owne mother Which indéed properly is but Affinitie but because shee is a kind of mother it is put héere among those that are of Consanguinitie The Heathens detested this vncleanenes and therefore S. Paule speaking of it saith It is heard certainly that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not once named among the Gentiles that one should haue his fathers wife Wherefore more monstrous was the saying of the step-mother of Anthonie Caracalla for when Anthony was so bewitched with her beauty that he desired to marrie her and sighing sayd O if it were lawfull She shamefully answered if thou list it is lawfull for Princes giue lawes take not A most vntrue speach in things concerning the law of nature as well confelsed Dionysius when his mother would haue married otherwise than became her age sayd O mother the ciuil lawes of man may be changed altered but the law of Nature may not The Apostle vrgeth this law you know in a small matter as vnchangeable saying Doth not Nature tell you it is a shame to a man if hee haue long haire c. Much more then are the weightie poynts of Natures Law not to bee altred and changed as by these wicked marriages they are Remember Ruben his incest with Bilhah and Absolons with his fat 〈…〉 s concubines and see the end 5 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of thy sister the daughter of thy father or the daughter of thy mother whether shee be borne at home or borne without thou shalt not discouer their shame This belongeth to the collaterall line wherein Marriage is not euer forbidden as in the streight line This Law forbiddeth the sister by both Parents that is the full sister or the halfe sister the full by both the halfe by one For by borne at home is vnderstood the sister borne of an other wife in thy fathers house and by borne without the sister of thy mother married to an other man out of her house where shée dwelled before Ammons incest with Thamar his sister was against this Lawe and many other like matches Herodotus writeth that Cambyses King of Persia coueting to marrie with his sister asked his Counsellers whether there was any Lawe to permit the brother to marrie with the sister they answered after deliberation that they could finde no Lawe commaunding such marriage but they found a Law whereby it was permitted to the King of Persia to doe what hée list A most vile answere when the Question was of the Law of Nature But you will say in the beginning it was thus that brethren and sisters married and such like Saint Augustin answereth True it is because of necessitie there being then no choyce But the older this thing may be said to bee in regard of such necessitie the more damnable it is now because Religion forbiddeth it 6 The shame of thy sonnes daughter or of thy daughters daughter thou shalt not I say vncouer their shame for it is thy shame This is the right line againe wherin neuer marriage is lawful and was touched before verse 7. 7 The shame of thy fathers wiues daughter begotten of thy father for shee is thy sister thou shalt not I say discouer her shame This is a repetition as men thinke of the Lawe before verse 9. to shew that that Lawe was to be vnderstood of a sister by the one parent or other and not of a sister by marriage of father and mother For the husbands sonne by another wife may marrie with his wiues daughter by an other man albeit they be brother and sister in lawe 8 Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy fathers sister for shee is thy fathers kinswoman Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy mothers sister for shee is thy mothers kinswoman These two Lawes concerne the Aunt by father or mother It is a law of Nature And as it is not lawfull for the man to marrie his mothers sister so it is not for the woman to bée married to her mothers brother because these persons be as Parents So goe on to the great Aunt by father or mother 9 Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy fathers brother That is thou shalt not goe into his wife for she is thy Aunt Now hée commeth to affinitie as the Vncles wife by either father or mother that is either my fathers brothers wife or my mothers brothers wife for these are as step-father or step-mother 10 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of thy daughter in Law for she is thy sonnes wife Therefore shalt thou not vncouer her shame This is the neerest affinitie that is of the father to his daughter in law and the mother in law to her sonne in law Therefore it is no marriage lawfull Read Chap. 20 Vers 12. 11 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of thy brothers wife for it is thy brothers shame This was to bée vnderstood then during the life of his brother and so in the next Chap. verse 21. For otherwise in those dayes it was lawfull for the brother to raise vp séede to his brother Deut. 25. But now it bindeth vs euer as appeareth by Iohn to Herod It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy brothers wife 12 Thou shalt not discouer the shame of the wife and of her daughter neither shalt thou take her sonnes daughter nor her daughters daughter to vncouer her shame for they are thy kinsfolkes and it were wickednesse These horrible incests are well knowne to any and therefore néed no further speach God giue grace and strength to auoyd them according to our knowledge 13 Thou shalt not take a wife with her sister during her life to vexe her in vncouering her shame vpon her Know that Moses héere hath written but a bréefe of these matters not naming all but leauing to Naturall reason by these examples to vnderstand all others which by the same Law of Nature are forbidden Moses nameth not the Vncle by Father