ayme at the marke neuer so right and draw vp his â—owe neuer so stedfastly yet if his loose be not good but his hand starteth aside and swarueth at the point he misseth So we in death which is our last loose not guided by Gods holy Spirit may mar all And therefore we pray and euer should pray that till our end and in our end the Lord would vpholde vs in our strength and giue vs a gracious departure in him For as for that vaine Fable of helpe after death in Purgatorie it serued to rake vp the fat of the earth to those idle bellies and to shift away with faire words and promises those poore soules that shaked quaked after all their works not finding any sufficiencie in them to appease Gods wrath who could neuer returne being once dead to tell them they lied in so teaching the people that Masses Trentalls could helpe after death But for vs we know the Scriptures that as the tree falleth either towards the North or towards the South in the place it falleth there it shall bee Heauen wee reade of and Hell wee reade of but a Third place we finde not Lazarus was caried into Heauen and the rich Glutton into Hell They that haue done well saith the Catholique Faith shall goe into life euerlasting and they that haue done euill into euerlasting fire There is no Third place there mentioned to be beléeued and it is the Catholique Faith which except euery man kéepe holy and vndefiled without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly Let counterfet Catholiques hold what they list they heare the danger S. Augustine agréeably héereunto saith Repentance is onely in this life S. Cyprian also Hic vel accipimus vel amittimus vitam aeternam Heere wee either hold or loose life eternall meaning that if wee die well wee holde it and if wee die ill wee loose it there being no more helpe after death S. Basil againe pretily saith Post mercatum solutum nullus negociatur After the Market is ended there is neither buying nor selling and when I am dead the Market is ended with mee Wherefore let all our care be to take time while time serueth to liue well and doo well according to the rule prescribed and not according to our fancies or any mans inuention that a good life may haue a good death in Gods great mercie and goodnes Then for the place leaue it to God as also the manner and remember well that from euery Kingdome and Country from euery Towne and house yea from all corners and places whatsoeuer there is a readie way to Heauen To which agréeth that pretie Conference betwixt the Husbandman the Sayler wherein the Husbandman asked whether the Saylers father liued or no he answered no. Where died he said the Husbandman At sea saith the Sailer And where your Grandfather At sea also And where your great Grandfather At sea still saith the Sailer Good Lord then saith the Husbandman do not you feare to go to sea since so many of your Ancestors died there I pray you saith the Sailer let me likewise know of you before I answere you whether your Father liue or no and hée answered no. Where then died hee In his bed saith the Husbandman And where your Grandfather and Great Grandfather In their beds also saith hee I thanke God And good Lord then saith the Sayler are not you also afraide to goe to bed since so many of your Ancestors died there So one Question quit another wittily and both of them should teach vs that no place can hurt a setled Christian but as well from Sea as Land the Lord can giue a gracious passage to his Kingdome which hea in mercie graunt vs euer 4. In the death of the first borne Note againe the degrées of Gods punishments in these plagues First hee touched their water sent them Frogges Flies Lice and such other things gréeuous indéede but not so néere them as their goods Secondly the Lord touched their goods A greater plague than the former yet not so néere them as their owne bodies Thirdly therefore hee touched their very bodies by biles and blisters botches and sores verie gréeuous vgly yet he spared their liues But now when all the former would not serue he commeth to life it selfe and smiteth all their first borne that there was no house wherein was not death that of the déerest What may we then sée but a continual encreasing of Gods wrathfull scourges rods as long as wee shall spurne against him and not obey his holy wil Let it touch vs and turne vs awake vs and warne vs to take vp betimes How long we haue followed our owne waies and cast behinde vs the waies of God the Lord knoweth well and wee must also consider What crosses and losses haue likewise béene imposed vpon vs hitherto should bee remembred For they haue all béene Gods messengers as these plagues were to Pharaoh to drawe vs to obedience and if they will not serue the Lord will write as some Judges doo ad grauiora that is the Lord wil encrease his wrath as he did here till it come to very life it selfe Which being once lost in his displeasure the soule also is lost with the body and both of them sent to during woe for euer Urge him then no further as this cursed Pharaoh did but to day if you will heare his voice turne vnto him in true amendment of life and hee shall turne vnto you in mercie and loue eternall 5. Yea Sir God may happily deale thus with some poore people for example sake but he will regard the better sort of men and women who are of reputation in the world and not bring these heauie thinges vpon them But no saith your Chapter heere for this plague must light vpon all sorts from the first borne of Pharaoh which sitteth vpon the throne vnto the first borne of the Maid-seruant that grindeth at the Mill yea the Lord will not spare the very beasts No honours therefore or riches no friends or strength no pompe or port in this world may defend from him but he will smite all degrées and therefore let all degrées profit by it He will bring downe the mightie from their seates and cast euen Crownes vnto the dust Golde and Siluer are drosse before him and nothing can helpe but a reformed heart The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit A broken and a contrite heart the Lord shall neuer despise Trust to this but bid all earthly Titles stand aloofe for they will not serue 6. Then there shall be a great crie throughout all the Land of Egypt such as was neuer none like nor shall be This is a consequent of Gods Plagues euer wheresoeuer they light Cries and great Cries woes and great woes But shall any good Childe offend his Heauenly Father till he force him to make him crie Shall wee not thinke of the daies of truth and peace till wee heare in euery
righteousnesse Christ helpeth this hunger being made righteousnesse and wisedome and sanctification and redemption vnto vs. Am I afraid to die and hunger for comfort Christ is my helpe for this hunger and telleth me that blessed are the dead which die in him He that beleeueth in him shall not die eternally But though he be dead yet shall he liue Death is swallowed vp in victorie O Death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victorie Thankes Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs Victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ 5 He shall powre Oyle vpon it and put Incence thereon saith the Text Oyle delighteth the taste and Incense the smelling Neither of them careth God for we know But thus it pleased him to shadow-out vnto his people that they should euer serue him according to his owne presciption which is acceptable as a good taste or smell is and not with the vnsauourie inuentions of their owne braine as hatefull vnto him as the other is pleasing Againe the Oyle noted Christ his kindnesse and mercie which he should euer shewe to poore penitent sinners wounded and smitten with woe for their manifold frailties and sinnes He should not be rough vnto them sterne and cruell but soft as Oyle gracious and kinde swéete and comfortable ready to receiue them and pardon them Learne of mee I am meeke and lowly in heart take my yoke vpon you and you shall finde rest vnto your soules For my Yoke is easie and my burden is light Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden and I will ease you 6 Incense againe figured out the prayers of Christ for his Church so powerfull with God his Father that not onely he was heard himselfe but thereby he obteyned that whatsoeuer we should aske in his Name and for him we should receiue also The vaine vse of Frankincense in Popish Churches as an imitation of the Law is still to loue darkenesse when God vouch safeth light still to continue abolished Ceremonies and still to be stubborne against God with a will-worship of our owne neglecting his Will And shall bring it vnto Aarons sonnes the Priests and he shall take c. Whatsoeuer was offered to God must be giuen into the hand of the Priest still representing vnto men this Doctrine That onely by Christ there was accesse to God and no way els According to that plainer Reuelation in the Gospel by himselfe No man commeth to the father but by me I am the way And let vs therefore by him offer the Sacrifice of praise to God c. Heb. 13. verse 15. 2 A handfull of the Flowre and of the Oyle with all the Incense and the Priest shall burne it for a memoriall vpon the Altar for it is an offering made by fire for a sweet sauour vnto the Lord. Not all the Flowre but a handfull not all the Cakes but one not all was burned but onely a little part of one the rest went to the Priests and none could eate of it but the Priests It was a Memoriall to them to assure them that God did respect the partie Offering and would be mercifull vnto him And because it so pleased God it should be to him also it was a Memoriall to extend his swéete goodnesse to his penitent seruant 3 This Meat-offering you sée in your Chapter was either baked vers 4. or fryed in the Frying-panne vers 5. or sodden in the Caldron vers 7 And which way so-euer it was thrée Rules were to be obserued specified in the Text. First It must be without Leauen vers 11. In the 7. Chapter vers 13. and in the 22. Chap. verse 20. You may read of a lawfull vse of Leauen but it was neuer lawfull by the Law to offer vnto GOD for a Sacrifice any Leauened bread Leauen being a Figure both of corrupt Doctrine and bad life Beware of the Leauen of the Scribes and Pharisees that is of their corrupt Doctrine Mat. 16. And let vs keepe the feast not with old Leauen neither in the Leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth 1. Cor. 5. 8. Leauen noted bad life Christ thē being shadowed in al these burnt Offerings by this Rule of hauing no Leauen they were taught the puritie of Christ his Doctrine and the holinesse of his life His Doctrine so pure that it maketh others pure Ye are cleane through the Word which I haue spoken vnto you And Verily verily I say vnto you if any man keepe my Word he shall not see death Then you sée it maketh cleane His life also so pure that not onely his false accusers could fasten no fault vpon him but by his innocencie he appeased Gods wrath for our impuritie Againe it taught the Church in that Legall fashion by darke figure that after Christ his example they ought also to be frée from both these to wit false doctrine and ill manes Not teaching if they be Teachers any corrupt matter not beléeuing and holding if they be no Teachers and absurd vntrueths Neither Teachers nor People leading a wicked life but in holinesse and righteousnesse as the Lord shall inable spending all their dayes The second Rule is That there he no hony in his Meat-offering made by fire vnto the Lord. Of Hony we read many things as that the nature of it is to preserue bodyes not suffering them to rot and putrifie That many by the vse of it liue vnto a great age as namely in the I le of Corsica by Plinies Testemonie who calleth them long-liuers onely by the dayly vse of Hony Hony hath a swéete and pleasing taste not sharpe Whereupon Salomon saith Faire words are as a hony combe sweetnes to the soule and health to the bones My Sonne eate Hony for it is good and the hony-combe for it is sweet vnto the mouth What might be the reason then that God did forbid any hony to be vsed in this Offering Answere is made that hony although it be swéet in taste yet it is bitter by effect For it greatly increaseth choler which is as bitter as the hony is swéet Secondly although hony be good to eate yet a man may eate too much of it Prou. 25. 26. Thirdly euen in taste it will not séeme swéete if you eate much but very bitter or sowre Lastly it hath the very nature of Leauen béeing boyled and so hauing gotten a little sharpenesse Nowe forasmuch as none of these things are in Christ who was shadowed by this Sacrifice therefore is hony forbidden to be vsed in it as you read here in your Chapter aswell as Leauen vers 11. First in Christ there is no such swéetnesse as ingendreth bitternesse or any euill to the true Cater of him by Faith Secondly Christ cannot be receiued or eaten too much but the more we féede on him the better Thirdly Christ is not swéet at the beginning and bitter at the
