands and in your heart for euer and in well doing depend vpon God you shall finde him neuer to faile you Marke also your Marginall Note héere in your Bible 5. What answereth the Lord to this inward crie of his gréeued and troubled seruant Moses Sée I pray you in the two verses following the 5. and the 6. He biddeth him take his rod and strike a hard stonie rocke and it should yeeld the people water to drinke and for their cattle also at full A mightie powerfull worke of God and full of good instructions for all those that wil obserue them As first that against such a rebellious people so froward so stubborne and so forgetfull of his former fauours yet he thundreth not out wrath and iudgements as they deserued but mildly and mercifully still dealeth with them adding mercie to mercie fauour to fauour and goodnes to goodnes for all their euill So teaching all Gouernours patience and long suffering not to followe with rigour extremitie all wrongs not setting power against folly and yéelding measure for measure in full recompence of ill deserts but according to the Course of God here doing good for euill euen to men of bittēr tongues and naughtie hearts against vs to men forgetfull of the good wee haue done them and euery way deseruing euill of vs. I know I know this is soone said but not so soone done For flesh and blood cannot away with this course There is a law in our members that rebelleth against this Counsaile But what then héere is my God before mee the best patterne that can be followed who hath power to punish and yet spareth who hath power to hurt and yet helpeth who hath power to kill with the breath of his mouth ten thousand worlds and yet saueth all and slayeth not the meanest man of all this company that murmured against him And his power in me can worke that which otherwise my corruption will not abide to yéeld vnto That spirit therefore so powerfull I will pray for to make me able to followe this example of my Almightie Father and I wil set this Precedēt before mine eyes to direct me and teach me as any way I shal be able to learne His blessed seruant the Apostle S. Paule treadeth in the same steps when hee saith Deerely beloued auenge not your selues but giue place to wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay Recompence to no man euill for euill but ouercome euill with goodnes c. Secondly it yéeldeth a most strong comfort vnto vs in all our wants For can we euer thinke that this GOD which regardeth the néed of such Rebels and giueth them helpe euen miraculously will despise our wants and suffer vs in them to perish without reliefe Search I say your owne Soule tell me if you can harbour such a thought against so swéete a God If you cannot but abhorre to doo it then sée how you are assured by this Place of his blessed prouidence for you and yours yea euen for your very Cattle if they want but water And clap both your hands vpon it binde it to your heart and let it neuer depart from you whilest life endureth in this world of wants What moued him to this mercie you sée not their merits but his owne promise onely and goodnes Reason then euer with your weake heart true to them and not true to me O fie fie auoide vile thought my God is euer true in all his promises and to all his Children neuer failing anie that relieth vpon him I will tarie therefore the Lords leasure and submit my selfe to his good will for hee that helped such Repiners as these will in his good time looke vppon my want The eyes of my poore Children shall waite vpon him for bread and drinke and hee shall fill them with his blessing when and howe hee thinketh fit Thirdly it is a profitable obseruation héere to sée how no euill in man can driue GOD from his promise and yet Sathan will suggest still O thou art not worthie of mercie thou art sinfull and a great great sinner thou must bee punished in Gods iustice hee cannot spare thée therefore trouble him not hope not in him for there is no mercie for such a one c. Why vile Sathan is my comfort reposed in mine owne worth or doo I rest vpon mine owne merit I tell thée I confesse all thou sayest of mine owne vnworthinesse and therefore haue no hope that way but I looke at his promise and I consider his truth and I sée heere and euery where that no euill in man can make him euill by breaking his promise therefore I may not despaire I haue his promise that hee will forgiue a gréeued sinner at all times for all sinnes were they as red as blood and that hee will neuer cast any away that commeth vnto him I beléeue him and I will bee comforted in his neuer fayling truth auaunt thou vile Tempter from mee Though the Lord should kill mee yet will I put my trust in him In which holy dispute with your selfe remember I pray you the olde Fathers howe they haue gone before you in this point Tota spes mea est in morte Domini mei mors eius meritum meum Refugium meum salus mea vita mea resurrectio mea meritum meum miseratio Domini Non sum inops meriti quamdiu ille non est inops miserationis Et si misericordiae Domini multae multus ego sum in meritis Quanto ille potentior ad saluandum tanto sum ego securior Peccaui peccatum grande multorum sum conscius mihi delictorum non tamen despero quia vbi abundauit delictum ibi superabundauit gratia c. All my hope is on the death of my Lord his death is my merit My refuge my health my life my resurrection My merit is the Lords mercie And I am not voyde of merit so long as hee is not voyde of mercie If his mercies bee many my merits bee also many And the stronger hee is to saue the more secure and safe am I. My sinne is great that I haue committed yea I am guiltie of many sinnes yet despaire I not for where sinne aboundeth Grace hath super-abounded Hee that despaireth of the forgiuenes of his sinnes denieth GOD to bee mercifull yea hee denieth as much as lyeth in him that GOD hath loue truth and power in which three all my comfort consisteth to wit in the loue of his adoption in the truth of his promise and in his power to performe Let my foolish Cogitation then mutter what it listeth within mee saying who art thou or by what merit or worthinesse doest thou hope to obtaine such greate glorie I
the roote of folly and begetteth contempt of all inferiours contempt bréedes sedition and rebellion they warres and warre destruction at last of all both men and titles It is written of Traian that hee was much caried away with vaine-glorie in titles and therefore painted in his house many inscriptions which Constantinus wisely iesting at called Herbam parietariam wall flowers Such a vaine fellow was Herod in the Acts and what a shamefull downfall had hee Let then this law of God for seruants freedome together with all other Scriptures shewing his care of them and their good vsage settle in our hearts the right vse of anthoritie and make vs neither vaine in coueting nor cruell in vsing The boring of his eare was a signe of obedience and figuratiuelie admonished that seruants must not be deafe but quick and readie and willing to heare what is commaunded to them And spiritually that if wee be the Lords seruants he boreth by his holy grace our eare that is he maketh vs haue eares to heare his holy word and wee are not dease we flie not from it we cast it not away wee stop not our eares but with care and zeale and loue we hearken to it as men and women whose eares he hath opened or bored This one thing well marked may shake the hearts and consciences of Popish Recusants so presumptuouslie despising the Lords voice But followe it your selfe I passe away 2. After these lawes concerning seruants follow other lawes concerning Murder and killing which you may referre to the exposition of that commaundement Punishment God still layeth vpon sinne but not euer after one manner Sometimes hee striketh the bodie sometimes the soule and sometimes both Sometimes he toucheth our goods sometime our name and somtimes our friends and deare ones Who can reckon vp his wayes to punish the rebelling man or woman against him His ends also for which he doth thus are sundrie and diuers but all and euer most iust First for his owne iustice who is a consuming fire and must néedes binde either to obey or to be punished Secondly that there may be séene a difference betwixt the good and the bad which could not be if there were not punishment and reward Thirdly for example that others séeing may feare and flie from euill either for loue of vertue or feare of paine Fourthly for the good euen of such as are punished For as Plato could say Paenae ipsis qui perferunt et spectatoribus vtiles sunt Vtrique enim redduntur meliores illi dolore hi exemple Punishment is good for both seer and sufferer amending the one by example and the other by smart Fiftly that these short punishments temporall might put them in minde of the long paines eternall Lastly for the preseruation of the societie and peace of mankinde which by slaughters and bloodshed would be ouerthrowne Euen as we sée good Chirurgions to cut away the putrified member for the safetie of the whole 3. We sée héere degrees of faults taken from the causes For all actions procéeding from the minde or iudgement and the will commaunding the outward members when the minde knoweth what ought to be done and erreth not in the obiect and yet the will goeth contrarie to iudgment the law of God not forced nor compelled but willingly freely such actions are called voluntarie So slewe Caine his brother Abell so tooke Dauid Vrias his wife But when things are done not of election either for probable ignorance as whē the minde erreth or taketh no counsaile or when the wil by violence is hindered or the outward mēbers by a violence forced then are those faults saide to be voluntarie The Lawyers distinguish faults by diuers names which I stand not vpon here remembring for whose vse I draw these notes But in short thus much we learne here that God measureth faults by wil not by Act. Wherevppon it is here saide that willfull murther shal be death and killing without purpose will shall not but an other course is taken For if a man hath not laide waite saith the Text but God hath offered him into thy hand meaning when by chaunce he is killed without any minde so to do which chaunce yet God by his hidden prouidence guideth in such a case I will appoint thee a place whither he shall fly meaning certaine Cities of refuge or Sanctuaries vsed thē in these cases as you may sée in Deut. at large Of which Sanctuaries thus ordained of God for the people and those times sprang our sanctuaries vsed within this Realme and others but nowe in most places put down and forbidden The question of them is disputed to and fro by mens wits the likers of them to continue vse these and such other reasons The Anger conceiued displeasure in the Iudge against a man The power of his aduersarie that persecuteth before that iudge The Difficultie and obscuritie of the cause not quickely to be determined In al which cases they think a Sanctuarie would be fit in a common wealth Secondly against crueltie of Maisters that either should threaten danger to a seruant or by violence seeke to force him to soule matters such a refuge would yeeld cōfort till his cause were known he preuided for Thirdly in the time of warre distres these places gaue safety to many from the bloodie sword murdering hand of inraged enemies for furie a while not weighing right Fourthly in casuall killings without pretended malice great was the vse equity say they of these Sanctuaries Contrariwise they that stand for the taking of them away alleadge many euils and discommodities that grew from them in successe of time through mans corruption albeit at the beginning there was a goodend As incouragement of seruaunts to bee disobedient and very vndutifull Great defrauding of Creditors by vngodly and unconscionable debtors Increasing of thieues and such like euilles many and many Whereupon grew that good Saying of Saint Chrysostome Nullos tam saepe ad ecclesiae asylum fugere quam qui nec Deum nec ecclesiam curabant None more vsually often fled to the Sanctuarie of the Church than they that cared neither for God nor the Church If a man come presumptuously vpon his neighbour to slay him with guile you sée God cōmanded no Sanctuary should saue him but he should be takē from the Altar and dye 4 He that smiteth his Father or Mother shall dye the death This is an other law in this Chap. which maketh for the expositiō of that Cōmandement of honouring them is to be referred to it We may note in it how God dooth not say he that killeth Father or Mother shal be killed for it but he that smiteth so that not so much as a tip is to be giuen to parents vpon paine of death no not wich the tong may wée smite them that is by any euill and vnfit words abuse them as you may