or Vncle by Mother But as in genealogies commonly the mention is of men so in these descriptions of Marriages lawfull and vnlawfull mention is made but onely of women But the same degrees restraine both men women If any man thinke of some marriages of holy men in scripture contrary to these Rules let him remember that wée now liue by lawes and not by examples What God then either approoued or tolerated let vs neither rashly condemne nor vnaduisedly follow but obediently tary within the precinâ—â—s of the law of nature And again in these cases let it euer be remeÌ„bred as good reason is it should not only what is lawfull but what also is conuenient and fit to be done For many things are lawfull which are no way yet expedient but most vnfit in regard of some circumstances 14 Thou shalt not goe to a woman to vncouer her shame whilest shee is put a part for her disease Neither
was an Idolater the people followed him and what did the Lord to him till he saw his fall and was most sorry for it The whole state of the Iewes how was it ouer throwne for this wickednesse Read that notable Chapter of Ieremie the Prophet from that 28. verse forward It is true may some say Idolatrie grieuously offendeth God but what is Idolatrie Let that person know that euery worship not commanded of God is Idolatrie the worship also that is commanded if it be done in other maner then is commanded To make it plaine the worshipping of God in and vnder that similitude of a golden Calfe was therefore Idolatrie because God commanded and appoynted no such thing were their intent neuer so good their distinction betwixt God the calfe neuer so plainely made Againe to offer those sacrifices which the law appointed and by God were commaunded with affiance in that out-ward worke done was Idolatrie because in a thing commanded they did not vse the maner commaunded So so God make it enter is the reading of Lessons of Scripture saying of Prayers singing of Psalmes Fasting and such like very offensiue to God and plaine Idolatrie when they are vsed with an opinion of merit the Lord Iesus robbed by them of that praise that is only due to him for meriting our reconciliation with God and eternall saluation Beware beware we then how we kindle the wrath of him against vs that hath here vowed to set his face against such persons to cut them off and their Families also with them although the Magistrate wink and will not sée what the Lord hath willed him both to sée and to punish Yea the Lord will himselfe bée reuenged both of doer and sufferer bée hée Father Husband Master Magistrate or whatsoeuer bound by place and Office to looke to such things and to reforme them And therefore beware of winking at and suffering what you are able to amend Great is the good that a willing Superiour may doe although nor euer what hée would through the enuie and practises of some that should not hinder For it is true that either sincerely or at least séemingly inferiours will frame to his will that is ouer them And séemingly I say because all is not euer gold that glistereth And I remember when certaine Embassadours praysed the Lacedemonian souldiers for being so orderly who before had béen so iniurious one of them answered No no the prayse is not ours that wee are thus changed for wee are the same men still but wee haue now another Captaine and hee it is that ordereth vs c. Thus goe ouer your Chapter and sée the seuerall punishments annexed to euery lawe and feare his wrath that is so strong and iust CHAP. XXI Three principall Heads are contained in this Chapter The Priests mourning for the dead His Marriage His bodily qualities COncerning the first the Priests in the Law might not lament and mourne for euery one but for such as here are mentioned Namely His kins-man that is neere vnto him by his mother or by his father or by his sonne or by his daughter or by his brother or by his sister a mayde that is neere vnto him which hath not had an husband for her hee may lament c. The drift of this whole matter in short was to restraine them from such Heathenish fashions as were then vsed among the Gentiles round about them who vsed to cut themselues to teare their cloathes to beate their heads and foolishly many wayes to vse themselues In the 19. Chapter before this was touched Ezek. 44. you may reade of it and in the 6. of Baruch directly contrary to this Law did the Priests mourne Yet euen Gentiles did sée the folly of much of this as Bion his speach sheweth who tested at Agamemnons furious pulling of his haire and saide hée pluked it of as though baldnesse were an excellent remedie to aswage griefe 2 That of following his sisters Funerall not married and not following if shee were married was not to derogate any thing from that holy Ordinance of God but because his sister marryed was ingrafted into another house and familie and so was not the next of kinne in that respect 3 The high Priest might neither follow father nor mother nor any A thing that God would haue to distinguish the Priests among themselues and so to shewe how he not onely liketh and alloweth of degrées among thē but euen he maketh the same degrées appointeth some higher some lower some to doe this others not to doe that that reuerence may bée among themselues one to another and of all the people to them all Allegorically this restraint of the High Priest from that which was then a legall pollution noted that in Christ was no spot nor blot nor pollution of any sort whatsoeuer And the suffering of others to goe that in them also touching themselues there was originall corruption aswell as in others howbeit their Office was more excellent and gaue them preheminence aboue other men Popish priests say