arise from hence we haue considered diuers things before We see how Balak and Balaam proceede in their diuellish purposes if God had suffeted them and not crossed them Hee reuealed his wil to Balaam who spake moued by Gods Spirit and thereby declareth that he speaketh not onely to his owne children but sometimes teacheth wicked men to make them without excuse and therefore he wil not leaue his owne people destitute of instruction that desire to feare his name But of this wee haue spoken before chap. 22 9. Verse 2. Balaam lift vp his eyes looked vpon Israel and the spirit of God came vpon him Moses shewing the prophesie that Balaam vttered describeth it by the author thereof the Spirit of God came vpon him In this part of the title he saith That the things deliuered in this prophesie which were vttered for the Churches sake were hid kept secret before they were reuealed and manifested by God This prophesie containeth not a doctrine that is common or communicated by the light of nature to men but a declaration of such secrets as God reserueth hid to himselfe in his owne counsel which no liuing creature could knowe otherwise then as it pleaseth God to disclose it by a gracious participation of it This teacheth vs this truth That the things of God can no man know but by the Spirite of God Doctrine The things of God are vnknowne til he reueale them The mysteries of saluation and doctrine of godlynesse are secret and vnknown of men and Angels before they be of God reuealed This our Sauiour teacheth Peter hauing made a confession of Christ Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and blood hath not reuealed it vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen Matth. 16 17. And expounding the parable of the Sower to his disciples he sayth To you it is giuen to know the mystery of the kingdome of God but vnto them that are without all things are done in Parables Mark 4 11. The Apostle teacheth that the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnes vnto him neyther can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned And the same Apostle speaking of the gospel Rom. 16 25. Eph 3 9. calleth it A mystery reuealed which was kept secret from the beginning of the world So the Apostle Iohn handling hidden visions and teaching the Church the things that must come to passe hereafter called that Booke The Reuelation of Iesus Christ which God gaue vnto him Reuel 1 1. The truth of this appeareth because they Reason 1 were hid in the treasury of Gods wisedome which is vnsearchable and not to be sounded by any creature and therefore the Apostle calleth them A secret hid in God Ephe. 3 9 so that the Apostles and holy Prophets of God could deliuer nothing of his counsell before he had reuealed it to them So the Lord speaketh Numb 12 6. Heare now my words If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I wil be known vnto him by a vision and will speake vnto him by dreame The calling of the Gentiles seemed strange to the very Apostles before it was reuealed to Peter Who would euer haue imagined that God would haue redeemed man by such a wonderfull meanes the greatest wonder that euer came into the world by giuing his Son and that vnto the death to ransome and redeem a church by his own blood Acts 20. This no creature in heauen or earth would euer haue thought vpon if God had not reuealed it by his word and assured it by his Spirit Secondly this receyueth further strength Reason 2 for the confirmation of it because the wisest and subtilest that were in the world were herein ouertaken and proued fooles for by al their wisedome though neuer so great they were not able to reach vnto it nor to looke into any the least part of it The Apostle speaking of the mystery of the Gospel reuealed by his ministery alledgeth the prophesie of Esay where the Lord threatneth to destroy the wisedome of the wise and to cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent and after he saith Where is the wise hath not God made the wisedom of the world foolishnes 1 Cor 1 18 19. The Vses remaine to be learned of vs. First Vse 1 for knowledge wee see that the mysterie of godlines reuealed to the world by God in the Gospel is a most worthy glorious mystery greatly to be admired and reuerenced vnto vs that are called it is the wisedome of God and the power of God So the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1 2◠Great is the mystery of godlines which is God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3 16. It seemeth farre otherwise to the foolish world it appeareth to thē a base and vile thing as Paul complaineth in his time We preach the Gospel euen Christ crucified vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke vnto the Grecians foolishnes 1 Cor. 1 23. A stumbling blocke to the Iewes because they dreaming of an earthly king of this world to free them from the bondage of the Romanes and thinking they should be Lords of the earth were offended at the low estate of Christ comming in the shape of a seruant foolishnesse to the Grecians because it seemed foolishnes to the wise Philosophers among the heathē to look for life from death to beleeue in him that rose from the dead and that such as are dead shall rise againe How many are there amongst our selues that are offended at the simplicity of the Gospel that it is not accompanyed with miracles that it is brought vnto vs in earthen vessels These are they that esteeme the Manna as light meate and therefore loathe it But let them alone to loathe this Manna that loathe faith Christ and heauen it selfe yea their owne saluation Secondly for obedience wee must obserue Vse 2 that when these secret things be reuealed vnto vs of God we ought to endeuour to learne them to vnderstand them to publish them speake of them to others Whensoeuer God hath a mouth to speake we must haue an eare to heare Therefore Moses saith Deut. 29 29. Secret things belong vnto the Lord but the things reuealed belong to vs and our children to do them So the Apostle Paul when God had reuealed Christ vnto him and ordained him a teacher vnto the Gentiles saith I was not disobedient to the heauenly vision but shewed to Iewes and Gentiles that they should repent and turne to God and do works worthy amendment of life Acts 26 19 20. This serueth to reprooue all such as refuse to looke into these reuealed things of God but dwell in blindnesse and ignorance Of this sort are the greatest number in our assemblies They are wise enough to look into their own profit but they care not for the wisedome that is of God They are brought vp in the church but know not the Doctrine of the Church They are alwayes learning
by iustifying of vs by sanctifying of vs and by working in vs such like effect Against mans merits and deserts Secondly this doctrine ouerthroweth all merits and deserts of man which abolish the free grace of God Gods mercy is our merit our workes are not neither can bee our merit If our election be by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of workes then is it no more grace otherwise work were no more worke as the Apostle concludeth Rom. 11.6 We are iustified through faith in Christ in him standeth our saluation and by his merits we are made righteous Christ Iesus is the corner stone of the building Ephes 2. he is the foundation of the building forasmuch as other foundation none can lay 1 Cor. 3. he is also the highest stone of the building notwithstanding the mountains Zach. 4-6 that is the strongest opposition of enemies But let vs see what merit is What merit is that our vnderstanding may be the better and our iudgement the sounder touching this matter Merit is a worke vndue to which we are not bound making the reward and recompence that was not due to be due When a debter satisfieth his creditour he paieth that which he oweth him he giueth no more then is due vnto him by Law and equity by reason and conscience neither doth he deserue any thankes but through the fault of men as the heathen knew well enough Terent. in Phorm Act. sc 1. who confesse that such was the corruption of the times that when a man brought to another euen his owne he was to be thanked Christ our Sauiour a better master teacheth vs this more fully Luk. 17.8 Luc. 17.8 9.10 When a man hath a seruant who girdeth himselfe and serueth him till he haue eaten and drunken Doth he then thanke him because he hath done the things that were commanded him I trow nay so likewise ye when ye haue done all those things that are commanded you say Wee are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that which was our duty to doe Wherefore we make a weake plea to plead our owne merits who haue nothing but by the merits of Christ But it will be obiected Obiection that we find in Scripture no mention at all of the merits of Christ I answere Answere It is true concerning the word it selfe Neuerthelesse if they will conclude any thing against the merits of Christ because the bare name in so many letters and syllables is not extant in the word of God they may as well gainsay the Trinity refuse the Sacraments deny the Catholike Church and hold the Sonne not to be consubstantiall with the Father Forasmuch as none of these are expressed there But if they meane and vnderstand the thing it selfe then we haue the merits of Christ plentifully preached vnto vs in the holy Scripture to whom the whole worke of our saluation is ascribed The Apostle teacheth Ephe. 1 14 that our redemption is a possession purchased by him that is purchased by the merit of his death And in the former Epistle to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5.6 he saith God hath not appointed vs to wrath but to obtaine saluation by our Lord Iesus Christ that is procured vnto vs by his merits So in the twentieth chapter of the Actes Paul in his exhortation to the Elders of Ephesus willeth them carefully to feed the flocke of God Act. 10.28 which hee hath purchased with his owne blood where he maketh the blood of Christ meritorious And elsewhere he saith we are iustified by his blood and reconciled to God by his Sonne and so shall be saued by his life Rom. 5.9 10. Rom. 5.9 1â— If then we challenge any thing to our selues we take so much from Christs worthinesse He was not bound in any bond vnto vs who being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to bee equall to God Wherefore our workes can challenge nothing at Gods hands for as much as whatsoeuer wee can doe is as due debt vnto him Thus the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. Rom. 8.1 Brethren we are debters not to the flesh to liue after the flesh whereby he vnderstandeth the contrary as a member opposed but we are debters to the Spirit to liue after the Spirit So then our spirituall life is called a debt which is true in many respects First How all the we can doe â— due vnto God in regard of our creation Secondly in regard of our redemption Thirdly in regard of our glorification Our spirituall life is due to God in regard of our creation because it is God that hath made vs and not we our selues we are the worke of his hands who hath created vs according to his image and therby bound vs as by a strong band to know him and worship him Hence it appeareth that Adam himselfe in his estate of innocency could haue claimed nothing of God by merit because whatsoeuer he was he was it by him whatsoeuer he had he had receiued it through his gift so that he should haue paide him with his owne which deserueth no thankes as we heard before True it is man fell away defaced and deformed this image and made himselfe liable to eternall destruction howbeit he could not thus shake off the yoke of his necke nor the fetters from his feet nor acquit himselfe of the debt and obligation when of a debter to God he made himselfe a bondslaue to the deuill A debter riotously wasting his goods and carelesly consuming the stocke and substance that he hath and thereby making himselfe a bankrout is not discharged of his debt but standeth bound to pay it as before God will not loose his right nor let go his hold and therefore albeit we are started backe from him he remaineth the same as he made vs so we remaine obliged vnto him Hence we see what is the reason why God commandeth duties of vs in his Law that neither wee nor our fathers are able to performe â—ow God reâ—ireth imâ—â—ssibilities 〈◊〉 our hands If a father should require that of his son or a master exact of his seruant that which were vnpossible to doe as to trauell an hundred thousand mile in one day or to flye vp to heauen might he not be thought to be a tyrant But the case standeth not betweene God and vs as betweene a father and his children or betweene a master and his seruants For he chargeth no more vpon vs then hee had inabled vs to doe and had giuen vs strength to performe so that if there be any impossibility to do it the fault resteth in our selues and not in God It is no cruelty in him to require so much of vs as he doth but iniquity in vs that doth disable vs. He abideth the same that he was but we abide not the same that we were so that there is no change in him but the change is in vs so that
