his brother of Cham that mocked his father of Ananias Sapphira that dissembled with God of Iudas that betraied his master of Eutychus that slept at the Sermon of Paul by these and such like we must bee admonished to auoid maliciousnesse mocking hypocrisie couetousnes and drowsie affections when we come to heare We must learne good out of the euils which befell all these Cain and Cham were both accursed Ananias and Sapphira were stricken with sodain death Iudas hanged himself 〈◊〉 â— 11. and 〈◊〉 4. Mat. 27 â—cts 5 5.10 〈◊〉 20. and Eutychus was taken vp for dead If from these examples we do not learn some instruction doubtlesse it shall turn to our greater condemnation Thus much of their first murmuring Ver. 4 5 6 7 8 9. The second murmuring followeth which is the second part of the chap. handled to the end thereof wherein obserue 3 things First the peoples blasphemie against God lusting after flesh and loathing Manna Secondly the communication betweene Moses God touching their murmuring Thirdly the issue and euent of al containing the execution of Gods wil after the communication was ended The murmuring is amplified by that occasion by the manner by the substance and effect thereof and lastly by the greatnesse of their sin and offence all which are set downe at large both that the iustice of God in punishing of them might be cleered and his gracious goodnesse in sparing and pardoning of them might be manifested The occasion of this sin which is the first circumstance arose from the multitude of the Egyptians that came out of Egypt Exod. 12 38. and ioyned themselues to the people of God Now albeit they had left Egypt when they saw the plagues that fell vpon it yet they sauoured still of the Egyptian manners and longed after their Egyptian diet they lust after flesh and gaue great offence to the people of God they laid a stumbling block before them caused many of them to fall that they neuer rose vp againe Their sin is exâ—ressed in these words Who shall giue vs flesh to eate Then they remembred their former life in Egypt when they did fill their bellies with store of fish and did eat Cucumbers and Melons Leeks Onions and garlick which they preferd before the most heauenly meate and Manna bestowed vpon them in great plenty Nay they shew themselues to be so bewitched with these Egyptian trickes and besotted with the desire of their former food that their soules euen pined away and consumed euery day as if they had bin vtterly famished so that they cried out Wee can see nothing but Manna In this their sin that we may see it in his true colours iudge of it accordingly obserue these particulars First a manifest contempt of Gods ordinance for they do point it out as it were with the finger and say there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our eyes Secondly they must haue their eyes satisfied as wel as their bellies filled It could not content them to haue their necessity supplied they must also haue their sight pleased such was their wantonnesse intemperance vnthankfulnes and loathing of that meate wherewith God did diet them Thirdly here is a notable tempting of God as Psal 78.18 they tempted God in their harts in requiring meat for their lusts they wold try his power what he could do he must waite vpon them and doe whatsoeuer it pleased them to enioyne and appoint vnto him Fourthly blasphemy against God and open contempt of him setting him at nought They spake against God they said Psal 78 18. Can God furnish a table in the Wildernes For could they more blaspheme God or flie in his face with opprobrious speeches then to charge and accuse him of pining away his people and staruing of them Fiftly a vilifying contemning of their deliuerance out of Egypt they had forgotten the bondage of their persons the cruelty of Pharaoh the beating of their officers the destruction of their children they renew their old complaint which they vttered more euidently Exod. 16 3. O that wee had dyed by the hand of the Lord in thâ— Land of Egypt when we sate by the fleshpots when we did eate bread our bellies full As if they shold say we care not for our departure and deliuerance out of Egypt we think not our selus any way beholding to God for it for then it was better with vs then at this present Sixtly they loath their present estate of present blessings though they had store of Manna and had not experience of any want yet they must haue their dainty and delicate food like tumultuous and rebellious subiects that alwaies are weary of the present state Thucid lib. 1. lib. belli pelopon Seuenthly they shew their intemperance and concupiscence lusting after the worse wheÌ„ they had the better of which the Apostle saith We should not lust after euill things 1 Cor. 10.6 as they lusted For this cause euen to lay open the greatnesse of their sinne doth Moses sundry waies describe this Manna Plin. lib. 12. nat hist cap. 9. by the similitude of it it was like Coriander seed by the colour of it as Bâ—elium that is like the gum of that tree For it is a tree of the bignesse of an Oliue whereof Arabia hath great plenty which yeeldeth a certaine gum sweet to smell Plaut in curcul Histor of the world l. 1. c. 3. but bitter in taste It is farther also described by the sundry vses of it by the taste of it and that it came to them without any labour or pain-taking except in the gathering onely for God did send it downe with the dew euery night as we reade at large Exod. 16. Out of this diuision thus sorted into his parts arise sundry instructions part whereof I will onely point out And first behold wonder and be astonished how quickly they sin againe They had bin chastened immediately before the fire entring vpon the hindermost of their tents Pelarg. comme in sacros Num. was scarse quenched the footsteps of that fearefull burning might yet bee traced out and the smoke thereof was fresh in their eies yet they fall to lusting and murmuring againe Doctrine Sinne is dangerous Quà data porta ruit Virgil lib 1. Obserue therefore and marke it well that the entertainment of sin is dangerous It is not satisfied with the first committing it goeth and groweth on apace the practise of one maketh way for another and openeth the gates wide to all wickednes WheÌ„ sin is suffred to take roote it buddeth by and by and beareth fruite which is more bitter then gall And no maruaile for God leaueth such Reason 1 to themselues that they commit sin with greedines Such is his iustice that he will withdraw from them when once they forsake him all meanes that should do theÌ„ good that they abuse them no longer and he will punish sinne with sin the first with a
seeing GOD hath threatned to turne them to our curse and confusion so that wherein soeuer hath beene our wickednesse therein also shall be our woe our malice shall turne to our owne mischiefe our vncleannesse shall fall out to be our owne vndoing This the wiseman teacheth that because of the whoorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread and such an one will hunt for the precious life of a man Pro. 6 26. So such as delight to follow drunkennes it turneth to their destructiō for the very creatures grone trauel as it were in paine to be deliuered from this bondage of corruption in which they are after a sort holden for a time and do cry out vnto God for vengeance against them according to the saying of Salomon Prou. 23 29 30. To whom is woe to whom is sorrow to whom is strife to whō is murmuring to whom are wounds without cause and to whom is the rednesse of the eyes Euen to them that tarry long at the wine to them that goe and seeke mixt wine Wherefore let vs vse the creatures of God aright that they may be seruiceable and comfortable vnto vs and that they may helpe to further and encrease our blessednesse which they will do if they bee well vsed This our Sauiour teacheth his Disciples Math. chap. 13 16. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare Euery gift and creature of God that thou abusest shall further thy condemnation and bring vppon thy head his iust iudgement Euery instrument of thy body and power of thy soule that thou hast abused to sinne shall encrease thy woe and torment as appeareth in the example of the rich man Verse 22. And he looked on the Kenites and said Strong is thy dwelling place and put thy nest in the rocke neuerthelesse the Kenite shall be spoiled c. In these words going before we heard of Balaams prophesie against the Amalekites Heere Moses setteth downe his prophecy against the Kenites which is the sixt in number and the third among those that are denounced against the vnbeleeuers and idolatrous nations Concerning the Kenites wee haue spoken sufficiently before which were the posterity of Iethro the father in law of Moses and these dwelled among the Amalekites before they departed from them as appeareth 1. Sam. 15 16 so that they obtained mercy and were not destroyed because they shewed mercy vnto the children of Israel when they came vp from Egypt The scope of this prophecie is to declare that howsoeuer these Kenites thought they dwelled safely and had their seat as it were a nest made in a strong rocke that might be assaulted but not subdued besieged but not ouercome yet when they promised to themselues the surest peace and greatest security destruction should come suddainly like a whirlewinde and carry them away Doctrine The iudgments of God many times come suddenly From hence we learne that the iudgments of GOD vpon secure and sinfull persons doe many times come suddainly Howsoeuer the Lord bee a God of patience and beareth with the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction yet when men think themselues free and farre from all danger iudgement lighteth on them encreased by the speedinesse of the execution This wee see in sundry examples of Gods proceedings against the vngodly The Egyptians that pursued after the Israelites to the midst of the sea were suddenly drowned the waters couered them their chariots failed them the Lord fought against them Exod. 14 26. Whiles Balteshazzar made his feasts dranke wine in all excesse and praised his gods of gold and siluer at the same houre appeared fingers of a mans hand writing on the plaster of the wall foretelling his finall confusion which immediatly after followed Dan. 5 5 30. When Pharaoh refused to let the people go as God commanded and Moses required of him had bin scourged by many plagues he his Princes his people and whole land yet they hardened their hearts and walked stubburnly against him suddainly at midnight the Lord smote all the first borne in the land of Egypt from the first borne of Pharaoh that sate on his throne vnto the first borne of the captiue that was in prison all the first borne of beasts Exod. 12 29. Thus Christ describeth his second comming that it shall be suddaine speedy and at vnawares Math. 24 37. So in Lots time They were giuen to lust of the flesh to pride of life to fulnesse of bread to abundance of idlenesse to contempt of the poore Ezek. 16 49 these were the chiefe and capitall sinnes of the Sodomites others followed and accompanied them and behold suddainly the Lord rained downe fire and brimstone from heauen which was their portion and consumed them Gen. 19 24. Such shall the comming of Christ to iudgment be when men say peace peace safety safety and thinke not of any danger suddaine destruction shall come vpon them as a thiefe in the night c. 1. Thess 5 2 3. Reason 1 The reasons for further confirmation of this truth do follow For first God is the mighty Iehouah that knoweth all the wayes and workes of his enemies which labour in the fire and conspire in vaine against God his people Howsoeuer the vngodly think him to be weake and to want strength or to bee farre from them not to see their dealings yet by wofull experience they shall finde the power of his hand This is the reason vrged by Moses in his song declaring that they sanke as a stone and were consumed as stubble hee giueth this reason The Lord is a man of warre his Name is Iehouah Exod. 15 3. The world hath had many worthies men of warre excelling in might glorious in victories but the Lord passeth them all whose Name is eternall and almighty able to execute all his iudgments at his owne pleasure His power is not limited stinted there is no power on earth but that which is receiued of him who bringeth all his purposes to passe and his counsels take effect Secondly the vngodly are of a dead heart Reason 2 and despise the warning giuen vnto them of God they haue no desire or affection to any thing but the pleasures and profits of this life This is the reason why the flood was brought vpon the old world and wherefore destruction shal come vpon this old world at the comming of Christ because albeit they were warned by the preaching of Noah yet they were drowned in the delights of the flesh and neuer turned to the Lord till the flood came Mat. 24. Deadnesse of heart contempt of the word are feareful sinnes in the former age in these times wherein we liue Such men make but a mocke in their hearts of all that God promiseth or threatneth saying to themselues where is the promise of his comming 2 Pet. 3 and thereupon oppresse their brethren rage against God and his people vse outragious leud dealings follow euery
hands of all those that haue suffered and fostered it in others by their negligence in gouerning and remisnesse in punishing Wee heard this before in Ahab 1 Kings chapter 20. verse 42 who letting Benhadad goe free life must goe for life he should answer for the other We see this euidently in the example of olde Eli who not controlling and correcting his children when they sinned greeuously against the Lord is himself directly charged to haue committed those sinnes 1 Samuel chapter 2 vers 29 to honour his children aboue the Lord to make himselfe far of the first of all the Offerings and is punished with suddaine death by breaking of his neck So likewise shall the sinnes of sinful men that liue vnder our roofe and shroud themselues vnder our protectioÌ„ be required at our hands if we vphold them in their euill or do not punish them for their euill according vnto the meanes that God hath giuen vs. Lastly seeing God is well pleased appeased when sinne is taken away as the cause of Vse 3 his displeasure let vs not carry til the Magistrate draw the sword out of his sheathe but euery one turne vnto God and enter into iudgment with our selues that the Lord may not enter into iudgement with vs. We must be carefull to gaine and get God to be our friend The way is to forsake our sinne and to walke with God as being euer in his presence Can two walke together except they be agreed Let vs then reconcile ourselues to God and hee will be reconciled vnto vs Let vs draw neere vnto him and he will draw neere vnto vs Iam. 4 8. This must be done of vs by cleansing our hands and by purging of our hearts Abraham the father of the faithfull beeing righteous by faith is called The friend of God Iam. 2 â—3 This is it which our Sauiour teacheth Yee are my friends if ye do whatsoeuer I command you Iob. 13 14. If then we would be at peace with God and desire the friendshippe of the most High if we would haue him turne away his wrath and heauy displeasure from vs we must be carefull to auoid sinne seeing it bringeth the iudgements of God and putteth a sword into his hand to destroy vs. From hence as from the principall cause come all manner of punishments that God inflicteth war death famine the plague pestilence our sinnes are the fountaines of them all Therefore the Apostle in this respect willeth vs to try and examine our selues that we may finde out the true cause of our troubles when he saith For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe for if wee would iudge our selues we should not be iudged 1 Cor. 11 31. So then the best course to preuent iudgements or to remoue them which are already brought vpon vs is by repentance The Lord hath many wayes visited vs for our sins somtimes by the raging of the pestilence sometimes by inundations ouerflowings of waters sometimes by dearth famine of bread all which are as sharpe arrowes which hee taketh out of his Quiuer and shooteth theÌ„ out of his Bow and we are not able to stand before them for who is able to stand before his fierce wrath Or who can abide the greatnesse of his power Nahum 1 6. The onely way left vnto vs to take is to seeke reconciliation with God and to turne vnto him by vnfeined repentance We must make conscience of all sin For so long as we flatter our selues in any one knowne sinne the wrath of God will neuer be appeased but he hath still some controuersie against vs. We must not therfore leaue one sin vnrepented of When Moses was to leade the people as a flocke of sheepe out of the Land of Egypt and Pharaoh permitted the fathers and the children to go serue the Lord in the wildernesse onely their sheepe and cattell should abide Moses answered Our Cattell also shall goe with vs there shall not an hoofe be left behind Exod. 10 26. So must our obedience be vnto God it must bee perfect and entire we must not repent to halfes we must not leaue one sinne behind but search the secret corners of our deceitfull hearts For when God shall search with lights to finde out our hidden sinnes he will visite the men that are frozen in their dregs and say in their hearts the Lord wil neither do good nor euill These neuer mourne for their sinnes and therefore God will make them mourne lying vnder his wrath If they will haue no feeling of their sin they shall haue a feeling of his punishments and of the burden of his iudgements Verse 9. And there died in that plague foure and twenty thousand In these words Moses setteth downe the number of all those that perished as well of the Princes as of the people How this agreeth with the Apostle that nameth onely three and twenty thousand wee haue already declared in the exposition of the words and answering of the Questions that arise out of the words We haue heard before that albeit Balak Balaam intended by their sorceries to curse the people of God yet they could by no meanes doe them hurt they were guarded by the protection of God as with a sure watch For God is the watchman of Israel that neyther slumbreth nor sleepeth Psal 121 4. But so soone as they forsook the liuing God and fell a whoring with the daughters of Moab and Midian by and by God departeth from them and his heauy iudgements breake in vpon them The force of sorcery could not hurt them but the strength of sinne doth weaken them and greatly diminisheth the number of them Heereby we learne Doctrine Sin depriâ—â— vs of Gods protection that sinne depriueth vs of Gods protection and layeth vs naked and open to the fiercenesse of his wrath and to the fury of our enemies The sinnes wherewith the Church in general or any member in particular doe prouoke GOD bring downe iudgements of all sorts cause his wrath to be kindled and giue strength to the enemy to preuaile against vs. When the people of God had committed Idolatry made them gods to goe before them it is said by Moses that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked vnto their shame among their enemies Exod. 32 25. This appeareth also in the booke of Ioshua when Achan had sinned and stolne the babylonish garment the shekels of siluer and the wedge of gold they could not stand before their enemies Iosh 7 4. but fell before them as naked men beeing vtterly destitute of Gods defence by reason of the offence committed among them We see this oftentimes in the Bookes of the Iudges of the Kings and Chronicles when they rebelled against God and prouoked him to anger presently hee sold them into the hands of their enemies they became subiect to sundry calamities they fell into all kinde of miseries that were layde vpon them When they began to do