their Priest-hood was shadowed by this in the Lawe yet they vse shauing and going to Funerals c. 2. Of the Second Point concerning their Marriage your Chapter sayth They shall not take to wife an Whore or one polluted neither shall they marry a woman diuorced from her husband for such a one is holy vnto his GOD. Thou shalt sanctifie him therefore for he offereth the bread of thy GOD he shall be holy vnto the c. All which things are thus layde downe to giue credite to his Office and function and to shadow out that the Church which is the Spouse of the great High-Priest Christ Iesus is and should be without wrinkle a chaste Virgin holy vndefiled by imputation through Christ If Marriage had béen such an vnfit thing for the Priests the Lord could as easily haue simply forbidden them to marry at all as thus to haue limited them what manner of women they should marry But neuer shall they sée whom God in wrath hath blinded How plainely héere doth God require reuerence to them and magnifieth their Office that they offered the bread of God and were holy yet marryed but I will not enter into this matter it hath béene touched before that Marriage euer was honourable among all men and the bed vndefiled And Let euery man haue his wife and euery woman her husband c. The heauen and earth were ashamed when time was of their holinesse that vnder the colour of holinesse forbad marriage and the Lords wrath is vpon the houses where they dwelt to this day c. 3. The Third Poynt concerning bodily qualities in the Priests beginneth in your Chapter heere at the 17. verse making exceptions against all blemishes and particularly making mention of diuers which may not bée so taken as if God respected the outward fauour and personage of any man For when Samuel went to annoint Dauid and sawe
Egypt Then hee tooke Zipporah Moses wife c and went vnto him Thereby noting that the hearing of Gods great and wonderfull workes done for his people mooued his heart to come and ioyne himselfe to them so entereth God to the heart by the eare vsuallie And therefore the vse of the eare to heare of God and his workes out of his word euer cried for in the Scriptures and the stopping of the same euer condemned as to GOD rebellions and to the soule most hurtfull and pernitious O that it might sinke and settle in all men for their amendment and encrease of care and conscience to heare 2. What is Iethro A Gentile Where dwelt hee In Midian a good way of Gentiles then heare and Iewes will not they that dwell farre of come and they that are néere will not He that but heareth is much mooued they that sée with their eyes and féele with their hands Gods works and mercies murmure repine sinfully Doo not things fall out thus in our dayes and finde wee not by erperience to the griefe of all good mindes that plentie is no daintie would GOD wee did not But let vs in time remember what is spoken for our admonition if wee haue grace Manie shall come from the East and West and shall sitte downe with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the Kingdome of Heauen And the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Woe be to thee Chorazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackcloath and ashes The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it for she came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and beholde a greater than Salomon is heere Then Christ in his person now Christ in his word the same Christ God and man euer aboue Salomon who was his creature 3. Iethro brought with him Moses wife whom he had sent away and her two sonnes ver 3. The time when hee sent her away I doo not remember to be expressed in the Scripture But of like it was when shee shewed her selfe so crosse and weyward about the circumcision of her sonne to the hazard of Moses owne life whom the Lord would haue killed for neglect of the Sacrament Happily he thought shee would be crosse and headie in other things as well as in that and therefore for feare lest shee should hinder him in his vocation now imposed by God he sent her for a time back with his Children to Iethro her father Whereof we may make me thinks these two vses first that it is a gréeuous offence for either wiues or others to be an hinderance to men in their duties enioyned them by God for this is euen to striue against God and to set our will against his will to the great perill both of the men so called and of the parties that so hinder them if they persist Secondly that it is the dutie of all so called to remoue from them in a lawfull sort those hinderers preferring the Lords worke before their owne affection and remembring zealouslie their Maisters wordes Hee that loueth Father or Mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And hee that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than me is not worthie of me But whosoeuer shall forsake houses or Bretheren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake he shall receaue an hundreth fold more and shall inherite eternall life This forsaking for a time of Moses was a holie resistance of his owne affections and a zealous care of his imposed office 4. And Iethro saide to Moses that is hee sent messengers to say I thy Father in lawe Iethro am come to thee and thy Wife and thy two Sonnes with her A singular modestie in Iethro and reuerence to his Sonne in lawe Moses his place when albeit hee had with him those guests that hee knew in nature must néedes be welcome besides his owne due who was come so farre in loue and kindnes yet hee would not come to him without this reuerent sending before to acquaint him Such reuerence to mens places in our daies is much wanting in those that chiefely should