too hot for them God cast them down ejecit conjecit dejecit rejecit subjecit and that anger is yet their burthen and shall be for ever The first tenants of Paradise could not they fled from the face of God and the curse of God lay heavie upon them Cain confest his punishment more then he could bear the old World all but eight persons sunk under this wrath and were drowned in the great deep The transgressing Cities suffered the consuming and tormenting flames of fire and brimstone The very earth trembled and shoke Psal 18. the foundations also of the mountains moved and quaked because hee was angry smoake went out at his nosthrils and consuming fire out of his mouth Beloved let me tell you what I fear never any times did more put almighty God to it to reveal his anger from heaven and to raine down burthens upon the sons of men for the clearer the light of the Gospel shineth the more his expectation is of walking in the light but our knowledge is rather floating in the braine then working in the obedience of our life Christ saith It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of the Lord then for those of that generation to whom the light appeared in his Ministery so clear and glorious and yet they love darknesse better then light because their works were evill Great is the weight of a milstone hanged about our neck and wee cast therewith into the bottome of the sea yet the burthen of Gods wrath hee sayeth is much heavier then that And yet we make no care nor conscience and live without fear of this anger we do this and that great wickednesse and sin against God and provoke him to anger with our actions and inventions as if the Lord saw not this as if there were no knowledge in the most High As if he could not pluck his hand out of his bosome as if we had stollen away his sword and his quiver full of deadly arrowes I beseech you my brethren do not so wickedly your oaths and blsalphemies your pride and vanities your crueltie and oppressions your frauds and circumventions your abuse of Gods good creatures in excesse and wantonnesse they are all gone up to heaven and awake vengeance and chaleng the God of mercy to declare his justice Doth not some part of the Church now in the Palatinate and in Bohemia groan under the burthen of warre wherein the goods the liberties the lives of men Christian men professours of the same faith with us do lie at the stake and bloud toucheth bloud Doth not our neighbour Church in France tremble for feare of a new massacre hath not the sword of violence tasted already of Protestant blood do not the Jesuites the incendiaries of the Christian world blow the coal and incense the King thereof to grassation and destruction of all that have not the marke of the beast either openly in their foreheads or secretly in their hands and dare we anger our God who gives us the early and the latter rain who crownes our land with peace and the daughter of peace plenty Shall we flatter our selves and say that although we do wickedly this burthen shall not fall upon us let us pray for them and amend our own lives and sin no more least some worse judgment do fall upon us for we shall else finde too late that the wrath and judgment of God is too heavie a burthen for us to bear 2 The wrath and judgments of God they are a burthen to God 2. Deo he professeth it As I live saith the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner he calleth upon his Israel why will yee perish O house of Israel When he punished his people how heavy was the burthen of their punishment upon him He smarted under his own rod the burthens that he put upon his people wearied him Why should you be stricken any more Isay 1.5 The whole head is sicke and the whole heart is faint From the soal of the foot to the head there is no soundnesse in it c. Truly God doth bear with us in a double sense for he doth forbear our punishment in expectation of our amendment and he doth suffer with us in our sufferings he is our father and every stripe he layeth on us smarteth upon him O greive not the Spirit of God by whom you are sealed up to the day of your redemption 3 The word of God threatning sin is a burthen 1. To God 2. To the Prophet 3. To the People It is a burthen to God to threaten judgment 1 Deo he loves to speak us faire and to speak and treat kindly with us to draw us with the cords of men and with the bands of love to be as one that taketh off the yoake for he knoweth whereof we be made for he made us and not we our selves he will allure and perswade Japhet to dwell in the tents of Shem. If Adam do transgresse his one commandment given to him in Paradise he tarrieth expecting when Adam will come to him to acknowledge his fault and cast himself at his feet to seek mercy if Adam will not he will come to him but it shall be the cool of the day first and he will call him to accompt but yet so fatherly that he cannot execute the law without preaching the Gospel he cannot banish him the earthly Paradise til he have opened to him an heavenly He cannot threaten till he have promised he cannot punish till he have pardoned 3 This is a burthen to the Prophet and that two wayes 2 Prophetae 1. In respect of his fidelity to him that sendeth him 2. In respect of his zeal 3. In respect of his charity and compassion to them to whom he is sent 1. In respect