men and honest we pay euery man his owne no man can aske vs a penny But if it be so yet what shall this auaile vs if we be found false to God and sticke not to rob him The tithes are Gods portioÌ„ if we wrongfully deteine them from those to whom hee hath assigned them we are no better then theeues robbers whatsoeuer we account of our selues The Prophet Malachi shall be my warrant to charge this vpon them and if they thinke I slander them let them bring their action against him Hence it is that he saith chap. 3 8 9. Will a man spoile his gods Yet yee haue robbed me But ye say Wherein haue we robbed thee In tithes and offerings ye are cursed with a curse for ye haue robbed me euen this whole Nation In which wee may obserue these particular points First that it hath beene an old and ancient practise to inuert the ordinance of God and to alienate the right of the Church and to defraud the Ministers of their due This ought to comfort vs when wee finde our selues iniuriously dealt withall it fareth not worse with vs then it hath fallen out in the Church in former times The Priests of God whose lippes preserue knowledge had this portion assigned vnto them they had no inheritance in the Land as the other Tribes had yet greedy cormorants and couetous wretches grudged this allowance also vnto them and deteined it from them Againe obserue that these caterpillars that deuoure the fat of the earth albeit they sinne greeuously yet neuer want pretences and excuses to colour their sacriledge they haue somewhat to say for themselues they will neuer be brought to acknowledge their offences they thinke it well gotten which is gotten from the Church they are of opinion that the Ministers haue too much and therefore thinke it good pollicy to shaue theÌ„ once a yeare and vse them as men do their flockes who sheare the wool from their backes lest it should grow to be a burden vnto them So is it in our daies partly by vnproper titles partly by iniurious customes and partly by vnconscionable conuaiances the Ministery in many places is left bare and naked and the Ministers haue not wherewithall to sustaine themselues and their families Thirdly notwithstanding the shifts that these men haue inuented and deuised GOD setteth out their sinne in liuely colours calleth it plaine robbing and spoiling of God For what is theft but a getting of other mens goods to our selues whether it be by violence or by other conuayance Behold the difference betweene the iudgement of God and the iudgement of these men concerning theÌ„selues They account themselues honest men and pronounce of themselues that they are iust and true but God calleth them spoilers and robbers of him They oppresse the church they deceiue the Ministers they spoile God himselfe and they hinder the saluation of many poore soules Lastly the Prophet setteth downe their reward which followeth their sin They haue robbed him and are cursed with a curse God curseth them and the soules of many that perish do curse them and therefore albeit they blesse themselues it shall not helpe them The Gentiles by the light of naturall reason saw that their Priests which waited vpon the seruice of God were to be maintained bountifully and to be prouided for liberally therfore no maruaile though God account the deteining of tithes and deceiuing of the Ministers to be no lesse sinne then a robbing of his Maiesty This we see euidently in the time of famine that was in Egypt when no Corne did grow for the space of seuen yeares for in the common dearth and want of others they were releeued For whereas wee reade the words â—n 47 22. The Land of the Priests hee bought not for they had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh and did eate their portion which Pharaoh gaue theÌ„ wherefore the Priests sold not their Lands some translate the words otherwise â—â—â—im and vnderstand them of the chiefe Officers or Ruleâ—s or Princes in the Common-wealth But albeit the word do sometimes signifie so as 2 Sam. 8 18. where Dauids sonnes are called by that name â—hro 18 17. which could not be in the number of Priests for they pertained to another Tribe of which no man gaue attendance at the Altar and Iob 12 19. He leadeth Princes away spoiled and ouerthroweth the mighty â—en 41 45. Where hee maketh the Princes and mighty as both one and addeth the latter to expound the former yet neuerthelesse we rather follow the common translation and the receiued interpretation that Ioseph bought not their glebe Land because the King gaue them an allowance during all the famine that they should not bee constrained to sell their ground For thus do the seauenty Interpreters reade it â—iq Iudaic. â— cap 4 â—â— in Euâ—â— Diâ—dor â—ho 2. thus do Iosephus Philo vnderstand it thus also do the testimonies of other Historiographers warrant vs to take it which teach that the Priests of Egypt were wont to haue their allowance and portion publikely prouided for them and supplied vnto them as their maintainance for their seruice Neither doth it preiudice this truth or hinder it any whit because they were Idolaters and so deserued to be destributed rather then releeued and sustained For first of all Ioseph sinned not â— commenâ—n Gen. because hee distributed the corne not at his owne pleasure but at the Kings appointment not by his owne discretion but by the Kings commissioÌ„ who would haue them prouided for And Pharaoh himselfe failed in his duty but sinned not in his liberality not in nourishing the Priests but in cherishing Idolaters and in not reforming the worship of God which is an office both beseeming and belonging properly to Kings and Princes I meane to purge and cleanse his seruice from all superstition Gen. 35 2. as Iacob did put away the strange gods that were in his house The maintenance of the Ministery is Gods allowance and therfore such as deteine it and so take from God his part do oftentimes lose their owne portions not that God hath need of these things but because it is the wages recompence which he that is the true owner of all that belongeth vnto vs hath appointed for their vse that waite vpon the worship of God and serue in the Ministery of the Gospel This sinne is not a bare theft but stealing in the highest degree euen a sacriledge against God a wasting of his house a spoiling of his worship and a ruinating of his kingdome as Nehem. 13 10. by reason of keeping backe the tithes and oblations the Leuites the Singers and the rest that serued in the worke of the Lord were through extreme pouerty and pinching of them constrained to leaue the Temple and to goe home vnto their owne houses It is no new thing to haue the Ministers defrauded and the worke of the Lord lye waste for lacke of labourers And
peace and said nothing giuing no occasion of this contention But before we come to the doctrines to be gathered from hence we must speake somewhat of the translation of the words and of the interpretation The words in the Originall lie thus And Miriam spake and Aaron against Moses because of the woman the Cushite whom he had marryed for he had taken to wife a Cushite The Septuagint being deceiued in turning these words Heneken tes gunaikos aithiopisses hoti gunaika aithiopissan elabe gaue occasion of errour and stumbling vnto others making the Cushites to be Ethiopians and saying that hee married an Ethiopian woman thereby mistaking this place and sundry others The vulgar Latine followed them step by step and the Geneua likewise all of them calling her an Ethiopian To this purpose I cannot passe ouer the senselesse tale of Iosephus in his Antiquities which he relateth of Moses when he is said to haue serued Pharaoh in the warres against the Ethiopians at such time as hee was brought vp in his courts as the sonne of his daughter for he transporteth Midian ouer the red sea and beyond all Egypt and setteth it in Ethiopia quite mistaking the seat of Cush The Ethiopians are directly vnder the Equinoctiall line Whether Cussi be Ethiopia or not or not farre from it but far from the land inhabited by the Cushites who are neither blacke of color nor in any sort neighbouring the Torrida Zona whereas Moses maried the daughter of Iethro Priest or Prince of Madian which is part of Arabia Petraea bordering the red sea for he fled from Pharaoh into the land of Madian Now it is manifest that Cush could not be Ethiopia but Arabia both that Arabia called the Stony of which we spake before and a part of Arabia the Happy the Desert which regions Cush and the Cushites presently planted and peopled after that they left Babylon to Nimrod wherein they first sate downe altogether But Iosephus presuming that Cush was no other then Ethiopia must needes maintaine that the wife of Moses being a Cushite was a woman of the Land of Ethiopia and therupon frameeth a formall tale that one Tharbis the daughter of the king of Ethiopia fell deepely in loue with the person and fame of Moses while hee besieged Saba her fathers chiefe citie and to the end to obtaine Moses for her husband she practised to betray her parents countrey friends and the citie it selfe and to deliuer them and her selfe into Moses hands The substance of this tale is told in this sort Ioseph Antiq. lib 2. cap. 5. While Moses was greeued that his army lay idle because the enemy besieged durst not sally out and come to handy blowes there happened this accident in the meane while The Ethiopian king had a daughter cald Tharbis who at some assaults beheld the person of Moses and withall admired his valour And knowing that Moses had not onely vpheld and restored the falling estate of the Egyptians but had also brought the conquering Ethiopians to the very brinke of subuersion these things working in her thoughts together with her owne affection which daily encreased she made meanes to send vnto him by one of her trustiest seruants to offer her selfe vnto him and become his wife which offer Moses on this condition accepted that shee should first deliuer the City into his possession wherunto she condescending and Moses hauing taken an oath to performe this contract both the one and the other were instantly performed Heere is a pleasant tale for it is no better whereof Moses hath not one word The disâ— of the 〈◊〉 Iosephâ—â— wherin are many plaine mistakings For as he is deceiued in taking Ethiopia to be the countrey of Moses his wife when indeed it was Arabia so hee erreth no lesse in naming a city of Arabia for a city of Ethiopia For Saba is not in Ethiopia but in Arabia as both Strabo and all Geographers ancient and moderne teach vs except haply Iosephus can worke miracles or rather impossibilities and perswade vs that the Queene of Saba Ma◠〈…〉 which came from the South to heare the wisedome of Salomon were a Negro or Black-Moore Againe while Moses kept the sheepe of his father in law the Priest of Madian he is saide to driue the flocke to the desart and so came to the mountaine of God in Horeb Exod. 3.1.2 Now that mount Horeb is not in Ethiopia euery child knoweth and Sinai where the law was giuen is expresly said to be in Arabia Gal. 4.25 But Horeb and Sinai were together and differ as the whole and the part Horeb being the name of that hilly coast wherein mount Sinai is situated Furthermore we find that Iethro came to Moses at Rephidim not far froÌ„ Idumea where perceiuing the insupportable gouernment of so great a multitude to lie vpon his shoulders onely as a burden too heauy for him to beare he aduised him to distribute that weighty charge among others and to make Iudges and gouernours of euery Tribe to helpe beare the burden with him Exod. 18. But if Iethro had beene an Ethiopian it had beene a very farre progresse and wearisome perambulation for him to haue passed through al Egypt with the wife and children of Moses and to haue found Moses in the borders of Idumea the Egyptians hating Moses to the death and all that fauoured him Lastly if we will beleeue Moses himselfe who spake being inspired by the Spirit of God then doubtlesse his wife was not purchased after the manner that Iosephus reporteth that is for betraying her countrey and kindred her parents and friends neither had she the name of Tharbis but of Zipporah neither was she a Negro but a Midianitish woman For Moses flying out of Egypt for feare of Pharaoh and for safety of his life came to Midian and sate downe by a Well as a man distressed and disconsolate and a stranger where he is said to haue defended the daughters of Reguel from the other sheepherds and drew them water to water their sheepe vpon which occasion he was entertained by Iethro whose daughter he married and not for any supposed betraying of townes and countries Neither is it any thing against this opinion of Moses his wife to haue bene an Arabian that the Scriptures teach vs that he married a Midianitish woman forasmuch as Madian or Midian standing on the North coast of the red sea ouer against the body of Egypt and nere Ezion Gaber where Salomon prouided his fleete for India in the region of Edom may well be reckoned as a part of Arabia as the red sea is called Sinus Arabicus Moreouer these foure nations are euerie where mixt in holy Scriptures because they dwelt confusedly together to wit the Madianites the Ismaelites the Amalekites the Cushites which were all in one generall word Arabians and in the word called sometimes by one of those names and sometimes by another as Gen. 37 25 27. 28. it is
is euermore the companion of hypocrisie Fiftly to be confident in good causes and couragious especially in time of perill Prou. 10 9. 28 1. Whereas the hypocrite hauing a corrupt conscience is ouertaken with feare and trembling Esay 33 14. Prou. 28 1. Lastly to be constant and to perseuere to the end in good things to bee resolute neuer to giue ouer a continued course of piety vntil we giue ouer this course of life such bring foorth fruite with patience Luke 8 15. and shall neuer be remoued Psal 15 5. Whereas the double-minded man is vnstable in all his wayes Iames 1 8. his godlinesse and religion is as the morning dew Hosea 6 4. By these signes we may sift and examine our selues whether this grace of sincerity be in vs or not And as the gift is excellent so there are sundry motiues to stirre vs vp vnto it Sundry motiâ—es to 〈◊〉 vs to sincâ— For God is good and gracious vnto such as are pure in heart Psal 73 1. and 125 4 5. hee is the Sun and shield to them Psal 84 11. This is the life and substance of all other graces without it the best things are but counterfet and no better then sinnes against God Our faith must be vnfained and loue without dissimulation and our conuersion must be a renting of the heart Consider also that God is present euery where and knoweth all things Psal 139 7. Prou. 15 verse 3. Moreouer wee must meditate oftentimes vpon the iudgements of God which hee bringeth vpon the world but especially of the last iudgement in the end of the world and of our particular iudgment at the houre of death Ro. 2 16. Eccl. 12 14. The heart is the store-house keeper of the graces of God Pro. 4 23. Mat. 13 18 19. Lu. 6 45. Math. 23 26. therefore we ought carefully to looke vnto it CHAP. XIIII 1 And all the Congregation lifted vp their voice and cryed and the people wept that night 2 And all the Congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole Congregation saide vnto them Would God that we had died in the Land of Egipt or would God we had died in this wildernesse 3 And wherefore hath the Lord brought vs into this land to fall by the sword that our wiues and our children should be a prey Were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt WE haue seen in the former chapter the occasioÌ„ of this fourth murmuring arising from the report of the spies whereby the seed was sowne which in this Chapter groweth vp to an open obstinate mutiny The fruit was answerable to the seed the successe to the report And who can stay the streame driuen by so violent a winde and tempest When the arrow is once shot out of the bow it is too late to wish it may do no hurt where it falleth because where it hitteth it hurteth But to come to the present matter in hand the people giuing eare to these false reports dream of danger where no danger is like the sluggard that saith There is a Lyon without I shall bee slaine in the streets Prou. 22 13. To minds that are fearfull and perplexed all fansies and coniectures seeme things of truth Consider in this chapt two points first the generall murmuring of all that is of the greatest part of the people secondly the proceeing of God against theÌ„ for their murmuring Their murmuring is accompanied with impatience disobedience vnthankfulnesse blasphemy infidelity and tempting of God Psal 106 24 25 c. and it is set downe generally and particularly Generally they murmured against Moses and Aaron amplified by the effect 〈◊〉 cause 〈◊〉 the Israâ— wept all 〈◊〉 they wept all the night The cause why they wept is the feare of death and the sense of their sinne they supposed that they were led as sheep to the slaughter and brought into the wildernesse as to a place of destruction had forgotten the promise made 400. yeares before to their fathers Wee see heere how quickly and easily they obey euil persons that seduced them they listen with both their ears vnto them â—â—â—trine 〈◊〉 are natuâ— ready to 〈…〉 â—ken to â—cers and â—ers and forget what they had often heard and seen Caleb and Ioshua warned them but all was in vaine The doctrine This is the corruption of our nature we are prone to bee peruerted and ready to hearken to seducers to follow euill liuers and euill teachers while in the meane season wee are hardly drawne to hearken and attend vnto those that tell vs the truth without flattery or forgery Exod. 4 1. The prophet of God sent to prophesy against the Altar at Bethel is easily seduced and forsaketh the word of God 1 Kings 13 21. Our Sauiour complaineth of the peeuishnesse of the Iewes 〈◊〉 11 27. Wee haue piped vnto you and ye haue not danced we haue mourned vnto you and ye haue not lamented c. And Iohn 5 43. I am come in my Fathers name and ye receiued me not if another shall come in his owne name him yee will receiue 2 Tim. 4 34. Gal. 3 1 2. and 5 7. Titus 1 11. Mat. 24 5. First because in the minde and vnderstanding Reason 1 howsoeuer there remaine certaine generall notions concerning good and euil as that there is a God that he is iust and a rewarder of them that do well that wee must honour our parents and not hurt our neighbors yet euen these are corrupt and serue only to take away excuse Ro. 1 19 20. and besides wee haue all receiued from Adam ignorance or want of knowledge of the things of God 1 Cor. 2 14. Ro. 8 7. Likewise disability to vnderstand spirituall things though they be plainly taught vnto vs Lu. 24 41. 2 Cor. 3 5. vanity of the mind thinking truth to be falshood and falsehood to be truth Eph. 4 17. 1 Cor. 1 21. Prou. 14 12. So then the originall or seede of all errors and heresies is in our nature Secondly satan is mighty and subtle he can Reason 2 transforme himselfe into an Angel of light he employeth many instruments in his worke to seduce vs as he did Eue which also worke mightily with strong delusions 2 Cor. 11 3. False Apostles are deceitful workers transforming themselues into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. they come in sheeps clothing though inwardly they bee rauening Reason 3 wolues Mat. 7 15. 2 Pet. 2 1 2. Thirdly it is Gods deepe yet most iust iudgement vpon all that obey not the gospel to send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies This is a punishment sent vpon the vnthankfulnesse of men when they haue the light and yet shut their eies heare the sound of the Gospel and yet stop their eares and vnderstand the truth yet harden their hearts against the truth Mat. 13 14 15. 2 Thess 2 11 12. This serueth to reprooue and conuince the Vse 1