performe it and familiaritie breedeth contempt But behold Iethro héere and know that God hath Chronicled this for his praise and our profit Reuerence to Magistrates reuerence to Ministers reuerence to all authoritie and superioritie certainly it pleaseth God and commendeth vs. The contrarie is immodestie yea impietie and as a great contempt of the Author of that authoritie as of the partie contemned vsuallie punished of God either with want of euer hauing authoritie or with such contempt if they haue authoritie as erst they measured vnto others 5. Howe requiteth Moses this kinde respect The Text saith Hee went out to meete his Father in lawe and did obeysance and kissed him and each asked other of his welfare and they came into the Tent. No authoritie and greatnes maketh him proude or vnmindfull of an olde friend who had shewed him kindnes when he was in a lower estate but with a singular humilitie he receaueth reuerence in his place and with like respect againe boweth himselfe and reuerenceth Iethro Such mutuall loue and reciprocall offices of complement and order shall you euer sée in wise men what difference soeuer is in their places And there is no greater pride than where least worth is Pride maketh rude and rudenes getteth little loue wee all knowe Such an Example as this is in steade of an hundred to a wise heart and yet you may ioyne Dauids protestation to it be much profited Lord I am not high minded I haue no proud lookes c. 6. Then Moses told his Father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians c. Being met together after ordinarie salutations and kinde enquiring one of anothers health they fall to religious and godlie talke Moses taking pleasure to speake Iethro to heare of such gracious fauours as the Lord had shewed to his people and of such powerfull iudgements as he had laide vpon their enemies Which may serue for a good motiue in our daies to cut off idle if not very prophane conference when wee méete and to leade vs this good way remembring euer that of idle words wee must giue an accompt Woe be to the world because of offences for it must needes be that offences must come but woe bee to that man by whom the offence commeth c. If any man among you seeme religious refraineth not his tongue but deceaueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine The hartie ioy also that was in Iethro when hee heard these thinges notablie telleth vs the right affection of a Childe of GOD
c. 6. Then he saide Come not hither put thy shooes of thy feet for the place where thou standest is holy ground First the Lord hath a care of mans infirmity and is willing to reueale himselfe as that may indure to behold not further lest man by His Maiesty should bée oppressed when in His mercy he wisheth him profited Therefore Come not hither saith Hée respecting his weakenesse Secondlie he endeuoureth to worke in Moses that reuerence and feare which beséemeth Gods children when they approach vnto God which although no doubt it was in Moses much yet more and more is it euer necessarie for all men if they will in déede bee touched effectuallie with that which is spoken and done and be truly humbled to attend and remember To the same purpose is that of putting-off his shooes for Quare iussus est Moses calceamenta soluere Certe vt religiosiorem hac ratione illum redderet Why was hee bidden to put-off his shooes saith Theodoret Euen that he might make him thereby more religiouslie affected It is also noted how néedefull it is if euer we will performe vnto GOD that reuerence that is due to put-off that corruption and sinne wherewith in this life wee are clogged Which as the dust to the shooe and the shooe to the foote cleaueth to vs. For the place where thou standest saith he is holy ground not that the place of it selfe was better than others but that reuerence and a holy feare was due vnto God in that place both in regard of his incomprehensible Glory and of Moses owne naturall infirmitie Holy I say in respect of Gods Presence not otherwise and therefore nothing héere fauoureth any Popish superstition falselie ascribing to places what is not in them The like you reade in Iosua and Ruth which by this may be vnderstoode euen to put away all hindering affections and to resigne our selues wholely vp vnto God to heare and doe his will This is to put-off our shooes 7. Then Moses hid his face for hee was afraid to looke vpon God At the first hee was bolde and went towards the bush to behold this matter but now hearing that God is there he couereth his face and is afraide plainly shewing that the more God openeth himselfe to man and the néerer man draweth vnto God the more hee feareth in a holy reuerence as more féeling and finding his owne wants and vnworthinesse to behold such glory For whilest wee are far from God wee can say and thinke with those Laodiceans I am rich and encreased with goods haue neede of nothing but if the Lord annoynt our eyes with his eye-salue then wee change our copie and sée as there is said that wee are wretched and poore and blinde and naked then wee pray that wee may haue of Gods golde to make vs rich and white rayment that wee may bee cloathed and that our filthie nakednes doe not appeare Then wee couer our face as Moses did héere and wee humbly and modestly come to heare him trembling at his words with a contrite spirit well vnderstanding that they are iustlie ouerthrowne in their owne pride who rashlie presume they can conceiue Gods mysteries with their owne wits 8. Hauing then thus prepared his Seruant to humble attention the Lord beginneth his tale and saith I haue surely seene the trouble of my people c. Where euerie word hath vehemencie and matter worthie noting