offices were all giuen away where hee least wished them and yet the Lord stayed not héere but fearefully destroyed also his posteritie Was not this thundering was not this lightning and was not this Judgment as vpon a stage O let it euer be remembred of all that reade it with their eies and God for his mercy sake make it profitable 14 Only in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were was no hayle In which words as heretofore so stil stil is noted the vnsearchable goodnesse of God to his Church together with his Almighty power to doo euer what He wil. He can saue and He can spill He can make such a wall about his children that no storme or tempest no calamitie or euill shall come nere them though it compasse them round about and others perish with it on euery side Two shall be in the fielde the one receaued the other forsaken two shall be grinding at the mill the one accepted the other reiected c. Blessed therefore is that man and woman who haue the Lord for their God And say vnto my soule I am thy saluation saith Dauid in one of his Psalmes noting thereby the comfort of this aboue ten thousand worldes Let vs therefore euer be carefull to be of the number of those that abide in Goshen where the Sauing hand of God shall defend from al euil 15. In these smooth wordes of Pharaoh verse 27. That he had sinned that the Lord was righteous and he and his people wicked That Moses should pray for him c. returning neuerthelesse to his old byas when the Plague was gone stil obserue as you haue done before the déepe falshood of mans hart making faire shewes without fruite and if God be thus glozed and dissembled with all thinke whether it séeme strange to mortall man to taste of it No no we must reckon of it to be praised to our face to be sclaundered at our backes by the one and the same person Yet let it not discourage vs to doo any good but onely let it make vs carefull to giue no iust cause and tenne thousand times thankfull when wee are released out of such a world and taken into his kingdome 16. Lastly that often repeated Sentence of Pharaohs heardened heart let it remember vs of that Saying in Saint Augustine Corda mala patientia Dei durescunt Euill hearts wax-heard by Gods long-suffering and patience Also of that in Saint Bernard Cor durum dici quod non cōpūctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec mouetur precibus minis non cedit flagellis duratur ingratum ad beneficia ad consilia infidum ad iudicia saeuum inuerecundum ad turpia impauidum ad pericula inhumanum ad humana temerarium ad Diuina preteritorum obliuiscens praesentium negligens futura non praeuidens It is called a heard heart which is neither rent with compunction nor softned with piety nor mooued with prayers which giueth no place to threatnings is hardened with stripes in benefits vnthankfull in Councill vnfaithfull in iudgment cruell vnshamefast in foule things not fearefull in perils in humane things most inhumane in Diuine things rashe forgetting things past neglecting things present and not foreseeing things to come Surely such a description if we our selues haue not Pharaohs hardnes will euer mooue vs earnestly to pray against such hardnesse Thus endeth this Chapter and thus end I hauing giuen you some taste how we may profit by reading of it CHAP. 10. Here you haue following two Plagues more to wit the eight and the ninth The eight from the beginning of the Chapter to the twenty verse and the ninth from thence to the end Concerning the former the Holy-Ghost layeth downe 1. A Commaundement to Moses to goe 2. A Denunciation 3. An Execution 4. The Effect that in the Seruants King 1. TOuching the first the Text saith Againe the Lord said vnto Moses goe to Pharaoh c. Diuers times you know hee had sent before and all in vaine yet ceaseth not the bottomlesse and incomprehensible mercy of God still still againe and againe to send This was euer his gratious dealing with miserable sinners and a swéete comfort it is to a troubled minde to thinke of it The Gospell saith in like sort He sentagaine and againe other and other seruants to those wicked husbandmen to remember them of his due and their duetie At last he sent his owne Sonne vnto them saying they will reuerence my Sonne Againe to Hierusalem how often how often would I haue gathered thy Children together euen as a Hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yet would not O tender Father what a certaine Seale is this thy goodnesse in these examples that true Repentance shall neuer be reiected A sorrowfull sinner neuer repulsed a broken and contrite hart neuer despised Let it profit vs vnto increase of faith for his sake that dyed for our sinnes Our owne experience hath taught vs as much if wee did obserue it For how long haue wee béene sinners haue not some of vs béene 20 yéeres some 30 some 40 and more all of vs too long walking the way that leadeth vnto death And what haue our sinnes béene surely great foule vglie odious to God dangerous to our selues and offensiue to the world yet hath the Lord neither swept vs away in his most iust wrath neither ceased to send Moses againe and againe vnto vs for our reformation Should not this infinite goodnes much moue vs to returne to so swéete a Father Knowest thou not O man saith the blessed Apostle that the long suffering of God leadeth thee to repentance How entertained hee the Prodigall Sonne when hee returned how reioice the Angels in Heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth far be it euer then from vs euer to resist a God so powerfull to confound vs and so mercifull to receaue vs. 2. But the Lord saith héere that he hardened Pharaohs heart and the hearts of his seruants how then was the fault in them that they yéelded not for answere let mee aske you another question whether you thinke it not lawfull that God should punish a sinner as himselfe liketh and whether hardnes of heart be not a punishment if both be true then might the Lord punish him this way Yet all men doo not thinke this such a punishment as it is for if wee be sicke wee looke for helpe if the eye faile the eare growe dull or any sense be weakened we quickly féele it and readily with for remedie onely if our heart growe dull and our vnderstanding féeling and profiting in Gods Schoole be taken from vs wee are not mooued neither thinke it goeth ill with vs preferring the outward sense of body far and far before the light of the minde But let it be lawfull you say with the Lord thus to punish yet it must néedes excuse the partie so punished for how can a man féele and relent whose heart God smiteth with
away and their Deliuerance be wrought by a gracious GOD. Thus comforted Paule the Church in his time saying As Iannes and Iambres withstoode Moses so doo these also resist the truth But now marke they shall preuaile no longer for their madnes shall be euident vnto all men as theirs also was An end therefore will be of all troubles which these Locusts shall worke vnto the Church and Elect of God Fiue moneths is not long in respect of that eternitie which followeth and therefore in comfort be wee patient their time is set and they shall haue an end Againe this place may notably assure you and euery one that all which died in the time of Poperie were not cast-away but that at one time or other by one way or other the Lord gaue them light a holy departure in his truth and Stories tell vs how still in the time of darknes God raised vp some zealous and able Teachers of their brethren by whose ministerie and helpe many receaued light and ouercame the power of error Whereunto agrée the words of Primatius Illi hic intelliguntur qui licet falsis fuerunt irretiti doctrinis circa finem tamen vitae compuncti diuinam recipiunt veritatem They heere are vnderstoode who though they haue beene abused by false Doctrine yet in the end of their life hauing remorse they entertained the Heauenly truth The words following that in those dayes men shall seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to die and death shall flie from them verie effectually shew forth the tortures of conscience which Popish Doctrine casteth men into so well knowne by fearefull Examples as I néede not to stand vpon it Also the misteries of the Time wherein the Locusts should swarme fully expressed in Stories which indéede made many a man and woman wearie of life The little short time of Quéene Marie her Reigne how full it was of vexation and griefe is not nor cannot be forgotten Thirdly in the place of the Reuelation it is saide The forme of the Locusts was like vnto horses prepared vnto battell And sée how it resembleth Romish Locusts Horses are proud so are they Horses are bolde and sturdie fierce and cruell not turning backe but rushing forward so are they bold and bloodie sturdie and mercilesse not looking backe by repentance but rushing forward in hardnes of heart Horses are fat and faire and full of neighing so are they And for being prepared to battell all Histories shew what warres they haue caused and still doo in the world themselues being Leaders Captaines and Generals in them whereas wee knowe that the true Church of God by the Rule and Example of the Gospell ought to be a Daughter of peace not a Mother of debate A forgiuer of iniuries not a renenger of her selfe or a séeker of warres The Tragicall Storie betwixt Frederick the 2 and Gregorie the 9 may serue in steade of many to prooue what warres and treacheries come from Rome That horrible slaughter betwixt both sides of thirtie thousand the most Citizens of Rome whom will it not moue that readeth it This Pope was in the daies of Henry the 3 King of England The open warres proclaimed against the Gréeke Church shewe much But I will lay downe the very words of Pandolphus who wrote in Italian the life of this Frederick the 2 that such as haue not the Storie may sée this point fully and I pray you marke them well Truly saith He when I