their male-children and here God takes away their strength the heires and supporters of their families yea he extendeth it to their beasts and gods Exod. 12.12 These were the ten plagues There was an other judgement as fearefull as any of these if not more fearfull the utter destruction of Pharaoh and all his hoast in the red sea It is said that he took six hundred chosen Chariots and all the Chariots of Egypt and Captains over every one of them Exod. 14.7 which implyeth a very huge host God saw it not enough to destroy their fishes in the water but also in just revenge of their seeking to drown the Israelites children drowned Pharaoh and all his host Thus we see what wonders the Lord wrought in executing vengeance on his enemies I should here according to my Method propounded set forth the distresses from which the Israelites were delivered by these wonders but they will more seasonably be observed in the Application of the last point of my Text to which I now come Remember this day in which ye came out from Egypt To remember is the proper function of the memory which God hath set as a treasury in the soule to lay up for future use such things as the understanding conceiveth to be a truth and the will yeeldeth unto as good There is a foure-fold act of this faculty 1. To receive and lay up what is so conceived as Joh. 15.20 where Christ thus saith to his Disciples Remember the word that I said unto you 2. To hold fast that which is so laid up Thus it is most properly opposed to forgetfulnesse As Deut. 9.7 where it is thus said Remember and forget not 3. To call againe to mind what hath been forgotten Thus the Israelites are said to remember their own evill wayes Ezek. 20.31 And the Disciples to remember what Jesus had said to them Joh. 2.22 Jesus in the time of his Ministery had told them that he should rise the third day from the dead but they forgate it till the time of his Resurrection then they remembred it that is called it againe to remembrance 4. To thinke on and consider that which we have learned as when we are injoyned to remember God Deut. 8.18 to remember his Law Mal. 4.4 to remember the Sabbath Exod. 20.8 Thus our English Translatours doe render the same Hebrew word thinke on Neh. 5.19 and remember Neh. 13.31 In this latitude the word remember being enjoyned as a duty is here to be taken That which is here commanded to be remembred is first in generall thus expressed This day There is a double relative used in the originall to expresse the set distinct time here intended which we may thus expound This day this very day The particular day here meant was that very day wherein they came out from Egypt For in the Chapter going before it is said that in the night the Egyptians were urgent upon the people of Israel that they might send them out of the land in haste ver. 30 33. and thereupon ver. 42. it is said This is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt This is that night of the Lord to be observed of the children of Israel in their generations The day following that night they came to Succoth the place where Moses gave this charge for the children of Israel were in Ramases which is in Egypt when they first began to take their journey from thence Exod. 12.37 thence they came to Succoth which was the first station where they setled after they came out of Egypt Numb. 33.5 The night before mentioned is comprised under this day and so both make one naturall day the very first day of their deliverance Yet is not this charge to be restrained to that particular day only but to the annuall revolution thereof generation after generation In which respect the charge is thus extended ver. 10. Thou shalt keep this Ordinance in his season from yeare to yeare That which is thus added in which ye came out from Egypt doth both determine the day that is here meant and also shew the reason why this day was to be remembred Egypt was an ancient fertile and learned Nation The Hebrew name had his denomination from Misraim the second son of Ham which shewes the ancientnesse of it No raine did ever fall upon it as was before shew'd but the river Nilus overflowing their pasture and arable grounds at certaine seasons left a slime thereon which made them more fertile then any dung or other manuâ—ing could doe Thus it came to be the most fertile of all lands The Magicians which are mentioned to be therein were learned Philosophers Such was the report of the learning in Egypt as sundry Philosophers went thither to get more learning How then may some say is their comming out from Egypt to be remembred as a great deliverance The words immediately following my Text doe shew the reason for thus it is added Out of the house of bondage Egypt was to Israel a place of very great affliction The Hebrew name given to Egypt signifieth oppression or anguish In regard of the Egyptians oppressing the children of Israel and the anguish which thence arose the name fitly agreeth thereto The summe of this Text in two words is this MERCIES MEMORIALL or a little more largely and plainly thus The duty of such as are delivered from distresse Here more particularly we may distinguish the Act wherein the duty is expressed Remember and the Object whereabout it is exercised The Act is thus in generall propounded This day and in particular