Hee saith hee hath séene hee hath heard and hee knoweth and how hath hee séene Videndo vidi séeing I haue séene that is vidi certó et serió I haue séene certainly and seriouslie verborum enim geminatione vehementia certitudo et celeritas significatur by the doubling of the word vehemencie certaintie and celeritie is signified saith a Diuine I haue séene and so séene as that I can no longer hold my peace yea I haue so séene as that I will helpe and endure no longer Vidisse enim dicitur compassionis oculo et miserationis aspectu For hee is said to haue séene with eie of compassion and with a mercifull beholding saith Beda And what hast thou thus séene Lord Euen the trouble of my people which are in Egypt First then trouble and anguish is knowne to thée there is no sorrowe hid from thine eyes be it neuer so secret and hidden in the heart enclosed in the breast and bowels of man or woman not daring to péepe out for feare of some circumstance that might encrease our paine but yet thou séest it not so that thou wilt redresse it except they bee thy people For so thou speakest in this place that thou hast seene the trouble of thy people If then wee would haue griefe séene and helped wee must endeauour with all godly care to be thine Which if wee doe then sighing and groaning in our seuerall occasions as these did wee may be sure in due time to finde our comfort as they found Affliction also wee may héere learne doth not shewe that the partie is disliked of God as Sathan often will suggest to men and women that are in trouble for God calleth these Israelites his people which yet in most extraordinarie affliction were plunged Hée is not as the proud Peacocks of this world that knowe a man in a gay coate and an high Office but in pouertie and basenes knowe him not though hée bee most néere yea almost their owne father or mother sister or brother But in the poorest plight when the back is bare for want of cloathing the face leane with woe of heart and quite altered with brinish teares that gushed along it and haue worne furrowes in it in steade of former hue when the head hangeth for bitter cares and all the bones are in a manner out of ioynt with racking tortures of bloodie Tyrants Then euen then doth the Lord knowe his and as swéetly acknowledgeth them for his owne as euer in any prosperitie that they enioyed or the chiefest comforts they euer professed 9. From séeing then the Lord commeth to hearing and saith Hee hath heard their crie because of their Taskmaisters telling vs what the prayers of his children are in his eares euen loude cries and cries that are heard to their good in Gods due time and to their aduersaries woe that so spitefully wickedly haue oppressed them Which if thou wouldest in due time consider that wrongest anie man it would be good for thée and God is mercifull if not consider the vehemencie of his moane that thou so dealest withall how God calleth it a crie a crie that awaketh him vp vnto iudgement against thée and thou shalt be destroyed Thou art an oppressing vexing Taske-maister like these Egyptians and thou shalt be destroyed as God is God without amendment in the Red-sea or Black-sea of Hellish déepes where the torment is intollerable and from whence no man nor meanes can euer deliuer thée Thy will in this world to be gained and gotten with such a price thinke of it 10
gold Rayment or any thing néedefull and wished they shal graunt it and lend it giue it or send it with a fauour with a loue with so willing a mind as the partie taking néedeth to wish This shall the Lord doe by a secret power of his working grace and fauour for his people to their good This was that which hee did for Iacob the Father of these Israelites when Laban angerly pursued him the Lord changed his hart To Isaac and Abraham before the Lord gaue fauour in seuerall places To Ioseph the like to his owne comfort and the good of many And this is it which the Psalmist affirmeth The Lord giues grace and worship and no good thing shall he with-hold from them that liue a godly life This is it which all of vs haue tasted of euen in our selues and God make vs thankfull Thus may wee profit by this Chapter CHAP. 4. The generall Heads of this Chapter are chiefely these Moses his power to worke myracles His excuses not to goe into Egypt His comming to Egypt at last 1. BVtloe they wil not beleeue me sayd Moses c. Sée first and formost the ingrafted weakenes of mans nature when any great or difficult thing is to be taken in hand It is euer fearing and doubting euer quaking and shaking euer casting of perils more than stand with that prompt readines and willingnes which ought to be in all the seruants of God when he their Lord once speaketh and saith Doe this Such feare as this was in Ionas when he was commanded to Niniuie In Ieremie when hee was caused to prophecie and in many others Secondly obserue in these words also what a powerfull Pul-backe euen to the best mindes incredulitie crookednes in the people is Surely it pierceth déepe and woundeth fore as you sée in this place For euen the feare of it héere daunteth Moses a man of such faith a man of such grace as wee reade before this hee had shewed himselfe to be What what will it doe when it is not feared but found not suspected but tried and tasted of euery day Let that great Prophet of the Lord tell vs whom it so wounded that he sate him downe and desired to die to be out of woe saying It is enough Lord now it is enough take my soule for I am no better than my Fathers Let Esay againe another famous Prophet witnes whose words shewed woe when hee said and wrote Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed as if he should haue said Alas alas what comfort