not Calfe or any Cattell should vndergo the punishment for sinne because the soule that sinned shall die the death Ezek. 18 verse 4. and the threatning must be true that because man sinned he should die Gen. 2. Thou shalt die the death So that it was necessary eyther that all man-kinde by reason of sinne must perish euerlastingly Heb. 9 15. or else Christ the Mediator of a better testament must become a surety for vs and satisfie the wrath of God kindled and conceiued against vs for sinne If any aske the question Question if the blood of Buls Goats could not take away sinne why did God command them to be offered and to what end were they appointed I answer Answer this was not done in vaine but to good purpose For albeit they could neuer take away sinne nor purge the conscience from dead workes yet they serued fitly to shadow out the death of Christ and to assure the heart that it is washed by the blood of the Messiah This was a notable comfort to the people of God from the beginning taught them to looke for redemption through him Obiection If it bee farther said that God speaketh euery where in the Law that the blood it selfe of Buls and Beasts clenseth and purgeth sinne as Leuit. 17 11. The life of the flesh is in the blood and I haue giuen it to you vpon the Altar to make an attonement for your soules for it is the blood that maketh an attonement for the soule I answer Answer that place speaketh not properly but sacramentally as in the new Testament he calleth in the institution of his last Supper Math. 26 26. the bread his body because it is a figure of it so in this place to the outward signe he giueth the name of the thing signified and to the type he ascribeth the proper effect of the blood of Christ which onely is the blood that is able to make attonement for our sinnes Otherwise those offerings of beasts should be called in vaine Heb. 9 24 10 1. the similitudes and shadowes of good things to come As for those heretikes that dreame that those oblations did really and indeed clense away the sinnes of the fathers not by their naturall operation but by the acceptation of God and therefore were not types of Christs sacrifice washing away sinne they are euidently conuinced by the places before alledged and throughout the Epistle to the Hebrewes Obiect If any aske how these can bee figures of Christ seeing GOD witnesseth in his word that he neuer required them When hee commeth into the world he saith Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sinne thou hast had no pleasure Psal 40 7. Heb. 10 verses 5 6. If then God would haue none of them how could they be the figures and images of better things I answer Answer God may be said to allow them and yet to disallow them to reiect them and to regard them in diuers senses Hee willed them as he commandeth them and commendeth them as a sweet sauour vnto him performed in faith and as types referred to the comming of the Messiah and the time of reformation Heb. 9 10. On the other side he may be said to refuse and reiect them for these three causes First when the manner of doing is euill doing that which God requireth but doing it in a corrupt manner to wit without faith and obedience as the Prophets in euery place reprooue the sacrifices of hypocrites wicked persons as Esay 1 11 12. I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs who hath required this at your hand Your new Moones and your appointed feasts my soule hateth and the reason of this is rendered in the words following Verse 1â— Your hands are full of blood Againe God would not that they should remaine continue for euer but that though they had place in the Church for a time they should ceasse at the coming of the Messiah Therfore Christ being come into the world and manifested in the flesh God willed theÌ„ no longer but would haue them abolished And this sense doth the Apostle principally intend in this place that the shadowes must giue place when the body it selfe was come in person Lastly it may after a sort be said that God neuer willed them that is approued allowed of theÌ„ as the principall part of Gods worship and as the very price of our redemption the ransome for our sins our reconciliation vnto God albeit he would haue them obserued of his people and vsed for a time as certaine rudiments rites to bring them to Christ to confirme their faith in him Let vs shut vp this with the comparison that the Apostle expresseth Heb. 9 13 14. If the blood of Buls and of Goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the vncleane sanctifie to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience froÌ„ dead workes to serue the liuing God In these words he compareth the shadow the body the type the truth the ceremony and the substance together Doctrine Christ Iesus hath made aâ— attonement between Gâ—â— and vs by hâ—â— blood FroÌ„ hence we learne this doctrine that the blood of Christ taketh away our sins reconcileth vs to God the Father Christ Iesus hath in the performance of his Priesthood freed and deliuered vs from the guilt punishment of our sins This appeareth euidently vnto vs by considering laying before vs the end the parts and fruite of his Priesthood The end of the Leuiticall Priest-hood and of this figured by it was to offer sacrifice for the ignorances Hebr. 9 â— that is for the sins of the people The distinct parts of it are two satisfaction and intercession His satisfaction consisteth partly in suffering and partly in obedience The second part of his Priesthood standeth in intercession in that he is become our perpetuall and perfect Aduocate that therby God might be appeased for them and we reconciled vnto him The fruite thereof is this that we are deliuered redeemed ransomed iustified and freed from the guilt of sin from the burden of ceremonies from the curse of the Law from the wrath of God and from feare of condemnation This truth is taught in many places Ioh 1 29. Iohn seeing Christ coming vnto him saith Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world And the same Apostle in his first Epistle chap. 2 ver 1 2. If any sinne we haue an Aduocate Iesus Christ the righteous and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world Likewise in the Epistle to the Romanes the Apostle magnifying the mercy of God and setting out the merites of Christ he saith chap. 3 verse
24 25. We are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ whom God hath set foorth to be a propitiation thorough faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sinnes that are past thorough the forbearance of God The Apostle to the Hebrewes declareth that Christ was to offer vp himselfe once and not often as the High-Priest entreth into the high place euery yeare with blood of others For then must hee often haue suffered since the foundation of the world Heb. 9 26. but now once in the ende of the world hath be appeared to put away sinne by the sacrifice of himselfe By all which testimonies it appeareth that Christ is our Aduocate and hath wrought our peace and attonement and thereby made an end of all other sacrifices The reasons are plaine First because God Reason 1 thereby is well pleased and his wrath appeased so that hee accounteth his death as a full price and sufficient ransome paid for them So the Euangelist witnesseth that a voice came from heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Math. 3 17. And in the Epistle to the Ephesians the Apostle saieth chap. 5 verse 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweete smelling sauour It is noted in the booke of Genesis that when Noah being come out of the Arke builded an Altar and offered burnt offerings the Lord smelled a sweete sauour Gen. 8 21. which was not the smoke of the sacrifice that ascended for what sweetnesse could there be in that but it was the sweet precious sacrifice of Christ for which his wrath was appeased being shadowed by that ceremony Reason 2 Secondly Christ tooke the whole burden of our sinnes vpon his shoulders presenting himselfe before God in our person and offering vs to God in his person so that he tooke vpon him our vnrighteousnesse and imputed to vs his righteousnesse This the Prophet Esay did most cleerely prophesie off chap. 53 verses 4 12. Surely hee hath borne our greefes and carried our sorrowes and powred out his soule vnto death c. He bare the sinnes of many and made intercession for the transgressors And the Apostle teacheth that in Christ we are reconciled to God For hee hath made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5 21. And in the Epistle to the Colossians chap. 2 ver 14 15. he setteth out the fruite of Christs death that he hath forgiuen vs our trespasses hath put out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against vs he tooke it out of the way and fastened it to his Crosse hee hath spoiled principalities and powers hath made a shew of them openly and hath triumphed ouer them in the same Crosse This was notably prefigured and foreshewed in the rites of the Law For when any propitiatory sacrifice was to bee offered for the people the Priest was to present the beast before the Lord to lay his hands vpon the head of the beast and to confesse the sinnes of the people vpon it and so it bare their iniquities the truth whereof is Christ himselfe Thirdly there could otherwise bee no remission Reason 3 of sinnes so that it is the blood of Christ in the suffering of the Crosse that purgeth away our sinnes as Hebr. 9 verse 22. Almost all things in the Law are purged with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission and therefore it was necessary that Christ should purge and purifie vs by his blood The greatnesse of our sinnes could not otherwise bee pardoned nor the person that is offended satisfied they are infinite and so require a sacrifice of infinite price and value No treasures no riches no creatures no sacrifices no ceremonies could do it it cost more to saue a soule and to redeeme the captiues and prisoners that are holden by Satan in slauery to do his will Knowing that we are not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from our vain conuersation receiued by the tradition of the Fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot 1 Pet. 1 verses 18 19. Fourthly nothing but the death of Christ could quench the scorching wrath of God as Reason 4 a consuming fire kindled against vs counteruaile his seuere iustice Hence it is that the Apostle writing to the Hebrewes hauing shewed that the blood of Bulles and Goats could not possibly take away sinnes addeth immediately after When hee commeth into the world he saith Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou ordained mee Heb. 9 5. Our sinnes haue a bloody face in the sight of God and we are enemies vnto him so that the robes of the Saints must bee dipped in the blood of the Lambe Reuel 7 ver 14. All the nitre and sope and Fullers earth in the world are weake and vnsufficient and haue not power and strength enough in them to do it So that we must say with the Prophet Psal 50 7. Purge me with Hyssope and I shall bee cleane wash me and I shall bee whiter then snow Thus then we see that Moses mentioning heere the Ramme of attonement whereby an attonement is to be made for sinners teacheth vnder this type this certaine and vndoubted truth that Christ our Sauiour hath by his blood made an attonement betweene God and vs therby reconciled vs vnto his Father The vses of this doctrine are of great weight and importance First it offereth to our considerations Vse 1 this meditation what sin is how it is to be esteemed It is a most fearefull and greeuous thing the wrath of God against it is exceeding great so that nothing in heauen or in earth could satisfie for sinne but the death of Christ Iesus the Sonne must dye for the seruant or rather for the enemy for we are by nature the children of wrath as well as others The iustice of God would not spare him though he were his onely and welbeloued Sonne but forasmuch as he was to beare our sinnes in his body he must die for ir Rom. 8 32. He spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him to the death for vs all We are not therefore to be lightly carried into the practise of sinne but to be much greeued at it to striue with all our force against it and to endeuour to ouercome it and among other things this is not the least that should trouble vs that we haue by sinne brought such misery and shame vpon the Sonne of God Wee ought to lament for this and to bewaile it euery day For if we had not sinned and by sinne beene depriued of the glory of God he had not taken vpon him the shape of a seruant neither beene humbled to the death of the Crosse We doe daily cry out
out before you and the land is defiled therefore I will visite the wickednesse thereof vpon it and the land shall vomit out her inhabitants The Prophets are full in all places of the like threatnings There is a notable testimony to this purpose Ier. 5.7 8 9. where the Lord complaineth of this iniquity and of the abuse of his manifold benefits Though I fed them to the full yet they committed adultery and assembled themselues by companies in the harlots houses they rose vp in the morning like fedde horses euery man neyed after their neighbours wife shall I not visite for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be auenged on such a natiō as this We reade in the booke of Genesis that when Pharaoh at the commendation of his Courtiers had taken Abrahams wife into his house the Lord plagued him and his house with great plagues 〈◊〉 12 17. and they ceassed not vntill he had restored her againe and giuen his seruants commandement to doe him no hurt The like we might also speake of Abimelech the king of Gerar when he also sent and tooke her though he had not yet come neere her but onely purposed euill yet the Lord came to him in a dreame by night ◠20.3 and said vnto him Behold thou art but dead because of the woman which thou hast taken for she is a mans wife So then there is ordained for all adulterers and fornicators both temporall and eternall punishments These sinnes shall bring a man to beggery euen to a morsell of bread Prou. 6.26 they shall roote out his house destroy his posterity consume his flesh waste kingdomes yea shut out of Gods kingdome and bring to the condemnation of the diuell forasmuch as no vncleane thing shal enter into the heauens but all murtherers and sorcerers and idolaters and whoremongers shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Reason 1 The reasons hereof are these First the wrath of God is kindled against such In his fauour is happinesse but if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all that trust in him For this cause the Apostle saith Ephe. 5.6 Let no man deceiue you with vaine words for because of these things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience In the words going before he had shewed that no whoremonger or vncleane person hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God the reason is because such lye vnder the heauy wrath of God He is angry with them and therefore woe vnto them If the child see the father angry with him how is hee greeued what saith the Lord vnto Moses concerning the sinne of Myriam his sister Numb 12.14 If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seuen dayes And the Apostle to the Hebrewes chap. 12 9. We haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits and liue What subiect can beare the displeasure of a Prince The feare of a king saith Salomon is like the roaring of a Lyon Prou. 19.12 and 20.2 and 16.14 who so prouoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soule If the lyon hath roared who would not feare as testifieth the Prophet Seeing then the wrath of a king is as messengers of death what shall we thinke the wrath of the King of kings to be who is euen a consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 and deuoureth all as straw and stubble before him Secondly it appeareth to bee a greeuous sinne because it is worse then theft as Salomon Reason 2 maketh the comparison Prou. 6.30.32 Men doe not despise a theefe if he steale to satisfie his soule when he is hungry c. but whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh vnderstanding he that doth it destroyeth his owne soule It is an odious name to be called a theefe but it is more odious to be called an whoremaster A theefe when he hath stollen is carried to the gallowes but the adulterer deserueth it much more What an horrible offence is it to destroy a mans owne soule we pittie him that layeth violent hands vpon his owne body and killeth himselfe Who doth not account Saul and Achitophel and Iudas most infamous who perished with their owne hands but the adulterer doth a thousand times worse he destroyeth his owne soule which is a greater price then the body Thirdly adultery and vncleannesse defile Reason 3 the land not onely the persons and the houses but whole cities and countries vntill all become abominable and the land become full of sinne and therefore no marueile though it be punished of God To this purpose the Lord speaketh in the Law of Moses Leuit. 