thus exemplified in which ye came out from Egypt Hence arise these three Instructions 1. Memorable matters are to be remembred Remember 2. The very day wherein God doth memorable matters is duly to be noted This day 3. The distresse from which we are delivered is to be considered even after the deliverance In which ye came out c. The first Instruction Memorable matters are to be remembred is to be taken in the foure-fold latitude before mentioned as 1. They are to be laid up in memory 2. Being once laid up they are to be held fast and not forgotten 3. In case they be forgotten meanes for calling them to mind again are to be used 4. For the better retaining of them they are frequently and seriously to be thought on In this extent Moses addeth this Memento in the fourth Commandement Deut. 5.15 Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arme So David the like Psal. 105.5 Remember his marvellous workes that he hath done his wonders and the judgements of his mouth And to shew that the duty doth not only bind semper alwayes on all occasions to be performed but also ad semper
These things are our types that is they are types patternes or examples to shew Gods mind to us how he will deale with us if we be such and such And the setling of Israel in Canaan is expressely made a type of the rest of Gods people in Heaven Thus in regard of the mysticall truth comprised under this historicall type it concernes all sorts of people and to every one whose naturall condition is altered it may not unfitly be said Remember this day in which ye came out from Egypt Yea further in regard of an allegoricall allusion it may be applyed to this our Natiō which long lay in a miserable thraldome under Antichrist For the Kingdome of Antichrist is a mysticall Egypt and the tyranny and idolatry thereof a spirituall bondage a bondage farre worse then the temporall bondage under which the Israelites were held in Egypt so as it may well be said to you in particular who are sensible of your deliverance from that antichristian servitude Remember this day in which ye came out from Egypt This day is the first day of the fourscore and seventh yeere since the beginning of that blessed deliverance For this day is the seventeenth of November a day worthy not only to be distinguished in our Almanakes by capitall red or golden letters but allso to be written in our hearts by the finger of Gods Spirit A day of which it well becomes us oft to put one another in mind and to say Remember this day in which ye came out from Egypt On this day of the moneth the seventeenth of November 1558 two great pillars besides many others of the antichristian tyranny and idolatry were removed from this Land For Queene Mary and Cardinall Poole who were strong supporters abbetters and maintainers of the Popes supremacy and popish idolatry were both on one day the foresaid seventeenth of November cut out of the land of the living On the very same seventeenth of November blessed Queene Elizabeth whose memory so long as this Gospell continueth to shine among us will be blessed I say blessed Queene Elizabeth who suffered much and long lay in prison while this Land was an house of antichristian bondage was on this day 1558 freed from those troubles and thousands more freed from much misery On that day was that blessed Queene set upon the throne of England and a Scepter of peace and truth put into her hand which by the good guidance of Gods Spirit she so swayed for five and fourty yeares together current as she restored to English Subjects not only the liberties and priviledges of Subjects together with a well established peace and all manner of prosperity but all so true Religion and a free passage to the Gospell of peace having cleane put out the cruell fire of the Marian persecution and dispelled the thick cloud of popish Superstition whereby it came to passe thorough Gods blessing that the lives of many who were appointed to death were preserved and the soules of many millions saved Had I time to set out distinctly the many blessings which this Land injoyed all the time of that blessed Queens raigne the many victories which God gave her against the implacable enemies of this Land the good aid she afforded to the neighbouring Countries about us professing the same Religion as Scotland Netherlands Portugall yea and to that King of France which professed to establish the true reformed Religion in his dominiōs had I time to set out these and other like memorable matters yee might see yet further cause oft to inculcate this memento Remember this day in which ye came out from Egypt This in briefe of the allegoricall allusion of this Text to our times I shall speake somewhat more hereof in my last applicacation In the meane while I come to the literall intendment of my Text The deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt was one of the most famous deliverances that ever God gave to a people and that both in regard of the mighty wonders manifested therein and also in regard of the great distresses from which they were delivered by those wonders No wonders are more frequently repeated and brought to the mindes of Gods people in the old Testament then these The sweet Singer of Israel that man after Gods own heart having his heart filled with an holy