need not feare for the time to come but that wee shall also receiue more at his hands who giueth liberally one blessing after another Iam. 1.5 Forasmuch as he is God for the time to come as well as for the time past and all his gifts and calling are without repentance Rom. 11 29. Thirdly this should mooue vs earnestly to Vse 3 labour for the first grace and neuer to giue rest to our selues vntill we feele an addition and encrease of the second and third grace in our hearts and to multiply them one after another that they may dwell in vs plentifully and make vs fruitfull in all holy conuersation If we haue the first grace in our hearts and be carefull to vse the same well it is as seed sown in good ground it will bring forth a wonderfull encrease and a notable haruest in the end Paul would haue Timothy to stirre vp the gift that was in him 1 Tim. 1.6 If wee bee once in Christ he will purge vs more and more that we shall bring forth more fruit Ioh. 15.8 Lastly obserue that this is a priuiledge belonging Vse 4 onely to the faithfull that they shall haue the mercy and fauour of God continued vnto them The blessings that God bestoweth vpon the wicked doe serue to make them without excuse and are as seales of condemnation they are not assurances vnto them that they shall haue moe bestowed vpon them he hath made no such promise vnto them neither can they gather any hope to haue any farther encrease of the same or any addition of new blessings Albeit it be so with the godly that former blessings of God are pledges of more yet it is not so with the vngodly 2 Sam. 7 17. Iudg. 10 12 13. Eccle. 8.12 13. Esay 65.20 He tooke away his mercy from Saul but hee would neuer doe it from Dauid he deliuered the vnthankefull and rebellious Israelites out of the hands of their enemies but he threateneth that he will deliuer them no more The euill seruant hath his talent taken from him and neuer restored vnto him againe and therupon Christ deliuereth the manner of Gods dealing as well toward the faithful as the vnfaithfull Matth. 25.29 Vnto euery one that hath shall be giuen and he shall haue aboundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away euen that which he hath For they doe abuse his mercies and neuer make any good vse of them how then should they bee continued vnto them nay how should they not be depriued of them They become much more sinfull and grow worse and worse by his blessings God requireth the more of them but they performe the lesse duty vnto him It is therefore a vaine hope and a meere presumption for such to thinke to haue his goodnesse continued rather they may conclude that God will take them away suddenly and bestow them no longer vpon them except they turne from their euill wayes 20 And the Lord said I haue pardoned according to thy word 21 But as truely as I liue all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. 23 Because all these men which haue seene my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wildernesse and haue tempted me now these ten times and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce 23 Surely they shall not see the Land c. 24 But my seruant Caleb c. We haue in these words the effect of the prayer of Moses and the answer that God giueth vnto him The summe whereof is this that the fathers should die in the wildernesse because though they had seene his glory and miracles in Egypt and in the wildernesse yet they tempted him ten times that is not once nor twice but oftentimes a certaine number put for an vncertaine as Gen. 31.41 Iob. 19.3 Dan. 7.10 and therefore they should be all destroied excepting Caleb the seruant of God If any aske the question why Ioshua is not expressed â—ction and wherefore his name is concealed I answer â—er because the Lord pronounced the former sentence concerning the people that were in their tents but Ioshua that attended vpon Moses was present with Moses and Aaron before the dore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation therefore the iudgement denounced against the people that abode in their tents no way touched him Caleb was with the people so that it behoued him who had spoken the truth of the land to be excepted Ioshua was not and therefore there was no need to haue him exempted from them who was not among them For being with Moses and Aaron he is accounted in their number Secondly they are commanded to returne backe againe into the wildernesse by the way of the red sea verse 25 when they were now come to the borders of Canaan which they could not heare without great greefe and anguish of minde Before they wept without cause verse 1. Now they haue cause to weepe for this heauy iudgement Thirdly their children shold beare the burdeÌ„ of their fathers sin wander in the wildernes forty yeres howbeit in the end they should enter into the land Fourthly the Spies themselues that had searched the land which were the authors of all this mutiny and had brought vp an euill report of the land were smitten with a fearefull plague dyed suddenly by the hand of God Heere we may obserue in these words that God heareth the prayer of Moses and pardoneth the people according to his prayer so that the Lord heareth the prayers of the faithfull according to his promise Secondly Gods iudgements are tempered with mercy Thirdly such as haue receiued the greatest mercies and become vnthankfull and disobedient Matth. 11.20.21 22 23 24. Luke 12.47 are the greatest sinners and shal receiue the greatest iudgement Fourthly in excepting Caleb and Ioshua from the common destruction it appeareth that God is a iust righteous God who as he doth not account the wicked innocent so he will not account the innocent to be wicked The Popish teachers alledge this example to prooue that God pardoneth sinne Popish doctâ—ine touching the pardon of sin and the retaining of the punishment and yet punisheth the sinner that the same punishment so inflicted is a satisfaction to God for their sinne and that the eternall punishment due to this people was pardoned at yâ— request of Moses If this were true then all this people were beleeuers and had true faith in the Messiah which is a bold assertion without all shew of reason and likelihood of trueth It may probably and charitably be thought that some of them were beleeuers and repented to them these were chastisements The like may be said of Moses and Aaron and of Dauid of which they were shut out of the land of promise and he was punished by the death of his child and in other his children and house not thereby to satisfie God by bearing part of the temporall punishment belonging to their sin but that Moses
a sort the Lord also doth it who as a iust Iudge for the wickednes of the world and contempt of the Gospel letteth loose Satan to deceiue in his heauy yet righteous iudgement So the Apostle teacheth that God shall send strong delusions that they shall beleeue lies that will not imbrace and receiue the truth 2 Thes 2 11. The vses are to be thought vpon and to be Vse 1 learned of vs. First maruaile not if wicked meÌ„ many times prosper and preuaile For if God vse them as his Rods and enableth them to worke his will albeit they do not feare God nor purpose to serue him nor ayme at his glory yet they shall ouercome and haue the vpper hand for God hath sent them God hath armed them God hath saide vnto them goe and prosper Let vs not therefore thinke when euill men preuaile that all things are shufled hudled together let vs not doubt of Gods high prouidence ouer-ruling the world let vs not make prosperity a note of the Church as if it were alwaies here in flourishing estate multiplying in wealth aboundâ—ng in friends glorious in victories flowing in honours increasing in multitudes and excelling in outward priuiledges for God many times raiseth vp the heads of euill men to bring mighty things to passe This the Prophet Ezekiel declareth chap. 29 18 19 20. Sonne of Man Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel caused his army to serue a great seruice against Tyrus euery head was made bald and euery shoulder was made bare yet had he no wages nor yet his army for Tyrus for the seruice that he serued against it therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will giue the Land of Egipt to the King of Babel and he shall take her multitude and spoile her spoile and take her prey and it shall bee the wages of his army I haue giuen him the Land of Egipt for his labour that he serued against it because they wrought for me saith the Lord God Where the Prophet sheweth that Nebuchadnezzar had serued Gods prouidence in the siedge and sacking of Tyrus and therfore he had another kingdome giuen him for it and blessed with victory ouer other enemies This is the reason why euill men are set vp and haue a reward of temporall blessings because they are Gods souldiers and are vnder his pay who suffereth them not to goe and depart without their wages Thus all earthly things fall out alike to all there is the same outward condition belonging to all To the iust and vniust to the pure and to the polluted Eccles 9 2. Secondly let vs from hence know assuredly there are no waies to withstand his wrath Vse 2 no policy to preuent his iudgments no force that can resist his purposes We see how many meanes he hath to bring forth his decrees he can make the vngodly serue him whensoeuer he will command them True it is Gods children guided by his Spirit and framed to the obedience of his will will alwayes be seruiceable to him with cheerefulnes of heart and willingnes of minde If he command his aduersaries any worke they must obey him albeit against their wils hee enforceth them as slaues to do his will Whatsoeuer their purposes be God disposeth them to bring his own decrees to passe What man then can promise to himselfe rest and peace or thinke to winde himselfe from the hand of God or escape the sentence gone out against him or stand against God comming out to take vengeance vpon him Seeing he hath so many seruants in readinesse set in battell aray to performe his purposes and can single out what instruments he listeth albeit as euill as themselues This the Prophets teach euery where to the terror of al Gods enemies Consider that Ieremy is bold and saith to Zedekiah King of Iudah Deceiue not your selues saying The Chaldeans shall surely depart from vs â— 37 9 10. for they shall not depart for though ye had smitten the whole hoast of the Chaldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should euery man rise vp in his Tent and burne this City with fire The destruction of the vngodly hangeth not vpon the power and pleasure of men nor on the might and multitude of Souldiers but on the iudgment of God who giueth strength to the weake and courage to the coward and might to the maimed man to root out and to destroy This should greatly humble and terrifie the wicked man that promiseth safety security to himselfe who notwithstanding lyeth open euery way to the wrath and indignation of God Lastly let the people of God comfort theÌ„selues Vse 3 though they be ouer-burdened and ouer-mastered by them A time will come and loe it tarrieth not when those wicked men that oppresse and vexe the Church shall bee rooted out The Lord of hoasts hath men and Angels and all creatures to worke out their destruction he can whistle for other enemies as euill as themselues to come against them to conquer and ouercome them Be not therefore daunted to see them rule and reigne Fret not thy selfe because of the euill men neither be enuious for the euill doers â— 37 1 2 3 â—6 for they shall soone be cut downe like grasse and shall wither as the greene Hearb Trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the Land and thou shalt be fed assuredly I haue seene the wicked strong and spreading himselfe like a greene Bay-tree yet he passed away and loe he was gone and I sought him but he could not be found Let vs therefore no whit bee troubled to see the enemies of God and of the godly exalted and lifted vp they are set in slippery places they are suddenly destroyed and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh For God sendeth an euill spirit among them as hee did betweene Abimelech and the men of Shichem to bee reuenged of the cruelty which they had shewed toward the 70. sonnes of Ierubbaal Iudg. 9 23 24. We see this in the deliuery of the Church out of Babylon God stirred vp the Medes Persians as great idolaters as proud and prophane persons as themselues and by Cyrus deliuered them whom long before he had designed and deputed to that worke This the Prophet Esay sheweth chap. 21 2 10. So theâ—â— albeit the Church were as it were thressed with a Flaile and a Cartwheele turned vpon their backes albeit their loynes were filled with sorrow yet shall their enemies come to ruine and destruction Babel is fallen it is fallen and all the Images of her Gods hath hee broken to the ground Esay 21 9. Howsoeuer therefore the estate of the Church in Babylon seemed desperate and past al hope of recouering her former glory yet we see God wanted not waies and meanes to free his chosen people and set them at liberty he raised the Medes and Persians to leade them by the hand out of the hand of their oppressors His hand is not now shortened
for vs when we sleep he heareth when we are deafe he riseth vp for vs when we lie downe hee is a buckler about vs when we are assaulted he is the God of knowledge when wee are ignorant And if euer there were people vnder the heauen that hath experience of Gods watchfulnesse in this kinde it is this Nation of great Britaine O vnthankfulnes if we doe not acknowledge it O wretchednesse if we doe not euer remember it O wickednes if we do not teach it to our posterities For hath not God deliuered vs from the most cursed and execrable plot of desperate enemies that euer was contriued against the King the Queene the Prince and the rest of their progeny against the Lords the Commons the whole Church kingdome â—hen the fift 〈◊〉 Noâ—â—â— An. 〈◊〉 5. determining suddainly to haue blowne vp the whole house of Parliament with gun-powder Now as this was an inuention bloody an intention barbarous and inhumane See Act. 〈…〉 3. so by what meanes were wee deliuered was it by our fasting and prayer was it by humbling our selues before our God and crying strongly in the eares of the Lord of hostes was it by our teares and weeping for our sins saying spare thy people O Lord and giue not thine inheritance into reproch that the Priests and Iesuites should rule ouer them Nay we vsed none of all these we suspected no danger we feared no enemies we dreamed of no diuelish deuices against the land so that to detect and disclose the fore-named cursed conspiracy was the Lords doing onely and it is marueilous in our eyes When an inuasion in the yeere 88. was intended by the supposed inuincible Armado glorying in their strength munition shippes preparations confederates it was indeed the Lords mercy toward vs to crosse and curse their attempt and to raise the windes and seas against them howbeit this was not without vsing of meanes as rigging of shippes arming of men mustering of souldiers yea it was not without sanctifying of fasts calling solemne assemblies and crying vnto the Lord. If then wee did sing songs of thanksgiuing for that deliuerance how should our hearts be kindled and inflamed with ioyfulnesse and with what praises should wee expresse our thankfulnes 〈…〉 but euen vow vnto the Lord our selues our soules and bodies to offer them vp a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto him For as many haue bene the practices of the malicious and bloody Papists yet this surmounteth them all so many haue bene the deliuerances of our Princes of our Rulers of our Magistrates of our Ministers of our people but this surmounteth and surpasseth them all Psal 95 1 2. Let vs therefore reioyce vnto the Lord let vs sing aloud to the rock of our saluation let vs come before his face with praise let vs sing loud vnto him with Psalmes for the Lord is a great God and a great King aboue all gods He sitteth in heauen and laugheth to scorne the deuices of the wicked He ruleth in earth and maketh all his enemies his footstoole Verse 28. Then the Lord opened the mouth of the Asse When Balaam had smitten his Asse three times that had saued his life it pleased God to worke a wonder to alter the course of nature to giue speech to the Asse to make her able to reproue her master God indeed could otherwise haue set his sin in order before him but a dumbe beast is teacher fit enough for the fals Prophet We see hereby Doctrine God oftentimes worketh aboue nature that God so often as it pleaseth him worketh aboue nature ordinary meanes Hereunto come al the miracles which God hath shewed from the beginning of the world He gaue vnto Abraham Sarah a son in their old age who quickneth the dead Rom. 4 17. and calleth those things which be not as though they were He stayed the course of the Sun diuided the red sea fed his people with Manna Heb. 11 33 34. stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire opened the earth to swallow his enemies brought water out of the hard rocke Hee sent signes and wonders in the land of Egypt vnto this day in Israel and among al men hath made him a name as appeareth this day Hee brought his people out of the hand of Pharaoh with signes with wonders with a strong hand with a stretched out arme and with a great terrour He gaue power to a virgin to conceiue beare a son that he might saue his people from their sins Ier 32.20 Math 1 21 23. The reasons remaine to be considered and Reason 1 handled to confirme vs farther First marke the nature of God he is great in counsell glorious in holines fearefull in praises mighty in his workes and in his enterprises Who made the heauen who framed the earth and laide the foundation thereof vpon the depth who brought light out of darknesse Is it not the Lord that doth whatsoeuer he will in heauen in earth in the depth and in all the world This the Prophet Ieremy teacheth chap. 32. Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heauen and the earth by thy great power Ier. 32.17 by thy stretched out arme and there is nothing hard vnto thee he maketh the barren fruitfull Psal 136.5 â— he brought all things out of nothing who onely doth great wonders for his mercy endureth for euer who by his wisedome made the heauens and hath stretched out the earth vpon the waters for his mercy endureth for euer Againe therby he maketh his name known Reason 2 and his power to bee acknowledged in the world This is declared by Nehemiah in the prayer of the Leuites chap. 9. Thou hast considered the afflictioÌ„ of our fathers in Egypt heard their cry by the red Sea and shewed tokens and wonders vpon Pharaoh and on all his seruants and on all the people of the land for thou knowest that they dealt proudly against them Neh. 9 9 10. therefore thou madest thee a Name as appeareth this day Wherefore to the end the power and presence of God may bee knowne both to the Church and the enemies of the Church hee breaketh and interrupteth the naturall order and course of things Heereupon it is that Ioshua calleth the children of Israel and telleth them that by the miracle of diuiding the waters of Iordan Iosh 3 10. they should know that the liuing GOD was among them and would cast out the Canaanites before them Vse 1 The vse of this doctrine may bee made in this manner First it serueth fitly to condemne all Atheists and earth-wormes that aduance nature to throw downe the power of God Indeed if GOD onely wrought by ordinary meanes and according to the strength of second causes some pretence might bee alleaged and some colour of reason produced to doubt of the diuine power But seeing GOD worketh not onely by nature and by meanes but sometimes aboue