of his fidelity It is a burthen to him to keep in the word of this Prophecy he cannot conceal it When Jeremy found the people incorrigible and that the word of God in his Ministery was despised and made his reproach Then I said I will not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name Jer. 20.9 but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay Some carnall men do confesse that it is true that we must preach the judgments of God against sin that is our trade but let children fear those bugbears they know as well as we can tell them that God is mercifull and his mercy is above all his works It is true that we must preach judgment against sin for we have fear of the burthen of all those sins of others which we reprove not to fall upon our selves If thou givest him not warning his blood will I require at thy hands Therefore this word of excommunication Ezek. 3 18. is our burthen and we must not conceal it 2. In respect of his zeal For the
day and night and thou shalt have none assurance of thy life In the morning thou shalt say would God it were even and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thine heart which thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see Here is unquietnesse even upon the bed of rest the reason is given Isa 28.20 For the bed is shorter then a man can stretch himself on it and the Covering narrower then he can wrap himself in it For there is no Peace to the wicked man It is one of Satans suggestions that the way of righteousnesse is painful and denieth a man the content of his heart And from hence arise these flattering temptations Shall I labour and travel all my days to sustain my life with mine own pains when a little violence will strip my neighbour out of all that he hath gotten together and make it mine own Shall I make conscience of an oath or a lye when it may get me more wealth in an houre then my labour shall earne in a year Shall I work my self when I may make prize of the labours of other men and drink down merrily the sweat of others brows Shall I sit low and be despised in the world when I may lay my neighbours on heaps under me and raise up my self upon their ruines Shall I undergo the charge of a family and the care of posterity when rich gifts and fair words may subdue change of beauties to my welcome desires and lusts of the flesh Shall I expect a slow and lingring advancement by the worth of vertue in the service of God when I see the servants of Mammon carry all honours and preferments before them Shall I be humble when I see the proud happy Mal. 3.15 shall I live a godly life when they that work wickednesse are built Let us here observe how these wicked ones do work to compasse their ends they labour in the very fire the fire of hell The Way of Peace they have not known 2. The next point casteth up the account of their gettings and it is anoughts a meer Cypher in Arithmetick Vanity very Vanity Is it riches then is it a thing corruptible it is a thing uncertain and little of it is for use and what profit hath the Possessor thereof in the surplusage but the beholding thereof with his eye When a man considers his wealth gotten by oppression and injury how can he but think it may be so lost as it was gotten Is it the favour of Princes and great men True they be gods upon earth but they die like men at last and they change their minds often before they die One day Haman rides about in Pompe he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Mordecay waiteth at the lane gate another day Mordecay is set upon the Kings beast and Haman leadeth the horse and proclaimeth him honourable and the next day Haman is hanged and Mordecai rules all under the King Is it honour that thou labourest for that also is vanity Honour is in honorante as Aristotle saith it is very unhappy for a man to have his honour without himself his pride within him and his happinesse without him Wise Salomon that had all temporal felicitie in the fullest measure and all of the gift of God yet called all those things Vanity of Vanities I will shut up this point in the words of David Doubtlesse man walketh in a shadow and disquieteth himself in vain Ps 39.6 3. Is it not of the Lord Many crosse betydings befall the ungodly and they never observe who opposeth them It is the Lord that bringeth all the labours of the ungodly to losse and vanity that when they come to thrash their crop of travel in the world they find nothing but strawe and chaffe To expresse his power to do this he is here called the God of Hosts for all things serve him and he resisteth the proud he and his Hosts He layeth their honours in the dust he disperseth their riches and giveth them to the poor he spoiled them of all their treasures he that exalted them made them low he that gave to them taketh away They had need be made to see this therefore he saith Nonne ecce à Domino hoc is it not of the Lord In the time of the Persecutions under the bloody Emperours if at any time they succeeded not in their wars they cried Christiani ad furcas ad leones Christians to the gallows to the lyons they saw not the hand of God against them this makes Balaam smite his Asse he seeth not Gods Angel In the processe of humane affairs they that go on in these sins which God himself threatneth with woe though they find these sins