19.29 Doe not prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore lest the land fall to whoredome and the land become full of wickednesse This sinne is of an infectious nature aboue other suffer it but a little and it will quickly encrease like fire that is kindled in dry wood which suddenly taketh hold and easily passeth from one to another vntill the whole be enflamed Fourthly we must know what our calling Reason 4 is The Gentiles that knew not God and were ignorant of his law defiled themselues with these abominations and were cast out before his face for the land did spew them out as loathsome But we haue learned better things and God hath vouchsafed vs greater mercy he hath called vs to be an holy people to himselfe and redeemed vs that wee should serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues This the Apostle noteth 1 Thess 4.3 4 5 7. This is the will of God euen your sanctification that ye should abstaine from fornication that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in sanctification and honour not in the lust of concupiscence euen as the Gentiles which know not God c. for God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse but vnto holinesse To this we shall adde sundry other reasons afterward when we make vse of this doctrine Vse 1 This serueth to teach vs sundry instructions both touching our knowledge and concerning our obedience First let no man flatter himselfe in this sinne It is accounted of the greatest sort a small and sleight matter a veniall sinne a tricke of youth Such scoffers as these it seemeth were in the Apostles times but now they are more common as the sin is more commonly practised and aboundeth euery where This doth the Apostle declare 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God be not deceiued neither fornicators nor adulterers nor the effeminate shall inherit the kingdome of God It is a fire that shall deuour to destruction and bring strange punishments vpon the workers of such iniquities The first reproofe Iob 31.3.12 This serueth to reprooue diuers sorts of men
Againe Verse 5. they musâ— suffer no razor to come vpon their heads but must let the locks of their haire to grow vntil the dayes be fulfilled in the which he separateth himselfe vnto the Lord besides they must not defile themselues by any dead body nor lament for any of the dead but if any did come neere them or touch them all was frustrate and made voyde the dayes of their separation and abstinence were to beginne againe and they stood in the state wherein they were before they entred into this holy vow The second degree of their sanctification was at the end of the dayes of their vow then they must be brought to the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and offer their offering vnto the Lord c. Vse 1 This is the vow and these are the Rites belonging vnto it now let vs obserue the vses remaining for vs. For albeit these ceremonies be all abrogated and seeme nothing at all to touch vs and nothing at all to teach vs as things that when they were in their prime and greatest force belonged to the Iewes yet wee shall find great benefit to arise from hence to the whole Church And first concerning the sanctification of these Nazarites professing holinesse aboue others and in this course of a vowed kind of retyrednesse going before others it was a liuely figure of Christ signifying to them and to vs to the whole Church the wonderfull purity of Christ who was fully and perfectly separate from sinners For he was the Lambe without blemish or else hee could not be a sacrifice for sinne Obiect Leuit. 1.3 10 But was Christ such a Nazarite as these were heere spoken off and did he literally obserue these parts and ceremonies expressed in this vow I answere Answer no hee obserued no part of this vow The Nazarites abstained from wine the fruite of the vine the blood of the grape but Christ himselfe in his owne person did not so he dranke of the fruit of the vine and liued after the ordinary manner of other men and therefore after he had deliuered his last Supper Matth. 26.29 he saith I say vnto you I wil not drinke henceforth of the fruite of the vine vntill that day when I drinke it new with you in my Fathers kingdome And albeit he were falsely called a wine-bibber Matth. 11.19 as he was also slandered to be a Samaritan and to haue a deuill yet it sheweth thus much that he abstained not altogether from wine yea hee appointed others to drinke of it euen his disciples all other Christians at his holy Supper so often as they drinke of the cup of the Lord. The Nazarites had no razor come vpon their heads during the dayes of their solemne vow but whether Christ nourished his haire we haue nothing either one way or other that we can gather and conclude for certainty yet if we consider the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.14 and marke the common custom of the rest of the Iewes which may be vnderstood out of this place it is not probable or likely that Christ did euer nourish and neuer cut his haire And lastly the Nazarites were not to come neer the dead nor to mourn for them but the Euangelists yeeld vs plentifull testimonies both that he came neere vnto them Obiect But some will say that he is called in Scripture a Nazarene or as some translate it a Nazarite Matth â—â—â— It was fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarene I answer Answer we must distinguish betweene a Nazarite and a Nazarene For Christ is so called because he was a branch springing and flourishing from Nazareth as the place of his conception and education of which the Prophets speake in many of their writings and namely Zachariah Zach. 6 1â— Thus speaketh the Lord of hostes saying Behold the man whose name is Branch and he shall grow out of his place and hee shall build the Temple of the Lord. So then the Euangelist hath not respect or reference to these voluntary and vowed Nazarites of the old Testament neither doth he point out any certaine place out of some one of the Prophets but alludeth to such places where Christ is called that holy Branch which God promised he would raise vp to Dauid Howbeit he is indeed a true Nazarite or rather the truth of the Nazarites separate from all the corruptions that attend vpon the rest of the sons of men free from the common defilements of the world and that holy One which is called the Sonne of God Luke 1.35 To this purpose the holy Apostle speaketh Such an hie Priest became vs who was holy Heb 7.26 harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heauens who needed not daily as those high Priests to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for the peoples For this cause he was conceiued by the holy Ghost in the wombe of the Virgin that hee might bee a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people Heb. 2 17. If any sinne had beene found in him his death could not be meritorious for vs he should haue wanted a Sauiour himselfe for himselfe So then hee became a pure offering and an holy sacrifice that our sinnes might be washed away and Gods wrath appeased toward vs. This is a great comfort for vs to consider the excellency of his sacrifice being without all blame or blemish without all fault or imperfection for he was miraculously conceiued partly to fulfill the prophesies of the Prophets Esay 7.14 and partly because the generation of mankind is wholly corrupted therfore in the birth of Christ it was most requisite that the vnspeakeable worke of the Spirit should come in that so hee might not bee tainted with the common and generall infection of originall sinne but might be endued with most perfect purity and innocency and so be fully able to couer our impurity and impiety Ephe. 5.26.27 and withall as by a certaine pleadge assure vs that in the end al our sins and imperfections shall be done away In him is that fulfilled therefore which is spoken in the Lamentations that he was whiter then the milke and purer then the snow and it agreeth more fitly and truly vnto him then vnto these Nazarites Secondly this teacheth that such as were Vse 2 speciall ornaments of the Church and haue receiued a more eminent office and calling then others should also labor to shine before others in holinesse of life according to the measure of grace which they haue receiued as Rom. 16.7 Salute Andronicus and Iunia my kinsemen and fellow prisoners who are of note among the Apostles These thus aduanced of God are in the eyes of the world as a City set vpon an hill a little blemish is soone seene in their face a smal staine appeareth in their coat and therefore Satan laboureth
good end we may boldly pronounce that mā and not God is the author of them Obserue therefore from this type that Christ Iesus is our Passeouer that was sacrificed Vse 1 for vs. Iohn the Baptist pointeth him out with the finger and expresseth the meaning of this figure saying Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world Iohn 1 29 36. And afterward in the history of the passion it is shewed that the souldiers which brake the legges of the theeues which were crucified with him brake not his legges that the Scripture might be fulfilled A bone of him shall not be broken Iohn 19 36. These words are spoken in the law of the Paschall Lambe thus doth Iohn apply the type to the truth it selfe and thereby maketh the Paschall Lamb a figure of Christ the onely person put apart by God the Father to be the ransome of the world who hath by his obedience the merit of his passion taken away from all that beleeue in his Nnme both among the Iewes and Gentiles their sinnes of all sorts satisfying the seuere iustice of God to their endlesse comfort and saluation Hence it is that the Prophets and Apostles say He was brought as a Lambe to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumbe so he opened not his mouth Esay 53 5. Gal. 2 20. 1 Pet. 1 19. Reuel 5 9. Acts 8 32. There is no other way that could releeue vs and redeeme vs all the most precious things in the world were too base and all creatures in heauen and earth too weake to worke this wonderfull worke Esay 59 16. Heb. 2 14. and 10 14. How many waies Christ Iesus taketh away our sins Now we must vnderstand that he remoueth our sinnes foure waies by ablation by imputation by expiation and by mortification First he taketh thē away from vs by remouing the guilt and the punishment from vs againe as our surety he put them vpon himselfe And thus by imputation our sinnes became his and his righteousnesse is made ours because he that knew no sinne was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2. Cor. 5 21. He bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree that we should liue vnto righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2 24. Furthermore he hath taken away sins when he remooued them out of the sight of God by expiation and propitiation 1 Iohn 2 2 3. Esay 38 17. Mich. 7 19. Lastly he remoueth them away in this life by mortification and in death by perfect sanctification These things being duely considered nothing should reioyce a man more then the remembrance of Christs death whereby the bondage of all misery and the misery of al bondage is taken from vs Acts 2 26. This made the Apostle say God forbid that I should glory saue in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6 ver 14. He felt in his soule the wrath of God the terrors of death and the torments of hell for vs Esay 53 10 11 12. Iohn 12 27. Math. 26 38. which made him cry out that he was forsaken Math 27 46. This was figured out by the rosting of the Lambe with fire for the wrath of God due to vs and our sinnes was kindled as a furnace made seuen times hotter then it was wont to be made and he was cast into the burning fiery furnace He trode the winepresse alone and of the people there was none with him Esay 63 verse 3. In him we haue the remedy for all euils and can haue saluation from none other Acts 4 12. and therefore we must all come vnto him Whosoeuer is sicke I speake of spiritual sicknesse let him make haste to Christ for he is the Physition of our soules Math. 9 verse 12. He that is hungry let him go to him for he is the bread that came downe from heauen Ioh. 6 verse 33. He that is dry through heate and thirsty let him make haste and runne with speed vnto him for hee is a well of water springing vp to eternall life Iohn 4 verse 14. He that is couered with the darke mistes of ignorance let him seeke to him for he is the true light which lighteth euery man that cōmeth into the world Iohn 1 verse 9. If we be pressed downe with our vnrighteousnesse and our sinnes he is our righteousnesse and sanctification 1 Corin. 1 verse 30. If we be in bondage he is our redemption if we finde our owne folly and simplicity toward all good things he is our wisedome If we feare death he is our life if we desire to ascend vp to heauen he is the way if we would be deliuered from error he is the truth Iohn 14 ver 6. If we would come vnto the Father he is the doore no man can come vnto him but by him This should moue all impenitent persons to turne from sinne vnto righteousnesse and from the kingdome of Satan vnto God and this will moue vs if any thing in the world will Euery man is by nature the seruant of sinne bondslaue of Satan Christ Iesus to heale vs of this plague-sore when no other physicke could cure vs made a plaister of his owne blood the paine which he tooke in the making of it caused him to sweate droppes of water and blood and cost him his life then wo be to vs if we lay not this precious plaister to our harts which will draw away the corruption of thē and worke a speedy and certaine cure forasmuch as by continuing in sinne we frustrate the death of Christ and as much as lyeth in vs crucifie the Sonne of God afresh vnto our selues and put him to an open shame Hebr. 6 6. For our sinnes are the nailes that nailed to the Crosse his hands and his feete and as the speare that thrust him to the heart When the Israelites did eate the Passeouer in Egypt and sprinkled the blood of the Lambe vpon the postes of their doores the Angel sent to destroy passed ouer their houses and destroyed them not but the Egyptians whose doore-postes were not sprinkled were destroyed by the destroyer So if we feede on Christ by a liuely faith and sprinkle the doores of our harts with his blood the iudgements of God in this life and the terrible curse of death with the fearefull sentence of condemnation and al punishments rightly due to our sinnes shall passe ouer vs and shall not come neere to vs so much as to touch vs. But contrariwise if we lay not hold on Christ all these curses shall come vpō vs ouertake vs. For as it was not enough for the Israelites to kill the Lambe but they must sprinkle the blood thereof vpon the postes of their owne doores not of other men so must we by a liuely faith apply his merits And as the blood of the Lambe did figure out the blood of Christ so the sprinkling of it vpon the doore postes representeth the sprinkling of it