communication of these parties followeth a description of their actions when the king had brought him into the Cittie hee spareth for no cost and charges hee feasteth him with his Princes as if they were his Companions and laboureth by all meanes possiblâ— to giue him contentment in his abode Hauing now refreshed himselfe after his iourney and hauing had experience of the kings good estimation of him hee is employed in the businesse for which hee was sent for and caried vp to the high place of Baal where no doubt was a solemne Temple consecrated and dedicated to that Idoll and from thence he beholdeth the whole hoast of Israel Thus much of the order of the wordes Now let vs come to the doctrines arising out of the same Verse 36. When Balakheard that Balaam came he went out to meet him The cheef point offered to our considerations in this diuision is to marke the honour done vnto Balaam by the King Himselfe goeth out to meete him as if he had bene some great Prince or Potentate he bringeth him honourably into the City he setteth him among his Princes and maketh him inherit the seate of glory he killeth bullockes and sheepe to prepare a royall feast for him From this example we learne that Idolaters and Infidels were wont greatly to honor their Priests and Prophets Doctrine Idolaters and Infidels were wont greatly to honor their Prophets and Priests Howsoeuer they were destitute of the knowledge of the true God and serued the creature in stead of the Creator which is blessed for euer Amen yet they accounted it a speciall duty to honor the Priests of their Groues and Altars and perswaded themselues they should neuer receiue any blessing at the hands of their gods vnlesse they honoured those that were esteemed as the seruants of their gods and greatly in their fauour This is taught vs in many places of the word of God Hereunto commeth that which Moses witnesseth touching the Egyptians during the dearth and famine that was in Egypt when the king had receiued all the money bought all the cattle and purchased all the land of the people to supply theyr necessity and to saue their liues Genes 47 22. yet he would not buy their Priests lands but sustained them for their office sake He remoued the people vnto the Citties from one side of Egypt euen to the other onely the land of the Priests bought hee not for the Priests had an ordinary of Pharaoh they did eate the ordinary which Pharaoh gaue them wherefore they sold not their ground This also further appeareth in the book of Exodus chapt 7 11 22. and is confirmed in the Prophesies of Daniel where we see when Moses and Aaron wrought miracles Pharaoh sent for his sorcerers that came into the kings presence So when Nebucadnezar had dreamed a dream wherewith his spirit was troubled and his sleepe disquieted Dan. 2 2. and 4 3 4. 5 7. be commanded to call the inchanters the Astrologians the soothsayers and the Chaldeans who were about him and neere vnto him and in credit with him The like we reade in Samuel 1 Sam. 6 1 2. when the Arke of the Lord was in the countrey of the Philistims they called their Priests and consulted with their soothsayers what they should doe with it and without their counsell and aduice without their direction and commandement the Princes would do nothing So when Ahab purposed to go to battaile against Ramoth Gilead he assembled the Prophets of his idoll groues whom hee vsed familiarly who were in credit and authority with him insomuch that one dareth smite Micaiah in the Kings presence 1 Kin. 22.4 6 24. The Reasons follow in order First naturally Reason all men are extremely giuen to superstition and euen dote in corrupting the worship of God being destitute of the true knowledg of the true God and the right manner of his seruice who wil be worshipped according to his owne will and word not after the inuentions and deuices of the wisest men Christ Iesus teacheth in the Gospel Iohn 15 19. that the world will alwayes magnifie and make much of his owne If yee were of the world the world would loue his owne And likewise the same Apostle sayth elsewhere They are of this world therefore speake they of this world and this world heareth them If then men naturally turne the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of corruptible creatures and so change the truth of God into a lye no maruell if they be greatly beloued and befriended which further their idolatry and helpe forward that worship of God which they haue framed and fashioned to themselues Secondly the false Prophets haue alwayes Reason bene honoured as fathers in the worlde and therefore it cannot seem vnto vs strange that they be highly esteemed For as the true teachers are indeed spirituall Fathers and spirituall Nurses of the Church as the Apostle declareth 1 Cor. 4 15. Though ye haue ten thousand instructers in Christ yet haue yee not many Fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospel So likewise idolaters did respect and reuerence their Teachers as their fathers giuing them al honor and accounting them worthy of all estimation This we see in Iudg. 17 10 11. 18 19. in the corrupt and ruinous times of the church When there was no King in Israel and the Leuites confined vnto their Cities by the ordinance of God wandered now vp and downe from place to place for want of maintenance and imployment glad as iourney men to be hired for meat and drinke for ten shekels of siluer and a sute of apparrell yearely For Michah entertained one of them and sayd to him Dwell with me be vnto me a Father and a Priest now I know that the Lord will be good vnto mee seeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest So in the chapter following when the Danites were come vnto the house of Michah they allured the yong man the Leuite to go with them saying Come with vs to bee our Father and Priest The vses are in the last place to be considered Vse 1 of vs. First wee learne from hence that all men haue some light and sight of religion of God by nature thogh not so much as may bring them to saluation yet so much as may suffice and so farre as serueth to make them without excuse For why did they honour reuerence and obey their idolatrous Priests but because they were conuersant about their holy things and had their calling to further and finish the worship of their gods Acts 14 13. This therefore serueth to stop the mouthes of all Atheists that say in their hearts defend with their tongues and maintaine with all their wits that there is no God speaking of him contemptuously vsing reprochful words against him sauouring of prophanenesse and contempt These are as mad dogs which flye in their masters face that keepeth them and feedeth them so do they blaspheme the
frozen harts and shew themselues vnworthy of so great mercy Vse 2 Secondly it sheweth vs that it is vnpossible for all the tyrants and enemies vnder heauen to prolong the time for the further vexation of Gods people when God hath determined the release and appointed the end of their troubles All the creatures of God shall helpe them and worke for them yea hasten the purpose and counsell of God This appeared very notably in the deliuerance of Israel out of Egypt When the time of foure hundred yeares which God had appointed were expired albeit the King and his people had concluded to detaine them in bondage they were by the ouer-ruling hand of God moued to thrust them out of the land Exod 12 33 and 14 22. yea euen to hyre them at a great price to depart giuing them iewels of siluer and gold and casting vpon them the most precious things that were in their possession Pharaoh and his people forced them out of the land in hast and whē they were hardned to follow after them to bring them backe againe the winde wrought for them the sea gaue them passage and GOD that ruleth both winde and sea drowned their enemies The time of deliuerance was come and who could hinder or deferre it The like wee see in the bringing of this people out of captiuity and bondage in Babylon nothing seemed more vnlikely or vnpossible vnto the Saints themselues for when the proclamation for the returne of the people was published Psal 126 1 2. the wonderfulnesse of the deliuerance seemed so great and incomprehensible that they could hardly perswade themselues of the truth thereof vntill they saw the Gentiles speake of it and helpe them forward with ayd toward theyr country This serueth greatly to comfort and cheare vp the hearts of the faithfull that seeing God will giue rest vnto his beloued people vaine are the practises of the enemies althogh they band themselues together as Herod Pontius Pilate and the high Priests did in the dayes of Christ yet we haue assurance of deliuerance they shall not alwayes preuaile the people of God shall be preserued and all shall work for the best for their owne safety Thirdly this must teach vs in the time of Vse 3 our distresses while wee lye vnder the Crosse to relye vpon God whatsoeuer troubles and tentations arise although we should come to the gates of the graue and passe by the doore of death we must lift vp our heads knowing that our deliuerance draweth nere This then serueth to worke patience in the seruants of God and to teach vs to waite vpon him vntill the time of rest and refreshing come from the presence of God for surely it will come as the Prophet Habbakkuk teacheth chapt 2. verse 3. The vision is yet for an appointed time but at the last it shall speake and not lye though it tarry waite for it shall surely come and shall not stay So when the Angel had limited the time of the desolation of the holy people and of the deliuerance of the Church he pronounceth him blessed that waiteth vntill that time Dan. chap. 12. verses 11 12. And when the soules of them that were killed for the Word and the Testimony which they had maintained cryed out with a lowde voyce from vnderneath the Altar How long Lord which art holy and true Dooest not thou iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth An answer was giuen vnto them That they should rest for a little season vntill the number of their Brethren were fulfilled Reuel chap. 6. verse 10. This the Prophet Dauid sheweth to haue beene his practice earnestly waiting vppon the Lord for helpe and deliuerance out of all his troubles and dangers as Psalme 123 verses 1 2. I lifte vp mine eyes vnto thee which dwellest in the heauens Behold euen as the eyes of seruants looke vnto the hand of their masters and as the eyes of a maid vnto the hand of her mistris so our eyes waite vpon the Lord our God vntill he haue mercy vpon vs. Great are our feares and troubles and many bee our infirmities it behooueth vs greatly therefore to cleaue vnto the liuing God without separation and euermore continue our trust in him and to poure out our meditations and prayers before him vntill such time as hee graciously looke vpon vs and grant our petitions yea it is our dutie whensoeuer we perceiue the time of our deliuerance to approach or to be expired or any signes and tokens thereof as the sprouting of the Figge-tree to appeare and to bee offered vnto vs from GOD it is our duty I say to raise vp our faith and to intreat God to bring his purpose to passe and to make good the words of his owne mouth When Daniel by reading the Prophets of God knew that the number of yeares appointed for the desolation of Ierusalem was expired he turned his face to the Lord with prayer Daniel 9 2. in fasting in weeping in sackcloth and ashes Vse 4 Lastly it is the duty of all such as lye not vnder the crosse to commend the common cause of their brethren to God Hath God giuen vs rest on euery side Do we liue in ease sitting vnder our Vines and Figge-trees enioying peace and liberty vnder a gracious Prince Do we enioy health and wealth and taste not of the bitter cup of affliction that others drinke of It is required of vs not to forget the affliction of Ioseph but to be mindfull of the miseries of other parts of the Church and to haue a fellow-feeling of their sorrows as that we be thereby prouoked to call vpon God for them This the Apostle vrgeth the Church of the Corinthians to thinke vpon 2 Corinthians chap. 1. verse 7 that they being partakers of the suffering of the Saints may also be partakers of the consolation This is a duty needfull to be learned and considered Wee know not what troubles may fall vpon our selues There is nothing that happeneth vnto any of our brethren but it may fall vpon our owne heads Let vs therefore call vpon God for others and remember them that are in trouble Heb. 13 2. as if we were troubled with them that so we may haue the benefit of other mens prayers be deliuered when wee fall into troubles It is therefore a duty that we owe to God and our brethren being touched with a respect of his commandement of their misery His commandement should compell vs their miserie should mooue vs not to be forgetfull of their condition And from hence we should haue a double meditation First it is our parts to praise the name of the Lord when hee giueth to our brethren or to vs any share of this outward prosperity and manifesteth his loue vnto vs by deliuering our soules from death our eyes from teares and our feete from falling Psalme 116 8.14 When he causeth our houses to be inhabited our streets to bee replenished our
wee haue gotten them Many in the world might be accounted happy men if there were no day of reckoning But we must depart from hence and leaue them and they vs our pompe will not follow vs Psal 49 17. Let vs therefore labour against the immoderate loue of the things of this life neither suffer any such corruption to be nourished in vs. Vse 4 Lastly we must learne to preferre the best things such as the Apostle speaketh of when he sheweth what danger hangeth ouer their heads that loue nothing else but the goods of this world he breaketh out into this exhortation 1. Tim. 6.11 Thou O man of God flye these things and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith loue patience and meeknesse And that we may see the excellency of heauenly spirituall graces aboue earthly things let vs in the properties of them compare the one with the other that so the loue of the world to come may swallow vp all loue of this present world All the kingdomes of this world and the glory of them are vanity Eccl. 2 11 but Salomon opposeth to this the feare of God and his commandements The riches of this life are oftentimes gotten with doing wrong and with oppression Ier. 5 27. Luke 16 9 11 it is not so with piety and godlines which is the true riches and gaine 1. Tim. 4. Riches are kept with griefe and anguish he cannot rest sleep that is vowed with them as with a frenzy Eccl. 5 12 but godlinesse is the mother of all peace and comfort and maketh the sleepe to be sweet and bringeth no feare or griefe or care with it Prou. 3 24. Riches are corruptible the moth may corrupt them and the theefe may steale them Math. 5 19. Iam. 5 2 3 but heauenly graces can neuer fade they shall endure for euer they shall follow vs after we are gone they can neuer be lost when once they are gotten Earthly riches make the owners as slaues they naile the minde of man to the earth that he cannot lift vp his eyes to Heauen Math. 6 21 but piety beareth vs vp as it were with Eagles wings that we learne by little and little to mount vp to Heauen and to haue our conuersation there euen while we soiourne vpon the earth Riches can deliuer no soule from eternall death nay sometimes they are meanes to thrust the same into hell Prou. 10 2 and 11 4 but godlines freeth a man from euerlasting death and setteth him in the path that leadeth to life Wee are forbidden to heape vp transitory riches Math. 6 19. and 10.9 10. Ptou 23.4 and if we haue them it is onely in this life they serue no further and afterward there is no need or vse of them 1. Tim. 6 7. Iob 1 21. Psal 49.11 but godlines serueth for the next life and we are commanded to treasure it vp and the more we labour to increase it the happier we are Riches are often taken from the right owners and come into the hands of our enemies not onely after we are departed this life but euen whiles we liue as we see by many examples of sundry cities and prouinces 1. King 14 25 26 and 2. King 24 15. Ezek. 29 19. 2. Kings 23 35. Heb. 10 34 but piety shall neuer be taken away nor be bestowed vpon our enemies but layeth vp for vs an enduring substance in heauen and it maketh the greatest enemies to be the greatest friends it maketh the wolfe the lambe dwell together and the leopard to dwell with the kid and the sucking childe to play vpon the hole of the aspe Esay 11 6.7 8. Many of the godly haue beene without the earthly riches Christ our Lord did not desire them 2 Cor. 8 9. Math. 8.20 nor his seruants couet after them Heb. 11 26 37 2 Cor. 6 4. Act. 3. But none of the godly haue bin without the heauenly riches all haue desired them al haue obtained them some in one measure and some in another and herein they haue accounted their happines and blessednes to consist 6 And Moses saide vnto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben Shall your brethren go to warre and shall ye sit heere 7 And wherefore discourage yee the heart of the children of Israel from going ouer into the land which the Lord hath giuen them 8 Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadesh-Barnea to see the land 9 For when they went vp vnto the valley of Eshcol and saw the land they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go into the land which the the Lord had giuen them 10 And the Lords anger was kindled c. 11 Surely none of the men that came out of Egypt from twenty yeare old and vpward shall see the land c. 14 Behold ye are risen vp in your fathers stead an increase of sinfull men c. 15 But if ye turne away c. Heere beginneth the second part of the Chapter to wit the conditions of agreement how the matter was decided ended wherein obserue the debating and pleading of the matter then the determining of the controuersie Touching the demurre or debating first Moses sharpely reprooueth and reiecteth the request of these tribes and sheweth the vnfitnesse and vnlawfulnesse thereof which he proueth both by the dangerous effect that would follow the discouragement of the rest of the people and by example of the like practice of the false-hearted spies who after they returned from searching of the land spread abroad false newes whereby the hearts of the Israelites were weakned God was so greatly prouoked that he pronounced the sentence of death against all aboue twenty yeares old Caleb and Ioshua excepted This history wee saw before Chapter 13 24. This doth Moses presse and vrge to the full and sheweth what heauy iudgment came vpon the hoste for discouraging of the people whereby we see that nothing is more forcible to represse and hold from sinne then vrging the examples of God fearefull iudgments in former times against those that haue committed the like sinnes 1. Cor. 10.7 and Iude verse 6 7. 2. Pet. 2.4 5 6. Nehem. 13.17 18. Iosh 22 17 for examples are oftentimes more powerfull and piercing then precepts or threatnings are and therfore Moses is so earnest in this kinde Again whatsoeuer was written afore time was written for our instruction This reprooueth those that will take no warning by any examples but are secure till the iudgment beginne to take hold vpon them like to those carelesse people that when a citty is on fire neuer looke to their owne house till it take hold vpon it and bee ready to burne it downe to the ground Euery one would condemne such retchlesse persons but such are all those that see the iudgments of GOD breake out vpon others and yet will not looke to themselues Furthermore wee must all take notice of such examples no man ought to be ignorant of them 1.
