all sinnes So in Daniel is it saide that to Antichrist are giuen the eyes of a man still therefore marke how these properties hit Sixtly Their haire as the haire of women So are these they are delicious and wanton full of light allurements so trick and trim in silke and sutes of their fashion that the very Persians may séeme to giue place vnto them when they are in their Pontificalibus and gay attire In a word nothing may be saide more truly than that their haire is like the haire of women Their loose life hath toâ— much proofe Seauenthly But their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons So are these passing cruell and beyond all the butchering Tyrants that Stories speake of No mercie no bowels no respect of age seâ—e or circumstance vsually respected of men that haue any remnants of pitie Their Inquisition Oh how mercilesse their new deuised Torments Oh how strange Againe their teeth may bee well said to be like Lyons because they deuoured and eate vp such great things Looke vpon their Abbies Priories Nunries and all Religious Houses iudge what teeth they had and when there was not enough to satisfie them of temporall Lands then they preyed vpon the Church making Impropriations the venome whereof remaineth yet So that one way or other they were planted placed seated and setled in the very fat of the earth and had they continued still and not béene limited to fiue moneths who or what should haue escaped their Lyon-like teeth Eightly They had Habbergions like to Habbergions of yron And â—o haue these if you well marke them for by these yron Brest-plates are noted two properties found in the Romish rabble First a most obstinate stubbornnesse and inflexible frowardnesse not enduring any perswasion not yéelding any way but crying euer The Church The Church I am setled I am resolued and as a Captaine of theirs an English Apostata saide once Heaue at vs whilest you will and whilest you may you shall neuer remoue vs. This is to haue an Habbergion or Brest-plate of yron or euen to bee turned into yron Blessed be God who hath thus foretolde vs of this striffe conâ—umacie of theirs to the end we should take no offence that they are not conuerted vnto the Truth but stand and die in their wilfulnes Secondly they are defended by that Antichristian power as it were by an Habbergion of yron claiming an impunitie immunitie from all secular power and authoritie and hauing in readines curses and threats of Excommunication euen against the Greatest Princes and against All their Subiects who shall obey them whereof many a wofull Tragedie hath followed Againe themselues many of them haue béene Princes younger Sonnes Noble-mens younger sonnes greatly allied and friended so that in regard of this power and strength they might truly be saide to haue Habbergions of yron Ninthly The sound of their wings was like the sound of Chariots when many horses runne vnto battell So haue these winges when they flie aloft by the Names of MOST HOLY FATHERS MOST BLESSED MOST EXCELLENT and such like themselues giuing out That they are more blessed than the holy virgin Mary because she bare Christ but once and they make him and beare him in their hands euery day at the Altar Thus flying with their light wings of proud Titles they make such a noise and sound as Chariots drawne by many horses into the battell For denie any of these things and how violent how vehement are they by Disputations Excommunications Suspentions and Sentences of death it selfe Surely no whéeles of Chariots can flash out fire so as these men doo if their flickering wings of flattering Titles be touched Fitly therefore the words of S. Iohn hit them Their Scorpion tailes and power to hurt was touched before therefore I omit it now The tenth Marke is Those Locusts haue a King ouer them And so haue these Romish Locusts their Pope acknowledging no Magistrates authoritie ouer them but exalting him and exempting themselues from all others This King of the Locustes is héere called The Angel of the bottomlesse pit and in the eleuenth Chapter The Beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit Wordes of weight to mooue all Popish mindes if the Lord had not a purpose to destroy them For they must néedes acknowledge such a King is not worth the following and that their Pope is this King that which hath béene said and may further be noted of him clearely sheweth For hee that crosseth and crusheth to his vttermost power His Doctrine that came from Heauen he is the King that commeth out of Hell in whom S. Hierome saith the Deuill dwelleth bodily But the Pope doth so as proofe enough will manifest and Ergo the conclusion followeth as I said His Name also is folde héere which giueth againe great light For albeit the Pope be called Holy Father and so forth yet indéede he is a bloodie Destroyer and so his right Name in Hebrewe is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is destroying Thus in the Prophecie of the Reuelation hath God you sée described a fearefull kinde of Locustes vnto the consideration whereof by reason of these Egyptian Locusts or Grashoppers we haue slipped I hope not without some encrease of féeling how dreadfull their steps be that continually walke in Romish wayes and will not be reclaimed by any meanes Our owne safer iudgement God make vs thankfull for and continue the blessed helpes of our confirmation in his Truth euer vnto vs his holy and Heauenly Word a fréedome to vse all the profitable exercises thereof as Preaching hearing reading writing praying conference and whatsoeuer else without feare vnder the swéete smelling gouernment of a gracious Prince our dread Souereigne Amen Amen 10. Therefore Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and saide I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you And now forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death one 〈…〉 Thus the wicked in extremities seeke to Gods Ministers whom in their heart they hate and cannot abide But this hypocriticall holinesse of this dissembling King we haue diuers times noted before and therefore may passe it ouer now Yet marke the great vehemency of his wordes and consider in your minde what a déep sin Hypocrisy is how disagréeing from the nature of God who is all Truth and from that blessing in the Gospell of a pure heart Moses yéelded againe to pray to God And by a mightie strong West-winde the Grashoppers were taken away and violently cast into the Red-Sea so that there remained not so-much as one in all the coast of Egypt But when it was done Ph 〈…〉 h shewed himselfe in his olde colour and would not let them goe The 9. plague 1. VVHere vpon the Lord spake againe to Moses and said Stretch out thine hand toward heauen that there may be vpon the land
of Egypt darknes euen darkenesse that may bee felt Then Moses stretched-forth his hand toward heauen and there was a blacke darknesse in the land of Egypt 3. dayes no man saw an other neither rose vp from the place where he was for 3. daies The manner of this darknes is described first in these wordes euen that may bee felt whereby either litterally a very vile grosse matter is meant which indéede might be felt or at least so thicke foggie and filthy as was most noisome might be saide as it were palpable Secondly such it was as no man sawe an other neither role-up from the place where he was which flit be taken litterallie as is said was a most strange and fearefull thing and if figuratiuely that it disabled them to go to worke abroad according to the Psalme The sunne ariseth and man goeth forth to his laboure euen that way also it was a great plaguè Thirdly the time is noted for the space of three dayes a great while to be in such a case as were wée but one houre in it would make the strongest natural man shake and be amazed Fourthly in the booke of Wisedome it is described by much feare in these wordes When the vnrighteous thought to haue thy holy people in subiection they were bound with the bands of darknes and long night and being shut vp vnder the roofe did lye there to escape the euerlasting Prouidence And while they thought to be hid in their darke sinnes they were scattered abroad in the darke couering of forgetfulnesse fearing horribly and troubled with visions For the den that hid them kept them not from feare but the sounds that were about them troubled them and terrible visions and sorrowfull sights did appeare No power of the fire might giue light neither might the cleare flames of the starres lighten the horrible night According whereunto is that in Philo written Ignem domesticum quo quotidié vtimur vel extinctum fuisse turbato aere vel crassissimis tenebris victum vt nullum lumen caligo illa admitteret That fire and candell was either quite extinguished or so ouercome with the troubled ayre that no light could be admitted in that darknes This then was the fearefull most fearefull maner of that darknes which maketh me remēber that great darknes which is said to haue béen in Hispaniola when Columbus came thither the second time about the yéere of Christ 1493 And that which Tullie writeth of to haue béene in Cicilie vt per biduum homo hominem non agnosceret that by the space of two daies one man could not knowe another All should make vs with thankfull hearts acknowledge the Mercie of God in this one benefit of Light amongst infinite moe that we enioy and humbling our soules vnder him as the Lord of Light and darknes Life and Death Hell and Heauen serue him in reuerence and feare according to his Wil all the daies of our life S. Augustine and others goe farther in the Meditation of this darknes of Egypt and say that it was a signe of the darknes of their mindes then and a plaine shadowe of their wofull Night of ignorance and blindnes that is ouer some men in all times and admitteth no light For the Egyptians it is manifest that extreame was the fogge in their hearts when such Wonders wrought no more Such déepe securitie before punishment such inflexible obstinacie in and vnder punishment such high pride after punishment and such a monstrous dissembling of repentance euer which both deceaueth the beholders and hurteth the vsers as One well saith argued darknes of minde thicke and blacke vehemently to be prayed against by all that wish to haue saued soules in that Great day of God And for vs in these times and so euer to the worldes end wee are all to consider that our Ignorance is darknes in déede and that very great darknes so termed by God himselfe more dangerous than this of Egypt in that the Soule is héereby destroyed and by that onely the body was annoyed Whereupon by this horror in Egypt wee may take occasion to consider of our selues and by that darknes noted to be such a plague to thinke whether our darknes be a vertue The Light of the body is the Eye saith our Sauiour Christ If then the Eye be single thy whole bodie shall be light But if thine Eye be wicked or euill then all thy body shall be darke Wherefore if the light that is in thee be darknes how great is that darknes Now as the Eye is to the body so is the Judgement of the minde to the whole life and therefore darknes in iudgement most dangerous S. Paule in like sort noteth Ignorance by the name and fruite of darknes when he saith of the Gentiles to the Ephesians that their vnderstanding was darkned and they strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them And of the Ephesians themselues Yee were once darknes but now are yee light in the Lord walke as the children of light Many other places in the Scripture say the like terming still and euer Ignorance to be darknes and noting an inward darknes in man of his minde as well as an outward of his eye Which may make vs thinke why God should so speake and by consideration thereof hee euer speaking most fitly draw vs to the obseruance of certaine properties wherein there is agréement betwixt inward and outward darknes First outward darknes hindereth our eyes from discerning the outward obiects which by them should bee discerned and therefore haue their name tenebrae á tenendo because they hold the eye from doing his dutie so doth Ignorance our inward darknes hold and hinder our iudgement which as an eye should guide our actions frō discerning things fit to be done and fit to be left vndone whereby as blinde men wee fall into many ditches that is wee commit and omit doo and leaue vndone many things contrarie to our duties both to God and man Secondly outward darknes hindereth our going and walking about our worke or for our health and comfort For he that walketh in darknes cannot tell whither he goeth saith Christ and it is true in this sense so Ignorance the inward darknes hindereth our iudgements our harts and mindes from going and walking through the swéete fields of true Comforts true knowledge and Heauenly Meditations for in this sense also our Sauiours wordes are true A blinde man thus knoweth not whither he goeth A darke iudgement and a blinde heart knoweth not féeleth not tasteth not the pleasant pathes of knowledge either in matters Humane or Diuine Miserable therefore is this darknes and a wofull effect of our fall in Adam to be prayed against and laboured against as much as we possibly can although whilest we liue we shall groane vnder part of it knowing but in part seeing but in part in this life as the Apostle teacheth vs.