profitable and to afford them large revenews that they live plentifully upon the wages of unrighteousnesse yet have they many crosses in their ways many great losses they sustain these they impute to second causes and lay great blame upon those whom they do oppresse because they stand not to it whilst oppression grindeth them they observe not the hand of God against them yet saith God Is it not of the Lord of Hosts that they weary themselves for very vanity It is a great matter to know who it is that protecteth his servants that crosseth the designes of their enemies David prayeth for Gods saving help to them and That they may know that this is thy hand Ps 109 27 that thou Lord hast done it For let all offenders in this kind of oppression and indeed in all kinds of bold and presumptuous sins know that they sin with an high hand They are a People that provoke God to anger continually to his face Isa 65.3 if you observe the text well you will find two things in it and they are two great judgments and both of the Lord. 1. Is it not of the Lord of Hostes that the People shall labour in the very fire and shall weary themselves 2. Is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the People shall labour for very vanity For the hand of God is in both for their punishment both in putting them to extreme labour and in turning all their labour into vanity He asketh the question as if he should say Come now and let us reason together to what do you impute it that this People take such pains and prosper so ill do you not perceive that Gods hand is in it and that I the Lord do undo all that they do 1. It is of the Lord that they labour in the fire For God saith Ego creo malum labour and travel is the curse of man the wages of sin In labore vesceris in sudore vultus Here is fire that melteth and dissolveth us into water All the pains that is taken here on earth to do evil is of the Lord. 1. In respect of the strength and wit used therein for in him we live and move he planted
Prophets of the Lord and his holy Ministers beholding the sins which they do daily reprove to come up so fast as though they had never layd the axe of Gods judgment against the root of that corrupt tree the zeal of Gods glory so stirreth them that they cannot hold â—ut they must strike with the sword of the Spirit they must lift up their voices like trumpets they must tell the house of Jacob their sins Jeremy doth expresse this to the life Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord Jer. 6.11 I am weary with holding in I will pour it out upon the children abroad c. Let not the sensuall and carnall man call our threatnings of sin our own ravings and railings and our comminations of judgment the intemperate issue of our own choler Jeremy calleth it The fury of the Lord. And so long as we reprove justly and mingle none of our own heat with the fire of Gods altar we shall kindle a fire in the bones of the sinner which shall give him no rest but his conscience shall say to him as Nathan said to David Thou art the man 3. In respect of his compassion Do not think that it is any joy to us to reprove or to threaten St. Paul is loth to use the rod. Jonah will rather runne away from God then he will carry the newes to Niniveh that it must be destroyed Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping We shall find as soone as we are past this first verse that this Prophet did feel the burthen which he did see and the griefe he took for them turned his Harp into mourning and his Organes into the voyce of them that weep every tender heart avoydeth being a messenger of evil news but their feet be beautifull that bring glad tydings tydings of peace 3. The word of threatning is a burthen to the people to whom it is sent 1. Judaeis non Chaldaeis 1. To the Penitent 2. To the Impenitent 1. To the Penitent it is an heavy burthen to them to think how they have provoked God to anger and have drawn out his sword against themselves They that truly fear God when they hear their sins threatned do retire themselves into their chambers they weep and deplore their iniquities Hezekiah hearing the Prophet threatning his life He turned himself to the wall Isa 38.2 3. he prayed to the Lord and Hezekiah wept sore Never think that you hear the threatnings of God with any profit till you feel the burthen of them oppressing and the edge of them drawing bloud on you Lachrymae be sanguis animae The Lyon roareth and all the beasts of the forrest do tremble a tender sonne that hath done a fault and heareth his father threatning to punish him findeth that threatning so great a burthen to him that he can give himself no rest till he have recovered his fathers favour 2. The very Impenitent who have any sense of the terrour of the Lord feel Gods threatnings heavie it will make Ahab that sold himself to do wickednesse put on sackcloath and crowne his head with ashes and go mourning if he hear that Gods anger is stirred to bring evill upon his house Even Absolon an ungratious son is impatient of living out of his fathers presence and he setteth Joabs corn on fire for neglecting the mediation which might bring him to his fathers face Esau will seek his fathers blessing with tears and what would not Balaam give that he might die the death of the righteous Surely God is a consuming fire and if coals of this fire are kindled in the bosome of the impenitent and their damnation doth not sleep but is awake in them in the accusation of their guilty consciences to begin their hell even here on earth Hab. 1.2 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear even cry out unto thee of violence and thou wilt not save Here this Habakkuk this Wrastler doth begin his wrastling for what is this whole Chapter but a serious Expostulation and complaint wherein the Prophet 1. Contesteth with God himself vers 2.3 4. 