youth Shall wee make a mocke of it and a may-game at it These prophane beasts haue filled vp the measure of their sinne and are set downe in the seate of the scorners God alloweth no more liberty in sinning to youth then he doth to age The wise man willeth such to remember their Creator in the daies of their youth Eccl. 12 1. 11. and telleth them that for all the lustes of their eyes the vanity of their mindes the swinge of their pleasures and the lewdnes of their harts God will bring them to iudgement The Apostle teacheth That whoremongers and adulterers shall not inherite the kingdome of God 1 Corinth chapter 6 verse 9. The wise Salomon saith He that committeth adultery with a woman destroyeth his owne soule Prou. 6 verses 22 33. and so is accessary to his owne death And in another place he saith He shall finde a wound and dishonour and his reproch shall neuer be put away and shall wee make a sport of it to delight our selues in it We are admonished by the Apostle Paul that our bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost 1 Corinth 6 19. so that seeing God vouchsafeth vs this honor to choose our vile bodyes which are dust and ashes earth and rottennesse to make them Temples and Tabernacles for his holy Spirit to dwell in let vs not turne them into filthy stables and vncleane styes and so driue him from vs who would possesse vs as his mansion and dwelling place Heereby then we vnderstand that wee are not to iudge of whoredome after the common opinion of men which make but a sport and pastime of it as we see how scoffers iest at it and despisers of God make a game of it Such mockers were risen vp long agoe in the dayes of the Apostle of whom he exhorteth vs to beware For hauing said that no whoremonger neyther vncleane person hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God he addeth in the next place Let no man deceiue you with vaine words for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Eph. 5.5 6. And this example of the people of Israel which now wee haue in hand in this Chapter is able to strike a terror and feare into our hearts for euer breaking out into this iniquity The life of man is precious and deare vnto God we are creatures created according to his image he taketh no pleasure in our destruction Now in that hee destroyed such a number of his owne Images and Creatures for this sinne must not this sinne of fornication be great greeuous which kindleth such a fire of his vengeance and indignation that flamed out so farre and could not bee quenched but with the slaughter of so many thousands Thirdly it behoueth euery one according Vse 3 to his place and calling to punish this sinne seuerely that so euill may be taken out of Israel But such as haue a light estimation of this sinne which is the cause of the encrease of it do obiect the example of Christ who hauing a woman brought before him Obiect that was sound committing adultery in the very acte would not condemne her nor pronounce sentence of death vpon her but said vnto her Goe and sinne no more Iohn 8 11. Heere our Sauiour seemeth to free her from the law of Moses Leuit. 20 10. I answere this is Popish Diuinity Answer taught in the dayes of darknesse which cannot beare the tryall of the light For this is to make it not onely a venial sinne but no sinne at all Christ forgaue her freely and denounced no punishment at all against her neither of limb nor life nor chasticement nor other mulct bee inflicted vpon her so that if it doe not proue that the Magistrates should not punish whoredome sharply it proueth as well that he ought not to punish it at all if it ought to receiue no correction we cannot acknowlenge it for any transgression Furthermore the Iewes beeing in subiection vnto the Romanes and constrayned to beare the yoke of forraigne gouernment had the ciuill punishments of death eyther wholly taken from them or at least suspended vpon the will and pleasure of their officers which were sildome vpright often corrupted This is it which the Pharisies confesse in the Gospell For when Pilate willed them to take Christ to iudge him after their owne Law although the malice of their hearts and the cruelty of theyr hands were against him yet they sayde vnto him It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death Iohn 18 31. Lastly the office of Christ was not to be an earthly Iudge to giue sentence of death but to be a Sauiour to call sinners to repentance Hence it was that hee refused a temporall kingdome when it was offered vnto him Iohn 6 15. and denyed to diuide the inheritance when he was requested as wholly impertinent vnto his calling and therefore he said Man who made me a Iudge or a diuider ouer you Luke 12 14. So then this Obiection being remoued it belongs to all Magistrates to be zealous in punishing this sinne and to sharpen the law against this other sins that bud vp and grow apace among vs lest they ouerthrow good Corne. Yea it appertaineth not onely to Magistrates but generally to all men to bring such offenders to open shame that so they may come to amendment of life The Apostle speaking of vnclean liuers saith If any that is called a brother bee a fornicator or couetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such an one eate not 1 Cor. 5 5 11 and speaking of an incestuous person he chargeth the Corinthians to put him from among them and to deliuer him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may bee saued in the day of the Lord Iesus Such vncleane liuers should bee swept out of the Church of God and haue the sword of excommunication drawne out against them that so they might learne not to transgresse But so long as wee beare with such persons and foster them in the bosome of the Church as the practise is too common neyther are we their friends neyther are we the friends of the Church neyther indeed are we the friends of almighty God For if we were their friends and loued them aright we would seeke their conuersion and repentance wee would vse the meanes to bring them to a shame of their offences to a sight of their sinnes and vnto a confession of their iniquities And if we were the friends of the Church we would labour to separate the vncleane from the cleane and the infected from the sound knowing that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe And if we were the friends of God we would be zealous of his glory and not suffer his Name to be prophaned through the lewde and wicked life of such rotten members For so long as such are harboured in the Church which is the body of
themselues For he saith in the place before named and mentioned Thou shalt not take the summe of them among the children of Israel that is while thou art reckoning the number and taking the muster of the other Tribes thou shalt not meddle with this Tribe who were exempted from the warres And the reason thereof is rendred Num. 1.50 Thou shalt appoint the Leuites ouer the Tabernacle of the Testimony and ouer all the vessels thereof and ouer all things that belong vnto it He calleth it sometimes the Tabernacle of the Congregation because the people assembled at it for the worship of God and sometimes the Tabernacle of the Testimony â—â—mb 17 8. â—â—abl annot Nume 1. because in the Tabernacle was placed the Arke and in the Arke the two Tables of the Testimony in which the ten commandements were written wherby God testified his will to the Israelites both what he would haue them doe and what he would not haue them to doe Verse 34. 35. And Moses and Aaron and the chiefe of the Congregation In these words beginneth the execution of the Commandement of God Moses numbring the Leuites according to their families and assigning to euery one of them their seuerall offices and charges This obedience of his is worthy of great praise inasmuch as in this description of the numbring of these families he remoueth farre from himselfe all suspition of giuing scope to his owne affections and therefore he signifieth that he did nothing of pride or partiality aduancing the Leuites before the other Tribes or preferring the family of the Kohathites before the rest of the Leuites but hath dealt in all things as became the true minister of God euen according to the commandement and commission that he had receiued of whom it is said afterward chap. 12. My seruant Moses is faithfull in all mine house â—umb 12.7 â—eb 3.5 euen as in the building of the Tabernacle he added nothing of his owne but did all things according to the patterne that was shewed him in the mount We learne from hence that whensoeuer we haue heard the word and had the will of God reuealed vnto vs we must yeeld Doctrine 1 obedience to the same The word heard must be obeyed It is a duty required of vs to practise so much of Gods trueth as is in mercy made knowne vnto vs. So did Noah Gen. 6.22 when he was commanded to make an Arke he did it as God commanded So did Abraham when he was commanded to circumcise himselfe and the males in his family Gen. 17. This is it that Moses teacheth the people after all his teaching and exhorting of them Deut. 10.12.13 Now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his wayes and to loue him and to serue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou keepe the commandements of the Lord his ordinances which I command thee this day for thy wealth And in the beginning of the next chapter Deut. 11.1 Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God and keepe his charge and his statutes and his iudgements and his commandements alwayes The Apostle Iames vrgeth this duty vpon those that are swift to heare and haue receiued the word with meeknes which is able to saue their soules chap. 1.22 Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne soules Christ our Sauiour describing the good hearers by the good ground saith They bring forthwith patience some sixty fold some thirty fold Luke 8.15 Matth. 13.23 and some an hundred fold euery one some fruit no man is barren altogether To conclude this point it was the exhortation of Moses and of the Priests and Leuites Deut. 27.9 10 which they spake vnto all Israel Take heed and hearken O Israel this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God thou shalt therefore obey the voyce of the Lord thy God and doe his commandements and his statutes which I command thee this day So theÌ„ we must all know what is required of vs to wit to be doers and not bare hearers to be practisers and not talkers to be obeyers and followers not idle professors Maruell not at all at this For first to encline Reason 1 our hearts to walke in his wayes that we haue learned is an infallible signe that we truely feare God This we see in the example of Abraham God tempted him and said vnto him Take thy sonne thine only sonne Isaac whom thou louest and offer him for a burnt offering he preferred the commandement of God before the loue to his owne sonne God accepted his willing mind and therefore he heareth this comfort Lay not thine hand vpon the lad neither doe thou any thing vnto him Gen. 22.12 for now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne thine only sonne from me Not that he was ignorant before but because he made that knowne to himselfe and to others which before was known to him alone and not thoroughly to Abraham himselfe For what is in vs we know not certainly our selues vntill we be prooued Thus then we see that Abrahams notable obedience in so great a tryall was an euident testimony that hee truely loued God Reason 2 Secondly obeience is alwayes ioyned with recompence God-rewarding it to the ful who is a most rich pay-master No man shall serue him for nought If Laban could say thus to Iacob Gen. 29.15 Because thou art my brother shouldest thou therefore serue me for nought will not the Lord much rather say to vs because ye are my children should ye therfore serue me for nothing The Prophet Dauid setting downe the singular fruits and effects of the word of God saith By it is thy seruant made circumspect Psal 19.11 in keeping of it there is great reward Consider brefly how it was with Abraham of whom we spake before he receiued an hard commandement himselfe to offer vp in sacrifice his only sonne yet because he delayed not to put it in present execution he receiued a threefold reward first God deliuered his sonne from death secondly he commendeth the faith of the father and thirdly he repeateth the promise to him and confirmeth his faith in it Gen. 22. Reason 3 Thirdly if we hearken vnto him he will hearken vnto vs if we serue him he will not be backeward or behinde hand with vs to serue vs. This doth the Prophet Esay point out vnto vs chap. 58.9 Thou shalt call and the Lord shall answere thou shalt cry and hee shall say Here I am On the other side if we will not hearken to obey him he will neuer hearken vnto vs neither regard when we call vpon him The wise man bringeth in wisdome crying without and vttering her voyce in the streetes Pro. 1.24 25.26 Because I haue called and ye refused I haue stretched out mine hand and no man regarded but ye
seeing GOD hath threatned to turne them to our curse and confusion so that wherein soeuer hath beene our wickednesse therein also shall be our woe our malice shall turne to our owne mischiefe our vncleannesse shall fall out to be our owne vndoing This the wiseman teacheth that because of the whoorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread and such an one will hunt for the precious life of a man Pro. 6 26. So such as delight to follow drunkennes it turneth to their destructiō for the very creatures grone trauel as it were in paine to be deliuered from this bondage of corruption in which they are after a sort holden for a time and do cry out vnto God for vengeance against them according to the saying of Salomon Prou. 23 29 30. To whom is woe to whom is sorrow to whom is strife to whō is murmuring to whom are wounds without cause and to whom is the rednesse of the eyes Euen to them that tarry long at the wine to them that goe and seeke mixt wine Wherefore let vs vse the creatures of God aright that they may be seruiceable and comfortable vnto vs and that they may helpe to further and encrease our blessednesse which they will do if they bee well vsed This our Sauiour teacheth his Disciples Math. chap. 13 16. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare Euery gift and creature of God that thou abusest shall further thy condemnation and bring vppon thy head his iust iudgement Euery instrument of thy body and power of thy soule that thou hast abused to sinne shall encrease thy woe and torment as appeareth in the example of the rich man Verse 22. And he looked on the Kenites and said Strong is thy dwelling place and put thy nest in the rocke neuerthelesse the Kenite shall be spoiled c. In these words going before we heard of Balaams prophesie against the Amalekites Heere Moses setteth downe his prophecy against the Kenites which is the sixt in number and the third among those that are denounced against the vnbeleeuers and idolatrous nations Concerning the Kenites wee haue spoken sufficiently before which were the posterity of Iethro the father in law of Moses and these dwelled among the Amalekites before they departed from them as appeareth 1. Sam. 15 16 so that they obtained mercy and were not destroyed because they shewed mercy vnto the children of Israel when they came vp from Egypt The scope of this prophecie is to declare that howsoeuer these Kenites thought they dwelled safely and had their seat as it were a nest made in a strong rocke that might be assaulted but not subdued besieged but not ouercome yet when they promised to themselues the surest peace and greatest security destruction should come suddainly like a whirlewinde and carry them away Doctrine The iudgments of God many times come suddenly From hence we learne that the iudgments of GOD vpon secure and sinfull persons doe many times come suddainly Howsoeuer the Lord bee a God of patience and beareth with the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction yet when men think themselues free and farre from all danger iudgement lighteth on them encreased by the speedinesse of the execution This wee see in sundry examples of Gods proceedings against the vngodly The Egyptians that pursued after the Israelites to the midst of the sea were suddenly drowned the waters couered them their chariots failed them the Lord fought against them Exod. 14 26. Whiles Balteshazzar made his feasts dranke wine in all excesse and praised his gods of gold and siluer at the same houre appeared fingers of a mans hand writing on the plaster of the wall foretelling his finall confusion which immediatly after followed Dan. 5 5 30. When Pharaoh refused to let the people go as God commanded and Moses required of him had bin scourged by many plagues he his Princes his people and whole land yet they hardened their hearts and walked stubburnly against him suddainly at midnight the Lord smote all the first borne in the land of Egypt from the first borne of Pharaoh that sate on his throne vnto the first borne of the captiue that was in prison all the first borne of beasts Exod. 12 29. Thus Christ describeth his second comming that it shall be suddaine speedy and at vnawares Math. 24 37. So in Lots time They were giuen to lust of the flesh to pride of life to fulnesse of bread to abundance of idlenesse to contempt of the poore Ezek. 16 49 these were the chiefe and capitall sinnes of the Sodomites others followed and accompanied them and behold suddainly the Lord rained downe fire and brimstone from heauen which was their portion and consumed them Gen. 19 24. Such shall the comming of Christ to iudgment be when men say peace peace safety safety and thinke not of any danger suddaine destruction shall come vpon them as a thiefe in the night c. 1. Thess 5 2 3. Reason 1 The reasons for further confirmation of this truth do follow For first God is the mighty Iehouah that knoweth all the wayes and workes of his enemies which labour in the fire and conspire in vaine against God his people Howsoeuer the vngodly think him to be weake and to want strength or to bee farre from them not to see their dealings yet by wofull experience they shall finde the power of his hand This is the reason vrged by Moses in his song declaring that they sanke as a stone and were consumed as stubble hee giueth this reason The Lord is a man of warre his Name is Iehouah Exod. 15 3. The world hath had many worthies men of warre excelling in might glorious in victories but the Lord passeth them all whose Name is eternall and almighty able to execute all his iudgments at his owne pleasure His power is not limited stinted there is no power on earth but that which is receiued of him who bringeth all his purposes to passe and his counsels take effect Secondly the vngodly are of a dead heart Reason 2 and despise the warning giuen vnto them of God they haue no desire or affection to any thing but the pleasures and profits of this life This is the reason why the flood was brought vpon the old world and wherefore destruction shal come vpon this old world at the comming of Christ because albeit they were warned by the preaching of Noah yet they were drowned in the delights of the flesh and neuer turned to the Lord till the flood came Mat. 24. Deadnesse of heart contempt of the word are feareful sinnes in the former age in these times wherein we liue Such men make but a mocke in their hearts of all that God promiseth or threatneth saying to themselues where is the promise of his comming 2 Pet. 3 and thereupon oppresse their brethren rage against God and his people vse outragious leud dealings follow euery
gift he hath receiued Rom. 12 3. Peter when he saw the high Priests seruants to lay hands on Christ drew the sword and cut off the eare of one of the messengers but he is reproued by his Master and commanded to put vp the sword againe into his place Because all being priuate persons without a calling that take the sword Math. 26 51 shall perish with the sword Whosoeuer hath receyued a speciall calling God giueth an assurance of it to his owne heart and leaueth no scruple or doubt in him of his calling so that to aske the question of others whether a man may haue such a calling or not is an euident argument that hee hath not receiued any such calling For albeit we cannot iudge of the callings of others yet may we of our owne know that which no man knoweth beside our selues The Disciples thought amisse of Peter the Apostle for going to Cornelius For when he was come vp to Ierusalem they of the circumcision contended against him because he went in to men vncircumcised and had eaten with them Acts 11 2. vntill they had heard him giue a reason of his doing make an apology for himselfe then they held theyr peace and glorified God And so is it with those that sit in iudgement of other mens callings condemne those things whereof they are ignorant Verse 8. He thrust them both through then the plague ceased frō the children of Israel The sins of this people into which they fell were very greeuous and the iudgements of God that fell vpon them were heauy and answerable to their sinnes Some of them to fill vp the measure of their iniquities to the ful brought their harlots into the host of GOD euen among them that the Lord theyr GOD had chosen to be an holy Nation Deut. 14 2 and a precious people vnto himselfe aboue all the people that are vpon the earth When these were punished and the publike scandal taken away God is pacified the plague is remoued the people are deliuered Doctrine When once sinne is punished God is appeased From hence this Doctrine is offred to our considerations that when sinne is punished God is appeased So soone as euill is taken away the iudgements of GOD are called in VVhen the old world was destroyed by the flood of waters which God sent vpon the earth and all flesh perished in whose nostrils the spirit of life did breathe then GOD entred into a new couenant with the remnant that was left and Noah offering a sacrifice the Lord smelled a sauour of rest and said in his heart I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause neither will I smite any more all things liuing as I haue done Gen. 8 21 22. So long as Achan was vnpunished the hoste of Israel could not prosper but turned their backes before their enemies but when he was found out and stoned to death with stones and burned with fire the Lord turned from his fierce wrath gaue vnto his people the victory Iosh 7 26. When he had plagued the people that caused Aaron to make the calfe that he made whereby they committed foule and grosse idolatry and turned God into the similitude of a bullocke that eateth grasse he was reconciled vn them and well pleased with them Psal 106 19 20. So when Corah Dathan and Abiram were destroyed and God visited their rebellion with a strange visitation his anger continued no longer against them When Miriam had bin shut out of the host 7. daies punished with leprosy the wrath of God was appeased she restored to the hoste againe Nu. 12 15. VVe know how the wrath of God was kindled against Israel against Dauid for numbering the people so that he sent a pestilence among them from the morning euen to the time appointed whereof there died 70000. men then the Lord repented of the euill and said to the Angel that destroyed the people It is sufficient hold now thine hand 2 Sam. 24 16. All these places of Scripture are euident proofes of this Doctrine that so soone as execution is done vpon malefactors the sword of Gods iustice is put vp and his wrath ceaseth Reason 1 And the Reasons heereof are plaine For first what is it that separateth betweene God and his people and causeth a diuorce and diuision betweene him them Is it any thing else then sinne When sinne therefore or the sinner are taken away he hath no more controuersie against them This is it which the Prophet Esay testifieth cha 59 2. Your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that he will not heare for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity And in the fourth chapter of the Prophet Hosea ver 1 2 conuincing them of swearing and lying of killing and stealing and whoring he declareth That the Lord had a controuersie with the Inhabitants of the Land and would cut off euery one that dwelleth therein If then it be sin that causeth iudgement and sharpeneth the point of the Lords sword against the world against a kingdome against a citty against a family against euery particular person when the cause is remoued the effect shall be restrained and whē the sinner is reformed the wrath of God will be appeased for so soone as we turne vnto him his indignation shall be turned away from vs. Secondly when sinne is punished it bringeth Reason 2 downe a blessing with it For so long as vngodly men lye in their sinnes without punishment and runne on in theyr wickednes to the dishonour of God to the reproach of his Name to the offence and infection of others and to the confusion of theyr owne faces so long the wrath of God is kindled his hand is stretched out still But when they are eyther plagued of God or punished of men he blesseth the places which before hee scourged rewardeth the persons by whom iustice hath beene administred We haue a notable example heereof in the punishing of the Idolatry of the Israelites for worshipping the molten Calfe he willed the Leuites to consecrate theyr hands that day Exod. 32 29 euen euery man vpon his sonne and vpon his brother that there might bee giuen them a blessing The Lord had laide this as a punishment vpon Leui and his posterity To diuide them in Iacob and scatter them in Israel Gen. 49 7 but he turned this curse into a blessing when the Priesthood was translated to this Tribe to teach Iacob his iudgements and Israel his law that no corner of the Land should be without instruction So in this place when Phinehas rose vp executed iudgement vpon the adulterer and the adulteresse the Priesthood was confirmed vnto him and his posterity verse 12 13. If then the execution of iustice bring a blessing from God who is so delighted with it that he will neuer leaue it vnrewarded it must needs testifie
wee haue gotten them Many in the world might be accounted happy men if there were no day of reckoning But we must depart from hence and leaue them and they vs our pompe will not follow vs Psal 49 17. Let vs therefore labour against the immoderate loue of the things of this life neither suffer any such corruption to be nourished in vs. Vse 4 Lastly we must learne to preferre the best things such as the Apostle speaketh of when he sheweth what danger hangeth ouer their heads that loue nothing else but the goods of this world he breaketh out into this exhortation 1. Tim. 6.11 Thou O man of God flye these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith loue patience and meeknesse And that we may see the excellency of heauenly spirituall graces aboue earthly things let vs in the properties of them compare the one with the other that so the loue of the world to come may swallow vp all loue of this present world All the kingdomes of this world and the glory of them are vanity Eccl. 2 11 but Salomon opposeth to this the feare of God and his commandements The riches of this life are oftentimes gotten with doing wrong and with oppression Ier. 5 27. Luke 16 9 11 it is not so with piety and godlines which is the true riches and gaine 1. Tim. 4. Riches are kept with griefe and anguish he cannot rest sleep that is vowed with them as with a frenzy Eccl. 5 12 but godlinesse is the mother of all peace and comfort and maketh the sleepe to be sweet and bringeth no feare or griefe or care with it Prou. 3 24. Riches are corruptible the moth may corrupt them and the theefe may steale them Math. 5 19. Iam. 5 2 3 but heauenly graces can neuer fade they shall endure for euer they shall follow vs after we are gone they can neuer be lost when once they are gotten Earthly riches make the owners as slaues they naile the minde of man to the earth that he cannot lift vp his eyes to Heauen Math. 6 21 but piety beareth vs vp as it were with Eagles wings that we learne by little and little to mount vp to Heauen and to haue our conuersation there euen while we soiourne vpon the earth Riches can deliuer no soule from eternall death nay sometimes they are meanes to thrust the same into hell Prou. 10 2 and 11 4 but godlines freeth a man from euerlasting death and setteth him in the path that leadeth to life Wee are forbidden to heape vp transitory riches Math. 6 19. and 10.9 10. Ptou 23.4 and if we haue them it is onely in this life they serue no further and afterward there is no need or vse of them 1. Tim. 6 7. Iob 1 21. Psal 49.11 but godlines serueth for the next life and we are commanded to treasure it vp and the more we labour to increase it the happier we are Riches are often taken from the right owners and come into the hands of our enemies not onely after we are departed this life but euen whiles we liue as we see by many examples of sundry cities and prouinces 1. King 14 25 26 and 2. King 24 15. Ezek. 29 19. 2. Kings 23 35. Heb. 10 34 but piety shall neuer be taken away nor be bestowed vpon our enemies but layeth vp for vs an enduring substance in heauen and it maketh the greatest enemies to be the greatest friends it maketh the wolfe the lambe dwell together and the leopard to dwell with the kid and the sucking childe to play vpon the hole of the aspe Esay 11 6.7 8. Many of the godly haue beene without the earthly riches Christ our Lord did not desire them 2 Cor. 8 9. Math. 8.20 nor his seruants couet after them Heb. 11 26 37 2 Cor. 6 4. Act. 3. But none of the godly haue bin without the heauenly riches all haue desired them al haue obtained them some in one measure and some in another and herein they haue accounted their happines and blessednes to consist 6 And Moses saide vnto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben Shall your brethren go to warre and shall ye sit heere 7 And wherefore discourage yee the heart of the children of Israel from going ouer into the land which the Lord hath giuen them 8 Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land 9 For when they went vp vnto the valley of Eshcol and saw the land they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go into the land which the the Lord had giuen them 10 And the Lords anger was kindled c. 11 Surely none of the men that came out of Egypt from twenty yeare old and vpward shall see the land c. 14 Behold ye are risen vp in your fathers stead an increase of sinfull men c. 15 But if ye turne away c. Heere beginneth the second part of the Chapter to wit the conditions of agreement how the matter was decided ended wherein obserue the debating and pleading of the matter then the determining of the controuersie Touching the demurre or debating first Moses sharpely reprooueth and reiecteth the request of these tribes and sheweth the vnfitnesse and vnlawfulnesse thereof which he proueth both by the dangerous effect that would follow the discouragement of the rest of the people and by example of the like practice of the false-hearted spies who after they returned from searching of the land spread abroad false newes whereby the hearts of the Israelites were weakned God was so greatly prouoked that he pronounced the sentence of death against all aboue twenty yeares old Caleb and Ioshua excepted This history wee saw before Chapter 13 24. This doth Moses presse and vrge to the full and sheweth what heauy iudgment came vpon the hoste for discouraging of the people whereby we see that nothing is more forcible to represse and hold from sinne then vrging the examples of God fearefull iudgments in former times against those that haue committed the like sinnes 1. Cor. 10.7 and Iude verse 6 7. 2. Pet. 2.4 5 6. Nehem. 13.17 18. Iosh 22 17 for examples are oftentimes more powerfull and piercing then precepts or threatnings are and therfore Moses is so earnest in this kinde Again whatsoeuer was written afore time was written for our instruction This reprooueth those that will take no warning by any examples but are secure till the iudgment beginne to take hold vpon them like to those carelesse people that when a citty is on fire neuer looke to their owne house till it take hold vpon it and bee ready to burne it downe to the ground Euery one would condemne such retchlesse persons but such are all those that see the iudgments of GOD breake out vpon others and yet will not looke to themselues Furthermore wee must all take notice of such examples no man ought to be ignorant of them 1.