haue their Page 206. line 34. would haue you eschue Page 234. line 34. Miriams Page 242. line 20. Sin Page 244. line 5. heare of Page 329. line 16. make you a Page 332. line 8. said not to be Page 351. line 17. president Page 355. line 19. this rash Page 366. line 22. funerall Page 436. line 1. but God Some other faults there are escaped which the diligent reader may easily amend The like notes vpon euery Chapter of the bookes of Exodus and Leuiticus TOuching this booke of Exodus in genenerall wée may note two things in it First the authority of it and secondlie the profit we may take by it The authority of it very well appeareth by such allegations as are made out of it in the new Testament for the confirmation of most weighty points of our Christian faith as the resurrectien of the dead our free election by grace not by merit with other such like The profit of it is double historicall and mysticall Historicall by notable examples of Gods wrath and mercy Wrath towards the Egiptians Maleâ—hites and such like mercy towards the Israelites and those that shew mercy vnto them as Rahab the Midwiues and others The former may teach the wicked to beware because God certainely payeth home at the last The latter may confirme all true beléeuers in Gods promises which euer were and shal be performed in their time Also make vs patient to endure the Lords good pleasure euer séeing he both so gratiouslie regardeth and so mercifully moderateth the afflictions of his children Both the points togither may teach vs that kingdomes gouernments are disposed by God euen as shall please his holy will For hée setteth vp and he taketh downe hée establisheth and changeth according as hée is serued and obeyed by Princes and people gouerning and gouerned Able to shiuer in péeces the greatest that euer was and as able againe to support the weakest when he pleaseth The mystical profit of this booke is a declaration of our Sauiour Christ and the merits of his passion which is most notablie made héerein by types and figures and liuelie resemblances as will appeare in their places The whole booke may bée deuided into these two parts The birth as it were and the beginning of the Church in the first fiftéene Chapters Then the education and bringing vp of the same in the rest of the booke CHAP. 1. This first Chapter hath these chiefe heads in it The multiplication of the Israelites The crueltie of the Aegyptians The vertue of the Midwiues COncerning the first point you sée in the fifth verse that all the soules which came out of the loines of Jacob into Egypt with him were but seuentie soules of which little flocke God made such an increase as the Egyptians grew afraide of it For they brought-forth fruite and increased in aboundance saith the seuenth verse and were multiplied and were excéeding mightie so that the land was full of them Some make the Hebrew word to signifie an increase like corne where one graine bringeth forth thirty sixty or a 100. Some as fishes which multiply in greater number than any creature R. Salamoh saith the womeÌ„ had oft foure and fixe at a burden God so prouiding to fulfill his promise touching their increase Genesis 22. 17. In the booke of Numbers you may more particularlie sée what came of euerie one For Reuben the eldest son of Jacob so increased that his branches there are saide to be sixe and forty thousand and fiue hundered Simeon his second sonne increased to nine and fifty thousand thrée hundered and fifty Gad his third sonne to fiue and forty thousand six hundred and fifty and so for the rest read their increase in that place Whereof to make some good vse to our selues wée may note and marke first the truth of Gods propromise made to Abraham in the 15. of Gen. when he bad him looke vp to the stars of heauen and number them if hée could assuring him then that euen so would hée make his posteritie and ofspring a mightie people and a great kindred which wée all sée héere was fulfilled So assuredlie true are all other of Gods promises and therefore thinke of what you will your faith and comfort shal not faile you That swéete promise that at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth truly of his sinnes God in mercy will forgiue him it shall neuer faile Hée may as soone cease to bée God as cease to be true in any thing which hée hath spoken And for this particular he hath not onely spoken it but sworne it that as he liueth he will not the death of any true peâ—itent and sorrowfull sinner Wée may not therefore do him wrong and doubt of it It is no pride to take fast hold of this word but it is duty due from vs to confesse his truth and to be thankefull An other promise he hath made to vs that if we seeke the kingdome and the righteousnesse thereof these worldly wants of ours shall euer be supplied as shall bée fit and good for vs. This also will he as assuredlie kéepe as he is God to the great quietnesse of our hearts if wée will beléeue him In a word that promise of all promises that if we beleeue in his Son we shall neuer perish but haue eternall life hée will performe So both for this life and that to come wée haue his word and no more than hée failed Abraham in multiplying his séede will he faile vs in any promise Only his time wée must tarry and hasty mindes learne humble patience Hée knoweth when is best both for him and vs. Tary hée may but come hée will Neuer vntruth passed from him neuer any that beléeued in him was disappointed of his hope Secondly we may obserue héere the rising of houses and families whence it is euen from the Lord who blesseth where he pleaseth with increase of children maketh a name spread as likewise drieth vp and cutteth off as he pleaseth others It must make vs cease from enuie where we sée increase and stay rash iudgment where we sée decrease For it is the Lords worke in whose matters wée must well beware how wée meddle A third vse ariseth from the time of this increase which was chiefelie and especially after Iosephs death whereupon S. Austin giueth this obseruation Ioseph is dead the children of Israel increase what is this my brethren As long as Ioseph liued they are not said to increase but after his death Surely bretheren these things figured in that Ioseph were fulfilled in in our Ioseph For before our Ioseph died few beléeued in him but after his death and resurrection throughout all the world the Israelites increased and multiplied that is the Christians So saide the Lord himselfe in the Gospell except the corne die that falleth into the gronnd it remaineth but it selfe alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite Now not in Iudaea onely
That the calling of God by seuerall Names as Father Maister or as here Almightie Iehouah and the like ariseth not of any varietie in his Nature which euer was and shall be inuariable but of and from a manifold varietie of affections in vs according to a diuers profiting or not profiting of our soules whereby hee séemeth to be changed with vs that change So may I profit in the way of Godlines that his Name toward me may be a Father and so may I not profit as his Name may be a Judge a Reuenger mightie and terrible c. 2. Let vs obserue these words ver 5. I haue heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keepe in bondage c. Are they not swéete and comfortable Miserable man remembreth and heareth his friends when they are in prosperitie and if aduersitie come vnto them neither hearing nor séeing then but a proude scornefull and bitter forgetting The Lord is not so but when wee are at the worst then he remembreth vs then hee heareth our groanes and sighes and pittying helpeth to our vnspeakeable comfort O kinde O gracious and déere God still continue this eare of mercie towards thy poore afflicted Seruants and giue that deliuerance ease and fréedome that euer euer may bee matter of thy praise to all succéeding learners how swéete thy nature is Amen Amen 3 Also I will take you for my people c. Behold the end of all deliuerance and of all benefites receiued from God euen that wee should be his people that hee might rule in vs ouer vs and his praise be euer in our mouthes Wherefore sée how carefull wee should be alwaies to answere this our Calling and neuer to be found vnmindfull of such fauours For if this plainer manifestation of his goodnes to them more than to their fathers was matter to them iustly to stir them vp to thankfull féeling how much more should his manifestation of himselfe to vs in his owne Sonne in whom he hath opened all the treasures of mercie and louing kindnes moue vs to an eternall and neuer ceasing care to please him serue him honour him and loue him And then more perticularly that hee should accept me me for one of his people O what can I say for such a loue but beséech him euer to make me thankfull Amen Amen 4. And I will bring you into the Land which I sware that I would giue to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and I will giue it vnto you for a possession I am the Lord. Swéete comfortable was this promise as often as God repeated it but many were the difficulties that appeared to mens eies against this hope all which how great so-euer or many the Lord if you marke it easeth with this one word Ego Dominus I am the Lord. Thereby teaching that as long as our hearts holde this perswasion of him that hee is the Lord so long wee must euer rest assured without fearefull fainting that hee can performe his promises in mercie made vnto vs be there neuer such stops and lets in our eyes What then is thy case are thy sinnes many and great remember he is the Lord and play not Cains part to say they cannot be forgiuen Are thine enemies strong and fierce and bitterly bent against thée Hée is the Lord and therefore can stop and stay them they shal not hurt thée aboue his pleasure which shall be no hurt but profit to thée in the end Are thine infirmities many hee can heale them hee is the Lord. Are thy children vntoward or vnkinde hee can change them hee is the Lord. Finally whatsoeuer gréeueth thée remember this and be comforted hee is the Lord he shall euer be the Lord and he shall euer be thy Lord to care for thy woes and to send thée helpe Onely beléeue 5. So Moses tolde the Children