2. He bringeth in God denoucing his own intended judgments against Judah and Jerusalem vers 5.6 7 8 9 10 11. 3. He returneth again to expostulate with God vers 12.13 14 15 16 17. 1. He contesteth with God Wherein 1. He chalengeth him for not hearing his prayer vers 2. 2. For shewing to him the sins of the people v. 3.4 In the first observe 1. What the Prophet did 1. He cryed 2. He cryed long 3. He cryed to him 2. What cause he had Of violence 3. What successe 1. Thou wilt not heare 2. Thou wilt not save To give some light to that which followeth let me first admonish you that it may well be gathered by the title that is here given to Habakkuk the Prophet that he was sent by Almighty God to preach to the Iews to reclaim them from their evil wayes and to still the noise of their crying sinnes and prevailing nothing with them to bring them to repentance he prayeth and cryeth to Almighty God for his judgement upon this People to punish their many sins and God not hearing him nor giving way to his anger to correct them the Prophet moved with the zeal of Gods glory wrastleth with God and contendeth with him for his rod upon them 1. What the Prophet did 1. I cry he lifteth up his voice against this People his brethren for it is twice exprest 1. He cryeth then he resumeth it he saith he cryeth out this is a thing that God doth use to take special notice of expectavi Justitiam ecce clamor It is said of Abel that being dead he spake Moses saith it was voxsanguinis a voice of blood God said that voice cryed to him out of the earth for vengeance The Cry of a Prophet one of Gods Secretaries to whom he revealeth his will one of Gods Chaplains to whom he committeth the Ministry of the Revelation of his will one of Gods Saviours to whom he committeth the office of saving his People the crying the vociferation of one of Gods Seers who cries not out of passion or humane perturbation but from a secret inspiration illuminating him and shewing him things to come One of Gods holy ones whom the zeale of Gods glory doth inflame with this earnestnesse the grief of mans rebellion doth provoke to that loudnesse Such a cry cannot spend it self all into aire and Sunne and perish with the noise it makes 2. He was no Sonne of thunder to make some suddain ratling noise and then cease He cryed loud he cryed long How long shall I cry if the weaknesse of his voice could not penet rate the eare of God vi by force here was saepe cadendo by often falling So David got an hoarsenesse in throat with crying loud and long to the Lord and our Saviour hath commanded that kind of importunity in Prayer and
them whom God doth use as his rods in this execution 1. By whom by the Chaldaeans These are described 1. By their own fitnesse for their designe 2. By their Praparation to accomplish it 3. By their intention in it 2. How far the punishment shall extend 1. To a full Conquest 2. To a proud triumph 3. What shall become of them 1. They shall change their mind 2. They shall offend in imputing their victories to their own idols 1. By whom God shall punish the Jews 1. Of their fitnesse for this execution they are described to us by these notations 1. They are bitter 2. They are hasty 3. They are dreadfull 4. They are wilful 1. Bitter in their harsh and cruel natures 2. Hasty in their participation and speed 3. Dreadful in their power and strength 4. Wilful in taking their own ways for their judgement and dignity proceedeth from themselves To be bitter and slow gives warning to resist and affordeth the benefits of time a great friend to defence To be bitter and hasty and weak is but a lightning a flash and away To be bitter and hasty are dreadful but to admit advice gives time of breathing but when the nature is inflamed with bitternesse and the action is accelerated with haste and fortified with strength and followed with wilfulnesse this makes up a full danger especially where God setteth such a work These be evil affections in this People prove their minds set upon mischief yet God maketh rods of these twigges and whips of these cords to punish the sins of his own People The point of doctrine here is That God can make good use of the vices of men Doctr. and can make wicked men serve him as the instruments of his will as Augustine Deus bonus utitur malis necessariis bene Civ dei 18 So Mr. Calvin judiciously observeth in the text Hec quidem non fuerunt laudanda in Chaldaeis amarulentia furor sed potest deus haec vitia convertere in optimum finem St. Augustine treating of the prosemination of the Gospel and the quick spreading thereof hath two chapâ—ers to our purpose cap. 50. In the 50. he sheweth Per passiones praedicantium illustrior facta est Praedicatio by the sufferings of Preachers preaching is made the more famous In the 51. Per dissentiones hareticorum fides