such only as haue the couenant or testament belonging vnto them but open offenders haue nothing to do with them It will be said Iudas was admitted by Christ Obiect and therefore wicked persons may be so I answer Answ Iudas was not known to be a wicked person no more then he was knowne to be a reprobate He was a theefe but not knowne to be a theefe but they must be knowne wicked persons that are to be exempted and excluded Againe it may appeare that Iudas was not at the Supper Iohn 13 30. So soone as he had receiued the soppe he went out immediately but the soppe was in the Passeouer so that he was at the Passeouer not at the Supper Vse 1 The vses follow First there ought not to be a generall admission of al that offer to come to the Sacraments without difference and distinction A Turke or Iew if they would desire baptisme may not be receiued before they make open confession of the faith When the Eunuch desired baptisme and said See heere is water what doth hinder me to be baptized Philip answered If thou beleeuest thou maiest Acts 8 36 37. Such onely are allowed to haue the benefit of the Sacraments and to be admitted vnto them that are of the number of beleeuers None were to be baptized but such as were within the Couenant 1 Cor. 7 14. and in that respect are called holy None are meete guests to be at the Lords Table but such as know beleeue and practise the doctrine which is according to godlinesse as no vncircumcised person and vnbeleeuer was receiued to the Passeouer Thus then we see who haue right to the Sacraments and who haue not Vse 2 Secondly this giueth direction and instruction to the Ministers not to keep backe whoÌ„ they please or to barre from the communion any vpoÌ„ spleene or priuate grudge or reuenge but must take heed they do not mingle their priuate affections with the publike exercises of religion It reproueth therfore all such iustly as turne away those that desire to communicate through hatred enuy and malice to their persons because they haue some way offended them whether it be in deed or in conceit They haue power and authority onely to exclude publike offenders and scandalous liuers as for others they haue no iurisdiction to deny them or barre them the Communion The Disciples reprooued those that brought little children to Christ but they are reproued themselues for Christ was much displeased with them and would not haue them forbidden Mark 10 14. So ought we to suffer the people to come vnto Christ yea to exhort them and stirre them vp and encourage them not discourage them nor forbid them nor hinder them that would come If there were a publike well for all to draw water out of it what inhumaâ—ity and cruelty were it to keep backe any from drawing out of it These are like to the Philistims that stopped the welles and filled them with earth Gen. 26 15. which Abrahams seruants had digged that none could haue benefit of them Gen. 26 15. When Moses was fled out of Egypt and came into the Land of Madian and that he saw the froward Shepheards driue away the daughters of Reuel froÌ„ the well that they could not water their fathers sheepe he stood vp and helped them and watered their flocke Exod. 2 17. If we be the Shepheards of the Lords flocke we must not be like to these Shepheards that would not suffer the sheepe to be watered we must be rather like to Moses to help them It is a signe of much enuy and little piety to hinder those that are willing to come These are worse theÌ„ the woman of Samaria and haue lesse mercy pitty compassion then she had Iohn 4.9 for though she refused to giue drinke to Christ because he was a Iew and the Iewes had no dealing with the Samaritans yet she neuer assayed to keepe him from the well as these do many of their brethren more indeed to their owne reproch then to the shame of those whom they turne away this ought not so to be Thirdly to exercise any part of Gods worship Vse 3 prophanely to heare the word vnreuerently and to come to the Table of the Lord vnworthily deserueth a great and greeuous plague 1 Cor. 11 30. For this cause many were weake and sicke and striken with death among the Corinthians Woe therefore to those that are prophane and prophane the holy things of God This is a most fearefull sin they conspire against God and commit high treason against his Maiesty and therfore God will arme himselfe against them and pursue them as his enemies with fire and sword that is with his wrath vengeance at their heels The wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon who so prouoketh him to anger sinneth against his owne soule Prou. 19 12 and 20 2. His anger conceiued is present death 1 Sam. 22 18. Ester 7 9. Mat. 2 16 and 14 10. What shall we say then of God who is a consuming fire Heb. 12 29. If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Psal 2 12. We haue no defence for our selues but to say Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Ps 143 2. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God whither shall we flye to be able to escape his hand but that he will finde vs out His displeasure is like himselfe that is infinite and cannot be expressed Lastly we learne that such as come to the Vse 4 Table of the Lord should seriously proue and throughly prepare theÌ„selues to this so weighty and religious worke It standeth vs therefore vpon to know wherein this triall and examination standeth especially considering that many do much deceiue themselues therin Some place it in outward things as if they fast before they come if they hang downe their heads like bulrushes if they prepare the body and outward man touching their apparell and for the present time shew humility and abstinence although presently after they returne againe to their former conditions and vices as to their vomit making only an intermission of them for a short space but assuming them againe with no small aduantage But this is a vaine thing For our sinnes must be left quite and cleane so as we neuer returne to them againe It is an easie matter to conceiue in our selues that we haue faith But if it be a true holy faith it purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 worketh by loue Gal. 5.6 First therefore euery one must labour to be a repentant sinner which consisteth in vnfained sorrow for sinne purposing neuer to fall into it againe an ardent loue toward that which is good We must confesse our sinnes of omission and commission of ignorance and knowledge of weaknes and presumption how we haue prouoked our good God to anger
to saluation Moreouer the Apostle speaking of one Mediatour and naming Christ to be that one 1 Tim. 2 5. speaketh in that place of prayer and therefore euen in praier he will haue vs to acknowledge no Mediatour of intercession but Christ Iesus onely A Mediatour of intercession as it is defined by Austine Aug. contra epist â—arm lib. 2 cap. 8. cannot agree to any sauing to Christ for he teacheth that it is commanded that euery Christian shold pray for others but he who requests for all and for whom none requesteth is the one and true Mediatour Againe they obiect Obiect that the Saints pray for vs and therefore we may pray to them Answ I answer this will not follow What the praiers of the Saints departed are Againe they pray for the perfecting of the body of Christ desire the full gathering together of the Saints they long for the resurrection restitution of their bodies which lye in the dust they wish to see the auengement of the blood of the holy martyrs shed for the testimony of the truth and craue to behold the last comming of Christ to iudgment to restore all things howbeit they know not the particular troubles of Gods children neither vnderstand the inward wrastlings and bucklings with sin and Satan which the conscience sustaineth no more then Eli knew the trouble of heart that Hannah had though she praied in his presence Wherefore let vs content our selues with the onely and all-sufficient mediation of Christ remembring the saying of the Apostle Iohn We haue an aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes 1 Ioh. 2 1 2. And seeing he calleth vs vnto himselfe let vs not refuse to goe to him When he saith Come to me Mat. 11 28. shall we say nay we wil go to some other When Mary called her sister secretly saying The master is come and calleth for thee as soone as she heard that she arose quickly and came vnto him So it ought to be with vs Our master Christ calleth vs why doe we run from him why do we not run to him why do we run to any other Let vs not refuse to come to him who gaue his life for vs that we might liue in him Shall we then depart from him that calleth vs to them that call vs not that know vs not that heare vs not that help vs not that saue vs not Secondly this condemneth the ignorant Vse 2 multitude which through palpable and horrible ignorance rush into the presence of God without any Mediator knowing neither God nor themselues They dream that God is mercifull neuer consider what he is in his owne nature to wit a God of perfection a most iust Iudge and we can neuer reconcile his mercy and iustice but by looking vpon him in the face and countenance of Christ Iesus in whom only he is wel pleased Mat. 3 17. We can receiue nothing at his hands except we come to him in his Son For as he is perfect so he accepteth of nothing that is vnperfect But we can offer nothing to God but that which is tainted and defiled with sin and if God looke vpon vs our wants out of his Sonne wee are no better then the children of wrath he findeth matter enough in vs to reiect our workes and to condemne our persons We haue our praiers heard no other way but in the Name of Christ We are no otherwise accepted but in his beloued Iohn 15 6. Eph. 1 6. Acts 4 12. Heb. 2 14 â— Math. 1â— 1 to wit in Christ He is the onely Sauiour of the Church he saueth his people from death and him that hath the power of death that is the diuell He saueth vs from our sins guilt and punishment For sin is the power sting of death an vgly serpent Christ only hath quelled him he hath merited our saluation by his death and passion none else hath done it none else could do it The Saints glorified and all the company of the elect Angels in heauen were too weak and vnworthy to accomplish this work The Papists as we haue shewed make him but half a Sauiour ioyning others with him in the worke of saluation For they teach that with Christs merites we must ioyne the workes of grace in the matter of iustificatioÌ„ that with Christs satisfaction of the wrath of God we must ioyne our satisfaction by temporall punishment But we haue shewed before that he will bee a sole Sauiour or else no Sauiour at all Thirdly it behoueth vs in remembrance of Vse 3 this excellent benefite of Christs attonement to be thankfull to God This is the main cause of al thankfulnes The most common blessings which we receiue must at all times moue vs to be thankfull as meat drinke health wealth liberty peace prosperity and the like but this should as it were swallow vp all the remembrance of all the rest and the zeale thereof coÌ„sume vs Ps 116 12 â— What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefites toward me I will take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord. What deadnesse of hart then remaineth in many meÌ„ that neuer remember this great worke thereby to be prouoked to obedience and newnesse of life that so we may return our loue to God againe who loued vs first Lastly we must acknowledge what we are Vse 4 in our selues to wit vtterly lost the enemies of God the children of wrath the bondslaues of Satan and the heires of condemnation This we must confesse froÌ„ the bottome of our hearts haue a liuely feeling thereof before we can receiue him as our Peace-maker and Sauiour Math. 18 11. and 15 14. Luke 4 18 and 19 10. We must say with Daniel Shame and confusion of faces belongeth vnto vs chap. 9 8. What was due to the people in this place and what might they haue looked for if Aaron had not made an attonement but present death So is it with vs we are borne dead in sinnes and trespasses can looke for nothing but wrath and iudgement and fiery indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries Hebr. 10 27. if Christ do not make peace between God and vs. Let vs therefore looke for saluation from him as men hearing of cunning Physitions to cure diseases do seeke and send to theÌ„ farre and neere Math. 9 20 21. Iohn chap. 7 verse 37. CHAP. XVII 1. AND the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 2. Speake vnto the children of Israel and take of euery one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers of all their Princes according to the house of their fathers twelue rods write thou euery mans name vpon his rod. 3. And thou shalt write Aarons name vpon the rod of Leui for one rod shall bee for the head of the house of their fathers WEe haue seene in the former chapter how the people enuied Moses in the Camp and
