Carnall affection and loue towarde his elder Sonne hee sought to Transfer the blessing of God heritage of preheminence in the couenant of God vnto him Wherein he might seeme to ouerthwart the Election of God which coulde not be done without some offence and therefore GOD did suffer him to be Deluded by his Wife and Childe And yet this humaine affection in Isaac was ioyned with a constant fayth in the fauor of God wherby he beleeued that aswel himself as other Patriarks were ordeined y good instruments of God by their blessings to denounce and declare the Heritage and Succession of the Couenant of God made to Abraham and his Seede And Rebecca spake vnto Iacob her sonne saying beholde I haue heard c. Moses here declareth by what Craft the blessing was transferred to Iacob from Esau And truely this dealing of Rebecca is not without blame For albeit she could not rule her husbande and Cause him to yeelde to the declared purpose of God in preferring Iacob the yonger brother yet shoulde she not haue vsed so vncomely and vnlawfull meanes to worke the thing by Counterfeyting and Vntruth If she * knewe as she did in deede that it was the Immutable purpose electiō of God She should haue paciently looked and haue abidden vntill God had wrought it by such waies as he thought good if she could not by any godly perswasiō haue brought it to passe But such Frailetie God often in his Saintes of his great mercie pardoneth when it is not done of Malicious minde and purpose as surely it was not in Rebecca but of a desire by some meanes or other to bring that to effect which she knewe was the will of God. Then saide Iacob to Rebecca his mother Beholde Esau my brother c. Iacob did to easily yeelde to his Mothers perswasion and as in his words he shewed that he feared his father and was lothe to enter his displeasure so he shoulde haue feared GOD much more and Considered what a blemishe it was to purchase his blessing by Coūterfayting vntruth For although he respected a right ende that is to attaine that which was the * promise of God yet by Such meanes he should not haue done it Then saide Isaac vnto Iacob come neere and I will feele thee my sonne c. Isaac did suspect that he was abused therefore Tryeth the matter by all meanes he can But it pleased God to dull hys senses partly to shewe that Man laboureth in * vaine to ouerthwart hys Purpose that which he is determined to haue partly that by this maner of correction he might punishe and Chastice his Immoderate affection towarde Esau his elder sonne God giue thee of the dewe of heauen of the fatnesse of the earth c. Vnder these worldly blessings the auncient fathers conteined the Heauēly promises Albeit they be not vitered so Plainly as they haue bene sence in the time of the Gospell For Gods will was to deale with thē vnder tipes * and figures of worldly things And therefore the lande of Chanaan and the Fertilitie thereof is a tipe of the heauenly and euerlasting Felicitie with God and the Subiection of enemies doth signifie the Conquest and ouerthrowe of our Spirituall enimies to whome we were thrall and in daunger When Esau hearde the wordes of his father he cried alowde c. A man might think that Gods mercy would haue bene mooued with this * heauie and sorrowful complaynt of Esau for the losse of his fathers blessing but it is euident that this lamentation did not proceede of a Sound fayth and true Repentance but rather of a prowde minde and of a Desperate furie and rage as it maye appeare by the Hatred that he protested and by the bitter wordes greeuous Threatnings that after he vsed against hys brother Manacing that after his fathers death he would assuredlye kill him And of what affection he was and howe smally he esteemed his birth right and the felicitie that might come thereof he declared when he Solde the same to Iacob his brother for a messe of wortes And she called Iacob her yonger sonne saide vnto him thy brother c. The blessing that Isaac had giuen to his yonger sonne might seeme of Small force seing he was brought euen nowe presently into so great Feare to be Slaine by hys brother and this was vndoubtedly no small temptation and trouble to the minde of Rebecca that she sawe her sonne whome she so tenderly loued by her Fact to be brought in daunger of Present death But yet did she and her son so much esteeme this Blessing that rather then they woulde yeelde it vp to Esau to haue his fauour he was Contented to go into voluntarie Banishment and she to forgo the Presence and Companie of her sonne that she so much esteemed By this example in Iacob we must learne to take paciently if after the hope of Gods blessing and of his fauour * immediatly the Crosse of affliction do followe and not for the trouble and daunger of the worlde to forgoe the sweete promises of God. Neyther must we seeke to purchase the quietnesse of thys lyfe with the Losse of Goddes Heauenly Blessing The second Sunday in Lent at Euening praier Genesis 34. DIna the daughter of Lea which she bare vnto Iacob went out to sée the daughters of the lande 2 Whom when Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Heuite Lord of the countrie sawe he tooke her and laye with her and defiled her 3 And his heart laye vnto Dina the daughter of Iacob and he loued that damsell and spake kindely vnto her 4 And Sichem spake vnto his father Hemor saying Get me this maiden vnto my wife 5 And Iacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter his sonnes being with their cattle in the fielde and Iacob helde his peace vntill they were come 6 And Hemor the father of Sichem went out vnto Iacob to commune with him 7 And when the sonnes of Iacob comming out of the fielde heard it it grieued them and they were not a little wroth bicause he had wrought folly in Israel in that he had lyen with Iacobs daughter which thing ought not to be done 8 And Hemor communed with them saying The soule of my sonne Sichem lōgeth for your daughter I pray you geue her him to wyfe 9 And make maryages wyth vs and giue your daughters vnto vs and take our daughters vnto you 10 And ye shall dwell with vs and the lande shall be before you dwell and doe your businesse therein and haue possessions therein 11 And Sichem sayde vnto her father and vnto her brethren Let me finde grace in your eies and whatsoeuer ye appoint me that wyll I geue 12 Aske fréely of me both dowrie and giftes and I wyll giue according as ye saye vnto me so that ye geue me the damsell to wyfe 13 But the sonnes of
Iacob answered to Sichem Hemor his father talking amongest themselues deceptfully because he had defyled Dina their sister 14 And they saide vnto them We can not doe this thing that we should geue our sister to one that is vncircumcised for that were an abhomination vnto vs. 15 But in this will we consent vnto you if ye will be as we be and all the males amongst you be circumcised 16 Then will we geue our daughters vnto you and take your daughters to vs and will dwell with you and be one people 17 But and if ye will not hearken vnto vs to be circumcised then will we take our Daughter and go our waies 18 Their wordes pleased Hemor and Sichem hys sonne 19 And the yong man differde not to doe the thing because he had a lust to Iacobs daughter he was also most set by of all that was in his fathers house 20 Then Hemor and Stâ—â—em his sonne went vnto the gate of their citie and coÌ„muned with the men of their citie saying 21 These men liue peaceably among vs and dwell in the lande and doe their occupation therein and beholde the land is large ynough for them we will take their daughters to wiues and giue them our daughters 22 Onely herein will they consent vnto vs for to dwell with vs and to be one people If all the males that are among vs be circumcised as they are circumcised 23 Shall not their goodes and their substance and all their cattell be oures let vs onely consent vnto them and they will dwell with vs. 24 And vnto Hemor and Sichem hys sonne hearkened all that went out of the gate of the citie and all the males were circumcised whatsoeuer went out at the gate of his citie 25 And the thirde day whyles they were sore two of the sonnes of Iacob Simeon and Leui Dinas brethren tooke eyther of them his sworde and went into the citie boldly and slue all the males 26 And slue also Hemor and Sichem his sonne with the edge of the sworde and tooke Dina out of Sichems house and went their way 27 And the sonnes of Iacob comming vpon the dead spoyled the citie bicause they had defiled their sister 28 And tooke their shéepe oxen and their asses and whatsoeuer was in the citie and also in the fields 29 And all their goodes and all their children and their wiues tooke they captiue and made hauok of all that was in the house 30 But Iacob saide to Simeon and Leui Ye haue troubled me and made me to be abhorred of the inhabitours of the land of the Chanaanite and the Pherezite and I being fewe in number they shall gather themselues together against me and slay me and so shall I and my house he destroyed 31 And they answered Should he deale wyth our sister as with an harlot The Exposition vpon the .xxxiiij Chapter of Genesis Dina the daughter of Lea which shee bare vnto Iacob went out to see c. MOses in this Chapter setteth forth a great tentation that happened vnto Iacob far more troublesome and daungerous then that was of the feare of his brother Esaus displeasure He was nowe at some quietnesse in the companie of his wife children and familie and so had remayned a good time doing vndoubtedly the dutie of a good and godly Gouernour of his housholde But sodainely falleth out this trouble and reproch of the Rauishing of his daughter Dina much surelye to the griefe of his minde that did so deerely esteeme the Chastitie of his daughter By which we may vnderstande both what daunger maye come to yong womeÌ„ by Idle gadding and Gasing abroad without the company of some graue Persons to Ouersee them and also that euen good men sometime haue so waiwarde and ouerthwart Wantons to their children as wil not well be brideled within order when their Parents haue done all that they can And yet maye there seeme some negligence in Lea hir mother that she did suffer hir so Loosely to go abroade And Sichem spake vnto his father Hemor saying get me this maiden c. The heart of this yong Gentleman was so set vpon this Maiden in vntemperate heate of loue that he coulde not satisfie himselfe by hir defyling and rauishment but nowe seeketh to haue her to wife and that in a maner by force For although both his father and he vsed Faire wordes and great promises yet he keepeth her at home in his house and would not suffer her to retourne to her father If he had sought to haue maried her before the Villanie offered there had bene no great euill but first to worke so great reproche to the People of God and his Chosen Patriarke and then to seeke vnder a faire colour a forcible Mariage made the offence the greater And Hemor the father of Sichem went out vnto Iacob c. A godly Father and a good Prince or gouernour would first haue sharpely corrected his Son and then afterwarde haue done that might haue seemed agreeable to reason and godlinesse But it may appeare this Hemor was a cockering father and a Loose gouernour and that the like examples of wantonnesse had bene common there without punishment And therfore the same prouoked God of his iust iudgement to suffer so great a Plague to come vpon them although the Sonnes of Iacob which were the instruments thereof can not be excused of outragious Furie that for the offence of Oue personne destroyed and spoyled the Whole Citie And Hemor communed with them saying The soule of my sonne c. In that Hemor so earnestly labourethe to Iacob and his Sonnes for the mariage of Dina and made so great offers it may appeare that euen among the Heathens and Infidels it was thought necessarie to haue the Consent of Parents to the Mariage of their Children Much more shoulde that reuerence be vsed among Christians and them that professe the Feare of God. But the sonnes of Iacob answered to Sichem and Hemor talking among c. It is not to be merueiled if the sonnes of Iacob were much grieued to haue so great a reproch and villanie wrought to their fathers House neyther are they in that any thing to be blamed yea if there had bene any ordinarie Magistrate to haue punished so great an outrage they might and ought with safe conscience to haue complayned to him But I see not by what authoritie they coulde take the sworde of Reuengement in their * owne hands and so farre exceede the Measure of Iustice as to destroy an whole Citie for the offence of one Well might they be the Instruments of Gods Iustice for causes to them vnknowne but that doth not excuse them who followed their owne affection and desire of Reuengement In that they doe dissemble here and pretende consent of Mariage if the Sichemites would be circumcised it doth increase their fault and they make the ordinance of God a colour to worke their affection For their consciences did tell them