haue wée when so vngraciously our preaching is reiected and the comfortable tidings of Jesus Christ not beléeued Let the sighes of Ieremie and the groanes of his soule when he cries Ah Lord c witnes the like also to all Readers but most wonderfully that spirituall battell that hée tooke such a fearefull fall in as that hee said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name O firie dart then and piercing stroke to a tender hart of flesh that meaneth well an vntoward and froward people when so great a Prophet thus is shaken by it I néede to pursue this matter no further wee sée enough yet could I remember you of other Prophets also and many moe deare children of God faithfull members and Ministers in the Lords busines whom yet crookednes of the people hath mightily agréeued discouraged and dismayde yea it caused a sigh in our very Sauiour from the rootes of his hart that the people hee spake vnto so fitly might be resembled to children complained of for not dauncing when they were piped vnto not lamenting when they were mourned vnto c. Conclude wee therefore what wee sée héere the effect of incredulitie in the people to be bitter to the Lords Messengers sent or to bee sent vnto them for their good But so sée wee it that our selues auoide it and both day and night pray against it remembring alwaies as deare children the Apostles words to the Hebrewes Obey them that haue the ouer-sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your Soules as they that must giue accompts that they may giue it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you c. The like Scriptures there are many moe all which may comfort vs if wee obey them and iustly iudge vs vnto the lake of Hell if we contemne them God that biddeth will neuer be abused finally but will repay Ionas had rather commit himselfe to the wilde Sea and raging gulfes than goe to preach to a people that hee could conceiue no hope of that they would beléeue and be turned vnto God 2. This infirmitie in Moses the Lord mercifully cureth when in iustice hee might haue reiected him for it So good and gracious is our God Hée cureth it by a power giuen him to worke Miracles so great and fearefull that if not to moue Pharaoh to true repentance yet aboundantly to shewe his authoritie from God to conduct that people they should suffice His Rod is turned to a Serpent and backe againe to his owne nature His hand put into his bosome is become leaprous and by and by whole againe The water is turned into blood and other great things wrought when hee came before Pharaoh Thus can the Lord and thus will the Lord enable euer to the worke that he appointeth and calleth vnto A great comfort to Magistrates and Ministers if it bee well considered 3. Then flieth hée to another excuse and saith Hee is not eloquent But the Lord also prouideth for that as you sée in the Text and promiseth helpe Still so weake and wayward is man and so good and gracious is God The Jewes haue a Tale amongst them how Moses came by this infirmitie of spéech And say that when hee was a childe and brought by Pharaohs daughter before her Father the King the King playing with him and offering hun his golden Crowne the childe tooke it and threwe it vnder his féete wherewith the King being offended and some lookers on iudging it Fatall as if that childe should ouerthrowe the King the Nurse to shew the childes want of wit put an hote coale to his mouth which hee streight licked with his tongue and so hurt his spéech But the Scripture telleth vs not any cause and therefore ignorance is best This rightly wee may note that God chooseth men in mans eies not so fit that his glory may more appeare and therefore take wee héede how wee censure our Calling for some defects since God could haue made Moses eloquent and did not In our owne Stories how M. Tyndall complained for want of vtterance wée sée and yet what a notable member and Martyr in Gods Church was hee 4. Lastly when these excuses serue not Moses breaketh out euen to an height of weakenes and prayeth him to send some other A strange thing that a
in the Seas or in the Riuers them shall yee eate But all that haue not c they shall be abhomination vnto you By the synnes some haue thought was figured Faith and by the skales good and honest works These two make a cleane man or woman acceptable to God But hee or shee that wanteth both or either is vncleane Faith without workes is not a true Faith but a dead and beautifull workes without Faith are the blossomes of Hypocrisie and please not God 6 After Land and Water Moses commeth to the Ayer and sheweth what Fowles therein are cleane and vncleane Wherein you may note the great mercie of God in that most of these vncleane Fowles are indéede odious to our Nature and we eat them not whereas he might haue restrained them from those that they loued and liked So good is hée in all things and carefull not to lay heauie burthens vpon vs. Some good Foules are yet restrained that man might learne Temperance and Obedience For Gluttonie and Excesse wée are very prone vnto Some haue considered the nature of euery Fowle and laboured to learne somewhat for amendement but it is good to be sober in these things As for example by the Eagle which flyeth high they haue noted mounting mindes to be a fault and to make men vncleane as indéede they doc howsoeuer the meaning was thu◠to teach by making the Eagle vncleane By the Goshauke men that prey vpon their weaker brethren neighbors and gripe them so as they kill them or vndoo thē By the Vulture men that delight too much in Wars and contention By the Kyte cowardly-men that yet are deuourers as they can By the Rauens vnnaturall Parents that forsake their children