consider with my selfe that Christ whose Vicar the Romaine Bishops boast themselues to be said vnto his Disciples that they should follow him and imitate his Example as of their Maister and Teacher and commaunded them farther that they should not draw the sword but put the same into the scabbard and gaue them in precept that they should not onely forgiue iniuries 7. times but 70. times 7. times to those that offended them And when I now compare the liues of the Bishops of Rome how neere they follow him whose Vicars they say they are and consider so many and so great conspiracies treasons rebellions disloyalties lyings in waite and treacherous deuises so many Legates of the Popes being Ecclesiasticall persons which will needes be called the Sheepheards of Christ his Flocke to be such Warriours and Captaines of Souldiers in all the parts of Italy Campania Apulia Calabria being the Emperours Dominions in Picenum Aemilia Flaminia and Lumbardie to be sent against him Also when with my selfe I meditate the destruction of so many great and famous Cities the subuersion of such CoÌ„mon-weales the slaughter of so many men and the effusion of such Christian blood Lastly when I behold so victorious prosperous and fortunate Emperours to be and so many miserable infortunate vanquished Popes to be put to flight I am perswaded with my selfe to thinke and beleeue that the Iudgements of God are secret and marueilous and That to be true that Aeneas Siluius writeth in his Historie of Austria That there is no great and marueilous clade no notorious and speciall calamitie that hath hapned either to the Publique-weale or else to the Church of GOD whereof the Bishops of Rome haue not beene the Authors Add vnto this that Notable place in the Prophet Micah where speaking of Gods true Church it is saide they shall breake their swords into Mattocks and their speares into â—ithes that is their fierce affections shall by the power of the word be mortified and brotherly loue encreased with desire of peace and quietnes But these men euen contrarie breake their Mattocks into swords and their â—ithes into speares being so great so fierce so ambitions and common Warriours as they are The strange cruelties of Vrban the 5. making bloodie great warres vpon many and bringing them by force in subiection to him I omit These things shew how truly this Prophecie of the Apocalyps concerning Locusts like vnto horses prepared to battell agréeth to these Romish Locusts Popes Cardinals Legats Monkes Fryers Priests Iesuites and such like Nicholas Machiauel saith all the ruinous calamities and miserable clades that either Italy or whole Christendome hath suffered haue béene brought in by the Popes of Rome A faire warning to all Gods people to know them and auoide them Fourthly on their heads were as it were crownes like vnto gold And these haue Shauen Crownes tokens as they say of their Priestly and Kingly dignity Such Crownes are rightly said by S. Iohn to be like Crownes not Crownes indeede Surely right Notes they are of Romish Locusts and that may suffice as many as will be warned by any thing Fiftly And their faces were like the faces of men So are these not terrible in shew but curteous kinde fawning flattering watching catching with smooth wiles to effect their purpose They pretend all good making men beléeue that they can bring them to true Blessednes that they will teach them true Religion true Deuotion and giue them Pardon for
the destroying Angell as many as should be sprinkled with it that is should make particular application of it to themselues For it is not the blood without sprinkling will helpe Christ dying for all sufficientlie but not effectuallie because all take not holde of the fruite of him 8. It was to bee eaten rost with fire not rawe nor boyled or sodden in water â—ery aptlie shadowing the bitter passion which our Sauiour should endure beeing indéede tormented in the most cruell manner they could Cuius corpus acerbissimis cruciatibus in cruce inassatâ—m ac veluti torrefactuus errat VVhose body was rosted and as it were broyled with bitter cruelties of despite and paine Also it must be eaten with vnleauened bread that such bread might put them euer in remembrance of the sodaine and hastie manner of their deliuerance when they were forced to carie their dough vnleauened vpon their backes ver 34. Againe because Leauen signifieth both corrupt Doctrine and corrupt manners Math. 16. 12. Therfore by vnleauened bread was taught and shadowed that wee must abstaine from both if wee will be worthie partakers of Christ in the Sacrament Seauen daies together to eate such bread ver 15. 19. 20. represented vnto them how serious and continued their meditation should be of such a Great mercie as their Deliuerance was And if they so of the shadowe what we of the truth namely of our Deliuerance from Hell death Deuill and damnation Is a light short and perfunctorie Remembrance of these things once at Easter enough for a Christian man or woman no no and therefore carie another care with you or else be assured it will be easier for the Iewe than for you in that day 9. It was to be eaten with sower hearbes to represent againe the sowernes of the passion of Christ Iesus whose gripes and touching woes the Euangelists set out in many words as that his soule was heauie vnto the death his cries strong O Father Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me his prayer so vehement his agonie so great that blood for sweate burst out of his face and an Angell was sent to comfort him Were not these sower hearbes c. Others thinke they were willed to vse these hearbs to put themselues euer in minde of their sower estate in the Land of Egypt vnder Pharaoh and his Officers out of all which miserie they were deliuered by a gracious God either the one vse or the other was fit 10. Nothing must be reserued till the morning but if any were left it was to be burned with fire to shew both literally mystically that both they and all true beleeuers should be fully deliuered they out of Egypt and both they and all the Faithfull out of sinnes Bondage by the true Paschal Lambe Wherefore as then it should haue béene a gréeuous transgression to reserue part and not wholly to eate it making a diuision of that which ought to be whole so now is it as odious damnable before God to receaue the Bread and not the Cup as Poperie teacheth to doo or to affirme that Christ hath fréed vs from originall sinne but left vs to our selues to make satisfaction for our other sinnes partly in this life and partly in Purgatorie For this is not to eate the Lambe whole but to make a diuision and to reserue part till the morning Their Apish burning also of their consecrated Hosts vpon occasion may héere be thought vpon and more and more their absurd imitations of these Mosaicall Ceremonies be noted Praecepit prius numeros sufficientes ad esum Agni simul imolare pascha docens eos fraternam charitatem miserecordiam erga pauperes Iam admonet vt reliquiae carnium comburantur nec seruentur in posterum diem hoc pacto compelleus illos accersere egenos ad festum communiter celebrandum Deinde quód vetat carnium quippiam relinqui in crastinum sic intelligimus quód futura vita symbolis non indiget ipsas enim res tunc intuebimur Hee commaunded before saith Theodoret a sufficient number to eate the Passeouer teaching them thereby brotherly Charitie and mercie to the poore Now hee admonisheth that what was left should be burned and not reserued till the next day so as it were compelling them to call the poore and needie to them Againe in that nothing must be left till the morrowe wee may vnderstand by it how in the life to come there shal be no vse of signes for as much as we shall behold the things theÌ„selues Now the paschal Lamb we know was a signe c. 11. They must eate it with their loines girt their shooes on their feete their staues in their hands c. That is they must eate it like passengers and trauellers ready to depart figuring so in shew that whosoeuer is a right Eater of the true paschal Lambe Christ Iesus by beléeuing on him hee must not stick downe his staffe in this world and say in his heart It is good being here but he must euer estéeme him selfe as a pilgrime and stranger haue his loynes girt his shooes on and his staffe in his hand readie to depart when the Lord calleth without any looking backe vnto Sodom and sinfull cleauing to this wicked world for we haue not heere an abiding Citie Which how they doo who make this world their GOD much more thinking of it both by day night than they doo of God would be thought of whilest there is time to amend the fault Surely this kinde of men women eate not the passeouer as they ought and therefore their danger is great Note also by the way how He saith it was the Lords passeouer when it was but a Signe of his passing ouer like vnto that Gen. 17. ver 13. with many more Whether they sate or stoode if you aske I take it to be out of Question that they stood but afterward when they were deliuered they sate as we reade of Christ with his Disciples To giue a reason wherof some say that it was the manner of seruants to stand of freemen to sit therefore they now stood as a token of their bondage and seruitude in Egypt but afterward being deliuered they sate in token of their fréedome Yet I rather thinke that they after sate because they vsed after the passeouer eaten to take their owne Supper to bid the poore to them thankfully distributing Gods gifts reioycing for Gods great mercies to them We kneele at our eating and it is the fittest and most séemely manner for vs offering to God our prayers thanksgiuing as we doo When in the 12. verse God said I will execute iudgement vpon all the Gods of Egypt S. Hierome reporteth it out of the Hebrew Writers that in the very same night they departed out of Egypt Omnia Egypti templa destructa fuisse sine terrae motu siue iactu fulminum All the Temples of Egypt were ouer-throwne either