from dangers acknowledge that it is Gods preseruation and be thankfull for it This should put vs in minde of two things first that if wee happen to liue vnder such a iudgement we must stoope down our neckes vnder this yoake and humble our selues vnder the most mighty hand of God that hath brought so fearfull a iudgement vpon vs. For if we thinke it to be a iudgement when the earth bringeth not foorth her fruite vnto vs then much more may wee thinke it to bee a iudgement when the earth is not able to beare a man but casteth and vomiteth him out into captiuity as the stomack doth grosse and euill humors out of the bodie For this cause doeth the Lord charge the Israelites to keepe his statutes and his iudgements That the Land do not spew them out also when they defile it as it spewed out the Nations that were before them Leuit. chapter 18. verse 25 28. 20. verse 22. And afterward he sheweth that if they did not walke obediently before him the land whither hee bringeth them to dwell therein should spew them out as Reu. 3 16. Of all iudgements to bee carried into captiuity is one of the greatest The very mercies of the wicked are cruelty Dauid made choyse to be vnder the plague and pestilence rather then to flye before the enemy because hee is vnmercifull Wee sit vnder our owne Vines and Figge-trees wee haue seene no inuasion nor heard any complainings in our streetes wee know not what bondage meaneth or to bee carried captiues into a strange Land howbeit it is apparent that wee haue beene very neere vnto it as neere to the pit as could bee and yet not fallen into the same For if the Gunne-powder Treason had taken place which was verie neere vnto the time appointed for the execution of it we had long ere this beene in slauery and bondage againe vnto the bloodie Papists who haue long lyen in waite for such a day and albeit that be defeated and all theyr imaginations bee scattered as chaffe before the winde yet who knoweth how neere we may bee to as great captiuity Wee are secure and put away the euill day farre from vs but the greater our security is the neerer our captiuity may bee We haue close and secret enemies amongest vs neuer more lusty and neuer more couragious then they are at this day which are left to remaine amongst vs to be prickes in our eyes and Thornes in our sides and to vex vs in the Land wherein wee dwell verse 55. These neuer leaue plotting and conspiring our ouerthrow and destruction Wee heare of rumours of Warre abroad and spreadings of errours and heresies which threaten ruine both to Church and Common-wealth these are but the beginnings of sorrow Againe if we looke vnto our selues our sinnes are very great and call continually for vengeance vnto heauen at Gods hands and no doubt he is comming downe to see whether wee haue done altogether according to the cry which is come vnto him All these laide together and weighed as it were in a ballance what can wee in reason and iustice expect but that GOD deliuer vs into the enemies hands and suffer them to carry vs captiue and so make slaues and bondmen of vs Secondly if any desire to enioy the land wherein hee dwelleth in peace and safety let him labour not to pollute and defile it by his sinnes The Iewes had a promise of God to be his people yet because of their sinnes he suffered them to bee carried into captiuity where they remained long in a strange land Haue we any greater priuiledge then they or may we expect to escape No if wee follow them in contempt of the word and other open sinnes wee shall bee sure to follow them also in the punishment which will be answerable to our iniquities Lastly this assureth vs that as GOD deliuereth his people from temporall danger and bondage so hee will deliuer them much more from spirituall bondage For if he will deliuer our bodies hee will much more deliuer our soules that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Luke 1 74 75. Wherefore wee ought patiently to waite his leysure knowing that if hee haue such a speciall care of our bodies that must lye in the dust to set them free from temporall bondage hee will much rather deliuer our soules from spirituall bondage wherein Satan holdeth vs. When Christ our Sauiour would shew that hee came to redeeme the soules of men hee taught them by deliuering their bodies from diseases For when hee restored sight to the blinde by opening their eyes what did it signifie but that hee came to scatter the darknesse of the minde and to make them see that before saw not the light of the truth as Math. 4 16 The people that sate in darknesse saw great light and to them that sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung vp The Prophets in the time of the Law smote the people with blindnes that they knew not what they did neyther whither they went 2 Kings 6 18 as the Angels did the Sodomites so that they wearied themselues to finde the doore Gen. 19 11. But Christ to shew that hee came to seeke and to saue that which is lost restored sight to the blinde and opened the eyes of their vnderstandings when hee healed the bodies of such as were lame and halted what was it but a teaching of them that he came to heale the broken-hearted to preach deliuerance to the captiues and to set at liberty them that were bruised When hee raised some to life from the dead what did it teach and shew but that hee is able to raise out of the graue of sinne and to giue the life of the spirit When hee cleansed the lepers what was it but a making knowne to the world that hee will cleanse from the foule and filthy leprosie of sinne And when he did cast out diuels that possessed the bodies of men what was it but to shew that he casteth the diuels out of the hearts and consciences where they desire to dwell as in an house If then it be no small comfort vnto vs to know that the Lord will deliuer his people from an earthly bondage certainely it cannot but minister much more comfort vnto vs to consider that the Lord is more careful of our soules and if hee be mindfull of vs for things of this life hee cannot be forgetfull of vs for the life to come seeing hee hath sent his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all which beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life 7 And they remoued from Etham and turned againe to Pihahiroth c. 8 And they departed from before Pihahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea c. 9 And they remoued from Marah and came vnto Elim c. 9 And they remoued
it is saide of Kaine when he slew his brother that hee was of that euill one 1 Iohn 3 12. This serueth for reproofe both of errors in Vse 1 doctrine and of corruptions in life and first it conuinceth the Popish Doctrine which giueth way to mans corrupt nature more thē the word will beare For in the poynt of louing our enemies they come neere vnto the interpretation of the Pharisies because they teach that howsoeuer a man is alwayes bound not to hate his enemy yet to loue him hee is not alwayes bound No maruell if these men doe hold it lawfull to breake promise with an heretike such as they account vs to be but falsly This is an easie kinde of Religion and well pleasing to flesh and blood and it may not seeme strange though multitudes be ioyned vnto their Church for what carnall man is there almost that would not bee a Papist when he may bee held to be religious yet bee auenged vpon his enemy also Indeed they set downe two cases least they should bee thought to be too prophane and their Religion a mercilesse Religion wherein a man is bound to loue his enemy First in extreame necessity when hee is in present danger of his life then hee is to be helped and releeued as it was with him that fell among theeues and lay wounded and halfe dead as Luke 10. verse 30. Secondly in case of scandall when by not helping or succouring wee shall giue offence vnto others Out of these two cases they conclude that it is a counsell and degree of perfection to loue our enemies Matth. 5. ver 44. which some particular persons as Monkes Friars and such cloyster men take vpon them to obserue who haue forsooth obtained an extraordinary gift to deny themselues But if this be a counsell then the rest of Christs sayings in that chapter I say vnto you Whosoeuer is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Iudgement Verse 22. And whosoeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery as wee may reade In verse 28. and so likewise of the rest in verses 32.34 37 should be counsels also Howbeit the saying of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is a commanding Genesis chapt 1. verse 3. also Psalme 33. verse 9. Wherefore the Popish deuotion is a Religion wherein a man may goe to hell with ease maintaining a most diuellish and damnable Doctrine cleane contrary to the direction of our Sauiour Christ limiting and restrayning that which Christ hath extended generally vnto vs in the Gospel I say vnto you Loue your enemies and if yee loue them onely that loue you what singular thing do you Againe this reprooueth such as thinke it to bee a note of an high and generous Nature and of a noble and notable spirite to put vppe no wrong and to seeke reuenge euen for euery trifle and small matter to do as little wrong as they can but to resolue to put vp none These account it a great honor and glory for a man to pursue his enemy with hatred Wicked Lamech descending from the cursed race of Caine thought it an argument of vertue and valour and a point of much credit and reputation vnto him to be able to take reuenge yea euen seuenty times seuen times of any that shold offend and prouoke him any way whereas Christ telleth Peter a contrary Lesson that is that it should be a greater honor and dignity before God and all good men to forgiue till seuenty times seuen times and that in one day Luke 17 4. Matth. 18 22. It becommeth all Christians therefore rather to follow the precept of Christ then the practice of Lamech and to learne of Salomon Prou. 19 11 that the discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe ouer a transgression and chapter 14 29 and 16 32 He that is slow to anger is better then the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit then hee that taketh a citty If then wee desire true honour and to bee accounted men in the world let vs imitate our heauenly Father who is so farre from being greedy of reuenge and hasty to anger and to take punishment that he maketh the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon good and bad being slow to anger and of great kindnesse The more noble sort of creatures are not desirous of reuenge but only the basest and vilest noisome flees waspes hornets bees and such like Among men none more testy and subiect to anger then sicke persons in their greatest fits who breake out into sundry passions by reason of their weakenesse which they would neuer doe in their health when they haue the vse of reason Let vs account it to be a shame and reproch to be like the weakest things and rather imitate the nobler creatures which are slow to anger and moderate their passions with discretion Ioseph in the court of Pharaoh no doubt was an honourable man hee was next in the state to the king hee had what he would at his commandement and at his word were all the people ruled Gen. 42 40 yet consider that he placed not any part of his honour in taking reuenge of his brethren that had sold him as a slaue to an idolatrous nation and sought after his life but in forgiuing of them and rewarding them good for euill Genesis 50. For when they saw that their father was dead knowing what they had deserued and fearing the face of Ioseph they said Ioseph will peraduenture hate vs and will certainely quite vs all the euill which wee did vnto him Gen. 50 15 17 and they desired him to forgiue the trespasse done against him verse 17. Ioseph wept when they spake vnto him and said Feare not for am I in place of God but as for you yee thought euill against me but God meant it vnto good c now therefore feare not I will nourish you and your little ones and hee comforted them and spake kindly vnto them Dauid was an honorable man yet we know how he dealt with Shimei though he were king and wanted not others to kindle the coales of wrath and reuenge against him yea though the wretch had cast stones at him and cursed him with an horrible curse yet afterward hee pardoned and forgaue him and sealed his pardon with an oath 2 Samuel chapt 19 verse 23. The like example wee may see in Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan that did eate bread at DAVIDS owne table shewing him fauour for his fathers sake although he were maliciously mischeeuously slandered by Ziba his seruant and that of no lesse crime then high treason against the king as if he looked that the house of Israel should restore him to the kingdome of his father 2 Sam. 16 3. yet hee neuer sought any reuenge of him but was content to part from his owne right for ioy that the king was returned in peace to his owne house 2 Sam. 19 30.
vnderstand what the wil of God was they murmure not against it they enquire not the reason of it they stand not vpon their owne priuiledges there is no man thinketh better of himselfe then others nor offereth to breake the order transgresse the Law giuen vnto them But they did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses Verse 34. The former point that concerneth the Commandement of God is double First it is set downe generally in the two first Verses what belongeth to all the Tribes indifferently namely that they must encampe euery one by the Ensigne of his Fathers house then particularly what concerneth the tribes in speciall in the residue of the chapter Verse 1 2. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Euery man of the children of Israel shal Campe c. Heere he beginneth to rehearse the order that was to bee obserued among them For there are two things which are most needfull in euerie thing that is done aright to wit number and order Wherefore after the description of their number he beginneth to direct them in the order which was to be kept among them We learne from Doctrine 1 hence to omit sundry impertinent collections and vnprofitable Allegations God delighteth to haue a comely order obserued in the Church Common-wealth which manie stand vpon seruing rather to please the eare then to profit the heart and to delight the outward man rather then to edifie the inwarde man I say we learne that God commandeth a comely order to bee obserued as well in the Church as the Commonwealth When Balaam the false Prophet mentioned hereafter in this booke sawe the Israelites thus ordered in their Tents as God appointeth in this place he was carried into an admiration of it Numb 24 5 6. How goodly are thy Tents O Iacob and thy habitations O Israel As the valleyes are they stretched foorth as Gardens by the Riuers side as the Aloe trees which the Lord hath planted as the Cedars beside the waters As if he should haue saide The Church of God consisting of this people is the verie picture and resemblance of most goodly order This speaketh the Prophet of the place that God had chosen to set his name in it Psal 122.3 4 5. Ierusalem is builded as a Citie that is compact together in it selfe whereunto the Tribes euen the Tribes of the Lord go vp according to the testimony to Israel to praise the Name of the Lord for there are Thrones set for iudgement euen the Thrones of the house of Dauid This Paul saw and obserued and commended in the Church of the Colossians Chapt. 2. verse 5. Though I he absent in the flesh yet am I vvith you in the Spirit reioycing and beholding your Order and your stedfast Faith in Christ These things to which we might adde and annexe sundry other testimonies are sufficient to shew vnto vs that God will haue all things in the Church and Commonwealth done in order The Reasons are euident For first God Reason 1 is the Author of order and not of confusion He appointeth in this Booke the order to bee obserued in their mansion in their peregrination in their possession of the Land The Apostle giueth vs this instruction touching God 1 Cor. 14 33 God is not the Authour of confusion but of peace as we see in all the Churches of the Saints Hence it is that we see an order in God himselfe euen in the holye and blessed Trinity though all the persons be coequall and coeternall yet there is an established order of the first person of the second person and of the third person not in regard of essence which is indiuisible yet for better order of teaching and instructing of vs to attaine to so much knowledge of his nature as the Scripture hath deliuered and we are able to conceiue Hence it is that the Father is first the Sonne is conceiued and deliuered in the next place and the holy Ghost proceeding from them both is expressed in the last place not thereby insinuating any inequality because none is in nature before or after other none is greater or lesse then other but onely intimating an order in existing or working as hee hath manifested himselfe in his worde vnto vs. As then God hath order in himselfe so he commandeth and commendeth an order to be vsed of vs. Secondly all wise men will order their affaires Reason 2 with wisedome and discretion and will dispose of them with seemlinesse comlinesse An expert Captaine that goeth against his enemies will keepe his Souldiours in good array whether he march or retire If he flye out of the fielde out of order one is readie to ouerthrow another and all are left to the mercy of his aduersarie Hence it is Veget. lib. 14 that they haue an eye to these things to the Sunne the Winde and the Dust that the Sunne be not in their faces that the Winde be not against them that the Dust bee not carried vppon them For the Sunne shining in their faces taketh away sight the Winde blowing contrary abateth their strength and the blow but helpeth the weapons of the enemy the Dust cast vppon them filleth and shutteth their eyes to their great hindrance A prouident house-keeper knoweth the necessitie commoditie and profite thereof in the administration of all his businesse and affayres Xenophon speaking of Socrates that nothing is so good as the right ordering of them The Philosophers in all their teaching shew vs this who haue broght the Arts and Sciences into Method and good order Common experience declareth that wee loue order when it is wanting wee doe wish and desire it when it is present we rest in it and at all times wee prayse and commend it Thirdly the Church is not a confused Reason 3 multitude shuffled and iumbled together where no man knoweth his place or his Office and one encroacheth vpon another but it is the house of the liuing God 1 Tim 3 15 the pillar and ground of truth Now in an house well ordered is to be seene the Maister as the Ruler the family subiect to his gouernment euery one imploying his proper gifts and no man vsurping the place and calling of another If this bee to bee seene in our priuate houses which haue a weaker foundation to beare them a lesse anker to holde them a feebler shore to vnderprop them and vnsurer means to containe and continue them how much more must we conceiue this of the Church of God Hebrewes 11. Esay 5 1. Ephes 5. which is the house that he hath builded the vineyard that his right hand hath planted the spouse of Christ which he hath loued the mountaine of the Lord which he hath prepared and the peculiar people which hee hath chosen Thus we see the doctrine sufficiently cleered and confirmed Let vs before we come to the vses diuert a little as it were out of the way and ordinary path to answer an obiection
saued Hence it is that in his prayer to his Father he saith I haue glorified thee on the earth I haue finished the worke which thou gauest mee to doe Ioh. 17.4 Iohn 17. Why doe we then reward him so vnkindly or what euill hath hee done vnto vs that we should deale so with him As hee teacheth that we cannot serue God Mammon so we cannot serue God and our selues There is no parting of stakes with him He hateth party-coloured Christians he will haue the whole man the whole obedience or else he reiecteth all Saul performed part of his will but because he did not all that he required hee was cast off 1 Sam. 15. Would we haue him partly to loue vs and partly to hate vs partly to be pleased with vs and partly to be offended God doth not thus diuide his loue and hatred Whom hee loueth hee loueth freely wholly effectually He so loued vs that hee spared not his owne Sonne but gaue him for vs. The like loue ought we to returne vnto him againe Mar. 6. Herod hearing Iohn Baptistpreach the word reformed himselfe in many things Mar. 6. Act. 8.13 Simon Magus was baptized and professed the faith and continued among the people of God and wondered at the signes and miracles that were done But except our righteousnesse doe exceed the righteousnesse of these men we cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen All these are halfe Christians that serue God to halfes like the Iewes that spake halfe Hebrew Neh. 13.24 and halfe Ashdod and worship God in one part and the diuell in another like the Colony of the strange nations transplanted in Samaria 2 Kin. 17.41 that feared the Lord and serued their grauen images also who while they would needes doe both are expresly charged not to feare the Lord Verse 34.35 neither to doe after the statutes and ordinances and commandements which the Lord commanded the children of Iacob whom hee named Israel So is it with all such as yeeld an vnperfect and vnsound obedience they thinke they serue God and obey his commandements but they are greatly deceiued and they may iustly be charged not to serue him at all For who required this halfe or halting obedience at their hands Against all this maimed and mangled duty we will oppose the practise of Dauid a man after Gods heart in the 119. Psalme where he many times discouereth his zealous affection as verses 5.6 O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes then shall I not be ashamed when I haue respect vnto all thy commandements Psal 119.5.6.13.101 And verse 13. with my lippes haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth And verse 101. I haue refrained my feete from euery euill way that I may keepe thy word Where wee see his manner of seruing the Lord how farre different it is from ours he had respect vnto all his commandements not to some only he refrained his feet from euery euill way not frō some only Let vs follow his worthy holy example and doe that which is right in the sight of the Lord 1 King 15.5 and not turne aside from any thing that he commandeth vs all the dayes of our life so shall Gods name be glorified so shall he be well pleased with vs and so shall wee haue comfort and others instruction through our obedience Lastly they are also reprooued The fourth reproofe that thinke it enough to serue God outwardly to bee seene of men and worship him through hypocrisie like vnto them that looke to the garment but neglect the body so doe these looke to the body but neglect the soule For as we shewed before that he who maketh no conscience of one commandement but of purpose and custome breaketh the same is guilty of all because if like occasion were offered he would breake all the rest Iames chapter 2. verse 10. So such as looke only to the outside and to turne their face toward religion doe make it manifest that there is no religion in them at all It is strange to see how smoothly and deuoutly some will carry themselues who notwithstanding bewray the hollownesse of their hearts These are they that make cleane the outside of the cuppe and of the platter Matth. 23.25.27 that are like vnto whited sepulchers which indeed appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all vncleannesse Matthew chapter 23.25 27. Thus it fared with Iudas he serued God outwardly and the diuell possessed him inwardly If a man could deceiue the eternall God as well as blinde the eyes of a mortall man there might bee some colour for this colourable worship But God is not mocked He that framed the heart looketh into the heart and searcheth into the corners and secret chambers of the heart And albeit it be deceitfull aboue all things yet it cannot deceiue him There was neuer in any age place for hypocrisie but in regard of the loose and corrupt times into which we are cast if we were but politike and wordly-wise wee would bee any thing rather then hypocrites Nothing worse then hypocrisie which is to expose our selues to all infamy contempt and reproch Religion among the greatest sort is made a by-word and the religious make themselues a prey What wisedome then is in vs to lay open our selues to such indignities obloquies slanders and false accusations and in the meane season to want the inward peace of a good conscience and true comfort of a pure heart and that which is more then all to want the fauour of God and his louing countenance toward vs who hateth vs as his secret enemies for our hypocrisie Hypocrites therefore are iustly abhorred of God man They draw neere to God with their mouthes but their mindes are farre from him Matt. 15. Their worship is like to counterfect money which is gilded outwardly but within is nothing but brasse or such like base stuffe so that all is not gold that glistereth Or like the apples which grow at the dead Sea where sometimes Sodome and Gomorrha stood which are faire in colour beautifull in shew and maruellous in greatnesse but when you come to touch them or to handle them they turne to dust and cast out a filthy sauour more vnpleasant to the nostrils then they were pleasant before to the eyes Thus it is with hypocrites they appeare beautifull before men they loue to be well thought off by them and haue many times more glorious shewes then other that are more sound within because they study nothing else but how to get the applause and praise of the world Such a one was Iudas among the Apostles Such were Ananias and Sapphira among the disciples Let vs take heede we be not like them or if we will be like them let vs know that as we ioyne with them in their sinne we must also partake with them in their punishments who dyed not the common death of
tempted Where we see he beginneth the sentence with the plurall number and endeth it with the singular Wherefore to returne vnto our purpose from which we haue digressed to answere an obiection and to open the interpretation of this Scripture faithfull parents who haue endeuoured to sow the seede of eternall life in the mindes of their children are not to bee censured and condemned because they haue leude and vngodly children that giue euident tokens rather of reprobation then of saluation as if it were their fault and offence for as much as they may bee carefull to vse all meanes of faith and furtherance to eternall life and yet notwithstanding faile of their end If they doe not discharge their duties they shall be guilty of their blood but if they doe teach them they are free they haue deliuered their soules If wee haue vsed diligence and be euill spoken off let vs comfort our selues in the Lord and rest our selues in the cleerenesse of our owne consciences and comfort our hearts in the testimony thereof being well assured that in the great day of account the LORD shall acquit vs when the mouth of iniquitie shall be stopped Vse 3 Thirdly from this ground ariseth great consolation to all faithfull parents who are to comfort themselues in this if among many children and a plentifull issue they haue some fewe of them yea but one onely that appeareth to be the faithfull childe of GOD albeit it bee otherwise with the rest GOD indeede will receiue glory in all though some of them bee reprobates this must preuaile with our natural affections and teach vs to suppresse our greefe and sorrow No doubt it is cause of the greatest griefe and maketh their head as waters and their eyes a fountaine of teares that they make their bed to swimme and water their couch with weeping which striketh neerer vnto them to beholde their vngodly wayes then to see them suffer a thousand deaths Abraham was exceedingly mooued when he was commanded to cast out of his family his sonne Ishmael Gen. 21.11 and 17.18 for the thing was grieuous in Abrahams sight because of his sonne and before this he had saide O that Ishmael might liue in thy sight yet neuerthelesse he yeelded to the will of God who would therein bee honoured So when GOD respecteth vs and confirmeth his couenant toward vs and taketh vnto himselfe any of our seede we ought rather to praise God for this mercy and goodnesse toward vs in sauing one then murmure against him or aske the question of him why he calleth not all If it please God so to deale in mercy toward vs that he vouchsafeth to be both our God and the God of all I say of all our seede we are bound vnto him in so much greater dutie and he requireth of vs the greater obedience and looketh for a sacrifice of greater thankefulnesse Hee dealeth not so with all good men euen such as haue faithfull soules and desire to approoue their seruice vnto him who when they haue giuen them what education they can and heartily craued of GOD his blessing vpon their holy endeauours yet haue found many crosses and such inward griefes as haue beene ready to breake euen their heart-strings and to bring their gray haires with sorrow to the graue Neuerthelesse we must not suffer our ouer-strong affections to preuaile too farre within vs and to swallow vs vp with ouermuch heauinesse when we beholde with our owne eyes the wickednesse of our children that are come out of our owne loynes and are of our owne blood when we see them without hope of being reclaimed and reformed as those that runne into all excesse of riot no though we should see them taken away in the prophanenesse of their hearts For why should we repine at it to consider how God glorifieth himselfe albeit it be in the destruction of some of ours Of this we haue two most notable examples in Aaron and in Eli neuer to be forgotten of vs recorded in the Bookes of Leuiticus and of Samuel Touching Aaron his two eldest sonnes Nadab and Abihu of whom we now speake sinned against the Lord in offering strange fire and seruing of God otherwise then hee appointed which is a thing detestable in his eyes and there came out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them and they dyed before the Lord. Heere was a grieuous sinne committed heere was a grieuous punishment executed vpon them and their father did beholde it with his eyes and how they were carryed out of the campe in their coates Moses tolde him that the LORD would bee sanctified in them that come nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified so that Aaron helde his peace Leuiticus chapter 10. verse 3. So touching Eli when he heard a fearefull iudgement denounced against his posterity he said It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1 Samuel 3.18 Thus ought we to doe and not vexe and turmoyle our selues without reason for that which we cannot remedy and redresse All the children of the faithfull are not the children of the promise they that are the children of the flesh are not the children of God Galatians chapter 4. verse 23. All that are the seede of Adraham are not the children of Abraham Romanes chapter 9. verse 6 7. neither are all the Israel of God which are of Israel Heere it may be obiected which the Apostle Obiection 1 Peter speaketh to the Iewes The promise is made to you and to your children Actes 2.39 God is the God of the faithfull and of their seede I answere The Apostle answereth this in the next wordes Answer euen as many as the Lord our God shall call So many as haue God to bee their God shall in his good time be called to the knowledge of the trueth Hence it is that in the promise annexed to the second commandement it is said Exod. 20.6 hee sheweth mercy to thousands that loue him and keepe his commandements Thus hee limiteth the promise of mercy he restraineth it to those that loue him This promise is performed when it holdeth in any albeit a farre off Another obiection ariseth out of Paules words to the Corinthians where the seede of Obiection the faithfull are said to be holy that is sanctified and cleansed The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife 1 Cor. 7.14 and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children vncleane but now are they holy If then they be all cleane and holy it followeth they are also vnder the election of grace I answere they are holy touching the outward couenant and generall election Answer as to be of the visible Church to haue right in the Sacraments and to haue interest in the outward priuiledges therof as in the word prayer and such like Thus the whole nation of the Iewes are saide to bee chosen and thus they may bee saide Rom. 11.16 and are saide to bee sanctified They