Catholica roboratur by the dissentions of hereticks the Catholik faith is strengthned He is so full to this purpose to shew what good God works out of evil that I cannot suppresse his words Inimici ecclesiae quolibet errore caecentur si accipiunt potestatem Corporaliter affligendi exercent ejus patientiam Si tantummodo malè sentiendo adversantur exercent ejus sapientiam Vt diligantur exercent ejus benevolentiam But when the Church of God grows foule and when People of God forsake God and go in their own ways then God useth the wicked ad vindictam then as David saith the wicked are the sword of the Lord. Ps 17.13 And that is the reason why God doth suffer so many evils in the world because they be his rods to chasten evil Even in this example Ieremie the Prophet of the Lord doth threaten the same judgment The Chaldaeans shall fight against this city and take it and burn it with fire Jer. 37.8 Thus saith the Lord deceive not your selves saying the Chaldaeans shall depart from us for they shall not depart For though you had smitten the whole army of the Chaldaeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men amongst them yet they should rise up every man in his tent and burn the city with fire Thus God doth Cap. 1. because he will declare his owne perfection of wisedome and goodnesse that he can work good out of evil and dispose the very vices of men to good And thus the examples of foule sinnes in our brethren do move us 1. To a loathing thereof as we read the Lacedemonians would make their slaves drunk and then shew them to their children to make them loath drunkennesse and all that have the feare of God when they see and heare the evil conversation and evil and profane words of the wicked they behold in them the ugly face of sinne and are touched at the heart with a detestation of the same 2. They move us to charity 1. Charitas incipiens at our selves to take warning by their example that we when we see a thief do not turn to him nor be Partakers with the adulterers To make us set a guard upon our whole life a zealous purpose to eschew evil To use the means for our preservation from evil which are hearing and meditation in the law of God and frequent and fervent Prayer 2. Charitas proficiens to pray God for our brethren that he would direct their paths forgive their sins and mend their lives and preserve others from being corrupted by their evill example 2. God bringeth forth the effects of his own good will Reas 2 out of the ministry of the vices of men to declare his true justice in punishing sinne by sinne that sinners may see that they serve for rods one to whip another of them whereas the just do not cannot hurt one another for all evil is noxious holinesse is humble God declareth himself King and supream Lord of the earth herein Reas 3 for as David saith fecit quicquid voluit he hath done what ever he will He will not let either the sinner that acteth or Satan that suggesteth evil to have the managing thereof for howsoever it seemeth that they serve their own turns therein he will dispose their evil to his own proper ends and they shall unwillingly work for him though both the bent of the suggestion of Satan and the promise of the intention of the sinner and the fewel of the affection and the whole force of the action be diverted against him So Josephs brethren full of envie to him sold him into Egypt What a charity did God work out of it so the Jews for envy pursued Christ to the Crosse all the godly fare the better for the good which was effected by it Israel is here punished by the Chaldaeans and God maketh use of these bryars and thorns to prick and goare his People he suffereth them to be carried into captivity All the force of Satan and his instruments prevail no farther against the Church then for correction and burning out the drosse God doth still do all things for the best The consideration where of serveth 1. To pacifie us against evils Vse and to lay that storme which either humane passion or inordinate zeal may stirre up against sinne and sinners though that all punishment in its nature be evil yet God may work good of it and the Son of God saith Resist not evill let it have its course and expect Gods end in at You see how much Habakkuk was troubled at the sins of the Iews how he did even
us at the doore vvhen vve are going forth to act it he may overtake us vvhen we are upon the vvay he may cut us off in the act of sin and bring us from the fact to judgement And how soever his mercy hath the name above his other works and his patience and long suffering be the fruits of his mercy yet he never had mercy enough to swallow or consume either his justice or his truth He hath diverted his plague often he hath sometimes called it in and long he keepeth it in for that he expecteth repentance but he hath never turned it out of his service but hath it always before him he hath also turned his fire another way that it might not come neer the Tabernacles of the righteous but he hath never quenched it it is always at his feet if he moveth that moveth with him the Rain-bow about his head is the joy of his Church the coals of terrour at his fire are the terrour of the wicked 2. We have also our lesson herein Vse 2 2 Cor. 5.11 for the Apostle saith Knowing therfore the terror of the Lord we