the word of God shall be a Sauour of death vnto death in Gods iustice And thus much shall suffice of this Chapter CHAP. 22. THe Lorde goeth-on with more lawes all tending to the explanation of the ten commaundements and in this Chapter verie excelleÌ„t lawes are laid downe which how soeuer they are not in vse among vs yet yeeld this good by the reading and marking of them To teach vs priuatelie in our selues an honest good and holy carriage of our selues Princes may alter laws as circumstances of times and place shall require but the equitie that God had in these laws euer remaineth And therfore what he punished we must auoide if we doo well First hee beginneth with lawes against theft which must bée referred to that Commandement and according to seuerall degrees and differences of theft he maketh seuerall and differing paines If a man steale an Oxe or a Sheepe and kill it or sell it he shall restore fiue Oxen for the Oxe and foure Sheepe for the sheepe The greater theft hath the greater punishment Other Nations by the light of God set in them followed much this course and punished theft diuersly Draco punished it with death Solon if it were manifest with foure folde if not so manifest with double The Rom. 12. Tables did the like Latter lawes with vs make theft death if aboue such a value following therein a constitutioÌ„ of Lothaâ—â—us the Emperour whose summe was aboue fiue shillings An other case concerning theft followeth in the second and third verses If a Thiefe be found breaking vp a house and bee smitten that hee dye no bloud shall bee shed for him his meaning is if this bée in the night But if it bee in the day light blood shall bee shed for him for hee shoulde make full restitution if hee had not wherewith then should he be solde for his thest The lawe therefore appointing that punishment hée should not bée killed that brake a house in the day The Romans twelue Tables followed this equitie and in the night these breakers might bee killed anie waie But in the day not except he defended himselfe by a weapon Our owne lawes haue made a difference betwixt day-thieues and night-thieues as indéede there is much cause to distinguishe them the feare in the night beeing farre greater and the helpe to be had farre lesse with many other circumstances But here may bée a Question asked what is lawfull before God these béeing but ciuill constitutions And answere may be made what God permitteth surely is lawfull before him and hurteth not the censcience if it be done as he permitteth But if our owne affection cruelty and rage step in béeing méere priuate men take héede for wée may doo a thing lawfull not lawfully The Law biddeth kill not but if a man smite to driue a thiefe away and death follow without a killing minde the case is altered for there is inculpatatutela as Lawyers tell vs within the compasse whereof I take this case to bée An other law followeth in the 4. verse That if the theft were found with him aliue he restored double if killed or solde you saw in the first verse an other punishment more heauy So must circumstances direct Iudges to seuerall punishments and the wisdome of God make man wise in all his proceedings They that thinke death too much must remember that euen Gods law made the stealth of man death And Dauid said he that had takeÌ„ the poore mans one sheepe should surely dye Draco made it death as you heard before and the Romans decreed that stealing seruants should first be beaten and then throwen down from a Rock slaine But I pray you would these men that thus pleade for the continuance of this law of Moses That Thieues should restore not dye be aswell content that other lawes should stand in force also as namely That adultery should be punished with death gathering but stickes on the Sabbath day with death c No I warrant you And therefore what they thinke is not a Rule but what God alloweth whose will is euer iustice it selfe and who by his Apostle hath taught That so long as lawes haue this end to be a terror to the euill a defeÌ„ce to the good the forme of them may be diuers Neither now a daies is all theft death but the Iudge weigheth circumstances of neede for sustinance only of the first offence of repeÌ„tance of youth of towardlinesse and such like 2. After theft follow lawes for damages or trespasses done to our Neighbours the Text saith If a man hurt a field or a Vineyard put in his beasts to feed in an other mans field he shall recompence of the best of his owne field of the best of his own Vineyard And if fire breake out and catch in the thornes and stackes of corne or the standing corne or the field be consumed he that kindled the fire shall make full restitution Who knoweth not that the societie of man cannot continue without recompence of losses and harmes Therefore mercifully dooth God regard it make lawes for it Euripides maketh Iocasta speake of this equitie when he giueth her these words Melius est equalitatem colere quae amicos amicis vrbes vrbibus socios socijs deuincit c. Better it is to regard equality which bindeth friends to friends Cities to Cities fellowes to fellowes c. Now equalitie is if I haue hurt any man to make amends that no man be pulled in his estate 3. Concerning pledges borrowing lending c. If a man deliuer his neighbour money or stuffe to keepe and it be stollen out or his house if the thiefe be found hee shall paye the double If the Thiefe bee not found then the maister of the house shal be brought to the Iudges to sweare whether he hath put his hand to his neighbours goods or no That is whether himselfe hath stollen it or no c vnto the 16. verse In all Nations faithfulnesse and truth in matters committed to trust hath béene highly regarded and the contrary punished Therefore euen with Heathens beside recompence imposed hée was infamous that offended this way which how great a punishment it was they sée that rightly consider it The Lawyers called it a ciuile death because it leaueth to a man no honest place among men in the commoÌ„-wealth he being disabled to sue for any thing to giue any voice to be any witnesse or to be of any credit any way There is too much iniquitie amongst men in these matters therefore to be wished greatly that these lawes of God were often read and marked Truth in trust is a iewell of price pleasing to God and man and mest honorable euer to the partie aliue dead Let Christians of all other men so thinke that the waies of God be not ill spoken of for their faults such men had better neuer haue
is holy and vndefiled giuen as a good Schoolmaster to lead vs vnto Christ And euen the whole Scripture together Olde Testament and New Law and Gospell is giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnes That the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works The other poynt may be a litle touched namely his prophanenesse that rested at this worship and thought it vnfit Wherein first let vs consider that not man deuised it and God approoued it but euen God himselfe both deuised it and accepted it For the first man Adam was taught of God and he taught his sonnes Cain and Abell otherwise in Faith could not Abell haue so worshipped Faith being by hearing and hearing by the word of God So from man to man it procéeded as the Wil of God in all generations and was vsed with the godly as the forme of dutie which God required of them and allowed And now here in your Chapter the words are thus Now the Lord called Moses and spake vnto him out of the Tabernacle of the Congregation c concerning this kinde of worship Whereupon it followeth that being his owne appointment who is wisedome it selfe iustice it selfe and all goodnes flesh and blood dust and ashes should not dare to censure it but as good although no reason thereof could appeare to his vnderstanding The singular vse of it and great fitnesse to the ende God appointed it for will after appeare in the whole Booke by noting the particular Sacrifices mentioned and commanded But in the meane time although God be not bound to giue reasons euer to vs of his Will nor we bound to search out for them but humbly and obediently to rest in his good pleasure made knowne by his Word yet if we thinke he chose this course to confound the wisedome of the wise we shall not thinke amisse For all the learned Writings and wise Lawes deuised by man to make people good could neuer worke so much to that end as this did in such as tooke the right vse of it The more therefore any despised it thought it folly the more did it ouerthrow him in his iudgement and prooue his wisedom to be starke folly 2 Yet concerning the continuance of this kinde of Worship the Lord neuer intended it should be perpetuall but onely for a time namely till that great Sacrifice figured and shadowed by all those Sacrifices should be exhibited and giuen vnto mankinde according to the Scriptures with whom all shadowes should cease and take an end And this was well knowne to such as rightly vnderstood the Scriptures albeit to some others it was not tollerable doctrine but very dangerous to be touched The Prophet Dauid vnderstood it when he said Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldest not haue but mine eares hast thou opened Sacrifice for sinne hast thou not required then said I Loe I come The Prophet Malachie spake of it when he alleageth the Lord speaking thus I haue no pleasure in you saith the Lord God of Hostes neither will I accept an Offering at your hand For from the rising of the Sun vnto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place Marke this Incense shall be offered vnto my Name and a pure offering for my Name is great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hostes Agréeable to which place are the words of Christ to the woman in the fourth of Iohn Woman beleeue me the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this Mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father c. Also the Apostle Paule his words I will that the men pray euery where lifting-vp pure hands without wrath or doubting Whatsoeuer therefore you read in the Word of the perpetuitie of this kinde and forme of worship you must still take it by restraint vnto the comming of Christ and the continuance of that common wealth and policie of the Iewes not longer 3 Touching these Sacrifices and Rites we are to know and euer remember that God neuer instituted and ordeined them to be meritorious and euen by the workedone as we say to appease the wrath of God and deserue eternall life For so thought some Hypocrites in those dayes and are sharply and often rebuked for it And the Apostle telleth vs plaine The blood of Bulles and Goates cannot take away sinne c. 4 They were not appoynted to be onely Allegories of good workes and ciuill vertues and darke deliniaries of a politicall life as were the Symbols of Pythagoras or the Hieroglyphicks of the Egyptians And yet there may be a fit application of them this way For indéed they do shadow-out such vertues as the Sacrifice of Christ should worke by Faith in true beléeuers but I say they were not instituted onely for this purpose but the holy Ghost looked at higher matters in these Ceremonies namely that they might shadow-out the Lord Jesus the promised Messias and the true Sonne of God and that Sacrifice which he should make of himselfe for the Redemption of all mankinde vpon the Crosse according to the Scriptures that they should nourish and maintaine the promises hereof in mens hearts and that sauing Faith hereupon springing in him in him onely to be saued for euer For euery Sacrifice was a Sermon of this matter of his comming of his suffering of his death c. And by such visible sights the Gospell was preached concerning life by him Thus iudged S. Iohn when he sayd Behold the Lambe of God c. as if he should haue saide that Lambe that was shadowed by all the Lambes and Sacrifices of the Law Hetherto tend the words of Saint Paul to the Ephesians Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God The words of S. Peter Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the Fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot The words of Saint Iohn The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne In the Reuelation The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world How Surely not onely in the purpose and appointment of God but by the Sacrifices which were offered euen from the beginning For by all such his death was shadowed and he as it were slaine to the faith of man as often as any Sacrifice was offered The whole Epistle to the Hebrewes also in full manner teacheth thus much and marke the words well in the 10. Chapter The Law had the shadow of good things to come not the verie image of the things 5 For the varietie of them there were many sorts of sacrifices and yet but one Christ to be signified by them all This did
of minde and woe of heart for his owne fault and the peoples death Dauid bought the threshing floore of Aranah c. And offered Burnt Offerings vnto the Lord wherevpon his comfort followed The Lord was appeased towards the Land and the plague ceased from Israel Thus might I wearie you with Examples but I will adde but one more the example of Salomon who béeing brought of God to the Kingdome of his father Dauid and wisely weighing the great charge and burthen of it as also his owne want of experience and skill to guide so great a ship troubled and perplexed in his heart betwixt a desire to doe well and a feare to light short of what he desired through his owne weakenesse got him in this agonie to his God and offered Burnt Offerings which likewise had effect to his ioy the Lord saw him and heard him and gaue him both wisedome for his charge which he onely begged and riches and honour which he begged not so that before him was neuer such a one neither after him should euer be the like Sée then as I said the vse of this kinde of Sacrifice in all feares and troubles when comfort was wished and a strong stable heart in Gods promises till the time of the same co 〈…〉 for t came without fainting or falling away Secondly after obseruation in what case the burnt Offering was vsed let vs consider the maner and circumstances of it which likewise you sée in this third Uerse c. First it must bee of the Herde or flockes if it were a beast not a wild Hart Bore Beare Woolf c. For these kinde of creatures being fierce sauage cruell and by force brought to death not otherwise could not be figures and shadowes of a méeke milde swéete and gracious Sauiour who willingly and louingly should euen lay downe his life for vs that wée by his death might be saued Secondly it was required to be a Male. The Male is stronger and perfecter than the Female and therefore fitter to shadowe and shew the strength and perfection of Christ in vanquishing sinne death druill and hell which the mightiest Monarche the earth euer had could neuer doe Thirdly it was required that it should be without blemish that is not blind not lame nor broken and so foorth as you may read Leuit. 22. ver 22. which when the Iewes obserued not sée how the Lord complaineth Malachie 1. 8. If any man thinke these bodily imperfections small things to be regarded of God it is very true but for an expresse commandement of God to stubbornely broken by dust and ashes that should obey is no small matter If we looke at the Apple eaten by our first Parents it was but an Apple a matter of small moment but when the Commandement saide no and yet they did it their fault was not small and so the punishment shewed Therefore euer in the Commandements of God we must not regard so much the thing as his Will who being our maker may command what he will and his will being euer iust holy wise and for our good if we haue grace ought to be obeyed precisely carefully and chearfully This condition of the burnt Sacrifice figured out the puritie of that Lambe that indéede had no blemish any way no guile found in his mouth but so cleane as by his cleannesse his righteousnesse béeing imputed vnto vs his Spirit dayly worketh our Sanctification and newnesse of life from sinne and vncleanesse Fourthly your Chapter saith it must be presented of voluntary will so to figure out that Christ should willingly not constrainedly giue himselfe to death for mankinde and peraduenture also to shew that God neuer liketh of constreyned seruice but will haue men doe their duties to him voluntarily as indéed is fit of the creature to the Creator euer Fiftly it must be presented at the doore of the Tabernacle God tying them to a place appointed by him and not suffering them to sacrifice where they listed themselues in euery place Deut. 12. 13. 14. as in the Margin the places are noted If this thought come in your minde why God should thus tye them to a place when as for the shadowing of Christ and confirming the faith of the Godly it seemeth rather it should haue béene lawfull euery where to sacrifice because euery where Christ is a comfort to all beléeuers and Faith in al places should receiue her appointed helpes to make strong and stable from despaire or doubt You againe may remember that there were two reasons chiefly of this Commandement The first is expressed in Leuit. Chap. 17. ver 3. c. Namely that by this meanes they might be stayed from vsing any vnlawfull maner in their Sacrifices and from following the fashions of their adioyning neighbours the Heathens which happily they might haue done if in euery place at their pleasure they might haue sacrificed The second reason was to signifie by this means that he only was the true Sacrifice for sin whom that Mercie seat there in the Tabernacle did represent which in that place where after the Temple should be built to wit in Ierusalem should offer himself for our sinnes If you aske whether by this example at this day a certaine place be requisite you may remember that euen by this example and true experience wisely our Elders haue both thought of prouided that in every Parish there should be a publike place euen a Church or Chappell whither except in case of necessitie all people of that Limyt should come to performe their duties to God publiquely after one maner not allowed at their wil euery one to haue a seuerall place lest priuate places should bréede priuate fancies errors and heresies schismes and deuisions in the Church Sixtly vpon the Burnt Offering you read here they must lay their hand euen vpon the head of it vers 4. And diuers good things were taught hereby to them that vnderstood rightly those Ceremonies then vsed For first the partie bringing that Sacrifice did by this means acknowledge that he himselfe deserued to dye but by the mercy of God he was spared and his desert laid vpon the beast for which he ought to be thankfull Secondly as that beast then was to die for him and to be offered in Sacrifice so did he beléeue Christ should come and die for him Thirdly that it is not enough to beléeue that Christ should come and die for sinne but he must put his hand vpon Christ that is lay vpon him all his iniquities by the hand of his Faith apply Christ to himselfe and beléeue that hée must die then and wée now that he hath dyed for his sinnes my sinnes your sinnes c Being the onely propitiation for sinne The Iewes put their hand vpon the workes of the Law the Heathens vpon their deuised worships Hypocrites vpon their almes fasts prayers c Making these things satiffactorie to God for them and so wronging the Lord Jesus
speake of a misdoing The Godly doe this at last and therefore you sée héere in your Chapter a time of knowing to them as there was a time of hiding Pray we euer for this grace that we sleepe not in death I meane in sinne that leadeth to death but that we may awake and stand vp from the dead and lesus Christ vouchsafe vs Light to amendment of life and eternall comfort and saftie 7 In the 22. vers you sée the like Offering for the Ruler when he should sinne that is for the Heads and Chiefe men of the Tribes who had authoritie among them No man is exempted Priest nor Prince but all that sinne must vse the meanes appointed to remooue their sinnes or else all must taste the punnishment for their contempt For he that is Lord ouer all saith the Booke of Wisedome will spare no person neither shall he feare any greatnesse for he hath made the small and the great and careth for all alike Yea the mightie abideth the sorer tryall 8 In the 27. verse you haue the Sinne-offering for priuate persons which by this already spoken is plaine ynough and you may confer it with the 15. of Numb vers 22. And let this suffice of this Chapter CHAP. V. BEfore Moses will procéede to shew what poore people should offer for their sinne in this Chapter he layeth downe certaine kindes of sinne for which they must offer and by which they may learne to iudge of other the like offences And the first is an Example of the Iudiciall Law in the first vers The plaine meaning whereof is if any shall heare one sweare that either he hath not had or hath not done what he vpon his owne knowledge vnderstandeth he hath had and hath done if he testifie not what he knoweth and reueale not the iniquitie of the other that