propound to themselues an euil end as either vaine glory to be esteemed of others or the merit of the work that they may be rewarded of God and do not referre them to his glory But not he that commendeth himselfe is approued but whom the Lord commendeth 2 Cor. 10 18. Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts then shall euery man haue praise of God 1 Cor. 4 5. Wherefore all their workes are as the apples of Sodome which are faire in outward appearance and yet are rotten and corrupt So may vnbeleeuers do sundry workes that are beautifull in outwarde shew but they are like vnto painted Sepulchers which appeare glorious to the sight but they are within full of dead mens bones and all vncleannesse For their heart which God especially beholdeth and searcheth is foule filthy and can no otherwise be made cleane then as it is purified by faith Let all men therefore take knowledge of their naturall condition that they are of themselues abhominable and to euery good worke reprobate vntill they be borne again and regenerate by the Spirit of God The third reproofe The third reproofe is of such as notwithstanding the necessity of the word to direct our actions which without the light of it to shine in our hearts cannot please God yet regard not the knowledge of it but contemne both it and the meanes that leade vs the way vnto it This is an horrible sinne to forsake our owne saluation and as it were to cut our owne throats or to cast our selues wilfully into the middest of the seas It is a greeuous sin to be ignorant of the Law of God not to know what he commandeth or what he forbiddeth but it is more fearefull to despise knowledge offered and so as it were to despite the Spirit of grace what remaineth for such but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and indignation which shall deuoure the aduersaries Heb. 10 27. Such can haue no comfort or consolation in any of their actions For as the eye is the light of the body and directeth the rest of the members in all things they go about or else the feete might carry them into some pit of destruction so is the word of GOD our Lampe or Candle Psal 119 105. whereby we see how to walke and direct our selues into the way of peace we know what we ought to do and from what to refraine And as the body runneth violently into an heap of dangers where the eye is blinde and can perceiue nothing vntill it fall headlong into them so is it with such as regard not the knowledge of the scriptures but say vnto GOD as may appeare by their practise Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Iob 21 14. This world is as a wildernesse full of Lyons Bears Tygers and other rauenous and venemous beasts or as a sea standing out with rockes replenished with quicksands We can no sooner step out of doores but we shall be assaulted one way or other nay we our selues are tentations vnto our selues For rather then we should lacke tempters we tempt our selues like vnto a State that wanting forraine enemies falleth out within themselues and by ciuill warres destroy one another So is it with vs when we are free from open enemies we become enemies to our selues If then we want the guidance and gouernance of the word we are in danger to be ouercome and to take the foile Our Sauiour willeth vs as we heard before to search the Scriptures because in them we thinke to haue eternall life and therefore without the knowledge of thē we deceiue our selues if we dreame of eternall life So in another place he maketh the ignorance of them to be the cause of all euill and error in iudgement as Marke 12 verse 24. Are ye not therefore deceiued because yee know not the Scriptures Obiect But some peraduenture will say it belongeth to the Ministers onely to search them it is their office to looke into them I answer Answer it is a duty belonging vnto all persons to know them Christ exhorted the people to search them It is required of all to haue them dwell in them plentifully Colossians 3. If we would be preserued from error we must know them if we desire saluation we must search them if we would be able to resist the tentations of Satan we must be armed with them They are as the will and Testament of Christ whereby he hath bequeathed vnto vs an heauenly inheritance and a most rich possession and therefore it behoueth vs to reade the will to know how we hold it Thou wilt obiect Obiect they are hard and I am simple they may leade me into errors as many haue fallen into strange opinions by reading of them Art thou simple thē thou art the rather bound to reade them for they were written Answer Prou. 1 4. to giue vnto the simple sharpenesse of wit and to the child knowledge and discretion The whole Church is commanded this duty both Iewes Gentiles were there no simple men and women among them Neither oughtest thou to be afraid to be ledde by them into error for they were written to preserue thee from error and to leade thee into all truth It is the vnstable that wrest them to their owne destruction Reade them with humility with reuerence and praier Be thou lowly in thine owne eies and take heed of a proud spirit be conuersant in them with reuerence Esay 66 ◠learne to tremble at his word craue the assistance of Gods Spirit to guide thee and to open thine eyes that thou maiest vnderstand his secrets and thou shalt not need to stand in feare of being carried into error And touching the hardnesse of them be not discouraged from the reading of them Some things indeed are hard to be vnderstood but there is nothing hard in one place but it is made easie in another and it shall he made easie to vs by diligent meditation in them Besides all things that are necessary to saluation are plainely set downe that the people may vnderstand them It is the lying spirit of the diuell in the false Prophets of Antichrist that cryeth out The Scriptures are hard and full of knots the people may not reade them Beleeue not euery spirit 2 Thes 2 3. but try the spirits whether they be of God or not for many false Prophets are gone into the world 1 Iohn 4 verse 1. They are blinde leaders of the blinde they play fast and loose with the people as Iuglers do with the simple and cast a mist before their eies that they should not espy them They leade them into error and then take the light from them whereby they might be conuinced It is the great policy of that great Antichrist and man of sinne not onely to forbidde the reading of our bookes but the free vse of Gods
the Minister of GOD to attend the issue Shee stood to be iudged he to be the instrument of the iudgement She was to come vnto iudgement he to bring her vnto iudgement Thus we haue runne ouer the principall questions that were to be touched Analys Iunij in Numer in handling whereof I haue followed the iudgment of the learned who haue discussed and resolued these doubts and difficulties before me Now we are to proceed in order to the doctrine arising from hence Verse 15.16 Then shall the man bring his wife vnto the Priest c. We see in these words that the man is to bring his suspected wife to the place and meanes of her tryall If euery one that was suspected might be put away many husband 's not louing but growing weary of their wiues would readily entertaine any the least flying report and thereupon take occasion to be diuorsed from them Wherefore to the end that euery one suspected shold not by and by be condemned the Lord ordaineth that he should bring his wife to the Priest and before him vndergoe such tryall as is appointed for her Doctrine None is to be accounted guilty before tryall We learne from hence that it is Gods ordinance that no innocent person should be oppressed in iudgement and none at the priuate pleasure of any ought to be condemned before their tryall Euery person must hold vp his hand at the barre before he be pronounced guilty This appeareth plainly in the Law of Moses decreeing against idolatrous cities if the children of Belial haue withdrawne the inhabitants of their citie saying Let vs goe and serue other gods which ye haue not knowne Deut. 12.14 15 and 19.18 Then shalt thou enquire and make search and aske diligently and behold if it be truth and the thing certaine that such abomination is wrought among you thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword destroying it vtterly and all that is therein c. Where we see that in the matter of idolatry which God aboue many other sinnes abhorreth as that which goeth neerest to his heart and as it were pierceth into the very marrow of his worship and seruice he would not haue euery suspicion to be taken or euery report to be receiued but hee will haue the matter examined and the trueth tryed out and searched to the full before any processe be made out against them Hence it is that Salomon complaineth of the contrary course oftentimes obserued Eccles 7.15 All things haue I seene in the dayes of my vanity there is a iust man that perisheth in his righteousnesse and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in hâ—s wickednesse To this purpose speaketh the Apostle Iames chap. 5.5.6 against the abuse of their power in rich men Ye haue liued in pleasure on the earth and beene wanton ye haue nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter ye haue condemned and kâ—lled the iust and he doth not resist you Thus we set it is no new thing to see innocency it selfe trodden vnder foot and innocent persons condemned The Apostle Peter setting downe the duties of Magistrates willeth those to whom hee wrote to submit themselues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as supreme 1 Pet â—3 â— or vnto gouernours as vnto them that are sent by him for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well So that it is the ordinance of God that euill doers should be punished and that such as doe well should be commended and rewarded and therefore no innocent person ought to be discountenanced or put to death This trueth is strengthened vnto vs many Reason 1 wayes First by example which is beyond all comparison and exception for no man may compare with him no man dare except against him I meane the example of God himselfe who goeth before vs in the practise heereof that we should follow him in this duty Before he brought vpon the world confusion of tongues he is said to goe downe among them to see their fact Gen. 11.6 Thus he dealt with Adam before he pronounced him guilty and denounced iudgement vpon him hee called vnto him Adam Where art thou hee examined him and asked him farther Gen. 3.11 Whether he had eaten of the fruit of the tree in the mids of the garden of which he had said Thou shalt not eate thereof lest thou die In like maner he dealt with Caine chap. 4.9.10 before hee pronounced him cursed from the earth which opened her mouth to receiue his brothers blood from his hand and that he should be a vagabond and runnagate first he examineth him Where is Abel thy brother then he endighteth and conuinceth him What hast thou done the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me for vengeance So in the eighteene chapter of the same booke before he destroyed Sodome and Gomorrha with fire and brimstone from heauen he said to Abraham Gen. 18.20 21. Behold the cry of Sodome and Gomorrha is great and because their sinne is very grieuous I will goe downe now and see whether they haue done altogether according to the cry of it which is come vnto me and if not I will know Whereby he would instruct vs that before wee enter into iudgement with any person or pronounce sentence vpon any people he first taketh good consideration of the fact which causeth his punishment So ought it to bee with euery one of vs wee must lay before vs this example if wee would be the children of our heauenly Father Secondly it is the ende of all Magistracy Reason 2 to protect and countenance the Godly but to roote out and destroy the vngodly to be a praise and protection to the one but a terrour and feare to the other as Romanes chapter 13. verse 3. Magistrates are not to bee feared for good workes but for euill wilt thou then bee without feare of the power Doe well so shalt thou haue praise of the same c. After that Iehoshaphat had beene reprooued by the Prophet he called the people againe to the honouring of the Lord he set Iudges in the Land throughout the citties of Iudah and said vnto them Take heed what ye doe for ye execute not the iudgement of man but of the Lord and he will be with you in the iudgement wherefore now let the feare of the Lord bee vpon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God neither respect of persons nor receiuing of reward 2 Chron. 19 6 7. He would not haue the stronger to oppresse the weaker and the high to ouerbeare the low and the rich to eate vp the poore like the greater fish that deuoure the lesse but that euery one should receiue according vnto his workes whether good or euill Reason 3 Thirdly it is an abhomination to God for any to oppresse the innocent and as great
not cleere the wicked Although Princes doe not make statutes against it yet the statute law of God hath decreed against it and condemned it set a great penalty vpon the breach of it We haue sundry lawes that none abuse our names but we haue none for the preseruation of Gods Name and therefore God will looke to it and take order for it No commandement hath had more visible iudgments executed vpoÌ„ the breakers of it then this The plague of God shall not depart from his house that is a swearer one iudgment or other shall ouertake him and if he do escape the greater torment is reserued for him in the life to come The Prophet Zachary Zach. 5.4 telleth vs that God will consume the timber and stones of his house The sonne of the Israelitish woman that blasphemed the Name of the Lord and cursed is brought foorth without the campe and stoned to death Leuit. 24.14 15. and thereupon a Law established Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sinne It is lamentable to consider the wretchednesse of prophane men notwithstanding the greeuousnesse of this sinne Many are of such a ruffian-like spirit that they feare not to teare in peeces the Lord of life and to crucifie againe the Sonne of God as much as in them lyeth We our selues are iealous of our own names and the names of our parents and posterity no maruell then if God be exceeding iealous ouer himselfe If we wil not glorifie him he will glorifie himselfe and his Name in our destruction He may winke at vs for a time as also at our manifold and monstrous oathes but he hath not forgotten them he keepeth a booke of accounts as a register against vs and when the great day of the Lord shall come he will bring forth the records and set our sinnes in order before vs. Let vs not thinke to escape Eccles 8.11 because sentence is not speedily executed the more he delayeth the more he hoardeth vp punishment for vs. The longer the arrow is in drawing the deeper it will pierce when it is shot out against vs. Hee suffereth them to liue in security for a time but they shall taste of seuerity in the end Iob 24.23 and 21.30 The wicked is reserued to the day of destruction they shal be brought forth to the day of wrath 23 And the Priest shall write these curses in a booke and he shall blot them out with the bitter water 24 And he shall cause the woman to drinke the bitter water that causeth the curse and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter 25 Then the Priest shall take the iealousie offering out of the womans hand and shall waue the offering before the Lord and offer it vpon the Altar 26 And the Priest shall take an handfull of the offering euen the memoriall thereof and burne it vpon the Altar and afterward shall cause the woman to drinke the water Hitherto wee haue seene the things that goe before the tryall now we come to such as are more neerely ioyned with it which are these He must write the curses in a booke and then blot them out with the waters of bitternesse before remembred But before the woman drinke of the waters he must take the offering out of her hand and waue it before the Lord and then offer it vnto the Lord. Lastly he is to burne a part of it vpon the altar and afterward cause the woman to drinke the water Obiect Heere the question may be asked wherefore the curse must be written and afterward blotted out If it must be blotted out what need it to be written If it must be written why should it be blotted out I answer Answer it was written to note out the stablenesse of Gods iudgements and the certainety of his trueth And therefore also it was vttered in words expressed in actions and established by writing In word of the adiuration in worke of the drinking vp of the water in writing of the whole fact as it was done before the Lord. Neuerthelesse this writing was so extant that it continued not long but was so cleane defaced that none could reade it because God would not haue the remembrance of such filthy causes and iealouses and suspicions to remaine to posterity lest any be inflamed with the like passion and so bring into imitation such like practises Verse 23.24 c. And the Priest shall write these curses c. We see in this place the former ceremonies and circumstances farther vrged and pressed neere to the conscience of her that was suspected and stood before the Lord to be tryed She is caused and commanded to drinke of these waters prepared for this purpose These waters that cause the curse shall enter into her and become bitter This is the meanes that God wil vse to manifest things that yet are hidden in secret and such as should bring an heauy iudgement vpon her that was guilty We learne from hence Doctrine Adultery â— albeit secâ— coâ—â—â—â— punished of God that whoredome is alwaies punished of God and neuer escapeth vnpunished Howsoeuer adultery be not regarded among men and thought either no sinne or a little and veniall sinne yet God findeth it out and ceasseth not to plague and punish it both temporally and eternally both in this life and in the life to come This we see set foorth before vs at large throughout the whole booke of God Gen. 6 1â— What was the cause that brought the flood vpon the old world and swept away the inhabitants thereof was it not for their vncleannesse and the lusts of their eyes and the loosenesse of their life The like we might say of Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities about them who giuing themselues once to fornication Iude 7. and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire When Balaam was not suffered to curse the people of God he gaue the Moabites and Midianites this damnable counsel to allure them to commit fornication by which meanes many perished as we shall shew afterward in the 25 chapter of this booke whereunto also the Apostle alludeth 1 Cor. 10.8 when he saith Neither let vs commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand It must needs be a greeuous sin that brought downe so greeuous a iudgment A like fearefull example we haue in the booke of Iudges when the Leuites wife was abused vnto death there followed the destruction of the beniamites 〈◊〉 20 35. 〈◊〉 21.3 so that there fell of them fiue and twenty thousand almost one whole tribe of Israel was wanting This is it which the Lord threatened to his people Leuit. 18.24.25 20. Ye shall not defile your selues in any of these things among which this was one to defile themselues with their neighbours wife by carnall copulation for in all these the nations are defiled which I will cast
his good name and estimation according to the commandement of our Lord and Master Mathew 7 verse 12. Whatsoeuer yee would that other men should do vnto you euen so do ye vnto them for this is the Law and the Prophets Doth God require this at our hands and will not he performe it toward vs Must we cleere our brothers good name and will God himselfe faile to do it or doe we thinke wee can haue a better or greater care of the name of our brother or of our owne name then God the righteous Iudge of the world hath of vs all That cannot be he is iealous of our good names and will not haue the truth smothered with a lye nor innocency buried in the earth Shall we make our selues more righteous then GOD and iustifie our selues aboue our Maker There is not a spark of that truth which is in GOD giuen to vs true it is he honoureth vs by vouchsafing this mercy vnto vs to open our mouthes to speak his truth which he is able to auouch and iustifie against all gainsayers a thousand waies If we then that are euill know how to acquit our brethren we may be well assured he will be more iust and righteous in all his dealings toward vs then we haue beene or can be one to another And if wee haue meanes at any time to free our brethen from infamy wee may fully and certainely be assured that hee will be ready to bring to light our innocency Secondly seeing God hath promised to make our innocency that is derided or denied Vs e 2 to be knowne let vs know that it is our duty to goe boldly to the Throne of his grace and to pray vnto God to performe his promise toward vs. It falleth out oftentimes that we see no way to bring the truth to light and we think it vnpossible that euer we should be cleered howbeit we haue to do with God to whom nothing is secret before whom all things are manifest he is able to bring vs into credite againe We take therefore a wrong course and prouide euilly for our selues to rage and storme against those that reuile vs and speake all manner of euill of vs falsely for Christ his sake whereas we ought to repaire into the presence of GOD and to craue of him that he would make the iustice of our causes to appeare If any obiect Obiect Is not God without praier able to make the truth of our causes knowne Or hath he need to be put in mind of his office which is to iustifie the godly and to condemne the wicked I answer Answer as GOD is able of himselfe to doe it so he also hath appointed the meanes how he will do it And among them all none is more excellent then praier so that his almighty power doth not exclude praier but rather imply it neither should it keepe vs from prayer but rather encourage vs to praier forasmuch as almighty God vseth it as an instrument for the performance of those things which he hath promised and appointed He that goeth to warfare prepareth horse armour and leuieth souldiers and getteth what prouision and furniture he can he will by no meanes be brought to leaue theÌ„ behind him or to send them backe againe and to rush into the battell without them because they are instruments by which God is wont to giue the victory to such as it seemeth good to him so that he cannot without rashnesse lay them aside so is prayer necessary by the which the LORD is accustomed to giue vnto vs those things that we want and therefore it were horrible presumption to neglect it vnder pretence of his knowledge vnderstanding our cases or of his power enabling him to do all things or of his prouidence determining all things As God hath appointed armour to them that desire victory so hath he ordained praier for them that would be releeued in necessity â—it God â—eth what â—eed yet â—er is need True it is GOD knoweth what wee need better then our selues that are in neede yet is not praier to be holden superfluous because God hath commanded vs that in the day of trouble we should call vpon him Mat. 7. he hath promised to heare vs and deliuer vs Psal 50. He hath made no promise to vs of any blessing except we aske the same of him he keepeth vs in feare and reuerence and maketh vs to acknowledge him to be the giuer and author of all good things he declareth his loue vnto vs that humbleth and abaseth himselfe to heare our requests complaints particularly and thereby enflameth vs to loue him again and to put our trust in him by this familiar communication with him we grow after a sort familiar with him and wee are bold to shroud our selues vnder his wing as the childe flyeth to his father and lastly as we confesse that whatsoeuer good things we enioy do come from him alone so it is our duty to returne to him the thankes and to vse them to his glory Wherefore whensoeuer wee finde our selues wronged of our neighbours we are not to turne vpon theÌ„ in a rage like vnto the dogge that runneth after the stone that is cast at him and not at him that did cast it but let vs runne with boldnesse vnto God and poure out our supplications before him desiring him to helpe vs and right our cause This doth the Prophet Dauid in many places Psal 4 1 and 69 13. Heare me when I â—ill O God of my righteousnesse thou hast enlarged me when I was in distresse haue mercy vpon me and heare my praier He acknowledgeth in his praier to God that he was the witnesse Iudge and defender of his innocency and vprightnesse toward Saul or any other declaring by his owne example that when men vniustly condemne vs we must flie vnto God by humble and earnest praier who is the patron and pleader of the causes of his people And in the seuenth Psalme verse 6. Arise O Lord in thine anger lift vp thy selfe because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the iudgement that thou hast commanded and afterward verse 8. The Lord shall iudge the people iudge mee O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me If God did not lay to his hand and helpe him he confesseth that he were vtterly destroyed and therefore he praieth to be deliuered from his persecuters Whensoeuer therefore men will not iudge vprightly and haue their eies blinded through malice or fauour we ought by praier to referre our causes to him that hath no respect of persons and so commit our causes to him that iudgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2 23. Howsoeuer the innocent cause of the godly may be hidden for a time and ouerwhelmed by the slanders of the vngodly yet if we be not wanting vnto our selues continuance of time the daughter of truth will bring it to light We cry out against the wicked but
vnto him and hee dyed as the man of God had saide Zachariah the Priest had an Angell sent vnto him from God standing at the right side of the Altar of Incense 〈◊〉 1 13. telling him that His prayer was heard and that his wife should beare him a sonne and that many should reioyce at his birth â—â—rse 14. howbeit hee would not beleeue the message he measured all things by the course of nature the word of the Angel would not suffice him that stood in the presence of God and was sent to speake vnto him and to shew him these good tydings hee must farther heare verse 18. Whereby hee should know this But he that would not rest in these good tydings is constrained to heare heauy tydings that he should be dumbe â—se 20 and not be able to speake vntill the day that these things be done because he beleeued not his words which should bee fulfilled in their season The like we might also say of the Israelites in the wildernesse as wee shal see afterwards in the eleuenth chapter of this booke of Numbers Moses shewed the weakenesse of his faith and the people the want of their faith so that the Lord complaineth against them against Moses that hee was of little Faith against the rest that they were for the most part a faithlesse generation albeit they had knowne his goodnes tryed his power felt his iustice and seene his mercies and miracles plentifully amongst them he might iustly take vp the same complaint against his people which Christ did against his Disciples Mat. 17. verse 17. O generation faithlesse and crooked how long now shall I bee with you How long now shall I suffer you Hence it is that when Moses considering the want they had of flesh Numb 11 21 22. saide Sixe hundred thousand foote-men are there of the people among whom I am and thou sayest I will giue them flesh that they may eate a moneth long Shall the sheepe and the Beeues be slaine for them to finde them eyther shall all the fish of the sea bee gathered together for them to suffice them The Lord saide vnto Moses Is the Lordes hand shortned Thou shalt see now whether my worde shall come to passe vnto thee or no. Hee sent them that which they desired but hee sent it not as a blessing they lusted with Concupiscence in the Wildernesse and tempted GOD in the Desert so that it turned to bee a curse vnto them Verse 33. for While the flesh was yet betweene their teeth before it was chewed euen the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and hee smote the people with an exceeding great plague Yea such was the iudgement that came vppon them Verse 34. that the place was called Kibroth hattaauah the graues of Lust for there they buried the people that fell a lusting to keepe thereby the greatnesse of their sinne fresh in remembrance verifying that also which the Prophet saith Psal 106 16. Hee gaue them their request but he sent leannesse into their soule They had flesh enough but it did them no good they abounded but their aboundance turned to their destruction So wheÌ„ they wanted water and Moses Aaron did not teach them to be patient vnder the crosse and contented with Gods hand the Lord spake vnto them Because ye beleeued mee not Numb 2â— 12 to sanctify me in the presence of Israel therefore ye shal not bring this Congregation into the land which I haue giuen them There is no greater wrong can bee done to God then to doubt of his trueth of all sinnes this is one of the most highest and most heinous to haue in vs an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God Wherefore when wee or any part of the Church are in extreamity and lye vnder affliction let vs not cast off our confidence that hath great recompence of reward Heere is a stay to rest vpon heere is a pillar that cannot bee shaken heere is a most sure and firme foundation vpon which we should builde our house Is hee more mercifull to his Saints then they can wish or desire Let vs then know for a certainety that there is great hope of deliuerance in the greatest extreamities though wee know no way to escape but that wee rest as a prey in the teeth of the Lyon yet the loue of God toward vs is infinite and vnspeakeable hee can restore vs and redeeme vs by sundry wayes that wee could not thinke of nor dreame of nor desire This is that which Mordecai is bolde to put Esther in minde of Ester 4 14. If thou holdest thy peace at this time comfort and deliuerance shall appeare to the Iewes out of another place but thou and thy Fathers house shall perish Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene Heb 11 1. If there be faith in vs as the graine of Mustard seede which is very little we shall finde the benefite and fruite of it If any grace bee wanting in vs the fault is in our selues and not in God wee haue the truth of his word deliuered vnto vs but we beleeue not the doctrine which we heare This wee see in the Prophet Esay chap. 50 2. Wherefore came I and there was no man I called and none answered is mine hand so shortned that it cannot help Or haue I no power to deliuer Beholde at my rebuke I dry vp the sea I make the floodes desert Their Fish rotteth for want of water and dieth for thirst And afterwards the same Prophet vrgeth this point Esay 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot saue neither his eare heavy that it cannot heare but your iniquities haue separated betweene you and your GOD and your sinnes haue hidden his face from you that he will not heare Nay his eare is so farre from being heauy that he cannot heare that on the other side he is quicke of hearing and so quicke that hee is sought of them that asked not for him and found of them that sought him not Esay 65 1. Seeing then hee is fo bountifull aboue all our desires woe vnto vs if wee beleeue not his worde nor rest vpon his power nor content our selues with his promise When the Israelites were oppressed with the hard and cruell taske-masters of the Egyptians what could they desire or what did they desire at the hands of Pharaoh but to go into the wildernes to serue him and to carrie with them their owne Cattle their children and their substance But God did not only grant that vnto them but brought them out with great substance Psal 105 37. Exod. 12 29. He gaue them siluer and gold there was not one feeble person among their tribes They neuer durst aske of God to giue them the treasures and the spoiles of their enemies yet he gaue them that which they neither dared to aske nor desired to obtaine for they
to feede all his creatures though they be neuer so many yea though we see no meanes which way hee can do it for hee is not tied vnto them but worketh freely sometimes with them and sometimes without them Fourthly we learn that all gifts proceed from one and the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12 4. Iohn 14 16. Fiftly we see in the lusting of these men that God heareth the prayers of wicked men and oftentimes granteth them howbeit not in mercie but in wrath and iudgement 1 Sam. 8 5. maketh their owne prayers and desires to be their punishment and to turne to their destruction thereby to teach vs to be careful what to ask euen such things as are agreeable to his will not such things as wee may spend vpon our owne lusts But the point which I do purpose most to insist vpon is the threatning of God that the flesh should doe them no good but come out at their nostrils which iudgement hee also accomplished verse 33. For while the flesh was yet in their teeth before it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them and he smote them with a very great plague The doctrine from hence is this Doctrine God somtimes denieth a blessing to his creatures that the Lord doth punish the sonnes of men when as in abundance of meate and drink they haue no benefit or comfort by them Hee punisheth as well in the middest of store and plenty as hee doth with want and scarsity This he doth many wayes sometimes he withdraweth strength from the creatures that they cannot nourish Hag. 1 9 6. Sometimes he taketh away mens appetites and giueth no strength to digest them or to swallow them as in this place though they had meate in their mouthes yet he sent leannesse into their soules and brought his wrath vpon the vnworthy receiuers thereof Psa 78 30 31. So Esa 3 1. 9 20. Deut. 28 â—7 Mic. 6 14. Esay 28 7 8. It is as great a iudgement and punishment Reason 1 of God to take away the blessing from his creatures as to depriue vs of the Creatures themselues To bee without meate without drinke without raiment without necessaries for this life is a sore plague and one of the greatest iudgements that God inflicteth in this life Now certainly it must needes bee as great a iudgement not to haue benefite and comfort by them when we haue them It is all one not to haue them and not to be norished by them Had not these Israelites bin as good be without these Quailes as to haue them not bee able to swallow them Night is as comfortable to a blind man as the day it is all one to him and why because the sight of the eyes is taken from him Silence is as profitable to the deaf man as the vttering of a voice let the speech bee neuer so excellent because he cannot hear So we may say that the stones are as good for the nourishment of men as bread or flesh when God with-draweth his blessing from them It is as great a iudgment to want the stand of bread as bread it selfe Secondly it is a great punishment because Reason 2 to eate and not to be nourished doth not only decay life and bring an end of our daies but we sustaine a more miserable death then if we dyed by fire or water or sword or pestilence This is a languishing and consuming of vs by little and little and a pining of the flesh away as it were by peece-meale Acknowledge that it is a great punishment Vse 1 and iudgement vpon vnlawfull desires lustes and pleasures they haue for the most part lothing following and accompanying the same yea many times the after-loathing is far greater then the delight taken before Vnlawfull pleasure lasteth not long and the companion following it at the heeles is pain Prou. 14 12 13. and 20 17. and 5 3 4. and 23 31 32. 2. Sam 13 14 15. The forbidden fruite was delightfull to the eye and pleasant to the taste but it did sting in the end as a Serpent and did bite as a Cockatrice The reioycing of the wicked is short Iob 20 4 5. Like the noise of thornes vnder a pot Eccl 7 8. The pleasures of sinne are but for a short season Heb. 11.25 Ier. 2 19. Prou. 7.23 The guilt of sinne remaineth behind after the committing of it and bindeth him to iudgement that doth commit it Secondly whensoeuer this state befalleth Vse 2 vs know we that it is Gods hand We do not for the most part lift vp our eies to God when it commeth but rather impute it to our owne weakenesse and infirmity without ascending any higher Many haue great aboundance of blessings from God yet they are not satisfied they neuer thinke they haue enough This is a great iudgement of God this is the curse of God vpon the couetous man Vse 3 Thirdly it teacheth that howsoeuer wee haue plenty and abundance yet take heede we do not flatter our selues for we may meet with a curse not inferior to the curse of those that are in pouerty and extreame necessitie which falleth out when the Lord denyeth strength to the creature or to vs to receyue the same We haue a common prouerb among vs that misseth not much of the trueth Men say the poore may eate when he hath meate and the rich when he hath a stomack Whereby we meane that an appetite is as necessarie as our meate Hence it is that the rich which haue plenty and know not what pouertie meaneth are as much indebted vnto God bound to be thankfull vnto him for their dayly bread when hee giueth them strength to receiue it and addeth a further blessing vnto it when it is receiued as the poore man as the poorest man of all is For though they haue abundance â—ea 4 10. yet God can curse it if he blow on it he can turne away the blessing and quickly bring it to passe that they shall haue no comfort by it and therefore Christ saith Lu. 12 15. A mans life consisteth not in the abundaÌ„ce of the things which he possesseth This serueth to ad monish rich men to consider what neede they haue of the blessing of God vpon the store prouision which they haue For as it is the curse of God vpon couetous rich men that they cannot bee satisfied with riches so is it vpon those which haue meate and drinke and cannot be satisfied nor haue enough nor bee fed and nourished by them Vse 4 Lastly it is a duty required of vs if we desire to enioy the blessings of God as blessings to labor to vse the creatures of God in a godly and religious manner We must partake of them not onely soberly and moderately to strengthen nature and not to oppresse it but there is more required in the vse of Gods blessings We must carry our selues religiously euen in eating and drinking 〈◊〉 eating â—â—â—nking â—â—ould be