wisheth a Benefice forget his dutie when hee hath got it and suffer his people the Lords Lambes to perish by his sloath Thus doth the Seruant when hee is become a Maister and thus doo thousands who when they were vnmaried and had little thought and said if they had some portion to liue vpon some reasonable competent estate O how would they serue God and doo good things to their power But all is forgotten and they are not the same persons when the Lord in mercie hath giuen them more cause to serue him than euer they had Followe this Meditation farther your selfe and thinke often in your heart what a swéete killing poyson Prosperitie is to many a one and how néedefull this Note of Moses was That they should Remember their duties to God when they were come into that pleasant Land of Promise 15. The Cōmaundement To teach their children what the Passeouer meant noteth vnto vs how the Word Sacraments should goe together not hiding in an vnknowne tongue by neglect of preaching what Gods ordinance is but plainly openly euer ioyning Doctrine to it that the people of God may knowe the Lords meaning in his holy Sacraments so vse them as they ought to his glory and their cōfort Yea the children you sée should not be brought vp in ignorance as ours are to the great prouocation of Gods wrath against vs. But euen when they are young taught and tolde what a Sacrament is and what is meant by the Paschal Lambe for thus would they prooue good seruants of God when yéeres came on and the Lord be honoured in our séede when we are dead Which whether it can be without a blessing from his hand both vpon them and whatsoeuer we leaue vnto them iudge in your owne soule when you haue considered well how sweete and gracious God is how many are his promises how faithfull he euer is in them Doo therefore as followeth in this your Chapter of this people ver 7. They bowed thēselues and worshipped That is they thankfully receaued the Lords pleasure at Moses mouth not as the word of man but as it was in déede the Word of God And they went their way and did as the Lord commaunded Moses and Aaron A blessed obedience both in hearing and doing a chéerefull alacritie and readines such as gladded the heart of Moses and euer will glad all godly Ministers Chronicled héere vp in the Booke of God by the direction of God to the lasting praise of them that were so touched and moued to obey God in his mercie make it also profitable to thy soule good Christian Reader that thou likewise in the Booke of life mayst be Chronicled vp for euermore Amen The second part 1. COncerning the death of the first borne which was the second generall Head noted before to be in this Chapter that which hath béene spoken before in the Denunciation may suffice to which I refer you praying that héere may be obserued the great care of Almightie God to haue this thing well remembred when againe he thus repeateth it with all his Circumstances of time of persons their awaking their crying their desire to bee rid of the Israelites their forcing of them away in all hast c. Surely Gods works for mankinde in generall or for any of vs all in particular to be forgotten must néedes be most displeasing vnto him when we sée such care as this to preserue in his church children a due Remembrance of them Theodoret speaking of these first-borne saith Cur interfecit primogenita Aegypti Propterea quòd Israële prmimogenita Dei Pharaoh nimis durae subiecerat seruituti Hoc enim ipse Dominus Deus dixit Filius meus primogenitus Israel c. Why did he slay the first borne of Egypt Euen because Pharaoh had subiected his first borne Israel to too hard and cruell a bondage For thus speaketh the Lord of Israel Israel my first-borne Sonne c. Againe in this that the first-borne only dyed both of man and beast not the second-borne nor the third-borne wée may with profit well obserue how the differences of children are knowne to God who is first who is second and who is third which may yéelde this vse neuer for any childe to goe about with craft and subtilty or any vnlawfull inuention of man to thrust himselfe into the place and prerogatiue thereof which God in his prouidence hath not giuen him but to abide in the order disposed to him of God and to trust in his mercy who so disposed for feare lest God who knoweth our order seuerely punish vs for breaking his order He could haue made the yongest the eldest if he had pleased he could haue made the 3. to be the 2. if he had so liked But he hath not done it and what he doth is euer best til his owne hand alter the same A contented minde much pleaseth God and a working spirit contrary to his Will as much offendeth him Let it be thought on for there is too much cause in the world giuen and sinne is counted Wisedome 2 This mightie power of God is fearefull and comfortable Fearefull for that in one night yea in one instant and with one word as it were he destroyed so many first-borne in Egypt Comfortable because what iudgment soeuer he vseth and executeth against the wicked yet he can saue his owne in the very middest of death and danger So that not a haire of their heades shal be hurt Thousands may fall on the right hand and tenne Thousands on their left yet no harme happen to them Also this gratious Clemency and Mercy in the Lord is most comfortable who when he could as easily and as iustly haue destroyed all yet in his goodnes that hath neither bottome nor measure he taketh but the first-borne so gratiously humbleth thē by a few This is that which the Prophet speaketh when he beggeth of the Lord in wrath to remēber Mercy so noting his manner and nature euer full of pitty long suffering 3 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron saying get you hence c. That is he sent his Messengers vnto them to will them to depart For Moses saw him no more after the departing mentioned in the tenth Chapter the last verse And in the eleuenth Chapter verse eight you sée Moses foretold that thus his seruants should intreat him to depart Euer till now Pharaoh had some exceptions either of their Children or of their Cattell c. But now all are put in a libertie graunted vnto all and glad and glad to be deliuered of them Thus can God with his mighty arme bring downe the proude stomakes of the greatest and make them yéelde to his Will wholly not in part A fruitfull consideration for those that dayly amongst vs vse to limmit their obedience to God saying either openly or secretly in their hearts Herein will I follow my Teacher and herein I will not Adultery
are set about the Mount to kéepe the people downe with the punishment of death if they passed bounds teach vs what an odious thing to GOD curiositie is in matters forbidden and how God would haue euery man content with that which it pleaseth him to vouchsafe him of reuelation and knowledge Such curiositie is it to aske what God did before he made the world and such like foolish Questions To all which it may be answered as God would not haue the people to créepe vp to the mountaine and to péepe and pry what Moses did there with him but set bounds and limits for them beyond which they should not passe without death So is it still The Lord hath in his Word reuealed his Will and beyond our limits wée must not goe hauing an eare where he hath not a mouth If wée doo for this busie curiositie we shal dye eternally as they for that temporally c. 5 And the third day when it was morning there were thunders and lightning a thicke cloude vpon the mount and the sound of the trump exceeding loude so that all the people that was in the campe was afraide This is the third branch of the particular preparation reaching vnto the 20. verse and containing an increase of the Lordes manner of the communication of himselfe specified before in the 9. verse By all which fearefull things the Lord declared his Maiestie saith Chrisostome and the people were touched with a féeling knowledge of their infirmitie But besides that wée may well learne by it how profitable it is to make a good and carefull hearer of Gods voice First to shake him and throw him downe in himselfe by some good waies and meanes For then assuredly the Word entereth more powerfully he hath a more excellent touch than without such humbling he would euer haue had Remember how the Lord called S. Paul when he was riding to Damascus First throwing him downe and by making a sudden light shine about him from heauen and then when he trembled and was astonâ—ed speaking to him with profitable effect Remember also how there came suddenly from heauen a sound as of a rushing a mighty winde in an other place Surely such rushings shakings spirituall frightings in conscience hath the Lord his gratious meaning in to beate vs downe in our selues that we may more carefully hearken vnto him And because the greater part of men is not acquainted with them therefore they remaine dul hearers and dull hearted so that the Preacher looseth but his labour with them How many haue profited in sicknesse by words spoken who in health neuer cared what was spoken so in debt and pouertie in prison and trouble men haue other eares than they haue in prosperitie Doth not our Chronicle mention a Gentleman who at his death vowed openlie that he had learnd more good touching his soule in a darke hole within the Tower of London in a few daies than euer in all his life when he was in light libertie abroad Full well knoweth God the way to winne vs and happy are we if it please him to vse it how sharpe soeuer it be that yet wée may liue hereafter in ioy though presently for a season wée taste of woe I could tell you by experience if it were néedefull of some that haue said to my selfe they had heard many Sermons and read the Scriptures but they neuer felt either Sermon or Scriptures as then when they so spake béeing some way touched in-wardly by their louing God But be Judge your selfe in your selfe if you know any thing Againe these signes shewed the terror of the law to mens consciences for it thunders it threatens it feareth and frighteth and it vtterly condemneth all men to Hell and damnation were there not a CHRIST to saue vs from it The law causeth wrath saith the Apostle that is it denounceth wrath against vs for that wee cannot kéepe it When Iudas could sée nothing but the Lawe his agonie drane him to hang himselfe So was Saul Achitophel and many others driuen to desperate conclusions feareful ends Wherefore the Apostle well addeth that we are not come to this fearefull mount nor vnto burning fire nor to blacknesse darknesse and tempest c so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake But we are come vnto the Mount Sion to the Citie of the liuing God the coelestiall Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels c. AND TO IESVS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEVV TESTAMENT c. Here here is our helpe against the law without whom we were cast away euery one of vs for cursed is he and she that doth not all things written in the law 6 This descending of the Lord we must vnderstand of the Signes of his pretence and not that the Lord is here not there or there and not here moouing from place to place as man dooth Neither speaketh he as man dooth but his Angell in his person taketh by his power the voice of man and as God is said to speake by his Ministers here so by his Angels then and there as he pleased Remember Steuens words in the Acts This is he meaning Moses that was in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in the wildernes with the Angel WHICH SPAKE TO HIM IN MOVNT SINA c. The iterating of his commandement to Moses to sée that the people passe not their limits which we touched before ver 21. 24. sheweth the itching nature of man after hidden secrets to see and know nouelties And the great dislike God hath of this curiositie and how profitable the presence of the Magistrate is to make people kéepe order For surely men are maruellous apt to transgresse and therefore againe againe they must be admonished by Moses and well if many or any admonitions will serue Giue lawes neuer so good and let there not bée a Gouernour to sée to the execution of them and wée sée with griefe what litle good such lawes doo Well therefore and wiselie haue they spoken who said Lex Magistratus mutus et interdum mortuus Magistratus lex loquens et viua The Law is a dumb Magistrate and sometimes a dead but the Magistrate is a speaking Law and a liuing 7 The Priests also are mentioned aswell as the people that they likewise should not passe their limits wherby wee sée that no dignitie authoritie or higher place may be a warrant to doo more than God permitteth But rather should these before others giue example of sobriety order What Priests were now when as yet the Priesthood was not established men differ in opinion some thinking they were the first-borne and others thinking otherwise as Caluin for One vpen this place to whom I refer such as will and go no further in this Chapter CHAP. 20. 1. THe Congregation béeing prepared as you haue heard to receaue the Law now in this Chap. followeth the Law it selfe it is set down in