waies First by his merit because his death is the propitiation for our sins whereby the wrath of God is appeased and we are absolued Rom. 3 24 25. and 5 8. Eph. 1 6 7. 1 Tim. 2 6. He paid a great price for vs and thereby hath reconciled vs vnto his Father The other cleansing is made by sanctification of the Spirit regenerating our nature and mortifying sinne in our flesh by the power of his death and resurrection Rom. 6 6 7 8. 1 Iohn 1 7. Heb. 1 3. The heathen had their continuall purgations from offences by sacrifices and they had likewise their sprinklings washings with pure water but all these were impure and vnprofitable vnto them because they wanted the inward truth which was the life of them Hence it is that the Poet saith Ter pura socios circumluit vnda â— Aeneid Spargens rore leui et ramo foelicis oliuae Lustrauitaque viros And againe in another place â— Aeneid Donec me flumine viuo Abluero That is they washed themselues and sprinkled themselues and others with pure waters therby thought themselues cleansed But these actions were meere nullities like Pilates taking water and washing of his hands before them all saying I am innocent of the blood of this iust person see ye to it Mat. 27 24. but the blood of Christ did cleaue neerer vnto him then all the water in the sea could wash away or like the circumcision of the Edomites and other Nations they had the outward action but they wanted the inward signification In like manner the Papists haue their holy-water wherewith they sprinkle such as enter into their Churches and defend their practise from this place But this is as much as to abolish Iesus Christ and to bring vs backe againe to Moses it is no better then when we haue the pure fountaine to seeke the myery puddles of our owne inuentions and to digge to our selues cesternes that will hold no water For the Apostle maketh the Iewish purifyings to be a ceremoniall rudiment Heb. 9.19 where he ioyneth the blood of calues and goates with water and scarket wool and hyssope together wherewith the booke and the people were sprinkled Now if they will retaine this hallowed water ground it likewise from the wordes of Moses they must make it also of the same matter that this was made off to wit of the ashes of a red heifer and that heifer must be first burned and also vse the other actions and rites heere named and remembred But as they haue no commandement to make it so they haue no promise annexed vnto it To leaue them and to come vnto our selues though wee haue iustly abrogated the outward sprinkling with this holy water yet wee haue the true water and the true sprinkling First therefore we learne hereby that wee are by nature vncleane and impure from the which we cannot be freed by the strength of our nature but by the blood of Christ represented vnto vs in baptisme by which wee are washed This is no vaine figure but hath his force from the ordinance of God Rom. 6.3 Gal. 3.27 Againe this teacheth vs that wee ought to come vnto God into his presence with all purity and holinesse therefore it is said that God heareth not sinners such as haue sinne reigning in them but if any bee a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Ioh. 9.31 and we must lift vp pure hands 1 Tim. 2.8 Psal 26.6 and 134.2 The Prophet reproueth the Iewes that brought many oblations and offered vp many prayers but they were all reiected because their hands were full of blood Esay 1. And the Lord foreshewing the state of the Church in the time of the Gospel declareth that a pure offering should be offered vnto him Mal 1.11 Lastly we are all put in mind from hence to labour after true sanctification and holinesse of life that we may be cleane within and without We must not vainely boast of any inward purity when none appeareth outwardly for if wee cleanse that first which is within the outside will be cleane also neither should wee foolishly glory of that which is outward when there is none at all within for that is meere hypocrisie and dissimulation This also doeth the sprinkling of the water of separation signifie vnto vs as also in that they which medled with the burning of this red heifer were vncleane vntill the euen and must wash their garments before they come into the congregation verse 7.2 The Apostle setteth downe the trueth heereof 2. Corinthians Chap. 7. verse 1.2 Let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God So that sinne is an vncleane thing like the dung of this heiffer which is commanded to be burned and consumed verse 5. and it maketh vs vncleane and loathsome vnto God Iames 1 21. Rom. 6 19. Reuel 3 18 and 22 11. We see therefore heereby what to iudge of those that liue and delight in their sinnes namely that they are as filthy and polluted persons euen as a man that hath a running sore or issue about him though he be neuer so richly apparelled and haue all the sweet sauours that may bee yet he still remaineth a polluted person so is it with a man that abideth in sinne though he abound neuer so much in riches and pleasures though he bee clad in purple and fare deliciously euery day yet he is filthy odious and abhominable in the sight of God of which we haue spoken before in the 5. chapter Againe this teacheth euery man to be carefull to auoid sinne as a leprosie because it is so foule and filthy and that which will pollute him if he suffer it to continue with him To conclude let euery one bee willing to suffer the word of exhortation and be content to vndergo a reproofe for his sinnes that it may be a sanctified meanes to bring him to be clensed from his filthinesse and so be made a fit vessell to be receiued of the Lord into euerlasting happinesse in his kingdome CHAP. XX. IN the former part of this Booke Moses hath set downe many murmurings of the Israelites against God and against Moses and Aaron the seruants of God through wearinesse of their iourneyes through loathing of Manna thorough the emulation of Miriam through the report of the Spies through the enuy of the Leuites through the indignation and discontentment of the people for Gods iudgements against the rebellious whereby it came to passe notwithstanding they were compassed about with manifold mercies of God as with a wall that they waxed impatient and fretting against God vnthankfull and forgetfull of his former benefits distrustfull disdaining the present blessings they enioyed His right hand had deliuered them out of Egypt his out-stretched arme had diuided the waters of the red Sea and set them on an heap the Cloud had shadowed them the Pillar of fire had conducted them the
thy presence is a burden vnto me aske thy reward and wages of thy worke of that God whom thou hast obeyed or of that people whom thou hast blessed to whom thou seemest rather beholden then vnto mee and who I am sure are more indebted to thee for thy paines then I am This is a most shamefull blasphemy of a wretched man whose breath is in his nostrils against the eternall God that made heauen and earth who suffereth with patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction The answer of Balaam followeth to be coÌ„sidered The answer of Balaam who is brought in by Moses excusing himselfe and giuing wicked counsell to Balak to bring the people of God to ruine and destruction The Apology and defence that he maketh for himselfe is this that hee certified the messengers sent vnto him and declared to Balak himselfe that he was not at his owne choise and liberty to speake what the King wished and what himselfe desired but was as it were chained and restrained by the mighty hand of God that he could vtter nothing but what he inspired Thus the false Prophet seeketh to pacifie and appease the angry minde of the King and the hyreling laboureth to recouer his wages that was denyed him as if he should say Lay the fault where it is and not where it is not I haue striuen what I can to do that which thou requirest but the God of the Hebrewes hath hindered thy request and my desire Secondly hee promiseth that being now discharged and ready to returne home hee would giue such counsell which should work out the finall confusion of this people if it were wisely and warily followed For when he seeth he cannot curse them he giueth counsell how to hurt them as if hee should haue saide to Balak I see to my griefe thou perceiuest to thy cost that sorcery will not preuaile and serue the turne yet do not despaire but hold on thy purpose try a new conclusion another way I haue another plot in mine head follow my direction and doubt not but thou shalt bring thy matters to a good passe and destroy that people as they hereafter shall destroy thy people But what this counsell was is concealed and not expressed in this place which was not such as the Prophets of God aduised and perswaded to the people of God but diuellish counsell proceeding from that spirit by which he was guided to open a gap to bring vpon them all mischiefe and misery and to pull downe the wall of Gods protection whereby they were fenced and defended and to let in their enemies vpon theÌ„ God being become an vtter enemy vnto them For by the successe and euent in the chapter following it appeareth what this crafty counsell was Numb 25 3. by the peoples falling in fancy and fellowship with the Moabitish women wherby they were drawne into spirituall and bodily fornication And afterward in the one thirtieth chapter of this booke verse 16 Moses speaking of the Midianitish women saieth These caused the children of Israel through the counsell of Balaam to commit a trespasse against the Lord as concerning Peor and there came a plague vpon the Congregation of the Lord. So the Apostle Iohn speaketh writing to the Church at Pergamus I haue a few things against thee because there thou hast them that maintaine the doctrine of Balaam c. Reu. 2 14. Hereby then we see that when Balaam had sundry wayes assayed and attempted to curse the people of Isâ—ael and yet his purpose fayled him because God crossed his deuices hee told Balak that the last refuge and onely way to preuaile against them was to draw them to sin against their God and so to make a breach betweene him and his people Now according as hee counselled him and gaue him instructions so Balak confederate with the Midianites sent forth the most beautiful women in their kingdomes into the Campe of Israel to entice them to the worship of their Idols to banquet with them at their Idoll-feasts whereby â—hey drew them to Idolatry and fornication sinning against God and kindling his wrath against them But of this we shall speake further in the chapter following Verse 10. Then Balak was very angry with Balaam and smote his hands together and saide I sent for thee to curse mine enemies c. See heere the euent of all the conspiracy against the Israelites they had conceiued mischiefe Psal 7 14 15 bring forth a lye They that trauaile with wickednesse trauaile with the winde and the end is not answerable to the beginning They vanish away in their owne imagination whilst Israel standeth as a defenced City From hence we learne that things practised inconsiderately not with good aduice Doctrine Thing vnlawfully atteÌ„pted haue euill ends and attempted vnlawfully with a wicked purpose haue other euents then men thinke of Whatsoeuer wee goe about with a wicked minde hath an euill end in the iust iudgment of God We cannot expect that any euil action should haue a good end Indeed God doth many times suffer euill men causeth them to multiply The causes why wicked men do multiply because our sinnes deserue so many chastisements and scourges as there are wicked men in the world Againe it is requisite that we should all our life long be kept in a continuall exercise of faith prayer patience and repentance Iudg. 2 22. and that they might be as pricks and thornes in our sides Lastly the Lord by suffering the wicked to prosper and proceed doth greatly aduance his owne glory whiles he reigneth in the midst of his enemies Exod. 9 15 16 and preserueth his Church in despite of Satan and his wicked members which daily seeke the ouerthrow thereof Is it not strange that an hundred Sheepe should liue among a thousand wolues not be deuoured It is no lesse wonderfull and to bee maruelled at that any of Gods people should liue vpon the face of the earth being compassed about with an army of wicked men the very limbes of the diuell that open their mouths to swallow them vp and hate them with an vnfained hatred vnto the death Notwithstanding the Lord thus beareth and forbeareth yet in the end hee will cut off the wicked and all euill shall haue an euill end We see this in Pharaoh calling for his Sorcerers they withstood Moses and resisted the truth they turned water into blood and rods into Serpents yet in the end all their cunning was stained and they confessed it was the Finger of God Exod. 7 11. 8 19. Consider the example of those that would builde them a Citty and a Tower to get them a name lest they should bee scattered vpon the whole earth Genesis ch 11. verse 4 the Lord came downe to see the Citty which the sonnes of men builded and there confounded theyr Language that euery one perceyued not anothers speech The Apostle Peter maketh a long rehearsall in his second