of Israel thus but they hearkened not vnto him Sée sée how hard it is as your Marginall Note saith to shewe true obedience vnder the Crosse Neither the word of God nor his miracles wherewith heretofore they iustly haue béene moued and wondred haue now any place with them but all dulled and deaded with conceiued griefes they suffer themselues to be caried away beyond the measure that Gods children should euer holde in their aduersitie which as it is a very dangerous thing so ought it carefully to be auoyded It is often a penaltie that hee layeth vpon the contemners of his Graces that cleauing altogether to the externall fauours and fawnings of this life they taste not comfort in any affliction whereas the godly the more they are pressed and nipped by the schooling hand of their God the more vehemently they sigh vnto God and looke to his promises with patience and hope This may teach the Ministers of God also not to be cast downe and discouraged if their words euer be not hearkened vnto and regarded since so worthie a man as Moses was in the house of GOD found this measure I knowe I knowe the bitternes of it to a heart that hungreth for their good but wee must bee content wee are not like to them that haue spoken in vaine to deafe eares before wee were borne The world will bee the world crooked and crosse froward and vnkinde though wee breake our hearts in labouring to winne to a better course O what a thing is it to come out of Egypt c. 6. Thē the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Goe speake to Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel goe out of his Land Before you sawe how he was bid goe to the people now wee heare him sent to Pharaoh so is there neuer any time for men of place and publique function to be idle Euer euer there is some seruice for them and an vse of their care paines and labour Now they must defend the oppressed and wronged now they must punish the euill dooers now they must comfort now they must chide that euer they may sée and finde honour to bee a burthen and an vnceasing carefulnes Priuate men also may make vse of it for either in flying euill or in doing good there is alwaies a care in good mindes But I leaue it to your meditation I note and sée héere the bottomlesse mercie of the Lord who although he might iustly haue giuen ouer to fauour so froward a companie that would not hearken to his words and messages sent vnto them yet he doth not but still continueth to haue mercy vpō them verifying that spéech of the Prophet Dauid Euen as a Father pittieth his children so is the Lord mercifull to his people I sée it also héere not without my good that when Moses had receiued this discomfort that the people would not regard his wordes and might stand in a maze what more to doe the Lord helpeth him out of this doubt and sendeth him to Pharaoh Surely surely if the Lord helped vs not in many mazes that this
his own inchanters mooue him any thing at all though they acknowledge before him the power of God It maketh mee thinke of some men in our daies who by no meanes can be wonne to the truth no not by their owne men who sometimes haue erred as now they do but in the mercy of God haue receiued light both speaking and writing what should profit others This is a fearefull hardnesse to be prayed against by all that haue a care of their owne saluation The fourth plague of Flies 1. THese things thus passed ouer the Lord hasteth to an other plague séeing the former could not moue and as Pharaohs malice increased so sharper and sharper is the Lords hand For now commeth a plague most bitter to him and all his euen swarmes of very noisom creatures Flies Waspes Hornets Canker-wormes Locusts Scorpious and such like so that now most fearefully they were vexed in euery place Diuines meditating vpon this plague haue resembled vnto it those cares and thoughts wherewith worldlie men are vsuallie vexed for as the Flies did neuer suffer the Egyptians to sléepe or take any rest so doo those cares torment all day and night Others haue resembled those bitings and touchings of conscience which men so grieuouslie often féele to these Flies because as in the one so in the other the griefe is greater than can bée expressed Againe because as these Flies were a punishment forerunning the deliuerance of Gods people so these agonies of minde going before great and Heauenly comfort doth vsually follow A thing worthy of remembrance to troubled mindes and full of contentment if they will holde fast by him that is alwaies mercifull and calleth vnto him all that trauell and are heauy laden Others considering the nature of these Flies haue compared Tyrants and oppressors of their weaker brethren vnto them For as these Flies sucked-out the Egyptians blood with biting and stinging and causing of smart so doo such cruell men till they haue gorged themselues with sinlful spoiles of their Christian brethren There be great Flies those be Great men that tyrannously rule not shearing but shauing to the very skinne if they take not skinne and all There be lesser Flies and those be vsurers and other biting binders who with their Nouerint Vniuersi make an vniuersall ruine of many a mans estate so fetch him in still with the Condition of the Obligation that in the end his Condition is wofull and his heart breaketh with the bitter griefe of Be it knowne vnto all men Surelie these are cursed Flies indéede the suckers of our sap the bibbers of our blood the pinchers of our harts and the stingers and wringers of our very soules The Egyptian Flie was nothing like vnto them but yet you sée was a great plague of God sent to punish the sinne of men But let them remember that these Flyes of Egypt had but a time God sent them in wrath and tooke them away in mercie vppon intreatie Some Moses or other shall stande vp and the Lorde shall sende a strong west-winde to take these Canker-wormes away and cast them into the Red-sea that in our roast they may torment no longer Philo the Jewe in the life of Moses saith that because the Egyptians did as it were sting the Israelites with many biting and bitter wordes scoffes and scornes taunts and iestes therefore the Lod sent these Flies Hornets among them that one thing might be punished with an other And most certaine it is that such Stingers shall bee punished as God shal thinke good in his due time 2. These Flyes were not in the land of Goshen and that saith the Text because God made a seperation Wherein we profitably learne that whensoeuer we are frée from any calamitie or griefe which happeneth tâ— others it is not by our owne vertue or policie but by that gratious seperation which the Lord maketh whose mercy and loue that we might more fully sée he saueth vs from that euill Wherein how may we runne into pertiâ—nlars since we were borne and haue had dealings in the world Others sicklie we healthie others wath we sufficient others in continuall paine and labour we in rest and ease and comfort others in prison we at liberty others in blindnesse wee in light others sclaundered wee not touched others crossed in their children and friends wee comforted others wake we sléepe others wéepe wée sing and which is the top and height of all miserie others are so tempted that they violently cast themselues away when we in the meane time féele no temptation O blessed God what a seperation is this Let vs euer thinke of it and be thankeful for it 3 When Pharaoh and his people were vexed with this Plague Moses and Aaron according to his former manner were called for and licence giuen them to goe and doo sacrifice but with limitation in this Land and when that would not satisfie Moses for the reasons mentioned in the twenty sixe verse then it is inlarged to the wildernesse also but yet againe limitted Goe not farre away Where we are to mark the fashion not onelie of worldly Princes but of all wordlie and earthlie minded men how they can vpon vrgent necessitie be content to tollerate Religion so it might stil be ioyned with their profit but if it be once contrary to that O how bitter then how hard then to endure it and giue it frée and louing passage For these Jewes wholly to depart from Egypt was not for Pharaohs profit for from their labours he had great gaine and therefore by no meanes may they go out of his land to sacrifice to their God but in the land he is content to endure them so he may be fréede from these plagues that so fearefully God sent vpon his people Or if it néedes must be that they must goe forth of the Land yet not farre away in any case Thus was hee thus are many at this day and to the worlds end these wretches will not want who haue their gaine for their God and no other Religion will euer like than what may stand with the same as much as possibly they can procure Let vs sée it marke it and hate it for it is not that which can please God If we be risen with Christ we must seek the things that are aboue and if we loue any thing more than him we neuer can enioy him His kingdome is not of this world and if our ioy and glorie be in it we are not his followers Loue not this world saith Saint Iohn neither any thing in this world For if the loue of the world be in vs the loue of God is not in vs. That builder of greater barnes for his large commings in was but a foole in his eies who only is wise and when his soule was taken away whose were all his toyles and trauels That purple pampered Glutton went to the Deuill and with all his worldlie wealth could not