the word of God shall be a Sauour of death vnto death in Gods iustice And thus much shall suffice of this Chapter CHAP. 22. THe Lorde goeth-on with more lawes all tending to the explanation of the ten commaundements and in this Chapter verie excelleÌ„t lawes are laid downe which how soeuer they are not in vse among vs yet yeeld this good by the reading and marking of them To teach vs priuatelie in our selues an honest good and holy carriage of our selues Princes may alter laws as circumstances of times and place shall require but the equitie that God had in these laws euer remaineth And therfore what he punished we must auoide if we doo well First hee beginneth with lawes against theft which must bée referred to that Commandement and according to seuerall degrees and differences of theft he maketh seuerall and differing paines If a man steale an Oxe or a Sheepe and kill it or sell it he shall restore fiue Oxen for the Oxe and foure Sheepe for the sheepe The greater theft hath the greater punishment Other Nations by the light of God set in them followed much this course and punished theft diuersly Draco punished it with death Solon if it were manifest with foure folde if not so manifest with double The Rom. 12. Tables did the like Latter lawes with vs make theft death if aboue such a value following therein a constitutioÌ„ of Lothaâ—â—us the Emperour whose summe was aboue fiue shillings An other case concerning theft followeth in the second and third verses If a Thiefe be found breaking vp a house and bee smitten that hee dye no bloud shall bee shed for him his meaning is if this bée in the night But if it bee in the day light blood shall bee shed for him for hee shoulde make full restitution if hee had not wherewith then should he be solde for his thest The lawe therefore appointing that punishment hée should not bée killed that brake a house in the day The Romans twelue Tables followed this equitie and in the night these breakers might bee killed anie waie But in the day not except he defended himselfe by a weapon Our owne lawes haue made a difference betwixt day-thieues and night-thieues as indéede there is much cause to distinguishe them the feare in the night beeing farre greater and the helpe to be had farre lesse with many other circumstances But here may bée a Question asked what is lawfull before God these béeing but ciuill constitutions And answere may be made what God permitteth surely is lawfull before him and hurteth not the censcience if it be done as he permitteth But if our owne affection cruelty and rage step in béeing méere priuate men take héede for wée may doo a thing lawfull not lawfully The Law biddeth kill not but if a man smite to driue a thiefe away and death follow without a killing minde the case is altered for there is inculpatatutela as Lawyers tell vs within the compasse whereof I take this case to bée An other law followeth in the 4. verse That if the theft were found with him aliue he restored double if killed or solde you saw in the first verse an other punishment more heauy So must circumstances direct Iudges to seuerall punishments and the wisdome of God make man wise in all his proceedings They that thinke death too much must remember that euen Gods law made the stealth of man death And Dauid said he that had takeÌ„ the poore mans one sheepe should surely dye Draco made it death as you heard before and the Romans decreed that stealing seruants should first be beaten and then throwen down from a Rock slaine But I pray you would these men that thus pleade for the continuance of this law of Moses That Thieues should restore not dye be aswell content that other lawes should stand in force also as namely That adultery should be punished with death gathering but stickes on the Sabbath day with death c No I warrant you And therefore what they thinke is not a Rule but what God alloweth whose will is euer iustice it selfe and who by his Apostle hath taught That so long as lawes haue this end to be a terror to the euill a defeÌ„ce to the good the forme of them may be diuers Neither now a daies is all theft death but the Iudge weigheth circumstances of neede for sustinance only of the first offence of repeÌ„tance of youth of towardlinesse and such like 2. After theft follow lawes for damages or trespasses done to our Neighbours the Text saith If a man hurt a field or a Vineyard put in his beasts to feed in an other mans field he shall recompence of the best of his owne field of the best of his own Vineyard And if fire breake out and catch in the thornes and stackes of corne or the standing corne or the field be consumed he that kindled the fire shall make full restitution Who knoweth not that the societie of man cannot continue without recompence of losses and harmes Therefore mercifully dooth God regard it make lawes for it Euripides maketh Iocasta speake of this equitie when he giueth her these words Melius est equalitatem colere quae amicos amicis vrbes vrbibus socios socijs deuincit c. Better it is to regard equality which bindeth friends to friends Cities to Cities fellowes to fellowes c. Now equalitie is if I haue hurt any man to make amends that no man be pulled in his estate 3. Concerning pledges borrowing lending c. If a man deliuer his neighbour money or stuffe to keepe and it be stollen out or his house if the thiefe be found hee shall paye the double If the Thiefe bee not found then the maister of the house shal be brought to the Iudges to sweare whether he hath put his hand to his neighbours goods or no That is whether himselfe hath stollen it or no c vnto the 16. verse In all Nations faithfulnesse and truth in matters committed to trust hath béene highly regarded and the contrary punished Therefore euen with Heathens beside recompence imposed hée was infamous that offended this way which how great a punishment it was they sée that rightly consider it The Lawyers called it a ciuile death because it leaueth to a man no honest place among men in the commoÌ„-wealth he being disabled to sue for any thing to giue any voice to be any witnesse or to be of any credit any way There is too much iniquitie amongst men in these matters therefore to be wished greatly that these lawes of God were often read and marked Truth in trust is a iewell of price pleasing to God and man and mest honorable euer to the partie aliue dead Let Christians of all other men so thinke that the waies of God be not ill spoken of for their faults such men had better neuer haue
so small poore wretched vile and miserable Remember Saint Peters words in the tenth Chapter of the Actes If Iudges will be frée from respect of persons then needes must they be free from giftes for giftes will lead their affections will they nill they the olde saying being true Beneficium accepisti libertatem amisisti Hast thou receiued a gift then hast thou lost thy libertie and freedome All this is contained in the words ot the text Thou shalt not esteeme a poore man in his cause And if al Iudges followed this course Hesiodus should not néede to feigne that Astraea hath left the societie of men is flowen vp to heauen But it is to be feared that as Ulisses seruants when he was asléepe opened a bottle which Aeolus had giuen him wherein the windes were all inclosed and so let the windes out they thinking there was treasure in the bottle which as well at sea as at land they loued so some Iudges opening mens purses whilest they looke for gaine let truth escape from them to their owne hurt and the Common-wealthes If any do so God make his word profitable to them and so I leaue them to him 4 It followeth in the text If thou see thine enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt bring him to him againe If thou see thine enemies Asse lying vnder his burden wilt thou cease to helpe him thou shalt helpe him vp againe with it Let vs heere remember that Gods actions are after two sortes generall and particular Generall to all men Particular to his friends So must ours be taking our president from him As therefore by his generall Action he suffereth his Sun to shine vpon the bad aswell as vpon the good and such like so must we extend our loue which is the common bond of mankinde as well to our enemies as to our friends By which common loue all hurting of the bodies or goods wiues or children of our enemies without iust and necessarie cause is forbidden and contrariwise the law of nature to be obserued Quod tibi non nocet alteri prodest praestandum What hurteth not thee and profiteth an other is to be performed From which fountaine of this generall loue spring many lawes and by name this bringing back our enemies straying Oxe and helping vp his oppressed beast That also which you read in Deuteronomie of not destroying the fruit trees in the enemies ground which they did besiege because there is vse of such trees Againe as God hath his speciall action to his friends to his Church namely Sanctification so must friendship which is our speciall Action reach it selfe but to such as are of the householde of faith and our friends For although we must loue with that generall loue all mankinde Turkes Pagans c. Yet to such may we not be friends and familiars but must beware inward and vsuall conuersation with them that hate God and all his graces Both these are conteyned in that rule of Christ Be simple as Doues and wise as Serpents for by the Doues simplicitie is meant we should learne to hurt no bodie but as neere as wee can be helpfull to all by the Serpents wisedome that we should yet know to put a difference betwixt the houshold of faith and Gods enemies betwirt the religious prophane betwixt the godly and the wicked By this distinction you may see better the meaning of that Scripture Loue your enemies Concerning this helping vp of our enemies beast vnder his burden fallen I pray you marke if the margent of your Bible note it not wel That if God commaund vs to helpe our enemies Asse vnder his burden will he euer suffer vs to throw down our brethren with heauie burdens It reacheth to many thinges wherein is hard dealing if you thinke of them Thou shalt not ouerthrow the right of thy poore in his suite Before vers 3. he commaunded that a poore man should not be spared for pittie Héere now he enioyneth that a poore man should not be wronged in respect of his pouertie such equall steppes would God haue Iudgement to walke in Thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and peruerteth the words of the righteous The equitie of this lawe was séene by the dimme eye of Nature for the Romanes as appeareth by the lawes of their twelue Tables Used to punish that Iudge with death which was conuicted to take a Bribe for giuing iudgement Dioclesian the Emperour likewise enacted Sententiam a iudice corrupto prolatam fore ipso iure infirmam sine prouocatione That a sentence giuen by a bribed Iudge should by the lawe bee of no validitie without any farther appeale Now corruption and giftes as One saith are not onely Money Gold Siluer and Presents Sed etiam propter laudem qui iudicat â—ale munus accipit munus quo nihil 〈…〉 anius But he also which iudgeth wrongfully to get PRAISE thereby receiueth a GIFT and a GIFT than which there is nothing more vain Patuit enim illi auris ad accipienduÌ„ iudicium linguae alienae perdidit iudicium conscientiae suae For his eare hath beene open to receiue the flattering verdict of another mans tongue and hee hath lost the comfortable testimonie of his owne conscience Innocentius reprooueth corrupt Iudges with these words Vos non attendit is merit acausarum sed personaruÌ„ non iura sed munera non quod ratio dictet sed quod voluntas affectet non quod liceat sed quod lubeat Nunquam enim vobis est tam simplex oculus vt totum corpus sit lucidum Pauperum causam cum mora negligitis Diuitum causam cum instantia promouetis c. Aliquid semper admittitis fermenti quototam massam corrumpitis In giuing iudgement YOV respect not the worth of the causes but of the person not the lawes but gifts not what reason doth counsail but what the wil doth affect not that which is lawfull in it selfe but that which is pleasing to your selues For your eye is neuer so single that the whole bodie might be light Poore mens causes with prolonging delay you neglect rich meÌ„s causes with instant earnestnes you set forward c. You alwaies mingle some leauen which corrupteth the whole lumpe 5 The law of mercie to strangers vers 9. hath béene touched before therefore obserue next this law of Rest to the ground the 7. yeare for the reliefe comfort of the poore Six yeares shalt thou sow thy land and gather the fruits of it the 7. yeare thou shalt let it rest lie stil that the poore of thy people may eate and what they leaue the beasts of the field shall eate In like maner thou shalt doe with thy vineyard with thy oliue trees with great profit we may note sée this gracious care which the Lord our God hath ouer all his creatures learne