Vnkinde Friends which shrinke away Ill Husbands which prouide not for their Families c. By the Ostrich painted Hypocrites and carnall men that haue faire great feathers but cannot flye c. By the little Owle and the great Owle such as loue darknesse and flye the light such also as are vnsociable with men and loue solitarines too much By the Sea-mew which liueth both on Land and Water such as will be saued both by Faith and workes partly by the one and partly by the other c. Such Ambodexters also as the world hath store of holding with the Hare and running with the Hound Fire in the one hand and water in the other Two faces vnder a Hood c. By the Hawke such as are kept for others harme whereof also there are too many We must haue an Oliuer for a Rouland and so we maintaine such as the earth is weary of and their wickednes shall be our destruction if not of our whole house and posteritie By the Cormorant all gréedy couetous persons c. By the Lapwyng you may take occasion to remember what the Poet saith which is thus TEREUS King of Thracia maryed Progne daughter of Pandion which Progne hauing a sister called Philomela after certaine yeares desired her husband that either shee might goe to her sister to see her or haue her sister fetched vnto her The King willingly yeelded He would fetch her sister to her and to that end went to sea came to her Father and his Father in-law obtained leaue for her to goe with him for awhile to her sister But see as they were in their iourney his vncleane heart burned in lust towards Philomela his wiues sister and by force abused her cutting out her tongue after that shee might not tell Thus dumbe speachles he brought her home to her sister who amazed at this change in her and not knowing more then her husband the King would tell her in stead of ioy had great sorrowe in her selfe no way now able to talke with her sister and to haue any comfort in her But Philomela getting an needle and silke expressed thereby as by writing how her husband had abused her bodie and cut out her tongue as hee brought her to see her Then Progne all inraged with furie and wrath casting which way to bee reuenged of him for this odious fact caught at last her little sonne by him and slew him crying vpon her Mother Mother and clasping about her neck with kisses as long as he could making meate of him for the King his father The King liking the meate well called for the little childe that he might haue some of it when shee with a fierce looke told him he had his childe in his bellye for the good he had done to her sister and with that shewed him the head flinging foorth from him as fast as shee could hee so astonished that he could not tell what he did Then saith the Poet they were all three to auoyd further mischiefe suddenly changed into three Fowles Progne this cruell Mother into a Swallowe who caryeth red vpon his brest to note the bloodinesse of her brest Philomela her sister into a Nightingale who keepeth in the woods as ashamed of the villanie done to her by the King and lamenteth it in the Night by her sorrowfull song The wicked King who was cause of all into a Lapwyng which is delighted with dounge and filth to note his foule and filthy minde to his sister in-law hath a long bill wherewith he striketh and hurteth other Birds noting his cruell knife that cut out his sisters tongue feathers vpon the head like a crowne noting his place dignitie that he was a King wherevpon the Verses were made Rex fueram sic crista probat sed sordidavita Immundam e tanto culmine fecit auem The Lapwyng then may shadow out all foule vncleane mindes full of crueltie and lust full of crueltie also to worke the concealment of lust as you sée in Dauid first lusting and then killing But thus to follow Allegories I forbeare onely noting thus much to shew you Learned mens applications of these things for our good And surely although I dare not say that by these vncleane birds and beasts thus much was meant yet thus much is most certaine that whoso haue these qualities noted in the nature of them they are as certainly vncleane to God as these birds were for vse of meat to this people Let vs euer therefore abhorre such spots that we be cleane to the Lord who is cleanenesse it selfe 8 Some thing is spoken in your Chapter of creeping things whereby men haue noted the vncleanenes shadowed of such as minde earthly things too much and particularly by the Weasel deceitfull persons because the Weasell is deceitfull and craftie By the Mouse such as liue vpon others labours and are vnprofitable themselues By the Want or Mole such as are blinde and ignorant Lastly that which is spoken of vncleanenes growing by the touch of these things and that which you reade of washing and breaking earthen Vessels you must euer take it so that God stood not so much vpon these Ceremonies as to teach his People héereby