I answere Answ the Lord hath giuen them other bookes to reade when he sayth Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5 39 hereby they shall be led into all truth and be sure to be preserued from errour and euill But as cunning and crafty theeues when they meete with a poore simple foole or a little child doe take theyr treasure or money from them â—nd giue them babies and pictures to play withal to keepe them quiet from crying or complayning so doe the Popish sort deale with Gods people they take from them the rich treasure of the holy Scriptures whereby all theyr iugling and deceit would be discerned and giue them puppets and images to be their play-fellowes which are the doctrine of vanity Ierem. 10 15. Zacharie 10 2 and they are teachers of lyes Habakkuk 2 18. Neyther let them reply that the Prophets condemne the images of false gods and that they make the images of the true God For wee shewed before that this cannot serue their turne forasmuch as the commandement forbiddeth the images of the true GOD Deuteron 4 12.15 Acts 17 29. Againe they obiect Obiect that they doe not worship the images themselues but so farre as they haue relation to the Saints whereof they are images I answere Answer the Israelites so often reproued for worshipping of images did withall professe that they worshipped not the idols themselues of wood or stone but God in them as in making the golden calfe they had a respect to GOD who brought them out of Egypt Exodus 32 3 4. And the mother of Micah witnesseth that shee had dedicated the siluer vnto the Lord to make a grauen and molten image Iudges 17 3. So Ieroboam hauing made the golden calues sayth Behold O Israel thy gods which brought thee out of the land of Egypt 1 Kings 12 28 for hee meaneth the image and similitude which representeth the true God Hos 2 26. And not onely the Israelites who could not be so sottish as to beleeue that the calues which themselues had made and had lately made had freed their fore-fathers out of captiuity but the Gentiles themselues excused their idolatry in this maner as Austine witnesseth I doe not serue and adore that stone which I see but I serue him whom I doe not see And who is that a certaine diuine power which is inuisible which hath the charge ouer that image August in Psalm 9 6. As for other obiections drawne from the Cherubims and the brasen serpent wee haue spoken of them sufficiently before chapt 21. Lastly wee haue from hence occasion offered Vse 3 vnto vs to laud and magnifie the Name of God that hath freed vs from the darknes of idolatry and the danger of Idolaters except wee will runne into the same againe He hath placed vs where wee haue the Gospel like the Israelites in Goshen and hath opened our eyes to see those follies Let vs not with vnthankfull hearts desire to returne againe into this seruitude The Lord hath chosen to dwell among vs and hath planted his Church in our kingdom let vs labour to approue our obedience in his sight lest hee take the light of the truth from vs and bestow it vpon a people that wil bring forth the fruits thereof So long as the true worship of God continueth among vs our countrey shall be famous and renowned On the other side all places lose their honour and dignity when once they are defiled with sinne and consecrated to idolatry Gilgal was famous many wayes for many memorable things that happened there yet through idolatry there practised it became so infamous that the people of Iuda are forbidden to resort thither The like might be said of Beth-el which in former times was the house of God but was afterward for the same cause turned into Beth-auen an house of vanity Hos 4. Ierem. 7 12. Psalme 78 60. What shall wee then say of the Popish pilgrimages to Rome or to the holy land but taxe them of ignorance and superstition For be it that these places retayned theyr ancient dignity and maintayned the Religion of God in his purity yet should there bee no reason to go thither to worship forasmuch as all difference of places is taken away Ioh. 4 23. Ierome trauayled himselfe to the holy land and liued there and yet he sayth It is no commendation to haue seene Ierusalem but to haue liued well at Ierusalem this is praise worthy And Bernard after him Wee must not seeke after the earthly but the heauenly Ierusalem not by pilgrimage on foot but by bettering our affections Epist 319. ad Lelbert Abbat And if God require not of vs to resort to such places though they enteâ—â—ayned the truth then doubtlesse much lesse to trauayle so farre vnto them being now degenerate wholly dedicated and deuoted to Antichristianity and idolatry in which respect they are now become reprochfull hatefull and infamous to God al goodmen For we are not to esteeme them as they were but we must take them as they are that is full of superstition and consequently dangerous to come at them But if yee will not driue out the inhabitants of the land from before you it shall come to passe c shall be prickes in your eyes c. In these words we see the threatning which God denounceth against the carelesnesse and negligence of this people in the execution of that commandement of God The Lord will doe vnto them as hee had thought to doe vnto theyr enemies From hence wee learne that coldnesse and caresnesse in the seruice of God is a great and greeuous sinne Want of zeale in the cause of God Want of zeal in Gods cause is a grieuous sinne to be newters or indifferent men not caring or regarding which end go forward is a foule and fearefull sinne before him Iudges 1 21 27 29 31 33 2 2 3. 1 Kings 18 21 and 2 Kings 17 33. Gal. 3 1. Reuel 2 4 3 15 16. Gal. 5 7 Such are the greatest number of our professours Some would reconcile the Papists and vs that is light and darknesse Christ and Belial the Temple of God and idols Some serue theyr turnes by theyr profession so long as they may gaine and grow in credit vnder it Some professe religion as they professe the Lawes of the kingdome to wit as a ciuill thing and matter of good policy to keepe the people in subiection and obedience being ready to change as the time and state changeth Some hate them that are faithfull and forward so much that they can abide no zeale in religion nor in obedience that terme them madde fooles and giddy headed spirits which desire to feare God and to walke according to his word O miserable persons that which GOD hateth is commended and that which hee commandeth is reuiled and euill spoken of The grounds It is as naturall to a man Reason 1 to sinne as it is to draw the aire as experience teacheth in all subiect to humane infirmity
possession of theyr whole hearts and keepe not backe a part thereof Iosiah is commended for walking in all the wayes of God 2 King 23 25. Psal 119 6 and for taking away the abhominations of the land The Prophet Dauid witnesseth that he had respect to al the commandements of the law Moses professeth boldly before Pharaoh that they must carry their Cattle with them into the wildernes to offer sacrifice Exod 10 26 and he would not leaue an hoofe of them behind him Let vs labor after this sincerity otherwise our obedience is stained with hypocrisie for God that made all wil haue all or none at all Fiftly our obedience must bee a constant obedience it must not be by fittes and pangs as the comming of an Ague for a day or a short and set time Such as are sick of an Ague haue a cold fit at the first then an hot with these time-seruers it is quite contrarie they are hot at the beginning and afterward waxe colde at the latter ending But we must continue out to the end There is no promise made but to such as perseuer He that endureth to the end shall be saued Matth. 10.22 and 24.13 reuel 2.10 and if wee bee faithfull to the death We shall receiue the crown of life If we would giue right iudgement of a man how his case standeth with God and what his conuersation is wee must iudge of him by the whol course of his life not by this or that action no nor onely by his behauiour at the houre of death for that is a deceitfull rule and may leade vs into errour If a man in the course of his life yeeld obedience and seeke to approue himselfe vnto God wee haue good and firme hope of such a one that he is the child of God yea albeit at the end of his dayes by violence of some sickenesse and want of naturall rest and distemperature of the braine and impatience of the flesh hee should talke idlely raue greeuously and blaspheme horribly we are to iudge of such a one by the strictnesse of his life not by the strangenesse of his death If his life haue been sound and sincere his vnperfect obedience shall bee accepted and all his frailty shall bee remitted so that an euill end neuer followeth a good and godly life But if the course of a mans life be wicked and his wayes crooked though he die calmely and goe away quietly like a lambe and cry Lord haue mercy vpon me yet he may be a reprobate and goe to the pit of destruction Hence it is that the vngodly are described Iob 21. to say vnto God Depart from vs we desire not the knowledg of thy wayes Iob 21.13.14.15.23.25 who is the Almighty that we should serue him and what profit should wee haue to pray vnto him yet for the most part they liue pleasantly and hauing no bands in their death they die quietly they spend their dayes in wealth and are not tormented with long sickenesse They are not afflicted and affrighted as other men Contrariwise the godly are daily punished and chastened euery morning they die in the bitternesse of their soule neuer eate with pleasure Psal 73.4.14 Eccle. 9.1.2 Who doubteth of the integrity and sincerity of Iob and Ieremie wee know they were iust and eschewed euill yet they cursed the day of their birth and the night wherin it is said Iob 3.1.2.3 Ier. 20.14.15 there was a manchild conceiued And if they had died presently they had been saued vndoubtedly albeit the corruption of the flesh for a time preuailed euen as it fell out with Iacob who wrastled with the Angel but his thigh was so crushed that he halted euer after So may it fall out with many of Gods children the force fiercenes of sharp diseases proceeding from hote causes may so disturbe the head distemper the powers of the mind as that they may breake out euen into blasphemy yea be so distempered and distracted by the violence thereof as that they fare as men out of their wits and right minde yet they may notwithstanding all this remaine still in Gods fauor and die in his feare For they may say and say truely with the Apostle Rom. 7.17.18.19.20 21. It is not I that doe it but sin that dwelleth in me Hee saith his whole desire was to giue himselfe to the seruing of God yet hee was hindred and hampered by his owne nature which was ouerweake so that in striuing against sinne hee ceassed not to receiue many wounds and to take sundry foiles blowes and therefore could not accomplish the good that he desired Let vs all be constant vnto the death then our obedience shall haue his recompence of reward Lastly our obedience must not be delayed from time to time supposing we shall finde a fitter time heereafter to heare the Lord speake vnto vs. The longer we deferre the time of repentance the practise of obedience the more vnfit vnready and vnresolued we shall finde our hearts to be Euery sin helpeth to harden the heart vntill we be turned and transformed into stones Wherfore the holy Ghost saith Heb 3 7 8 and 4 7 To day if ye will hear his voice c The acceptable season is the present time So soone as God commandeth reuealeth his will vnto vs let vs not linger or prolong the time but immediately prepare our eares to heare our tongues to speake Bernard de praecep discipl our feet to walke our hands to work euery part of vs to performe his Commandements Hee loueth such a seruant he accepteth such a seruice Will we regard such a seruant as whē we speake vnto him shew him what we would haue done turneth his back from vs regardeth not our busines or saith he will do it another time when he is at fitter leasure If wee will not take such seruice at his hands or put vp such contempt shall we thinke the Lord will be mocked to his face dalied withal as with a childe When he saith Come shall we answere we will not come When he comandeth vs to heare his voice to day shall wee answere we will not heare it to day but the next day or peraduenture the next yeare When he saith This is the acceptable time shall wee answere I wil find a fitter more conuenient time hereafter If he shall say vnto vs the time of repentance is the present time shall we presume to crosse him and to reply the time to come is the best time which God hath reserued in his own hand is to vs vnknown How many are there that haue neglected the voice of God calling them crying vnto them that were preuented by sodaine vntimely death and thereby taken away in their sins The foolish Virgins delayed so long * Mat 25 10 that the Bridegroome came they were shut out of the Kingdome where they knocked but could not
bee receiued To conclude let our obedience be surely grounded vpon the infallible rocke of the scriptures let it be performed heartily not hypocritically let it be discharged cheerefully not grudgingly let it bee done entirely not to halfes let it be constant not intermitted and interrupted lastly let it be present not put off from day to day then shal we be sure to be accepted and that God will crowne our obedience in this life with a full and finall recompence in the life to come 20. So were the sons of Reuben Reuben Israels eldest son by their generations by their families by the houses of their fathers according to the number of their names man by man euery male from twenty yeares and aboue as many as went foorth to warre 21. The number of them I say of the Tribe of Reuben was sixe and forty thousand and fiue hundreth 22 Of the sonnes of Simeon Simeon by their generations their families and by the houses of their fathers according to the number of their names man by man euery male from twenty yeares and aboue as many as went foorth to warre 23 The summe of them I say of the Tribe of Simeon was nine and fifty thousand and three hundreth 24. Of the sons of Gad Gad. by their generations and so forward vnto the ende of the Chapter In the words before we haue seene the obedience of Moses set downe in generall that hee did all as the Lord had commanded him Heere we are to consider the same more particularly what was the summe of euery Tribe wherein somewhat is set downe common to them all that they are numbred first by their generations secondly by their families thirdly by the houses of their fathers fourthly according to the number of their names fiftly man by man sixtly euery male seuenthly frō twēty yeare and aboue eightly as many as went foorth to warre These things are noted of euery Tribe particularly somewhat is sette downe that is proper to each Tribe to wit to what summe it accrued to wit 1. Of the Tribe of Reuben were numbred 46500. 2. Of the Tribe of Simeon were numbred 59300. 3. Of the Tribe of Gad were numbred 45650. 4. Of the Tribe of Iudah were numbred 74600. 5. Of the Tribe of Issachar were numbred 54400. 6. Of the Tribe of Zebulun were numbred 57400. 7. Of the Tribe of Ephraim were numbred 40500. 8. Of the Tribe of Manasseh were numbred 32200. 9. Of the Tribe of Beniamin were numbred 35400. 10. Of the Tribe of Dan were numbred 62700. 11. Of the Tribe of Asher were numbred 41500. 12. Of the Tribe of Naphtali were numbred 53400. The totall summe 603550. Here is a particular view and suruey taken of this people together with the generall summe of the whole From hence diuers Questions arise that are to bee answered before we do handle the doctrine proper to this Question 1 place First it may be demanded how this people could multiply to so great a number in so short a time For from the birth of Isaac to the muster heere taken are not much aboue 400 yeares and they went into Egypt with a few soules how then could one family the Tribe of Leui also excluded and the vnwarlike company of women and children of olde and sickly persons not comprehended how I say could one family grow to so great a multitude The Atheists account this incredible and vnpossible Answer and therfore make a mock at it as they do at many other partes of holy scriptures which they wrest to their owne destruction Neither is this to be beleeued by the authority of the Church rather then thorough the testimony of the Scripture and the holy Spirit speaking in it Cocleus lib. 2. de author Eccles et Script as some of the Papists speake of many like places Heerein appeareth indeed the wonderfull blessing of God in increasing seuenty persons to such a multitude in the space of two hundred sixteene yeares for so long was it and no longer from the coming downe of Iacob into Egypt with his family vnto this numbring of them by Moses in this place whereby God did make good his promise vnto Iacob Gen. 46.3 I will make of thee a great Nation For as his iustice appeared and the seuerity of his hand that of all this great multitude which came out of Egypt onely two of them to wit Caleb and Ioshua entred into the Land of Canaan all the residue because of their murmuring idolatry and disobedience perished in the wildernesse some were slaine with the sword some were swallowed vp of the earth some were consumed with the pestilence some were stung with the serpents some dyed a natural death Numb 14. so that neither their eyes saw nor their feete trod vpon the Land of promise as the Lord threatned them so the wonderfull mercy exceeding blessing of God was seene shewed in this wonderfull multiplication vntill they came to so huge a multitude August de ciuit dei lib. 18. cap. 7. Mornae de ver rel Christ c. 26. Neither need we to hold as many doe that this was miraculous and contrary to the course of nature or that euery one brought foorth two or three at euery birth We see by experience in numbring that a small number by addition and multiplication and doubling therof in a small time ariseth to a great and an innumerable company Some in our time yet liuing auouch that they haue knowne in their owne daies one woman who saw of her posterity that came out of her owne wombe an hundred and sixty persons and yet a principall part of them had no issue at all some of them leading a single life others beeing preuented by death The heathen report in their Histories that the Egyptian women bring foorth many at one burthen but to leaue them it is most probable that all the Hebrew women were very fruitefull Willet Hexapl. in Exod. cap. 1. p. 9. cap. 12. Simler in Exod. and none of them barren and that they began betimes to beare children and continued long the LORD thereby making a way for the execution of his decree and the accomplishment of his promise notwithstanding theyr cruell bondage heauy yoke intollerable labor wherewith they were oppressed and oppugned Now to giue a taste of this increase how it might be effected by ordinarie meanes albeit by an extraordinary blessing that God might verifie the worde spoken vnto Abraham consider with me that seauentie persons in thirty yeares supposing they begate euerie one but one onely in a yeare as manie might do moe will bring forth two thousand one hundred persons If we cut off the odde hundred and admit that the third part only of the former number was apt for generation to wit sixe hundred which make three hundred couples and so many marriages these considered as the former in thirty yeare more will beget and multiply nine thousand and yet we are come