cut off the better it is with him for thereby his sinnes are fewer and his iudgement shall be easier It is not so with the godly man Againe the vnbeleeuer and polluted person poisoneth and infecteth all things that he medleth withall hee defileth the earth the aire the heauens the beasts the fruites and all creatures and persons that liue with them Leuitic 18 2. The land of Canaan was defiled by the inhabitants and it is saide that in the end it should spew them out Deut. 28 15 16 c. Hag. 2 14. Thirdly men are vnable of themselues to Vse 3 heare the word of saluation Ioh. 8 43. so that to beleeue and practise religion is not easie our naturall disposition is as contrary to it as fire and water Matth. 16 17. The carnall man seeth no more in the word of God then in the word of man nay his naturall reason will minister reason vnto him to thinke it is foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1 21. and to perswade him that he neede not to be so precise in the hearing of it nor be so curious in keeping of the Sabbath day Let vs therefore forsake this counseller it neuer speaketh good vnto vs but euill and crosseth the motions of the Spirit Fourthly the preaching of the word is a Vse 4 necessary meanes to bring vs to God and to worke in vs sauing faith and sanctified obedience Many men are by nature very wise deepe-sighted into matters of the world and can diue to the bottome of all humane knowledge neuerthelesse all this is weake and vnsufficient to bring vs to saluation as appeareth in the example of Achitophel Hee was a great politician his answers were as the Oracles of God 2 Sam. 16 23. yet was not all his wisedome able to guide and conduct him vnto heauen or heauenly things but hee ended his dayes in horror and despaire 2 Sa. 17 23. Therefore another meanes was needefull to bring vs to the knowledge of God and of our selues God hath left vnto vs his worde and would haue it preached and expounded in the Church that thereby we might bee saued as 1 Cor. 1 20 21. Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not GOD made foolish the wisedome of this world For after that in the wisedome of God the world by wisedome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue Lastly we must learne to submit our wisedome Vse 5 and our willes our vnderstanding and counsell to the will and counsell of God after the example of Christ Math. 26 42. Not my will but thy will bee done Wee must craue of GOD to direct vs in his will and to teach vs his wayes Verse 23. The Lord said vnto Moses Is the Lords hand waxed short Heerein we haue the answer of God setting his Almighty power against the want of all meanes and as a sufficient remedy of all euills This teacheth that all things Doctrine Things vnpossible with men are possible with God euen aboue nature and reason and how vnlikely and vnpossible soeuer in the eies of man are possible with God and he can easily bring them to passe Esa 50.1 Gen. 18.14 Zach. 8.6 Ier. 32.27 Luke 1.37 Matt. 19.29 Reason 1 For why He is in heauen and there decreeeth and accomplisheth whatsoeuer hee will Psa 115.3 nothing can giue any impediment to his purposes Secondly he made all things of nothing in the beginning for the things which are seene were not made of things which doe appeare Heb. 11.3 hee also gouerneth them all as a Captaine doth his hoste or army Exod. 15.3 He dryeth vp the sea he maketh the floods a desert and clotheth the heauens with darkenesse Esay 50.2 Thirdly this is the nature and essence of God to be almighty take this from him and we deny him to be God and make him to be weake and impotent which can no way agree to him Vse 1 The vses Learne from hence not to tye God to the course of second causes he made the Sunne to stand still Iosh 10.13 hee made the fire ceasse to burne that it could not hurt them that were cast into it Dan. 3.25 Hebr 11.33 he stopped the mouthes of the Lyons Dan. 6.22 Heb. 11.33 he made the yron to swimme which naturally sinketh to the bottome 2 King 6.6 hee made the waters stand still on an heape that they flowed not and his people passed through as on dry land Exod. 14.22 Iosh 3.17 Psal 114.5 It is he that worketh miracles and changeth the course of nature This sheweth the difference betweene God and all other creatures True it is they haue power but they are not able to worke miracles but by the power of him that ruleth the creatures Vse 2 Secondly doubt not of any of Gods promises Rom. 4.20 21 though they seeme neuer so vnlikely or vncertain Let vs not doubt of saluation nor despaire of the conuersion of any Rom. 11. but be assured that he is able to doe it This is a point which we ought to be well grounded in we haue vse of it in all estates and conditions of life especially in times of affliction and aduersity Doubt not of his fauour in prouiding for vs temporall things hee hath promised that hee will neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs neither in youth nor age neither in peace nor warre neither in plenty nor pouerty he is able to make good the words of his owne mouth hee is our helper and deliuerer Heb. 13. 5 6. Doubt not of his goodnes toward vs in spirituall things he is entred into couenant with vs that hee will write his lawes in our hearts and remember our sinnes and iniquities no more Ier. 31.33 34. This is our comfort that hee whom we serue is a God Almighty Thirdly we see that God can reuenge himselfe Vse 3 of all his enemies as also of the enemies of the Church Deut. 32.39 42. Let them therefore feare him Exod. 15.16 Heb. 10.31 euen him that is able to cast body and soule into hell fire I say vnto you feare him Matth. 10.28 they lie vnder his hand that can execute vengeance there is no power in any creature to rid himselfe from his power Fourthly be liberall to the poore 2 Cor. 9.7.8 Vse 4 God is able to make all grace abound toward vs. He is able to make vs abound and to preserue vs from want and therefore relying and grounding our selues vpon his power we should make others to abound giue cheerefully to our brethren that want and distribute to their necessities according as wee haue receiued Lastly we ought to study and endeuour to Vse be vpright in our liues and conuersations Gen. 17.1 2. Let vs humble our selues vnder the most mighty hand of God 1 Pet. 5.6 and quake at his iudgements as the childe vnder the rod Leuit. 10.3 Let vs repent vs of our euill wayes and serue him in newnesse of life Verse 24 25 26. And Moses went
out and told the people the words of the Lord and gathered c. We haue in these words to the end of the Chapter the third point to wit the execution both of that which God had promised in mercy and of that which he had threatened in iudgement Heere then is a double affect one touching the fellow-helpers ioyned in commission with Moses as his assistants They were as it were of his priuie counsell he prepareth them and God furnisheth them and communicateth his Spirit vnto them which is amplified by a double euent the first is common to all the seuenty elders they prophesied whereby God sealed vp vnto them the assurance of their calling and procured them reuerence among the people as we see in Saul 1 Sam. 10.10 and in Salomon 1 King 3.16 28 The second is speciall two of these Elders abode behind in the tents and came not to the Tabernacle shewing themselues by this drawing backe vnwilling and accounted themselues vnable and vnworthy to vndergo the charge as Saul when he was annointed to be king hid himselfe among the stuffe 1 Sam. 10.22 as also Moses and Ieremy did when they were called knowing that none is sufficient for these things Heereupon a yong man who he was or to what end he did it it is vncertaine because it is not expressed made report of their prophesying to Moses at the hearing whereof Ioshua desireth him to forbid them by his authority hee was too much addicted to the person of his master as many hearers are to their teachers as Paul complaineth that some did hold of Apollo and some of Cephas 1 Cor. 1.12 as in our dayes many conceiue too highly of Luther otherwise a very worthy man howbeit Moses tendring the good of all the people more then his owne glory reproueth his corrupt affection Enuiest thou for may sake and sheweth a contrary disposition in himselfe desiring that all the Lords people could prophesie c. The other effect is touching the flesh prouided and supplied which is enlarged by the instrumentall cause a winde went foorth from the Lord by the place from whence they came from the red sea out of Africke in great plenty and abundance by the miserable issue and euent of all While the flesh stucke betweene their teeth they were striken with a great plague and perished in great numbers and lastly by a memoriall of the sinne and of the punishment the name of the place was called Kibroth Hattaauah that is the graues of lust for there they buried the people that lusted In this diuision it is to be noted that Moses going from the presence of God relateth nothing but that which God had spoken vnto him and commanded him to speake vnto theÌ„ and therefore the Ministers are warned thereby to teach nothing but what they haue receiued from the word as it were from the mouth of God Num. 6 22 18. 1 Corin. 11 23. Mat. 28 20. They are his messengers and embassadours emploied by him Mal. 2 7. This condemneth vnwritten verities and traditions maintained in the Church of Rome vnder which they would conuey vnto vs a fardell fraught with their owne inuentions But let the Ministers giue attendance to the reading of the Scriptures and consult with God by them 1 Tim. 4 13 15 16 and let al Gods people shut their eares against humane deuises open their eares and hearts to receiue whatsoeuer God shall teach them in his word 1 Kin. 13 15 16 17. c. There ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and Medad do prophesie in the campe Ioshua said My Lord Moses forbid them Ioshua feared lest the credite and reputation of Moses should bee lessened among the people by this communication of his spirit He had a good intent howbeit he was iealous of his master amisse which proceeded from the corrupt fountaine of enuy for which he is reproued Out of which I might generally obserue that it is the duty of masters to reproue their seruants â—octrine 〈◊〉 the duty 〈◊〉 masters to â—â—â—roue their â—â—â—â—ants as Christ doth oftentimes his Disciples Priuate men that haue onely a generall charge are bound to reproue Exod. 22. Leuit. 19 17. much more such as haue the ouersight of the waies of others Againe conniuence concealing of sinne is a kinde of consenting vnto sinne he that hideth and reproueth not his friends faults maketh them his owne As it is in prouision for the family so it is in instruction he that prouideth not for the good of their bodies is guilty of their death if they perish through want of temporall things so he that regardeth not the good of their soules their blood shall be required at his hands if he suffer them to perish through want of instruction This reproueth all such masters as encourage Vse 1 or flatter their seruants in euill or suffer them to do what they list These cast away all care of their seruants as Caine did of his brother saying Am I my brothers keeper so do these say Am I my seruants keeper Gen. 4 9. are they not old enough to looke to themselues to take charge of themselues shall wee make them alwaies as babes children He is iustly accounted a cruell master that would suffer his seruant to drowne himselfe when hee may hinder him and saue him aliue Eli is punished for suffering his sonnes to run on in euill Secondly inferiours must suffer reproofe of their gouernours willingly and patiently and not breake out into choler against them like brute beasts that are vnteachable and vntractable which kicke spurne at the handling of their wounds and sores because they want reason to conceiue what is good for themselues so are these vtterly ignorant what is good for their soules The patient loueth the Physition though his potions be bitter and the Surgeon mortifieth corrupt members fooles doe hate correction saith the wise man Prou. 5 22 17 10. and it is oftentimes the cause of ruine of vnbrideled youth these do in truth hate their own soules which is a fearefull kinde of hatred Lastly let all gouernors superiours haue an eye euer watchfull ouer the waies of such as are vnder them that so they may encourage them in well doing and reproue them for euil doing This was in Elisha toward Gehazi running after Naaman and hunting after bribes 2 Kin. 5 25. Thus also did Salomon hee had an eye ouer Shemei and quickly found out his departure out of Ierusalem and wandering beyond the bounds set vnto him 1 Kings 2 43 44. Let euery one therefore take heed to their charges My Lord Moses Note heere the title which Ioshua giueth to Moses he contenteth not himselfe to call him by his bare name but before it he prefixeth a title of honour This teacheth that inferiours must vse speeches of reuerence subiection toward their superiours Doctrine Inferiours must shew reuerence towaâ—d their superiours as Mal. 1 6. 1 Pet 2 14
possesseth where all things are saide to bee in peace Luk. 11 21. Secondly let vs neuer look Vse 2 for a perfect agreement or perfect vnity in this life Such are falne into a deepe sleep and dreame to finde heauen vpon earth We must embrace the truth before all be agreed or els we shall neuer embrace it forasmuch as there is much ignorance the matter or mother of error euen in the most godly Happy wil it be for vs wheÌ„ there shal be an end of these daies of sin for then shall be an end also of all contention Thirdly let vs follow mens examples Vse 3 no further then they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11 1. There are defects and infirmities in the best We aime at perfection but wee cannot hit it Though we haue multitudes to go before vs we must know whom they follow before we follow and ioyne our selues vnto them Many men may fitly be coÌ„pared to a flock of sheep who at the first make many offers before any will aduenture but if one begin to leap ouer the rest follow amain so is it with diuers men that pinch curtesy at the first and keep themselues entire in the most holy faith but if they see others giue their assent they follow after stick at nothing neither try the spirits whether they be of God or not Lastly it is our duty Vse 4 to cut off all occasions of debate and as it were to take away the fuell that kindleth and continueth the fire 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul beseecheth the Corinthians as brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that they all speake the same thing and that there be no diuisions among them but that they be perfectly ioyned together in the same minde and in the same iudgement Verse 2. And they saide Hath the Lord indeed spoken onely by Moses The true cause of this their murmuring and contention was pride and ambition selfe-loue ostentation vain-glory â—â—â—trine 〈…〉 â—reater â—e to the â—â—â—rch then â—ion Hereby we learne that there commeth no greater plague to the Church of God then by ambition desire of preheminence when men desire to ouer-rule others to haue the sole command of all things in the church and neuer to be commanded This was the sinne that caused our first parents to fall from God and by their fall to ruine all mankinde they would needs be as Gods knowing good and euill Gen. 3 5. The ambition and pride of Amaziah the priest of Beth-el would not suffer the Prophet Amos in the land of Israel but he commanded him to flie away into the land of Iuda and prophesie there Amos 7 10 12. We see this apparently afterward chap. 16. of this booke in Korah Dathan and Abiram This moued the high Priests the Scribes and Pharisies to persecute Christ and his Apostles to wit the loue which they had to their owne kingdome and hierarchy more then vnto the kingdome of God they feared that if all men were brought to beleeue in Christ they shold lose their place and authority Iohn 11 47. Math. 23 6 7. So was it among the Apostles they also stroue who should bee the greatest among them So the Apostle Iohn speaking of Diotrephes sheweth that hee loueth the preheminence 3 Iohn 9 10. Hee was a proud and ambitious man affecting rule and authoritie ouer others and thereby brought much mischiefe and trouble vpon the church of God pratling against the Pastors with malicious wordes and not content therewith neither doth he himselfe receiue the brethren forbiddeth them that would and casteth theÌ„ out of the church Neither is this euill dead with these for this is a great plague of the church to this day and very pernicious Nothing hath more ruined the church of God ouerthrown piety corrupted religion hindered the Gospel discouraged the Pastors and professors of it nothing hath more erected the kingdom of Anti-christ then these petty popes the true successors of Diotrephes such as desire to be vniuersall byshops and to reign alone to haue all the dealings in their owne hands and the whole flocke to stand at their becke and conclude what they list Reason 1 The mischiefe hereof appeareth by sundry reasons First it causeth a great rent and diuision in the church and disturbeth the peace of it Nu. 16 1. Korah and his company went apart as scismaticks caused a great contention to arise where was peace vnity before Reason 2 Secondly it setteth vp men putteth downe the Lord and his ordinances vrging compelling and commanding against the truth Act. 4 18 19. Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and Iohn and Alexander a proude generation of ambitious prelates commanded the Apostles not to preach and teach nor to speake at all in the name of Ieus whoÌ„ Christ had charged and commanded to preach And whereas he would haue them teach whatsoeuer he had commanded them Math. 28 20. they will limit them and stint the Spirit of God how far he shall go and what he shall not do Thirdly Reason 3 it proceedeth from very euill rootes and bringeth forth very euil effects as an euil tree bringeth forth euill fruites The causes from whence it floweth are Satan pride contempt disdaine of others selfe-loue in our selues Zeged loci communes no loue of the truth no zeale of Gods glorie no desire of the good of the church like mother like daughter as the root is so is the branch The effects thereof are trouble disquietnesse feare flattery enuy and subtilty Let vs come to the Vses It reproueth the Vse 1 Byshops of Rome and the Romane Cleargy which beare themselues as Lords ouer the flocke of Christ hauing all things to stand at their becke therefore the Apostle Peter saith the Elders that feede the flocke must not bee as Lords ouer Gods heritage but examples to the flocke 1 Pet. 5 3. and Christ our Sauiour when the two sonnes of Zebedeus ambitiously desired to be aboue their fellowes and stroue among themselues which should bee greatest Christ Iesus therupon sheweth how and which way euery one should be great who ought to bee had in highest regard and reputation euen such and onely such as do the best and greatest seruice to the church Mark 10 42. Lu. 23 24. Whosoeuer wil be great among you shall be your Minister and whosoeuer of you will be the cheefest shall be seruant of all So then the honor and the labour should not be diuided but go together howbeit in the church of Rome they haue most honour that doe the least labour and contrarywise they are least respected who haue most labored and taken greatest paines among the people But howsoeuer this be a common receiued custom it shall bee altogether otherwise in the next life when the great sheepheard of the sheepe shal appeare then shall they be most honored of him that haue laboured most euerie one shall receiue not onely for his labour but according to his labor 1 Cor. 3
though one be surbordinate to the other yet both of them as good friends ioyne hand in hand and neyther of them ouerthroweth the other The Sunne doth not in vaine rise and set euery day thogh God as the first cause created the light The fields are not in vaine ploughed and sowed by men and watered with the early and latter raine from heauen although GOD bringeth foorth corne out of the earth and giueth bread to strengthen mans heart Psalm 104 verses 14 15. Our bodies are not in vaine refreshed with food albeit God be the life and the length of our daies Acts 17 28. And thouching our soules it is not in vaine to beleeue in Christ to repent from dead works to heare the preaching of the Gospel and to yeeld obedience thereunto although our saluation and eternal life be the free gift of God Rom. 6 23. Secondly whosoeuer is predestinated to the ende Zâ—nch de â—tribut 〈…〉 cap. 2. they are also predestinated to the meanes without which the end cannot possibly be attained Such as are appointed to eternall life are also appointed to the meanes by which life euerlasting may bee got and obtained For almighty GOD hath from euerlasting decreed both the ends and the meanes not the end without the meanes nor the means without the end but both of them and none must make any diuorce betweene these God himselfe hath prescribed vnto vs the meanes to bring vs to the ends all that shall be saued wil carefully vse them No man well aduised will reason thus If it be determined by Gods prouidence that I shall recouer my health there is no need that I vse either food or physicke and if it be otherwise determined I shall vse in vaine the helpe either of the one or of the other forasmuch as Hezekiah receiued such promise of deliuery and recouery yet he must take a lumpe of figges and lay it for a plaister vpon the boyle that he may recouer Esay 38 21. No man in his right mind will argue thus If God haue ordained that I shall come to my iournies end I need not goe ouer the bridge I may leape into the water I am sure I shall be safe and not be drowned Or if it be determined that theeues shall not rob me nor haue any power ouer me I may thrust my selfe into all companies I may trauaile into dangerous places at all houres of the night and though I stand there of purpose they shall not be able to lay hands vpon me nor to spoile me of my goods If this kinde of reasoning be extreme folly how is it that we see not the vanity of the other Lastly as God appointeth good meanes to Vse 5 bring vs to the end of our faith so it is required of vs to beware of euill meanes and euill waies which leade to hell and tend to destruction There are many in the world that perswade themselues they may follow their euill waies with greedinesse and delight and yet that they shall escape death and damnation well enough that albeit they sowe to the flesh yet they shall not reape corruption Thus hee tempted and seduced Eue in the garden that she might eate freely of the forbidden fruite and yet she should neuer die the death but be as God knowing good and euill Gen. 3 4 5 But we must know that God hath linked together as with a brazen chaine that cannot be broken the pleasures of sinne and the punishments of sinne Rom. 6 23 and 8 2. The Apostle ioyneth sinne and death together coupleth them together as the cause the effect for the wages of sinne is death Thus we see the diuels cunning to beguile teaching that we need not to do good things and yet wee shall come well enough soone enough easie enough to heauen and that we may follow euill things and yet we shall escape hell and destruction See more of this afterward chapter 20. 17. And Moses sent them to spie out the Land of Canaan and saide vnto them Goe you vp this way Southward and goe vp into the Mountaine 18. And see the Land what it is and the people that dwelleth therein whether they be strong or weake few or many 19. And what the Land is that they dwell in c. Albeit the Lord had promised to Abraham and his posterity to giue them the land of Canaan for a possession yet hee will haue them beare themselues wisely and warily prudently and circumspectly in the search and viewing of it to enquire into the people their Cities their Land their multitude their strength and so to get a perfect knowledge of them and for this cause doeth Moses so carefully instruct them The doctrine Doctrine The faithfull must deale wisely in all their enterprises Wisedome is a gift required of the faithfull in all their enterprizes to doe nothing headily rashly rawly and ignorantly We must deale not onely lawfully iustly honestly and godlily but wisely prudently politikely Rebecca hearing of the purpose and intent of Esau waiting opportunity to kill his brother and being desirous to preserue them both but especially Iacob conueyed him away Gen. 27 verse 43. The like appeareth in Abigael 1 Sam. 25 18. she preuented Dauid and the mischiefe hanging ouer her owne head and is therefore commended by Dauid himselfe So 2 Sam. 20 16 17 18. And 2 King 4 verse 23. we haue a notable example in the Shunamite she wisely dissembleth the cause of her iourney lest she should greeue the heart of her husband onely she desireth leaue and liberty of him to goe â—o the Prophet So Acts 23 verses 6 7. Paul knowing the great iarre and diuision in iudgement among those of the assembly which consisted of two sorts or sects partly Saduces which denied the resurrection and partly Pharisees which acknowledged it he taketh aduantage of the present opportunity to seuer them and to deliuer himselfe Prouerbs chap. 13 verse 16. Rom. chapter 16 verse 19. For first wisedome is more worth much Reason 1 better then all weapons of warre Prou. 21 verse 22. A prudent man is to be preferred before the valiant and indeed he can do more Hee can by counsell take a City wherein the valiant are and by his stratagems throw downe the bulwarkes and Castles thereof Eccl. chapter 7 verse 12 and cha ver 9 13 14 15 16. Secondly if Gods seruants should not Reason 2 deale wisely they should lie open to euery enemy to be hurt and destroyed to be ouertaken and circumuented in an excessiue hand The times wherein we liue are dangerous the persons with whom we deale are pernicious the sleights of Satan that dealeth against vs are mischieuous his instruments are growne cunning and crafty Prou. 1 verses 11 12. If then wee should not deale as well wisely as lawfully wee should not bee able to withstand them If we should not order our affaires discreetely and with good aduise forecasting the issues and preuenting their attempts we should
foule or dung so filthy as we are through corruption Iob 14 verse 4 and 25 verse 4. Esay 64 6. Titus 1 15. There is no sent or sauour no carcasse so corrupt and ready to infect as that which proceedeth from our selues What it is that doeth chiefly infect wherby we defile our selues and one another This Christ teacheth Math. 15 verse 18. Those things which proceed out of the mouth come foorth from the heart and they defile the man Keepe out sinne from the heart and the plague shall neuer defile the man euery one therefore must labour to cleanse the heart Thirdly seeing it is caused by sinne wee must learne to search and finde out the true Vse 3 cause of the plague The enemies of Gods word will make the Gospel the cause of the pestilence and of all other calamities So did Ahab Iehoram make the Prophets the principall procurers of the famine which fell out in their daies 1 Kings 18 17. 2 Kings 6 31. Thus dealt the heathen with the christians that liued vnder the heathen and persecuting Emperours when any famine or pestilence or ouerthrow befell among them they imputed all to Christians and cryed out to haue them persecuted and punished as appeareth at large in the Apology of Tertullian These are blasphemous mockers and deriders of the holy faith of Christ which open their mouthes against heauen The chiefe cause of the plague is the contempt of the word Ier. chapter 29 17 19. Lastly euery one of vs must learne how to behaue our selues in the troublesome times of Vse 4 this heauy iudgement We must haue a tender feeling of their distressed condition that lye vnder this greeuous hand of GOD. The Church is compared to a body wherof Christ is the head Eph. 4 ver 16 and the faithfull are members Romanes 12 4. 1 Corinthians 12 12. They make but one body though they be many different members and are all vnder one head and therefore are to helpe one another to beare one anothers burden and so fulfill the law of Christ Galathians 6 2 1 Corinthians 12 verse 24. Let vs consider the seuerall duties belonging to seuerall persons in the day of visitation The duty of Magistrates is then especially to see religion established The duty oâ— Magistraâ—â—â— time of thâ— plague euill doers cut off from the City of God and all disorders remoued Psal 101 8. They must humble themselues and cause the people to humble themselues They must appoint fasting and praier that thereby they may moue the Lord to call backe his iudgement We haue a notable example of this in the King of Nineue Ionas 3 6â— when he feared a generall iudgement to come vpon himselfe and his people he rose vp from his throne and laide away his robe from him he couered himselfe with sackcloth and sate in ashes yea he proclaimed that neither man nor beast herde nor flocke should taste any thing and that they should cry mightily to GOD saying Who can tell if God will returne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that we perish not Ion. 3 6 7 8 9. Here is a good president for Kings Princes what by their owne example publike decrees they ought to do that there may be a common humiliation of all estates 〈◊〉 dutie of â—â—â—â—sters in 〈◊〉 of the â—e It is the duty of the Ministers to preach the worde most earnestly both the Law and the Gospell in season and out of season to perswade to repentance to comfort the feeble-minded out of Gods word to stirre vppe the poore to patience the rich to liberality and all men to compassion and commiseration It belongeth vnto them as it were to stand in the gappe they must aboue others pray earnestly to God Amos 7. verse 25. knowing that the prayer of a iust man auaileth much if it be feruent Iames 5 16 17. So was it with Moses and Aaron when the plague was begunne he willed Aaron to take a Censer who ranne into the middest of the Congregation and stoode betweene the liuing and the dead offering Incense and making attonement for the sinnes of the people Numbers 16. verse 48. It is the duty of all parents to teach and instruct their children from whence 〈◊〉 dutie of â—â—â—â—nts in 〈◊〉 of the â—e for what causes God sendeth the pestilence and other calamites Deut. 6.7 They must goe before them in a good example of life Genesis chap. 18 19. and if they should see all other carelesse and negligent in this duty yet must they say with Ioshua chap. 24. verse 15. As for mee and mine house we will serue the Lord. It belongeth vnto them to call their families vnto priuate humiliation as Ester did chap. 14. verse 16. and euery day they should offer vp sacrifice for their seruants and children after the example of holy Iob chap. 1. verse 5. and pray for their safety and welfare and euerie day giue thankes for their most mercifull deliuerance while in the meane season so many fall on their right hand and on their left It is the dutie of rich men in time of contagion 〈◊〉 dutie of 〈◊〉 men in 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 to haue as at al other times so then especially a diligent care of the poore because then the greatest occasion is offered to doe good We must not shut them vppe in their houses and then shut vp our compassion from them as it were in a close prison without releefe It is the commendation of the Christian Church after the ascension of Christ that they had all things common and no man said that ought of the things which hee possessed was his owne neither was there any among them that lacked Acts 4 32 34. If they did this in the neede of the Church how much more ought we to prouide for those that cannot prouide for themselues He is not worthy to beare the name of a Christian that at such times would withhold things necessarie from those that are withholden from the companie of others Woe vnto those that would adde so great affliction to those that are deepely afflicted already The foure Lepers that were put out of the city according to the law dwelt apart by themselues at the entering in of the gate for feare of infection were notwithstanding prouided for in the streight siege of Samaria so long as there was any thing in the city they wanted not but were prouided for 2 Kings 7 4. So it ought to be among vs. It is the dutie of the poore needy to arme themselues with patience The dutie of the poore and needy in time of the plague as a shield buckler in time of trouble knowing that nothing falleth out without the prouidence appointment of God He will not lay more vpon vs then he will enable vs to beare but with the tentation will make an happy issue 1 Cor. 10 13. hee will comfort vs in our tribulation 2. Cor.