the Lord in great mercie and wisedome that so his people fully busied and pleased with such varietie might haue neither cause nor leasure to looke vnto the wicked Idolatries of the Heathens according to the seuerall charges giuen them of God To beware lest they were taken in a snare to aske after their Gods saying how did these Nations serue their Gods that I may doe so likewise c. Séeing all the abhomination that God hateth they did vnto their Gods burning both their Sonnes and Daughters with fire to their Gods and the Lord would haue them doe onely what he commanded putting nothing vnto it neither taking any thing from it Secondly although Christ be but one and his Sacrifice but one yet great is the fruit and many seuerall mercies flow from him and his death vnto vs. By him our sinnes are dashed and washed out by him Gods wrath against vs is appeased by him we are adopted and taken for the Sonnes of God and Fellow-heires with him by him we are iustified and indued with the holy Ghost inabled thereby to die vnto sinne and to liue vnto righteousnesse walking in his holy Commaundements with comfort and longing for our deliuerance out of this vale of miserie That we may bee cloathed with our house which is from Heauen c. Diuers sorts of Sacrifices therefore were appointed to note by that varietie the varietie of these fruites of Christ to all beléeuers though he be but one Thirdly and lastly there were many sorts of Sacrifices that so plainely the Church might sée that these kinde of Sacrifices were not the true Sacrifices for sinnes For if any one had béen able to take away sinne the other had béen in vain added as the Epistle sayth to the Hebrews Those sacrifices which by the Law were yeerely offered could not sanctifie the commers thereunto For then would they haue ceased to haue been offered because the offerers once purged should haue had no more conscience of sinnes c. Therefore as I say the varietie and multitude of them was of purpose to shew amongst other things the insufficiencie and weakenesse of them In the second and 14. verses of this Chapter you may sée and note of what things they might offer sacrifice lawfully Namely Of Cattell Beefes and Sheepe vers 2 and of foules Turtle Doues or young Pigeons verse 14. For what God commanded that only might they lawfully doe neither adding nor diminishing Therefore detestable before God was that offering of men and children that we read of both amongst Jewes and Gentiles Of the Jewes the Psalme sayth They offred their Sonnes and Daughters vnto Diuels And againe They shed innocent blood the blood of their Sonnes and Daughters which they offred vp to the Idols of Canaan Of the Heathens read how the King of Moab in his distresse tooke his Sonne and offered him c. 2. Kings 3. 27 Happily these Heathens had it from the Patriarches that a man should come by whose Sacrifice Gods wrath should be appeased and they not vnderstanding how that should be namely by Christ founded therevpon this bloody cruelty to offer vp men and children in sacrifice Or else in their reason they framed this argument that if Sacrifices of Béefes shéepe and foules were acceptable to God much more must néeds be offerings of men But it was not so the Lord commaunding the one and abhorring the other Concerning these lawfull Sacrifices a good Note is giuen that forasmuch as God is pleased to receiue his Sacrifices of such thinges as man hath for his common meat béefe and shéepe c. Why should vile earth and ashes so hunt for delicacies to pamper vp their sinfull bodies as they doe neuer thinking any thing daintie ynough that may be gotten for the things sacrificed Ea sibi sacrificari iussit Deus quae ab Egyptijs pro Deo coluntur nempe de numero quadrupeduÌ„ Vitulum Capram Ouem é volatilibus Tuâ—turem pullos Columbarum c. vt sacrificijs destinata ne Deos putarent sedeum solum adorarent cui conuenit ista offerri Sic de immundis c. God would haue these things sacrificed vnto him which the Egyptians worshipped for Gods to wit of foure footed creatures the Calfe the Goat the Shéepe of soules the Turtle Doue young Pigeons c. that being thus appointed for sacrifice the Israelites might well know and sée that they were no Gods but that they ought to worship him onely to whom all these things were offered So of vncleane things c. If his Sacrifice be a whole burnt offering of the heard hee shall offer a Male without blemish c. Here begin the seuerall sorts and kindes of Sacrifices and first is named the burnt Offering and 3. sorts thereof One of the heard in this verse A second of the Flocke verse 10. and the third of foules verse 14. Concerning the first kinde you may obserue first in what case it was vsed and secondly with what rites and after what sort It was vsed both by the ancient Patriarkes their succéeding posteritie cheefely in the agonies of their consciences in their worldly distresses and their greatest feares to confirme their faith in God his assured assistance when and how his good pleasure should be that he would not forget them forsake them and leaue them but surely and mercifully he present with them looke vpon them and helpe them to their contentment and comfort When the Floud was ceased and Noah should enter out of the Arke to comfort his heart after such a great danger and heauy iudgement of an angry God vpon all flesh and to assure his soule of Gods gracious fauour to continue towards him for future times as it had mightily shewed it selfe for the time passed He built an Altar to the Lord and tooke of euerie cleane beast and of euerie cleane foule and offered a whole Burnt Offering vpon the Altar The Lord pleased therewith gaue him comfort accordingly and promised no more so to curse the ground againe for mans cause neither any more to smite all thinges liuing as he had done From thence forth there should be againe seede-time haruest cold and heat Summer and Winter day and night should not cease so long as the earth remayned When the Israelites endeauouring to reuenge that great wickednesse of the Beniamites to the Leuites wife and were twise fearefully ouerthrowne by the Beniamites then they went vp to the house of God and wept and fasted and offered Burnt Offerings c. When the Philistines came vp against Israel to fight with them and the Israelites were sore affraide then Samuel offered a Burnt Offering to confirme and comfort them and behold the effect the Lord thundred with great thunder vpon the Philistines and scattered them so that they were slaine before Israel When that great plague was amongst the people for Dauids sinne in numbring the people then in that griefe
in prison by his enemies getting leaue to go into the prison to him on a time gaue him her clothes to escape in and shee taking his remained in his place to abide any danger that might ensue rather than hee should be oppressed by his foes Such those worthy women that when the Citie was besieged by Frederick Barbarossa and at last licence giuen to the women that they might depart taking onely such things with them as they could themselues cary in stead of any worldly riches which they inioyed they tooke vpon their backes and vnder their armes their husbands and children parents and kinsfolks to the eternal praise of their vertue and the great astonishment of their enemies that looked on and saw it Vnfaithfulnesse and treacherie to husbands hath left an other report in Stories if I should enter into it But such hatefull things are better forgotten and neuer knowne These gracefull Vertues let all gracious women thinke of and leaue behinde them the like praise Silence againe or little speach what a vertue what a preseruer of peace if a woman be blessed with it The contrary what hurt and bywords hath it wrought Prouerbio dicitur Tres mulieres nundinas facere The Prouerbe saith That three women make a fayre And words are wanting to women as singing is to the Nightingale who is sayd to bée onely a voyce in respect of the sound shée giueth foorth being so little a Birde as verses are wanting to a Poet Figures of speach to an Orator or false arguments to a Sophister that is they abound with them and often superabound Few words in a woman is a great ornament And many a woman holding her peace is better thought of than when shee speaketh Loquitur aut viro aut per virum A woman speaketh either to her husband or by her husband To her husband orderly and necessarily by her husband as vnwilling to tattle much with strangers séeking the praise of a roling tongue and loosing paraduenture the renowne of modestie and wisedom Looke how milke is said to kill the force of Gun-powder so be euer assured that soft words or silence will do to anger betwixt man and wife And let these things worke a loue of little speach not multiplying wordes with your husband especially when hée is mooued and grieued with some other matters bying and reuying and will hée still he still hauing the last word For surely that doth no good The old Paynters if they pictured a woman were euer wont to put vnder her foote a Snayle aswell to remember this vertue of silence to her which is in the Snayle as of carying her house vpon her backe as the Snayle doth Yet such silence is meant as doth not abandon affabilitie and curtesie when there is cause for this also is another great preseruer of loue and amitie in so much that the wise man saith Mulier comis exhilerat maritum cum humaniter illum tractat cor illius reficit ac recreat A gentle and milde woman maketh glad her husband and when she dealeth courteously with him she refresheth and recreateth his very heart Louing speach is a Phisition to the minde to cléere it and cleanse it from much grief Hee that will take birds may not come to them with a staffe saith the old Prouerbe but a sweete sounding pipe is more auailable and