Captiuitie and your selues brought to shame and Confusion bycause of youre Obstinate wickednesse You thinke youre selfe in greate Honour and Felicitie Glorie muche in that ye dwell in houses Gorgiously Seeled with Ceders of Libanus but all that your Gaynesse shal be little regarded in the tyme of your Sorow when the VioleÌ„ce of the enimie shall Sodaynly come vpon you at the time ye least thinke of it euen as the throwes of a Woman labouryng with chylde As truly as Jliue saith the Lord though Iechonias the sonne of Ioakim c. The maner of the Prophetes is almost continually to vtter their sayings in the Person of God and oftentymes to * repeate that it is the worde of the Lorde and that the Mouthe of the Lord hath spoken it to the intent that the people might be wel Assured that it was no vain speache that they vttered but the certaine Will and determinate Purpose of god And therfore if they would shunne the danger thereof that they ought to giue credite to it and Beleeue it Of all other Princes doe most hardely Beleuethe declaration of Aduersitie to come vnto them bicause they haue commonly the greatest worldly Helpes to deliuer them Wherfore that Iechonias otherwyse called Ioakim the sonne of Ioakim might not doubt of that he here speaketh he vttreth it in the Person of God and confirmeth it with an othe That although he sit â—â—on the holie Throne of Dauid yet he shoulde be a miserable Captiue yea God sheweth himself so to detest that king for the Contempt of his Word that though he were as straightly ioyned to him as a Signet on his right hand yet he woulde plucke him of and cast him into the haÌ„ds of his Enimies that seek his life And that bothe He his Mother that bare him and his SeruaÌ„ts with al other that wer Chief about him shuld be led Captiue into a StraÌ„ge laÌ„d there Die in great miserie O thou Earth earthe earthe heare the woorde of the Lorde c. Forsomuch as the Iewes had so great confideÌ„ce in the Promise that was made to Dauid for the continuance of his posteritie in his seate So long as the Sunne and Moone endured as neither Prince nor People coulde in anye case bee brought to Beleue the Threatnings of God to the contrary therfore the Prophet here in earnest maner bicause the People were so Obstinate turneth his Speache to the Earth and openly denounceth that he was Willed by God himself to set vp this Prophecie in writing vpoÌ„ the doores of the Temple to the knowledge of all men that Iechonias shuld not Prosper in his Issue nor haue any child That shuld be so happie to sit on the seat of Dauid and beare rule after him And yet maye not this seeme repugnante to the prophecie of Iacob That the scepter should not be taken from Iuda and a Lawgiuer from betvveene his feete vntill Silo came c. For althoughe the Iewes after this Iechonias had no king in Succession either vnto the time of the Captiuitie or after whiche reigned among them with suche Libertie and Maiestie as the kings of Iuda before had Done yet had they a Gouernement by which they had Ruled bothe their Common weale and the External forme of Religion according to the Lawe of Moyses vntill the very comming of our Sauioure Christ vnder the Romaines by whoÌ„ euen that mean Libertie which they had to that Time was taken away and the Prophecie of Iacob fulfilled as well in the Losse of their gouernement as in the comming of Messias that should be the Expectation of the Gentiles The .xv. Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Hieremie 35. THe wordes whiche the Lorde spake vnto Hieremie in the raigne of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda are these 2 Goe vnto the house of the Rechabites and call them out and bring them to the house of the Lord into some commodious place and giue them wine to drink 3 Then took I Iazaniah the sonne of Hieremie the sonne of Habaziniah and his brethren and all his sonnes and the whole housholde of the Rechabites 4 And brought them into the house of the Lord into the closet of the children of Hanan the sonne of Iegedaliah the man of God whiche was by the closet of the Princes that is aboue the closet of Maasiah the sonne of Sellum whiche is the treasurer 5 And before the sonnes of the kinred of the Rechabites I set pottes full of wyne and cups and sayd vnto them Drinke wine 6 But they sayde Wée will drinke no wine for Ionadab the sonne of Rechab oure father commaunded vs saying Ye and your sonnes shall neuer drinke wyne buylde houses sowe no séede plante no vines 7 Yea ye shall haue no vineyards but for all your time ye shall dwell in tentes that ye maye liue long in the lande wherin ye be straungers 8 Thus haue wée obeyed the commaundemente of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab our father in al that he hath charged vs and so wée drinke no wine all our lyfe long wée nor our wyues our sonnes and our daughters 9 Neither buyld we any house to dwel therein we haue also among vs neyther Vineyardes nor corne lande to sowe 10 But we dwell in tentes we obey and do according vnto al that Ionadab our father commanded vs. 11 But nowe that Nabuchodonozor the King of Babylon came vp into the lande we sayd Come let vs go to Hierusalem that we may escape the hoast of the Chaldeis and the Assyrians and so wée dwell nowe at Hierusalem 12 Then came the word of the Lord vnto Hieremie saying 13 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Go and tell the men of Iuda and the inhabiters of Hierusalem Will ye not be reformed to obey my wordes sayeth the Lorde 14 The wordes whiche Ionadab the sonne of Rechab commaunded his sonnes that they should drinke no wine are faste surely kept for vnto this day they drinke no wine but obey their fathers commandementâ— but as for me I haue stande vp early I haue spoken vnto you and giuen you earnest warning and yet haue ye not ben obediente vnto mée 15 Yea I haue sent my seruantes all the Prophets vnto you I rose vp early and sent you word saying O turne you nowe euery man from his wicked way amende your lyues and goe not after straunge gods to woorshippe them that yée maye continue in the lande whiche I haue giuen vnto you and your fathers but ye woulde neyther heare me nor folow me 16 The children of Ionadab Rechabs sonne haue stedfastly kept their fathers commandemeÌ„t that he gaue them but this people is not obedient vnto me 17 And therfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Behold I wil bring vpon Iuda vpon euery one that dwelleth in Hierusalem all the trouble that I haue deuised against them For I haue spoken vnto them but they woulde
willes of them that hate thée euen to the daughters of the Philistines which are ashamed of thyne abhominable wayes 28 Thou hast played the whoore also with the Assyrians bicause thou waste insatiable yea thou hast I say with them played the harlot and yet hadst thou not inough 29 Thus hast thou furthermore multiplied thy fornication from the lande of Chanaan vnto the Chaldées and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith 30 How weake is thine heart sayth the Lord God séeing thou doest all these euen the workes of a presumptuous whoorishe woman 31 Buylding thy hye places at the heade of euery waye and makest thy hye places in euery stréete thou haste not ben as an other whoore that holdeth scorne of a rewarde 32 But as a wyfe that breaketh wedlocke and taketh other in stead of hir husband 33 Giftes are giuen to al other whoores but thou giuest rewardes vnto al thy louers rewardest them to come vnto thée on euery side for thy fornication 34 It is come to passe with thée in thy whoordomes contrary to the vse of other women yea there hath no suche fornication ben committed after thée séeing that thou giuest giftes vnto other no reward is giueÌ„ thée therfore thou art contrarie 35 Therfore heare the word of the lord O thou harlot 36 Thus sayth the Lord God Bicause thou haste poured out thy brasse discouered thy filthines through thy fornications with thy louers and with all the idols of thine abhominations and in the bloud of thy children whom thou hast giuen them 37 Behold therefore I will gather together all thy lâ—uers with whom thou hast taken plesure yea and all them whome thou haste loued and euery one that thou hatest I will I saye gather them together rounde about against thée and will discouer thy shame before them that they may sée all thy fylthinesse 38 Moreouer I will iudge thée as a breaker of wedlocke a murtherer recompence thée thine owne bloud in wrathe and ielousie 39 I will giue thée ouer into their handes and they shall destroy thy hie place breake downe thy hie places they shall strippe thée also oute of thy clothes thy fayre iewels shall they take from thée and so leaue thée naked and bare 40 Yea they shall bring a company vpon thée which shall stone thée with stones thrust thée through with their swordes 41 They shall burne vp thy houses with fire and punishe thée in the sight of many women thus will I make thée ceasse from playing the harlot so that thou shalt giue out no more rewardes 42 So will I make my wrath toward thée to rest and my ielousie shall depart from thée and I will ceasse and be angry no more 43 Seing thou remembredst not the dayes of thy youth but haste fretted me in all these things behold therfore I wil bring thine owne wayes vpon thy head saith the Lorde God so that thou shalte not commit any more mischiefe vpon all thine abhominations 44 Behold all they that vse common prouerbes shall vse this prouerbe also against thée saying Such a mother such a a daughter 45 Thou art euen thy mothers owne daughter that hath cast of her husband her children yea thou art the sister of thy sisters which forsooke their husbandes their children your mother is an Hithite and your father an Amorite 46 Thine eldest sister is Samaria thée and her daughters that dwell vpon thy lefte hand but thy younger sister that dwelleth on thy right hande is Sodoma and her daughters 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their wayes nor done after their abhominations as a litle and a litle but in all thy wayes thou hast bene more corrupt than they 48 As truely as I liue saith the Lorde God Sodoma thy sister with her daughters haue not done as thou hast done and thy daughters 49 Beholde the sinnes of thy sister Sodoma were these Pride fulnesse of meate and aboundance of welnesse these things had she and her daughters besides that they strengthed not the hand of the poore and néedie 50 But they were hautie and committed abhomination before mée therefore I toke them away as I sawe good 51 Neither hathe Samaria done halfe of thy sinnes yea thou haste excéeded them in thine abhominations and haste iustified thy sisters in all thine abhominations whiche thou haste done 52 Therefore thou whiche didst condemne thy sister beare thine owne shame for thine owne offences that thou haste committed more abhominably than they did whiche in déede are more righteous than thou arte be thou I say ashamed and beare the shamefull rebuke séeing that thou hast iustified thy sisters 53 Therefore I will bring againe their captiuitie the captiuitie of Sodom and her daughters the captiuitie of Samaria and her daughters and the captiuitie of thy captiuities among them 54 That thou maist take thine owne confusion vpon thée and be ashamed of all that thou haste done in that thou haste comforted