hath so falsly sworne he shall be guiltie of his sinne Where you sée and ought euer to remember that not onely he taketh the Name of God in vaine which sweareth falsly but euen he also that winketh at the same false oath béeing able to reprooue him and zealously doth not his endeuour to haue that abuse of Gods Name punished by reuealing and making it knowen A Law that toucheth vs néerely as the world goeth now men wholy preferring many times their affection to their friends before all the glorie of God in this behalfe 2 The second example is of the Law Ceremoniall in the 2. vers As if he should haue said whensoeuer any person becommeth vncleane by touching of such things as make him vncleane and carelesly neglecting according to Rites of the Law to purge himselfe from that vncleannesse eate of the sanctified Sacrifices assoone as that his sinne shall be knowne vnto him he must offer the Offering here prescribed c. The true drift of which Law was to draw men to the carefull diligent consideration of their impuritie and to the knowledge of their sinne Read ouer the first of Esay and sée how the Lord abhorreth all Sacrifices and seruices whatso-euer when men sée not their sinne but runne on with their offences and yet thinke to please God with out-ward Religion No no saith God there that will not be But wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well seeke iudgement releiue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widow and then the case shall be altered c. Then though your sinnes were as Crimsin they shall bee made as white as snow and though they were red as Skarlet they shall be as wooll If you consent and obey ye shall eate the good things of the land but if ye refuse and be rebellious ye shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the the Lord hath spoken it Thus séeketh the Lord to haue vs know sinne and flye sinne And marke it againe in the Text vers 2. And is not ware of it making to your selfe this good vse of it That we are not euer cleane when we sée not any vncleannesse for our fault may be hid from vs and we not ware of it and therefore Dauid prayeth for his secret sinnes But still it remaineth an vncleannesse though we be blinde and it will bestroy vs if we sée it not in time Wherefore pray for eyes and the Lord shall giue them pray for a heart of flesh and the Lord shall giue it If thou see thy sinne God shall not see it and if thou see not God will remember it Upon our Garments we indure not vncleannes an houre not a mote not a little mote but we brush and beat if we be not brushed yea the very shoo vpon our foote is regarded that it be cleane and euery day we looke vnto it often yet see and tremble to thinke on it our bodyes and soules are vncleane and we see it not no we go not about to sée it but vse all the means we can to be farre from the sight of it as sports playes company and such like We hate him that will rubbe vs that way and we auoyd the place where sinne is reprooued It bréedeth melancholy and marreth mirth We cannot abide it at any hand But remember you this your Chapter and follow the Law of the Lord if you will be safe 3 The third Example is of the morall Law in the 4. vers concerning rash Oathes and vowes where I pray you carefully marke That albeit rashnesse and inconsiderate haste with man hath some excuse before set and purposed actions yet with God it is euill and there must be an Expiatorie sacrifice offred for it Let it reforme our rash swearing in our common talke and our foolish vowing of things neither lawfull nor in our power And thinke with your selfe whether they erre not greatly that thinke what they haue rashly sworne and vowed they must néedes kéepe when you sée héere God would haue them offer a sinne-offering for their rashnesse and not adde more sinne vnto it by performing what they haue sinfully sayd Also by this occasion consider how defiled creatures we are before our God when éuen that is sinne in vs wherein we haue not a minde to sinne as in such rash things wée often haue not 4 But if he bee not able to bring a Sheepe hee shall bring for his trespasse which hee hath committed two Turtle-Doues or two young Pigeons vnto the Lord one for a Sinne-offering and the other for a Burnt-offering Now sée the swéete goodnesse of the Lord to his poore People that are not able to bring such Offerings to him as others doe and so by the subtiltie of Satan and frailtie of Faith might be drawen to thinke that God regarded them as men doe that is either little or not at all To these he appointeth small Offerings framing his Lawe to their powers and so giuing them most swéete and true comfort of his
therefore let the prayer of Dauid bée in our mouth and vttered from our heart O knit mee fast vnto thee that I may feare thy Name Let vs ioyne inward truth to out-ward shew For the Lord loueth trueth in the in-ward parts Absolon Ananias and Saphira Iudas c had their vncleannesie and how ended they 9 The forbidding to eate the fat was a Ceremonie that euen at home in their houses contynued them after a sort in the exercise of Religion For still they remembered the Law and obeyed the same It also as I haue noted before preached vnto them figuratiuely that for God if he so appoint all the swéet pleasures of this world riches honours friends and whatsoeuer else being as the fat pleasing and delightfull are forsaken forborne refused and left A Lesson neuer ynough learned though often repeated so cleane our hearts to this earth and this fatnesse thereof But pray often and pray heartily with Saint Augustine That the Lord would vouchsafe to giue vs what hee requireth and then require what he pleaseth Hée is strong though wée be weake can make vs as contentedly leaue them as euer we receiued and inioyed them 10 The forbidding of them to eate the blood also as before hath béene noted signified vnto them that the Lord abhorreth crueltie in euery Childe of his and will haue them mercifull pitifull gentle c. In the 30. vers The bringing of the Sacrifice with his owne hands and not sending it by others taught humilitie and dutie to God taught that euery one must liue by his owne Faith and not by anothers and may serue vs now to sée how foolish an Error it is in Poperie to giue another his beades to say them ouer for him that day c. The heauing of it vp was a Figure of the lifting vp of Christ vpon the Crosse So was also the lifting vp of the Brasen-Serpent Some haue made it a Figure also of his Exaltation after Death Hell conquered of which the Apostle speaketh when hée saith Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a Name aboue all names that at the Name of IESUS euery knee should bowe c. That is hath highly exalted him and giuen him Authoritie and Power and Rule whereunto All shall bée subiect men women and creatures whatso-euer Little thinking of any earthly scraping with the foote at the Word of Iesus when neither word déed nor thought yéeld him reuerence due to him Popish eleuation of their consecrated Cake was neuer thought-of in this heauing and therefore vainely doe they vse this proofe The shaking of it too and fro foure wayes East West North and South shadowed the spreading of that lifting-vp of Christ that is of Christs death and Passion throughout all the world by the preaching of the Gospell 11 Lastly the brest and the shoulder were the Priests and so they were admonished to bée as Brests and shoulders to the people Brests for counsaile and direction in all their affaires Shoulders to beare-vp the burthen of care and labour of them to vnder goe Crosses and troubles in gouernment for them and for them to rest as it were and leaâ—e vpon in all their woâ—s of heart and agonies of minde whatsoeuer A profitable Meditation for all faithfull Ministers euer thus to bée as the Lord shall inable them to their seuerall Flockes in this world And as worthy a Meditation againe for the people to increase loue and singular loue in their hearts towards their Pastors for their worke sake euen for this vse of them in all their distresses and occasions whatsoeuer A godly Pastor is a brest of swéete comfort in aduersitie and a faithfull Shoulder to leane vppon euer and to support both vs and ours when without him we shall fall fearefully and paraduenture eternally Happie are the people that haue them and God worke in their hearts to make much of them In the 37. verse sée a short Rehearsall of all the sorts These are some of the chiefest things in this Chapter CHAP. VIII IF you turne to the 28. Chapter of Exodus you shall finde the most of this Chapter there explaned and therefore a bréefer touch may serue héere It contayneth the Sacrifices and Ceremonies vsed at the Consecration of Aaron and his sonnes into the Priests Office and fitly followeth vpon the other Chapters because after Sacrifices appointed the next care is for Priests to offer and vse them according to appointment For vse and benefite to our selues First let vs note that this Office of holy Priest-hood was not of man nor from man but the Lord Almightie first instituted and ordained it by his owne expresse commandement then being ordained he confirmed the honour and reputation of it by that great Miracle of the budding of Aarons rodde and he very seuerly and fearefully punished the contempt of it in Corah and his companie whom the earth opening swallowed vp with their Wiues and children and families all their goods Upon Ieroboam also and Vzziah for inâ—hroching vpon it And the Law was sharpe and generall If any stranger whatsoeuer not called to this Office by GOD approach the Altar hee was to dye The Reasons why the Lord thus precisely appointed these Priests and would not leaue it to euery man to performe this Office were these and such like First it was to be knowen that not euery man No not any man but the Man Christ Iesus could appease Gods wrath satisfie his iustice and take away the sinnes of the world reconciling vs to GOD and putting vs in assurance of eternall life This could not be figured out better than by secluding all the whole Hoste of Israel from this Office and choosing but Aaron and his sonnes as Types of Christ this onely able Priest to doe as I haue said and therefore they onely were chosen and so by such ordinance the Maiestie authoritie and if wée may so speake the propriety of Christs Office resembled and shadowed Secondly God was euer the God of order decencie and comelines and therefore in his Church would haue all things done accordingly not induring any to be an inuader of an other mans right an intruder of himselfe into another mans Office and a busie-body out of Rule out of order Certaine men therefore are appointed and they onely shall doe it Others if they meddle being strangers because not called shall dye the death as you heare before Thus hath he also in the New Testament established a Ministerie and giuen some Apostles some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors for the building-vp of his Church c. Hée also decréed that the contempt of these is the contempt of him and then iudge you first or last what punishment will insue In neither Olde nor New-Testament can we finde the Popish Priest-hood ordained to Sacrifice for the sinnes of quicke and dead For this is to denie the perfection of