thinke you that shee which will haue her husbands liking must vse harsh and bitter words What a power had wise Abigael ouer that fierce anger of valiant Dauid with her soft words and milde speach euen when hee had but death and blood in his heart towards her husband and his familie for the great contempt shewed vnto him Could rough and sower speaches haue so preuailed No no you knowe fire is not quenched with fire but with cold soft water Pax mansuetudo characteres animae piae Peaceablenesse and mildenesse they are the notes markes and prints of a good minde and of a holy Christian soule But this is enough I will goe no further Try me and trust me you shall not repent it Let the weapons of a woman bée either soft words or modest silence with a dropping teare if there bée wrong done and it shall pierce a heart of stéele working such effects as all the hote speach that an vnbridled tongue can vtter shall not bring foorth Wisedome and discretion againe in a wife O powerfull meane to make loue and to doe much good A wise woman saith the Holy Ghost buildeth her house but the foolish destroyeth it with her owne hands By a wise woman her husband is knowen in the gate when hee sitteth with the Elders of the Land Strength and honour is her clothing and in the latter day shee shall reioyce Shee openeth her mouth with wisedome and the law of Grace is in her tongue c. Communitie of things betwixt couples worketh Amitie and Myne and Thyne betwixt them should not bée heard They are Yoke-fellowes and which is much more they are one therefore their diuided goods may not diuide them but what the one hath the other ought to haue and bée ioynt possessours of whatsoeuer God granteth Let not the man deny what is fit to his wife for shée hath a right and let not the wife grudge her husband hers for hee hath a preheminence If you put water into wine and the water bée more yet it is still called wine and euen so the womans portion put to the mans is called his although hers is the greater If vse be common and loue hearty for names and titles of order and custome wise couples will not contend to the quenching of one sparkle of Loue. Lastly an Houswifely care of her Familie and all things belonging thereunto cleanlinesse order and such like as it beautifieth a woman so pleaseth it a man and the effect of it is loue and liking If these be not the contrary followeth For the first wée all know vnlesse a getter without haue a keeper within hée shall bée like one that filleth a vessell at the other end whereof one draweth out as fast as hée putteth in For the second it both delighteth and profiteth things pleasing more that are fresh and well keept and lasting longer being not dayly vsed The third thing order what a praise it is may appeare by the consideration of your graine onely what a thing it were if all sorts should bee put together Wheat Rye Oates Barley Pease Beanes and not euery kinde layde by it selfe It would ouerthrow the vse and good euen of all or else procure a worke to seuer them againe These things then and such like will worke such Amitie Vnitie and Loue betwixt man and wife that the matter of Diuorce shall neuer come in any question no not in thought by any man indued with either pietie or reason Wherefore I haue rather chosen briefly to note them than to speake any thing of
and bondage May not we remember burnings and killings and most hateful handlings of bloudic Butchers and persecutors May not we remember great warres and dissentions in this our natiue Countrie the fall of our friends and the change of many houses May not we remember great impositions and payments and in one word verie many miseries and calamities Laying them to the present times wherein we enioy truth and libertie of conscience without either death or danger or so much as any feare what a change is this to a man or woman that knoweth and feeleth the blessing O that we may send vp to God most thankful thoughts for it while we liue Now againe we entoy peace such as no Nation hath had the like We are not eaten vp with heauy and continuall payments but we liue as in heauen by comparison to former times The Lord hath driuen away the Cananites that would haue inuaded coÌ„quered had not he resisted for vs and ouerthrowne them He hath made vs a terror to our foes â—a refuge or sanctuarie for our friends when earst forreigne nations were Lords ouervs And for the last point we haue no more certaintie of abode here theÌ„ they had but looke for the same end of faith an induring house in heaneÌ„ Let vs theÌ„ do what we ought to do and what they did thank God most hartily for the change beséech him in his bottomles mercie to coÌ„tinue his fauors to vs that in peace we may liue in peace die in peace that neuer endeth liue with him for euer God for his sons sake grant it to vs. AmeÌ„ Amen CHAP. XXIIII IN this Chapter the first thing spoken of are the Lights vsed in the Tabernacle whereof mencion was made also before in the 17. Chapter These lights were not ordeined for our imitation now vnder the Gospel but in those times of shadows and figures they signified that while they were thus vsed the true light was not yet come by which all true beléeuers should be deliuered from the darknesse of death as Saint Paul speaketh of the Tabernacle Heb. 9. Papists lights then vsed still in their Churches and Massing places are euident signes that themselues see not the true light and as much as lyeth in them they thus confirme that Iewish expectance of the true light Christ as if yet hée were not come I know they haue their excuses or reasons for euerie thing but who is able to abide most of them As in this particular why vse they lights Forsooth in representation of the Trinitie the wax representing the Father the weeke the Sonne and the light the holy Ghost This boldnesse is fearefull and sinfull hauing neither warrant fitnesse nor reuerence Away with these lights therfore and imbrace we the true light who lightneth all that come into the world c. 2 This light also was a figure of true doctrine which euer must shine in the Church and Tabernacle of God The oyle Oliue which they are commaunded to bring you see here must bee pure to note that doctrine must haue no mixture of mans deuices but be pure The Priest is the man that hath charge of these lights and God his Ministers still are the Ministers of light and haue the charge of it in the house of God Happie they if they be carefull of it to their best abilitie that they may one day heare that ioyfull voyce Come come thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull ouer little and therefore now I will make thee ruler ouer much Enter enter into thy Maisters ioy c. 3 The next thing spoken of is the Shew-bread spoken of also before It likewise represented that as yet the true bread from heauen was not come That it is God vpon whom the eyes of all things wait and that openeth his hand feeding both man and all his creatures with his blessings That God so loued the Iewes as hee had them continually at his table with him yea euery Tribe particularly he loued there being 12. Cakes for euerie Tribe one c. More you may see Chap. 25. 4 The third thing touched in this Chapter is the matter of blasphemie vers 10. wherin your words are these And there went out among the children of Israel the son of an Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian and the sonne of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel stroue together in the host So the Israelitish womans sonne blasphemed the name of God and cursed and they brought him vnto Moses And they put him in ward till he told them the mind of the Lord. Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Bring the blasphemer without the host and let all that heard him put their hands vpon his head and let all the Congregation stone him And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying Whosoeuer curseth his GOD shall beare his sinne And hee that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death aswell the stranger as he that is borne in the land when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord let him be slaine What this blaspheming was if you looke your marginall note it saith by swearing or despiting God Interpreters mencion diuerse opinions and scanne both the Hebrew wordes and the Greeke translation of them all which I omit as still mindfull for whom I lahour and I ioyne with him that saith Ego hunc locum sic intelligo quod filius viri Egyptii male precatus sit alteri in iurgio vt fieri solet exoptauerit ei exitium aut calamitatem idque non simpliciter sed per nomen Dei. Non dixit tantum exopto tibi malum sed addidit ac diserte nominanit Deum aut nomen Domini inquiens Dominus det tibi malum per dat te perpetuo I vnderstand this place thus that the sonne of the Egyptian father cursed the other in chiding as the maner is wishing destruction or some calamitie to him and that not simplie but by the name of God For hee said not onely I wish thee euill but added and plainly named God or the name of God saying the Lord giue some euill to thee and vtterly destroy thee Our fearful damned phrases are Gods curse light on thee the plague of God take thee c. Which kind of speaking is most grieuously to abuse the name of God and to prophane it being not onely a breach of the second Table concerning the loue of our neighbour but a breath also of the first Table by taking his most holy name in vain This grieuous offender therfore is not winked at by theÌ„ that heard him neither yet punished by them that had no authoritie out of a colour of zeale but he is orderly and by a right zeale carried to Moses the magistrate and his offence opened there Moses againe although such a man yet will do nothing hasâ—ily in iudgement and especially touching life but he will be