that the Lord hath sent me to doe all these workes for I haue not done them of mine owne mind 29 If these men dye the common death of all men Or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me 30 But if the Lord make a new thing and the earth open her mouth and swallow them vp with all that appertaine vnto them and they go downe quick into the pit then ye shall vnderstand that these men haue prouoked the Lord. 31 And as soone as hee had made an end of speaking c. In these words see the willing obedience of the people to the former Commaundement They were willed to separate from the Tents of those wicked they doe separate and depart from them by and by they gate them vp from their Tabernacles And Moses doth notably confirme them in their obedience by foretelling both the death Doctrine the maner of the death of these rebels We learn from hence God alwayes warneth before hee striketh that God neuer bringeth any greeuous iudgement vpon any people or nation nor vpon any priuat person but hee doth alwaies first forewarne the same and foretelleth it God alwayes teacheth before he punisheth and hee warneth before hee striketh Amos chapt 3. verse 7. Luk. 13 verse 7. 1 Kings 22 17. We reade that the world was once drowned by water and it shall be destroyed the second time by fire Of the first destruction we finde that he foretold it vnto Noah before euer hee brought it vppon the face of the earth Gen. 6. verse 3. Heb. 11. verse 7. 1 Pet. 3.20 And touching the second destruction of the world by fire GOD hath not left vs ignorant but in diuers places of the Scripture hath set it downe vnto vs 2. Pet. 3 7 10. Reason 1. The Reasons hereof are partly in regard of the godly and partly in regard of the vngodly Touching the first he would not take his owne people at vnawares because hee loueth them and would haue none of them to perish but would haue all come to repentance 2 Pet. 3 9. that so they might preuent his iudgements Amos 4 12. Secondly touching the vngodly and such as are not the Lords they shal thereby be made without excuse their mouths are stopped and the iustice of God is cleared they hauing nothing to answer for themselues or to accuse God of any vniust dealing Iohn 15 22. These men therefore must learne to accuse themselues because they had warning but they would not bee warned he would haue healed them but they would not bee healed Ier. 20 6. 51.9 1 King 22 25. Vse 1 Acknowledge from hence the great mercy and wonderfull patience of God whose maner is alwaies to giue warning before hee send iudgement This the Lord needeth not to doe for vpon our owne peril we are bound to take heed of his iudgements before they come yet so good is our God that hee onely deserueth this title to be called the good Lord as Hezekia calleth him 2 Chron. 30 18. The good Lord pardon euery one that prepareth his heart He wold haue vs preuent his punishments before they fall and to send out our prayers as Ambassadors to God to treate of conditions of peace with him He doth not play the part of a subtil enemy to steale vpon vs at vnawares forasmuch as before he striketh he alwaies forewarneth that thereby he might saue all those that belong vnto him and bring vpon others iust condemnation How graciously dealt he with Korah and his fellowes with Dathan Abiran How often did Moses warne them Who is it then that ought not to confesse that God willeth not the death of a sinner Or who can deny but that these malefactors perished most iustly Vse 2 Secondly when we see any ouertaken with any iudgement we must confesse that God is true as in his promises so also in his threatnings If his desire were not that we should preuent them doubtlesse he would neuer giue warning of them If he had a will and purpose to destroy vs he would not tell vs before hād both that he would bring them and shew vs the way how to auoide them There is no man that can iustly say that the silence of God and the holding of his peace is the cause of his security he causeth a trumpet to sound the alarme before hee set himselfe in battell array against his enemies For his manner is neuer to come with any iudgement but he alwaies sendeth a warning peece before Obiect But some man will say It was thus indeed in the time of the prophets but wee haue no Prophets in these daies to foret l things to come as in former times they had and therefore we haue no such direction I answer these men as Abraham did the rich man in the Gospel An wer that his brethren had Moses and the Prophets among them If they will not beleeue them neither will they be perswaded although one rose from the dead Luke 16 31. True it is that Moses and the Prophets were dead long before but his meaning is they had the bookes of the Law and the writings of the Prophets before them they were read preached in their Synagogues euery Sabbath day Acts 15 21. So I may truly say that wee haue Prophets among vs and all that contemne them shall know there hath bene a Prophet among them Ezek. 33 33. For we haue the holy Scriptures wherein are contained the workes of the Prophets and Apostles and beside these GOD hath giuen vs his Ministers that they should as it were put life againe into the dead Prophets that is that they should open declare vnto vs those things that are doubtful and obscure and therefore if any bee admonished by them that such such iudgments shal come and they threaten plagues according to the generall directions which they haue in the word Deut. 28 15 16. Leuit. 26.15 16. Let vs not withstand the Spirit speaking in them for it is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that he vouchsafeth to send them vnto vs and to tell vs before of his iudgements Lastly it is the duty of euery one to make Vse 3 good vse of the word of God to know that God looketh for attention and obedience at our hands that so he may not bee inforced to proceed against vs in iudgement O happy are they that seek the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is neere Esay 55 6. Such then as reiect the Ministery of the word reiect their owne peace and bring vpon themselues sundry iudgements The word goeth before to prepare our hearts and it is a two-edged sword piercing euen to the diuiding asunder of soule and spirit Heb. 4 12. But if we be so hard-hearted made of mettal tougher then brasse and iron Reuel 1 1 that this sword going out of the mouth of God cannot enter into vs hee
by staied and repressed it winneth ground and spreadeth farther like a canker Whereby we see it is an easie steppe and descent from one euill to another as it is to go downe a steepe hill Now the sinne of these men is three-fold First they are as blinde men that cannot see the iudgements of the Lord but accuse Moses of murther and impute to him the death and destruction of those that were buried in the earth consumed to ashes with the fire Moses was onely the Minister of God in their destruction the cause of their owne death was in theÌ„selues as if a malefactour neuer considering what himselfe hath committed should cast the cause of his condemnation vpoÌ„ the Iudge and cry out against him as a shedder of blood Secondly their vnthankfulnesse who will by no meanes confesse that they were saued the day before and sundry times besides from destruction by the intercession of Moses if he had not praied for them they had perished as one man with the seditious For they were all become as one sicke body wherein no part was sound but ful of wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Esay 1 6. They seeke his death that after a sort had giuen them life and they rise vp against him that had beene the meanes of their deliuerance Thirdly as they did condemne the innocent so they iustifie the vngodly both which are an abhomination to the Lord Prou. 17 15. Such wicked persons as God had rooted out of the Land of the liuing and turned them into the earth which was weary to beare such vnprofitable burdens they call them the people of God which were no better then a cursed crue of conspirators against God and such as he had appointed to manage the State Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall These men therefore rising vp in their stead that were fallen into the pit and defending their cause of whom GOD had taken the account doe make themselues guilty of their sinnes are iustly swept away with the iudgements of God Doctrine We learne heereby The wicked will not bee warned by former iudgements that such is the corrupt heart of wicked man that it will take no warning by former iudgements though they be neuer so fearefull and euident They had often seene how great things God had wrought among his people yet they are blinde and doe not see them they are wilfull and will not regard them they are sottish and will take no knowledge of them Psal 10 5. Esay 22 12 13 Psal 24 38 39. Luk. 19 42. Dan. 5 22. This maketh sinne out of measure sinfull The reasons First because they see God Reason 1 is a mercifull patient God he beareth long and holdeth his peace and therefore they thinke he is like vnto themselues Psal 50 21. so they abuse his patience and will do nothing Secondly they thinke the day of their iudgment Reason 2 is not neere they set it farre off from them It may be it may come in time but they hope there will be peace in their dayes Ezek. 12 27. The people iudged that the Prophet had prophesied for many daies to come and of such times as were farre off and thereupon they concluded that the daies were prolonged and euery vision failed Thirdly they loue their owne sinnes and Reason 3 out of that great loue to their sinnes they are vnwilling altogether to take notice of any iudgement due to their sinne cannot abide that the Minister or any other should giue theÌ„ warning of the same for they hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhorre him that speaketh vprightly Amos 5 verse 10. The vses remaine Vse 1 First of all are men naturally so vnwilling of themselues to set before them Gods iudgements Then this serueth as an admonition to the Ministers that they should often threaten Gods iudgemeâ—â— against the wicked seeing they are so dull aâ—d vnwilling to take any notice of them or to be warned by them God worketh out his iudgements in euery place and he setteth his Ministers on worke that they should cry ouâ—â—nd not spare to publish them and make them â—owne though men be neuer so much hardened in their sinnes sometimes by reason of the profite that they make by their sinnes sometimes by reason of the pleasure that they finde in their sinnes But howsoeuer they be admonished of any iudgement present or imminent they are little affected with it they are ready to say with the Atheists 1 Cor. 15 32. Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die Let vs alone with our doing for the present and we will take order for those iudgements that are to come hereafter well enough Obiect If any say it behoueth not the Minister to be so feruent and earnest in his reproofes but to handle sinne more gently because many are the worse for sharpe rebukes and few or none the better Answer I answer this is our greefe and causeth vs often to mourne in secret but yet this cannot be our discharge for we must labour to free and deliuer all men so farre as we can from the fierce wrath iudgements of God otherwise their blood would light vpon our heads and be required at our hands if they perish through our negligence It is the nature of the Cocke as some obserue that at the dead time of the night hee croweth most loud and shrill whether he doth so or not I know not but this I am sure of that the Ministers of God ought to do so when they see men to be most dull and dead in their sinnes they should be most earnest and vehement euen at the deadest times of all they must bee most zealous that so they may deliuer their owne soules and not be constrained to answer for the sinnes of those that perish Vse 2 Secondly this reproueth the age wherein we liue of much corruption because it can sleepe so securely at the noyse of Gods iudgements These murmurers in this place had heard the pittifull cry and fearefull noise of those that were swallowed vp in the earth yet they haue already forgotten that which fell out but a day before We commonly say A wonder lasteth but nine daies but behold how they had seene one of the greatest wonders in the world when the earth whose foundation the Lord hath laid to bee firme and stable that it should not be remoued for euer Psal 104 5 opened her mouth and swallowed these vnbeleeuers and they had heard with their eares their outcryes when they descended into the deepe yet this wonder lasted but one day nay not one whole day for on the morrow it was quite out of their remembrance We haue had all sorts of warnings whatsoeuer generall particular by his word by his workes by his iudgements vpon others and vpon our selues yet we take generally and particularly little warning by them How hath God dealt with many of vs and how neare hath he come vnto vs with his particular
day And if the voice of Christ in the daies of his humility were so fearefull and auailable in the hearts of his persecuters what a dreadfull thunderbolt will hee cast downe against all his enemies and vpon all the reprobate being in glory and sitting at the right hand of his Father when he shall vtter this finall and fearefull sentence Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the diuell and his angels Math. chapter 25 verse 41. Againe wee are all put in minde that his death is meritorious and the full price of our redemption Thirdly we see that he is Lord of life and death for he raised himselfe by his eternall Spirit and as he had power to lay it downe so he had power to take it vp as appeared euidently at his resurrection Let vs serue him that is able to redeeme from death such as beleeue in him and rest vpon him for their saluation He that restored himselfe to life is able to giue vs life and he that brake the sorrowes of death is able to destroy him that hath the power of death Lastly let vs also endure the crosse willingly following his steps and shewing our selues to be like vnto him remembring that the losse of life for his sake is indeed not a losse of life but a finding of it or a changing of it a temporall life with an eternall Fourthly the heiffer heere mentioned was brought out of the hoast as also other sacrifices were Leuit 4 12 21. this signified Christs suffering out of the gates of the City as Heb. 13 11 12. Iohn 19 16 17 20. This circumstance is not without profite for first it sheweth and signifieth the abolishing of the types and figures of the Law the truth standing in place of the ceremonies and the body instead of the shadowes and therefore such as still serue at the Altar cannot bee partakers of our Altar that is of Christ Hebr. 13 10. Wee haue an Altar whereof they haue no right to eate which serue the Tabernacle The false Apostles taught that the ceremonies were to be mingled with the Gospel but these two cannot stand togegether because the seruice performed in the tabernacle was but a shadow of better things to come Col. 2 verse 17. But the body is Christ Wherefore to obserue them was to deny Iesus Christ and to keep them still in force was as much as to ouerthrow his sacrifice once offered vpon the Crosse They are therfore much deceiued that goe about to bring into vse againe Altars of wood or of stone in the churches of Christians For the Apostle speaketh not of Altars as of many but of the Altar as of one There is but one Altar in all the Church not infinite Altars and by that one Altar hee vnderstandeth the offering vpon the Altar which is no other then Christ himselfe So then wee may as well bring in the Leuiticall sacrifices as the Leuiticall Altars into the Church of Christ forasmuch as these depend one vpon another the sacrifice hauing relation to the Altar and the Altar to the sacrifice Math. 23 verses 19 20. whereas now we haue no more need either of the one or of the other For we haue an Altar and an offering which by offering of himselfe once vp a full and sufficient price for our redemption hath perfected all that are sanctified Againe as Christ was led out of the gates by the Iewes as though he were vnworthy of the society of men and afterward was crucified betweene two theeues as if he were the greatest malefactour of all hauing before preferred a wretched murtherer before him so let it not seeme strange vnto vs if the world cannot abide vs and if wee bee often made a gazing stocke to men and Angels and accounted as the off-scouring of the world and the filth of the earth 1 Corinth 4 verse 9. But howsoeuer the world do iudge of vs let vs appeale from their corrupt iudgement to the righteous iudgement of God saying with Iob Behold my Witnesse is in heauen and my Record is on high Iob 16 verse 19. Hee accepteth of vs as of his children and will admit vs as heires of his kingdome with his Sonne Lastly Christ was turned out of the City to teach vs what wee must account of our selues in this life that we haue heere no place to rest and repose our selues our hope is concerning things that are not seene Hebr. 13 verses 13 14. Let vs goe foorth vnto him without the Campe bearing his reproach for wee haue heere no continuing City but we seeke one to come As then we must bee content to beare part of the Crosse of Christ and to bee reproched as he was reproched for if we wil not beare part of his crosse wee shall not weare part of his Crowne so also wee must account our selues as Pilgrims and strangers in this world that we may enioy his kingdome in the world to come We must bee content to leaue father and mother lands and liues for his sake knowing that we shall finde all againe with a good aduantage Such as refuse to goe out of the Campe of this world to Christ and begin to nestle themselues as if they had heere a sure certaine habitation what other thing remaineth for them but vtterly to perish in the Camp of this world together with the wicked Our hope is in heaueÌ„ our ankre is fixed fast aboue not in this world but in the next wee seeke not a kingdome vpon the earth for then wee should deceiue our selues God hath not called vs heere to reigne but to suffer Thus it was with all the fathers Gen. chapter 47 ver 9. Hebrewes chapter 11 verses 13 14. The Heathen people accounted this life as it were an Inne to lodge at for a short season Cicero de sâ—â— not an house to dwell in and continue for euer yet those poore soules knew not whither they went but we know whither we goe and the way we know Iohn 14 4. We looke for a City which hath foundations whose builder maker is God Heb. 11 10. Vse 4 Lastly this purging and purifying water sprinkling the vncleane mentioned in this place is a figure of the blood of Christ fit and sufficient as a well of springing water to purge vs from all our sinnes Leuit. 1 13. Zach. 13 1. In that day there shall bee a fountaine opened vnto the house of Dauid and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem and for separation from vncleannesse so the words are in the originall in which the Prophet alludeth to these waters of separation in this place Christ is this fountaine flowing of it selfe open and ready vnto euery one that will drinke of it for the cleansing of sinnes And we heard before out of the Apostle that the blood of Christ which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purgeth our consciences from dead works to serue the liuing God Now the blood of Christ purgeth our consciences two
nor do all these commandements I will appoint ouer you fearefulnesse a consumption and the burning ague the sword famine and pestilence to destroy you and to make you few in number so as your high waies shall be desolate It was the Lord that brought the tenne plagues vpon Egypt â—od 8 24. â—a 11.25 38. â—y 45 7. It is the Lord that smote Nabal that he dyed It is the Lord that formeth the light and createth darknesse he maketh peace and createth euill It is the Lord that doth all these things Finally there is no euill in the City which the Lord hath not done Amos 3 6. All which things agree fitly with this history in hand that God sent fiery serpents among his people and do teach vs that he is the author of all iudgements punishments that fall vpon vs or vpon any of the sonnes of men The reasons hereof are euident and apparent Reason 1 First afflictions come not vpon vs at all aduentures they proceed not from the earth or the ayre or the heaueÌ„ it is the hand of God that lighteth vpon vs for our sinnes For what can any one or all the creatures of God do of themselues or what power is there in them to be reuenged vpon vs This therefore is our great folly that we vnwise men gaze about heere and there wandring vp and down in our owne imaginations and searching all the corners of our wits to finde out the causes of our calamities out of our selues and yet all the while we perceiue not the true and right cause to be in our selues Whensoeuer a man hath any aduersity he must looke vp to God into himselfe When we see the ayre infected it is not so disposed of it selfe When God sendeth famine 〈…〉 23. and maketh the heauen as yron the ground as brasse it is not so hardened of it owne nature When the earth is barren and vnfruitful it proceedeth not of it owne kind but we our selues are the cause of all Whensoeuer therefore we haue wofull experience and a lamentable feeling of many miseries we must not cast our eyes hither and thither but euery man must enter into himselfe search out his particular sins assuring himselfe that God knocketh at the doore of his heart and thereby prouokes him to consider beter of his own waies This Eliphaz beateth vpon Iob 5 5 6 7. The hungry shall eate vp his haruest and the thirsty shall drinke vp their substance for misery cometh not foorth of the dust neither doth affliction spring out of the earth c. Reason 2 Secondly God worketh out afflictions he claimeth and challengeth them as his own peculiar worke that no man should bee able to controule any thing in this world This the wise man vrgeth Eccles. 7 16. In the day of wealth be of good comfort and in the day of affliction consider GOD also hath made this contrary to that to the intent that man should finde nothing after him The vses of the doctrine are many First we Vse 1 learne in all troubles and calamities on vs and those that are ours to looke vp to God as the chiefe principall author of them froÌ„ whence they come and vpon our selues and our owne sinnes from whom they come It falleth out with many as it doth with the dog if a man throw a stone at him hee runneth eagerly and angerly after it he falleth vpon it and biteth it so do men of this world Prou. 19 3 when God any way visiteth them they looke vpon inferiour meanes as the highest causes which they can reach vnto but neuer cast vp their eyes to the Lord whose hand and worke it is wheras we are bound to behold the stroke of God in all our distresses We silly men accuse sometimes heat and sometimes cold sometimes drouth sometimes moysture sometimes the ground and sometimes the ayre sometimes one thing and sometimes another thing to be the cause of our calamitie but cannot bee brought to finde out the true and proper cause True it is the Lord hath secret causes that we know not of sometimes the manifestation of his owne works sometimes the triall of our faith and we must take heed we measure not the greatnesse of the sinne by the greeuousnesse of the crosse Iohn 9 2 3. wherein the Apostles themselues were deceiued Notwithstanding the reuealed and originall cause of all calamity hath his beginning and head-spring from our iniquity insomuch that if we had in vs no guilt of corruption we should not taste at all of the cup of affliction This the Prophet teacheth Lam. 3 39. Wherefore is the liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sin And our Sauiour warneth the man that had bene diseased 38 yeares finding him in the Temple to consider the cause of his long and lamentable affliction Iohn 5 14. Thou art made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee so that this disease was laide vpon him for his sin He thought himselfe an happy man when he was restored to health Now lest he should rest therein the Lord telleth him hee must change his heart or else God will bring seuen times moe plagues vpon him according to his sins though he had bin afflicted many yeares yet he would make his iudgements vpon him more wonderfull euen great plagues of long continuance and sore diseases of long durance To the same purpose the Apostle saieth The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines and vnrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Ro. 1 verse 18. Wherefore euery visitation of God should be a sermon of repentance to put vs in remembrance of our sinnes to admonish vs not to sowe vpon the furrowes of vnrighteousnesse lest we reape the croppe of affliction an hundred fold Let vs desire God to sanctifie the crosse vnto vs that it may consume sinne in vs and prouoke vs to a more holy conuersation Vse 2 Secondly the meditation of this that God is the author of all afflictions must teach vs to haue patience in our troubles not to murmure not to repine not to grudge when we are vnder the crosse For seeing God hath visited me with his hand I must take it patiently as a dutifull childe beareth the chastisements of his father This the Prophet practised as we see Psal 39 9 I spake not a word but held my peace because thou Lord didst it This the Apostle teacheth Heb. 12 5 6. My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that he receiueth The flesh alwaies seeketh ease and is ready to be impatient if deliuerance come not by and by so that wee must remember from whence our trouble cometh to asswage the sorrow and bitternesse of our affliction For this is a great comfort to Gods children that our sicknesse yea euery pang fit of our
Peter They fall by frailty with Dauid but they rise not by repentance with Dauid They sinne with Salomon but they repent not with him 〈◊〉 â—7 They sinne with the Iewes but they are not pricked in heart with the Iewes saying What shall we doe They persecute the Saints of God with the laylor Acts 16.29 but they tremble not at their sin nor seeke to the seruants of God saying Sirs what must we doe to be saued They break out with their tongues and iustifie themselues as Iob but they set not a watch before the dore of their lips Iob 42 6. they doe not abhorre themselues neither repent in dust and ashes with Iob saying Psal 39.1 I will tâ—ke heede to my wayes that I sinne not with my tongue I will keepe my mouth bridled They flye from the presence of God with Ionah but they remember not to pray with him for pardon â—on 1.3 and â— 1.8 acknowledging that such as waite vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercy Let vs therfore all learne to profit by the fauorable dealing of God toward offenders neither abusing his louing kindnesse nor continuing in sinne nor presuming of his mercy assuring our selues that if the persons receiuing pardon be such as are penitent then assuredly to the impenitent there is no forgiuenesse This the Apostle setteth downe Rom. 2.4 5. The acceptable time of repentance for all of vs is the time present what time we haue to come is vncertain Late repentance is oftentimes constrained and sildome true repentance The longer a diseased man continueth in his sickenesse the harder is his recouery Let vs not delay and deferre our repentance This is the blessed time and the acceptable season To day therefore if we will heare his voyce let vs not harden our hearts in sinne Heb. 3.7 8. Fourthly let vs not spare to seeke the saluation Vse 4 and thirst after the conuersion euen of the greatst sinners Let vs not account their estate and condition forlorne and desperate Neither iudge any before the time 1 Cor. 4.5 vntill the Lord come who will lighâ—en things that are hid in darkenesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest and then shall euery man haue praise of God The husbandman waiteth for the fruite of the earth Iames 5 7 and hath long patience for it vntill hee receiue the former and latter raine Now we are Gods labourers and husbandmen 1 Cor. 3 9.6.7 ye are Gods husbandry and Gods building Paul planteth and Apollo watereth but God giueth the increase So then neither is hee that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giueth the increase Wee are vnto God the sweet sauour of Christ in them that are saued 2 Cor. 2 15.16 and in them which perish to the one we are the sauour of death to death and to the other the sauour of life vnto life This must be our comfort in the midst of all discomforts iniurious dealing and hard measure offered vnto vs to know that euery man shall receiue his wages according to his labour And the Prophet prophesying of the kingdome of Christ that he should spread out his hands all day vnto a rebellious people maketh this his stay and staffe of rest Esay 49 4. I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God Let vs therefore goe Iustile forward in building vp the house of God preach in season and out of season and commit the fruit of the work and successe of all our labours to the Lord whose word is neuer deliuered nor heard in vaine as the Apostle vrgeth it 2 Ti. 2.24 25 26. Vse 5 Lastly seeing God is mercifull to miserable Sinners as a good shepheard taking them out of the iawes of the Lyon bringing them vnto the sheepefolde and feeding them in greene pastures let vs seeke to be like our heauenly Father in shewing mercy and forgiuenesse toward such as greeuously offend against vs. Euery mans experience telleth and teacheth him the mercy of God to be exceeding great we feele it toward our selues wee see it daily toward others we reade that blasphemy it selfe findeth place for pardon Mat. 12.31 Wee find this to be the nature of God The Lord the Lord Exod. 34.6 7 gracious and mercifull slow to anger and aboundant in goodnesse reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity trangression and sinne If we will be the children of God we must resemble our heauenly Father we must expresse the liuely lineaments of his face wee must bee transformed into his likenesse and beare his image in all holinesse and righteousnesse This the Apostle teacheth Col. 3.12 13. To this purpose Christ propoundeth the parable Matthew chapter 18. verses 32 33 35. teaching vs that wee must forgiue small things that receiue the pardon of greater we must remit a sew pence because God forgiueth vs many talents an huge summe an infinit debt But if we will not forgiue nor forget the trespasses done to vs we are stamped in the image of the diuel who was malicious and a murtherer from the beginning we make a law against our selues inasmuch as we shall find the Lord so toward vs as wee deale toward our brethren For there shall bee iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercy Iam. 2.13 Mat. 7.2 and with what measure wee mete it shall bee measured to vs againe Verse 9. Moses made a Serpent of brasse and set it vpon apole and when a serpent had bitten a man then he looked to the serpent of brasse and liued We saw before how the prayer of Moses was heard and the remedy prouided of God to heale the people We saw in God the greatnesse of his compassion wee saw in the people the fruit of their confession we saw in Moses the grace of meeknesse and gentlenesse suffering all things and enduring all things Heere there is offered to our considerations the obedience of Moses the setting vp of the serpent and the recouery of the people Moses doth not heere consult with flesh and blood neither doth he vse carnall wisedome to bee his counseller which in matters of faith is an enemie to God He doth not reason whether it were likely that a piece of brasse should remedy this biting or whether a dead thing shold giue life but so soon as he receiueth the commandement of God hee prepareth himselfe maketh ready a brazen serpent pitcheth it vpon an high pole the people looke vpon it and are recouered This cure was not by Phisicke or Chirurgery or by inherent vertue in the brasse as in a medicine but by casting vp the eye vpon the serpent and beleeuing the ordinance of God who had appointed the serpent for that purpose We are all of vs from hence to learne and consider That the brazen serpent standing on the pole was a type and figure of Christ crucified Doctrine The
reserueth wrath for his enemies and taketh vengeance on his aduersaries will helpe to redresse and represse our corrupt affections and make vs able to preuaile ouer them and to withstand them Let vs not recompence like for like let vs not measure euill for euill let vs do good against euill committing our cases and causes to that iust Iudge that alwayes iudgeth vprightly Therefore the Prophet ascribeth this Title as peculiar to God to right and reuenge the quarrels of his Children Psal 94 1 2. O Lord God the auenger O God the auenger shew thy selfe cleerely exalt thy selfe O Iudge of the world and render a reward to the proud It is the proper Office of God to take vengeance on the wicked and vngodly Wherefore the Apostle exhorteth the church Rom. 12 17 19 to recompence to no man euill for euill Dearely beloued auenge not your selues but giue place vnto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord So the Apostle Iohn after the foretelling oâ— troubles and persecutions addeth Heere is the patience of the Saints declaring thereby Reuel 14 12 what our armour and what our weapons of defence are to giue vs victory ouer our enemies Let these things stay vs in our afflictions from breaking out into impatiency of spirit and from returning wrong for wrong albeit the vnfaithfull rise vp against vs the Drunkards make songs of vs Psal 69 12. and we suffer reproofe and reproch for the Gospels sake yet he whose cause it is will not suffer the water-flouds to drowne vs neither let the deepâ— swallow vs vp nor let the pit shut her mouth vpon vs. Thirdly it is the duty of his people to praisâ— Vse 3 him greatly when hee auengeth the cause oâ— his Children When they see the wicked punished and those that forget God taken 〈◊〉 the snare of their own hands let them reioyce and be glad and giue vnto God the glory due vnto his name This practise we haue in the Prophet Ps 136 1. speaking of the ouerthrow of Pharaoh in the red sea and remembring the slaughter of sundry mighty Kings yea euen the names of those which we now speake of he prouoketh the people by a most earnest exhortation to giue thankes vnto God for their destruction Praise yee the Lord because hee is good for his mercy endureth for euer Heereunto commeth the praier of the Israelites induring the bitter scornes and reprochfull tauntes of most malicious enemies in the daies of their captiuity who as they demanded an heauie curse against those Edomites Psal 137 7 8. so they pronounced a blessing vpon them that shall vexe and trouble them This appeareth euidently in Ester 9 17. when the Church of God saw a great worke wrâ—ught for them their enimies destroyed and themselues deliuered they reioyced with an exceeding great ioy and kept a feast in remembrance of their deliuerance It is not cruelty to reioyce at the destruction of Gods enemies and to magnify his most great name for it This the Apostle Iohn teacheth Reu. 19 1.2 3 4 5. where the heauenly companies of Angels and blessed soules set foorth their gladnes and triumph that God had iudged the enemies of his people So chap. 18. v 20. O heauen reioyce of her and yee holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath punished her to be auenged on her for your sakes The innocent blood of the patient martyrs so cruelly murthered crieth out for vengeance in the eares of the Lord of hoasts as the blood of righteous Abel and shall not the Iudge of all the world do right It is his office to render into the bosome of his aduersaries seuen fold Now as it is our duty earnestly to desire the accomplishment of his iudgments so when they are performed as surely they will come and not tarry we must glorifie his blessed name with all reioycing that we can conceiue and expresse Lastly this serueth to be a terror to the vngodly Vse 4 when this Doctrine shal sound in their eares that God wil iudge the wicked for persecuting the members of Christ Iesus If they escape in this world the Lord reserueth them for greater iudgement When the Lord Iesus commeth with thousands of his Angels 2 Thes 1.6 7 8.9 hee will render vengeance vnto them in flaming fire and punish them with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power This the Prophet assureth Esai 8 9 10 14. 17 11 12 13 14. where by an Ironicall insulting he setteth downe the ruine of the enemies of the Church who albeit theyr rage be restlesse and their malice endlesse yet they shall not stand and their counsels shall come â—o nothing they do fight against God and against his sonne Christ Iesus who is the inuinâ—ible Rocke whereon the Church is builded â—gainst which the gates of hell shall not bee â—ble to preuaile So that whosoeuer shall fall on this stone he shall be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will dash him in peeces Mat. 21. Thus shal all the vngodly be scattered as chaffe before the winde and swept away as dung in the iust iudgement of God So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but they that loue him shal be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might Iudg. 5 31. Verse 21.22 Let me go through thy Land We will not turne aside into the Fields nor into the Vineyards c. Heere Moses setteth downe another danger of the Israelites greater then the former remembred in the former chapter Thus one trouble followeth in the necke of another As one deepe calleth to another deepe by the noise of his water spouts Psal 42 7. Wee see heere againe how Israel is driuen to the same exigent they were before After they haue compassed the land of Edom they come to the Amorites and craue of them some help and compassion They seeke comfort and an end of their sorrowes at the hands of Sihon a wretched Idolater an enemy of God and of his people Thus low are the people of God oftentimes brought to stand in neede of the fauour of the vngodly as we haue shewed in the former chapter Furthermore Moses assureth before hand what their behauiour shall be and promiseth to abstaine from all hurt wrong From hence we learne this doctrine Doctriâ— The pâ— God 〈◊〉 â—staine 〈◊〉 wrong â—ries That the people of God must abstaine from al violent incroching vpon the goods and possessions of others they must not intrude them selues vpon their goodes and substance they must keep their hands from robbing and stealing and their hearts from coueting and desiring that which is anothers and not their owne they must not take of all that is another mans so much as a thred or shoo-latchet to inrich themselues Hereunto come the lawes giuen of God vnto his people Exodus 22 1. If a man steale an Oxe or a Sheepe if a man hurt his neighbours field or