and fetch their Cattell in according to it Looke therefore euer at obedience and iudge thereby of your heart at the least looke at the willingnes of your hart to obey though humane frailety cause some imperfectioÌ„ When Iosiah his hart melted when those Iewes harts were pricked wheÌ„ those Trauellers harts burned in the way to EMMAVS then was it wel you know with al of them And such féeling must euer make vs well also For there be too many that say Moses what the can will fetch neither seruants nor cattell into the house to whoÌ„ it shal happen one day as suredly as here it did to the Egyptians Uengeance shal come down one way or other and light vpon them as here did thunder hayle and fire and lightning vpon the despisers of Moses warning For with an heard heart saith the Wise-man it shal neuer be well in the end If a condemned man should refuse his Prince his gratious pardon died he not iustly If a besieged Citie should refuse offered aide perished it not worthelie So standeth it with Contemners of the word which is a gratious pardon for all our offences and a sauing ayde to our besieged soules When a sicke man refuseth meate we doubt of his well-doing but if he féede well wee hope of life So is it with vs if we receiue the Word or refuse the Word For he that is of God saith our Sauiour heareth Gods word and who so will not as sure a signe it is on the other side For you therefore heare not because ye are not of GOD. A fish fresh and swéete is knowne by the eare being fresh and swéete and so is euer a good Christian Search then your selfe by this Rule and you shall profit either to prayer for what you misse or to thankes-giuing for what you finde In the eye of Christ it was so blessed a thing to heare obey the word that he pronounced happinesse rather to such than to the wombe that bare him and the paps that gaue him sucke A moouing spéech if we haue any life in vs. 13. Then Moses stretched out his rod towards Heauen and the Lord sent thunder and hayle and lightning vpon the ground and the Lord caused hayle to raine vppon the land of Egypt So there was hayle fire mingled with the hayle so grieuous as there was none throughout all the land of Egypt since it was a Nation Of which strange Plague many things are written which I will cut off séeking onely to make some profitable vse vnto vs of it Grandinem fulgura immisit illis ostendens quòd ipse sit Dominus omnium elementorum Et enim tam Aegyptij quaÌ„ Graeci existimabant quosdaÌ„ Deos esse coelestes alios subterraneos Et hos quideÌ„ imperare terrae illos vero mari alios in montes alios in agros imperiuÌ„ habere Quapropter etiam Syrus dicebat Deus mâ—ntiuÌ„ Deus Israel non conualliuÌ„ Ob id meri to Deus omniuÌ„ non soluÌ„ per fluuiuÌ„ terram sed per aërem mare castigauit eos flumina coelitùs illis immisit doceÌ„s quòd ipsesit Dominus Creator omnium quod beatus Moses dixit vt cognoscas quód Domini sit terra tu serui tui He sent vpon them Hayle and Lightning to shew that he was Lord of all the elements For both the Egyptians and Graecians had a conceipt that there were some Gods of the Heauens some of the earth and some vnder the earth that one sort ruleth the Earth an other sort the Sea one sort the Mountaines another sort the fields Wherefore that Syrian said the God of Israel is the God of mountaines not of vallies Wherefore God rightly heere chastised theÌ„ not only by the Waters and the Earth but by the Ayre also and the Sea and sent Thunder Lightning froÌ„ Heauen vpon them that so he might teach and shew that he is Lord and Creator of all things Which blessed Moses said in those words to Pharaoh that thou mightest know how the Earth and Thou and thy Seruants are in the Lords power Let it make vs soundly settle in our hearts euer both what héere we sée and what other Scriptures testifie of Him He raineth downe snares fire brimstone storme and tempest And it is the Lord that commaundeth the waters it is the glorious God that maketh the thunder Fire and hayle snow and vapours winde and storme fulfill his word Whether therefore wee be hindered or furthered by weather let vs euer cast vp our eyes to Heauen for it is the Lord still that ruleth these things and by his Will they come and goe Nature is His seruant and the Deuill is His rod neither of them working but as he appointeth The very Heathens had a glimpse of this truth when they taught Aeolus to be God of the winde and Neptune God of the Sea supposing that by some God these things must be gouerned Thinke then of the yéere 1588. and poure out his praise that so gouerned these things for our comfort On the other side when so euer they shall crosse our affaires either by Sea or Land stoope we to Him in humilitie search out our wayes what wee knowe amisse and amend it spéedily that the Lord may rebuke both winde and sea for our profit Furthermore in this that the Lord sent this plague of thunder and lightning vpon the Egyptians let vs learne how he commeth not stealing to wrath and iudgement against rebellious sinners but ratling and shaking both Heauen and Earth The fruite whereof should bee to make vs feare to offend For I will make the eares of whosoeuer heareth to tingle saith the Lord at that which I will doo so noting a fierce fearefull publique procéeding against sinne and sinners as it were vpon Stages house tops not in darknes and in secret Againe fire was mingled with hayle to teach that his Judgements shall not bee single but euen one vpon the necke of another vntill wee be either humbled or destroyed according vnto his will One Example of many that are in Gods Booke and other Histories may suffice Haman that wicked enemie of the Church true Religion was at length to taste of Gods Justice for his sinnes and how commeth the Lord against him closely couertly No but euen with thunder and lightning as héere against Pharaoh that is with open and great shew to all men of his wrath For first he is made to leade his horse in honour of him whom of all men he most maliced secondly hee falleth iustlie into his Princes heauie indignation and when hee humblie sued at the Quéenes féete for pardon hee was taken by the King as intending high villanie which encreased the Kings wrath mightily thirdly he is dispatched away to be hanged vpon that Gallowes which in his greatnes he had prepared for another fourthly his house and Land his honour and
we may learne of them namely to borrowe of the Heathens Phylosophers Oratours Astronomers or the like the best Jewels they haue and to applie them to the seruice of God as these Israelites did afterward these Egyptian Iewels For Diuinitie is as a Lady and Quéene which ought to be serued by all other Sciences and so as seruants to her they to be vsed Where I remember the Saying of our olde Countey-man Beda writing vpon the Kings Turbat acumen legentium deficere cogit qui eos alegendis secularibus libris omnibus modis existimat prohibendos in quibus si qua inuenta sunt vtilia quasi sua sumere licet Alioquin Moses Daniel sapientia literis Aegyptiorum Chaldeorumque non paterentur erudiri quarum tamen superstitiones delicias horrebant nec etiam ipse Magister Gentium aliquot versus Poetarum suis vel scripturis vel dictis indidisset Hee troubleth the minde of the Readers and maketh them faint who thinketh they should be altogether inhibited from reading of humane Writers in which if there be any profitable things found a man may take them as his owne Otherwise Moses and Daniel should neuer haue suffered themselues to bee instructed in the wisedome of the Egyptians and Caldeans whose superstitions and delights they abhorred Neither would the Doctor of the Gentiles Saint Paule haue interlaced some Verses of the Gentiles either in his writings or in his speeches More of which matter if you desire to sée I referre you to S. Augustine who speaketh at large of it with manie others Onely let there be no vaine ostentation in the vse of them but remember euer S. Bernards words Sunt qui scire volunt vt sciantur vanitas est Sunt qui scire volunt vt sciant curtositas est Sunt qui scire volunt vt lucrentur cupiditas est Sed sunt qui scire volunt vt edificent vel edificentur charitas est There are that desire to knowe that they may be knowne and it is vanitie There are which desire to knowe that they may but knowe and it is curiositie There are which desire to knowe that they may gaine by their knowledge and it is couetousnes But there are which desire to knowe that they may edifie others or may be edified and it is Charitie Thus vsing humane Writers we shall no more offend if we rob them of some Iewels than these Israelites did in spoiling the Egyptians 6. Lastly concerning the words that Moses was verie great in the Land of Egypt in the sight of Pharaohs seruants and in the sight of the people They first answere the Question why Pharaoh did not kill Moses Euen because he durst not in respect of the opinion helde of him by the multitude as often is saide in the Gospell they forbare to doo such things because they feared the people besides the secret ouer-ruling hand of God Againe they shew how God can make his seruants dreadfull and honoured of as many as he will notwithstanding any contempts offered them by others Yea so he honoured Moses héere as Stories say Pharaohs Daughter was accounted in the number of the Gods for bringing such a man vp Thirdly they shewe that as the wicked stand in awe of God often and outwardly professe affection to him yet doo not submit themselues to his Will so often are his seruants honoured also of men with an inward conceite of them that they are honest men when yet their Doctrine will not be yéelded vnto So doth God inwardlie imprint their owne damnation in their hearts making them voide of all excuse in not obeying them whom they did approue for Gods grace in them and with them Remember what you reade in the Gospell of Herod touching Iohn Baptist namely that Herod feared Iohn knowing that he was a iust man and an holy and reuerenced him and when he heard him hee did many things and heard him gladly Many things saith the Text not all thinges for hee would not put away his brothers wife for all the reuerence he bare to Iohn and therefore in himselfe he condemned himselfe by this reuerence c. The 3. Part. 1. THe third generall Head of this Chapter I saide was the Plague it selfe denounced Wherein first wee may consider the time namely that it was in the night For at midnight said God I will goe forth into the midst of Egypt and all the first borne in the Land of Egypt shall die Why in the night but that wee might learne how as well in the night as in the day the Lord executeth both iudgement and mercie Iudgement as we sée in Iosua his direction against Ai whereby their fearefull ouerthrow followed Many thousands of them being deuoured by the sword and their Citie consumed with fire So when they slept the wrath of God waked and marched towards them spéedily So againe the fiue Kings in the night God directed