them 55 And thy sister Sodom and her daughters shall returne to their former state Samaria also and her daughters shall returne to their former state when thou and thy daughters shall returne to your former state 56 For thy sister Sodom was not heard of by thy reports in the daye of thy pride 57 Before thy wickednesse was discouered according to the time of the reproche of the daughters of Aram and of all the daughters of the Philistines rounde aboute her whiche dispise thée on all sides 58 Thou haste borne thy wickednesse and thine abhomination sayth the Lorde 59 For thus saith the Lorde God I might by right deale with thée as thou hast done which hast dispised the othe in breaking the couenant 60 Neuerthelesse I will remember my couenaunt with thée in the dayes of thy youth and I will establishe vnto thée an euerlasting couenante 61 Then shalte thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalte receiue thy sisters both thy elder and thy younger and I will giue them vnto thée for daughters but not by thy couenaunt 62 And I will establishe my couenant with thée that thou maist knowe that I am the Lord. 63 That thou maist thinke vpon it and be ashamed neuer open thy mouth any more for shame of thy selfe when I am pacified toward thée for all that thou hast done sayth the Lorde God. The Exposition vpon the .xvj. Chapter of Ezechiel Againe the woorde of the Lorde came vnto me saying Thou sonne of c. THe summe of this long Chapiter is contayned in these fewe woordes Shevve Hierusalem their abhominations For by a long figuratiue speache vnder the similitude of an Adulterous woman that without all shame moderation dealeth vnthankfully vnfaithfully with a louing and kind husbande the Prophete meruelously painteth forth and notably amplifieth the filthy abhominations spirituall adultries and other wickednes of that Citie and People In the firste parte he setteth forth their poore estate
hath done all these abhominations he shall die the death his bloude shall be vpon him 14 Nowe if this man get a sonne also that séeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and feareth neyther doth such like 15 Namely that hath not eaten vpon the hilles neyther hath lift vp his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel nor defiled his neighbours wyfe 16 Neyther hath oppressed any nor hath withholden the pledge neyther hath spoyled by violence but hath gyuen his bread to the hungry and hath couered the naked wyth a garment 17 Neyther hath withdrawne his hande from the afflicted nor receyued vsurie nor increase but hath executed my iudgements and walked in my statutes this man shall not die in his fathers sinne but shall liue without fayle 18 As for his father because he hath cruelly oppressed and spoyled his brother by violence and hath not done good among his people lo he dyeth in his owne sinne 19 And yet say ye Wherefore then should not this sonne beare his fathers sinne Because the sonne hath done iudgement and righteousnesse he hath kept all my statutes and done them therefore shall he liue in déede 20 The same soule that sinneth shall die the sonne shall not beare the fathers iniquitie neyther shal the father beare the sonnes iniquitie the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon hymselfe also 21 But if the vngodly will turne away from all his sinnes that he hath done and kéepe all my statutes and doe the thing that is iudgement and right doubtlesse he shall liue and not die 22 As for all his sinnes that he did before they shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall lyue 23 For haue I any pleasure in the death of a sinner sayth the Lorde God shall he not lyue if he returne from his wayes 24 Againe if the righteous turne from hys righteousnesse and doe iniquitie and shall doe according to all the abhominations that the wicked man doth shall he lyue All the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be remembred but in his trāsgression that he hath committed in his sinne that he hath sinned in them he shal dye 25 And yet ye say The waye of the Lorde is not indifferent Heare therefore ye house of Israel is not my way equall or are not your wayes rather vnequall 26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie and dyeth in the same in his iniquitie which he hath committed shal he die 27 Againe when the wicked turneth awaye from his wickednesse that he hath done doth iudgement and right he shall saue his soule aliue 28 Because he séeth and turneth away from all hys iniquitie that he hath committed he shall surely liue and not die 29 And yet sayth the house of Israel The way of the Lorde is not equall Are not my wayes equall O ye house of Israel are not your wayes rather vnequall 30 Therefore I will iudge you euery man according to his wayes O ye house of Israel sayth the Lord God returne and bring againe others from al your wickednesse so iniquitie shall not be your destruction 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a newe hart and a new spirite for why will he dye O ye house of Israel 32 Seing I haue no pleasure in the death of hym that dyeth sayth the Lord God bring agayne your selues then and ye shall lyue The Exposition vpon the .xviij. Chapter of Ezechiel The woorde of the Lorde came vnto mee saying what meane ye by this c. THe Prophetes often Preached vnto the Iewes that it could not be but God would grieuously punish them because they Continued in the sinnes of their forefathers and that he had long time of his Pacience borne with the offences of them both and therefore of Necessitie Gods Iustice must nowe be executed Vpon this occasion the Waywarde people easily beleeuing their fathers offences and hardly brought in perswasion of their Owne blasphemously murmured agaynst God and in their heartes condemned him of vniustice because the punishment of their fathers offences should light vpon them And to note this their Meaning they vsed this common prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge By Sower grapes they vnderstood Idolatrie sinne and wickednesse as appeareth Esay 5. which their fathers had committed and by Teeth on edge the griefe and paine of the punishment So that as I haue sayd their meaning was that God Iniuriously spared their sinfull fathers and punished the Innocent children In Hieremie also Cap. 31. it may appeare they vsed the same prouerbe Wherefore the Prophete Ezechiel in this place defendeth the Iustice of God agaynst their blasphemous Obloquie sheweth that as the wisdom of God might haue other respects in their punishments then they were hable to conceyue so they could not Rightly quarrel with God in that poynt because beside their fathers Wickednesse Euery man had his Owne sinnes for which in Iustice he might be Condemned and punished And the Prophet to this purpose vseth fiue eauses 1 The first is that the Iust man continuing in his Iustice and doing in all thinges rightly shall prosper and not be punished This doth he in the 5. 6. 7. 8. and. 9. verses Wherein also by particular properties he describeth a Iust man. 2 The second is if that Iust father beget a Wicked sonne his fathers Iustice shall not helpe him but he shal be punished for his Owne naughtines 3 The thirde if the Wicked man be getet a Iust sonne who seeing his fathers euill doings feareth God and liueth Vprightly he shall not die in his Fathers sinnes but liue be in y fauour of God. 4 The fourth if the vngodly man will Turne from his wicked wayes and keepe the lawes and statutes of God his sinnes that he did before shall not be Mentioned vnto him nor he punished for them 5 If the righteous turne from his righteousnesse and fall to Iuiquitie his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but he shall be plagued for his Transgression wherein he continueth For somuch as there are sundrie places of the Scriptures that in words seeme contrarie to the sayings of Ezechiel there may iustly seeme some Doubt to rise thereof I will sayth God requite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the sonnes to the thirde and fourth generation And againe If thou wilt not heare the voice of the Lorde c. cursed shall be the fruite of thy wombe and thy sonnes and thy daughters shal be deliuered to strangers The like we haue Exo. 34. and Hier. 23. and in many other places For Chams offence towarde his father the Curse and punishment lighteth vpon Chanaan Many thousandes perished for Dauids sinne
wherein I can be worshipped but onely the * expresse Image of my Deitie my sonne Christ Iesu your Sauiour and the true Messias Wherefore yet agayne I say vnto you beware of the Idolatrie of the Gentiles and cleaue fast vnto me For * my deuises shall stedfastly be established and I will fulfill all my pleasure and whatsoeuer I haue declared to you by my Prophets for your comfort Yea euen as I haue promised you I will bring a Birde out of the East that is a noble king of the Persians that shall with great power breake into Babilon trausferre the Empire from them and restore you to your Countrey againe And not onely this but I wil also in conuenient and short time bring forth my iustice and sauing health and set my saluation in Sion and my glorie in Hierusalem by the comming of the Messias and Sauiour of the worlde The 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 51. HEarken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that séeke the Lord take héede to the stone wherout ye are hewen and to the graue wherout ye are digged 2 Consider Abraham your father and Sara that bare you howe that I called him alone and blessed him and increased him 3 Therefore shall the Lorde comfort Sion and repaire all hir decay making hir desert as a Paradise and hir wildernesse as the garden of the Lorde Myrth and ioy shall be founde there thankesgyuing and the voyce of praise 4 Haue respect vnto me then O my people both highe and lowe and laye thine eare vnto me for a lawe and an ordinance shall go forth fro me to lighten the gentiles 5 It is harde by that my health and my righteousnesse shall go forth and the people shall he ordered with mine arme the Ilandes that is the Gentiles shall hope in me and put their trust in mine arme 6 Lift vp your eyes towarde heauen and loke vpon the earth beneath for the heauens shall vanishe awaye lyke smoke and the earth shall ware olde lyke a garment and they that dwell therem shall perishe in like maner but my saluation shall endure for euer and my righteousnesse shal not cease 7 Hearken vnto me ye that haue knowledge in righteousnesse thou people that hearest my lawe in thine heart feare not the reuylings of men be not afraide of their blasphemies 8 For wormes and mothes shall eate them vp like cloth and weell but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation 9 Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde wake vp like as in time past euer and since the the worlde beganne 10 Art not thou the same arme that hast wounded the prowde and hewen the Dragon in péeces Art not thou euen the same which hast dryed vppe the déepe of the Sea which hast made plaine the sea ground that the deliuered might goe through 11 Therefore the redéemed of the Lorde shall turne againe and come with ioy vnto Sion continuall ioy shall be on their heade and mirth and gladnesse shall be with them and sorrowe and wo shall flie from them 12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then fearest a mortall man and the childe of man which goeth away as doth the floure 13 And forgettest the Lorde that made thée that spreade out the heauens and layde the foundation of the earth but thou art euer afrayde for the sight of thine oppressour which is ready to doe harme where is the wrath of the oppressour 14 The exile maketh haste to be loosed that he dye not in prison and that his bread fayle him not 15 I am the Lorde thy God that diuide the sea and his waues shall rage whose name is the Lorde of hosts 16 I haue put my wordes in thy mouth and haue defended thée in the shadowe of my hande that I maye plant the heauens and lay the foundation of the earth and saye vnto Sion Thou art my people 17 Awake awake and stande vp O Ierusalem thou that from the hande of the