admiration of Gods wonderfull workes thus exemplifieth them He wrought his signes in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan Psal. 78.43 Zoan was a royall City in Egypt called by the Greekes and Latines Tanis And Psal. 135.9 He sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee O Egypt And speaking of Gods Ministers he saith They shewed his wonders in the land of Ham Psal. 105.27 These are the wonders which Gods people are called upon to remember Psal. 105.5 Remember his marvellous workes that he hath done his wonders and the judgements of his mouth And they which slightly passed them over or forgate them are thus blamed Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies Psal. 106.7 Some of those wonders were evidences of Gods gracious protection and mighty preservation of his people Others were instances of Gods fiery indignation against and fearfull vengeance on their enemies Of the former sort were 1. The Bush that flamed with fire and was not consumed Exod. 3.2 An Embleme of the Churches preservation in the midst of fiery persecution and affliction 2. Moses his rod turned into a serpent Exod. 4.3 4. Hereby God gave him to understand that though the Government which was conferred on him should be as a Scepter of equity unto his people yet it should be also a biting and stinging Serpent to the rebellious 3. Moses his leprous hand made cleane when it was plucked out of his bosome Exod. 4.7 A signe of Israels cleansing from the pollutions wherewith they were defiled in Egypt yea also a signe of sanctifying Moses to his function as the touching of Isaiahs mouth with an hot coale taken from the Altar was a signe of sanctifying him to his function Isai. 6.7 4. The turning of water into bloud Exod. 4.9 Not that water which was in the river for therewith the fish were destroyed but water taken out of the river and powred upon the dry land which became bloud upon the dry land whereby was prefigured that they should be delivered out of Egypt but not without the bloud of their enemies 5. Israels exemption in Goshen from all the plagues that infected the land of Egypt Exod. 8.22 9.26 Hereby they had a present evidence that the Lord in all kindes of judgement knew how to put difference betwixt his people and enemies and how to deliver the godly 6. Israels going on dry ground thorow the midst of the sea Exod. 14.16 This as it was a like figure to Baptisme as we shew'd before so it was an
especiall instance of Gods carrying them thorow all difficulties and dangers into Canaan Of the latter sort of wonders which are instances of Gods vengeance on the Egyptians are those which we commonly call the ten plagues of Egypt They are these which follow 1. The streames rivers ponds and pooles of water thorowout all the land of Egypt turned into bloud so as the fish in the river died and the water stunke and the Egyptians could not drinke of it Exod. 7.19 20 21. Pharaoh had commanded all his people to cast into the river every sonne of the Israelites when it was first borne God therefore to meet with the Egyptians in their owne kinde makes that element which they used as an instrument of their cruelty to be an instrument of his just judgement on them and killed the Creatures which were of use to them with that means whereby they sought to destroy young children yea they themselves were thereby stanched and choked 2. Frogs in such abundance as they came into the Egyptians houses bed-chambers beds ovens and kneading troughs not sparing the Kings house and bed-chamber Exod. 8.3 c. Psal. 105.30 yea Psal. 78.45 it is said The frogs destroyed them The Egyptians endeavoured to empty the houses and bed-chambers of the Israelites and to deprive them of their sweet babes God therefore fils theirs with croaking noisome frogs 3. All the dust of the land became Lice throughout all the land of Egypt so as there were Lice upon man and beast Exod. 8.17 18. and that in all their quarters Psal. 105.31 The Egyptians were tyrannically imperious over the Israelites God therefore doth justly beat downe their pride with these noisome loathsome contemptible creatures as Herods pride was beaten downe with wormes Acts 12.23 And because bond-slaves used to be much annoyed with this kind of Vermine God would there with infest those proud Lords which made his people bond-slaves 4. Grievous swarmes of Flies came into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants houses and into all the land of Egypt The Land was corrupted by reason of the swarmes of Flies Exod. 8.21 24. The Psalmist saith Psal. 78.45 that the Lord sent divers sorts of Flies which devoured them It is evident that there were more then one sort The originall word translated swarmes of Flies properly signifieth a mixture of things It is applyed to the mixture of sundry sorts of people together Exod. 12.38 to the mixture of light and darknesse together and called the evening Levit. 