his seruant against them who came vpon them suddainly and destroyed them with a great slaughter Thou foole this night shall they take away thy soule and then whose are all these c Other Kingdomes and Countries about vs what fearefull night-cries they haue had when we slept in peace wisedome and thankfulnes should consider Then for mercies in like manner you sée the Scriptures Salomon had that comfortable conference with God in the night wherein God graunted him the thing he sought for appearing to him in a Dreame and so forth as you reade there Daniel in the night found mercie with God to haue the Kings dreame reuealed vnto him Peter in the night was deliuered from danger and Paule and Silas in the night singing a Psalme found the cōfort there spoken of So both iudgement and mercie wake and walke in the night The vse whereof vnto vs should be euer to stir vs vp both to gee to bed as wee ought and to vse the night as the godly haue done For the first take Dauids example I will lay mee downe and take my rest for it is thou Lord onely that makest mee dwell in safetie And for the second hee also in many Psalmes may instruct you For euery night saith he in one Psalme wash I my bed and water my couch with teares yea I make my bed swim with teares for so will the wordes beare which Dauid did not for any pusillanimitie or weakenes for you knowe he was a man of a valiant courage but onelie out of a swéete féeling that hee had in his night meditation of the great goodnes of GOD towardes him many waies and his owne too great inabilitie to doo to him againe for the same as he desired And what better time can we take to plough-vp the fallowe ground of our hearts before him and to consider his fauours and our faults opening euen all our woes and griefes vnto him that as the night naturally is moist and showrie more than the day so
corner of the stréete kill kill God forbid To learne by other mens harmes was euer yet accounted wisedome and therefore let these Egyptian Cries so crie in our eares and our hearts continually as our owne Cries through the mercy of a gracious God may neuer be heard any where 7. But against the children of Israel shall not a Dogge moue his tongue neither against man nor beast that you may knowe how the Lord putteth a difference betweene the Egyptians and Israel A blessed separation by a swéet Father able to kindle in our hearts if we be aliue a burning flame of loue and dutie towards such a God The like wee saw in the plague of moraine and the plague of darknes before the Cattell of the Israelites were safe and they had light wheresoeuer they were So still and so euer if you marke the Scriptures one way or other Betwixt the olde world and his seruant Noe what a difference was there put Betwixt Lot and Sodome how did the Lord distinguish When God sent Ioseph before to prouide for his Father against that Great future famine did hee not put a difference betwixt his owne and others When the Shunammite was so mercifully admonished of the dearth to come and willed to goe soiourne where shee might to preuent the danger and when shee came backe againe so to helpe her to her Land with all the meane profites by such accident of the Kings talke with Gehazi and her fit comming in with her Petition while they were talking who séeth not the finger of a swéete GOD putting a difference betwéene the Israelites and the Egyptians that is betwixt his owne and others In that Great destruction of Hierusalem had he not a little Pella by to saue such as it pleased him to pull out of that fire Let vs then neuer feare we sée he hath care of his owne and what hee will doo he can doo If it be good for vs to escape these worldly woes wee are as sure wee shall as wee are sure wee liue And if otherwise it please him to wrap vs with others in the outward punishment yet shall wee euer be sure to be distinguished from them in the eternall paine and those outward griefes shall be but meanes to leade vs to lasting ioyes O cleaue we then fast vnto him for you sée the difference of being Religious and being prophane of leuing the Word and loathing the exercises of the same And this difference héere will make a fearefull difference in the world to come when you cannot helpe it had you the treasure of all the earth to purchase your ease withall No not one drop of water to coole your scalded tongue shall you be able to get with all that euer you possessed in this world for the loue whereof against all Admonitions you haue lost your selfe for euer 8. Lastly more power againe you sée of this mightie God in the 8. verse where he made the rebellious heart to stoope and to séeke with intreatie what before could not be had with any petition All thy seruants saith Moses shall come downe vnto me and fall before me saying Get thee out and all the people that are at thy feete They shall séeke and sue begge and craue prostrate before him that with spéede they would depart O glorious God that canst thus humble thy foes make them fall before them whom erst they scorned Let it knit vs glue vs vnto thée for euer I am amazed at thy Mercie and I cannot speake what I think Lord encrease our faith it shall suffice and be well with vs. CHAP. 12. The generall Heads of this Chapter are chiefely three The Institution of the Passeouer The Execution of the former plague The Departure of the Israelites out of Egypt 1. OBserue first the words in the second verse This moneth shal be to you the beginning of moneths it shall be to you the first moneth of the yeere And herein remember how diuersly diuers Nations and people haue made the beginning of the yeere Some when the Spring began Some at the Sommer Solstitium or Stay of the Sunne Some at the Winter Stay And some from the Autumne or Haruest time which vsually is reckoned frō the sixt of August The old Romanes as did the Hebrewes began their yéere in March Which order séemeth most agréeable to Nature because all things then begin to reuiue and shewe forth their life vigour In regard whereof some are of opinion that the time of the Creation of all things was then and that the Names of our Moneths September October Nouember December are as if it were said the 7. the 8. the 9. the 10. from March making March the first and so reckoning from thence forward But for other policies the Iewes reckoned also frō September Reade Iosephus in his Antiquities Chap. 4. and Hierome vpon the 3. of Ezechiel c. With vs in England the vsuall Reckoning is frō the 1. day of Ianuary which we call New-yeeres day yet the Merchants amōg vs vsually begin frō the 25. of March So seueral places haue seuerall Customes we must leaue them 2. Touching the Passeouer The Name in Hebrewe is well expressed in English for our vnderstanding when it is called the Passeouer not the passing ouer into the Land of Promise nor the passing ouer the Red Sea whereof sée S. Augustine but the Lords passing ouer or the Angels passing ouer those houses which had the posts striked with the blood Therefore in the 11. verse it is expreslie called the Lords Passeouer and so Leuit. 23. 5. The time of the Institution was before their Deliuerance because things taught in affliction both better sinke in vs and longer are remembred of vs. The Place where it was eaten nowe was in Egypt but after they were come into the Land of Promise setled we reade in Deut. thus Thou mayest not offer the Passeouer within any of the gates which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee But in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his Name there c. Which place being at Hierusalem all resorted thither at this Feast since Hierusalem hath béene destroyed they haue not dared write some to offer else where 3. The manner of this Passeouer with the signification of euery thing is next to be thought of Where you sée first a méeke Creature so was Christ it was a Lambe a harmlesse creature so was Christ a profitable creature by wooll to cloath vs flesh to féede vs so was Christ his righteousnes couereth his flesh féedeth all those that truly beléeue in him That this Paschal Lambe was a figure of Christ remember Iohns words in the Gospel But when they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead alreadie they brake not his legges that it might be fulfilled not a bone of him shall be broken Words written in this Chapter ver 46. of the Paschal Lambe and so Iohn maketh
more pericula fugere illos voluit id nos facere docens etiam dum apertissimé Deum adiutorem habemus God doth not worke all things as he can but sometimes doth eschew perils after the maner of men therein teaching vs to doe the like namely by vsing meanes euen then when most plainly we haue God our helper 2. The Children of Israel went vp armed out of the Land of Egypt saith the Text. And it may teach vs warinesse and circumspection in our vocatiens euer reckoning of the enemie in this our holy march towardes the Land of Promise Iosephs bones are caried away with them according to the oath made vnto him which may teach vs faithfulnes and truth in the desires of dead men euermore a thing alwaies of good regard with good men and too little regarded by many that would be iudged good men But no shewe of warrant héere for the Popish fooleries and impieties vsed about their Reliques For this promise to translate his bones was taken by Ioseph to shew his Faith in the promise of GOD touching the Land of Promise to be giuen in time and it was performed by the Israelites in discharge of truth without any superstition or Idolatrie as in Poperie is vsed most offensiuely The 3. part THe last generall Head is concerning the signes of direction which the Lord vouchsafed them namely a Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night Whereof the Psalme speaketh alluding to this Storie In the day time he led them with a Cloud and all the night long with a light of fire And againe Hee spread a cloud to be a couering and fire to giue light in the night season By this Great miracle shewing that the Israelites deliuerance was from himselfe and by no other meanes vnder Heauen Secondly that hee was present with them to defend and saue them from all their enemies And thirdly that in like sort hee guideth and protecteth his faithfull marching out of Egypt towardes the promised Land through the Wildernes of woe and affliction which indéede hee still doth by his Word and Sacraments two guides to vs as these pillars were to them So necessarie is it after deliuerance to be guided that without the one the other will not serue And if more particularly you wil meditate on them consider in the Cloud how it not only directeth the way but is spread as the Psalme saith for a couering namely against the heate of the Sunne sauing them from the violence thereof and comfortably cooling and refreshing them Remember also howe the afflictions of this world in the Gospell are noted by the heate of the Sunne And be you assured in a true Faith that euen euer euer against these heates the Lord in his good time will send you defence and comfort For still you must know that yesterday and today and for euer He is the same Meditate on the Apostles experience 2. Cor. 1. Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations sée the cooling Cloud that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith wee our selues are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ c. Thus to Paule thus to you thus to all assuredly In the other pillar of fire obserue that beside direction by going before it also gaue light vnto them in the night And thereby learne with a féeling comfort that whosoeuer followe Christ as their Guide and Leader they still haue light in others darknes So saith Hee himselfe Hee that followeth mee shall not walke in darknes but shall haue that light of life In both the one and the other sée a Notable Figure of Christ in whoÌ„ there is cooling without whom there is scorching heate in whom there is light and without whom there is hellish darknes In the world yee shall haue trouble but in mee yee shall haue peace The wordes which followe That they might goe both by day and by night most notablie remember vs that in trauelling towardes the spirituall Canaan we must not rest but labour forward continually The Chiidren of this world are often looking back toward Egypt and often pitch downe their Tents so in this Wildernes that they are loath euer to take them vp and to remoue But with the Sonnes of God it is not so but they say with themselues We haue here no abiding Citie and fixing both eye heart on their Heauenly house they iourney on still both day and night in true pietie and obedience and they are not quiet till they haue attained to the Hauen sée their God with his holy company in the highest Heauens Last of all when it is said Hee tooke not away the pillar of the Cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people Let it euer assure your fearing heart cooling comforting shining and lighting guiding and directing his little flocke shall neuer be taken away froÌ„ any member thereof but euer be readie present with vs both by day night to the eternall praise of his goodnes and vnspeakeable comfort of our soules blessed againe and againe be his name for it And thus far of this Chapter CHAP. 14. The Heads of this Chapter may be these 1. The pursuing of Pharaoh after them 2. The feare of the Israelites wheÌ„ they saw him vâ— 10. 3. Their fall and sinne through their feare ver 11. 4. The Lords deliuerance of them 1. TOuching the first marke what a straite the Lord brought his people into when He commaunded Moses to speake vnto them to campe before Pâ—-hakiroth betweene Migdol and the Sea ouer against Baal-zephon where the Sea was before them Mountaines on either side and Pharaoh with his Host at their backes the Lord hardening his heart to follow after them yet was not this distresse for their hurt but for their good that God might be honoured they miraculously deliuered and their enemies gloriously ouerthrowne How then doo wee feare in euery aduersitie before wee sée the end Surely we wrong the Lord much and our selues in so doing he being as good as euer he was as mightie as euer he was to finde meanes and as iust as euer hee was to punish our malicious enemies O thinke then with your selfe and reason thus Loe héere I am distressed on euery side as the Israelites were at the Red-Sea and it is the prouidence of God that I should be thus as it was his Will they should pitch in that place But doo I know the Lords meaning what he will doo No indéede And therefore I will patiently waite for his blessed Will not murmuring as the Israelites did but comfortably assuring my selfe that one way or other the Lord will giue issue to his glory and my
often remember that good Counsaile of the wise man My sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes feare AND PREPARE THY SOVLE TO TEMPTATION Settle thy heart and be patient bowe downe thine eare and receaue the words of vnderstanding and shrinke not away when thou art assailed but waite vpon God patiently Ioyne thy selfe vnto him and depart not away that thou maist be encreased at the last end Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receaue it patientlie and be patient in the change of thine affliction For as gold and siluer are tried in the fire euen so are men acceptable in the fornace of aduersitie And so forth much more if you will reade the Place your selfe Forget not what the Apostles in the Acts did and said Who confirmed the Disciples hearts and exhorted them to continue in the faith affirming that wee must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God There are many such places in Scripture Away then with those crooked wayes wherein too many doo walke and be taught by these Examples what euer to doo The Gospel is welcome to manie at the first and they greatly reioyce in it but when either trouble groweth for it or they are restrained by it from their accustomed sinnes of swearing drunkennes sensualitie couetousnes oppression vsurie and such like then they wish they had neuer béene troubled with such preaching and all Gods mercie is returned to him with great vnthankfulnes as héere it was of these murmuring Israelites If authoritie and offices either in Church or CoÌ„mon-wealth be giuen in Gods goodnes to some men they receaue them ioyfullie and say they are much bound to God for them But when such things happen as vsuallie followe such places to wit trouble and charge lies and slaunders contumelies and reproaches with great vnthankfulnes then they turne both tongues and hearts and wish they neuer had béene so graced For Matches and mariages O what impietie is in many many times cursing the parties and almost cursing God that gaue them such a match when yet at the beginning all was well and euerybody pleased Let all these and all others faulty in like sort looke vpon these murmuring Israelites and be ashamed of such sinne For man and wife let them consider but one thing which GOD hath giuen them in their owne bodies and sée how it will instruct them Their two eyes if they goe together and looke both one way be it vpward or downward to the right hand or to the left All is well and comely in the face But if they bée seuered and the one eye looke one way and the other an other there is a blemish wée all confesse and it is not well So man and Wife who as the two eies are made to looke one way should neuer bee seuered to goe a sunder to crosse one an other to reproach one an other to shame one an other to breake-vp house and depart one from another Surely the blemish is great and as many as care either for piety or honestie will consider of it Secondly these words of the Israelites may shew vs what is the course of too many Men and Women in the world another way euen to preâ—er the flesh-pots of Egypt before the Land of Canaan and bellies full of bread before a blessed deliuerance out of cruell bondage that is Earth before Heauen and the ioyes of this world before all that can bee giuen when this life is ended A miserable and monstrous blindnesse yet such as no perswasion will preuaile against it is so setled and rooted in sinfull hearts Remember what you reade in the 11. of Iohn when Christ had raised vp Lazarus to life againe And many that had seen these things beleeued on him Then gathered the high Priests a Councill and said what shall we doe If we let this man thus alone all men wil beleeue in him now marke and the Romanes will come take away both our Place and Nation So before Christ they preferre their places and for the world adieu to Heauen Such others were those in the Prophet Ieremy who measured Religion by plenty and scarcitie iudging that best which brought most profit and that worst wherein there was any want The word which thou hast spoken say they to vs in the Name of the Lord we will not heare of thee But we will doo whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both wee and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes c. For then had we plentie of victualles and were well and felt no euill But since we left off to burne incense to the Queene of Heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her wee haue had scarsenesse of all things and haue beene consumed by the sword and by famine But if you reade the rest of the Chapter you shall see that their Plagues grew because they sinned against the Lord and would not be ruled by his Word to worship him and him onely according to his Word Such Arguments made the Heathen against the Christians in former times as witnesseth Tertullian Cyprian and others attributing all calamities that happened to the Christians because that they worshipped not the Idols of the Heathens but they answered euen as Ieremy that such calamitles fell because they the Heathens would not forsake their Idols embrace Gods true Religion so indéede they did Such words and euen the very selfe same words vse the Papists against vs and the Gospell at this day telling vs often and too often vnlesse it were truer how great plenty was in former times when Popery swaied how many egges forsooth for a penny and all this geare grounding an argument thereupon that therefore that was truth and this is falshood euen as Heathenish and Iewish Idolaters did before them But with Ieremy and the godly Fathers we truely inuert their argument vpon them that their contempt of truth and foule Idolatry in despite of truth prouoketh God to many crosses and will yet prouoke him further if they continnue without amendment And touching their pretended plenty when Popery ruled we say it is a Tale for as great dearth was then as since Touching our owne country of which I chiefely speake let them remember what our Chronicles note in Richard the first his time how sharpe a scarcity there was by the space of thrée or foure yeares What a Sommer that was in Edward the 3. his time called the deere Sommer In Richard the 2. his time what a dearth when the people wereforced so to féede vpon fruite to susteine Nature as that thereby many fell into fluxes and dyed How the childrens cries were so pitifull for the want of foode which their Parents had not to giue them as a stonie heart could not indure to heare Of Henry the sixth his time when