body when Nature hath any euill and vnprofitable humours that oppresse the stomack it is forced to cast them out for the preseruation of the health of other parts so should it be with vs when we perceiue the family greatly endangered by obstinate and obdurate persons Leuit. 18 25. it should vomite them out as raw and vndigested humours by timely eiection left the whole head waxe heauy and the whole body sickly and so the vital parts languish Lastly seeing it is dangerous for vs to haue Vse 4 fellowship with the wicked let vs auoid their company and flye their society as from an infectious and contagious disease This is that vse which the Scripture maketh in sundry places The Prophet Ieremy teacheth this ch 51 9. We would haue cured Babel but shee could not be healed forsake her and let vs goe euery one into his Countrey for her iudgement is come vp vnto heauen and is lifted vp to the Clouds Hereunto accordeth the exhortation of the Apostle when he had shewed that there is no concord and agreement betweene Christ and Belial he addeth Wherefore come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord and touch none vncleane thing and I will receiue you and I will be a Father vnto you and ye shall be my soâ—nes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6 17. We must all know that sinne is of an infectious nature no disease so infectious no sicknesse so dangerous In the time of plague and pestilence the Physitians giue these rules and receits as directions to be followed of such as would be free from danger First that men flye with al speed secondly that they flye farre enough lastly 1. Citâ— longe â—arde that they returne slowly When the ayre is once infected dangerously no remedy can be deuised to secure vs. These rules are to be applyed of vs as carefully in regard of the welfare of the soule as we are willing to practise them in regard of the health of the body The plague that breaketh out into a sore and runneth full of corruption is no more contagious and venemous then the wicked are neyther doth it more annoy the ayre then the wicked infect those places wherein they are and those persons with whom they liue This the Prophet Dauid did see and confesse which caused him at sundry times to complaine Away from me yee wicked for I will keepe the Commandements of my God Psal 119 115. For we must consider how hard it is to auoyd sinne when occasion is at hand and opportunity tempteth to sinne It is easier for the bird to passe by the net then to breake the net so it is easier for a man to auoyde tentations then to ouercome tentations It is a great deale easier to auoyde their company then to stand vpright in their company Peter thought himselfe a strong man and auouched with great boldnes that he would rather dye then deny his Master Mat. 26 35 but yet warming himselfe at Caiphas fire and thrusting himselfe into euil company was ouercome by a silly damosell to doe that which hee neuer thought euen to renounce and forsweare his Lord and Master He had made a notable confession of his faith hee had acknowledged Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God Mat. 16 16 and that he had the words of eternall life Iohn 6 68 yet the company of euill persons foyled him Are we better then he or are we stronger then he or haue wee a greater priuiledge from falling then he This serueth to checke the folly and rashnesse of those that haunt wicked company and drunken ale-houses and yet say we are in no danger we will looke to our wayes that we offend not we can leaue such places wheÌ„ we list This is to check the word to giue Gods Spirit the lye who in euery place warneth vs of our weaknesse This presumption is the certaine fore-runner of a fall The first step that bringeth vs downe is to be puffed vp in the opinion of our owne strength as Salomon saith Prou. 16 18. Pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall Likewise the Apostle putteth vs in remembrance heereof where remembring the manifold downefals of the people of Israel consumed by the pestilence stung by the serpents and destroyed by the Angel he maketh this vse Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10 12. It is a part of the armour wherewith the seruants of God are armed made able to stand in time of tentation to feare themselues and to acknowledge their owne weaknesse for thereby they are made more wary and circumspect to looke to their wayes that they offend not So it is the beginning of our ruine the first degree by which we fall to thrust our selues into places of danger and yet thinke we haue a sure footing For what calling haue we to goe into such places Or what warrant can we haue to be protected of God while wee wander out of our calling So long as wee walke in the wayes that God hath set vs in we haue a promise of his protection and wee haue comfort in the doing of our duties but when we passe the boundes and limits of our particular vocations we haue God no longer to be our defender but we lye open as a prey to the enemy to wound vs to death and to worke our confusion Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel We haue seene before the sin of the people now let vs heare also the punishment Their sinne was pleasant in the beginning but it was bitter in the ending verifying the saying of the wise man Prou. 16 25. There is a way that seemeth right vnto a man but the yssues thereof are the wayes of death Hence it is that Moses sheweth in this place how the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel so soone as they fell into fornication So then furnicators and adulterers are heere remembred to be great sinners and very hurtfull and noysome vnto the people of God From hence we learne that adulterers and vncleane persons Doctrine Fornication calleth doâ— great plaguâ— iudgmenâ— draw vpon themselues and others fearefull iudgements of God I say no sinne is more strong and auayleable to call downe the plagues and punishments of almighty God vpon a people and company or vpon particular persons then fornication and vncleannesse This was the chiefe sin among others that brought the flood vpon the whol earth and destroyed all mankinde Gen. 6 1. What was it that caused the Lord to raine downe fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Gomorrhâ— Gen. 19 25. and to ouerthrow the Cities of the Plaine and the inhabitants therof and all that grew vpon the earth but their filthy and vnnaturall lust which was growne so outragious that the sauour thereof ascended vp to heauen and the cry of their sinnes pierced the eares of God When Abimelech did in
gift he hath receiued Rom. 12 3. Peter when he saw the high Priests seruants to lay hands on Christ drew the sword and cut off the eare of one of the messengers but he is reproued by his Master and commanded to put vp the sword againe into his place Because all being priuate persons without a calling that take the sword Math. 26 51 shall perish with the sword Whosoeuer hath receyued a speciall calling God giueth an assurance of it to his owne heart and leaueth no scruple or doubt in him of his calling so that to aske the question of others whether a man may haue such a calling or not is an euident argument that hee hath not receiued any such calling For albeit we cannot iudge of the callings of others yet may we of our owne know that which no man knoweth beside our selues The Disciples thought amisse of Peter the Apostle for going to Cornelius For when he was come vp to Ierusalem they of the circumcision contended against him because he went in to men vncircumcised and had eaten with them Acts 11 2. vntill they had heard him giue a reason of his doing make an apology for himselfe then they held theyr peace and glorified God And so is it with those that sit in iudgement of other mens callings condemne those things whereof they are ignorant Verse 8. He thrust them both through then the plague ceased frō the children of Israel The sins of this people into which they fell were very greeuous and the iudgements of God that fell vpon them were heauy and answerable to their sinnes Some of them to fill vp the measure of their iniquities to the ful brought their harlots into the host of GOD euen among them that the Lord theyr GOD had chosen to be an holy Nation Deut. 14 2 and a precious people vnto himselfe aboue all the people that are vpon the earth When these were punished and the publike scandal taken away God is pacified the plague is remoued the people are deliuered Doctrine When once sinne is punished God is appeased From hence this Doctrine is offred to our considerations that when sinne is punished God is appeased So soone as euill is taken away the iudgements of GOD are called in VVhen the old world was destroyed by the flood of waters which God sent vpon the earth and all flesh perished in whose nostrils the spirit of life did breathe then GOD entred into a new couenant with the remnant that was left and Noah offering a sacrifice the Lord smelled a sauour of rest and said in his heart I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause neither will I smite any more all things liuing as I haue done Gen. 8 21 22. So long as Achan was vnpunished the hoste of Israel could not prosper but turned their backes before their enemies but when he was found out and stoned to death with stones and burned with fire the Lord turned from his fierce wrath gaue vnto his people the victory Iosh 7 26. When he had plagued the people that caused Aaron to make the calfe that he made whereby they committed foule and grosse idolatry and turned God into the similitude of a bullocke that eateth grasse he was reconciled vn them and well pleased with them Psal 106 19 20. So when Corah Dathan and Abiram were destroyed and God visited their rebellion with a strange visitation his anger continued no longer against them When Miriam had bin shut out of the host 7. daies punished with leprosy the wrath of God was appeased she restored to the hoste againe Nu. 12 15. VVe know how the wrath of God was kindled against Israel against Dauid for numbering the people so that he sent a pestilence among them from the morning euen to the time appointed whereof there died 70000. men then the Lord repented of the euill and said to the Angel that destroyed the people It is sufficient hold now thine hand 2 Sam. 24 16. All these places of Scripture are euident proofes of this Doctrine that so soone as execution is done vpon malefactors the sword of Gods iustice is put vp and his wrath ceaseth Reason 1 And the Reasons heereof are plaine For first what is it that separateth betweene God and his people and causeth a diuorce and diuision betweene him them Is it any thing else then sinne When sinne therefore or the sinner are taken away he hath no more controuersie against them This is it which the Prophet Esay testifieth cha 59 2. Your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity And in the fourth chapter of the Prophet Hosea ver 1 2 conuincing them of swearing and lying of killing and stealing and whoring he declareth That the Lord had a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land and would cut off euery one that dwelleth therein If then it be sin that causeth iudgement and sharpeneth the point of the Lords sword against the world against a kingdome against a citty against a family against euery particular person when the cause is remoued the effect shall be restrained and whē the sinner is reformed the wrath of God will be appeased for so soone as we turne vnto him his indignation shall be turned away from vs. Secondly when sinne is punished it bringeth Reason 2 downe a blessing with it For so long as vngodly men lye in their sinnes without punishment and runne on in theyr wickednes to the dishonour of God to the reproach of his Name to the offence and infection of others and to the confusion of theyr owne faces so long the wrath of God is kindled his hand is stretched out still But when they are eyther plagued of God or punished of men he blesseth the places which before hee scourged rewardeth the persons by whom iustice hath beene administred We haue a notable example heereof in the punishing of the Idolatry of the Israelites for worshipping the molten Calfe he willed the Leuites to consecrate theyr hands that day Exod. 32 29 euen euery man vpon his sonne and vpon his brother that there might bee giuen them a blessing The Lord had laide this as a punishment vpon Leui and his posterity To diuide them in Iacob and scatter them in Israel Gen. 49 7 but he turned this curse into a blessing when the Priesthood was translated to this Tribe to teach Iacob his iudgements and Israel his law that no corner of the Land should be without instruction So in this place when Phinehas rose vp executed iudgement vpon the adulterer and the adulteresse the Priesthood was confirmed vnto him and his posterity verse 12 13. If then the execution of iustice bring a blessing from God who is so delighted with it that he will neuer leaue it vnrewarded it must needs testifie
number and greater in waight follow after these When God sendeth the barrennesse of ground the blasting of corne the vnseasonablenesse of weather the ouerflowing of water the infection of sicknes such like scourges of his hand they are euident marks of his wrath and the very prints of his footsteppes whereby we may trace him out comming against vs to destroy vs. They are the messengers of God to cite and summon vs to answer before him for our contempt of his word and of his former threatnings When he taketh away faithfull men that feare his name especially good Princes and godly rulers it is an assured token that his wrath beginneth to be kindled and wil ouertake the remnant of the people When the head is smitten it cannot be but the rest of the body must immediately after smart for it Thus God threatneth in the Prophet Esay 3 2. 57 1. That he will take away the strong man and the man of war the Iudge and the Prophet the prudent and the aged the captaine of fifty and the honorable and the counsellor And in another place The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous are taken away from the euill to come A notable example heereof we haue in Noah and his family so soone as they were entred into the Arke and the doore of it shut vp immediately the rain fell the flood came the fountaines of the deepe were broken vp the windowes of heauen were opened the inhabitants of the earth were drowned Gen. 7 16. 19 16. When Lot and his family were brought out of Sodome and set without the City the Lord being mercifull to them The Lord rained fire and brimstone from heauen vpon the people of Sodome and Gomorrah When the godly King Iosiah was taken away that his eyes should not see all the euill which the Lord would bring vpon the land the wrath of the Lord arose against them they mocked the messengers of God despised his words and misused his Prophets and hee brought vpon them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword and spared neither yong man nor virgin ancient nor aged God gaue all into his hand 2 Kin. 22 20 2 Chron. 36 16. Moreouer the Lord hath other scourges which belong to the soule as when he taketh away godly Ministers with them his holy word So he threatneth by the Prophet Amos to send a Famine of his word chap. 8 11. This is a token that God will forsake that people and condemn them to death when he taketh from them the meanes and maintenance of their life These are the beginnings of greater iudgements and by them we may iudge the wrath of God to be at hād which are as a warning peece vnto that volly of the Lords Ordinance which our great sins haue caused him to mount vp against vs and he threatneth to discharge vpon vs. So then it behooueth vs not to bee dull and drowzie in marking the iudgements of God the signs of his wrath to the end we may be prepared to preuent them and to meete the Lord by vnfained repentance before they fall vpon vs. Vse 3 Thirdly it is our duty to pray vnto him and to intreate him that albeit we continually prouoke him by our sins yet that he would not fall vpon vs in his wrath nor punish vs in his sore displesure but deal with vs as a father with his children This is it which the Prophet craueth at the hands of God Psal 6 1. 