perswade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust are made manifest also in your consciences We find this danger in sin and this severity in judgement thereupon we perswade men to a conscionable course of life such as may keep them unspotted of the world If we do not acquaint you with the terrour of the Lord and shew you the pestilence that walketh before him and the burning coals at his feet God will right himself upon us for as he told his Prophet Ezekiel so he will deal with us Son of man I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel therefore hear the word from my mouth Ezc. 3.17 and give them warning from me When I say to the wicked thou shalt surely dye and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his evill way to save his life the same wicked man shall dye in his iniquity but his bloud will I require at thy hand This excuseth us to you when we preach the rod of God even pestilence and coales of fire that this is not our furie and railing as some call it but it is the wrath of the Lord against sin and if we temper a bitter potion for you to drink it is not poison but medicine and it is ministred to you as God himself saith to save your lives that you may not dye in your sins it is the therapentique physick to heal your souls it is prophilactique to us to prevent disease that we perish not for your unreproved sins The arrows of vengeance are aimed at your sins that you may kill sin and save the sinner alive Cry therefore Spare us good Lord. 4. Doct. God is glorious in heaven and in earth for this Heaven is covered with his glory and the Earth is full of his praise This is the confession of David O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the Earth Psa 8.1 who hast set thy glory above the heavens What need we any more reason to think this his due Reas 1 then these two 1 His name onely is excellent his glory is above the Earth and Heaven Here we are sure we cannot over-doe in matter of praise and glory the Angels and Saints do him that service and cover the heaven with the praises of God Psa 148.13 for his love shineth to his Church and we pray Sicut in Coelo as in heaven He also exalteth the horne of his people Psa 14.3 the praise of all his Saints Let not us sit out vvhen all joyn to glorifie God Vse let not any of us like the fleece of Gideon be dry vvhen all the floore is watered vvith the joys and jubilations of the Church David is not content vvith a bare praising of the name of God as they that say alway The Lord be praised but he requireth both a song Ps 149.1 Canticum novum a nevv song and that in the congregation of the Saints He also requireth a dance Verse 3. he requireth also instruments of musique he gives reason He vvould have us delight in the service that we do to God therefore he addeth The Lord taketh pleasure in his people Verse 4. he will beautifie the meek with Salvation Let the Saints be joyfull in glory Verse 5. let them sing aloud upon their beds Let the high praises of God be in their mouth Verse 6. This is that vvhich this example requireth not to be shallovv and sleight in the promises of God but to strein our selves to the uttermost the inward man of the heart the voice the hand playing the feet dancing till vve cover the heaven and fill the earth vvith his glory Verse 6. He stood and measured the earth he beheld and drove in sunder the Nations and the everlasting Mountains were scattered the perpetuall hils did bow his ways are everlasting 2 HEre is a commemoration of the power and glory of God in giving to his Israel the Land of Canaan for their possession Diverse judgments have made diverse constructions of these words Mr. Calvine is of opinion that they declare God in his glorious Lordship over all the world for as David when he should come to be absolute Monarch of Judah and Israel said I will rejoyce therefore and divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth c. So God is here declared absolute Monarch in this phrase of measuring of the earth as David would cast his shooe over the Philistines would rejoyce So God is here declared Conquerour of all by dividing in sunder the nations c. St. Augustine turnes all into Allegory and applieth it to Christ You remember how before I found that the Church doth comfort their present miseries with remembrance of Gods former mercies therefore I choose to keep pace with the story of Gods former mercies to his Israel And as before he spake of the comming of God from Teman and Paran when he appeared glorious to them in giving the law so now he comes to another powerfull mercy that is when he gave them the promised Land for then he that went before them all the vvay of their journey in their removes now stood still as declaring that novv they vvere come to the land of their rest as he had promised it And there He measured the Earth it is ascribed here to God that he divided the land amongst the Tribes because it vvas done by lot vvherein not chance but God answered This hath reference to that story vvhich vve read Joshua 5. for when the people vvere entred into the land of Canaan and vvere come so far in to it as Gilgall that the Ark of God was setled in Gilgall Then God commanded the Sacrament of Circumcision to be revived vvhich in the vvhole journey between their comming out of Aegypt to this place had been omitted