admonished not to frequent those places lest they should be abused by superstition c. Also it might be shewed how the communion tables be called of the old Fathers both tables and Altars indifferently Tables as they are indéed and Altares as they are improperly How they were made ofboords and remooueable set in the midst of the people and not placed against a wall with diuers other things but hereafter will be a fitter place CHAP. 21. 1. THe Lawes of God are vsually deuided into moral Ceremoniall and Iudiciall Lawes In the Chapter before we haue had the Morall Lawes to wit the Tenne commandements herafter we shall haue the Ceremonial And now in these thrée Chapters following God layeth downe certaine Iudiciall Laws The Morall Law of God is the law of Nature shewing what ought to bee the manners and natures of all men and it is the ground of all Lawes whatsoeuer either Diuine or Humane The Ceremoniall being in this respect Natural because among men Nature requires order and decencie And the Iudiciall being the execution of the Morall which is Naturall For humane Lawes they are made by probable reason of Gouernours and tend either to directions to kéepe the Moral or to circumstances of execution in punishing offendors As for example Gods law saith Thou shalt not kill Mans Law forbiddeth the carrying of these and these weapons so to take away occasion and meanes of breaking the law of God Gods law commaundeth there shal be Magistrates Mans law appointeth these are those At Rome two Consuls in other Cities foure At Rome annuall in other places perpetuall c. Gods law appointeth that a Debtor not able to pay shal be punished Mans law appointeth differing waies according to circumstances of places as in some countries by perpetuall imprisonment in other places otherwise Draco his law was That he should be plucked in peeces and euery Creditor haue a part The Law of GOD requireth theft to be punished by restitution of double or foure folde Mans lawe by restitution and somewhere by death By all which examples you sée how GODS lawe is still the ground of mans lawe and the end of mans law if a good lawe is euer the kéeping of GODS law Now to come to the Text of this Chapter The first law laide downe is touching seruants and seruitude which you may referre to the Moral law Honour thy Father and Mother Degrées of men concerning ruling and obeying being contained in the law The words of the Text are these If thou buy an Hebrew seruant he shal serue sixe yeares and in the seuenth he shall goe free for nothing c. From which verse to the twelfth verse you haue the matter of seruitude and freedome laide downe and it shall be good to obserue the Will of God in it He would not haue them euer bond as amongst the Nations elswhere it was because they were deliuered out of Egypt by his mercie asâ—el as their Masters were whereupon in Leuiticus he challengeth them for his saith For they are my seruants whom I brought out of the land of Egypt they shall not be sold as bond-men are sold Thou shalt not rule ouer them cruelly but shalt feare thy God Yet would hée not haue the Maister damnified and therefore he alloweth of 7. yeares commanding their libertie and recompence saying wheÌ„ thou sendest him out free from thee thou shalt not let him go away emptie The vse whereof is comfortable to seruants and profitable to Masters To seruants it sheweth the louing care the Lord hath ouer them which may cheere them in al their doings being well assured that what they doo well this God will euer reward though man doo not Whereunto serueth the exhortation of the Apostle and promise annexed Seruants be obedient vnto them that are your masters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God And whatsoeuer you do do it heartely as to the Lord and not to men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receiue the rewarde of the inheritance for ye serue the Lord Christ And yâ— very like Saying againe he hath to the Ephesians So rewarded he the faithfull seruice of Iacob though his maister were hard so Ioseph so many mo To Masters it teacheth moderation and mercie for how dare they wrong those whom God calleth his hath such a tender care of The Apostle in the places named so saith also Yee Masters do vnto your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that ye also haue a Maister in HeaueÌ„ Where this is not done God is angrie as you may sée by that feareful spéech in Ieremie Because ye haue not obeied me in proclaiming a libertie to your seruaÌ„ts c therfore behold I proclaime a libertie to you saith the Lord to the sword to the Pestilence and to the famine and I will make a terror to all the Kingdomes of the earth Reade the place from the 9. Verse to the end of the Chapter Iob therefore a good and iust man had a great care of this and protesteth he did not contemne the iudgement of his seruant and of his maide when they did contende with him because he that made him in the Wombe he also made them if he should wrong them what could hee answere to God for it A most worthy example for all Masters Thus may all other gouernours and Superiours make vse of this law and learne to take no pride in their authoritie not to affect greatnesse not to swell and looke bigge ouer their inferiours For certainly the Lord will punish it al wise men will laugh at it Rule and gouernment is of God but pride and vanitie is of the Deuil Titles to men God will haue giuen but to desire Titles he neuer liked much lesse Titles vpon Titles and neuer inough It soundeth in Bookes to the Persians shame that the gouernours there will be free from all lawes and what they list that they may But theirinferiours must be bound with all cruel bonds euen to kil themselues if they command to indure al burdens imposed vpoÌ„ them If they be cruelly beaten to giue thanks that the Gouernours haue them in remembrance The Pharisies were vaine men to affect the vppermost places and to be called Rabbi But this proude minde is like the water to the Dropsie-man that maketh more thirstie the more it is drunke No end of superioritie with some men They that are noble will be Princes Princes will be Kings Kings will be Emperours and Emperours must be Gods That vaine woman Cleopatra shee must be called Queene of Queenes Sapor the Persian wrote to Constantius and called himselfe King of Kings brother to the starres the Sunne and the Moone c. These that thus hunger after glory and Maiestie how can they vse authoritie moderately and humbly Such pride commeth out of
being Vehiculum animae vitalis for the Vitall spirits which yéeld vnto man through his whole bodie heate and motion and action are begotten of blood by the power of the heart and therefore mans life and the life of euery other creature is said to bée in the blood Secondly because the Lord had ordained blood to bée vsed in the Atonements made for sinnes as a plaine Figure of the blood of Christ the only able thing to purge and wash away our sinnes and offences therefore hée would haue blood regarded as a holy thing and not vsed by man as other meates might bée Thus God in his Law would not suffer man to eate the blood of a beast because it figured the blood of his Sonne in poperie we are taught to make no bones at Christ his own blood but to beléeue that the Wine in the Sacrament is turned into his very blood really and then to drinke the same boldly The Gospell shall not yéelde so much reuerence to Christ as the Law did Is it to be taught and bléeued God forbid 2 You may remember how the Apostles continued this Law Acts 15. 29. and aske why being a ceremoniall Law it was more continued than others To which answere is made that chéefly for three Causes they did it First to auoyd offence in the mindes of ignorant people not yet taught nor of the suddaine apt to heare of the abrogation of so ancient a Lawe euer since Noah his time Secondly that thus they might shewe that their doctrine was no other but euen the old ancient doctrine since the beginning of the Church And thirdly for discipline that men might still be afraid of murther by this continued ceremonie After when God had vouchsafed to his Church further knowledge this also was abrogated and men left to their liberties to eate blood as well as the flesh CHAP. XVIII IN a godly Common-wealth two things are necessarie right Religion according to Gods word and holy honesty of Matrimonie The first the Lord hath laid downe both in the ten Commandements Exod. 20. and in these Sacrifices thus passed ouer Now therefore it pleaseth him to come to the second Vnspotted Marriage Where he first vseth a Praeface to mooue them to diligent obseruation of what héerein he should say and then he commeth to the matter it selfe The first is contayned in the fiue former Verses And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them I am the Lord your God After the doings of the land of Aegypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the maner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances But doe after my iudgements and keepe my ordinances to walke therein I am the Lord your GOD c. This Praeface of some is taken generally to concerne all the Lawes of God the obseruation whereof is euer the sure safetie of a state publike or priuate For it is not the munition of walles leagues aliance with forreigne Princes largenes of confines plentie of treasure or such like that preserue a