being Vehiculum animae vitalis for the Vitall spirits which yéeld vnto man through his whole bodie heate and motion and action are begotten of blood by the power of the heart and therefore mans life and the life of euery other creature is said to bée in the blood Secondly because the Lord had ordained blood to bée vsed in the Atonements made for sinnes as a plaine Figure of the blood of Christ the only able thing to purge and wash away our sinnes and offences therefore hée would haue blood regarded as a holy thing and not vsed by man as other meates might bée Thus God in his Law would not suffer man to eate the blood of a beast because it figured the blood of his Sonne in poperie we are taught to make no bones at Christ his own blood but to beléeue that the Wine in the Sacrament is turned into his very blood really and then to drinke the same boldly The Gospell shall not yéelde so much reuerence to Christ as the Law did Is it to be taught and bléeued God forbid 2 You may remember how the Apostles continued this Law Acts 15. 29. and aske why being a ceremoniall Law it was more continued than others To which answere is made that chéefly for three Causes they did it First to auoyd offence in the mindes of ignorant people not yet taught nor of the suddaine apt to heare of the abrogation of so ancient a Lawe euer since Noah his time Secondly that thus they might shewe that their doctrine was no other but euen the old ancient doctrine since the beginning of the Church And thirdly for discipline that men might still be afraid of murther by this continued ceremonie After when God had vouchsafed to his Church further knowledge this also was abrogated and men left to their liberties to eate blood as well as the flesh CHAP. XVIII IN a godly Common-wealth two things are necessarie right Religion according to Gods word and holy honesty of Matrimonie The first the Lord hath laid downe both in the ten Commandements Exod. 20. and in these Sacrifices thus passed ouer Now therefore it pleaseth him to come to the second Vnspotted Marriage Where he first vseth a Praeface to mooue them to diligent obseruation of what héerein he should say and then he commeth to the matter it selfe The first is contayned in the fiue former Verses And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them I am the Lord your God After the doings of the land of Aegypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the maner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances But doe after my iudgements and keepe my ordinances to walke therein I am the Lord your GOD c. This Praeface of some is taken generally to concerne all the Lawes of God the obseruation whereof is euer the sure safetie of a state publike or priuate For it is not the munition of walles leagues aliance with forreigne Princes largenes of confines plentie of treasure or such like that preserue a Common-wealth but carefull and diligent obseruation of publicke Lawes ordeyned of God for the good of man It is sayd Lacedemon flourished whilest Lycurgus his Lawes were obserued much more any Common-wealth when Gods be kept for what comparison betwixt mans Lawes Gods Demosthenes saith It was the maner of the Locrenses that if any man would publish deuise a New law he should put his necke into a halter ready to be put to death if the Law were not good by which meanes they made men more carefull to obserue old ancient tryed knowne Lawes than with busie heads to make new Now what Lawes so olde and so approued good as Gods Lawes Euer therefore are they to be regarded and hearkened vnto Others take this Praeface particularly of these Lawes concerning Mariage now following that if they be carefully kept a kingdome long flourisheth and if not soone it commeth to a fearefull fall For so odious and abhorred of God is the vnlawfull mixture of man and woman that the Lord cannot long with-hold great iudgements And thus much remember as you reade them euer that these lawes doe not concerne the Iewes onely as the Ceremoniall lawes now spoken of and iudiciall did but these lawes belong to all men and women and to all succeding times being eternall immutable grafted by God in mans nature and giuen by him for holinesse sake Note all the wordes well that God would not haue them like either the Aeygptians or Canaanites and wish with mée that there were a like law against our béeing like forreigne nations néere vs with Ruffes dipped in the deuils liquor called starche bursten-belly doublets garded as the French fringed as the Venetian Turkish heads Spanish backs Italian wastes c. giuing dayly occasion to the mockers that say French nets catch English fooles 2 The Praeface ended God commeth to the matter it selfe in the 6. verse saying None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh to vncouer her shame I am the LORD Kindred is of two sorts by societie of blood which is called Consanguinitie or by carnall coniunction of man and woman which is called Affinitie That popish kindred which they called spiritual kin dred arising by baptisme or confirmatiō this Chapter knoweth not neither any other part of Gods booke it was onely deuised for Popes gaine 3 The greatest Consanguinitie is betwixt Parents and children and therefore that is forbidden in these words Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy father nor the shame of thy mother for she is thy mother c. The very Heathens abhorred this wickednes as most vnnaturall and vile Yea the Camels saith Aristotle abhorre it by nature and the Colt will not come néere in this sort to the Dam God being pleased in brute beasts to giue vs an example against this thing Hermiene in Euripides could crie it was barberous Now when thus hée nameth father or mother you must not tie the words to our immediate parents onely and to immediate children but the words stretch to all the right line of Consanguinitie either ascending or descending For as it is vnlawfull for the daughter to marry with her grandfather or so vpward in the streight line so is it for the Father to marrie the Neece his Neeces daughter or her daughters daughter or any other down-ward again in the right line For all these if you reckon ten thousand of them are said to be as parents and children in respect one of another And by the Lawe of Nations it was euer accounted incest to marry vpward or downeward in the right line 4 The next Lawe is The shame of thy fathers wife shalt thou not discouer for it is thy fathers shame Hée meaneth the wife of my father that is my step-mother not mine