Lorde hast drunken out the cup of his wrath thou that hast supped of and sucked out the slumbring cup to the bottome 18 For among all the sonnes whome he hath begotten there is not one that maye holde it vp and not one to leade it by the hande of all the sonnes that he hath nourished 19 Both these things are happened vnto thée but who is sory for it yea destruction wasting hunger and sworde but who will comfort thée 20 Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euerye stréete like a taken venison and are full of the terrible wrath of the Lorde and punishment of thy God. 21 And therefore thou miserable and dronken howbeit not with wine heare this 22 Thus sayth the Lorde thy Lorde and God the defendour of his people Beholde I will take the slumbring cup out of his hande euen the cup wyth the dregges of my wrath that from henceforth thou shalt neuer drinke it more 23 But I will put it into their hand that trouble thée which haue spoken to thy soule Stoupe downe that we may go ouer thée make thy body euen with the grounde and as the stréete to go vpon The Exposition vpon the. lj Chapter of Esay Hearken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that seeke c. THe good and godly people in the time of Esay seeing themselues fewe in number and hearing by the Prophetes that they shoulde be ledde captiue into Babilon greatly feared that all faythfull and true worshippers of GOD should in that persecution be vtterly consumed Therefore God here speaketh to them and comforteth them signifying that he will not onely in that trouble of Babilon preserue his chosen and elect of the Iewes but also not long after greatly encrease the number of his Church by the* accesse of all Nations that he would call to the light of his truth and to his true worship by the promised Messias and Sauiour of the seede of Abraham And first he willeth them to consider The rocke wherout they were hewen and the denne whereout they were digged that is as he expoundeth himselfe Abraham their father and Sara their mother of whome they discended and that God called Abraham being but one man* out of his Countrey and suffered him to liue in Chanaan to the age of an hundred yeres and his wife fourescore without children and yet that he so encreased him that his issue prooued innumerable as the * sande of the sea And by this example he willeth them all other faithful to vnderstand that though his Church people appere to the world to be neuer so much afflicted or to be brought to so low an ebbe yet he will increase and multiplie it with exceeding numbers and bring them out of miserie and trouble vnto great ioy
was in the earth and euery herbe of the fielde before it grewe For the Lorde God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth neyther vvas there a man to till the grounde 6 But there went vp a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground 7 The Lorde God also dyd shape man of the dust of the ground and breathed into hys nosethrilles the breath of life and man was a liuing soule 8 And the Lorde God planted a Garden eastwarde in Eden and there he put the man whome he had shapen 9 Moreouer out of the ground made the Lorde God to growe euery trée that was fayre to sight and pleasant to eat The trée of life in the middest of the Garden and the trée of knowledge of good and euill 10 And out of Eden there went forth a ryuer to water the Garden and from thence it was deuided and became into foure heades 11 The name of the first is Pison the same is it that compasseâ—h the whole lande of Hauilab where there is golde 12 And the golde of the lande is very good There is also Bdellium and the Onix stone 13 The name of the second riuer is Gihon the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia 14 The name of the thirde Ryuer is Hidekel and it goeth towarde the east side of Assyrta and the fourth ryuer is Euphrates 15 And the Lorde God tooke the man and put him into the gardeÌ„ of Eden that be might worke it and kéepe it 16 And the Lorde God commaunded the man saying Eating thou shalt eate of euery trée of the garden 17 But as touching the trée of knowledge of good And euill thou shalt not eate of it For in what daye so euer thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death 18 And the Lorde God sayde It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him an helpe lyke vnto hym 19 And so out of the grounde the Lorde God had shapen euery beast of the fielde and euery foule of the ayre and brought them vnto man that he might sée howe he woulde call them For likewise as man named euery lyuing thing so was the name thereof 20 And the man gaue names to all cattell and foule of the ayre and to euery beast of the fielde but for man founde he not an helpe like vnto him 21 The Lorde God caused a déepe sléepe to fall vpon Adam and he slept and he tooke one of his ribbes and closed vp the place with fleshe in steade thereof 22 And the ribbe which the Lorde God hath taken from man made he a woman and brought her vnto the man. 23 And man sayde This is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh she shall be called woman bicause she was taken out of man. 24 For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned with his wyfe and they shall become one fleshe 25 And they were both naked the man and his wyfe and were not ashamed The Exposition vpon the .ij. Chapter of Genesis Thus the heauens and earth was finished and all the hoast of them c. SEing that when Man was made the whole worlde had his perfection and ending it maye appeare that all thinges by Gods goodnesse were made for man and to his vse which consideration oâ—â—ght to moue men to bee thankefull vnto God for so great and vnestimable Benefites and to * doe all things to his Honour and glorie according to the ende of their Creation For as the world was made for Man So Man was created to set forth the praise and glorie of god By this worde Hoste he meaneth the Furniture of heauen and Earth and the Multitude of all Gods creatures belonging to them both And therfore when God is often in Scripture called* The Lorde of Hostes it is ment he is the Lord and maker of all Creatures and hath them all at hys commaundement eyther to defende his people or to worke punishment vpon his Enimies And the seauenth daye he rested from all the workes that he made c. Verie well saith Augustine God rested the seauenth day from the worke of Creation but he neuer Ceaseth from the rule of his gouernance For the same God that in the beginning made Heauen and Earth and all Creatures contayned in them doth now also continually Preserue Maintaine and gouerne the same Therefore we are no 〈◊〉 nowe daylie bounde to thanke God for the Preseruation of his Creatures to our vse then we were at the beginning for Making of them We maye not thinke that Creatures once made doe preserue and prosper themselues by a course of Nature oâ—ely but that it is the finger of God and his gratious Prouidence that woâ—â—eth coÌ„tinually in them By him saith Saint Paule wee haue our Being we Liue and we Mooue And to the Hebr. Sustayning all things by the worde of his power And God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because c. There are 4. causes why God sanctified the seuenth day 1 The first because he ceased from the making of any mo new Creatures 2 The second for the Worthynesse of mankinde whose creation and making was the Ende of the whole worlde 3 The thirde that it might be an institution and ordinance of a worship due vnto God on the behalf of Man wherby he should set forth his prayse and Glory and acknowledge his vnestimable goodnesse towarde him 4 The fourth that it might be a Figure of Immortality and of our eternal Rest with God in heauen after the ende of the worlde For the Lord God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth c. At the beginning thinges that grewe on the Earth were brought forth by God without raine and without labour of mans hande but afterward God giueth in commaundement that Man should Manure the Earth and God did sende Raine to season and moyst it Wherefore Men must Laboure and traueile Plant and Sowe and not looke to eate the fruites of the Earth * in Idlenesse And yet must he not so trust in his worke and labour as though it coulde be of any force or worke benefite vnto him without the goodnesse of God in Seasoning the Earth and prospering his labors and traualles The prouidence of God will haue both to go togither Mans painefull labour and Gods gracious working The Lord also did shape man of the dust of the Grounde c. Here Moyses returneth againe to the worke of the sixt day and expoundeth nowe that he left vnspoken before that is that God made the body of Man of the dust of the Earth He had before sayde that God did make Man according to his owne Image which was the greatest Dignitie that could be giuen vnto Man But nowe least by that pretence he should be puffed vp with Pride he setteth before his eyes his Base
and simple beginning that he came of the * Dust of the Earth And therefore hath no cause to glorie in his owne worthinesse And if he be any thing more than any other common Creatures that the Prayse thereof is to be giuen to God alone Therefore to beate downe the pride of Mans corrupt Nature very wel saith Iesus Sirach VVhy art thou so proude O thou Dust and Ashes And the Lorde God planted a Garden Eastwarde in Eden c. In this that God did set Man in a Paradise or Garden of pleasure it maketh muche to the aduauncement of Mans dignitie and the settinge forth of the great Fauour of God towarde him who woulde not haue his principall Creature whome he had made as Lorde of all other to inhabite in a cōmon place of the Earth but in a plat framed of purpose replenished with al maner of plesure delight according as is here discribed by Moyses Where or in what part of the world this Paradise was or whether it doe at this day remaine or no we may not be Curious to search or determine It may well be thought that that place of delight and pleasure that was prepared for Man in his Innocencie when he sinned and fell from the obedience of God his maker was defaced partly by the * Curse that for the same fel vpon the Earth partly by the generall Deluge ouerflowing the whole lande and all the partes thereof And if we shoulde assigne it to any place it is most likely to haue beene about the coastes of Mesaporamia and Armenia c. where the Riuers Euphrates and Tigris are The Tree of Life planted in Paradise may be thought to be that by the fruite whereof if man had not Sinned he should haue continued Immortall The Tree of knowledge of Good and Euill was that tree which God to trie the Obedience of Adam did Forbid him to taste of and tooke the name of that miserable euent that after fell vnto him by his Disobedience For thereby he vnderstoode euill and was ashamed of himselfe And out of Eden there went foorth a ryuer of water c. Forsomuch as the Riuers that beare those names at this day and flowe into the partes here mencioned haue their heades and beginninges farre asunder it is mooued as a doubt howe they are reported here to haue one heade and spring For aunswere herevnto we must vnderstand that in the time of the generall Deluge when all the fountaynes of the Earth brake out by the prouidence of God to drowne the worlde for sinne it is not vnlikely that this Spring also and the Ryuers that grewe thereof by the continuance of the Deluge did alter and varied their course and toke also other beginnings then before they had Some other thinke that at the same Deluge the sea swelling to drowne the Earth did ouerwhelme that place where Paradice was from whence these Ryuers had their beginning and that it so remayneth at this day either where the redde Sea is or in some partes of the Sea there bordering And the Lorde God commaunded Man saying eating thou shalt eate c. It is not to be thought that God had Inspired the diuin◠knowledge of good and euill into the fruites of this tree but it is to be vnderstanded that it was a type or Figure of perfite knowledge of good and euill which becommeth the wisedome of God alone being hable to declare the perfect causes of all thinges both generally