23.33 and to mixture of divers creatures together so is it here used in this place Our English Translatours therefore have thus expressed it in the Margin A mixture of noisome beasts Such creatures they were as devoured the Egyptians Psal. 78.45 so as dog-flies horse-flies wasps hornets vipers scorpions and such other biting stinging poisoning creatures may be comprised under the forementioned word The cruell Egyptians many wayes vexed and gauled the Israelites they therefore with such kind of creatures were vexed and tormented 5. A very grievous Murraine upon their cattell so as all the cattell in Egypt died Exod. 9.3 6. Before the fish in the water were destroyed here the cattell in the field to shew how farre they had provoked the Lord even to deprive them of the use of all his creatures both in the waters and also in the dry land It is probable that the Egyptians had wronged the Israelites in and about their cattell so as God repaies like for like 6. Boyles breaking forth with blanes upon man and beast The Magicians could not avoid this plague for the Boyle was upon the Magicians and upon all the Egyptians Exod. 9.10 11. As their hearts were inwardly swollen with pride malice and cruelty so God made their flesh to swell with noisome and painfull Boyles The Egyptians oppressed the Israelites with making and burning brick answerably by ashes of the fornace are Boyles caused to vex them 7. Thunder haile and fire mingled therewith very grievous which smote thorowout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field both man and beast and every herbe and tree of the field Exod. 9.24 25. such was the haile as the fire melted it not and such the fire as the haile quenched it not As this was a terrible judgement in it selfe so the more terrible to the Egyptians because in Egypt which was neere to the hot middle Zone there used not to be any haile or raine at all They were herein justly dealt withall for their terrible threatnings to and cruell dealings with the Israelites 8. Locusts Exod. 10.5 14. This was a grievous plague in regard of the kind and multitude of the creatures which annoyed them Locusts were of that kind which they call Insecta divided betwixt the head and the belly They were winged and able to fly over seas from Country to Country They devoured all kind of grasse herbs and fruits They were so pernicious that in the Countries where they abode all the meanes that could be invented were used to destroy them In their multitude they were as hurtfull as in their kind for they used so to flock together as like a thick dark cloud they overshadowed the face of the skie and obscured the light of the Sunne The Psalmist joyneth Caterpillars with them Psal. 78.46 And another Prophet joyneth Locusts Canker-wormes Caterpillars and Palmer-wormes and cals them Gods great Army Joel 2.25 From this phrase which Pharaoh useth Exod. 10.17 Take away this death only some gather that the Locusts were venimous creatures and bit and stung men to death The Egyptians were very cruell to the Israelites 9. Darknesse even Darknesse which might be felt so as they saw not one another neither rose any from his place for three dayes Exod. 10.21 23. That phrase which might be felt sheweth that it was an extreme Mist or Fog which utterly obscured all the celestiall Lights as Sunne Moone and Starres and put out all artificiall lights as fires torches candles and such like Idolatry and superstition had obscured the light of Gods truth to their minds and this darknesse obscured other lights to their bodies As the Egyptians had many wayes terrified the Israelites and denied all comfort and succour to them so with this darknesse are they much affrighted and deprived of all comfort and succour one from another 10. The destruction of all the first-borne in the land of Egypt from the first-borne of Pharaoh that sate on his throne even unto the first-borne of the captive that was in the dungeon and all the first-borne of cattell so as there was not an house where there was not one dead Exod. 12.29 30. So great was this plague as it forced them to let the Israelites with all that they had to depart out of their land This judgement of all the rest did most properly meet with them in their kind for they sought to destroy the strength of Israel even all
again to blesse the Lord he rendereth this reason thereof Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction c. Psal. 103.1 2 3 4. 6. This bindeth a man more firmely to all duty and good obedience Upon consideration of this the Psalmist acknowledging that God had delivered his soule from death his eyes from teares and his feet from falling maketh this inference I will walke before the Lord in the land of the living Psal. 116.8 9. 7. This is an especiall ground of future confidence as is evident in Davids answer to Saul which was this The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Beare He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine 1 Sam. 17.37 To like purpose Saint Paul being delivered out of the mouth of the Lion that is Lion-like Nero thus addeth And the Lord shall deliver me from every evill worke c. 2 Tim. 4.17 18. I. Surely they who after deliverance forget the misery wherein they were manifest a very ungratefull and ungracious disposition against God moving him as much as in them lyeth to repent of the good he hath done for them as it repented him that he set up Saul to be King 1. Sam. 15.11 They doe allso take away much from the sweetnesse and the comfort of that deliverance which they might have in their owne soules For remembrance of a bitter affliction past doth much sweeten a quiet and peaceable estate Yea further they