oppressour as an honest Iurate witnesseth against him and cryeth for vengeance And shall the Lord be deafe and not heare such great and loud out-cryings of so many distressed and oppressed persons entring into the highest heauens and piercing the eares of the Lord of hoasts Shal not God auenge his elect which day and night cry vnto him â—e 18 7.8 yea though he suffer long for them I tell you he will auenge them quickly to the comfort of the oppressed but to the confusion of the oppressour Vse 3 Lastly seeing wrongfull dealing must bee auoided it serueth to condemne all inordinate liuing in no setled or lawfull calling idlely vnthriftily and prodigally For euery man liuing in the Church of what degree or condition soeuer must haue some particular calling to walke in how high soeuer his estate bee how great soeuer his reuenues be which condemneth the wandring vp downe of rogues and beggers the Cloysters of Monkes and Fryars the idlenes of rich men that haue lands and liuings all such as are Drones vnprofitable to the Church or Common-wealth or family wherein they abide Adam in time of his innocency immediately after his creation in the Image of God â—2 15. had a speciall calling appointed him to dresse and keepe the Garden It was likewise said to him and his posterity immediately after the fall â—3 19. In the sweate of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread till thou returne vnto the earth out of which thou wast taken So the Apostle saith 2 Thess 3 11 12. Christ Iesus the head of men and Angels before the solemne inuesting and entring into his Office liued priuately in Iosephs house and wrought in his trade â— 6 3 â—â—tra 〈◊〉 and therefore it is that the Iewes call him not onely the Carpenters sonne but a Carpenter If then we would settle our selues in a lawfull calling eating our owne bread trusting in the prouidence of God contenting our selues with our present estate thinking it the best and fittest for vs we should keepe our selues from oppression wrong But because some liue without any calling some without a lawfull calling others liue distrustfull discontented it driueth them to make vngodly shifts and vse vnlawfull meanes which God abhorreth Let vs lay these things to our own hearts and not spend our dayes in ydlenesse The time is precious let vs seeke to redeeme it Let vs euery day do some good or other Ephe. 5 16. let vs learne some good of others or be teaching some good thing to others But alasse how many are there in all places that spend whole dayes and moneths and years in vanity who if they would call themselues to an account of their liues past might see and perceiue many dayes passe ouer their heads without doing any good whereof albeit they will take no account of themselues yet they must giue an account to God at the day of iudgement Verse 23. But Sihon gaue Israel no licence to passe through his Border and Sihon assembled all his people and went out against Israel into the wildernesse c. The request to giue the Israelites a quiet and peaceable passage beeing quiet peaceable men was iust and reasonable yet the petition is denyed and the people themselues that made it are persecuted They offered no wrong they drew no sword they shot no Arrow they cast no Dart they took away nothing yet they are hated and hurried vnto the death and assaulted without mercy This teacheth Doctrine The wicked hate and persecute the godly without cause that the vngodly do hate and persecute the godly without cause This is the practise of wicked men to pursue the children of God with all iniurious and despitefull dealing albeit they offer no occasion of hurt or harme vnto them We see this practise in Cain who hated his brother Gen. 4 8. and albeit hee spake friendly vnto him yet drawing him into the field he rose vp against him slew him This the Prophet complaineth of Psalm 69 4 and 35 7. Ioseph was sold as a slaue and imprisoned as a malefactor Ieremy was many wayes troubled and clapped vp Dauid was hated hunted froÌ„ place to place The Apostles were whipped and scourged in the Synagogues Stephen was reuiled and stoned Christ was scorned and crucified Paul was buffetted and persecuted The Saints were tryed by mocking burned in the fire slaine with the sword they wandred in the wildernesse they were hidden in caues and holes of the earth The Reasons are very plaine direct For first it seemeth vnto them more then strange Reason 1 that the faithfull are not brethren with them in euill but separate themselues from them will touch no vncleane thing If we were of the world the world would loue his owne but because we are chose out of the world therfore the world hateth vs. So long as Paul ioynd with the Pharisies in persecuting the Church imprisoning all those that called vpoÌ„ the Lord Iesus who was in greater fauor and credit with theÌ„ But wheÌ„ he was called to preach the truth which before he had oppugned and became zealous in the faith which before he destroyed by by the Iewes tooke counsell to kill him Acts 9 23. Christ Iesus the Lord of life before he was installed into his Office Luke 2 52 3 2 4 28 29 was in fauor with God and men but when he was baptized albeit he was alwaies in fauour with his Father yet immediately afterward he was tempted of the diuell contemned of his Country-men and ledde to the edge of an hil to be cast downe headlong This is that which the Apostle Peter witnesseth 1 Pet. 4.4 5. But it is better for vs to haue the hatred of men and the ill will of all the world then faile in any part of our duty vnto God who is able to cast body and soule into hell Reason 2 Secondly no maruaile if the wicked hate the godly for the world hateth Christ He was called a Samaritan he was counted a Coniurer he was esteemed as a drunkard a deceiuer a diuell a friend of Publicans and sinners If they haue thus reuiled the Master of the house no maruell if they respect not the members The Embassadour must not looke to be greater then he that sent him Iohn 13 16 and 16.20 the Disciple must not dreame of a better condition then the Lord if they haue done thus to the greene Tree what will they doe to the dry and withered Luke 23 31. If they deale thus with him that is alwayes fruitefull florishing and liueth for euer we must not look that they should deale better with vs that are vnfruitfull and full of the vnsauory fruites of our corruption This Christ himselfe teacheth in sundry places Mat. 10 24 25. The Disciple is not aboue his Master nor the seruant aboue his Lord it is enough for the Disciple to bee as his Master is and the seruant
the Patriarkes Prophets Prophetesses and other holy men and women in the old new Testament See the examples of Moses singing the praises of God after their deliuerance out of Egypt after the ouerthrow of Pharaoh and after their passage ouer the red sea he footed it not in a low but in a lofty stile praising God in verses not in prose Exod. 15 1. for the greater efficacy of the matter and the better expressing of their affections The like we might say of his sweet song sung not long before his death Deut. 31 19 22. 32 1 2 c. Cygnea cantio which he taught the children of Israel Iudges 5 1. thus did Deborah and Barak And thus did Dauid make an Epitaph in verse vpon the death of Saul and Ionathan after they were slaine by the Philistims not penned after the plaine and vulgar manner but with many rhetoricall flourishes of Tropes and figures according to the nature of the verse and the substance of the matter Reason 1 The Reasons hereof are easie to be conceyued to auouch the lawfulnesse praise-worthinesse of this Art For first euery Art and knowledge is of God Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift saith the Apostle Iames is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of Lights Euery Mechanical trade and handy-craft is the gift of God there is no excelling in any of them but by his special gift who is the God of knowledge which maketh a difference not onely between man beast but betweene man and man Such as found out curious workes in Gold Siluer Brasse in grauing of stones in caruing of wood in making any Needle-worke about the Tabernacle Were filled with the spirit of God in wisedome Exod. 31.3 35 30. in knowledge and vnderstanding As it is God that frameth the hand to such inuentions so it is he that guideth the pen giueth the tongue of the learned to speake or write after an excellent manner The Heathen men were wont to say That Poets were inspired of God to go beyond the reach of the vulgar sort So then this gift being more then ordinary must needs in a peculiar and speciall sort be from God Reason 2 Secondly sundry parts and bookes of holy Scripture are penned poetically and those of excellent worthy note albeit we know not the kinds and measures of them howsoeuer sundry haue laboured to finde out the seueral numbers and natures of them inasmuch as euery Language hath his peculiar frame fashion yet not onely some certaine parts and parcels but sundry whole bookes as hath bin said were Poetically penned and in that respect may be fitly called Poeticall Bookes Of this kinde and nature are the booke of Iob the Psalmes of Dauid the Prouerbes of Salomon the booke of the Preacher and the Song of songs all which seeme to be contained comprehended by our Sauiour Christ vnder the title of the Psalmes when he diuideth the whole Scripture into the Law the Prophets and the Psalms as Luke 24 14. Besides when any thing of greatest note worthy of greatest remembrance and commendation was to bee set downe in the Scriptures the Prophets did choose to speake in this artificial composition of words sentences to giue a greater grace and adde greater glory vnto the same as appeareth in sundry places of the Law and Prophets Vse 1 The vses of this truth direct vs to sundry profitable meditations and weighty considerations For first it teacheth vs in part the maiesty and authority of the Scriptures They are not certain rugged and ragged writings to be contemned for their rudenesse and simplicity and to be condemned for their basenesse and homelinesse as the Atheists and others that boast and brag of their fine wits are not ashamed to giue out but Bookes full of holy excellency and wonderfull statelinesse not only working grace in the hearts of the hearers but carrying a grace to the eares of the hearers Bookes filled with true eloquence and more able to perswade then all the enticing words of humane wisedome Therefore the Lord to deliuer his word from disgrace reproach doth sometimes flye aloft with a maiesticall grauity and stately port able to astonish the outward senses sufficient to draw the whole man into admiration and thereby sheweth what he could doe in the rest of the holy Scriptures if it had pleased him Let a man reade with singlenesse of heart and with the eye of iudgement the 104. Psalme 1 2 3 4 5. verses describing the Maiestie of God or Ecclesiastes 12. verses 1 2 3 4 5 c. describing the approaching of olde age or the first chap. of Esay vers 1 2 3 4 5 c. describing the vnthankfulnesse of the people and hauing diligently read and aduisedly perused them let him tell me whether hee do not despise in comparison of them not onely the descriptions of Homer and Virgil but the Orations of Tully and Demosthenes as froth and scum hauing onely the empty shadow of the true and right eloquence So the Apostle Paul beeing charged to bee rude in speaking doth not confesse any want in his stile or craue pardon for any fault but doth iustify his maner of writing purposely auoideth the wisedom of mans eloquence He opposeth his plainnesse to the set and curious speech of the false Apostles who came in gay appearance and hunted after fine phrases and shew of words as if they had had all the strength of truth that might be on their side yet notwithstanding in this plaine style the Apostle sheweth himselfe most mightie and most eloquent garnishing his words and adorning his sentences with all the figures that Art can affoord so farre as serued to moue affections and to touch the conscience For the power of the Scriptures inspired by God stādeth in the inward force and vertue working vpon the soule piercing the heart casting downe the imaginations that lift vppe themselues against the truth conuerting the whole man and entering through to the diuiding of the soule and spirit of the ioynts marrow Heb. 4 12. yea discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart The Apostles of Christ subdued the whole world not with fire and sword not with carnall and bodily weapons but by the plaine preaching of Christ crucified as Paul himselfe confesseth 1 Cor. 2 2. He regarded to know nothing among them but Christ Iesus and him crucified And in 1 Cor. 2 3 4. I was among you in weaknesse and in feare and in much trouble neither stood my word and my preaching in the enticing speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the Spirit and of power that your Fayth should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Seeing therefore it hath pleased God to giue vs a taste and to leaue as it were the prints and footsteppes of all learning and Arts in the world insomuch that no forme of reasoning no ornament of speaking
〈◊〉 35 â—â— and hearkened not to the words of Necho which were of the mouth of God The like we may consider oftentimes in the booke of Daniel when Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed a dreame which was not humane but diuine neyther of a naturall cause but of a supernaturall wherewith his spirit was troubled Daniel saide vnto him Dan. 2 28. There is a God in heauen that reuealeth secrets and sheweth the King what shall be in the latter daies The Reasons are euident First to set downe his great loue and fauour to his Children 〈◊〉 1. For as God did shew himselfe in sundry manners and speake by liuely voyce to the vngodly so in all the manifestations of himselfe vnto theÌ„ he had respect and reference to his Church as appeareth in the former examples Heerein therefore appeareth the wonderfull loue of God to his chosen people who hath the harts of all men in his owne hands and turneth theÌ„ about as pleaseth him This is that reason which the Prophet pointeth vnto Psal 105 13 14 15 where speaking of Abraham his posterity he saith Albeit they were few in number yea very few and strangers in the Land and walked about from Nation to Nation from one Kingdome to another people yet suffered he no man to do them wrong but reprooued Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and doe my Prophets no harme Secondly it pleaseth God to make himselfe and his great Name knowne out of the limits and circuit of the Church 〈◊〉 2. to constraine euen the wicked to cleere him in his proceedings to acknowledge his iudgements to bee iust and righteous to giue sentence against themselues For God is holy in all his wayes and pure in all his works hee causeth their owne consciences to be witnesses against theÌ„ to accuse and to conuince them inasmuch as they become vnthankfull 〈◊〉 â— 2â— and do not glorifie him as God who is worthy of all glory and neuer leaueth himselfe without witnesse Acts 14 17. no not among the Infidels Thirdly he declareth and reuealeth himselfe Reason 3 to Infidels not because they be worthy but because by the mouth of the very Infidels he will strengthen and confirme his children True it is the cheefe and principall meanes which he vseth is to teach them by his seruants the Prophets and Apostles by Pastours and Teachers which he hath set in his church but he will also vse the tongues of prophane men to his owne glory comfort of his children This we see euidently shewed Iudg. 7 13. When Gideon came to the outside of the hoast of the enemies Behold a man told a dream vnto his neighbour and said Behold I dreamed a dreame and loe a cake of Barly-bread tumbled from aboue into the hoast of Midian and came vnto a Tent and smote it that it fell downe was ouerturned and his fellow answered This is nothing else saue the sword of Gideon for into his hand hath God deliuered Midian and all his host When Gideon heard the dreame deliuered and the interpretation opened he worshipped and returned into the hoast of Israel and saide Vp for the Lord hath deliuered into your hand the hoast of Midian Whereby we see that God made knowne his purpose to these vnbeleeuers for the strengthening of Gideons weake faith and the enabling of him to the worke whereunto he was appointed The vses follow First confesse from this Vse 1 dealing of God not onely that hee is great in â—ion and high aboue all the people but â—hat his Name is great glorious among his enemies He reigneth as King Psal 120.2 1 not onely ouer his Church but ouer all creatures and he maketh them to acknowledge his greatnesse stoop downe vnder his hand â—his we see in the Prophet Daniel chap. 6 26 27 by the decree that Darius wrote vnto all the people nations and languages that dwell in all the world I make a decree that in all the Dominions of my kingdome men tremble and feare the God of Daniel for hee is the liuing God and remaineth for euer and his kingdome shall not perish and his Dominion shall be euerlasting he refuseth and he deliuereth he worketh signes and wonders in Heauen and in Earth who hath deliuered Daniel from the power of the Lyons The like confession Nebuchadnezzar maketh before chap. 3 32 33. I thought it good to declare the signes wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders His kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome and his Dominion is from generation to generation Secondly we see that God leaueth not men Vse 2 with out excuse because hee maketh knowne his truth vnto them they haue some meanes or other offered vnto them to teach them to acknowledge God and to glorifie him whom they haue acknowledged Rom. 1.20.24 So Christ our Sauiour speaketh to the obstinate Iewes Iohn chapter fifteene verse 22. If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne but now haue they no cloke nor colour for their sinne Thus was Pilate the Iudge of Iewry conuinced in his owne conscience of wrongfull iudgement against Christ beeing warned of his wife to whom God had reuealed his innocency that he was a iust man as a Lambe vnspotted and vndefiled For the Euangelist Matthew testifieth that when Pilate was set downe on the iudgement seate his wife sent to him saying Haue thou nothing to do with that iust man for I haue suffered many things this day in a dreame by reason of him Mat. 27 19. This was no meere humane or naturall dreame Eccles 5 2. arising from multitude of busines or proceeding froÌ„ an euil constitution of the body or euill digestion of meate or such like ordinary causes as daily befall vs but it was diuine from the speciall instinct of God and the inspiration of the Almighty For as God the Father diuers wayes approued the innocency of Christ that it might appeare he dyed not for his owne offences but for ours for our redemption so did God send terror and trouble vpon the Iudges wife in the night season to discouer his hypocrisie make him without excuse altogether in condemning the Innocent that all the water in the wide sea was not able to wash away the guilt of his sinne much lesse the water he called for to wash his hands before the multitude when he saide I am innocent of the blood of this iust man looke you to it Math. 27 24. The staine of sinne soyleth the soule and defileth the conscience cannot be washed away with water which onely putteth away the filth of the flesh and clenseth the body but cannot enter any further Thirdly seeing God hath shewed and manifested Vse 3 himselfe to wicked men vnworthy of his fauour we may be certaine and well assured that he will neuer leaue his owne children destitute of instruction that call vpon his
blindnes as hee did Elymas with crookednes deformity as the woman in the Gospel with foolishnes as hee did Achitophel with want of reason vnderstanding as he did Nebucadnezzar to teach vs to take heed to our selues and our senses lest we abuse them to our destruction Lastly seeing God can blinde the eyes and Vse 3 bind vp the senses when it pleaseth him let vs go forward walk boldly in the duties of our calling let vs not feare any enemies seeing the Lord hath so many wayes to helpe his chosen people to succour them to saue them harmlesse Let vs commit commend our selues to his prouidence who albeit hee suffer vs to fall into many dangers yet hee can smite his enemies with many suddain iudgments He can visit them oftentimes in sundry manners Euery thing serueth to his wll therfore if we serue God let vs be assured he wil make it serue to our benefit They shal not stir a foot or moue any member or lift vp an hand but at his beck and appointment Ieroboam stretched out his hand from the Altar to lay holde on the Prophet but immediatly it dried vp 1. King 1â— and he could not pull it in again vnto him Ananias Sapphira his wife were among the Apostles and seemed to be in perfect health far from death yet suddainly they fell down were caried out Olde Eli whose sons walked not in the steps of their father sate vpon a seat by the way side waiting for the successe of the battel fought against the Philistims A man would haue thought he sate safely and surely at his owne pleasure and no doubt he iudged no lesse himselfe of himselfe but when hee heard that the Arke was taken suddainly hee fell from his seate backward 2 Sam. 4. â— and his neck was broken When Vzziah King of Iudah presumed to burne incense vpon the Altar of incense lift vp his heart to his owne destruction while he waxed wroth against the Priests of the Lord had the incense in his hand to burne it 2. Chroâ—â— 19. suddainly the leprosie arose in his forehead he was compelled to depant out of the Temple We are able to do nothing of our selues as of our selues seeing that in him we liue moue Act. 17 2â— and haue our being Let vs in all our sufferings comfort our selues heerein that the Lord holdeth the wicked in his owne hand turneth their wisdome into foolishnes Absalom rebelled against his father and was assisted by Achitophel Dauids companion and chiefe counseller for the counsell which hee counselled in those dayes was like as one had asked counsell at the oracle of God Dauid prayed vnto God to turne his counsell into foolishnes 2 Sam. 1â— God heard his prayer and confounded the deep wisdome of this great Polititian so that he set his house in order hanged himselfe 1 Cor. 3â— 20 Hee catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse for the wisdome of this world is foolishnes with God the Lord knoweth that the thoughts of the wise be vain If any therefore seeme to be wise in this world let him bee a foole that hee may be wise All humane wisdome in the vnregenerate is oftentimes turned into extreme folly Iezabel enemy against the Church hated Eliah vnto the death but sending him this word by a messenger The Gods do so to me and more also if I make not thy life like one of theirs whom thou hast slaine by to morrow this time 1 Kings 19 2.3 hereby he had fit occasion and opportunity to flye away and to shift for himselfe receiuing warning and learning wisedome by his enemy Herod a subtle Fox and withall a bloody Lyon and wise in his generation might haue sent one of his Courtiers with the wise men for his greater assurance yet hee sendeth them alone and appointeth not one to goe with them Mat. 2 8. Thus the Lord striketh his enemies with the spirit of giddinesse and turneth all their deuices into sottishnesse he circumuenteth the wise in their owne pollicies and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish They meete with darknesse in the day time and grope at noone day as in the night but he saueth the poore from the sword from their mouth and from the hand of the violent man so that the poore hath his hope but iniquity shall stoppe her mouth Iob 5 12 13 14 15. Indeed they seeke wayes imagine meanes to destroy the godly but they cannot finde them out they are endued with wisedome iudgement counsell they are very subtle and deceitfull but that which happened to the eyes of the Sodomites falleth vpon their mindes They are smitten with blindnesse and madnesse are smitten with astonying of heart c. Deut. 28 28 29. Verse 34. Then Balaam saide to the Angel of the Lord I haue sinned Heere is offered to our considerations the corrupt conscience of an euill man So soone as the Lord charged him with his sinne by and by his heart smote him and he confessed his offence Heere was no true sanctificatioÌ„ of the conscience which indeed did checke and condemne him for his disobedience and couetousnesse but did not bridle suppresse the inclination of his heart vnto euill neyther could testifie that his transgression was pardoned We learne in this example â—â—â—ine 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 â—â—â—traiâ—â—â—â—onâ—â—â—â—innes that euill men are oftentimes compelled to confesse their owne sinnes God wanteth not many wayes and sundry meanes to draw from men a confession of their owne iniquities This wee see in Pharaoh when the hand of God was heauy vpon him and his plagues pressed sore against him he called for Moses and Aaron and said vnto them I haue now sinned the Lord is righteous but I my people are wicked Exod. 9 27. Albeit he could not beleeue to obtaine remission yet he confessed his sinnes to his condemnation The like we see in Saul who persecuted Dauid and sinned against his owne conscience yet when he saw that Dauid had saued his life when some willed and cryed to kill him he saide Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rendred mee good and I haue rendred thee euill I haue sinned come againe my sonne Dauid for I will do thee no more harme because my soule was precious in thine eies c. 1 Sa. 24 18. and 26 21. So then howsoeuer the vngodly delight in sin and regard not to prouoke God to wrath yet theyr owne mouthes are made witnesses against theÌ„selues and they publish theyr owne shame as with the blast of a Trumpet The Reasons are these First the wrath of Reason 1 God is gone out against them and their owne consciences summon them vnto iudgement to answer for their sins before the high Iudge of heauen and earth so that the more they seeke to couer and smother them in the ashes of their owne corruptions that the flame of them breake not out the more
exquisite and excellent thing in them but the inward and spirituall worship is neglected among them the Name of God is dishonoured the Sabbath is prophaned the Scriptures are abused the doctrine of faith and repentance is buried many open sinnes are maintained amoâ—g theÌ„ If that bee the true relâ—gion which giueth all glory to God the Popish religion cannot bee so whâ—ch giueth all glory to themselues and robbeth God of the honour due to his Name by their doctrine of merits by their works of supererogation which indeed is more then supererogation If it be the true religion that magnifyeth the Scriptures resteth in the perfection of them submitteth all persons causes vnto them and acknowledgeth them the sole and supreme Iudge of all Questions and Controuersies of religion then that must bee a false religio which patcheth other writings and traditions vnto them which in matters of â—octrine flyeth from them which preferreth the authority of the Church before them and â—enveth to be wholly ordered by them If that â—e the true religion which aduanceth the sufferings of Christ and resteth in his perfect Oblation once performed vpon the Crosse Heb. 10 1â— which acknowledgeth Christ to be the onely Sauiour and Redeemer of his people and â—eacheth to relye vpon him alone for our iustification then that must bee confessed to bee a counterfet religion which setteth vppe a mocke Christ and honoureth instead of him the cursed Idoll of the Masse whereby the remembrance of his death is shamefully eâ—uded and the people of God are miserably deluded Learne therefore that all zeale is not true zeale and to hate all euill albeit it haue the appearance of good and come masked vnder the vizard and habite of holinesse For counterfeit piety is double impiety Secondly let vs not bee carried away and Vse 2 seduced with euery vaine blast of false Doctrine but stand constant setled and vnmoueable as they that are builded not on the weak sand but vpon the firme Rocke that cannot bâ— remoued This the Apostle teacheth Heb. 1 9. Bee not carried about wiâ—h diuers and strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart bee stablished with grace and not with meates which haue not profited them that haue beene occupied in them This vse is vrged by the Apostle Paul 2. Tim. 3 5. This know that in the last daies shall come perillous seasons for men shall bee louers of their owne selues c hauing a shew of godlinâ—sse but haue denied the power therof turne â—way therfore from such We see how easily the greaâ—est part are carried away with shadowes without substance and shewes without inward truâ—h They haue itching eares after new Teâ—chers and forsake the ancient Teachers that haue fed them with the milke of the word gained them to the faiâ—h of Christ Wherefore it standeth vs vpon to take heeâ— wee be not seduced and deceiued with â—aâ—e Pâ—ophets and to make a tryall of their doctrine by the truth of the Scriptures according to the counsell of Christ our Sauiour Math. chapter 7 verses 15. 16. Lastly it is our dutieâ— to learne to discerne Vse 3 the spirits and to be able to iudge of the Doctrine whether it be of God or not Christ commandeth his Disciples to beware take heed of the leauen of the Pharisies and Saduces Math 1 and 2 â— that is of their doctrine but in another place he chargeth them to heare the Pharisies obey their doctrine sitâ—ing in Moses chaire because they were appointed for the time to be the Teachers of the Church Now then if they must heare and do what they say and yet auoide their mixtures corruptions of sound dâ—ctrine it is required necessarily of the people to discerne betweene the Law of GOD and the leauen of the Pharisies being charged to cleaue to the truth and to forsake error This is that vse which thâ— Apostle Iohn vrgeth 1 Iohn chap. 4. verse 1. Deâ—rely beloued beleeue not euery spirit but try thâ— spirits whether they bee of GOD For many false Prophets are gone out into this world And in the second Epistle chap. 7 8. hee speaketh to the same purpose Many deceiuers are entred into this world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh looke to your selues that wee lose not the things which we haue done but that we may receiue a full reward Hereunto likewise cometh the exhortation of Eliah to all the people that were seduced by false Prophets 1 Kings 18 21. How long halt yee betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal bee hee then go after him And the Apostle Paul chargeth the Thessalonians to try all things and to hold fast that which is good 1 Thess 5 21. This condemneth the Church of Rome of sacriledge that take from the people the key of knowledge and nuzzle them in ignorance as the mother of deuotion accounting it sufficient that they beleeue as the Church beleeueth and credite in all things theyr Pastours and Teachers and forbid them all tryall of the doctrine deliuered vnto them But the Scriptures require of them the spirit of discerning 〈◊〉 12 2. â—il 1 10. â—ph 5.15 17. and all iudgement that they may allow those things that are best and that they may bee without offence vntill the day of Christ to take heed that they walke circumspectly and wisely that they may vnderstand what the will of the Lord is and beware that they be not seduced And it is no excuse to the people beeing misled and misguided to say Thus haue I bene taught and instructed For when the blinde leade the blinde they both fall into the pit of destruction Mat. 15 14. So that if they embrace not faith vnto saluation but withdraw themselues vnto perdition they that follow false Teachers are sure to perish as well as they that leade them the way or rather out of the way and if the Watchman see the sword drawne 〈◊〉 33 8. and iudgement comming and blow not the Trumpet albeit the blood of the people shall bee required at his hands yet they shall also be taken away in their sins Verse 5. The Lord put an answer in Balaams mouth Heere is set downe the Author of his Prophesies He sought a cursing but God put in his mouth a blessing so that the spirit of Prophesie is sometimes giuen to wicked men as appeareth in Saul sundry others Wherefore it is said God put his word in his mouth not in his heart He hath God plentifully in his mouth but his heart was farre from him so that he speaketh not farre otherwise then his Asse spake before because God compelled him against his will to vtter that which he put in his mouth â—â—rine 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 â—â—â—eâ— to â—â—uiâ— oâ—â—e 〈◊〉 Heereby we learne that Gods truth is oftentimes enforced and drawne out of those that know it not nor beleeue it Prophane men of an euill spirit are constrained
must auoide all light gestures that may bring our Ministery into contempt Many vse in their teaching casting abroad of their armes knocking of the Pulpit lifting themselues vp and immediately sinking downe hemming in the throate rolling of the eyes rubbing of the browes nodding of the head stamping with the feete turning euery way with the body snuffing with their nose fidling with the fingers tuning with the voyce as if they were acting their part vpon the stage or as if they were Fencers playing their Prizes These and such like abuses wee must labour to reforme by vsing aduised deliberation in our selues obseruing what is comely or vncomely what is decent or defectiue in others The world is full of carpers and scoffers Many will sooner marke what behauiour is amisse in vs then what doctrine we deliuer or what is amisse in their owne liues When Iacob sell sicke of his sicknesse whereof he dyed hee gathered his sonnes together to giue them instruction before his death and not beeing able through weaknesse to stand on his feete he raised vp himselfe in his bed and leaned on his staffe that he might shew reuerence vnto the word that he pronounced Gen. 47 31 and 49 33. The like we see in Dauid hee stood vpon his feet to giue honour to the word 2 Chron. 2. To conclude this point as we haue occasions offered vnto vs to speake of God of his iudgments or mercies of sinne against God of the calamities of others we must alwayes remember to speake of the person of God with reuerence of the iudgements of God with feare of the promises of God and comforts of his word with cheerefulnesse of sinne against God with hatred and detestation of other mens miseries with feeling and compassion Thus we shall become most profitable Teachers and thus we shall bee as wise Scribes taught vnto the kingdome of heauen which bring foorth out of their treasure things both new and old Math. 13 52. Lastly we learne from hence not to forsake Vse 5 the exercises of religion for the wickednesse or vnworthinesse of the Ministers Who was it that prophesied in the Name of God in this place was it not Balaam a leud liuer a cursed Idolater a diuellish Sorcerer And yet Balak is commanded to rise vp out of his throne to hearken vnto him with al attention It standeth vs vpon more to regard the matter then the speaker and to marke what is deliuered then the person that doth deliuer it The Pharisies in the dayes of Christ were leud liuers and many of them of other Tribes then of Leui 〈◊〉 3 2 3. yet so long as they sate in Moses chayre the Disciples are commanded to heare them and to obserue whatsoeuer they commanded We must discerne and distinguish the life of the Ministers from their Doctrine As we are not to receiue their doctrine for their good life so we are not to reiect it for their euil life Therfore the Apostle saith Some preach Christ through enuy and strife and some also of good will What then Yet Christ is preached all manner waies whether it be vnder a pretence or sincerely I therein reioyce yea and will reioyce Phil. 1 15 18. Although he were sorry that the Gospel was preached by such men yet he was glad it was preached This serueth to reproue those that will not heare scandalous Ministers nor receiue the Sacraments at the hands of ignorant Ministers Who haue itching eares and after their owne lusts get them an heape of Teachers 2. Tim. 4 3. Who are euer learning and are neuer able to come to the acknowledging of the truth 2. Tim. 3 7. Euill Ministers of corrupt life may deliuer the good things of God So long as they preach the word of God truely and administer the sacraments sincerely according to the ordinance of Christ the wickednesse of their persons cleaueth to themselues If a Prince should send vs a message or offer vs some present by the hands of some messenger that were an euill man would we reiect them for the fault of the person or accept them as the fauour of the Prince So should it be with vs when Gods word is preached and his sacraments administred we must hearken what it is that is preached consider what it is that is deliuered If it be of God we cannot refuse it lest wee be found contemners of his ordinances The people of Israel abhorred the sacrifices of God 1 Sam. 3 11. for the prophane life of the Priests but iudgement is denounced against them for their contempt Verse 19. God is not as man that hee should lye neither as the sonne of man that he should repent c. Hitherto we haue spoken of the entrance of this second Prophesie now we come to the Prophesie it selfe Hitherto in the nature of God is described and expressed vnto vs that he is constant in his mercifull promises toward his Church with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning This is one of the names and essentiall properties of God whereby he is knowne to be God who is vnchangeably good vnchangeably holy vnchangeably iust and mercifull and is found firme and faithfull in all his promises Against this it may be obiected Obiect that he is oftentimes saide in the Scriptures to haue repented as Gen. 6 6 7. 1 Sam. 15 11. Ionah 3 9. How then can God be saide to be immutable vnchangeable I answer Answer the Scripture speaketh of God two wayes sometimes properly and then he is saide to be vnchangeable no variablenesse to be in him and that he cannot repent as 1 Sam. 15. The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that hee should repent Sometimes vnproperly and figuratiuely for our capacity and because of our weaknesse not otherwise beeing able to conceiue of the high things of God Hence it is that we reade of the eyes eares hands armes the heart of God and such like Not that these parts and members are in God who is a Spirit inuisible and infinite But because wee cannot vnderstand how one should see without eyes or heare without eares or shew strength without armes these parts are giuen to God to teach vs that he seeth all things he heareth all thâ—ngs hee worketh all things in Heauen and earth as pleaseth him Thus is God set sometime before vs as it were turned and transfigured into our nature and as one said Hee hath not these things by nature but by effect Bern. in serm 4 super Cant. The change is not in GOD but in his worke Repentance in him is no perturbation or griefe he knoweth all things and is ignorant of nothing When he is said to repent that he made man the meaning is he determined to destroy him whom before hee had created When hee is saide to repent of making Saul King the meaning is he determined to take the kingdome from him to whom before he had assigned it and whom he caused