and particularly wherevnto God woulde not haue Man arrogantly to aspire as a thing farre aboue his Cōdition and therefore commaunded him vnder a great paine not to taste of this fruite Augustine and others iudge that the name was giuen to this tree by the euent that folowed For Man by the tasting of that fruite to his owne great harme by experience learned the difference betweene the goodnesse of obedience innocencie felicitie immortalitie and the * euill of disobedience sinfulnesse miserie and death And the Lorde sayd it is not good for man to be alone I will make him an helpe c. Seeing that God had made Man as he did other Creatures to this ende that he should multiply and encrease vpon the face of y Earth it was not fitte and conuenient for him to be alone therefore God of his great goodnesse respecting this his purpose in creating of Mankinde sayth he will make an Helper to Adam like himselfe The woman lawefullye ioyned to Man bringeth three Helpes which he cannot haue without hir 1 The first is the Helping to Procreation and multiplying of mankinde 2 The seconde is that she is a lawfull Remedie agaynst whoredom al filthy vncleane lusts To auoyd fornication sayth Paule let ech man haue his wife And again It is better to Marry than to burne 3 The thirde Helpe is Comfort in sickenesse in affliction and in all houshold cares and troubles as in education of children and keeping the family in order In this place haue we the Institution and notable commendation of matrimonie by God himselfe euen before the fall of Adam Which maketh greatly agaynst all such that vnder a colour of hipocrisy in the Spirit of Antichrist depraue the Institution of God and make Mariage a Wallowing in the Flesh or a Permission onely for the auoyding of a greater euill c. For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned c. After the Institution of matrimonie Moyses addeth the Indissoluble bonde and knot whereby the husbande and wife are fastened togither by the ordinance of God and sheweth that it is * straighter than any other coniunction in the societie of mankinde Inso much that it is a lesse offence to forsake Father and Mother and to leaue them succourlesse whiche notwithstanding ought by Gods commaundement to be honoured then it is to doe the like towarde his lawfull maried Wife Wherefore let them looke well what they doe that are readie for Light and Small causes to Seperate man and wife Seeing that Christ himselfe sayth that VVhosoeuer is separated from his wyfe sauing for fornication and marieth another committeth adulterie The sunday called Sexagesima at Morning prayer Genesis 3. ANd the Serpent was subtiler then euery beast of the fielde which the Lorde God had made and he saide vnto the woman yea hath God saide ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden 2 And the woman sayde vnto the Serpent We eate of the fruite of the trées of the garden 3 But as for the fruite of the trée which is in the midst of the garden God hath sayde Ye shall not eate of it neyther shall ye touche it least peraduenture ye die 4 And the Serpent sayde vnto the woman Ye shall not dye the death 5 For God both knowe that the same daye that ye eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and euill 6 And
that region he thought vpon Abraham and sent Lot out from the middest of the ouerthrowe when he ouerthrewe the cities in one of the which Lot dwelled 30 And Lot departed out of Soar dwelled in the Mountaine with his two daughters for he feared to tary in Soar but dwelled in a caue he his two daughters 31 And the elder saide vnto the yonger Our father is olde and there is not a man in the earth to come in vnto vs after the maner of all the worlde 32 Come let vs giue our father wine to drinke and lye with him that we maye saue séede of our father 33 And so they gaue their father wine to drinke that night and the elder daughter went and laye with hir father and he perceyued it not neither when she lay downe neyther when she rose vp 34 And on the morrowe the elder saide vnto the yonger Beholde yesternight laye I with my father let vs make him drinke wine this night also and go thou and lye wyth him that we may raise vp séede of our father And they made their father drinke wine that night also 35 And the yonger arose and lay with him and he perceyued it not neyther when she laye downe neyther when shée rose vp 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot wyth childe by their father 37 And the elder bare a sonne and called his name Moab the same is the father of the Moabites vnto this day 38 And the yonger bare a sonne also and called his name Bennami the same is the father of the children of Ammon vnto this day The Exposition vpon the xix Chapter of Genesis And there came two Angels to Sodome and Loth seing them arose vp c. IN the begynning of this Chapiter is set before vs a worthye and notable example of * hospitality diligently to be considered as well for the great Humanitie declared in it as also because of that Admonition that the Apostle giueth to the * Heb. By hospitalitie saith he some vnwares haue receyued Angels into their intertainment By which wordes we are instructed not onely to vse Hospitalitie but also are directed to consider the Examples of Abraham and Loth that the same thing may happen by Gods good Prouydence to vs that did to them that is by that occasion to haue the great blessing of God and Deliuerance from his dreadfull plagues This must we doe as Loth and Abram did Readily Willingly Earnestly and Humbly And before they went to reast the men of Sodome compassed the house c. Thys place is diligently to be weyghed that the heynous and Horrible Sin of the Sodomites may be vnderstāded and by it the Iustice of Gods iudgement worthyly considered First they assault the house of a Iust and Innocent man their neighbour and that not by Authoritie of any Officer and Magistrate but of their owne priuate affection to satisfie their wicked vnnaturall filthy lust And this did not two or three but the whole Multitude of the City declaring an vniuersal and Generall corruption euen from the childe to the olde gray heares without restraint or correction of any Lawe Officer or Magistrate So that beside the greatnesse of the offence generally spredde there appeareth an open Impunitie whereby all men were suffered to giue themselues ouer to Filthinesse and that with such impudencie that they openly declared themselues to haue * no regarde either of God or of mā but with bold and Shamelesse faces and with filthie mouthes in open speech breathed out that wickednesse that of it selfe is horrible to be thought and conceiued in the minde Bring the men out vnto vs say they that we may knowe them c. * Such Impudencie in Sin is alway an assured token that the grieuous plague of God is at hande And last of all when they were by iust Loth godly and vertuously perswaded to the contrary they did not onely with Indurate heartes reiect his Admonition but with reproch and threatning vsed violence against him Wherefore their sinne may well appeare to haue come to full Ripenesse and most iustly to haue pulled on their heades the dreadfull vengeance of God from heauen Let vs moreouer call to our remembrance that Christ himselfe compareth * the dayes of Noe and Loth vnto these latter dayes in which we nowe liue doth resemble them in deepe Securitie and excessiue Sensuall pleasure rising of great welth and riches Consider therefore this our age and beholde how Generall Corruption that there is in abusing the good giftes of God to all Losenesse of lyfe and sensualitie euen from the childe cockered vp in wantonnesse vnto the olde man that hath worne his age in the same Consider what Securitie what Impudencie yea and Impunitie in doing wickednesse and what Obstinacie and stubburnnesse there is in contemning and disdainfully with mockes and scornes reiecting all good and * godly Admonition to the contrary by whome soeuer it be made Surely it cannot be but that this State must speedily drawe eyther the Ende of the world and the general Day of iudgement or some Terrible plague from heauen for the wickednesse of mankinde And Lot went out of the doore vnto them and shut the doore after him c. In Loth we haue the example of a Godlye man dangerously aduenturing his life to the fury of wicked persons that by all perswasion he might withdrawe them from their mischieuous purpose But in this may seme some great blemish and imperfection that he did offer the Chastitie of hys daughters to be distayned wyth the Villanie of these vuchast Sodomites For although villanie practised with the Maydens had beene farre lesse grieuous than that which they offered to the strangers Yet S. Paule sayth VVe may not doe euill that good may come of it He ought in deede faith and courtesie to his Ghestes and shoulde by all lawfull meanes haue Defended them but hee was no lesse Bounde to his Daughters then to the Strangers but rather in nature much more Fathers haue authoritie ouer their Daughters but not to cause them to suffer villanie and Dishonestie in their bodyes and soules agaynst the lawe of god But it is to be thought that the good man was so astonied with the outragious wickednesse of the Sodomites that he coulde not well tell what to doe and therfore in these great Troubles of his minde to haue made this Vnlawfull Offer But the men put forth their hande and pulled Loth into the house c. When Good men be in great distresse in resisting the naughtie attempts of the wicked then God eyther * by the handes of hys Angels * or by other meanes of his diuine prouidence deliuereth them as he doth Loth here in this place striking the filthie Sodomites with blindnesse And the men sayde vnto Loth hast thou here any besides sonne in law c. Here appeareth the bountifull goodnesse of God towarde the faythfull who
is not onely readie to deliuer them from the destruction of the wicked as he doth here vnto Loth but * also to impart to them his Purpose and for their sakes to saue other if they doe not stubburnely refuse and deride the grace of God as the sonnes in law of Loth are in this place declared to haue done In the offer of the Angels you haue to obserue the vnestimable goodnesse of god In the doing of Loth the Readinesse of the faythfull to call the wicked by repentance to saue themselues In his sonnes in law and other Indurate heartes and Contempt of God and all godly admonition And when the morning rose the Aungels caused Loth to speede him c. If man Linger and by the dulnesse of the flesh be slacke to depart from confusion and to take the right waye to saue himselfe from the Plagues of God if the parties be not stubburnely giuen ouer to wickednesse the readie mercies of God doth by all meanes Hasten him and pricke him forwarde and in a maner Draw and cōpell him to the same as you see the Angels do here by Loth Bringing him out of the Citie Hastening him by wordes Telling him the daunger Shewing him what he shall doe And Loth sayde vnto them Oh not so my Lorde c. Loth fearing least by going so farre as the hill hee shoulde in the meane time be wrapped in the daunger before he coulde come thither after a thankefull acknowledging of the goodnesse of God towarde him desireth a shorter space and that he might saue himselfe in the little Citie or towne not farre of by the same euent called after Zoar. And that we might vnderstand how * forcible the prayers of good men are with God it was graunted him Notwithstanding the same was one of the Sinfull Cities that GOD was purposed to haue destroyed Yea and the Angell sayth he coulde doe nothing vntill Loth came thither declaring that not only the gates and powers of Hell but not so much as the Angels of heauen can be suffered to doe any thing repugnant to their health whome God will Saue and Deliuer Then the Lord rayned fire and brimstone vpon Sodome and Gomorrah c. The terriblenesse of the punishment declareth howe Horrible and Lothsome their Sinne was in the sight of god Strange detestable sinnes are by the Iustice of God plagued with rare and dreadfull punishmentes that all posteritie maye by their Example be taught to beware * Because they had abused the