Common-wealth but carefull and diligent obseruation of publicke Lawes ordeyned of God for the good of man It is sayd Lacedemon flourished whilest Lycurgus his Lawes were obserued much more any Common-wealth when Gods be kept for what comparison betwixt mans Lawes Gods Demosthenes saith It was the maner of the Locrenses that if any man would publish deuise a New law he should put his necke into a halter ready to be put to death if the Law were not good by which meanes they made men more carefull to obserue old ancient tryed knowne Lawes than with busie heads to make new Now what Lawes so olde and so approued good as Gods Lawes Euer therefore are they to be regarded and hearkened vnto Others take this Praeface particularly of these Lawes concerning Mariage now following that if they be carefully kept a kingdome long flourisheth and if not soone it commeth to a fearefull fall For so odious and abhorred of God is the vnlawfull mixture of man and woman that the Lord cannot long with-hold great iudgements And thus much remember as you reade them euer that these lawes doe not concerne the Iewes onely as the Ceremoniall lawes now spoken of and iudiciall did but these lawes belong to all men and women and to all succeding times being eternall immutable grafted by God in mans nature and giuen by him for holinesse sake Note all the wordes well that God would not haue them like either the Aeygptians or Canaanites and wish with mée that there were a like law against our béeing like forreigne nations néere vs with Ruffes dipped in the deuils liquor called starche bursten-belly doublets garded as the French fringed as the Venetian Turkish heads Spanish backs Italian wastes c. giuing dayly occasion to the mockers that say French nets catch English fooles 2 The Praeface ended God commeth to the matter it selfe in the 6. verse saying None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh to vncouer her shame I am the LORD Kindred is of two sorts by societie of blood which is called Consanguinitie or by carnall coniunction of man and woman which is called Affinitie That popish kindred which they called spiritual kin dred arising by baptisme or confirmatiō this Chapter knoweth not neither any other part of Gods booke it was onely deuised for Popes gaine 3 The greatest Consanguinitie is betwixt Parents and children and therefore that is forbidden in these words Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy father nor the shame of thy mother for she is thy mother c. The very Heathens abhorred this wickednes as most vnnaturall and vile Yea the Camels saith Aristotle abhorre it by nature and the Colt will not come néere in this sort to the Dam God being pleased in brute beasts to giue vs an example against this thing Hermiene in Euripides could crie it was barberous Now when thus hée nameth father or mother you must not tie the words to our immediate parents onely and to immediate children but the words stretch to all the right line of Consanguinitie either ascending or descending For as it is vnlawfull for the daughter to marry with her grandfather or so vpward in the streight line so is it for the Father to marrie the Neece his Neeces daughter or her daughters daughter or any other down-ward again in the right line For all these if you reckon ten thousand of them are said to be as parents and children in respect one of another And by the Lawe of Nations it was euer accounted incest to marry vpward or downeward in the right line 4 The next Lawe is The shame of thy fathers wife shalt thou not discouer for it is thy fathers shame Hée meaneth the wife of my father that is my step-mother not mine
vncertaine as I will marrie one of the Daughters naming none Of all which points the Law hath large discourse and many questions which you may best learne of them that are Professors of that knowledge vnto whose good aduise as I said before I hold it the safest way euer to haue recourse vpon any occasion For a building well made and vpon firme ground will stand with comfort against all assaults and obiections cast out either by Satan desirous to trouble our consciences or by euill tongues enuying our peace Tenthly touching Poligamie whether it is lawfull for any man at once to haue two or more wiues The truth is plaine No. For God made but one Adam and one Eue that neither man might expect moe Wiues nor woman moe Husbans at once than one And in this first institution expresly it was said A man shall leaue father and mother and cleaue to his wife not wiues and they two not they three or more shall bee one flesh Also when Lamech brake this Lawe by hauing moe wiues and after him both Iewes and Gentiles followed this libertie Christ the true teacher calleth them to the first institution and plainely saith From the beginning it was not so repeating the former Scripture they two shall be one c. The Apostle S. Paul following this truth saith for auoyding of fornication let euery man haue his wife not wiues let euery woman haue her owne husband not husbands Againe let the husband giue to his wife due beneuolence not to his wiues And the wife hath not power of her owne body but her husband Let a Byshop be the husband of one wife not of many as then was vsed of too many still and euer vsing as you sée the singular number not the plurall Further you know that marriage representeth the couenant betwixt Christ and his Church and therefore is called a mysterie but Christ hath onely one Church and the Church hath onely one Christ therefore pluralitie of wiues or husbands is a fault and may not be indured The good peace and vnitie that ought to be in married couples is thus broken and the house filled with brawlings and heart-burnings factions diuisions and all vngodlinesse Therefore very Reason teacheth vs to abhorre Polygamie Good Gouernours mooued herewith haue euer by their imperiall and godly lawes punished it and forbidden it as might be shewed if it were fit But you will say the godly Fathers in the old Testament had many wiues God suffered it c. You must then againe consider with your selfe touching them that suffering and allowing or commanding differ much Suffered it was commaunded or allowed simply neuer Secondly latter lawes take away former and Christ by calling men to the first institution of Marriage tooke away that permission and sufferance of Moses Thirdly Priuiledges doe not ouerthrow a rule And therefore although God hauing promised to make Abrahams seede as the starres of the heauen for multitude was pleased to suffer varietie of wiues for a time as a fit meanes spéedily and greasly to increase that posteritie of-spring yet was not a taking away of his certaine rule but when the cause ceased by a multitude procéeding from Abrahams loynes the thing suffered only for that end ceased also and may net any further be followed Fourthly wee truely answere againe that we liue by lawes and not by examples And touching faultes in the Fathers wée well must remember the wordes of God to the Iewes by Ezekiel his Prophet In Praeceptis meis In my Commandements you shall walke and not in the commandements of your Fathers And againe in this Chapter After the dooings of the Land of Aegypt wherein yee dwelt shall yee not doe neither after the maner of the Land of Canaan whither I will bring you c. But after my Iudgements shall yee doe and you shall keepe My Ordinances to walke therein for I am the Lord c. Thus of marriage making kéeping Now a litle of Diuorce and seperation might be added if there were not more cause in these sinfull times to exâ—ort al married couples to mutuall loue faithfulnes to patience and quietnes to the vtter abandoning of al vaine wicked imaginations suspicions ielousies than to speake of breakings departing one from the other to the great offence of God grief of friends ill example to others euermore apt to learne what is euill than what is good I wil therfore spare this paines and rather intreat all those that feare God often to remiber yong Tobâ—e his prayer that God in mercie would grant to him his wife that they might become aged together to which she said with him Amen We read of the Indian womeÌ„ that though their husbands haue diuers wiues yet they did by al means indeauor to continue in loue with him and when he dieth she that was best beloued with great ioy and glorie that she was so goeth into the fire with his Corps and burneth with his dead bodie Such continuing affection in those that know not God must needs be a condemnation to all tickle tickle starting aside in such as know God and his commaundement in this behalfe Holy constant and continued Matrimonie is like say some to that little Citie Zoar where Lot was saued when to the Mountaine he was unwilling to goe and in filthy Sodom could not be safe To liue licentiously is to liue in Sodom to liue single hauing the gift is to escape into the mountaine Such as flying from the one cannot attaine to the other hauing not the gift giuen of God in litle Zoar that was betwirt both that is in holy wedlocke which is the middle estate may be saued Euer therefore make much of it and lightly and vniustly breake not in sunder that holy knot Sweetnesse is the Sister of Loue as bitternesse is the Sister of hatred Marriage loue then being an holy loue will in all troubles tast contentment and comfort though not one way yet another still to the preseruing of the knot and of Christian cohabitation The two Kyne that carried the Arke of God kept one path turned neither to the right hand nor to the left so should married couples doe saith S. Gregorie seeing by the profession of the Christian faith they also carry the Arke If the Glasse which you looke in should returne your countenance sad when you are merie or merrie when you are sad were it not a great fault in the Glasse Certainly so is it if married couples differ and be not merrie together sorie together contented together and either of them euer as a true glasse to the other shewing such agréement as is fit for them till God and time shall breake their dayes of and take the one of them to him The Wife of Augustus Caesar Liuia being asked of one how she did liue in such peace with her Husband the Emperour who had his infirmities some