38 1 2. To this purpose Ieremy speaking of the captiuity at hand prayeth thus Ier. 10 24 25. O Lord correct me but with iudgement not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing poure out thy wrath vpon the Heathen that know thee not c. If the Lord should deale with vs according to our sinnes and recompence vs according to our deseruings we were not able to stand in his sight If hee should enter into iudgement with vs no flesh should be righteous before him Wee must therefore desire him to chastise vs as a father not as a Iudge to amend vs not to destroy vs as the Prophet speaketh of his owne experience Psal 118 18. The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not deliuered me to death Vse 4 Lastly we must be prouoked vpon the consideration of the wrath of God full of rage iealousie moued with our sinnes to seeke to please him to forsake our iniquities and to be reconciled vnto God This is the vse which the Apostle maketh Heb. 12 28 29. Seeing we receiue a kingdome which cannot be shaken let vs haue grace whereby we may so serue God that wee may please him with reuerence feare c. So we are charged to mortifie our members which are on earth as fornication vncleannesse and such like because for such things the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience Col. 3 5 6. So then the consideration of the fiercenesse of Gods wrath must bring vs neerer vnto him and make vs obedient to his will Let vs walk in all his commandements and make conscience of all our wayes Let vs studie to please God in all things and to be fruitfull in good workes Let vs liue soberly righteously and godly in this life and shew forth the liuely fruits of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into this maruellous light that so his wrath do not ouertake vs nor his iudgements finde vs vnprepared We should alwaies liue as if wee should dye presently or the day of iudgement come immediately For what shall it profit vs to liue in all pleasures and carnall delights for a few yeares and then to suffer eternall torments What shall it auaile vs to win the world then to lose our owne fouls Matth. 16 26. Are not they more then madde men that will hazard their soules procure the heauy wrath of God for a little profit and a short pleasure Let such as wil not be drawn from their sweet sins assure themselues they shall one day pay dearly for it and taste the most bitter woes that can be conceiued when they shal be separated frō God shut out of his fauour and bee barred out of his kingdome Oh! that there were in vs wise hearts to consider these things betimes and to preuent all the iudgements of God that hang ouer our heads Let vs prepare our selues against the houre of death then which nothing is more terrible against the day of iudgement then which nothing is more horrible and against the danger of hell fire then which nothing is more intollerable the paines pangs whereof are without end without ease without remedy Verses 10 11 12 13. Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Phinehas the son of Eleazar hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel c. We haue seene the zeale of Phinehas in
hanged by the necke yet none I say would repine at such a man so what ground hath any man to fret or fume or enuy at the flourishing estate of any wicked man especially when it is knowne that GOD hath decreed that he shall perish and that not by an honourable death but perish like Haman shamefully in his owne house and after that shall haue all shame and contempt powred vpon him and go to the place of the damned there to suffer torments with the diuel his angels where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Lastly this being well learned will serue Vse 3 as an admonition for euery one to take heede of euery euill way that he be not obstinate in sinne It is one thing to sinne and another to be obstinate in sinne to withstand the word and rod of God and to abuse his patience It is incident to all to sinne but obstinacy in sinning hardnesse of heart and casting off Repentance are the forerunners of destruction Let vs thinke thus with our selues what can a short or fading pleasure profit vs when God shall come with his fearfull destruction Nay what can all the pleasures or profites in the world recompence for the losse of that comfort and peace that otherwise we may enioy What did Esaus red pottage so pleasing vnto his eye profit him in the end when hee lost thereby not onely his fathers blessing but also the blessed life to come What good got Achan by his wedge of Gold when it proued to be the wracke and ruine both of himselfe of his family And therefore doth Christ our Sauiour teach vs Mat. 16 26. What is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world then lose his owne soule Againe this fearfulnesse of iudgement should make a man thinke of the difficulty of repentance and what fearfull things hee shall suffer if he practise it not If it be a hard thing to breake off sinne we shall find it much harder to be broken with the iudgments of God and the fiercenesse of his wrath It is a fearfull thing to fall into the handes of an earthly Prince Prou. 19 10 but more fearefull to fall into the hands of the liuing God especially when he is inraged and incensed by the sinnes of men and therefore we ought to meete him with repentance lest we feele his vengeance to our condemnation A notable mediation to moue to break off â—he course of sinne And let vs labor to set the hardnesse of bearing the iudgements of God against the breaking off of sinne the one will easily counteruaile and ouercom the other If we finde it an hard and harsh saying to repent and breake off our sins we shall find it more hard when it shall be saide Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his Angels Mat. 25. Let a man seriously and throughly consider what an hard and vnpossible thing it will be to vndergo the wrath of God which maketh the diuels and damned spirits to tremble Iames 2 19 he wil think it an easie and light thing to forsake sinne although it were more deere then all things in the world whatsoeuer What if it were as hard a thing to renounce thy sin and to take vp the practice of true repentance as to pluck out a mans eye or to cut off his arme yet it must be done he hath pronounced it with his owne mouth that must be thy Iudge that is if there be any one sinne as deere vnto thee as thy right eye thou must pull it out or els thou shalt neuer come to the kingdome of heauen or if there be any sin as deere vnto thee as thy right arme by which thou gettest thy liuing if thou canst not be content to cut it off and dost not constantly and confidently resolue to cast it from thee thou canst haue no entrance giuen thee into Gods kingdome We see by common experience daily that men will endure very hard and bitter things from the hand of the Physitian that they may recouer health and escape death and yet it is not to put away death vtterly it is onely to prolong life for a time for they may deferre death they are not able to take it away If then such sharpe and bitter things seeme easie to auoid a temporall death then what ought a man to doe and to suffer to auoid the bitternesse and sharpnesse of eternall destruction and the fierce wrath of God which indeede is nothing but this To forsake sinne and to take vp repentance and the performance of religious and holy duties But alas alas how many are there euery wherin the world that haue bene content to lose many ounces of blood out of the veins for the good of the body that haue neuer shed a few drops of teares out of their eyes for the recouery of their soules To take bitter pilles and potions to purge the grosse humors that distemper vs that haue neuer purged or cleansed themselues from the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of GOD 2 Cor. chap. 7 verse 1. Nay we see men are willing to be seared that caÌ„not abide to haue the wounds of their soule searched by Gods holy Word yea to haue one member cut off to saue the whole bodie who notwithstanding will not leaue one pleasure of sinne for a season to saue both body and soule This is no better then folly and madnesse Heere is wisedome therefore to thinke of this betimes 31 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest did as the Lord commanded Moses 32 And the booty beeing the rest of the prey which the men of warre had caught was six hundred thousand and seuenty thousand and fiue thousand sheepe 33 And threescore c. 34 And threescore and one thousand Asses c 35 And thirty and two thousand persons in all of women that had not knowne man by lying with him c. 37 And the Lords tribute of the Sheepe was sixe hundred and threescore fifteene c. 41 And Moses gaue the tribute which was the Lords heaue-offering vnto Eleazar the priest c. 47 Euen of the children of Israels halfe c. Wee haue heard before the commandement of God touching the diuiding of the prey Now followeth the execution of it by Moses and Eleazar It is worth the obseruation to consider that as before the death of Aaron Moses and Aaron are alwaies ioyned together so after his death Moses and Eleazar The Magistrate and the minister shold ioyne togethâ—r the Magistrate and the Minister as the hand and the eye are in the body Then doth the church and the conmmonwealth flourish when these two go together and on the other side they go to wrack when they are separated draw seuerall wayes The greatnesse of the victorie and conquest that God gaue to his people appeareth further in these wordes by the distribution of the people and by the reseruation of the
discoraged to thinke they are none of his Or if a false fellow come forth and lay claime to our inheritance will that barre the true owner of his right or make him to let goe his holde What if a mad man out of his wits should say that the Crowne and Kingdome is his would we therefore thinke it is so indeed Or if some should shew false and counterfet pearles will the Goldsmith be discouraged and think that his also are naught and of the same stampe In like sort we may reason What though some do not beleeue or will not apply Christ vnto themselues What if satan haue deluded them with the spirit of errour and blinded them with the mists of ignorance shall wee therefore suffer our selues to be beguiled and to be brought to think that we haue no true knowledge or faith or that we ought not to apply Christ Iesus in particular to our selues To conclude we may be bold to auouch that the diuels haue as much faith as the papists teach and beleeue For the diuell can say and that truly I do beleeue I beleeue that remission of sinnes is sealed vp by Christ for saluation so that hee may beleeue as much as any Papist in the worlde holding the principles of their own doctrine forasmuch as the Romish faith is no other then historicall to beleeue the Scriptures and al things written in them to be true but they neuer come to the principal maine matter wherein the comfort of a Christian lyeth to make particular application of any thing to themselues Vse 2 Secondly it admonisheth euery man to examine himselfe and to try whether his faith be true or not this is the counsell and commandement of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13 5. as we heard before and how shall we better do it theÌ„ by making particular application of those things which ought to bee beleeued to beleeue that God is our God that the Lord Iesus is our Sauior that we are righteous by his obedience that wee haue the pardon of our sinnes that wee haue receyued the grace of sanctification and that wee shall be partakers of eternall life For as faith is the life of the soule so this application is the life of faith If we finde this in vs then certainly we haue a true a liuely a iustifying faith otherwise we deceyue our selues with a shadow and opinion of faith when in truth we are vtterly destitute of it And if men were brought to their tryall heerein it is greatly to be suspected and feared that not onely they in the Church of Rome but many that liue in the Church of God it selfe will bee found to want the true faith and to please themselues with a naked shew of it For some haue not a generall knoledge and therefore cannot haue so much as a generall faith Many albeit they haue a generall knowledge yet they will not nay they cannot in special apply Christ and his benefits vnto themselues because such is their simplicity or sottishnesse that they condemne this doctrine of applying Christ to themselues say it is to some a doctrine of presumption to others the pathway leading to desperation These are afraid to go so farre and dare not meddle with it They will hope well as the Papists do and thinke well but they cannot abide to heare of any particular application These are as men that are afraid of their good friends whose case must needs be lamentable and they stand in a dangerous nay I may say in a damnable condicion because without this application there can be no true faith and without true faith no saluation We haue experience of some in our dayes who out of a melancholy humor perswade themselues that they may not eate because they are vnworthy to touch their meate and by this meanes are the cause of their owne death and yet they thinke they may see it and talke of it but by no meanes may touch it This is the faith of many Christians among vs they thinke they may heare of the things that belong to saluation and reason of them but by no meanes they may apply them these mens case is very dangerous for they must needs perish eternally For as life is maintained not by looking vpon our meate or by speaking of it or by hearing of it but by taking and applying of it so the soule is sustayned and life preserued in it not by hearing of the promises of the Gospel nor by assenting vnto them but by applying of them vnto our selues When the Israelites were stung in the wildernesse with the fiery serpents and scorpions Deut. 8 15 insomuch that many dyed if any should haue saide I am not worthy to look vp to the brazen serpent and to fasten mine eies vpon it I know indeed that God hath appointed it as the only means and remedy to recouer them that are stung but I dare not presume to behold it because of mine vnworthinesse would we not thinke that it were iust that this man should perish So is it in this case many men know that God hath sent his Sonne into the world and that he dyed for the sinnes of the world yet many are so desperate that they talke and dispute of nothing but of their owne vnworthinesse and say they would apply Christ but they dare not they are such greeuous sinners Howbeit he that was worthy to take the booke out of the right hand of the Father and to open it Reuel 5 2 5 11 12 hath also made his children partakers of his worthinesse Reuel 3 4. They shall walke with me in white for they are worâ—hy His merits are become our merits and his righteousnesse is made ours 2 Cor. 5 21. Wherfore whosoeuer they are that eyther through the corruption of their owne hearts or through the tentation of Satan doe not truely apply Christ vnto themselues and his death to theyr saluation but make it a matter of presumption their condition is miserable and they are yet in the way to destruction and may iustly feare that the wrath and iudgements of God will ouertake them Lastly this point is very sweet and comfortable Vse 3 to euery one that is able though with much weaknesse and many infirmities in particular to apply the generall promises of God and the Gospel to himselfe because such shall be sure to finde God gracious vnto them and if they be stung by the old serpent they shall be healed because they can look vp to to the 2. ferpent that God hath set vp and appointed to be the healer and helper of them If they be hungry they shal be sure to be satisfied Christ is the true bread that came downe from Heauen Iohn 6 they eate him by faith and so apply in particular the generall promises to theÌ„selues This is it indeed that ought to encourage euery man to labour for this particular application not like hypocrites to content theÌ„selues with generall things as if they were