deprive themselves of an especiall ground of confidence which they might have if againe they fall into any trouble as hath bin prooved before II. Let us therefore be more wise and among other things that we often meditate on call to mind such distresses as formerly we have bin in and from which thorough Gods providence we have bin delivered whether they be such as the whole Christian Church have groaned under or particular Churches either of our owne or other nations yea and such allso as we our selves have bin in or our children families friends or others neere and deare unto us For private deliverances particular Dyaries before mentioned are needfull and oft reading them will be very usefull For publike deliverances it will be time well spent to reade such Ecclesiasticall Histories as set forth the cruell persecutions of the primitive Christians under heathenish Emperours from the Apostles time till Constantine the great And the more inhumane persecutions under which the professours of the true faith endured much from the beginning of Antichrists raigne till these our dayes I would in these our dayes they were ended The latter Beast of Rome was farre more cruell then the former Among other fierce and fiery persecutions let them especially be remembred which have bin executed in this our Land against those who maintained the same faith which we now doe and for the same resisted unto blood Their sufferings and our freedome from the same are never to be forgotten We have an excellent helpe for informing our selves in all the sufferings of the Church from the death of Christ till the raigne of the forementioned blessed Queene The helpe that I meane is that large volume which we call the booke of Martyrs entituled Acts and Monuments of matters most speciall and memorable happening in the Church with an universall History of the same All the dayes of Queene Elizabeth was this Monument of Martyrs in high account All Churches by authority were injoyned to have it so as all that would might reade it There was scarce a Family of note that had it not It was usuali to spend the long Winter evenings in reading it By the constancy of Martyre therein set out people were much encouraged to stand to that faith which was sealed by their blood For further amplification of this Use I suppose it now meet to come to that which was before put off to this place namely to shew distinctly the distresses wherein the children of Israel were under the Egyptian bondage and therewith to paralell the distresses wherein this English Nation was under the forementioned antichristian bondage before the raigne of the foresaid blessed Queene Elizabeth that so the seventeenth of November the day of our delivâ—rance may be accounted as memorable a day to us as the fourteenth day of Abib the day of Israels deliverance was to the Israelites and as the fourteenth and fifteenth day of Adar was to the Iewes in Esthers time that we may see what just cause we have in relation to the seventeenth of November to say Remember this day in which ye came out from Egypt That which I have in this case to observe shall be reduced to six heads 1. That base esteeme which the Egyptians had of the Israelites accounting them no better then Servants and Slaves dealing with them answerably For they put them to servile tasks which was to make bricks for their great workes as treasure Cities Pithon and Ramases and they placed over them taske-masters Exod. 1.11 They fed them allso with the basest meat as fish Cucumbers Melons Leeks Onions and Garlick Numb. 11.5 A farre baser esteeme have Papists of Protestants accounting them Hereticks Schismaticks despisers of Saints Sacrilegious men of no learning nor parts Yea to their common people they set them forth to be ougly and monstrous shapes of men such as would eat and devour up their owne Mothers to make the common sort of people the more to detest them 2. That envy and malice which the Egyptians did bare against the Israelites For they had a jealous and suspitious conceit that the Israelites might be more in number and mightier in power then they and that they might joyne with their enemies This made them envy at Gods blessing in causing the Israelites to multiply Exod. 1.9 10. Is not the envy and malice of Papists against Protestants farre greater doe they not fret and fume rage and rave at the increase of Protestants and is not Gods blessing on our Ministery an eye-sore unto them because so many children professors of the true Protestant faith are begotten thereby The many means plotted contrived by them to hinder or diminish this increase gives sufficient evidence of that their envy against us 3. That hard usage wherewith the Egyptians handled the Israelites For they did not only put them to servile works but allso afflicted them with their burdens They exacted of them more then well they could accomplish and yet afforded them not meanes to performe the same Exod. 5.7 8. More harshly delt Papists imposing such variety of unwarrantable duties and burthensome Ordinances on people as with the peace of their conscience they could not observe and yet afforded them not the light of Gods word to direct them nor other meanes to help them but by rigour would enforce the same upon them 4. That savage cruelty which they exercised