vs aboue other nations The more he hath honoured and exalted vs aboue others the more vile and odious we shall become he will poure shame contempt vpon vs he will make vs a mirrour and example of his iudgements to others vnlesse we bring foorth fruites answerable to so great goodnesse Who so is wise-hearted let him consider these things Verses 22 23 24. God brought them out of Egypt their strength is as an Vnicorne for there is no sorcery against Iacob Hitherto wee haue spoken of the spirituall blessings bestowed vpon the Church to wit the forgiuenesse of their sinnes the presence of the Spirit and the vse of the word Now followeth another priuiledge being an effect of the former that nothing shall hurt them they may fall into many afflictions but none shal be able to destroy them He alludeth in this place to the practise of the Vnicorne purging and clensing the water with his horne against the poison of venomous beasts From hence we learne Doctrine No attempt◠shall hurt th◠Church that no meanes and attempts shall hurt or ouerthrow the Church Whatsoeuer the enemies of God and his people imagine what counsell soeuer they take what mischiefes they deuise God will make them frustrate and of none effect This truth appeareth by sundry examples in the word of God When the Church of God was in Egypt the Egyptians said Let vs work wisely with them lest they multiply they vexed them with bondage they destroyed their children they oppressed them with burthens they plagued them with taskemasters and euery way they encreased their miseries Ex. 1 2 3. yet after all these diuellish practises they preuayled nothing against them This appeareth likewise in the ambition and pride of Haman Ester 3. and 7 and 9. He thirsted after blood but the plot he had contriued was disappointed and he fel into the pit which hee had digged for another the snare was broken and the Church was deliuered Infinite are the examples that might be produced to this purpose of the Churches dangers and deliuerances The Prophet Dauid handleth this argument at large in sundry Psalmes In the 91. Psalme verses 3 4 5 c. he assureth those that trust in God that into whatsoeuer dangers they fall they shall neuer miscarry nor be dismayed in theyr afflictions Where the Prophet meaneth that howsoeuer these afflictions may come to the godly yet they shall not bee able to hurt or hinder their eternall peace with God but he will make them and all things besides to further theyr saluation This is it which the Apostle teacheth at large Rom. 8 35 37. Thus we see that no attempts can hurt the Church inasmuch as God taketh the wise in their craftinesse and scattereth the deuices of the wicked Iob 5.13 as he turned the wisedome of Ahithophel into foolishnesse The Reasons of this Doctrine seruing for confirmation of vs are direct euident For Reason first it is God that watcheth ouer his to deliuer and to preserue them from all the dangers that go ouer theyr heads We shall not neede to feare hauing so good a keeper being assured of right good keeping He will alwayes protect vs by his great power and infinit goodnesse This the Prophet handleth at large Psal 121 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. So Moses declaring the cause that Balaams curses coniurations did not preuaile but were turned into a blessing sayth It was because the Lord loued his people Deut. 23 5. No policies can preuaile where there is such a keeper who being on our side what skilleth it who bee set against vs Reason 2 Secondly hee hath appointed the Angels also to guard and defend them to pitch their Tents round about them to bee ministering spirits sent out for their good which alwayes behold the face of their Father which is in heauen God is the cheefe watchman whom nothing can escape the Angels are second watchmen vnder God whom God hath deputed to that office to serue the necessities of the Church This the Prophet Dauid that sweet singer of Israel setteth downe Psal 91 10 11 12. Where the prophet proueth that no crosse or calamity shall come neere them or their dwellings to hurt them because not onely God himselfe will care for their defence but appoint the holy Angels as his heauenly messengers to preserue them Not that the helpe of God is not sufficient or that we should put our trust in their helpe but to teach vs for our comfort that we haue God and all the hoast of heauen as an army ready mustered marshalled to succour and sustaine vs in all our dangers Now it remaineth to consider what Vses Vse 1 may be made of this Doctrine First we must confesse to our singular comfort that great is the power and goodnesse of God which can neuer faile or forsake those that are his No counsell or wisedome or policy can escape his knowledge or encounter with his power we see this notably in this example before our eyes This false Prophet Balaam was an enemy of God and of his people he had set both his heart to couet and his tongue to saie all his purpose was to curse the people hee leaueth nothing vnattempted to compasse and contriue his enterprize yet we see all is vanity and commeth in the end to nothing Great therfore is the power and might of God We heard in verse 19. that he was constrained to say That God is not like to mortall men therfore we ought to be ashamed to call the truth or power of God into question wherein there is neither want nor weaknes All the power that is in men and Angels is nothing to the infinite power of God Let vs therefore acknowledge and confesse this might and maiesty of God let vs in all our dangers and calamities reuerence it and rest in it Let vs not measure it by ordinary meanes but know that he is able to work as wel without means and against meanes as by meanes The faith of Abraham is commended by the Apostle Ro. 4 18. Heb. 11 That aboue hope he beleeued vnder hope and that God was able of the ashes of Isaac offered vp in sacrifice to raise him againe to life 〈◊〉 2. Secondly wee may in assurance of his fauour conclude the blessednesse of the people of God and their happy estate and condition yea we may truly say with the Psalmist Psal 144 15. Blessed are the people that are so yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. None are harder assaulted none are better protected Their confusion is sought but they stand in the strength of God This is a great blessing to be shaken and yet to abide firme in stormes and tempests Happy are they that haue so vigilant a watchman as the Lord is That City is safe that kingdome is sure that house is quyeted that soule is secured that hath such a keeper What City vpon the earth sauing the City of
the rest of the multitude were spared and the plague ceased which was begun in the hoast as appeareth in the words following Now albeit these were most liuely arguments of the wrath and indignation of God yet the Israelites continued with an high hand and a proud heart to prouoke the most High to his face so that one not of the least lowest but of the principall and cheefest among them brought an whorish woman into the hoast to despite God his people and religion This man thought it not sufficient to goe out of his Tent to those strange women but broght one of thē openly without shame into the Campe before his brethren Verse 14. before Moses and the other Magistrates yea to fill vp the measure of his abhominations to the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation therby blaspheming God reproching his Religion enticing his brethren insulting ouer Moses and the whole assembly that cryed vnto God for mercy to stay his iudgement and to spare his people Loe such was the impudency of this Zimri that notwithstanding the tumults and hurly-burlyes in the hoast yet he is not moued to repentance eyther with the punishment inflicted vpon the malefactors or by the plague of God raging among his brethren or by the teares and supplications of the godly entreating for pardon lying prostrate at the doore of the Tabernacle but in the middest of all these iudgements neyther fearing GOD nor reuerencing man he seeketh to satisfie his filthy lust in the sight of the Sunne and in the open view of all his brethren euen of the whole hoast Verse 1. Now whilst Israel abode in Sittim Before we come to speake of the sinne of the people it shall not be amisse to consider the occasion whereby they fell into sinne Wee haue heard how Balaam being hyred to curse Israel could not for God stayed and restrained him who was greedy of the wages of iniquity Wherefore he counselled Balak to bring the people to destruction by procuring them to fall into some sinne Thus he layde a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel and thereby did draw them to spirituall and carnall fornication For whatsoeuer the Israelites heere committed they did through the counsell and procurement of Balaam From hence we learne that it is a particular note of false Teachers Doctrine It is a note of false teachers to lay stumbling blockes before men and false doctrines to set stumbling blockes before men to draw them to vncleannesse and wickednes eyther against the first or second Table or both I say false Teachers which are the instruments of Satan who he hath thrust into the church haue this speciall care to bring the seruants of God into wickednesse to draw them to idolatry and to destroy theyr faith To this purpose Moses teacheth Deut. 13 1. that false Prophets shall set before them this end to entice the children of God to serue false gods but true Idols This the Prophet Ezekiel noteth chapter 13.19 that they made Gods word to serue their bellies and taught carnall liberty sowing pillowes vnder euery arme hole polluting the Name of God for an handfull of Barley and for a peece of bread slaying the soules of them that should not dye giuing life to the soules that shold not liue crying peace where God proclaimeth open warre lying to the people that heare theyr lies The Scribes and Pharisies corrupted the law by false interpretations and expositions Math. 5 22. as appeareth in the Doctrine of Christ reducing the Law to the true meaning of the Law-giuer So the Apostle declareth that those rauening wolues which should creepe into the Church of God purpose to make hauocke of the people of God I know this that after my departing shall greeuous wolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Acts 20 29. The Apostle Paul prophesying of the comming of Antichrist calleth the doctrine of Antichrist The mystery of Iniquity 2 Thess 2 7. It is the common practise of the Iesuites and Seminary Priests scattered heere and there in the Land to bring the people to Idolatry The Reasons of this truth are manifest Reason 1 First from the counsell of God for albeit no wickednes be in the most High yet it is his wisedome and power to draw good out of euill as he did light out of darknes that so they which are his may be tryed that their faith may be proued their loue to God and the trueth manifested and his children alwayes exercised that they may be made the more carefull and watchful and so finde by experience how they can stand out vnto the end of theyr dayes in all holy obedience This reason is laide open in the thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy verse 3. where the doctrine hath his confirmation If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giue thee a signe or wonder thou shalt not hearken to the words of the Prophet for the Lord your God proueth you to know whether ye loue the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soule And the Apostle teaching that God hath appointed that heresies shall be in the Church annexeth this reason that the faith of Gods children seated in the heart may be made manifest There must be euen heresies among you that they which are approued among you might be knowne 1 Cor. chap. 11. Another Reason is in the malice of those Reason 2 wicked men themselues For this is the nature of the diuell and the property of diuellish men and the cruelty of them both they carry a continuall hatred to the truth and the professors of it they seeke to make a spirituall slaughter and hauocke of the flock of Christ Therefore the Apostle exhorting the Elders of Ephesus prophesyeth that greeuous wolues should rage against the sheepe of Christ yea of their owne selues should men arise speaking peruerse things to draw disciples after them Act. 20 30. All wolues do account and finde by experience the blood of Lambes to be sweeter thē the blood of all other beasts and therefore they are sheep-byters rather then hog-byters or dog-byters The prophane and heathen are in the power and possession of Satan already he hath made sure of them his cheefest labour and endeuour is to circumuent and subuert the seruants of God So his instruments do hate the faithful as the wolfe doth the sheep the lambes are milde peaceable and simple the wolfe bloudy beastly and cruell therefore no maruaile if they seeke to suppresse the truth and to ouerthrow the seruants of God which are the professors and maintainers of the truth 2 Tim. 3 8. Now let vs apply this doctrine to our seuerall Vse 1 vses First we may assure our owne harts of this that so long as this world continueth the Church shall neuer bee without vncleane beasts to assault it eyther heretiques or false seducers or hyrelings that regard the fleece more then the sheepe the dignity more then
purpose of the Moabites and Midianites was to draw the people into sinne and by sinne to bring vpon them the iudgements of almighty God No doubt they had heard how God had wasted and destroyed them in the Wildernesse as we reade in Numb chap. 14. verse 29 and theyr carkasses were consumed by diuers and sundry plagues that did breake in vpon them by the violence of fire by the edge of the bountifull yea prodigall euen to waste their wealth and to consume their substance rather then bee disappointed of their enterprize Therefore it standeth vs vpon to looke warily to our selues and to haue an eye vnto them that they do not sodainly surprize vs work our confusion This is the vse which Christ teacheth vs. Mat. 10 16. I send you as Sheepe in the midst of Wolues bee ye therefore wise as Serpents and innocent as Doues This is to be marked of vs and to be practised by vs. Our enemies are not simple and sottish that they should be contemned but deepe in counsell prudent in enterprizing wary in proceeding politicke in preuenting and sodaine in executing what they haue deuised They are for the most part wiser in their generations then the children of light We are light of credit ready to beleeue new reconciled frends forward to trust faire promises apt to rest on shews and pretences of a good meaning This hath bred greater mischeefe to the Church then open violence Their subtilty hath cut deeper and preuayled further then the sword If we then shall bee found sleeping when they are watchfull or carelesse when they are prepared or naked when they are armed or secure when they are busily employed we must look for no pitty at their hands where we finde no piety but consider that the mercies of the wicked are tokens of their cruelty and their bowels of compassion are the wayes of destruction Prouerb 12 10. Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty to pray vnto God to be deliuered from such vngodly and vnreasonable men If once we fall into theyr snares we must neuer look to escape We must watch and pray that we fall not into the trappes and traines which they make dayly to surprize vs. Hence it is that the Apostle saith 2 Thess 3 2. Pray for vs that the word of the Lord may haue a free passage and that we may be deliuered from vnreasonable euill men for all men haue not faith We are not able to free and deliuer our selues nor match our aduersaries in deepe deuices who make conscience of nothing Al our hope and trust must be in God who wil catch the wise in their own craft and confound them in their owne deuices Hee will turne them into the pit which they haue digged and take theÌ„ in the snares which they haue prepared for others As they regard not to fill vp the measure of their iniquity and adde sin vnto sinne so God will bring their workes to light fill the cup of vengeance vnto them to drink Let vs therefore abstaine from their wayes not giue liberty vnto our selues to follow them in euill no not a little but call vpon God in the dayes of our trouble who will deliuer vs out of our distresse Ps 50 15. This we see practised by the Israelites when they were vexed sore tormented by the Ammonites they cried vnto the Lord saying We haue sinned against thee euen because we haue forsaken our owne God and haue serued Baalim do thou vnto vs whatsoeuer pleaseth thee onely we pray thee deliuer vs this day Iudges 10 10 15. When Dauid after his numbering of the people had the choice giuen vnto him of three iudgments whether he would haue brought vpon him the want of bread or the sword of the enemy or the plague of pestilence hee sayde I am in a wonderfull streight let vs fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man as 2 Sam 24. verse 14. When one tolde Iehoshaphat that a great multitude came against him out of Aram he set himselfe to seeke the Lord he asked counsel of him he proclaimed a fast he acknowledgeth his own weaknes he dependeth vpon Gods power prayeth to be deliuerd from them that sought his destruction 2 Chr. 20 6. When Hezekiah saw the enemy come to besiedge Ierusalem and perceiued his purpose to fight against it he put on sackcloth and came into the house of the Lord God 2 King 19 14 15. hee receyued the blasphemous Letters of the King of Ashur reuiling the Lord defying his people and disgracing them both hee spread them before the Lord and prayed earnestly vnto him to saue them out of the hands of their enemies thâ—t all the kingdomes of the earth mighâ— know that the Lord is onely God So it standeth vs vpon to flye vnto God to call vpon him to preserue vs from our enemies and then it shall come to passe that hee which was an arme of defence vnto them will be our helper in due time euen in affliction who neuer faileth those that put their trust in him The people ate and bowed downe to their gods Heere wee see another sinne of the Israelites layde before vs they fall from one euill into another from the breach of the first Table into the breach of the second Such as made no conscience to eate meate in the Idols Temple and to bow downe to strange gods no maruel if they followed strange flesh and fel into the sinne of fornication From hence ariseth this truth Doctrine Such as are impure in religion are vnrighteous in conuersation That all such as are impure and corrupt in the worship of God are commonly lewde in their outward dealing and loose in their behauiour toward men Spirituall and bodily fornication doe vsually goe together Idolatry and Adultery do ordinarily follow one another as in this place we see the people sacrificed vnto their gods and committed whoredome This the Prophet Hosea expresseth at large chap. 4 1 2 There is no knowledge of God in the land And what followeth heereof By swearing lying and by killing and stealing whoring they breake out and blood toucheth blood Thus the Prophet or rather the Lord by the Prophet vpbraydeth the people Ieremy 5 7 7 9 10. How should I spare thee for this Thy children haue forsaken me and sworne by them that are no goddes though I fed them to the full yet they committed adultery and assembled themselues by companies in the harlots houses The Apostle Paul declareth that the Heathen which knew not God were full of all vnrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse couetousnesse maliciousnesse enuy murther debate deceite they were slanderers of men haters of God dooers of wrong inuenters of euill things disobeyers of parents breakers of Couenants destitute of naturall affections and voide of all mercy Rom. 1 29 And the same Apostle writing to the Ephesians chap. 4 18. This
hands of all those that haue suffered and fostered it in others by their negligence in gouerning and remisnesse in punishing Wee heard this before in Ahab 1 Kings chapter 20. verse 42 who letting Benhadad goe free life must goe for life he should answer for the other We see this euidently in the example of olde Eli who not controlling and correcting his children when they sinned greeuously against the Lord is himself directly charged to haue committed those sinnes 1 Samuel chapter 2 vers 29 to honour his children aboue the Lord to make himselfe far of the first of all the Offerings and is punished with suddaine death by breaking of his neck So likewise shall the sinnes of sinful men that liue vnder our roofe and shroud themselues vnder our protectioÌ„ be required at our hands if we vphold them in their euill or do not punish them for their euill according vnto the meanes that God hath giuen vs. Lastly seeing God is well pleased appeased when sinne is taken away as the cause of Vse 3 his displeasure let vs not carry til the Magistrate draw the sword out of his sheathe but euery one turne vnto God and enter into iudgment with our selues that the Lord may not enter into iudgement with vs. We must be carefull to gaine and get God to be our friend The way is to forsake our sinne and to walke with God as being euer in his presence Can two walke together except they be agreed Let vs then reconcile ourselues to God and hee will be reconciled vnto vs Let vs draw neere vnto him and he will draw neere vnto vs Iam. 4 8. This must be done of vs by cleansing our hands and by purging of our hearts Abraham the father of the faithfull beeing righteous by faith is called The friend of God Iam. 2 â—3 This is it which our Sauiour teacheth Yee are my friends if ye do whatsoeuer I command you Iob. 13 14. If then we would be at peace with God and desire the friendshippe of the most High if we would haue him turne away his wrath and heauy displeasure from vs we must be carefull to auoid sinne seeing it bringeth the iudgements of God and putteth a sword into his hand to destroy vs. From hence as from the principall cause come all manner of punishments that God inflicteth war death famine the plague pestilence our sinnes are the fountaines of them all Therefore the Apostle in this respect willeth vs to try and examine our selues that we may finde out the true cause of our troubles when he saith For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe for if wee would iudge our selues we should not be iudged 1 Cor. 11 31. So then the best course to preuent iudgements or to remoue them which are already brought vpon vs is by repentance The Lord hath many wayes visited vs for our sins somtimes by the raging of the pestilence sometimes by inundations ouerflowings of waters sometimes by dearth famine of bread all which are as sharpe arrowes which hee taketh out of his Quiuer and shooteth theÌ„ out of his Bow and we are not able to stand before them for who is able to stand before his fierce wrath Or who can abide the greatnesse of his power Nahum 1 6. The onely way left vnto vs to take is to seeke reconciliation with God and to turne vnto him by vnfeined repentance We must make conscience of all sin For so long as we flatter our selues in any one knowne sinne the wrath of God will neuer be appeased but he hath still some controuersie against vs. We must not therfore leaue one sin vnrepented of When Moses was to leade the people as a flocke of sheepe out of the Land of Egypt and Pharaoh permitted the fathers and the children to go serue the Lord in the wildernesse onely their sheepe and cattell should abide Moses answered Our Cattell also shall goe with vs there shall not an hoofe be left behind Exod. 10 26. So must our obedience be vnto God it must bee perfect and entire we must not repent to halfes we must not leaue one sinne behind but search the secret corners of our deceitfull hearts For when God shall search with lights to finde out our hidden sinnes he will visite the men that are frozen in their dregs and say in their hearts the Lord wil neither do good nor euill These neuer mourne for their sinnes and therefore God will make them mourne lying vnder his wrath If they will haue no feeling of their sin they shall haue a feeling of his punishments and of the burden of his iudgements Verse 9. And there died in that plague foure and twenty thousand In these words Moses setteth downe the number of all those that perished as well of the Princes as of the people How this agreeth with the Apostle that nameth onely three and twenty thousand wee haue already declared in the exposition of the words and answering of the Questions that arise out of the words We haue heard before that albeit Balak Balaam intended by their sorceries to curse the people of God yet they could by no meanes doe them hurt they were guarded by the protection of God as with a sure watch For God is the watchman of Israel that neyther slumbreth nor sleepeth Psal 121 4. But so soone as they forsook the liuing God and fell a whoring with the daughters of Moab and Midian by and by God departeth from them and his heauy iudgements breake in vpon them The force of sorcery could not hurt them but the strength of sinne doth weaken them and greatly diminisheth the number of them Heereby we learne Doctrine Sin depriâ—â— vs of Gods protection that sinne depriueth vs of Gods protection and layeth vs naked and open to the fiercenesse of his wrath and to the fury of our enemies The sinnes wherewith the Church in general or any member in particular doe prouoke GOD bring downe iudgements of all sorts cause his wrath to be kindled and giue strength to the enemy to preuaile against vs. When the people of God had committed Idolatry made them gods to goe before them it is said by Moses that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked vnto their shame among their enemies Exod. 32 25. This appeareth also in the booke of Ioshua when Achan had sinned and stolne the babylonish garment the shekels of siluer and the wedge of gold they could not stand before their enemies Iosh 7 4. but fell before them as naked men beeing vtterly destitute of Gods defence by reason of the offence committed among them We see this oftentimes in the Bookes of the Iudges of the Kings and Chronicles when they rebelled against God and prouoked him to anger presently hee sold them into the hands of their enemies they became subiect to sundry calamities they fell into all kinde of miseries that were layde vpon them When they began to do
number and greater in waight follow after these When God sendeth the barrennesse of ground the blasting of corne the vnseasonablenesse of weather the ouerflowing of water the infection of sicknes such like scourges of his hand they are euident marks of his wrath and the very prints of his footsteppes whereby we may trace him out comming against vs to destroy vs. They are the messengers of God to cite and summon vs to answer before him for our contempt of his word and of his former threatnings When he taketh away faithfull men that feare his name especially good Princes and godly rulers it is an assured token that his wrath beginneth to be kindled and wil ouertake the remnant of the people When the head is smitten it cannot be but the rest of the body must immediately after smart for it Thus God threatneth in the Prophet Esay 3 2. 57 1. That he will take away the strong man and the man of war the Iudge and the Prophet the prudent and the aged the captaine of fifty and the honorable and the counsellor And in another place The righteous perisheth and no man considereth it in heart and mercifull men are taken away and no man vnderstandeth that the righteous are taken away from the euill to come A notable example heereof we haue in Noah and his family so soone as they were entred into the Arke and the doore of it shut vp immediately the rain fell the flood came the fountaines of the deepe were broken vp the windowes of heauen were opened the inhabitants of the earth were drowned Gen. 7 16. 19 16. When Lot and his family were brought out of Sodome and set without the City the Lord being mercifull to them The Lord rained fire and brimstone from heauen vpon the people of Sodome and Gomorrah When the godly King Iosiah was taken away that his eyes should not see all the euill which the Lord would bring vpon the land the wrath of the Lord arose against them they mocked the messengers of God despised his words and misused his Prophets and hee brought vpon them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword and spared neither yong man nor virgin ancient nor aged God gaue all into his hand 2 Kin. 22 20 2 Chron. 36 16. Moreouer the Lord hath other scourges which belong to the soule as when he taketh away godly Ministers with them his holy word So he threatneth by the Prophet Amos to send a Famine of his word chap. 8 11. This is a token that God will forsake that people and condemn them to death when he taketh from them the meanes and maintenance of their life These are the beginnings of greater iudgements and by them we may iudge the wrath of God to be at hād which are as a warning peece vnto that volly of the Lords Ordinance which our great sins haue caused him to mount vp against vs and he threatneth to discharge vpon vs. So then it behooueth vs not to bee dull and drowzie in marking the iudgements of God the signs of his wrath to the end we may be prepared to preuent them and to meete the Lord by vnfained repentance before they fall vpon vs. Vse 3 Thirdly it is our duty to pray vnto him and to intreate him that albeit we continually prouoke him by our sins yet that he would not fall vpon vs in his wrath nor punish vs in his sore displesure but deal with vs as a father with his children This is it which the Prophet craueth at the hands of God Psal 6 1. 38 1 2. To this purpose Ieremy speaking of the captiuity at hand prayeth thus Ier. 10 24 25. O Lord correct me but with iudgement not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing poure out thy wrath vpon the Heathen that know thee not c. If the Lord should deale with vs according to our sinnes and recompence vs according to our deseruings we were not able to stand in his sight If hee should enter into iudgement with vs no flesh should be righteous before him Wee must therefore desire him to chastise vs as a father not as a Iudge to amend vs not to destroy vs as the Prophet speaketh of his owne experience Psal 118 18. The Lord hath chastened me sore but he hath not deliuered me to death Vse 4 Lastly we must be prouoked vpon the consideration of the wrath of God full of rage iealousie moued with our sinnes to seeke to please him to forsake our iniquities and to be reconciled vnto God This is the vse which the Apostle maketh Heb. 12 28 29. Seeing we receiue a kingdome which cannot be shaken let vs haue grace whereby we may so serue God that wee may please him with reuerence feare c. So we are charged to mortifie our members which are on earth as fornication vncleannesse and such like because for such things the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience Col. 3 5 6. So then the consideration of the fiercenesse of Gods wrath must bring vs neerer vnto him and make vs obedient to his will Let vs walk in all his commandements and make conscience of all our wayes Let vs studie to please God in all things and to be fruitfull in good workes Let vs liue soberly righteously and godly in this life and shew forth the liuely fruits of him that hath called vs out of darknesse into this maruellous light that so his wrath do not ouertake vs nor his iudgements finde vs vnprepared We should alwaies liue as if wee should dye presently or the day of iudgement come immediately For what shall it profit vs to liue in all pleasures and carnall delights for a few yeares and then to suffer eternall torments What shall it auaile vs to win the world then to lose our owne fouls Matth. 16 26. Are not they more then madde men that will hazard their soules procure the heauy wrath of God for a little profit and a short pleasure Let such as wil not be drawn from their sweet sins assure themselues they shall one day pay dearly for it and taste the most bitter woes that can be conceiued when they shal be separated frō God shut out of his fauour and bee barred out of his kingdome Oh! that there were in vs wise hearts to consider these things betimes and to preuent all the iudgements of God that hang ouer our heads Let vs prepare our selues against the houre of death then which nothing is more terrible against the day of iudgement then which nothing is more horrible and against the danger of hell fire then which nothing is more intollerable the paines pangs whereof are without end without ease without remedy Verses 10 11 12 13. Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Phinehas the son of Eleazar hath turned mine anger away from the children of Israel c. We haue seene the zeale of Phinehas in
the sinne might be knowne and the men also knowne that do commit it And to what end doth the Apostle Iohn tell vs 1 Iohn 5 ver 16. There is a sinne to death and of seeing our brother sinne vnto death If then it may be seene it may be knowne And hence it is that when the Church saw Iulian the Apostata who had bin enlightned with the truth and bin zealous in the profession of it to despite God openly to lift vp himselfe against his word and to make a mocke of all religion they would haue no more to do with him they accounted him as a diuell and they prayed with one consent against him that God would confound and destroy him They did not pray vnto God for his conuersion and to giue him a new heart but because he could not repent being past amendment they called vpon God to hasten his condemnation that he might shew thereby what account he maketh of his most holie truth Last of all we ought to haue a care to bee Vse 3 helpfull and profitable to the Church and to be zealous in the seruice of God that thereby to the comfort of our selues and our posterity we may carry a sweet remembrance a blessed report in the Church for euer The loue of Mary in annointing Christ with the precious oyle which she powred on his head is promised by Christ to bee remembred for euer in what place of the worlde soeuer the Gospel shold be published Verily I say vnto you whersoeuer this Gospel shal bee preached throughout all the world there shall also this that she hath done be spoken of for a memoriall of her Matth. 26 13. The praise of Iehoiada is recorded in Scripture he dyed an old man and full of dayes they buried him in the City of Dauid with the Kings because hee had done good in Israel and toward God his house 2 Chr. 14 16. This serueth to reprooue such as care not at all what men thinke or speak of them and regard not what name they haue good or bad what report is giuen of them honorable or dishonorable sweet or rotten so they may preuayle in their purposes Cicer. of fâ—ic l 1. and bring to effect their diuellish deuices An heathen man could say It is the part of a retchlesse and dissolute man to neglect what a man sayth of him Salomon teacheth vs that a good name is more to bee desired then great riches and a louing fauour more then siluer and gold Pro. 22 1 Eccles 7 3 This is not attained by flattery or falshood but by godlinesse and righteousnesse by humility and an vpright conscience Riches are fraile and transitory subiect to vanity and corruption but a good name and louing fauour remaine for euer So the Prophet describing the blessednes of the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth in his commandements sayth that he shal neuer be moued but the righteous shal bee had in perpetual remembrance Ps 112.6 A good name is better then a great name And albeit the godly be despised in the world yet God will aduance theyr estimation giue theÌ„ a sweet sauour among all good men True it is sinfull men are magnified of sinners for euen the sinners loue those that loue them Luke 6 32. to receyue the like of them againe yet they shall bee made abhominable vnto the Saints and their name shall bee cursed and as much loathed as the filthy fauour of his carkasse that lyeth rotting in the graue So then seeing shame shall be as an vnseparable companion of wickednesse and no man can separate those things which God hath ioyned together on the other side heere is comfort to the godly that GOD will vndertake the protection of their names so that no creature shall bee able to rob them of it but as he preserueth them to saluation so he will maintayne their credit and estimation Wee see this in many the deare seruants of God who albeit they haue had their names for a time diminished impayred yet they haue beene restored and recouered The name of Naboth was greatly blemished with the slanderous imputation of treason and blasphemy but that momentary shame is swallowed vp and recompensed with euerlasting honour throughout all generations 1 King 21.10 The like wee might say of Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Bradford Philpot and many other the deare seruants of God that gaue their liues for the truth howsoeuer they were condemned for heretikes yet they are renowned for Saints and shall be so acknowledged to the end of the world 16 Againe the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 17 Vexe the Midianites and smite them 18 For they trouble you with their wiles wherewith they haue beguiled you as concerning Peor and as concerning their sister Cosbi the daughter of a Prince of Midian which was slaine in the day of the plague because of Peor We haue hitherto in this chapter handled the transgression of the Israelites and the reconciliation of God Now remayneth the decree and determination of God against the Midianites For after that God had chastened his owne people and iudgement hath begun to breake out against the house of God hee riseth vp in wrath and indignation as a iust Iudge against his enemies Heerein we are to marke two things First the commandement Secondly the reasons or causes of the commandement The commandement and charge directed vnto Moses in this Smite and slay the Midianites Thus doth wickednesse returne vpon the heads of the authors thereof These enemies being drawne into the league to take part with the Moabites had conspired against Israel soght to subdue them not by strength but by sensuality nor by force of warre but by lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse of women Now the wheele is turned vpon themselues the stone is rolled vpon them that first stirred it and mischiefe falleth vpon the first contriuers Obiect But heere out of this commandement arise two questions fit to be mooued and worthy to be discussed First inasmuch as God euery where forbiddeth reuenging of our owne causes and quarrels why doth hee now permit and prouoke the people of Israel therunto as if they were not by nature prone enough to vengeance I answere Answ there is a double kinde of reuenge one priuate the other publicke Priuate reuenge is that which proceedeth from the priuate motion of our corrupt nature seeking to satisfie our owne malice with the hurt of others This is forbidden by our Sauiour Christ Mathew 5 44 commanding vs to loue our enemies and to ouercome euill with good Publique reuenge is that which is commanded and warranted by God being imposed vpon vs either mediatly by authority of the Magistrate or immediatly by the secret instinct of the Spirit This is allowed and lawfull as we saw before in Phinehas and others inasmuch as it proceedeth not from the corruption of nature but from the inspiration of God For God the iust reuenger of all wickednesse may vse the ministery of