goodnesse of God in giuing them Fertilitie Plentie and Welth had turned his creatures which they should haue vsed wyth thankfulnesse to the fulfilling of their foule and filthie lust in all maner of sensualitie therfore God Rayneth vpon them now and casteth downe from heauen not the sweete dewe moisture to increase the fertilitie and plentie of the earth but Stinking Brimstone and fyre to bring desolation both vpon them and the lande where they dwelled But Loths wife following him looked behinde her and was turned c. God by his Angell had commaunded that they should not looke backe in token of their willing and * speedie departure from the companie of the wicked But Loths wyfe because she Beleued not the Aungell or that she Doubted it woulde not come to passe or else otherwise of a Curious and carnall affection desired to see the thinge or in remēbrance of her Sonnes in lawe and daughters or of the Goods that she had left behind did Looke backe and lingered on the way and so was turned into a salt stone as a perpetuall memorie and Example howe vnpleasant Disobedience is to God. And the elder daughter sayde vnto the yonger our father is olde c. This Incestuous acte of Loths daughters and their father maye seeme not onely straunge but Horrible to be Committed by them who did yet as it were before their eyes beholde the heauie hande of God for the like vncleanesse in the Sodomites But that the lesse offence may be taken here at and some doubtes aunswered we will briefely examine the hystorie in this maner This doing of Loth and his daughters may be considred three wayes eyther in respect of the fact it selfe or of their knowledge or ignorāce or of their intent and purpose The qualitie of the fact in it selfe considered is verie greeuous not onely in that he had to doe with two sisters but the same also his owne daughters And therefore can not be iudged to be lesse then Horrible Incest in the fact it selfe If we respect Loth he knewe not what he did and so the scripture sayth He knewe not when they came to bedde or when they rose and therefore can he not be condemned of wilfull Incest And yet his dronkennesse may not be so Excused but that he must needes be noted of Vntemperancie For although after so great feare and trouble of minde in himselfe his daughters he might drinke wine more then vsuall to comfort his spirites yet he shoulde not in anye wise haue gone so farre as to haue bene dronke therewith and incited to Vncleane lust of the bodye And further if we consider the Intent and purpose of the Daughters by the testimonie of the scriptures they seeme not to haue done the thing so much for the heate of bodily pleasure as of a desire to raise posteritie and issue after them because through feare astonied they thought all mankinde had bene extinguished by that terrible plague of god The summe then is this The fact being of it selfe horrible as well in the Father as in the Daughters by consideration of some circumstances is extenuated but not so that they can be discharged of Iust Crime and blame The first Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Genesis 22. AFter these sayings God did tempt Abraham and said vnto him Abraham Which aunswered Here I am 2 And he sayde Take thy sonne shine onely sonne Isahac whom thou louest and get thée vnto the land Moriiah and offer him there for a whole burnt offering vpon one of the Mountaynes which I will shewe thée 3 Then Abraham rose vp earely in the morning and sadled his Asse and tooke two of his yong men with him and Isahac his sonne and cloue wood for the whole burne offering and rose vp and got him to the place which God had appoynted him 4 The thirde day Abraham lift vp his eyes and sawe the place a farre of 5 And sayde vnto his yong men Bide here with the Asse I and the ladde will go yonder and worship and come agayne to you 6 And Abraham tooke the woodde of the whole burnt offering and layd it vpon Isahac his sonne but he himselfe tooke fire in his hande and a knife and they went both of them together 7 Then spake Isahac vnto Abraham his father and sayde My father And he answered Here am I my sonne He sayde Sée here is
the bushe was not consumed 3 Therefore Moyses sayde I will go nowe and sée this great sight howe it commeth that the bushe burneth not 4 And when the Lorde sawe that he came for to sée God called vnto him out of the middest of the bushe and sayde Moyses Moyses And he answered Here am I. 5 And he saide Drawe not nigh bither put thy shwes of thy féete for the place wheron thou standest is holy ground 6 And he saide I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And Moyses hid his face for he was afrayde to looke vpon God. 7 And the Lorde sayde I haue surely séene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their crye from the face of their taske maisters for I knowe their sorrowes 8 And am come downe to deliuer them out of the hande of the Egiptians and to bring them out of that land vnto a good lande and a large vnto a lande that floweth with mylke and hony euen vnto the place of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites and Pherezites and Heuites and of the Iebuâ—ites 9 Nowe therefore beholde the complaint of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also séene the oppression wherewith the Egiptians oppressed them 10 Come thou therfore and I will send thée vnto Pharao that thou mayest bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt 11 And Moyses â—aide vnto God what am I to go vnto Pharao and to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt 12 And he answered For I will be with thée and this shall be a token vnto thée that I haue sent thée After that thou hast brought the people out of Egipt ye shall serue God vpon this mountaine 13 And Moyses sayde vnto God Beholde vvhen I come vnto the children of Israel and shall say vnto them The God of your fathers hath sent me vnto you And if they saye vnto me what is his name what answere shall I giue them 14 And God answered Moyses I am that I am And he said Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath seÌ„t me vnto you 15 And God spake further vnto Moses Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob hath sent me vnto you This is my name for euer and this is my memoriall into generation and generation 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel togither and thou shalt say vnto them The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob appeared vnto me and sayde In visiting haue I visited you and knowe that which is done to you in Egypt 17 And I haue sayde I will bring you out of the tribulation of Egypt vnto the lande of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites Pherezites and Heuites and Iebusites euen into a lande which floweth with milke and hony 18 And they shall heare thy voyce then both thou and the elders of Israel shall go vnto the king of Egypt and saye vnto him The Lorde God of the Hebrews hath met wyth vs and nowe let vs go we beséech thée thrée dayes iourney into the wildernesse and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God. 19 And I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not in a mightie hande 20 And I will stretch out my hande and smite Egypt with all my woonders which I will doe in the mids thereof and after that he will let you go 21 And I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shall not go emptie 22 But euerye wyfe shall borowe of her neighbour and of her that soiourneth in her house Iewels of Siluer and Iewels of Golde and rayment and ye shall put them on your sonnes and daughters and shall robbe the Egiptians The Exposition vpon the thirde Chapter of Exodus Moses kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in lawe priest of Madian c. AS in the other Chapters before haue bene declared the great Oppression and Miserie of the children of Israell in Aegypt so in this Chapter and the residue folowing is set forth the great and mercifull Goodnesse of Almightye God deliuering them from the same And as touching Moises whom God had chosen to be his Instrument herein we may in him learne howe God vseth commonly to deale with his Elect. This Moses was at this time of all men in the worlde most acceptable to God whome euen from his mothers wombe he had chosen to be the Deliuerer of hys people and the Publisher of his lawe And yet it pleased him to suffer the same Moyses to be in Banishment * fortie yeares not onely among heathen persons but in the poore and harde condition of a Sheepehearde And yet may we not thinke that God at the same time did Contemne Moyses but vndoubtedly had great Care of him and while he was in the trauaile of a Sheepeheard did prepare for him an Office farre aboue the Dignitie or maiestie of any earthly Prince The like we see in Ioseph in Dauid in Daniel and in our sauiour Christ himselfe And the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire c. When God of his goodnes was disposed to Deliuer his people out of Aegypt because of 〈…〉 matter of Great weight in the sight of 〈…〉 Vnpossible the Egyptians being Mighty 〈◊〉 and the Israelites Poore and miserable and for that Moyses might doubt of his Calling to so great a purpose God vseth at the beginning a stravnge and woonderfull Miracle of a Fyre burning in a bush and yet the bush not consumed therewith I thinke it not so profitable to recite the Allegories that many interpreters do mention in this place For the true and simple 〈◊〉 is as I haue sayde that God purposing to call Moyses to Deliuer his people doth Confirme him there in by this Miracle of the burning Bushe that he might not Doubt but that the voyce that spake 〈◊〉 him was in dede from God and not by the Delusion of any Man. And when the Lorde sawe that he came to see God called vnto him c. It is no repugnancie that the Scripture before reported that the Angel appeared in a Flaâ—e office here in this place â—yth that God Called Moyses For God speaketh by his Angels as he doth by his Prophets and other Ministers God is the Maister and Instructer and the Angell is the Minister in the name and authoritie of God doing the Message When he sayth The place is holy he meaneth not that the Ground or earth was of it selfe more Holy or acceptable to GOD than anye other place was 〈◊〉 God minded in that place to Reueale himselfe and his holy Will vnto Moyses and afterwardes in the same place to Publishe his