his word séeing it is so sure a way for mée to walke in Or why should any Teacher deliuer to me that which hée neuer receiued of God to be deliuered to his people If they craue obedience why should they bée angry that I pray to haue it shewed out of his word whom onely I must obey Hée hath prescribed a forme of seruing him that forme hée will accept and blesse with eternall peace all other formes hée will abhorre and punish Nadab and Abihu preach so vnto vs and all flesh They wish vs to take héed by their harme God is in other things full of patience but in this he is full of wrath and his authoritie to appoint his owne worship he will not indure it to be taken from him by any man Let Popish whisperers then make good out of Gods word Latine Prayers when we vnderstand no Latin Calling vpon Saints that heare vs not Flying from the sufficiencie of Christs Passion to our owne merits crossings and creepings with a thousand deuised toyes and we will obey them But if they cannot let them leaue vs to serue God according to his word that we may bée accepted 3 You may also well note it here that Nadab Abihu were two of Aarons eldest sonnes which after their father should in his place haue succéeded him yet there is no mercie with God to stay his iudgement when they will not be ruled by his word No prerogatiue therefore of any man shall saue him from wrath if hee thus offend but the eldest shall die aswell as a yonger the richest aswell as the poorer a great man or woman aswell as a small There is no regard with God of these things But the soule that serueth him according to his owne will reueiled in his VVord that is regarded and euer déere vnto him c. Build we not therefore vpon any titles and so swarue from the rule laid downe vnto vs. If so little a transgression cannot be qualified any way by any circumstance O what will bée their case one day that so many wayes stray from the Law of God and almost in no one iote of their worship haue any warrant Thinke with your self more of this matter and meditate further of it at your times 4 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neere mee and before all the people I will be glorified You can conceiue what wo it was to Moses to sée this end of two of his brothers sonnes but he must stoope to God and so he doth telling Aaron the trueth of the fault and so consequently defending God that he did but iustly In déede saith he we must confesse that this is that we were told before how God will be sanctified in them that come neere vnto him that is how he will haue his Law obeyed and followed in his worship and not any way else how though he vse the Ministerie of man yet no man liuing must be wiser than Hee to swarue from the forme appointed and to follow his owne libertie but man must thinke it his wisedome to doe as God biddeth c. 5 But Aaron held his peace saith the Text that is was so astonished with the fearefulnes of it that he had no spéech but all amazed and shaken with the woe of it held his peace He howled not out with any vnséâ—mly cries neither vttered any words of rage and impatiencie but méekly stooped to Gods will kissed his rodde and held his peace If thus Aaron in so great a iudgement how much more we when our friends dye naturally swéetly and comfortably so that we may boldly say NoÌ„ amisimus sedpraemisimus VVe haue not lost them but sent them before vs whether we our selues hope to follow Lay to this heauie harted father yet silent and patient the example of olde father Elye the Priest to whom when Samuel had related such fearefull things quietly he answered It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The example also of Dauid who in his distresse very bitter and heauie yet notably said Let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes These are most excellent Paterns for vs to follow in all our crosses and griefes not forgetting that golden Saying of Iob Wee haue taken good things at Gods hands and shall we not take euill O yes yes The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and euer euer blessed be his Name for all The fish groweth greater in salt waters and the Lord for his mercie make our Faith Pacience and Comfort in him great in the saltest and bitterest waters of this world Amen 6 Obserue here againe with your selfe the strange and admirable change of these worldly matters in the turne as we say of a hand For but Yesterday as it were Aaron and these sonnes of his had a famous and glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignitie vpon earth nothing vnder the Sunne being more glorious than that Priest-hood in those dayes And how may you thinke his heart reioyced to sée not onely himselfe but his children which Parents often loue more than themselues so blessed and honoured But O change now sudden and fearefull O fickle fading comfort that man taketh hold of in this world whatsoeuer it be if wordly These sonnes so lately exalted and honoured to their old Fathers swéet and great ioy now lye destroyed before his face to his extréeme and twitching torment And how Not by any ordinarie and accustomed death but by fire from Heauen a sore and dreadfull iudgement For what also Euen for breach of commaunded dutie by the Lord all which doubled and trebled the fathers sorrow As it did in Dauid when his sonne Absolon died not an vsual death and in rebellion and disebedience against his king and Father You remember his passion then vttered O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne He considered the cause wherein he dyed the manner how he dyed to a father so kinde as Dauid was both of them full of woe and sorrow Let neuer therefore any prosperitie in this world puffe vs for wée little know what to morrow-day may bring with it The glasse that glistereth most is soonest broken the rankest corne is soonest layd and the fullest bough with pleasant fruite is soonest slit hauing more eyes vpon it moe stones cast at it than all the other boughs of the trée Pleasant wine maketh wise men fooles and fooles often starke mad Thousands fall at the left hand but tenne thousand at the right Multos fraÌ„git aduersitas sed plures extollit prosperitas Many saith Saint Bernard are crushed with aduersitie but more are puffed vp by prosperitie Lacertus Milonem perdidit ambitio Caesarem Nimis alter Naturae nimis alter Fortunae credidit Milo his strong arme ouerthrew him and Caesar his ambition The one
this be not Saint Iohn telleth vs Hee Hee not she shee is the propitiation for our sinnes And therefore Come vnto him all that trauell not vnto her c. But thus séeing our manifold vncleanenes and the right remedie of it by modestly and chastly reading ouer this Chapter I wade no further in it This is a taste of the vse of it More will follow in the next Chapter and Chapter 23. CHAP. XVI 1 STill the Lord goeth on to note mans imperfections how he is freed from them séeing herein consisteth all that wée truely know our selues to be as we are and the way of God appointed for our remedie First hée forbiddeth Aaron at al times to enter into the holiest of all whereby may be learned that euen Ministers aswell as other men are not rashly to enter into all the things of God but to stand in reuerence of some mysteries either dealing not at all or very aduisedly and sparingly with them as their nature requireth 2 It is shewed how he should come in when hée did enter Namely with a yong bullocke for a sinne offering and so foorth Learne wée may by it with what ornaments men and women should come before God It is not silke nor veluet that he careth for neither the costly Iewels of pearle and stone that wée thinke so highly of but come with a sinne offering that is come with an humble acknowledgement as this sinne offering figured that thou art a sinner confesse it to God with a gréeuing heart and bring Iesus Christ in thy soule with thée offering him by thy true faith to God his Father as a sure safetie for all sinners against deserued wrath and punishment 3 Hee must also put on the holy linnen coate c. Another shadow of Christ his righteousnes wherewith wée must be clothed and couered if wée euer finde acceptance with God For to that end Aaron did change his garment to shewe that hée sustayned an other person who was holy he himselfe beeing but a man subiect to imperfection and sinne To which end tended also his washing and sacrifice héere mentioned 4 This likewise serued to beat into the people their corruption when they sawe Aaron thus changed that was the Priest chosen of God and anoynted with the holy Oyle For if hee might not enter but in such sort how much lesse might they appeare at any time before God but in Christ and by Christ shadowed in all these sacrifices And concerning this once entring into the Holy place you haue had the figure of it before and the Place to the Hebre. noted Chap. 9. verse 8. Aaron entred but once a yéere and Christ but once the Tabernacles diuers Aaron by blood Christ by blood but the blood diuers Aaron made an Atonement Christ made an Atonement but in a differing manner Aaron outwardly or ciuily as touching the sight of man Christ of the conscience truely and rightly and touching God Hebr. 9. verse 9. 13. Aaron often Heb. 10. 11. Christ but once verse 12. 14. Aaron confessed sinnes and layd them vpon the Goate but his owne sinnes aswell as the peoples Christ had no sinnes of his owne and ours hee bare himselfe and layd them vpon himselfe not vpon any creature whatsoeuer 5 The two hee Goates béeing presented lots were to be cast ouer them one Lot for the Lord and another for the Scape Goate Thus was it shadowed that in a sinner there is nothing to make him worthy of God his choise And therefore as GOD would not chuse either the one Goate or other but by lot the one was appoynted and not by choyse so wee are accepted whensoeuer we finde fauour without all merit or matter worth or dignitie in our selues to mooue the Lord to such goodnesse 6 The Goate vpon which the Lords lot fell was offered for sinne-offering And Incense cast vpon the fire to make a cloude to couer the Mercy-seate that Aaron dyed not the one shadowing the death of the Sonne of God the other with what feare reuerence we ought euer to come before God For if to Aaron the Maiestie of him were so dangerous how much more to others not to bée compared to Aaron Would God we thought of this euer when we come to Church to doe our duties to him Then would there not in that place bée so much light behauiour and sléepie vsage of our selues as is by which things the holy place is defiled verse 16. Homines ita contaminant Dei sacra ne quid tamen discedat eorum naturae nec dignitas violetur Quare diserte exprimit Moses purgari Sanctuarium ab inquinamentis non suis sed Filiorum Israel Men doe so pollute the holy things of God that nothing departeth from their nature neither is their glorie violated Therefore playnly doth Moses lay downe that the Sanctuarie is to bee purged from pollutions not of their owne but of the Children of Israel 7 But as touching the other Goate called the Scape Goate it was brought aliue And Aaron saith God shall put both his hands vpon his head of it and confesse ouer him all the iniquities of the Châ—ildren of Israel all their trespasses in all their sinnes putting them vpon the head of the Goate and shall send him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wildernesse So the Goate shall beare vpon him all their iniquities into the land that is not inhabited c. From this Law of God no doubt did spring that Custome among the Heathens who offering Sacrifices as Herodotus witnesseth of the Aegyptians vsed to banne and curse the head of the beast offered in Sacrifice with these words That if any Euill bee to come either vpon the Sacrificers themselues or vpon the whole Countrey of Aegypt it would please the Gods to turne all vpon that Head The Massilians also yearely vsed to make an Atonement or expiation for their Citie with some holy man whom decked and set out with holy garments and with Garlands after the maner of a Sacrifice they led through the Citie and putting all the euils vppon his head that might any way hang ouer their Citie they cast him into the Sea sacrificing of him so vnto Neptune speaking these words with great solemnitie Be thou an expiation for vs. Thus the Heathen catched at things but not in a right maner whereby wée may well sée what a darkenesse it is to bee depriued of the light of the Word of God In like maner receiuing it from the Doctrine of the olde Fathers by the tradition of Noah his sonnes that there should in time come a Man who taking vpon him the sinnes of all men should become a Sacrifice for the saluation of all men and not vnderstanding the maner how this should bée they vsed in great extremities perils as Plagues Famine Warres c to offer vp men to their Gods to appease their wrath thereby So in Liuie wée