betweene sinne and sinne both in nature and in the punishment due vnto them some are greater some lesser some worther of greater punishment and some of lesser yet the least sin committed in thought and motion deserueth euerlasting death and separation from the gracious presence of God if he deale with vs according to the rigour of his iustice and looke vpon vs without the satisfaction of Christ The writers and teachers of the Popish Religion publish to the world that wee hold the sottish Paradox of the Stoikes that all sinnes are equall The Papists slander vs 〈◊〉 make all siâ— equall the contrary whereof is manifest in the harmony of the confessions of our Churches And why do they slander vs with this dotish doctrine or vpon what foundation doe they ground this accusation forsooth because we hold that all are mortall But this is a weake consequent and will not proue the point for which they alledge it All men are mortall euen Princes as it is said in the Psalme 82.6 shall we hence conclude that the people are equall to Princes because they are alike subiect to mortality In the breach of the seuenth commandement there are sundry sortes of vncleannesse and incontinency forbidden as fornication when men defile themselues with filthy harlots and concubines adultery betweene them that are married incest committed with such as are neere in consanguinity or affinity the sinne of the Sodomites Who leauing the naturall vse of the woman burne in lust one toward another man with man working filthinesse Rom. 1.27 reuenged with fire and brimstone from heauen Gen. 19. Among all these seuerall kindes there are degrees of sinne one is greater then other adultery worse then fornication incest then adultery and Sodometry then them all and all these by the confession of the Papists themselues are mortall and yet by their owne confession also one is more heinous and horrible then the other If then their conclusion bee good against vs that we hold all sinnes to bee equal because we teach that they are mortall how should it not stand as strong and firme against themselues that they also hold all these sinnes to be equall fornication as bad as incest and adultery as heinous as Sodometry because they teach that they are all of them mortall The like absurdity wee might easily inferre against them in the rest of the commandements and that out of the Roman Catechisme But to vnderstand this point the better let vs consider that our Churches teach no other doctrine then the Scriptures teach that as all sinnes proceede out of the same fountaine of corruption and infidelity so all of them make vs guilty of eternall death and damnation vnlesse we obtaine pardon by faith in the Mediatour Christ Iesus Luke 12.47.48 All sinnes whether committed of ignorance or knowledge deserue stripes either many or few and these stripes are no other then eternall punishments as appeareth by the wordes of the Apostle 2 Thes 1.8 so that they which know not God neither beleeue the Gospel shall be punished in hel because according to the opinion of the Papists themselues when the Lord shall come in flaming fire to iudge the quicke and the dead Purgatory shal vtterly ceasse and be no more the prison dores shall be broken the fire shall be quenched the place shall be emptyed and the poore soules shall be discharged then shall be a gaile deliuery they shall be quit by Proclamation To vnderstand this the better we must know that sinnes may bee said to bee mortall or veniall three wayes â—s may â—d to bee â—ll or veâ—â—hree â—s First in regard of the euent Secondly in regard of the cause Thirdly in regard of the nature of the sinnes themselues They are veniall in regard of the successe or euent which doe obtaine pardon and when forgiuenesse followeth them though they be in themselues most greeuous as 1 Ioh. 5.16 where the Apostle calleth those onely sinnes vnto death whose reward certainely is eternall death and those not to death which may bee forgiuen howsoeuer in their own nature they merit damnation Thus we may say that Dauids adultery and murther were veniall sinnes because howsoeuer in the nature of them they were deadly yet were they veniall in regard of the euent because Nathan said vnto him The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye 2 Sam. 12.13 â—ss ordin in â—r 11. No sinne is veniall so long as we follow it and no sinne is mortall when once we forsake it Pro. 28.13 All sinnes are made veniall by repentance no sin is veniall without repentance Secondly sinnes may bee said to bee veniall in regard of the cause from whence they proceed whereupon they sooner obtaine pardon because they are not done of malice and a setled purpose but of ignorance and infirmity as Paul sheweth this to bee the cause why his sinne was veniall vnto him and why he obtained mercy and forgiuenesse because he did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe 1 Tim. 1.13 And in the fifteenth Chapter of this booke it is said the Priest shall make attonement when a priuate person or the whole Congregation hath committed any thing through errour or ignorance and it shall be forgiuen them for it is ignorance Numb 14.25 These sinnes springing from this fountaine are damnable in themselues from hence it came that Paul was a persecuter and a blasphemer but the Father of all mercies and compassions gaue him pardon because hee sinned of ignorance and infirmity So then his sinnes were veniall in regard of the euent and of the cause But sinne considered in the nature of the thing it selfe is not veniall but deserueth temporall and eternall punishment Now the Papists themselues teach â— Popish 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sinne that sinne is truely and properly called veniall when it is so in it owne nature and deserueth onely a temporall punishment either in this life or in the life to come so that if God would examine it and enter into iudgement with it according to his most rigourous and seuere iustice hee could not punish it with eternall death for as much as in it owne nature it deserueth pardon or at least some slight or temporall punishment And of these the controuersie is betweene the Church of Rome and vs and not of those that are veniall by the euent or by the cause But the Scripture teacheth vs that all sinne is the transgression of the Law 1 Ioh. 3.4 This is a true and perfect definition of sinne for euery transgression of the Law is sinne and euery sinne is a transgression of the Law From whence wee reason thus Euery transgression of the law is worthy of death Euery sinne is a transgression of the Law Therefore euery sinne is worthy of death The first part is plainely proued by many places Gal. 3.13.10 Deut. 27.26 Matth. 5.22 whereby it is manifest that the Prophet the Apostle and Christ himselfe speake generally without limitation that whosoeuer committeth any
yea the least sinne lyeth vnder the curse and wrath of God Now they that are wretched and accursed are adiudged worthy of death by the sentence of Christ himselfe the Iudge of the world Matth. 25.41 and none can bee free from this curse of the Law but by the death of Christ Gal. 3.13 and hee dyed not onely for the greatest but for the least sinnes 1 Iohn chapter 1. verse 7. the least of them cost him dearely or else we must haue payed deare for them This point was expressed vnto vs before chapter 15. verse 30. for as the soule that committed ought presumptuously or with an high hand must bee cut off from his people so if ought bee done by any man through ignorance verse 24. a yong bullocke shall be offered for a burnt offering to be a sweete sauour vnto the Lord and thereby an attonement shall be made verse 25. Now by this offering of euery priuate man or of the whole Congregation they were taught that themselues had indeed deserued death and that they were deliuered by the sacrifice of Christ as the Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the world represented by the blood of these sacrifices This is so plaine throughout the whole Law of Moses that the sinnes committed thorough errour and ignorance euen the least they could doe were neuer remitted and forgiuen vnto them but through the benefit of the Mediatour Christ Iesus who suffered death for them and therefore the smallest sinnes deserued death and made the committers guilty in the sight of God If any should answer vnto this that it doth not appeare that an offering was alwayes offered for the least sinnes of all because some were wont to be washed away with water let him know that by that washing and by that water the blood of Christ also was signified as well by the death of the sacrifices as the Apostle teacheth Heb. 9.10 11. and he ioyneth the blood and water together and with both the people were sprinkled verse 19. So then not onely they are pronounced accursed as some of the Iesuites cauill Durae contr â—â—bitak p. 279. that commit most horrible sinnes as murther adultery and the like but he that continueth not in all or else we shall frustrate the whole discourse and disputation of the Apostle A Iesuiticall shift And therefore this is but a Popish shift to help at a dead lift For the Galatians might answer that they had all or the most part of them abstained from those heinous crimes and coulde not bee touched iustly with them and therefore they might haue iustification by the Law Against this iustification by the Law the Apostle doth purposely reason that none can be iustified by the Law because none can keep the Law and he is accursed that continueth not in all things Forasmuch therefore as all are pronounced to be cursed and execrable vnto God which commit the least and smallest sinne and that they are worthy of death that are cursed and execrable it followeth that euery transgression of the Law is worthy of death Obiect But Bellarmine obiecteth the saying of the Apostle Iames chap. 1.18 Sinne when it is finished bringeth forth death therfore vntill it be finished it doth not bring forth death Answer But he should conclude Sinne before it be perfected doth not deserue death for these are two seuerall points and both rest to be prooued First of all this is a weake collection Sinne once finished gendreth death therefore not finished it doth not gender death If a man should reason in this manner the reasonable creature is mortall therefore the creature except it haue reason is not mortall he should conclude fairely but falsely for the beasts and make them noble creatures Or thus All Princes though they be Gods deputies and vicegerents and susteine his person yet are mortall therefore men except they sustaine the person of God are not mortall These we see are weake consequences and yet they are altogether like to our aduersaries as shall appeare if wee consider the wordes and circumstances of the Apostle For his purpose is to describe the proceeding of sinne in vs and to declare that our sinnes are not to be imputed vnto God but to our selues to our concupiscence which seeketh occasions on euery side stirreth vp euill desires bringeth foorth actuall sinne and then sinne leadeth the way to death howbeit from hence we cannot gather that sinne bringeth not death vnto vs except it be finished But what shall we say of euill thoughts that neuer come into act As for example the Pharisees thought and taught that except a man did commit murther and by shedding blood did take away life he was not guilty of eternall death and except he committed adultery he sinned not against the Law But Christ himselfe sheweth that whosoeuer is angry with his brother vnaduisedly is guilty of death and he also that looketh on a woman to lust after her Matt. 5.22.28 Neither of these commit the outward deed and yet because they haue giuen consent the Papists themselues hold that they are guilty of eterall death therefore a sinne committed in thought onely deserueth death albeit it be not finished in the worke euen by their owne confession and themselues being iudges It were endlesse to follow these fellowes and to trace them out in all their shifts they haue so many windings and turnings which argue a bad cause but one more I cannot passe ouer that Bellarmine will haue sinne finished to be nothing else but sinne consented vnto and that concupiscence shall not be sin except it bee consented vnto neither yet bee worthy of death But this is directly against the Apostle and against his owne doctours For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle vseth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ia. 1.18 signifieth to perfect fulfill by worke And so doth Thomas Aquinas vnderstand the same and others also Aquin. Comment in Iacob 1. Gagnae in Iacob 1. But to turne him out of these cauils we will for this time grant so much as he requireth what then will hee answere concerning originall sinne It is already defined in the Councell of Florence that they are worthy of eternall death that are onely guilty of originall sinne albeit they haue not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Rom. 5.14 That is which neuer committed actuall sinne So then to reason in this sort Sin finished bringeth forth death therefore except it bee finished it bringeth not forth death is a false conclusion Consider this yet farther by another contrary saying of the same Apostle touching good deedes chap. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth tentation for when hee is tryed he shall receiue the crowne of life No man can reason from hence thus The man that endureth tentation when he is tried shal receiue the crowne of life therefore hee that is not tryed shall neuer receiue that crowne And yet this hath the same force and looketh the same way with