Prophet to publishe vnto the Infidels and Heathens the promise and couenant that he made with Abraham and his seede By this meanes he proclameth great comfort to his people euen out of the mouths of their * enemies and by the endeuours of them that with all meanes they could did seeke their confusion And he tooke vp his Parable and saide Balac the king of Moab c. By a Parable is vnderstanded an Hie kinde of Speech which by the instinction of the holye ghost he vsed therewith the more to Abash and wound the harte of the wicked king Balac that he myght the sooner knowe not onely how Foolish but how vaine also his endeuor was to striue against God and to haue that people cursed that God had blessed And whereas * Balac had saide of Balaam that whomsoeuer He blessed was blessed and whomsoeuer He cursed was cursed In this place to the further reproch and griefe of that naughtie king Balaam with his owne mouth renounceth that prerogatine and sayth plainly he can not Curse him that God hath not cursed giuing that Power and honor to God and shewing that in this respect he is not Ruler of his owne tongue but that God for his people sake had Brydeled both his will and his speech Loe the people shall dwell by themselues and shall not be reckened amonge c. When he sayth they shall dwell by themselues his meaning is not that they shall dwell in solitarinesse but that they shall holde themselues contented with their owne state and trusting in their God whom they worshipped should not neede nor desire the protection and helpe of any other people And therfore it foloweth that they should not be accompted among Nations * because no nation or people should be worthie to be compared vnto them for that they were adopted and chosen as the onely people of God whom he would take vnder his defence and protection Who can tell the duste of Iacob and number the fourth part of Israel c. By the Dust of Iacob he vnderstandeth the great Multitude wherwith God would blesse that people and therein he alludeth to the promise of God made to Abraham * that he would multiplye his seede as the Sande of the sea c. And Balac saide vnto him come I pray thee with me vnto another place c. In this that foloweth we haue to note the blind obstinacie both of Balac in his superstition and of Balaam in his couetous affection For albeit God had euidently nowe at two sundrie times declared his purpose yet neyther the wycked king would be satisfied nor the false Prophet perswaded to leaue his tempting of god But both of them by superstitious chaunging the place indeuour to make God shew himselfe mutable and as it were by their superstitious Importunitie to winne his fauour from his people and to make him to yeelde to their lewde and naughtie affections Therefore God maketh the false Prophet to pronounce sentence against himselfe and that obstinate and wicked king in saying God is not a manne that he shoulde lye neyther the sonne of a man that he should repent should he say and not do or should he speake and not make it good c. And yet all this would not satisfie them such is the maner of the obstinate and reprobate sinners that no teaching nor declaring of the holy will of God can make them so to chaūge their mindes but that they will more and more continue in their Deuillishe and naughtie purposes And the ioyfull shoute of a king is a mong them c. By this he meaneth that the Maiesty and might of God as their louing king and gouernour is among them for their assured defence to their great ioye and comfort According to this time it shall be saide of Iacob and Israel what hath c. That is to saye According as at this time it is sayd what wonderous works hath God wrought for this people so shall it more and more be sayde hereafter For God hath promised for Euer to be their God and to deale Wonderfully for them He shall not lye downe vntill he eate of the pray and drinke the bloud c. In this verse he noteth that the People of Israel shall be Valiant strong and mightie as a Lyon and hable to conquer and spoile their enimies that vniustly doe assault them and by violence seeke to doe them wrong The second Sunday after Easter at Euening prayer Numbers 25. AND Israel abode in Sittim and the people began to commit whooredome with the daughters of Moab 2 Which called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods And the people did eate and bowed downe to theyr gods 3 And * Israel coupled himself vnto Baal Peor and the indignation of the Lorde was kindeled agaynst Israel 4 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses Take all the heades of the people and hang them vp before the Lord against the sunne that the wrath of the Lordes countenaunce may be turned away from Israel 5 And Moyses sayd vnto the iudges of Israel Euery one slay his mē that were ioined vnto Baal Peor 6 And behold one of the children of Israel came brought vnto his brethren a Madianitish woman in the sight of Moyses in the sight of all the multitude of the children of Israel that wept before the dore of the tabernacle of the congregation 7 And when Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest sawe it he rose vp out of the middes of the companie and tooke a iauelin in his hand 8 And went after the man of Israell into the tente and fhrust them thorough both the man of Israell and also the woman euen through the belly of hir And the plague ceassed from the children of Israell 9 And there dyed in the plague twentie and foure thousande 10 And the Lord spake vnto Moyses saying 11 Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the priest hath turned myne anger away from the children of Israell whyle he was zealous for my sake among them that I had not consumed the children of Israel in my ielousie 12 Wherfore say Behold I giue vnto him my couenant of peace 13 And he shall haue it and his séede after him euen the couenaunt of the priests office for euer bicause he was zealous for his Gods sake and made an attonement for the children of Israel 14 The name of the Israelite thus killed which was slaine with the Madianitish woman was Zamri the son of Salu a lord of an house and kinred of Simeon 15 And the name of the Madianitishe woman that was slaine was Cozbi the daughter of Zur a head ouer the people of his fathers house in Madian 16 And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses saying 17 Vexe the Madianites and smyte them 18 For they trouble you with their wyles which haue beguiled you by deceyt in the cause of Peor
suche as by Gods lawe were compted vncleane and needed purification by the order of the lawe but of Sacrifices none such might eat before they were purged But as God permitteth them to eate fleshe so he forbiddeth them to eate the bloud the whiche hee doth Leuit. 17. farre more earnestly The lyke * inhibitioÌ„ he vsed also to Noah after the deluge Whiche God didde to accustome his people to a more myldenesse among themselues that they shoulde not be readie to murder and slaughter For when by Gods ordinance they had learned to spare the Bloud of beastes they must nedes think it a greater* crueltie to shed mans bloud Therfore in Genesis God immediately after the prohibition to eate the bloud of beastes addeth VVhosoeuer sheadeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shead Thou mayste not eate within thy gates the tythe of thy corne c. As Moyses hadde shewed them that they might eate fleshe so now he telleth them what they may not eate that is their tythe the fyrst borne of their cattell their vowes their freewil offerings c. For of all these so muche as was Gods portion was allotted to the fynding of his ministers the Priests the Leuites and also the poore people as maye in parte appeare Nu. 18. And therfore they myght not eate them at home that they might not defraud the ministers of God of whom they* ought to haue care and therefore God chargeth them that they doe not forsake the Leuite but the residue of the same * Sacrifices that was not appointed to the Priests c. they are commanded to eate before the Lord that is at his Tabernacle where hee chiefly declared his presence When the Lorde thy God shall enlarge thy border as he hath promised c. Here is repeated the same thing that was spoken Verse 15. 16. that they might eate fleshe according to their habilitie that God had giuen them and how they might eate it that is as a common meate not as a Sacrifice There is added also a more large and earnest* prohibitioÌ„ of eating of bloud bycause in the bloudis life or the vitall spirites so that it may seeme crueltie to eate bloud To eate bloud of it selfe was not a matter of so greate momente and therefore when God presseth so earnestly the prohibition and with so great punishmente it is euident the Lawe tendeth to some other ende that is that they might esteme the Liues of all things and especially of Man to be precious And therfore saith he The bloud is the life But thy holy thinges whiche thou hast and thy vowes thou shalt take c. This maketh the former Precept more plain and sheweth euidently that the cause whiche God would haue no mo places of worship than one was that the diuersitie of places and Aultars might not among that wayward people cause so many Seueral Gods as they had seuerall places of worship Therefore are they willed here to bring al Holy things that is such as be dedicated to God or appointed for Sacrifice to that appointed place where the Lord wolde choose to be worshipped Take heede and heare all these wordes which I commaund thee c. Forsomuch as the Imitation of that people that dwelled in the land of Chanaan mighte bee a great occasion easily to leade them to Idolatrie and worshipping of strange gods Moyses heere straightly forbiddeth them not so muche as to Enquire of the maner of their false Gods. For this is lightly the beginning of all Idolatrie when men vnderstanding the simplicitie of Gods true worship curiously Enquire of mens deuises whether there be any thing in theÌ„ worthy obseruation which they may adde as they thinke to beautifie the simplicitie of Gods coÌ„maundement and so by little and little fall eyther to flat Idolatrie or to very Grosse superstition Wherefore God bridleth here this loosnesse of his people and saith They may not do so to their Lorde God for hee did not onely mislike those false worshippings but dyd Hate them Loth them accompted them Abhominable and especially that Horrible vse of Burning their sonnes and daughters vnto deuils Therefore to knit vp this instruction God commaundeth them that they shoulde cleaue faste vnto his worde and not in any poynte to alter it eyther By adding any thing thereto or by taking any thing therefro As if hee had sayde that all studies and indeuours of men to woorship him not proceding out of this* roote of his holy word and law seemed they neuer so godly were superstitious wicked and abhominable in his syght And therefore they may seeme to breake the first commaundement and to frame vnto themselues strange Gods which worship God in any other maner than in his worde is appoynted For this cause doth Esaie chap. 29 threaten horrible punishment to suche persons Bicause saith God this people hath vvorshipped mee vvith their mouth and their hartes farre from mee and their feare tovvards mee hath proceded of the commaundementes of men I vvill doe maruels among this people For the vvisedome of their vvise men shall perishe c. Seing therfore the whole worship of God that these many yeares hath ben in the Churche of Rome hath bene altogither Mans deuise besyde and contrary to the word of God no maruell if God hath so * blynded and astonied thewisedome vnderstanding of the chiefe doctours and best learned of them that they stand in defence of very grosse errors and superstitions The Sunday after the Ascention at Euenyng prayer Deuteronomie .xiij. IF there aryse among you a Prophete or a dreamer of dreames and giue thée a signe or a wonder 2 And that signe or wonder which he hath sayde come to passe and then saye Lette vs goe after straunge Gods which thou hast not knowne and let vs serue them 3 Hearken not thou vnto the wordes of that prophete or dreamer of dreames For the Lorde thy God proueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lorde youre God with all your heart and with all your soule 4 Ye shall walke after the Lorde youre God and feare him kéepe his commaundementes and hearken vnto his voyce you shall serue him and cleane vnto him 5 And that prophet or dreamer of dreames shall dye bicause he hath spoken to tâ—rlie you awaye from the Lorde your God whiche brought you out of the lande of Egypte and deliuered you out of the house of bondage to thrust thée out of the waye whiche the Lorde thy God commaunded thée to walke in and therfore thou shalt put the euill away from thée 6 If thy brother the sonne of thy mother or thyne owne sonne or thy daughter or the wyfe that lyeth in thy bosome or thy frende which is as thyne owne soule vnto thée entice thée secretely saying Let vs go and serue straunge gods which thou haste not knowne nor yet thy fathers 7 And they be any of the gods of the people