Samuel her sonne But in case a person thus vowed had a desire to be frée againe the Lord permitted that there might be a redemption made according to sexe and age with money And if the partie were so poore that such a rate could not be performed then was the Priest to nominate and appoint the quantitie or summe that should bée payd The proportions named in your Chapter héere are these Verse 3. A Male from 20. yeares to 60. was valued at 50. sicles that is 50. pounds Verse 4. A Female at 30. sicles that is 30. pounds after 5. shillings the ounce sterling Verse 5. From 5. yeares to 20. the Male at 20. sicles the Female at 10. Verse 6. From a Moneth to 5. yeares olde a Male at 5. sicles a Female at 3. Verse 7. From 60. yeares vpward a Male at 15. sicles a Female at 10. Verse 8. If any could not pay this then the Priest rated as I sayd Et hac redemptio fit vt quae morte propria non expletur saltem praetio vouentis deuotio compleatur And this redemption is made saith one that the deuotion which was not made by death at least might be made by the commutation which the Vower should giue 2 The second sort of things that might bée vowed were beastes Verse 9. where you sée if it were a Beast that lawfully might bée offered in sacrifice then was there no redemption allowed of it But if it were any vncleane beast of which men doe not offer a Sacrifice vnto the Lord then it might be redeemed and in case the partie would not redeeme it the Priest might sell it If there were a redemption made then was a fifth part more aboue the valuation to be giuen because it was a kinde of fault at least in shew to take that backe againe which was once giuen to God and to retayne to a priuate vse what was giuen to a religious and holy vse 3 The third sort were Houses Verse 14. when a man shall dedicate his House to bee holy vnto the Lord then the Priest shall value it whether it bee good or bad and as the Priest shall prise it so shall the value be Here also lay a redemption as you may sée in the next verse The fourth sort were fieldes whereof some were by inheritance some by purchase If the Field were inheritance then was there one maner of redemption Verse 16. c. if by purchase then an other verse 22. c. 4 Verse 26. Notwithstanding the first borne of the beasts because it is the Lords first borne none shal dedicate such bee it Bullocke or sheepe for it is the Lords c. You know the first borne were the Lords by an other Law and no redemption might be made of such but they must be left to the seruice of God as they were appoynted either to bée offered in Sacrifice or to be to the vse of the Priests c. 5 There were of Vowes againe two kindes one simple whereof you haue séene these perticulars an other which had an execration or curse ioyned to it if the thing vowed should be changed from the vse and end allotted whereof now your Chapter speaketh in the next place Verse 28 and 29. Notwithstanding nothing seperate from the common vse that a man doth seperate vnto the Lord of all that he hath whether it be man or beast or land of his inheritance may be sold nor redeemed for euery thing separate from the common vse is most holy vnto the Lord. Nothing separate from the common vse which shall be seperate from man shall be redeemed but dye the death Where you must vnderstand by seperate such a seperation or vow as is made with a curse if it be altered In which there was no redemption allowed or sale or alienation any way In this sort if men were vowed they must dye and not be spared But then not innocent men must be vowed but Malefactors that by euill doing deserued death Such were the men of Iericho Iosua 6. and Achan Iosua 7. the Amelakites 1. Sam. 15. and such others which made the sinne of Saul and the people very great when they spared Agag the King and the better sheepe and Oxen and the fatte beastes and the Lambes and all that was good would not destroy them And héere hence sprang that kinde of giuing things to the Church for the seruice of God that you sée in many old Charters in England with a grieuous curse vpon all those that should alter change those things from that vse wherein they shewed their earnest desire to haue things continue as they were giuen 6 Now if you aske why God ordayned these kinde of Vowes the answere is that he did it in two respects First that his people might not follow the fashion of the idolatrous heathens round about them who had their fashion of vowes wicked and sinfull but might be directed in a good sort séeing they would follow some sort Secondly that here-hence might spring some maynteinance for the Minister whereof in all things and by all meanes hee shewed his gracious care 7 They of the Romish Religion as from these Rites and customes of the olde Testament they haue borrowed many things so haue they vowing and many strange Vo 〈…〉 es haue they in vse and high regard They haue also redemptions of their Vowes namely Pardons and dispensations matters of no small profit to them But the Leuiticall Priest-hood béeing ended and all these Ceremonies Rites Customes and Lawes that were not Morall by the comming of the Lord Iesus the truth of all Figures and shadowes and man hauing no power of his owne head to erect and deuise any worship of GOD without his warrant in his Word easily may wée sée and all men with vs what ground their Vowes haue and how pleasing they are to GOD. Their owne Friendes and Fauorites doe say and write In malis promissis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum fouleVowe change thy determinaâ—ion Quod iâ—cauté vouisti ne facias hastVowed accomplish not Et non erit hoc praeuaricatio sed temeritatis emendatio And this shall not bee any vnfit varying but a most fit reformation of rashnesse Melius est non vouere quam vouere id quod sibi is cui promittitur exolui nolit toVowe then to Vowe that which hee to whom the promise is made will not haue payde to him Virginitas carnis non seruatur mente corrupta intactis corporibus fugit castitas de moribus Virginitie of the flesh is not kept when the minde is corrupt Though the bodie bee neuer touched yet chastitie often flyeth from a man and womans manners With many such like sayings worthy noting 8 Yet let vs knowe that there are two sorts of Vowes Ciuill Vowes and Religious Vowes Ciuil Vowes are such as Men make to Men in honest lawfull and possible things binding themselues thereby to a
the number was numberlesse and no way to knowe it certainly but out of one gate the Kéeper had noted to bee caried out A hundred and fiftie thousand dead bodies Which miserable creatures before they died were driuen to eate the Leather of their Shooes the Leather of their Girdles the Leather of their Bucklers and Targets the dung of the Stable and in the end their very Children A stouping plague indéede and neuer to be forgotten of Gods people that heare it but to be vsed as a mighty motiue to stir vp their hearts euer to a due feare of that power that can thus crush them if they will rebell against him Now appeared an vse of our Sauiours words when going to his passion he said Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not for me but for your selues and your Children For behold the daies will come when men shall say Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the paps which neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hilles Couer vs c which was now verified in a most wofull miserie Let neuer Sinners then prouoke the Lord in this manner but so profit by his easier Crosses laide vpon them and by his long-suffering-patience vouchsafed towardes them as these great and terrible Testimonies of his anger may be euer farre and farre from them For if not assuredly hee is the same still as mightie as euer as iust as euer and he hath his stooping plague remaining for euery man and woman which will rebell Thus haue you séene the Lordes manner in former times Come now to our selues and these times Surely the Lord is all one and his dealings all one euen with vs. For hee first entreateth vs by his Word the mildest way that possibly can be when a man or woman sitting in the Church shall féele God by the Preachers spéech in his or her bosome and yet no man liuing knowe it no not the Preacher himselfe that he hitteth vpon them Then if this doth not serue the Lord commeth néerer and layeth vpon vs his easier Crosses yet greater and greater by degrées Our friends growe vnkinde our Seruants vnfaithfull our Children vndutifull our goods abate and our health changeth to sicknes and griefe And if these also become vnprofitable as too often they are then the Lord goeth to his Quiuer and taketh out a strong arrowe to shoote at vs as The sweating sicknes The deuouring plague or such like which shall at once swéepe the Earth cleane from such rebelling Spirits and stoope vs vnto Hell because vnto Heauen wee would neuer be brought This you haue séene to bee true in some part with your owne eyes and therefore we ought to think of it earnestly for our amendment Happy is the man who taketh his time to turne to his God that he may be saued I reade of One that said hee had but one Booke and the same Booke had but two leaues a white leafe and a red yet could hee neuer reade quite ouer those two leaues though he liued many yeeres reade diligently so much matter was contained in them For in the white leafe hee said were laid downe all the Mercies and fauours of God vouchsafed to mankinde either in generall or particular And in the red leafe all his fearefull Iudgements poured-out vpon sinners which were disobedient and would not be reformed This Booke hath béene in all ages and godlie persons haue had a care to reade in it Dauid looked vpon the White leafe and sawe first such heapes of Mercies towards mankinde ingenerall that he