him to serue as a bond seruant But as an hired seruant and as a soiourner shall he be with thee he shall serue thee vnto the yeare of Iubile Before it was said that seruants should go frée at the seuenth yeare here that this solde man should serue till the Iubile how agrée these together Surely it is to be vnderstood of such as hauing their eares bored haue made themselues seruants vnwilling to depart Whâ— therefore in regard of longer assurance of them might hapâ—ily haue beene hardlier vsed of some masters than they that should be free sooner Lastly when it is sayd vers 42. For they are my seruants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt they shall not be sold as bond-men are solde Thou shalt not rule ouer them cruelly but shalt feare thy God Let vs remember that albeit Moses lawe in these things hath his end for forme yet the equitie still bindeth in these things the estate of seruants vnder the Gospel brought and bought out of spirituall Egypt bondage of sinne by Christ the Lord may not bee worse than it was vnder the Law when you see they might not be cruelty ruled and dealt with To this end the Apostles exhortation teudeth Ephes 6. 9. And let thy soule loue a good seruant saith the Wise man and leaue him not a poore man Other things in this Chapter I leaue to your owne reading and these seruing for a taste of the fruit of it I stay here CHAP. XXVI HAuing now made an end of his Lawesâ— in this Chapter the Lord most effectually exhorteth to the obedience of the same First by his gracious promise of blessing if they so did and secondly by a fearefull threatning of punishment if they did otherwise His blessings which he promiseth are these First fruitfulnesse of the ground in the 4. and 5. verses I will send you raine in due season and the land shall yeeld her encrease and the trees of the field shall giue their fruit and your threshing shall reach vnto the vintage and the vintage shall reach vnto sowing time and you shall eate your bread in plenteousnesse and dwell in your land safely 2 Secondly forasmuch as the fruitfulnesse of their ground should be little woorth if the enemie came in and spoyled it or euill beasts deuoured either it or them therefore the Lord promiseth them peace and publique tranquilitie both from man and beast saying I will send peace in the land and you shall sleepe and none shall make you afraâ—d also I will rid euill beasts out of the land and the sword shall not goe through your land 3 The third blessing promised is victorie ouer their enemies when he saith And you shall châ—se your enemies and they shall fall before you vpon the sword And fiue of you shall chase an hundred and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight and your enemies shall fall before you vpon the sword 4 The fourth blessing is increase of the fruit of their bodies in these wordes For I will haue respect vnto you and make you increase and multiply you and establâ—sh my Couenant with you 5 To this increase of people hée will also giue increase of foode without which the more populâ—us the more miserable Ye shall eate old store sayth he and carrie out old because of new 6 Finally in few wordes much I will set my Tabernacle among you and my soule shall not loath you Also I will walke among you and I will be your God and you shall bee my people I am the Lord your GOD which haue brought you out of the land of Egypt that yee should not bee their bond-men and I haue broken the bondes of your yoke and made you goe vpright This I say againe in few wordes is much nay all all For what can want to that people nation towne or house where God dwelleth and walketh being their God and they his people If I walke in the shadow of death sayth Dauid I will not feare for thou art with mâ—e c. See and reade with this Chapter the 28. of Deut. Upon these grounds are all the exhortations of the Prophets 7 Yet take it not as though euer where these out-warde blessings are there were Gods fauour and loue For by these things sayth the Scripture No man knoweth loue or hate and The wicked swim in wealth sayth Dauid and haue no misfortunes like other men The LORD suffereth both his raine to fall and his Sunne to shine aswell vpon the euill as the good Blessed are the people that bee in such a case but rather blessed are they that haue the Lord for their God And therefore one truly instructed sayth againe with Dauid The greater sort of people doe wish thâ—s things but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon mee c. Secondly touching these promised blessings you must euer beware of appoynting GOD a time or of fainting and slipping from God if by and by our expectation and desire bee not answered But though he tarrie waite for hee shall surely come and shall not stay Your prayer is dayly Thy will be done Thus of blessings promised 2 The Lords second Argument as I sayd is drawne from Punishments assured if they would not obey his lawes verse 14. and so forward Where first you may do well to obserue how the word MY is repeated in the 15. verse Mine Ordinances My Lawes My Commandements My Couenant It teacheth vs that it is sinne in déede which is committed against GODS commaundements not against I know not what superstitions traditions of men as neither is the obedience to them any obedience cared for of God 2 As before we were not to conclude sauour and loue vpon the outward blessings nâ—med so neither now may we reason from these affâ—ictions euer to hatred or dislike For as outward blessings befall the euill so out-ward crosses befall the good and diuerse are the endes why God afflicteth his children not euer for sinne nor in anger But whom the Lord loueth he chastiseth c. Abel was slaine that the lot of the godly might bée noted in him Iob sore afflicted for the triall of his faith and the Churches instruction Ioseph imprisoned and much wronged that first he might be humbled and then exalted The blind man in the Gospell neither for his owne sinnes nor his parents but that Gods glorie might appeare The Apostles afflicted that they might learne and we know our Maister his kingdome is not of this world By impietie iudge of crosses not by crosses of impietie 3 The punishments in particular threatned to all wilfull contemners of Gods will it is better for you to reade as they lie in the Text then for mee to stand vpon They are many they are fearefull manie and sore diseases Inuasion by enemies whereof see example Iudg. 6. and 10. and 2. Chron.
performance of what they promise And those in honestie 〈◊〉 firme vntill they bée either performed or r 〈…〉 ased by him or them to whom they were made Religious Vowes are such as are made to performe thereby some worship to GOD and they are of two sortes either such as are Vere Religiosa Truely religious Or Speciem habent or such as haue a shewe of Religious Vowes Truely Religious are they that bynde to the performance of things commaunded as that in Baptisme named before and in the other Sacrament of the LORDS Supper with such like In Prayer also and Thanksgiuing vnto which vsually Vowes were annexed in Prayer shewing their most earnest desire to obtaine their requests at Gods hand and in thanksgiuing shewing their due féeling of his goodnesse and in regard thereof promising to doe this or that lawfull thing when they should come to the place where Sacrifices onely were to be offered all places as you know béeing not allowed but the place which God did choose from which many Iewes dwelled farre came but at times And as prayers were made in perill of sicknesse of sea of warre and such like so were Vowes Such as haue a shewe of Religious Vowes are those that are deuised for the honouring of God but haue no warrant from him neither indéede are allowed of him And these againe may be said to bée of two sorts For sometimes they are directly against and â—ontrary to the Word as to vow any mans death as they did Pauls in the Acts to vow to call vpon Saints and Creatures in our prayers with such like Sometimes they are not contrary yet not expresly commanded but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indifferent And these things béeing drawen by a vowe from their true nature of indifferencie and made necessarie to saluation and to Gods seruice there is a will-worship dispeasing to God But because this matter of Vowes will come in a more fit place to be spoken of if God please in the Booke of Numbers there 〈◊〉 leaue the orderly Treatise of them to that pl 〈…〉 9 The reference here made to the 〈◊〉 farre it is from establishing any Popish eare-shri 〈…〉 〈…〉 ry childe may perceiue and therefore weake is that doctrine that leaneth vpon such weake grounds I haue else where sufficiently disprooued this error and therefore stand not vpon it here 2. The second part of the Chapter is concerning Tythes which matter hath been also some-what touched before with this people of the Iewes there were three kindes of Tythes One that was yearely giuen to the Leuites of all corne and cattle An other that the Leuites payd to the Priests out of those which they receiued of the people which Tythes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tythes out of tythes whereof you read Numb 18. 26. Speake also vnto the Leuites and say vnto them when yee shall take of the Children of Israel the Tythes which I haue giuen you of them for your inheritance then shall yee take an heaue offering of that same for the Lord euen the tenth part of the tythe A third that was payed euery third yeare beside the general tythes out of all fruites growen vpon the earth and layd vp to the reliefe of the poore and of the Leuites and strangers which tythes were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poores tythes whereof yo 〈…〉 ead Deutro 14. 28. At the end of the third yeare thou shalt bring foorth all the tythes of thine increase of the same yeare and lay it vp within thv gate c. Read the Marginall Note there in your Bible The like againe in the 26. Chap. The paying of tythes wil tauâ—ht them that life and all the nourishments of life which the â—arth yealdeth are the giftes of a gracious God that ouer and aboue all deseruings powreth his mercies vpon men They maintained the Ministerie relieued the poore c. As hath been sayd and they shadowed Christ the inheritance of the Leuites and as yet of all Ministers and the comfort of all men that depend vpon him The number of Ten is a perfect number and absolute beside which there is no other which is not conteyned in it So is Christ the beginning and end of all And they taught that a part being made holy by dedication to God all the rest should bée holily vsed and neither spent in ryot and sinne nor hoorded vp to make a dearth and famine to the destruction of the poore c. 2 There are spirituall tythes which the godly haue a care euer to giue vnto God by referring all the gifts of body and minde which the Lord had bestowed vpon them to the seruice and glory of his Name Which tythes Pharaoh payd not when hee said Who is the Lord that I should obey him or heare him Neither Asshur when he boasted of his strength and power against God whereof Esay 10. Verse 7 and so on read it I pray you Neither Nabuchadnezzar Antiochus and others that being wormes meate and dust yet insulted ouer God and forgot themselues God kéepe vs out of the companie of them and the ranke with them and God graunt that wée may carefully as wée are able giue the Lord Tythe of our seuerall abilities any way My Brethren the Ministers of his holy Word and Sacraments by teaching and labouring euery way to saue foules and to bring men to the fold of Christ neuer caring what euill men may say of their preaching or writing of the plainenesse of it manner of it or such like but pitching their eyes and hearts vpon God and his people Feede feede feede his Sheepe his Lâ—mbes the price of his Sonnes blood with all their loue strength thinking whilest there is 〈◊〉 how much the prayse of man for curiositie eloquence and affectation shall differ from the praise of GOD when hee shall say O good and faithfull seruant c. What should I adde some men will scorne all admonition yet all neither doe nor will So to fly a pitch here as a man may both fly-vp and pitch in heauen hereafter is an happy thing And I say no more Thus much shall suffice of this Booke called Leuiticus the vse whereof I shewed in the beginning and I hope haue now fully made manifest by the perticulars that haue been handled My poore labour I humbly commend to him that made my heart and knoweth my heart Hée hath blessed and can blesse euery mans indeauours according to his gracious will and pleasure In which had I not rested too well I know these dayes and times what discouragements they yéeld many wayes than in them to haue gone foreward any further but to haue staied with that which I began when things were better taken Yet blessed bée GOD hée hath his portion and Wisedome is iustified of her children The Preacher saith Saint Gregorie should bee like the Smiths burning iron which not onely heateth those that are neare but casteth sparkes farre of The Sunne saith