be as a toy or trifle vnto vs yet at least let vs alwaies haue before vs the iudgement of God vpon our selues and be well assured that the wrongfull and vniust detaining of the Lords portion from the Lords Pastours shall bring such a curse vpon the rest of our substance that it shall be as the eares of corne that are blasted yea it shall kindle such a fire in the middest of our houses that it shall consume them with the timber thereof and the stones thereof The Lord hauing by the Prophet Malachi charged his people with spoiling him in tithes and offerings he addeth this in the next words Ye are cursed with a curse for ye haue spoiled me Mal. 3 9. euen this whole Nation The zeale that Dauid had for the house of GOD was very great so that he professeth it had euen eaten him vp Psal 69 and indeed he sheweth no lesse by his owne practise For when Araunah the Iebusite as a King in the willingnesse of spirit offered to giue to Dauid Oxen for burnt sacrifice and the threshing instruments for wood that he might build an altar and offer thereon he would not accept of it at his hands 2 Sam. 24 24. neither offer to the Lord his God that which cost him nothing as one esteeming in so doing the precious things of GOD light and of small account O how farre are these men from this heauenly affection of this holy seruant of God He accounted nothing too good to giue to God but they account it an happy turne if they might goe away scot-free and pay nothing at all toward the maintenance of the Ministery of the word It is strange to see how bountifull many are and euen prodigall that they care not what they waste and consume in following their owne pleasures pastimes and vanities of their corrupt hearts and yet how backward and pinching they are oftentimes for one halfepeny that is going from them and comming eyther toward the poore or toward the Minister But marke the secret and iust iudgement of God vpon them and tremble at it or rather feare him that inflicteth it and paieth them home in their owne kinde punisheth them proportionably according to their sinne for he detaineth his graces from them and sendeth them poore and leane soules that are ready to famish and perish through want of heauenly and spirituall food Two extremes touching the Ministers True it is there haue beene two extremes in the world both touching the estimation of their persons touching the compensation of their labours In former times the people did so highly account of them that they did sticke and cleaue too much to their persons and therefore Paul saith 1 Cor. 3 5 7. Who is Paul and who is Apollo but the Ministers by whom ye beleeued euen as the Lord gaue to euery man so then neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that gaue the increase but in our times there appeareth not such forwardnesse wherein they are contemned despised This is one extreme Likewise in former times they were ready to giue all and yet they thought al to be too little now they would willingly if they might take away all so that if some positiue lawes did not stay them and restraine them their consciences are so large How the Ministers are dealt withal that they would suffer them well enough to take the corne and feed the Minister with the straw they could be content to fill themselues with the Calues out of the stall and to eate the fattest of them and then to reserue the refuse for the Minister and to giue them the bones to gnaw vpon which they offer to their dogges and yet thinke that too good for them A goodly recompence for their great paines They are not ashamed to share the wool of the flocke among themselues and to cloathe themselues therewith and then to cast the tailes to their Teachers and to stoppe their mouthes with the dung and drauery that is good for nothing Thus are they affected toward religion and the promoting of the word and worship of God they care not though all rudenesse and barbarisme were among vs and the world were become a receptacle of all atheisme like a wildernesse ouergrowne with nettles bryars and all noysome weeds if so be they might get any aduantage by the ruine and ouerthrow of the Gospel In the late daies of superstition which many now liuing can yet remember the people generally were most bountifull to their sacrificing Masse-Priests who fed them with corne that is musty and mouldred or rather with huskes fitter for swine then for the seruants of God and yet they thought nothing too good for them nothing too much to bestow vpon them as the idolatrous Egyptians nourished their idolatrous Priests in the yeares of famine Gen. 47 Gen. 47 22. so that their Land was not set to sale hauing a portion assigned vnto them of Pharaoh and eating the portion which he gaue them Now our people are better taught yet they pay all duties and demands for the most part grudgingly and murmure at all things that go from themselues as if a man did cut a peece of flesh out of their sides or let them blood at the hart veine Then they had a zeale though not according to knowledge and a conscience though it were blinde now indeed by reason of the labours of the Ministers which stretch out their hands all the day long spend their strength among them they haue science but little or no conscience the Gospel would be welcome vnto them at least in word prouided that it do not any way displease them or disease them neither be costly or burdensome vnto thē otherwise if they must depart with any of their morsels they care not for it nor esteeme any thing of it nor will be ruled by it nor order their liues after it 33. Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites these are the families of Merari 34. And those that were numbred of them according to the number of all the males from a moneth old and vpward were sixe thousand and two hundred 35 And the chiefe of the house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the sonne of Abihail these shall pitch on the side of the Tabernacle Northwards 36. And vnder the custody and charge of the sonnes of Merari shall be the boards of the Tabernacle and the barres thereof and the pillars thereof and the sockets thereof and all the vessels thereof and all that serueth thereto 37. And the pillars of the Court round about and their sockets and their pinnes and their cords 38. But those that encampe before the Tabernacle toward the East euen before the Tabernacle of the Congregation Eastward shall be Moses and Aaron and his sonnes keeping the charge of the Sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel and the stranger that commeth nigh
heed how we heare Luk. 8 whē we come into his house Christ teacheth that in hearing the Ministers we heare him and in refusing them we refuse him Math. 10. The Apostle commendeth the Galatians for the performance of this duty that they were as carefull to heare him as to heare Christ himselfe chap. 4 14. My tentation that was in my flesh ye despised not nor reiected but receiued mee as an Angell of God euen as Christ Iesus What could he say more for them Or how could he better set foorth their zeale then to giue this testimony of them that they accounted of him in regard of his paines in the Ministerie not as an ordinary man not as a faithfull Minister onely not as an elect Angell onely but as Christ himselfe the head of men and Angels whose person he did represent and whose Church he did feed with wholesome doctrine This example should all of vs follow this doth the Lord require of all true Christians that they receiue his Ministers as his Messengers and reuerence them as himselfe in regard of their doctrine and haue thē in singular loue for their workes sake This we see to be worthily practised by Cornelius as well became a religious Captaine and a deuout Christian Acts 10. ◠10 33. We are all heere present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God Loe how great the dignity of the Ministery of the Church is loe how great the excellency of the Ministers of God is we must heare them as if we heard God forasmuch as they are sent of him they preach his word they deliuer no more then they haue receiued and he hath commanded them to publish it in his Name But alasse it is most horrible to behold the contempt that they suffer and the basenesse that is cast vpon this calling which is one of the causes of those greeuous plagues and iudgements that are brought vpon the world The disgrace and ignominy vnder which they lie greeueth the hearts of all the godly and not only greeueth their hearts but pierceth the Clouds and doth not onely pierce the Clouds but reacheth vp to heauen and doth not onely reach vp to heauen but entreth into the eares of the Lord of hosts and not onely entreth into his eares but doth stretch it selfe vnto God himselfe and returne vpon Christ the Prince of all Prophets which ought indeed to pierce and enter into the hearts of all prophane persons and serue to terrifie all those that reuile them and speake all manner of euill against them for the truths sake Let vs remember the saying of the Apostle touching the Thessalonians 2 Thess 2 13. When ye receiued the word of God which yee heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that beleeue This is a worthy commendation of this Church and a notable example which we ought to set before vs to follow it so that we must heare the word as Gods word whose force it carrieth with it Many heare it that do not heare it as Gods word It is a rare thing to finde such an hearer Some heare and then rage and storme when they are reproued Acts 7 57 17 18 and 22 23. Others refuse to heare at all and thinke such as make conscience of hearing to be more curious precise then there is cause Others embrace the word but yet not as the word as we see in Papists and hypocrites The Papists affirme that the Scripture or word written hath no authority in it selfe except it be allowed approued of the Church What other thing is this then to embrace the word but not as the word The hypocrites also doe not receiue the word with due reuerence nor expresse it in true obedience as their life doth witnesse against them These haue men onely in their thoughts and haue not God in their sight they may be said after a sort to receiue the word but they cannot be said to receiue it altogether as the word For if they did seriously and earnestly acknowledge it to bee of God and to haue him the author of it they would not leade their liues in that loose manner that they do Thirdly it reproueth those that contemne the doctrine of the Gospel The third reproofe for the poore and obscure conditiō of the Ministers that preach it For what I pray you was the estate of the Apostles Were they rich and renowned in the world Peter and Iohn going vp together into the Temple at the ninth houre of praier answered the lame man that expected to receiue something of them Siluer and gold haue I none Acts 3 6. Were they much befriended applauded of men The Apostle declareth and complaineth that all men had forsaken him and no man stood with him 2 Tim. 4 16. And Christ himselfe foretelleth that they should bee hated of all men for his Names sake Math. 10 ver 22. Were they honoured and magnified aboue others Or did they liue at ease and in pleasure Paul spareth not to paint out their life 1 Cor. 4 9 I thinke that God hath set foorth vs the Apostles last as it were appointed to death for wee are made a spectacle vnto the world and to Angels and to men Were they clad in purple and fared they deliciously euery day Did they dwell in gorgious houses and Princely pallaces In the words following he telleth vs how it fared with him and the rest of his brethren they were not attired in soft raiment they did not surfet through excesse Verse 12. but euen vnto this present we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and haue no certaine dwelling place And yet notwithstanding these manifold aduersities and trials the Sonne of God pronounceth of them He that heareth you heareth me and iudgeth the wrongs to be done to himselfe which they suffer Let not vs therefore require honour or riches or glory or pompe or outward dignity in the Ministers of the Gospel but rather consider the goodnesse of God toward vs who knowing that we are not able to beare and abide his infinite Maiesty hath instituted the Ministery of his word that by men equall vnto vs and like to our selues he might teach vs his will and instruct vs in his word We shewed before that when the Lord himselfe in his owne voice preached to Israel at Mount Sinai they were so terrified and afraid that they asked for Moses that he might speake vnto them If the matter stood thus with them that had seene the wonders of God in the Land of Egypt and not many daies before had passed the red sea as it were by dry land what shall befall vs if he should vtter to vs his terrible voice as a most mighty thunder If then we heare patiently and obey readily the word that is brought vnto vs by weake and fraile man it
God not so much because the Church affirmeth it but because we find them to be so as the sheep of Christ acknowledged the voyce of their Shepheard Christ Iesus speaking in them Vse 2 Secondly this assureth vs that the trueth of God shall remaine and continue for euer to the end of the world It may be sometimes brought into a narrow compasse and be much eclipsed that the light shall appeare to be but little but it shall neuer perish vtterly or bee rooted out of the earth For seeing the Church is appointed the keeper and continuer of the trueth as the candlesticke of the candle and that the Church shall abide for euer because the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Matt. 16.18 it cannot bee that the trueth should faile and decay as we see notwithstanding the enemies of Iudah and Beniamin the word is kept vncorrupt and inuiolable to this day God will neuer suffer his people to be robbed thereof but his speciall prouidence watcheth ouer it for our good This doth the Scripture it selfe witnesse touching the durablenesse thereof that the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children for euer that we may doe all the wordes of this Law Deut. 29.29 The Lord hath founded his testimonies for euer Psal 119.152 Our Sauiour speaketh more fully euidently and vehemently Heauen and earth shal passe away but my words shall not passe Mar. 13.31 againe Verily I say vnto you till heauen and earth passe one iotte or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all be fulfilled Matth 5.18 We know by experience that all flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man as the flowre of grasse the grasse withereth and the flowre thereof fadeth and falleth away Peter 1 25. but the word of the Lord endureth for euer This we may see in the bookes of Salomon 1 Kin. 4.32 33. Hee spake three thousand Prouerbes and his songs were a thousand and fiue and he spake of trees from the Cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen vnto the hyssope that springeth out of the wall he spake also of beasts and of fowles and of creeping things and of fishes These bookes of naturall Philosophy were no doubt the most profitable bookes that euer were written in that kind he being endued with the greatest wisedome that euer man since the fall had Christ Iesus only excepted yet none of these are to be found onely those that pertaine to religion and godlinesse remaine safely reserued for all posterities This is the more to be considered wondered at inasmuch as there be infinite moe in the world that affect the knowledge of natural things rather then they doe spirituall and of earthly rather then they do heauenly yet they could not deliuer them from the ruines of time but they are buryed in the graue of perpetuall forgetfulnesse neuer to be raised or recouered These are dead and gone as if they had neuer been written wheras on the other side his holy writings hated of the most part of the world and carelesly regarded of the multitude euen of those that liued in the bosome of the Church haue notwithstanding as full a remembrance as they had the first day the Lord gaue them to his people This serueth to conuince those that thinke many of the bookes inspired by God to be lost thereby accusing the prouidence of God or at least the church of great carelesnesse and negligence of which crime notwithstanding it is not guilty Thirdly there is no light of trueth to bee Vse 3 found any where else able to guide vnto faith and saluation then in the true Church of God For all other places are places of darkenesse and nothing to be found in them but lies errours deceiuings superstition and the spirit of slumber Exod 10 23. As no light was to be found in all Egypt but in the land of Goshen and among the Israelites onely so no sauing doctrine that giueth light to the eyes of the minde is to be found out of the Church they that are in this state liue in palpable darkenesse and can see neither themselues nor others but lie in ignorance and wickednes as Iohn teacheth We know that we are of God 1 Iohn 5 19. and the whole world lyeth in wickednesse Such sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death till this light set on the Candlesticke be brought vnto them Matth. 4 16. The people which sate in darkenesse saw great light and to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung vp Therefore to be out of the Church is to be in the state of damnation yea to be in the very dungeon of hell and the kingdome of darkenesse to be vnder the power of Satan the prince of darknesse as there was no saluation out of the Church Let euery man therefore seeke and endeauour with all care to ioyne himselfe to the true Church of God to be a member of the body of Christ that so we may attaine to the light of knowledge and the light of the eternall life Vse 4 Lastly it is a duty belonging to euery one to be an helper to the spreading abroad of the doctrine of godlinesse and to doe all for the truth but nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13 8. Euery man desireth to bee the messenger of good newes so should wee desire to publish to others and to continue to posterity the sauing knowledge of the Gospel For this is the foundation and ground-work of all true obedience The truth of God is as a precious treasure beset with many enemies that wold take it from vs against whom we must alwaies cōtend that we may keepe faith and a good conscience 1 Tim. 1 19. This truth is the instrument of the holie Ghost to worke all necessary graces in our hearts Rom 1 16. as beeing the power of GOD to saluation and it reuealeth vnto vs all things needful vnto saluation concerning things to be beleeued or things to be practised Hence it is that the Apostle Iude saith Beloued when I gaue all diligence to write vnto you of the common saluation Iude verse 3. it was needfull for me to write vnto you that yee should earnestly contend for the faith which was once giuen vnto the Saints The true treasure of the Church is committed to the Saints they are the keepers of the doctrine of saluation This is no small trust it is no smal charge that is giuen vnto them wee must therefore fight to maintaine it This must not bee a bodily fight but a spirituall combat and it consisteth of diuers duties Ioel 2 28. Euery man in his place ought to bee as a Prophet or a Preacher for wee are made spirituall Priestes both to pray and to preach We are bound to teach all that are vnder our roofe and iurisdiction that we may be as Gods blessed instruments to conueigh his truth to others It is the duty of