of Israell cried vnto the Lorde for he had 900. c. Where the Chanaanites had afflicted the people of Israell twenty yeares we may not thinke that in all that time before they neuer cried vnto God but happily their crying and calling vpon God before was rather in way of murmuring and muttering against God and the rod of his Chasticement but nowe when with repentant and sorowfull harts they pray vnto God and acknowledge their wickednesse and traÌ„sgression with redy mercy he heareth and helpeth them And Debora a prophetisse the wyfe of Lapidoth iudged Israell c. That God might make the deliueraÌ„ce of his people more glorious vnto him by the ministerie and * weaknesse of a woman he worketh it therby sheweth that neyther might of Princes nor policie of Captaines nor streÌ„gth of armies nor swiftnesse of chariots is hable to hold them in miserie that God wil haue deliuered In this that God chooseth a Woman to be a Prophetisse thereby the instructer teacher the guyd gouerner yea the Deliuerer of his people he sheweth that he doth not alway reiect that Sexe or kind from the ministerie of his holie will neyther in matters of Policie nor of Religion but that oftentymes he wil * vse them to his glorie as the good Nurses and Patrons of his Churche and people And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedes c. Some thinke that Debora had oftentymes before aduertised Barak that he should attempt the deliuerance of the people that he through Timorousnesse had stayed and therfore now she opeÌ„ly before the people declareth the same vnto him that in the Name Authoritie of God after the maner of Prophets adding the promise of God to hys further confirmation For sayeth she in the person of God I vvill bring or dravve vnto the ryuer Kison Sisara the Captayne c. And Barak sayde vnto hir If thou wilt goe with mee I will goe but and c. Barak in these woordes may seeme to haue somewhat doubted of his calling and therfore Debora signifyeth that the Glorie and chiefe Prayse of this Victorie shoulde bee giuen from him to a Woman Other thinke that he spake not this of any mistrust of his Calling but bicause he would be sure to haue hir with him as the Prophetisse of God by whose Wisedome he might be instructed to all oportunities And therfore S. August readeth in the text these words Bycause I knowe not vvhat day the Angell of God shal prosper mee When Debora willeth Barak to gather ten thousandemen wee muste consider that God had ben hable withoute MaÌ„s helpe to Subdue their enimies but by this he wold declare that hee dothe not reproue iust Warre nor the helpe of mannes strengthe when it is vsed wyth trust and confidence in Him. WheÌ„ God saith that he wil draw Sisara to the Riuer Kyson we may vnderstaÌ„d that God Draweth both to good also to Euil y is in the way of punishmeÌ„t but this he doth in a diuers maner WheÌ„ he Dravveth to Good he healeth our corrupt mindes by his Grace prepareth vs to that which otherwise we could not do When he Dravveth vs to Euill we neede no MotioÌ„ nor helpe therevnto beeing altogither by our Corruption bent vnto the same only God directeth oure euill doings to his Glorie and to oure Punishmente But Heber the Kenite whiche was of the children of Hobab father c. This is here added bycause of Iael Hebers wyfe who is after reported to kill Sisara wyth a Nayle c. The cause that moued Heber to liue separatly from his kinsmen is not here expressed It maye bee some lyke cause as moued Abraham and Loth to dwel asunder that is great Plentie of cattell and Scarsitie of pasture And Debora sayd vnto Barac Vp for this is the day in whiche the lord c. Iosephus writeth that Barac was muche abashed of the power of Sisara and woulde haue stedde into the Mountaynes but that hee was stayed by Debora who signifyed to hym that this was the tyme in which the Prouidence of God had appoynted to Deliuer Sisarah and his armie into his hands as the Historie declareth that in deede it did fall out Howbeit Sisara fled awaye on his fecte to the tent of Iael wife of Heber c. Sisara was a wicked and Cruell Tiranne a Persecuter of the people of God he trusted in his power and strength of his armie he had no smal trust in the AlliaÌ„ce and Confederacie of other neere vnto him and vpon * coÌ„fidence hereof of was puffed vp wyth Pryde and wyth extreme Tirannie soughte to oppresse the Israelites But when God * visited hys wickednesse neyther his Policie and experience in warre neither the power and Multitude of his Souldiours neither the Strength of his yron Chariottes coulde helpe hym but that hee Fledde and that on foote from a Small number of aduersaries and had reprochefull and villanous Death where he trusted for helpe and comfort So God vseth to deale wyth the enimies of his people And Jael went out to meete Sisara and sayde vnto him Turne in my lord c. It maye here be Doubted howe Haber Iaels husbande beeing of the people of God coulde haue League with a Heathen godlesse Prince Surely to haue such league as tendeth only to the saâ—fe Enioying of the Limites boundes of their Possession semeth not to be against the Scriptures Iacob had league with Laban And the children of Israel sauing seuen natioÌ„s had truce with other countreys aboute them But to desire ayde of them or to ioyne power with them in assistance any way may appeare vtterly to bee agaynste the worde of God and alwayes hathe fallen oute euill to them that haue vsed it As it maye appeare by the example of Iosaphat going with the king of Israel againste Ramoth in Gilead And God by his prophete reproued him for the same 2. Paral. But what shall we here saye of Iael who seemeth in the killyng of Sisara bothe to haue done against the League and couenant of peace betweene them and also to haue broken the lawe of Hospitalitie contrary to Nature and the preseruation of humane Societie Surely in other cases to breake League and Hospitalitie and vnder pretence of Frendshippe to Murther such as committe themselues vnto vs may well seeme a foule and horrible acte But that Iaell here doth was a certayne deuise and practise of Faythe and obedience towarde God. For as it is lawfull for any by what meanes he can to kill suche a person as the Prince hath proclaimed a Traitour and put out of his protection So was it lawfull for Iaell to kyll Sisara whome she nowe knew to be the enimie of God and the oppressour of his people and had declaration therof by the Prophetisse Debora as from the mouth of God hymselfe The Leuites killed the worshippers of the
wicked king Achas at which tyme not onely the Syrians made a great slaughter of them but also the Edomites and Philistines inuaded them Of which time these wordes may be well interpreted but farre better if to that also we consider that the Prophet wrappeth with it that Plague and Reproch which at this time was at hande to be brought vpō them and speaketh of it as of a thing past When God doth grieuously punishe any person for his sinnes His wickednesse is said To be discouered which before might seeme to lye hidde For God neuer plageth but Iustly and therefore all other may know and vnderstande by the sight of his plagues that those persons haue bene offenders against hym I might by right deale with thee as thou hast done which hast despised the c. The Prophetes alwayes vse to their sharpe Threatnings to adde Sweete promises and comfortes least such as haue some feare of God and sense of his iudgement should be driuen to desperation and thinke that the Promise made vnto them in the Messias and blessed seede of Abraham should be taken from them Therefore God here affirmeth that he will not deale with the remnant of the Iewes according to their deseruings but vpon their repentance will be Reconciled vnto them The most part of the people were euill and wicked and when the Prophetes threatned the wrath of God and their destruction they would obiect for their defence the couenant that God had made with them as to be Their God Their Defender and therefore esteemed they all the preaching of the Prophetes to be vayne because they thought Destruction could not come vpon them by that God to whome they were ioyned as His people This promise first begonne to Adam and being after confirmed to Noah and Abraham on Mounte Sinay by Moyses was throughly established at which tyme the people also yeelded to the same All things say they that the Lorde hath spoken we will doe and will be obedient to them This Othe and Couenant the Iewes had wholy Broken and reiected his lawe and true Worship therin contained God therefore telleth them that it is vaine for them to stay vpon the Bonde of the couenant seing they themselues had first broken it so that he by good right might deale otherwise wyth them But for so much as the Whole Multitude were not reiected but God had some Remnant of Faithfull and such as had feare of his name and remembrance of their othe and couenant as may appeare by Ieremie Ezechiell Baruch Daniel Tobie and others to their great comfort he saith that he will Remember his couenant made with them In the dayes of their youth that is in Egipt and at Mounte Sinay when they were but a yong people For although the Greater number were vnfaithful yet their doings should not cause him to breake promise with the residue but rather that he would establish with them an Euerlasting couenant that no time shoulde weare out And this is the Couenant that he speaketh of Hier. 31. Beholde sayth he the daies shall come that I will make a new couenant wyth the house of Israel and the house of Iuda not after the couenant that I made with their fathers c. vvhich couenant they brake c. But this shall be the couenaut that I will make with them I will plant my lawe in the inwarde partes of them and will write it in their hartes c. In which wordes the Prophet describeth the euerlasting couenant made in Christ Iesu the true Messias and the confirmation of the same by the sending of his Holy spirite into their heartes to direct them to the obseruation of his Law and blessed Will. In all the great Troubles that were towarde the people of God the Prophets vsed to erect them with the Promise of the true Sauiour that was to come Christ Iesu and so doth Ezechiell in this place For all other particular comfortes had their force and strength in him Then shalt thou remember thy ways and be ashamed when thou shalt c. God saide he would Remember his Couenāt made with them therfore he would haue them also To remember their wayes that is their Idolatry and Wicked life and to be * ashamed of them and earnestly from their harts Repent that they haue done so vnfaithfully towarde so gracious and louing a god When God sayth He will gyue their yonger and elder Sisters for daughters to them He speaketh not onely of Sodome and Samaria which before he mentioned but of all the Nations of the Gentiles which by the preaching of the Gospell should be brought to the knowledge of God and faith in Christ and so be made in deede the true children of Abraham and brothers and sisters to them that descended of the Promised seede The Gospell proceeded out of Ierusalem as Esay sayth A lavve commeth out of Syon and the vvorde of the Lorde out of Ierusalem Therefore the Gentiles might well acknowledge it in that respect to be their Mother they to be her sonnes and daughters The .17 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ezech. 18. THe worde of the Lorde came vnto me saying 2 What meane ye by this common prouerbe that ye vse in the lande of Israel saying The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens féeth are set on edge 3 As truely as I liue sayth the Lord God Ye shall vse this byworde no more in Israel 4 Beholde all soules are mine like as the soule of the father is mine so is the soule of the sonne mine also the soule that sinneth shall die it selfe 5 But if a man be iust and doe that which is lawfull and right 6 And hath not eaten vpon the hilles he hath not lift his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel neyther hath defiled his neighbors wife neither hath come neare a woman remoued 7 Neyther hath oppressed any man but hath restored to the detter his pledge he that hath not spoyled any by violēce hath giuen his bread to the hungrie and hath clothed the naked 8 And hath not gyuen forth vpon vsury neither taken any encrease he hath withdrawne his hande from iniquitie and hath executed true iudgement betwéene man and man. 9 And hath walked in my statutes and kept my iudgementes to deale truely this is a righteous man he shall surely liue sayth the Lorde God. 10 If he nowe get a sonne that is a robber a shedder of bloud and doe any one of these things 11 Though he doe not all these things but eyther hath eaten vpon the hylles or defiled his neighbours wyfe 12 Or hath oppressed the poore and néedie or spoyled by violence or hath not restored the pledge or hath lift vp his cies vnto the Idols or hath committed abhomination 13 Or hath giuen forth vpon vsurie or hath taken encrease Shall this man liue he shall not liue Seing he