cried Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him little lower than God and crowned him with glory and worship Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thy hands thou hast put all things vnder his feete All sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field The fowles of the ayre and the fish of the sea with that which passeth through the pathes of the seas Then in particular towards himselfe hee sawe also such Goodnes as that he likewise cried Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought mee hitherto with all the rest that followeth in the Place worthie your reading fullie ouer by your selfe In the Red leafe he reade so manie Judgements of God as that hee prayed Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh liuing can be iustified in thy sight If thou Lord shalt marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Haue mercie vpon me O Lord according to thy louing kindnes and according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine miquities Iacob reade in this Booke and séeing in the white leafe Gods gracious goodnes towards him said O Lord ouer this riuer did I come with my staffe and now haue I gotten two bands I am not worthie of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant In the Red leafe also he saw such griefes as it had pleased God to exercise him with all and tolde the King that his daies had beene but fewe and euill and hee had not attained vnto the yeeres of the life of his Fathers yet was he then a hundred and thirtie yéeres olde Others also haue done the like séeing the infinite fauours of God and these fearefull punishments two and thirtie Thousand destroyed for the golden Calfe to teach men to beware of Idolatrie Threescore and Ten thousand destroyed with the plague for Dauids numbring of the people to teach men to beware of pride and vaine confidence in any Earthly thing Corah Dathan Abiram with their Families swallowed vp aliue with the gaping Earth to teach men to take héede of murmuring against authoritie and that which is the Gospell Binde him hand foote to teach vs that what parts are ioyned in vitio they shall assuredly be ioyned in supplicio Sinne together and be punished together is a Keckning that shall not faile Wherefore since things are thus as well in our daies as in former times what remaineth but that this knowledge humble vs vnder his mighty hand that can euer stoope vs at his pleasure Let vs remember the words of Dauid and vse them as our owne Agnosco iniquitatem c. I knowe mine iniquities and my Sinne is euer before mee Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten mee in thy displeasure c. Let vs remember that good Saying of the Father Non litigando sed flendo Deum vincimus Wee ouercome God not by striuing with him but by weeping before him The stubborne Oake is torne vp by the rootes when the bowing Réede standeth still Neuer can the lower part of the whéele come vpward vnlesse the vpper part goe downward neither euer can a man in his death be glorified vnlesse
in his life hee be truly humbled You remember the Fable of the wise Foxe who would not visite the sicke Lion because he saw not any come out that went in Let it profit you much to beware of Hell from whence you knew neuer any returne that went thither Now is the time to thinke of these thinges the continuance in Hell is for euer and the paine there is without measure Better late than neuer to thinke of it Our Bookes tell vs of a light woman who spending her time in sinne desired her wicked Associate to bestowe on her a new Gowne which when hee did sticke at shee instantlie answered Doo I desperately cast away both body and soule for euer to content thée and doest thou miserably denie so small a request to me I will looke to my selfe héereafter better and auoide thée and this wicked life which if she did it was a happy deniall made vnto her But certaine it is that God hath many wayes to pull such out of the fire as hee will haue saued The like wee reade of a Couetous Father who raking vp riches very disorderly suddainly God purposing mercie towards him called for his eldest Sonne and for a Chafing-dish of coales requiring his Sonne to put his finger in and to burne it off At the first he thought his Father had but iested but perceauing in the end his setled resolution he prayed to be excused hee might not doo it To whom then earnestly his Father answered and shal I to make thée a Great man in the world so heape vp riches by all vnlawfull meanes that Jam sure eternally to burne both body and soule and thou not endure the losse of one finger for mee I will alter my Course in time and consider of that which héereafter cannot be redressed Were it true or were it a fiction to a wise man it carieth a Morrall with it Swéete is our God if we will returne and as yet it is day that wee may returne Were thy sinnes as red as scarlet saith Hee I will make them as white as snow The sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit A broken and contrite heart hee shall neuer despise Iosia his heart melted and hee found it so Ezechias sorrowed and hee found it so Peter wept bitterly and he found it so Neuer any sorrowing sinner but he found it so God then in mercie so stoope vs by his Spirit that his outward Stoopings may euer be far from vs. This example of Pharaoh preacheth vnto vs to be wise 2. Secondly consider these words When hee letteth you goe he shall at once chase you hence That is hee shall hast you away without any condition stop or stay at all It is euer swéete to the seruants of God to obserue this mighty power and out-stretched arme ouer all his Enemies when once he setteth on to doo a thing As here how he was able not onely to giue his people passage but to make Pharaoh as glad to rid them away as euer hee was desirous to hold them So in Genesis when Abimelech had taken Abrahams wife supposing shee had béene but his sister God caused him not onely to restore her without any iniurie but he was vp very early in the morning saith the Storie to see it to be done that is hee hasted to doo it and had no rest in his minde till it was done What comfort then in this God euer what rest and peace in relying vpon him what assurance of that end issue victorie and deliuerance that he in his wisedome shall knowe to be best for vs séeing he is thus able Lord make vs patient then willing to tarie thy leasure and euer contented with thy pleasure For thou canst doo for vs what thou wilt and when thou wilt all earthly pride must stoope to thée and if Ieroboam stretch out his hand against thy Prophet thou canst make him neuer plucke it backe againe till thy Prophet pray for him Who hath resisted him and had peace saith Iob The Lord of Hosts hath decreed it and who can disappoint it saith the Prophet God would haue Ioseph exalted his Brethren storme at it and practise against it but all in vaine when time commeth it must bee so Saul grieueth that Dauid is likely to succéede him but all in vaine it must be so The Iewes work against Christ yet to no end for the Lords purpose must come topasse The farther you go in this Meditation the swéeter shall you finde it The 2. part 1. THe second generall Head of this Chapter I saide was an Admonition to the Israelites what to doo betwéene the Denunciation of another plague and the Execution of the same Euen euery man to require of his neighbour and euery woman of her neighbour Iewels of siluer and Iewels of gold Which they did and were greatly enriched by them Concerning which matter remember with your selfe what was fore-tolde foure hundred yeeres agoe to Abraham namely That his seede should be strangers in a strange Land so many yeeres but in the end should come forth with great substance Now was it fulfilled as you may sée in the next Chapter So they spoiled the Egyptians Noting by the word of spoiling a verie great measure of riches in thinges desired Wee may rightly ground this Comfort vpon it That be the time neuer so long before he doo it yet euer in the end GOD will performe what hee hath promised and neuer faile Foure hundred yeeres space shall not hinder but that at last his Truth shall appeare Applie it then to what most may ease you and be assured hee is the same In matter of sinne you haue his promise As I liue I will not the death of a sinner c. Hee shall neuer breake it and therefore bee comforted In matter of want you haue his promise All these thinges shall be ministred vnto you And you are better than many Sparrowes c. Rest vpon it Hee is euer true In matter of triall you haue his promise Hee will neuer lay more vpon you than he will make you able to beare Joy in it and know that he cannot lye his word shall stand and you shall finde it 2. But a Question is mooued whether it was lawfull for the Israelites thus to doo or no And whether wee may imitate them and doo the like whereunto diuers men make diuers Answeres and wee may take profit by them all Basill saith Haebrei honesta astutia ab Egyptijs mercedem operarum suarum receperunt qua hactenus defraudati fuerunt The Hebrewes by an honest craft receaued of the Egyptians recompence for their labours whereof hitherto they had beene defrauded Which Spéech without reference to the Commaundement of GOD cannot well stand For the Apostles Rule is plaine That no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter for the Lord is an Auenger of all such things To lend is a dutie necessarie when wee can doo it and not arbitrarie as
therefore that all Sacrifices had either all or part burned with fire c. We know not saith the Apostle what to pray as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. The Spirite beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the children of God If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his The Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake The Spirit shal quicken your mortall bodies and so foorth This fire therefore the Lord euer vouchsafe vnto vs and we shall doe well Lastly when it is sayd the wood must be layd in order the peeces in order and all in order well might they then and we now obserue and learne how highly God is pleased with order and how much he abhorreth confusion Wherefore the Apostle giueth it for a Rule Let all things be done decently and in order And the more we frame our selues vnto good order the more assurance we euer haue the Spirit gouerneth vs. But the Inwards the Legges thereof shall ye wash in water sayth your Chapter The eleuenth Circumstaunce in this kinde of Sacrifice notably shadowing how Christ our Sauiour brought nothing impure or vncleane vnto his Passion as all other men doe when they suffer For although they suffer willingly ioyfully yet doe what they can they shall euer finde a law in their members rebelling against the law of their minde and leading them captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in their members No man therefore can offer a perfect offering to his God for his sinnes Onely Christ hath whose Inwards and Legges were washed that is who wholly was pure and immaculate within and without euery way This This is my wel-beloued Sonne in whom I and in whom onely I am well pleased Lastly this burnt Offering in this sort vsed and offered was a sweet sauour vnto the Lord sayth the Text. Not that God is