such only as haue the couenant or testament belonging vnto them but open offenders haue nothing to do with them It will be said Iudas was admitted by Christ Obiect and therefore wicked persons may be so I answer Answ Iudas was not known to be a wicked person no more then he was knowne to be a reprobate He was a theefe but not knowne to be a theefe but they must be knowne wicked persons that are to be exempted and excluded Againe it may appeare that Iudas was not at the Supper Iohn 13 30. So soone as he had receiued the soppe he went out immediately but the soppe was in the Passeouer so that he was at the Passeouer not at the Supper Vse 1 The vses follow First there ought not to be a generall admission of al that offer to come to the Sacraments without difference and distinction A Turke or Iew if they would desire baptisme may not be receiued before they make open confession of the faith When the Eunuch desired baptisme and said See heere is water what doth hinder me to be baptized Philip answered If thou beleeuest thou maiest Acts 8 36 37. Such onely are allowed to haue the benefit of the Sacraments and to be admitted vnto them that are of the number of beleeuers None were to be baptized but such as were within the Couenant 1 Cor. 7 14. and in that respect are called holy None are meete guests to be at the Lords Table but such as know beleeue and practise the doctrine which is according to godlinesse as no vncircumcised person and vnbeleeuer was receiued to the Passeouer Thus then we see who haue right to the Sacraments and who haue not Vse 2 Secondly this giueth direction and instruction to the Ministers not to keep backe whoÌ„ they please or to barre from the communion any vpoÌ„ spleene or priuate grudge or reuenge but must take heed they do not mingle their priuate affections with the publike exercises of religion It reproueth therfore all such iustly as turne away those that desire to communicate through hatred enuy and malice to their persons because they haue some way offended them whether it be in deed or in conceit They haue power and authority onely to exclude publike offenders and scandalous liuers as for others they haue no iurisdiction to deny them or barre them the Communion The Disciples reprooued those that brought little children to Christ but they are reproued themselues for Christ was much displeased with them and would not haue them forbidden Mark 10 14. So ought we to suffer the people to come vnto Christ yea to exhort them and stirre them vp and encourage them not discourage them nor forbid them nor hinder them that would come If there were a publike well for all to draw water out of it what inhumaâ—ity and cruelty were it to keep backe any from drawing out of it These are like to the Philistims that stopped the welles and filled them with earth Gen. 26 15. which Abrahams seruants had digged that none could haue benefit of them Gen. 26 15. When Moses was fled out of Egypt and came into the Land of Madian and that he saw the froward Shepheards driue away the daughters of Reuel froÌ„ the well that they could not water their fathers sheepe he stood vp and helped them and watered their flocke Exod. 2 17. If we be the Shepheards of the Lords flocke we must not be like to these Shepheards that would not suffer the sheepe to be watered we must be rather like to Moses to help them It is a signe of much enuy and little piety to hinder those that are willing to come These are worse theÌ„ the woman of Samaria and haue lesse mercy pitty compassion then she had Iohn 4.9 for though she refused to giue drinke to Christ because he was a Iew and the Iewes had no dealing with the Samaritans yet she neuer assayed to keepe him from the well as these do many of their brethren more indeed to their owne reproch then to the shame of those whom they turne away this ought not so to be Thirdly to exercise any part of Gods worship Vse 3 prophanely to heare the word vnreuerently and to come to the Table of the Lord vnworthily deserueth a great and greeuous plague 1 Cor. 11 30. For this cause many were weake and sicke and striken with death among the Corinthians Woe therefore to those that are prophane and prophane the holy things of God This is a most fearefull sin they conspire against God and commit high treason against his Maiesty and therfore God will arme himselfe against them and pursue them as his enemies with fire and sword that is with his wrath vengeance at their heels The wrath of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon who so prouoketh him to anger sinneth against his owne soule Prou. 19 12 and 20 2. His anger conceiued is present death 1 Sam. 22 18. Ester 7 9. Mat. 2 16 and 14 10. What shall we say then of God who is a consuming fire Heb. 12 29. If his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Psal 2 12. We haue no defence for our selues but to say Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified Ps 143 2. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God whither shall we flye to be able to escape his hand but that he will finde vs out His displeasure is like himselfe that is infinite and cannot be expressed Lastly we learne that such as come to the Vse 4 Table of the Lord should seriously proue and throughly prepare theÌ„selues to this so weighty and religious worke It standeth vs therefore vpon to know wherein this triall and examination standeth especially considering that many do much deceiue themselues therin Some place it in outward things as if they fast before they come if they hang downe their heads like bulrushes if they prepare the body and outward man touching their apparell and for the present time shew humility and abstinence although presently after they returne againe to their former conditions and vices as to their vomit making only an intermission of them for a short space but assuming them againe with no small aduantage But this is a vaine thing For our sinnes must be left quite and cleane so as we neuer returne to them againe It is an easie matter to conceiue in our selues that we haue faith But if it be a true holy faith it purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 worketh by loue Gal. 5.6 First therefore euery one must labour to be a repentant sinner which consisteth in vnfained sorrow for sinne purposing neuer to fall into it againe an ardent loue toward that which is good We must confesse our sinnes of omission and commission of ignorance and knowledge of weaknes and presumption how we haue prouoked our good God to anger
there cannot be a greater benefit God the Father offereth and assureth his owne Sonne whom he hath sealed to be the Mediatour of our redemption he deludeth and deceiueth no man that commeth to the Supper as a guest prepared for the marriage feast 2 Cor. 2.16 For as the word turneth to be the sauour of death vnto death to the vnreuerent and vnregarding hearer so in truth is the Sacrament the sauour of death vnto death to the vnworthy and vnwise receiuer Let vs therefore throughly examine and prooue our selues whether we be in the faith or not 2 Cor. 13 5. and consider diligently what is set before vs and hunger and thirst after Christ that we may obtaine this hidden Manna This we shall neuer do except we obserue these few rules First we must try our selues by the law of God whereby commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3 20 7 7. It is a cleere glasse to shew vs our faces or rather our hearts Iam. 1 23. From hence we must frame an editement against our selues Secondly we must labour to vnderstand and beleeue the common corruption of all mankinde standing partly in originall sinne and partly in the fruites thereof wherewith all are tainted as with an vncleane leprosie from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foot Rom. 3 9. Thirdly we must feele the curse of euerlasting death due to vs Gal. 3 10. Fourthly we must learne what couenant God hath made with vs touching grace and mercy that we may be raised vp to comfort in the Sonne of God our Redeemer Fiftly we must desire to be made partakers of the Lords Supper and feele how much we stand in need of it which will follow necessarily vpon the former Lastly we should fit our selues the better vnto the worke by considering the proportion betweene the signes and the things signified The beholding of the breaking of the bread the powring out of the wine should enforce vs to remember the body of Christ broken and his blood shed for vs. When wee looke vpon the Minister comming to vs and reaching forth these elements We should consider that the Lord Iesus himselfe commeth to vs and offereth himselfe with all his mercies and merits vnto vs if wee haue faith to receiue him And as we lay hold vpon the bread and wine and take them in our hands so we must stretch forth the hand of a liuely faith to lay hold of Christ for with him we shall entertaine all his sauing benefits to our endlesse and euerlasting comfort CHAP. X. Ver. 1 2. And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Make thee two Trumpets of siluer c. HEere wee haue the conclusion of the first part of this book Doctrine Of the siluer Trumpets the vse of theÌ„ In this chapter we are to consider two thinges First the commandement of God directed to Moses to make two siluer Trumpets Secondly the remouing of the Israelites from Sinai to Paran Touching the Trumpets they are described by the matter they must be made of siluer by the forme of an whole piece Thirdly by the ends for the calling of the assembly and for the iournying of the Campe. Fourthly by the manner prescribed how to vse them to what purpose one alone is to be sounded to what purpose both when an alarme is to be blowne and when the alarme is to be blowne the second time when they must blow but not sound the alarme Fiftly by telling who shall be the trumpetters or sound the Trumpets the sonnes of Aaron the Priest Lastly by the time how long this vse shall continue to wit as an ordinance for euer euen so long as the Commonwealth of the Israelites shall endure This is the present vse of them there is a double vse of them commanded for the time to come one in time of warre to assure them that God will then remember them for good and saue them from their enemies ver 9 the other in time of peace at their solemne feasts at their burnt offerings and peace offerings Vse 1 The vses of them follow which are partly ciuill and partly ecclesiasticall And first seeing these siluer Trumpets serued for the Camp and the Congregation to assemble and to remoue and that the power of making them is committed to Moses who hath the sole prerogatiue to call and to dissolue assemblies about publike affaires we learn that it belongeth to Kings and Princes as their proper right to gather together The authority of K ngs and Princes what it is and to dismisse them that are gathered together Euery one hath not authority and iurisdiction to draw multitudes together we shall haue no small ado if that may be suffered Acts 1â— 23. We must haue lawfull and orderly assemblies vers 29. and such as do not sauour of confusion So it was in Egypt without Pharâ—oh no man might lift vp his hand or foot in all the Land of Egypt Gen. 41 44. This right is annexed to the highest power by an estate indefeizible and by a perpetuall law that cannot be dissolued throughout all generations As this power together with the Trumpets was giuen to Moses so did he and his successours practise the same who commanded in chiefe as Deut. 33 ver 5. Numb 31 6. Ioshua called and dismissed the people and they obeyed him in the execution of that power no lesse then they had done Moses before Iosh 1 17 and 24 28. So did Dauid vse these Trumpets 1 Chron 15 4 23 2 3 6. When the Arke was to be remoued and when the offices of the Tabernacle were to be ordered which are things meerely belonging to true religion The like we might say of Salomon 2 Chron. 5 2. of Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah and Iosiah Thus were all generall Councels congregated and called together and there were none otherwise called for a thousand yeares after Christ but by the Trumpet of Moses that is by the authority of Caesar Thus did Moses also in gathering assemblies about publike affaires both for consultation and action For consultation The neceâ—â— of gatheriâ—â— assemblieâ— because many eies may discerne that which few cannot For action because many hands may discharge that which is troublesome cumbersome for one to do Exod. 18.18 This serueth to reproue three sorts first the Bishop of Rome who as a theefe and vsurper hath encroched vpon the Princes right and stollen away one of these siluer Trumpets and carried to it Rome He would leaue Moses but one Trumpet and would limit his office to ciuill and temporall things challenging power in all spirituall causes and ouer all spirituall persons Howbeit Aaron the High-Priest neuer offered to wring and wrest out of the hand of Moses this power he was content to blow them at the commandement of Moses or rather at the commandement of God Nay such is the tyranny of this proud Bishop that he contenteth not himselfe with one Trumpet though he haue indeed right to none
destruction are fearfull to all men to take heed that we abuse not the patience of God by liuing in knowne sin and flattering our selues in it lest we be swept away sodainly Manie men are oftentimes praying and desiring God to keepe them from sodain death they would by no meanes dye sodainly yet these men by abusing the patience of God and continuing in sinne do take the direct way and course to bring sodaine death and destruction vppon themselues It is a manifest token of a plaine and ranke hypocrite to craue to be kept from sodaine death and in the meane season to doe nothing but practise and commit sinne with greedinesse Certainly he that thus prayeth doth it for no other end but because he is desirous to liue longer to commit euill He is afraide to come to an account and yet he wold liue longer to make his account greater and more fearefull Would we not therefore be sodainly destroyed Wee must labour to see the plague and flie But whither not from God for he is farre swifter then possibly wee can bee who rideth vpon the winges of the winde and can quickly ouertake vs we must flye to God and seeke to him for pardon betimes and labour earnestly for a reconciliation with him The birds of the aire escape the snares of the fowler by flying but whither and how is it and what do they not by flying downe on the earth for so they are taken but by flying vpward the higher so much the safer So should we flie not downe from God but flie on high flie vp to God and seeke vnto him for him we haue offended and of him we must craue and shall obtaine forgiuenesse Let vs preuent his iudgements by our repentance otherwise we shall perish sodainly And when once we haue obtained his fauour and made peace with him though sodaine death come vpon vs as it did vpon righteous Abel well-meaning Vzzah religious and godlye Iosiah yet happy and blessed shall we be It is wisedome not to put off the day of iudgement neither our particular day of iudgement Amos 6 3. It is the occasion of many euils when a man neuer thinketh vpon the day of his dissolution and dreameth that the day of comming to his answer is not neare Many impenitent persons put off the day of their repentance in hope to haue time enough heereafter whereas repentance is not in our owne power and that which is late is sildome true and his iudgements are sodain yea so sodain that sundry which promised vnto their soules many yeres leisure and liberty to repent haue not had so much warning as to say Lord haue mercy vpon me Wee haue had many examples of this daily and therefore let vs be euermore ready and prepared before hand CHAP. XII MOses in this chapter goeth forward to set downe another murmuring 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 murâ— against 〈◊〉 which did nerer touch him then the former Such as are mentioned in the Chapters before infected in a manner the whole people this is more particular and is directed directly against himselfe raysed by his owne sister and brother both elder then himselfe Wherein consider two things First their sinne secondly the processe of God against them for their sinne Touching the first obserue that though both of them sinned yet Miriam his sister hath the chiefe hand in the sinne who drew Aaron by perswasion into a practise and participation of it as the people had done before when they mooued him to make the golden Calfe Exod. 32 1 2. they were the authors of that idolatry Aaron was drawne to consent vnto it Miriam 〈◊〉 chief â—er That shee was the first in this trespasse may appeare first because the verbe in the originall is of the Feminine gender and ioyned in construction with Miriam which serueth also to strengthen the reason Secondly she is named in the first place not preferred for honors sake for there is no honour in committing of euil but because she had the principall hand in it Thirdly because the punishment fell onely vpon her and not vpon Aaron who was euen constrained by her importunity as it were against his will to ioyne with her â—â—casions 〈◊〉 marâ—e The occasions which both of them take to exalt and magnifie themselues and to call the authority of Moses in question are double his marriage and his calling The marriage of Moses was with the woman that was a Cushite which seemeth to be no other then Zipporah the Midianite For first we reade not of her death who was brought to him by her Father immediately before the giuing of the Law Exod. â—8 5. Again it is not to be thoght that hee would marry two wiues especially being now 80. yeeres olde vnfit for any new marriage and it being contrary to the first institution Thirdly we reade of no other sons that he had but Gershom and Eliezer Exod. 2 2 22 and 4 20. 