and of the Land of Canaan but the eternall rest with Iesus Christ in heauen This do none attaine but onely the faithfull and now we are in the way that leadeth vnto it wee are not yet in possession of that rest 2 Corinth chapter 5. verse 7. As then the passenger doth not sitte still but alwayes is going forward and further vntill he come to his iournyes end so ought wee to make continuall steppes in the faith vntill we come to receiue the ende of our faith which is the saluation of our soules 1 Pet. chapter 1 verse 9. Why eternall life is called a rest Now we must vnderstand that eternall life is called a rest for two causes First because thē and there wee shall rest from all our workes that is from our sinnes for then we shall sinne no more but shall know God euen as we are knowne no euill shall dwell there When the Angels had sinned they were immediately cast out and are reserued in chaines to euerlasting perdition Iude verse 6. Secondly wee shall rest from all troubles and miseries of this life Reuelat. chapter 14 verse 13 and hence it is that this place of rest is called by the name of Abrahams bosome Luke 16 22 23 because Abraham and all beleeuers that are the sonnes of God do there quietly rest and repose themselues as the childe in the bosome of his mother Vse 3 Thirdly it teacheth vs to auoyd all prophanenesse vpon this day of the Lord the works of our callings and the pleasures of our owne hearts are meere prophanations of this holy day Euery one will be ready to confesse that it is a great sinne eyther for the husbandman to goe to plough or for the tradesman to follow his businesse or for the day-labourer to worke or for the handy-craftesman to apply his vocation howbeit for a man to giue himselfe to his sports pleasures and delights they thinke there is some greater liberty Howbeit it seemeth a most ridiculous thing to me that God forbiddeth to the poore man his labour and alloweth to the rich man his pleasure to permit that which is lesse necessary and to restraine that which is more necessary But let vs see what we are to hold as well of the one as of the other out of the Law of God First Adam himselfe was commanded to sanctifie this day which God had blessed Genesis chap. 2 2 and the people in the wildernesse are forbidden to gather Manna Exod. chap. 16 verse 6. For this day is a market day for the soule and a time to prouide spirituall food farre more excellent and precious then Manna Iohn chap. 6 verse 58. 1 Pet. chapter 2 verse 3. Secondly our ordinary buying and selling keeping of fayres or markets on this day to whom we may ioyne those that bring theyr wares and commodities into Church-yards that after morning prayer they may vent them among the people This is another abuse among vs which toucheth the buyers as well as the sellers And if such commodities bee brought vnto vs we ought not to buy them Nehem. 13 15. For what maketh sellers among vs but because they easily finde those that will take their cōmodities at their hands It is certaine if there were no buyers there would be no sellers Thirdly there ought to be no carrying carting vpon this day lest God lay some heauy burden vpon vs too heauy for vs to beare Ierem. 17 21 22. Many carriers offend this way and as they breake the Sabbath themselues so they are the cause of the breach of it to many others Fourthly we must not follow our labours no not in haruest time when we might claime the greatest priuiledge and the season seemeth to offer vnto vs liberty and to giue vs a dispensation yet euen then we must rest prouided that our corne and prouision for the yeere be not in danger to bee lost for then God will haue mercy and not sacrifice Math. 12 7. If wee may saue the goods of others much more our owne And if saue the life of our beast much more our corne wherby our liues are preserued Fiftly they are reproued that wander from their places that runne about after euery pleasure or profite or feast a common abuse prophanation of the day almost in all places Exod. 16 29 these are like prophane Esau who sold his birthright for a messe of pottage Hebr. chapter 12 verse 16 so do they sell the word and sacraments for small trifles These are louers of pleasures more then louers of God hauing a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. chapter 3 verses 4 5. and many of them make theyr belly theyr god Philppians chapter 3 ver 19. And touching theyr profits they take great gaine to be godlinesse not godlines to be great gaine the first Epistle to Timothy chapter 6 verses 5 6. Sixtly the Iewes were forbidden to build the Tabernacle vpon this day which was a place consecrated to God for his seruice and worship Exodus chapter 31. verse 15. It is not therefore lawfull to builde Gods house with materiall stones vpon that day but wee must labour to bee liuing stones built vp a spirituall house and an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifice acceptable to God by Iesus Christ the first Epistle of Peter chapter the second verse 5. Seuenthly they are reproued that keepe a carnall sabbath vnto the diuell not an holy Sabbath to God who spend the time in carding dicing drinking surfetting reuelling and such like This is the diuels sabbath and no better then to serue him The diuels Sabbath They are euill vpon any day but worse vpon this day Saul was offended when he saw Dauids place empty at his Table but how often may our places be seene empty at the Lords Table and in his house Lastly not to regard the hearing of the word whereby wee may encrease in good things and learne our duties to God man The neglect of these duties bringeth many iudgements and curses of God vpon our heads Amos 8 4. Nehem. 13 17 18. Ier. 17. verse 27. Vse 4 Thirdly we must labour to performe obedience to God vpon this day without wearinesse or distraction both publikely and priuately It is our duty to heare the word preached in it 2 Kings 4 23. Luke 4 16 Acts 13 14 15 15 22. We must exercise our selues in the Word and Sacraments pray with the Congregation lay vp in our hearts what wee haue heard meditate vpon it conferre about it and seeke to encrease in knowledge faith and obedience otherwise the Sabbath shall passe from vs without profite We must try our hearts and liues whether we goe forward or backward or stand at a stay If we do these things then shall we be wise obseruers of this day and haue the blessings of GOD come downe vpon vs Exod. 31 13 17. Ezek. 20 12 20. Esay 56 2 3 4 c. and 58 13 14. Ier. 17 24 25 26. Vse
hurt losse and damage may by them redound to the commonwealth in such sending of them The way to be rid of them is to execute iudgement against them and to cut them off by the sword of the Magistrate for theyr euill deeds Lastly from hence we should learne much more to be watchfull in the spirituall warrefare Eph. 6 10. 2 Tim. 2 4. We are all souldiers and we are to fight against principalities and powers and spiritual wickednesse in high places and therefore it behoueth vs to put on the whole armour of God and to bee strong in the Lord knowing that we shall stand in his might and be able to put to flight these enemies 7 And they warred against the Midianites as the Lord commanded Moses and they slew all the males 8 And they slew the kings of Midian besides the rest of them that were slaine namely Eui and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba He was the father of Cozbi whom Phâ—nehas slew Numb 25 15. fiue kings of Midian Balaam also the sonne of Beor they slew with the sword 9 And the children of Israel tooke all the women of Midian captiues and their little ones and tooke the spoyle of all their cattell and all their flockes and all their goods 10 And they burnt all their Cities wherin they dwelt c. 11 And they tooke all the spoyle c. This is the second part of the Chapter wherein we see the manner obserued in managing this warre and in performing obedience to the Commandement of God and his seruant Moses Wherin we may see the slaughter that they made first set downe generally They slew all the males then particularly Fiue of their Kings and also Balaam Secondly the captiues that they tooke to wit al the women and their little ones Thirdly their booty they tooke the spoyle of their cattell flocks and goods Lastly they set their Cities on fire and consumed theyr goodly Castles to nothing Heere a question may be demanded concerning Balaam Obiect how he came to be among these Midianites forasmuch as we reade before that he went his way Numb 24 25. I answer Answer some vnderstand the words of his purpose resolution to returne home but that he stayed in the way among the Midianites through whose Country he must necessarily go and so was slayne among them And indeed it is certaine he was present in the battell but it is more likely and credible that he went home and afterward hearing of the destruction of so many thousands of the Israelites 1. Drusij comment in loca diffic Num. cap. 125. procured through his diuellish counsell that hee returned vnto Madian hoping to receyue the wages which had beene promised vnto him seeing the matter succeeded according to his theyr desire and thus indeed hee receyued a iust reward and recompence as the wages due vnto him for he was slaine by the sword And hence also it may not vnfitly bee concluded that he was no true Prophet of God but a Prophet of Satan for then doubtlesse the Israelites would neuer haue put him vnto the sword Eucher in Gen. pag. 102. Some there are that too highly magnifie him and esteeme better of him then is cause and thinke that he was the same who in the booke of Iob is called Elihu howbeit this is a blinde conceit Some of the Hebrew Doctors obserue that he could be no Prophet because it is said God opened his eyes and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way c. because this is noted of others as of the seruant of Elisha 2 Kings 6 17 and of the Syrians verse 20 as also of Hagar Gen. chapter 21 verse 19 but it is neuer spoken in the same manner of any of the Prophets Other of them say he was damned with Doeg Gehazi and Achitophel but the things that are secret belong not vnto vs the truth he knoweth that knoweth all things it is not for vs to iudge before the time But to leaue this and to come to the doctrines We saw before the sinne of the Midianites chap. 25 and how God threatned them hitherto they escaped well enough and might say as Agag did that had beene spared with the fatter Oxen and the better sheepe 1 Sam. 15 32. Surely the bitternesse of death is past notwithstanding wee see God maketh good his word and suffereth no part of it to fall to the ground Doctrine Wicked men are suffered long yet in the end are punished We learne heereby that wicked men howsoeuer they may bee suffered long in theyr sinnes and God prosper them in theyr wayes and bring no temporal iudgment vpon them yet at last he meeteth with them and bringeth his plagues and punishments vpon them Psalm 73 verses 12 17 18 and 37 35 36. Iob 21 17 18. Ierem. 12 1 2 3. Hab. 2 3 5. Psal 50 21. The Scripture is full of these examples Reason 1 And it must needs be thus because God is a iealous God visiting iniquities and transgressions Exod. 34. he is angry with the wicked hateth them his soule abhorreth and detesteth them and therfore must needs bring iudgment vpon them Rom. 1 verse 18 and 2 5 8. Deut. 9 8 20. Mal. 1 2 3. Not that GOD hath any passion of anger but because hee is saide to do that which men do when they are angry that is he will take vengeance and punish them for theyr sinnes and offences Secondly because the Lord hath set a stint to the wicked he seemeth for a while to put the bridle in theyr neckes and to let them run at liberty but they haue theyr appointed time which they cannot passe hee hath set downe how farre they shall go and how long they shall liue and the measure of theyr sinne to what height they shall grow so that though they desire to proceede neuer so much they shall not be able they cannot go any farther he wayteth till they haue filled vp the measure of their sinnes Gen. 15 verse 16. Math. 23 ver 32 and then he will not spare to bring his iudgements vpon them Vse 1 The vses First this teacheth vs to acknowledge the iustice of God He oftentimes holdeth his peace and men thinke him to be like vnto themselueâ— howbeit hee will manifest to all the world that hee is a iust and righteous God and holy in all his wayes Hence it is that the Apostle saith He will reward euery one according to his works Rom. 2 6. Psalm 62 12. For as God neuer forgetteth to be mercifull neyther shutteth vp his kindnesse in displeasure Psalm 77 9 so hee cannot forget his iustice except he should forget himselfe No man forgetteth his owne name Iustice is Gods essentiall attribute This is his Name for euer and this is his memoriall to all generations True it is the faithfull themselues do many times conceiue amisse both of the mercy and of the iustice of God but they confesse that this is their
infirmity Psal 77 10. For when they are themselues in trouble and theyr soule refuseth to be comforted they begin to reason and dispute with themselues and say Will the Lord cast off for euer Will hee be fauourable no more Is his mercy cleane gone for euer and doth his promise faile for euermore Psalm 77 7 8 9. On the other side when they see the vngodly prosper that they are not in trouble as other men neyther plagued like other men they are ready to thinke of themselues that they haue cleansed their hearts in vaine and washed their hands in innocency Psal 73 verses 3 5 13. Neuerthelesse whatsoeuer we are sometimes ready to iudge in the time of trouble tentation wee must vpon better aduice say with the Apostle Let God be true and euery man a lyar as it is written That thou mightest be iustified in thy sayings and mightest ouercome when thou art iudged Rom. 3 verse 4. Albeit therefore GOD do not by and by strike with his hand and draw his sword yet he is not vniust neyther is he slacke concerning his promise but he is long-suffering to vs-ward not willing that any should perish but that all shold come to repentance 2 Pet. 3 9. Secondly this serueth to teach vs that we Vse 2 should not enuy at the wickednesse of men albeit for a season they prosper in theyr sins the measure is not yet heaped vp but when once they are growne to the height the iudgments of God will ouertake them and they shall passe away as the grasse of the field A good man will neuer enuy at their euill Psal 37 1 2 because he knoweth well that they stand in a slippery place and what is reserued for them if they go on in theyr sinnes Thirdly this serueth to instruct informe Vse 3 euery man that he should not grow obstinate and obdurate in his sinnes because of Gods patience and long-suffering toward him because as he hath his time so also God hath his If we fill vppe the measure to the full of our transgression hee will also poure downe the vialle of his indignation Such as runne on in sinne grow thereby starke blinde that they cannot see and starke deafe that they cannot heare vntill theyr eyes and eares bee opened by affliction and his iudgements take holde vpon them Let vs lay before vs the examples of others and consider how it hath gone with them that wee may learne wisedome by theyr folly and take warning by theyr misery Wee know how it went with the old world after the dayes of Gods patience were expired only eight soules were saued all the rest were destroyed Gen. 7. 1 Pet. 3 verse 20. It is better for vs to be admonished by the fall and ruine of others and to take heed of abusing the patience of God then that we should bee taken in our sinnes and bee made examples vnto others to our vtter confusion and destruction for euer And they slew the Kings of Midian besides the rest of them that were slaine namely Eui c. fiue Kings of Midian c. Moses doth not content himselfe to tell the Church of God in generall that the multitude of the people of Midian were destroyed but singleth out the number and the names of theyr Kings that were slayne Whereby wee may gather that high and low Doctrine Princes and Potentates are punished for sin as well as others Prince and people lye open to iudgement God spareth none but striketh punisheth all that sinne against him We see this in those Kings that took away Abrahams wife the Lord plagued them and theyr houses with great plagues Gen. 12 17 and 20 3 17 to verifie that which the Prophet saith He suffered no man to do them wrong but reprooued Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harme Psal 105 14 15. We saw this in the sixteenth chapter of this Booke concerning Korah and his complotters they were famous and great men in the Congregation yet the earth was not able to beare them his iudgements were so heauy vpon them This doth the Lord tell such as are mighty vpon earth that band themselues together and take counsell against the Lord and against his annointed He will breake them with a rodde of Iron and dash them in peeces like a Potters vessell Psal 2 2 9. And Psalm 82 6 7. I haue saide ye are Gods and all of you are children of the most High but yee shall idie like men and fall like one of the Princes The examples of this are infinite when God sent out Saul to take vengeance vpon the Amalekites the sword fell vpon Agag the King that sate vpon the Throne as well as the common sort that sate in the dust 1 Sam. 15. Herod the king although he were clad in royall apparell could not keepe his body from the wormes by the which he was eaten vp aliue Acts 12. And it must be thus Reason 1 For first the Heads and Captaines of the people haue oftentimes the cheefe hand in the trespasse and when open impieties are set afoote and practised they should not beare the sword in vaine If then they draw not out the sword of iustice but suffer it to rust in the scabbard while iniquity walkes in the Land without controlment they make themselues guilty of those sins bring vpon themselues many iudgements As then it was saide to Eli who winked at the wickednesse of his sonnes I wil iudge his house for euer for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sonnes made themselues vile and he restrained them not 1 Sam. 3 13 so it may be said to Kings and Princes that God will also enter into iudgement with them if they restraine not theyr people from theyr euill Reason 2 Secondly with God is no respect of persons at all though they be supreme and souereigne though they be wealthy and honourable learned and mighty in the world yet they shall escape neuer a whit the more for these priuiledges as Iob 34 19 He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poore they beeing all the worke of his hands This serueth iustly to reprooue those that Vse 1 make their places a priuiledge and as it were a Sanctuary to hold and harbour them from Gods iudgements These do much deceyue themselues to beare themselues so bold and to build vpon so weake a foundation It is as possible for a City to hold out against the enemy that hath no wall but of Reedes which are easily eyther pierced or fired as it is for a man to stand against gods iudgments by his noble birth or his high place or his great riches or his deepe learning or his golden crowne And yet wee see how common it is for such to exempt themselues from the common sort as if they â—ad more liberty to sinne then others Indeed heere is for a time some difference betweene them and
others but when we must lay downe this earthly tabernacle little or no difference will appeare The condition of all men is alike in death and Salomon saieth Eccl. chap. 9 verse 4. A liuing dogge is better then a dead Lyon We must therefore know that whatsoeuer we are we are no better then dust whether we consider the originall cause or the finall we are of the dust and we must returne againe to the dust and can carry away nothing with vs. Secondly this should instruct men of high Vse 2 places to turne vnto God to serue him with feare â—nd to reioyce before him with trembling yea to kisse the sonne lest he be angry and they perish in the way for when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put theyr trust in him For when all must appeare before the iudgement seate of God no ensigne of honour will do vs any good Let not the rich man glory in his riches or the strong man in his strength nor the noble man in his honour but hee that glorieth let him glory in this That hee vnderstandeth and knoweth God that he is the Lord which exerciseth kindnesse iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these be delighteth Ierem. chap. 9 verse 14. When a man commeth before an earthly Iudge hee respecteth not the person of the poore nor honoureth the person of the mighty for that were to doe vnrighteousnesse in iudgement but hee iudgeth his neighbour rightly Leuit. 19 15. How much more then must we assure our selues that the Iudge of all the world will do right The Prophet Dauid chosen of God to bee the Gouernour of his people professeth that he will sing mercy and iudgement Psalm 101 verse 1. Thus shall it be with God heere the vngodly often escape because no man dare attach them or meddle with them but in the end they shall not escape Euery man shall appeare without his vizard here some poore are respected for theyr rags the rich for theyr bagges the noble for theyr Escutchions the Captaines for theyr armes the mighty for theyr friends the clyents for theyr bribes thus are the eyes of men dazeled and blinded that they cannot consider euery mans cause but too much respect the person It is not so with God All the glory of man is no better then vanity like the flower of the field that fadeth away God looketh vpon the heart if we come before him with a soule washed in the blood of Christ this will keepe vs from the wrath of God Vse 3 Lastly from hence ariseth comfort to the oppressed and them of low degree that are in misery to know that God will pleade theyr cause and enter into iudgement with the mighty ones of the earth He is higher then the highest and stronger then the strongest Heere men stand in feare of them that do not stand in feare of God but God feareth not theyr faces He heareth the cry of the poore and will deliuer them Marke the end that God will make who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords he will call those to iudgment that heere escape the hands of men When they shall receiue for the wrong which they haue done because with him is no respect of persons Col. 3 25. 12 And they brought the captiues the prey and the spoile vnto Moses Eleazar the Priest and vnto the Congregation of the Câ—â—ldren of Israel vnto the Campes at the plaine of Moab which are by Iordan neere Iericho 13 And Moses and Eleazar the Priest and all the Congregation went foorth to meete them without the Campe. 14 And Moses was wroth with the Officers of the hoast with the Captaines ouer thousands and Captaines ouer hundreds which came from the battell 15 And Moses saide vnto them Haue ye saued all the women aliue 16 Behold these caused the children of Israel through the counsell of Balaam to commit a trespasse against the Lord as concerning Peor and there came a plague among the Congregation of the Lord. 17 Now therefore kill euery male among the children and kill euery woman that hath knowne man c. 18 But all the women children that haue not knowne a man by lying with him keepe aliue for your selues 19 And do yee abide without the Campe seuen dayes all that haue killed any person and all that haue touched any dead and purifie both your selues and your prisoners the third day and the seuenth 20 And ye shall purifie euery garment and all that is made of skinnes and all worke of Goats haire and all things made of wood 21 And Eleazar the Priest said vnto the men of warre which went to the battell This is the ordinance of the Law which the Lord commanded Moses 23 Euery thing that may abide the fire ye shal make it goe through the fire and it shall be cleane yet it shall be purified with the water of purification and all that suffereth not the fire ye shall cause to passe by the water In the words before we heard the maruellous and memorable iudgement of GOD against the Midianites who were enemies to the Church of God among whom also Balaam perished He wished to dye the death of the righteous chap. 23 10 but hee lost his life among the vnrighteous Thus they that digge a pit oftentimes fall into it themselues Psalm 7. Now in these words we haue the third and last part of the Chapter touching the yssue of things after the battell when the Captaines Souldiers returned from the battell These are of two sorts First the things that happened before they came into the Campe to the 25 verse and then what fell out when they were admitted into the Campe. Touching the things that befell the men of war before they were admitted into the hoast they are these foure First Moses chideth and checketh them because they had done the Commandement of God to halfes they had executed a part and left another part vndone like Saul that spared the fatter Sheepe and Oxen for sacrifice 1. Sam. 15. verse 21. They had saued all the women vnder a pretence of foolish pitty accounting it no honour or valour to consist in killing them but they ought to haue beene destroyed because they caused the children of Israel to commit a trespasse against the Lord and a great plague fell vpon the congregatioÌ„ of the Lord chapter 25 1. Secondly Moses commandeth that such should all be destroyed theyr eye must spare none of them but the women children that had not knowne man by carnall copulation should be reserued aliue for their vses Thirdly hee commandeth the men of warre to purifie themselues before they came into the host Lastly we see the commandement of Eleazar the Priest to purifie the siluer and gold and garments that they had gotten that such mettals as would abide the fire and not be consumed should passe through it the rest was to bee washed with water that so they might be consecrated
women that had not knowne man which escaped the edge of the sword Here then wee may behold the misery that befell these Midianites for seducing Gods people and drawing them to whore dome and idolatry Doctrine Iniquity maketh the Lord to destroy people Nations Kingdomes Learne heereby that the iniquity of a people or a countrey and nation maketh the Lord to destroy them and to lay them waste sometime by the sword of the enemy as in this place sometimes by other iudgements as Deut. 7 1. where the Lord telleth the people of Israel that they should cast out and destroy many Nations and afterward chap. 9 4 he willeth them not to say that it was for their owne righteousnesse that the Lord had brought them to possesse that land but it was for the wickednesse of those Nations that hee did driue them out before them Againe in the eight chap. and the twentieth verse hee sayeth If thou forsake the Lord and walke after other gods and serue them then I testifie to thee this day that thou shalt surely perish because ye would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God So 1 Sam. 12 25 If ye shal still do wickedly yee shall perish both you and your king Mat. 23 37 38. Reason 1 The Reasons follow First they dishonour God in their liues and therefore it is iust that he should depriue them of those blessings that they enioy and make others to enioy the labours of their hands and in stead of them lay iudgements and plagues vpon them A sonne that dishonoureth his father is vnworthy to receiue any duty from a seruant So certainly it is iust with God that such as dishonour him should be depriued of his protection be left naked vnto all iudgements Reason 2 Secondly Gods iustice doth so require that where there is a generall corruption and deprauation there should be a generall desolation and where the corruption is particular the iudgement should also bee answerable When God tolde Abraham that hee would destroy Sodome and Gomorrha hee reasoneth in this manner Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked No saith God but if thou canst finde ten righteous persons I will spare the Cities for tens sake Gen. 18 verse 32. But he could finde none but Lot they had generally corrupted their waies It is not enough thogh some repent and turne vnto God those few may deferre a iudgement but they cannot keepe away iudgment for euer so long as the general state is corrupted If one man or a few forsake their sinnes it is enough that they escape the eternall punishment though they do fall into the temporall and do not saue deliuer the whole I say they haue enough if they saue themselues and haue ample fruit of their conuersion though they saue none of all the rest Reason 3 Thirdly this will make manifest the power of God Exemplary iustice may be shewed on a few but power is shewed when there are many offenders For as it is in his power to saue with few as well as with many 1 Sam. 14 6 so in this case it is the power of his iustice to destroy many A small power of a Prince will serue to destroy and subdue a small company of rebels but then is the power of a Prince manifested and openly shewed when Rebels are growne to an head and haue gotten vnto themselues some strong holde so it is vvith God the more opposition is made agaynst him the more is the glory of his power set forth when hee draweth out the sword of iustice against them The Vses remaine First of all Gods prouidence Vse 1 is heereby notably established that his eyes are vpon all men and vpon al their waies because hee destroyeth multitudes as well as particular persons His iudgements are euermore iust and that could not be except that there were cause why to destroy There must bee a cause and also a knowne cause forasmuch as though men were wicked if Gods all-seeing eye were not vpon them or if hee knew no cause he should be vniust if he shold destroy Nadab and Abihu that durst presume to rush into the presence of GOD with their strange Fire Leuit. chapt 2. verses 1 2. euen in the very act of their sinne the speciall prouidence of God came vpon them so that before they had finished their sin the plague began So it was with Ananias and Sapphira they were smitten downe with sodain death the lye was no sooner out of their mouth but the iudgement of God did lay hold on them For they fell downe and gaue vp the ghost Acts 5 5 10. Thus Gods almighty power ouer-reacheth the sinne of man with punishment before euer it be quite committed of which we saw a notable and fearefull example before in the Israelites the 11. chapter and the 33. ver recorded also in the 78. Psalme verses 29 30. They did eate and were well filled for he did giue them their owne desire but while theyr meate was yet in their mouthes the wrath of God came vpon them and slew and smote downe the chosen men of Israel Herod the King likewise while hee was in his pompe and pride was smitten of God in the very acte of his sinne while hee tooke to himselfe the glory due to God Acts 12. These such like punishments do plainly argue the prouidence of God to be ouer the waies of men and ouer all their actions doth continually waite vpon them Secondly it reprooueth those that magnifie Vse 2 themselues gather themselues together against God thinking to preuaile escape for their multitude sake This is no plea to protect our selues neither giueth any hope of deliuerance from iudgement but rather prouoketh God the more against vs. God bringeth in the people of Israel vanting thus Son of man they the inhabit those wasts of the land of Israel speak saying Abraham was one he inhabited the Land but we are many the land is giuen vs for an inheritance Ezek. 33 24. The Iewes that remained after the destruction of the City had their eies blinded with carnall security and perswaded themselues that albeit they hardened their hearts against the chastisements of God and repented not at the preaching of the prophets yet they should possesse the land and dwell in it whatsoeuer Ieremy Ezekiel and other Prophets pratled to the contrary And thus they reasoned If Abraham that was but one had the land promised vnto him then much more shall we haue it that are many Howbeit the Lord reproueth them for this presumption telleth them that their multitude shal nothing helpe them because they are not the sonnes and heirs of Abraham forasmuch as they did not the workes of Abraham but did wilfully transgresse the law of God Multitude therefore is not a note of the true Church neyther can they deliuer or excuse offenders from the wrath of God because when maine sinne many also shall bee punished
are commanded to giue no offence to Iew or Gentile or to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10 32 neyther to them that are within nor to them that are without But by such mariages the papists are offended the ignorant people that know not the law are offended the weaker sort that ought to be respected are offended and many of the godly brethren are offended and generally not some fewe but the whole multitude I answer Answer heere is much a doe about offence and this is in effect as much as to say that all men take offence at it howbeit this conceyte is ouer lauish I confesse if this were true in euery part there were iust and necessary cause to forbeare our Christian liberty for a time rather then to giue an vniuersall offence But I neither see nor heare of any such scandals or exceptions taken by the multitude which also are the ignorant sort against such matches Touching the offence of the multitude or ignorant sort which are dayly in vse and practise before theyr eyes neither is there any reason or likelihood that they should take such offence because they were the parties to the law-making in the high Court and Councel of Parliament for the lawfull liberty of such matches and they haue the tables of degrees in manie places hanging openly in theyr Churches to be seene and read of all and carry often about them or at least haue in their houses the English Bibles expressing the same in commoÌ„ vse Touching the offence of the particular weaklings Touching the offence of the weake such as it may be are or at least may be in any estate when any such appeare and are knowne they are much to be respected and a long time to be borne withall but yet not alwayes for there is a time of ignorance to bee allowed to such or rather a time wherin they are to learne and to be instructed til the Christian liberty be sufficiently made knowne vnto them This hath beene already thoroughly performed to any that haue minds to learne or hearts to enquire or eares to heare and therefore there is no reason that theyr wilfull ignorance and causlesse offence should still hold our Christian liberty in perpetual slauery and seruitude This therefore onely remaineth further to be performd in regard of their offence to proffer the meanes of satisfaction and resolution by opening to them the truth wherein if they wil still persist obstinate and stiffe-necked against the cleere shining thereof in their faces as the Sun at noone day then I may well say the offence is taken by themselues and wilfully holden rather then giuen by others and then they haue more neede to learne a rule of charity of the Apostles mouth then to teach vs one which is not to iudge their brother nor to condemne another mans seruant but themselues seeing he doth stand or fall to his owne master Rom. 14 4 10 and euerie man at the last day shall giue accounts for himselfe to God that iudgeth the quick and dead before whose iudgement seate all must stand And therefore they are not to iudge theyr brother in that which he doth to the Lord with thankfulnesse as did those that did eate to the Lord with thankefulnesse verse 6. and were not to be iudged by theyr brethren therein where if I do not mistake I take the offence to bee the more forcible then in this of the marriage of couzen germans because that offence was grounded vpon the ceremoniall Law of God then buried and abolished whereas this offence in the marriage of cousen germanes is grounded eyther vpon the rotten post of our owne fancy or vpon the ragged peeces of the Popes Canons Besides the fauouring of the weake brethren in those ceremonies of Moses Law was onely in the time of the infancy of the Gospel but when once in farther growth and deeper roote taken of the Gospel they were vanished by the cleere manifestation of the truth then they were mightily oppugned by the Apostles and the offence little fauoured In this case do we stand at this day in this matter of marriage between cousin germans after so long abolishing of those popish Constitutions to the contrary Touching the offence of the Papists and sufficient manifestation of the law of God against them so that the offence of the Papists is little to bee regarded especially seeing it tendeth to the bringing of vs backe againe to their Canonicall seruitude that is the Antichristian yoke which God forbid For seeing we are escaped from them why should wee suffer our selues to be entangled therewith againe and why do we not rather stand for the christian liberty whereunto the Lord hath called vs And if we will soberly and seriously consider of this matter we shall find that offence is rather giuen to a Papist by refraining that Christian liberty of Gods Law then by professing vsing of it in such marriages as are against their Canon And by making scruple of such mariages as are prohibited by the Popes Canon doe we not confirme the Papists in the idoll subiection to the Popish Canon and make them still to iudge amisse of the Christian liberty giuen vnto vs by Gods Law and professed also by our owne Lawes To conclude a Papist no doubt would be more offended in his conceyte to see any refuse theyr Canonicall obedience by approouing or making such matches prohibited by them whereas by refrayning or not approouing such mariages great occasion is giuen to make the Papistes thinke well of theyr Canon and of him that made it Lastly from hence ariseth comfort to those Vse 3 that are already entred into such marriage as now we iustifie to bee lawfull Howbeit as they that disswade marriage in this kinde do notwithstanding professe ingenuously that they seeke not to intangle any mans Conscience that hath so matched so in like manner I write not to perswade or encorage any that are free to match this way neyther doe I see why any should bee discouraged from it or left comfortlesse that are already entred into it Againe albeit I teach the lawfulnes of this marriage yet I would haue no man presume to enter and aduenture vppon the same with doubt of mind and perplexity of conscience because then it becommeth sinne to him forasmuch as hee doeth it not in faith Lastly where the ciuill Magistrate doth restrayn and prohibit this degree it is meete reason that the people should forbeare the same as in all other ciuill ordinances which are not repugnant to the morall law of God True it is in Geneua and other free Cities there is some restraint of this degree as appeareth by the Confession of â—axony sect 18. Harmony of the Church sect 18. touching marriage neuerthelesse touching the lawfulnesse of the marriage of cousin germans Beza is plaine in his obseruations vpon that Confession when he sayth Wee admonish the people diligently that they doe not thinke that this degree is