delighted as man with any outward sauour but because first being done according to his prescript he accepted it and liked it and secondly he saw in it his slaine Sonne and smelled as it were his obedience which though it was fulfilled in time yet was with God from the beginning as hee was also slaine from the beginning Thus haue you viewed the Ceremonies of the first kinde of Burnt Sacrifices taken from the Herd Consider of them againe and often the Lord being intreated shal make them profitable to you The second kinde of Burnt-offerings ANd if his Sacrifice for the Burnt-offering be of the Flockes as of the Sheepe or of the Goates he shall offer a Male without a blemish c. The first kinde was of the Herde as you haue séene now the second is of the Flockes where againe you may note the Ceremonies before in the other kinde obserued and let that Exposition serue here without any repetition againe of the same things One thing here is which was not before touched namely how they shall kill it on the North-side of the Altar not on any side indifferently but on the North-side onely which was done assuredly to draw this his people from the idolatrie of the Gentiles who worshipped the Sunne in many places and therefore euer in their seruices turned them towards the place where the Sunne was as in the morning to the East at mid-day to the South at night to the West And matters of great moment they would referre to the iudgement of the Sunne The Persians in choise of a King agréed that all should méete at a place on Horsebacke betimes and whose Horse first neighed before the rising of the Sunne he should be King For they tooke the Sun for a God and Horses with them were consecrated to the Sunne as things pleasing to him In Tyrus when seruants and slaues had cruelly slaine by treachery and villanie their Masters and all Freemen they forsooth would make a King of themselues and how Euen thus they would all assemble before the Sunne and he that could first sée the Sunne arise he should be King as chosen out by that their God the Sunne These toyes lest the Israelites should learne of their neighbours the Heathens God not onely by words expresse prohibitions but also by such signes as this would teach and instruct them On the North-side therefore must this Burnt-offering be killed 2 This Ceremonie might admonish them that the full Sunne Christ Iesus was not yet risen vnto them but in time he should come and shine in his strength For these Sacrifices and Legall Rites were but as litle candels that gaue some small light and a farre more excellent Light should they expect that beléeued in due time And now I pray you hath it not appeared and with his glory put out all these dimme Lights of the Law We know it and find it with thankefulnesse euer may we thinke of it For he that reserued vs for these times and these times for vs could haue made vs be borne and to haue our being in the darkest times But now this Ceremonie of turning to the North is gone and we may turne any way and please God The time is come when the true worshippers shall worship in Spirit and trueth euery where and euery way lifting vp pure hands vnto God Thus much would our old Fathers signifie by the placing of the vpper ende of our Churches East-ward not North-ward which they would not haue done if they had thought this Ceremonie had bound men still Let vs then vse things indifferent indifferently and not vnto any superstition or sinne The third kinde of Burnt-offering 1 ANd if his Sacrifice be a Burnt-offering to the Lord of Fowles then he shall offer his Sacrifice of the Turtle-Doues or of the yong Pigeons Behold the third sort of burnt Offerings taken neither of the Herde nor of the Flocks but of the Fowles wherein first the Lorde by varietie did méete with the variable and mutable nature of man and so kept that people from lusting after the fashions of the wicked Secondly he mercifully regarded and prouided for the poore that should not be able to offer the former sorts and so might haue béene discomforted with it This appeareth Chap. 5. vers 7. 11. 14. 21. 22. 2 But of Fowles you sée héere not all sorts might be offered as Géese Cockes and vncleane Fowles whereof you read els-where but Turtles and Pigeons Which Fowles long before this time God appointed Abraham to offer Gen. 15 Happily because these most aptly figured Christ In whom was all holy simplicitie pacience innocencie c. 3 Concerning the Rytes your Chapter specifieth them in this sort The Priest shall wring the necke of it a sunder or pinch it with his nayle so as not the head should be quite plucked of but wounded that the blood might goe out and the creature die Thus was the Passion of Christ shadowed out whose blood was shed and he dyed yet his head not plucked
from his body And his head not plucked from his body to signifie he should not be taken from his Church which is his body by any death but raise himselfe vp againe and bée with his to the end of the world Thus then the Elect of God comfort themselues both in aflictions of the world and in death it selfe that forasmuch as their Head thus liueth and neuer was nor can â—e plucked of from them therefore as he hath ouercome so shall they by him ouercome both the malice of the world and the power of Satan and enter into ioy with him for euermore 4 The Maw and feathers were not offered but cast-away as vncleane so still noting that which I haue often noted the puritie of the Lord Iesus our true Sacrifice 5 The Priest did cleaue it with his wings but not deuide it in sunder againe to shadow that though Christ dyed yet hée was not quite extinguished but should rise againe and liue To which end also it was that not a bone of him was broken as were theirs that dyed with him That being also figured in the Paschall Lambe Lastly it is repeated here for a sweete fauour vnto the Lord and not in vaine but to the great comfort of all such poore offerers For thus are they assured that albeit they were not of abilitie to offer vnto him Oxen and Shéepe or sacrifices of great cost yet were they as déere to him as those that could so doe and their Sacrifice of Turtles or two Pigeons yéelded as swéete a sauour O swéete still for this God is not changed but the same for euer and therefore still euen two mites of a poore widow graciously accepted still a little spice a little Goats-haire or what my power is to bring vnto him is accepted So that I haue no cause to grieue at my pouertie if my heart be sound and therefore looke vnto that and be chéerefull in this Thus haue you viewed this Chapter And now a little with your selfe thinke of the maner of Reuelation then and now What a darke and dimme light I say again was that to this vouchsafed vnto vs now Surely so darke as the Apostle feareth not to call that Night and ours Day saying The night is gone the day is come God for his Christ his sake make vs thankefull But now that these kindes of burnt Offerings and Sacrifices are gone is there no sort left vnto vs Christians yes indéede First it is a Sacrifice to God most exceptable To preach the Gospell and it is euen as that song which Dauid speaketh of pleasing the Lord better than a yong Bullocke that hath hornes hoofes Thus S. Paul offered vp the Gentiles to God for a sacrifice winning theÌ„ by his Ministrie vnto the truth Rom. 15. verse 16. A Sacrifice so farre passing all others as man passeth all brute beasts And the faithfull Preachers of the Gospell dayly doe the like Secondly it is a Chiefe kinde of burnt Offering for Christians To beléeue in Iesus Christ by the Gospell because he that beléeueth offereth Christ dayly to God for his sinnes than the which nothing can be more pleasing to Christ and his Father Thinke of it early and thinke of it late when you are vpon your knées desiring mercie and pardon fauour and comfort both presently and to death yet laden and ouer-laden with a great burthen of gréeuous sinnes blemishes and imperfections hatefull to God and hatefull to your selfe through Grace giuen What hope haue you to spéed and preuaile but by his Sacrifice you will take Christ your déere Sauiour in the armes of your Faith and say holy Father looke vpon him not vpon me without him For then I dye in iustice but vpon me in him and then shall I liue in mercie Thus you offer Christ dayly and it is the Chiefest Sacrifice still of all beléeuers Thirdly it is another kinde of burnt Sacrifice left vs To offer-vp our selues wholly to God our selues I say our soules and bodyes a liuing holy and acceptable Sacrifice enery member to doe his Will and not ours Of which S. Paul speaketh to the Ro. Chap. 12. 1. Fourthly euery good worke commaunded of God and done of vs in Faith is a pleasing Sacrifice in this sort to God As Almes Coloss 4. To doe iustly to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Mich. 6. vers 8. To offer spirituall Sacrifices sée S. Peter Lastly all our aflictions paciently indured according to the Psalme The Sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit c. Doe therefore what God willeth or suffer what he appointeth as you are taught and you offer Sacrifice dayly to God Thus let this Chapter profit you CHAP. II. FRom bloody Sacrifices now to Unbloody and because the Burnt-offering described in the former Chapter could not bée without the Meat-offering as you may sée Num. 15. 4. therefore before he procéede to other kindes of Offerings Moses describeth in this Chapter the Meat-offering laying downe thrée sorts of it The first Of raw Flesh vers 1. to the 4. The second of Flowre not raw but baked fryed sodden vers 4. to the 14. The third sort of Corne not ground to Flowre verse 14 to the end For the institution of these Meat-offerings it was not because God hath néede of any meate or smelling sauours in the Psalme he telling vs that if he be hungry he needes not shew vs c. Neither yet that the déede done might merit and turne away Gods anger For he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered Swines blood and he that remembreth incense as if he blessed an Idoll saith God by his Prophet but by these the Lord would teach to his Church and children good things concerning Christ their Sauiour and his comming good Lessons also for life and maners as by particulars will appeare First This Meat-offering of Flowre and Corne might greatly comfort them touching their labours and assure them that yearly God would blesse their Corne and their fields because it pleased him to be a partner with them in those fruites 2 The Meat-offering of flesh might draw their hearts to God in all times of their dyet teaching them that God giueth and God sanctifieth God prospereth and is the staffe both of bread and meat They are not vpon our tables by chance but by his kinde prouidence and great goodnesse and therefore to forget him were to become most vnworthy of those blessings 3 The Flowre must bee fine Flowre to signifie still vnto them the cleannesse and puritie of CHRIST in whom there was no sinne neither any guile found in his mouth Of whom is all puritie in any of his members our foulnesse being washed by his blood It taught also that our best things should be giuen to God and not our worst as our manner is 4 The Meat-offering taught that Christ is the remedie against all hunger As am I gréeued with sin and hunger for