18 3. 1 Chron. 23 14 15. both which he had by Zipporah the daughter of Iethro Who this woman was that Moses maried so that woman is like to be no other then this Zipporah whom he maried when he fled out of Egypt and soiourned in Midian For the Midianites are called Cushites not that they came of Cush the eldest son of Ham Gen. 10 6. but because they possessed part of the land of Cush And it may wel be that some strife and contention arose first of all between Zipporah and Miriam a common thing vnto that sexe as fell out betweene Sarah Agar betweene Rahel and Leah and between Hannah and Peninnah and haply it might bee for place and precedency Miriam bearing her selfe bold that she was a Prophetesse and of the seede of Abraham but Zipporah a forreiner and a stranger from Israel And on the other Zipporah alledging and pretending for her selfe that shee was the wife of Moses the cheefe Gouernor of the people and therefore as the cheefe roome was due to him before other men so to her before other women The other occasion was the office and calling of Moses they enuied his dignity and authority For Genesis 13 8. as in of Abrahams house the strife arose among the herdmen of his cattel and of Lots the flame whereof burned so fast that it caught holde vpon the masters themselues and had quite consumed them had it not bene wisely timely preuented so this quarrel as a spark of fire arising among the women for the vppermost roome and cheefest seate couered for a season vnder the ashes at length brake out into a flame and caught hold of Moses against whom Miriam and Aaron stroue As if they fhould say Thou art not so great a Prophet as thou wouldest be accounted haue not the seuenty Elders the Spirit of God and the gift of prophesie as well as thou and haue not we that gift also This is amplified by a double effect one in God he heard it the other in Moses he held his
saide that Ioseph was sold to the Ismaelites in the same chap. ver 36. that the Midianites solde Ioseph to Putaphar Pharaohs steward and chap 39 1. that Putaphar bought Ioseph of the Ismaelites which the Chaldean Paraphrast in the same place calleth Arabians To make this yet more plaine it appeareth Iudg. 6 3. that when Israel had sowen then came vp the Madianites Amalekites and they of the East to set vppon them they of the East were Arabians of the Desert so as where before in the buying of Ioseph the Madianites and the Ismaelites were confounded here the Madianites the Amalekites are made one nation and chap. 8 24. these nations are all called Ismaelites and neither Madianites nor Amalekites of which in processe of time came the Mahometan Arabians Neither is the marginall note vpon chap. 37 28 of Gen. in the Geneua Bibles any thing to the purpose who to auoide the confounding of these Nations and taking one for another tell vs that Moses wrote according to their opinion who tooke the Madianites Ismaelites to be all one For Moses wrote the truth as it was in it selfe who was no stranger but well acquainted in Arabia in the border whereof and in Arabia it selfe he had formerly liued forty yeres and therefore no man was better able to describe these places so that it is a vaine thing to make him vtter an vntruth contrary to his own knowledge and to follow the opinion of others that were deceiued The like mistaking of Ethiopia for Chush is found in many other places The first is Gen. 2 13. The name of the second riuer is Gihon the same is that which compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia in Hebrew it is the land of Chush But the Ethiopians are as much as blacke or burnt faces whose proper countrey is called Thebaides lying to the Southward of all Egypt farre distant from that land which was peopled and inhabited by the Cushites And Gihon is a riuer that watereth Chush and not Ethyopia But it will be obiected Obiection that Homer maketh a twofold Ethyopia the East and the West which also is found in Strabo For hee saith Odyss lib. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where he sheweth expressely that the Ethiopians are diuided into two sorts some lye vnder the East Sun and some vnder the west But this serueth nothing to bring these Chusites to be either the one or the other Answer both of them being found elsewhere For the East Ethiopia is that which compasseth Nilus to the South of Egypt and is the south border therof now a part of the Empire of the Abyssines vnder Prester Iohn and the west Ethiopia is that which ioyneth it selfe with the riuer Niger which we call Senega and Gambria for there-about are these Ethyopians called Perorsi Daratites with diuers other names which Pliny numbreth in his fift booke and eight chapter Plin natur hist lib. 5. cap. 8. and these two do lye indeede directly east and west I meane that of Niger and the other of Prester Iohn But touching Chush and the region of the Ismaelites with the rest they are extended directly North from that of Ethiopia which is beyond Egypt The farther mistaking of Chush for Ethiopia may be shewed out of two places in the second book of the chronicles First where Zearah the Chushite 2 Chro. 14 9. brought an army of ten hundred thousand against Asa King of Iudah which army whence it came the question ariseth whether out of Ethiopia or out of Arabia where the Chusites inhabited Doubtlesse not from Ethiopia for that had bene a strange march and progresse for such a multitude or world of people hauing so mighty a King as the King of Egypt betweene Palestina and Ethiopia But these were the Cushites Amalekites Midianites Ismaelites and Arabians God hauing long before promised to make a great people of Ismael Gen. 25 16. and that twelue Princes should yssue from him For after that Asa strengthned by God had defeated this huge army swarming with such a multitude he followed his victory and tooke some of the Cities of king Zearah round about and among the rest Gerar. Now that Gerar should be any City of the Ethiopians no man can suspect or defend as appeareth in these places Gen. 12 11. and Exod. 17.8 compared together Abraham departed to the south country and dwelt between Cadesh and Sur and soiourned in Gerar. Now Sur is that part vpon which Moses and the Israelites first set their feete after they had passed the redde sea where the Amalekites set vpon them in Rephidim supposing they had beene weary and vnable to resist And in the history of Isaac it is written Genesis 26 1. that he went to Abimelech King of the Philistims vnto Gerar but no man is so simple as to say that Abimelech and the Philistims were Ethiopians The same might be shewed out of many circumstances in that chapter Lastly Moses himself describing the bounds of Canaan to confirme the faith and to quicken the hope of Israel hath these words Gen. 10 19. The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as thou commest to Gerar vnto Gaza as thou goest vnto Sodome and Gomorrah and Admah and Zeboim euen vnto Lusha now Sidon was the Frontier of Canaan toward the North and Gerar by Gaza toward the South Another place of translating Ethiopia for Chush is in 2 Chro. 21 16. which the Geneua Translators haue thus The Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the spirit of the Philistims and Arabians which were beside the Ethiopians But the Philistims and the Negroes are farre asunder as euery one that looketh vpon a Map may easily iudge whereas the Philistims and Arabians do mixe and ioyne with the land of the Cushites and are distant from Ethiopia about 32. or 33. degrees and therefore cannot be their next neighbours inasmuch as all Egypt and the deserts of Sur and Pharan are betweene them so that it ought rather to be thus translated The Lord stirred vp against Iehoram the spirit of the Philistims and of the Arabians which confine or border vpon the Cushites for these indeede are their next neighbours But the Israelites had neuer any communion or affaires with the Ethiopians nor any intelligence or trade beyond Egypt to the South but the enemies which they had on the south and east parts were these nations of the Chushites Philistims Ismaelites Amalekites and Midianites who in one generall name were all Arabians Another mistaking of Ethiopia for Chush is in the history of Senacherib 2 Kings 19 9. where the Geneua saith he heard that Tirhakah king of Ethiopia was come out to fight against him This army that marched against the king of Arabia Antiq. lib. 10. cap. 1. not from Ethiopia as Iosephus himself maketh it manifest for he confesseth that this army came to releeue the Iewes and the Egyptians whom the proud Senacherib
sought to oppresse together and marched directly toward him by the way of the Desert So then it ought to haue beene translated Tirhakah king of the Chushites for hee had great reason to muster his men together and to put them all in armor forasmuch as the houses and the cities of the Chushites were next to the fire and vpon whom the smoake of Iudah flaming was blowne being their neerest neighbors and if the Iewes had miscarried their owne turne must haue bene the next Hauing waded thus farre in the bookes of the histories let vs proceed to consider some places as il expounded in the prophets where also Chush is mistaken for Ethiopia and first I propound a place in Ezekiel Chap. 29 10. where the Lord threatneth the vtter subuersion of Egypt by the Babylonians which is thus described in the translators from the tower of Seueneh euen vnto the borders of the Black-Moores which last words should rather haue beene conuerted from the Tower of Seueneh to the borders of the Chushites or Arabians betweene which two limites is situated all Egypt For to say from the borders of Seueneh to the Ethiopians is nothing at all and can carry no sense or meaning Seueneh it selfe being the border of Egypt confronting and ioyning to Ethiopia or the Land of the Black-Moores So then if Nebuchadnezzars conquest had beene onely betweene Seueneh and the border of Ethiopia it had bene a poore conquest without victory without enemies without any land because as Iunius well obserueth Seueneh was the south bound of Egypt seated in Thebaida which toucheth Ethiopia and Cush noteth the North bound Annot. in 〈◊〉 29 10. as if the Prophet had saide that Egypt should be ouerrun and ouercome from one end of it to other whereas Nebuchadnezzar neuer entred into any part of Ethiopia as appeareth by the Prophet Another place in Ezekiel is chap. 30 9. is thus turned by the Geneuian Translators In that day shall there Messengers go forth from me in ships to make the carelesse Moores afraide which should bee amended and reformed by putting the word Chush or Arabia for Ethiopia or the Black-moores as euery one may see which meanly vnderstandeth the Geography of the world knowing that to passe out of Egypt into Ethiopia there neede no Gallies or shippes no more then to passe foorth of one peece of dry land into another Ethyopia and Egypt being in one continent conterminate the one to the other which are not diuided so much as by a riuer Therefore in this place of Ezekiel it was meant that from Egypt Nebuchadnezzar should send Gallies along the coast of the red sea by which an army might bee transported into Arabia the Happy and the Stony sparing the long wearisome march ouer all Egypt and the deserts of Pharan which army might thereby surprize them vnawares in their security confidence For when he was at Seueneh within a mile of Ethiopia he needed neither gally nor ship nor boate to passe vnto it being all one firme land with Egypt without any water to diuide them and it is well obserued that if he had minded to rowe vp the riuer for pleasure sake he could not haue done it History o◠world by W.R. because the fall of Nilus tumbling ouer high and steepy mountaines called Catadupae Nili was at hand and would haue hindred him And as in the prophesie of Ezekiel before remembred the word Ethiopia is inserted in the translations for Cush or Arabia which putteth many histories much out of square one kingdome being taken or rather mistaken for another so is it also in Esay chap. 18 1. Oh the land shadowing with wings which is beyond the riuers of Ethiopia c. whereas it should be beyond the riuers of Cush or Arabia For the Land here spoken of by the Prophet Esay is confessed by all interpreters to be no other then Egypt They were the Egyptians that sent this message to the Israelites which Esay repeateth so that by the former translation euerie man may see the transposition of kingdomes for hereby Egypt is transported to the other side of Ethiopia and likewise Ethiopia set next to Iudea whereas it is the land of Cush and Arabia indeed that lyeth between Iudea and Egypt and not Ethiopia which is seated vnder the Aequator Now if Ethiopia it selfe lye vnder the Equinoctiall line with whom the Iewes had neuer any acquaintāce why shold any man dreame that they could haue anie knowledge of the Nations farre beyond it beyond the riuers of Ethiopia except wee shall impiously and blasphemously think that the prophet spake he knew not what or vsed an impertinent and vnprofitable discourse of those nations which were not discouered in 2000. yeeres after inhabiting as farre South as the Cape of good hope commonly known by the name of Bona esperanza Thus I haue runne ouer sundry places in the law and in the prophets which haue beene mistaken and ill translated in which Cush which is Arabia is expounded to bee Ethiopia Touching all which I do freely and ingenuously confesse I haue lighted my candle at his candle that hath with great labour and industry published the history of the world hauing heere there inserted some confirmation of that which hee hath learnedly written Thus vpon the occasion of Moses his marriage with the Midianitish woman called the Chushite we haue shewed how sundry translators haue mistaken the word Chush for Ethiopia Madian being a part of Arabia Petraea or the Stony as Iunius hath well translated it and Vatablus before him It is not worth the standing vpon or the gathering vp which the same Vatablus obserueth out of the Iewish Rabbines that Zipporah the Midianitesse is therefore said to be an Ethiopian because she resembled the Blacke-Moores in colour and was tawny or black as the Negroes are which liue vnder the line which hath indeed no colour of truth and therefore wee will omit the same and come vnto the words themselues 1 And Miriam spake against Moses and Aaron by occasion of the woman the Cushite whō he had married for hee had taken to wife a woman a Cushite 2 And they saide Hath the Lord indeede spoken onely by Moses Hath hee not spoken also by vs And the Lord heard it 3 But Moses was a very mecke man c. The summe of these words we haue shewed before wherein obserue in the things that Moses suffered Doctrine Discomfort from such as should cōfort that Gods children oftentimes finde great discomfort at their hands of whom in al reason they should expect the greatest comfort When the people did rise against him mutinously and tumultuously where should he finde rest or in whose bosome should hee poure out his complaint or to whom should he resort for comfort but to Aaron and Miriam to his brother and sister But here we see they are his chiefe troublers and tormenters The former was a great tentation when the people did set themselues
sitting at the vpper end of the boord haue his eie euermore vpon him he will not dare to vse such boldnesse as otherwise hee would if he were absent for then peraduenture he would not sticke to play his prankes to throw his trencher vnder feet and to dally as a wanton with his meate but if he be at his fathers table and sit at his elbow and remaine in his sight he will behaue himselfe soberly and orderly or else he shall be rebuked and chastised So likewise it ought to be with vs if we did consider that God is with vs in our eating and drinking it would be of sufficient force to teach vs to behaue our selues reuerently and to take heed of all excesse but whether we consider it or not we shall finde in the end that he is not farre from euery one of vs that abuse his creatures to the dishonour of his Name and to the danger of our owne soules If we do not praise God for our meates and drinkes we are no better then theeues and vsurpers albeit otherwise they may be called our owne because God hath not wholly resigned vp his right vnto them who hath created them 22 And if ye haue erred and not obserued all these commandements which the Lord hath spoken vnto Moses 23 Euen all that the Lord hath commanded you by the hand of Moses from the day that the Lord commanded Moses and thenceforth from among your generations 24 Then it shall be if ought be committed thorough ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation that all the congregation shall offer c. Heere we haue a law set downe touching the sacrifice for sinnes of ignorance If the former lawes were broken through errour and ignorance not wilfully of a setled purpose the manner of cleansing the same is set down whether it be done by the whole multitude or by one priuate man Where we see that it may fall out that the whole Church may erre and go astray both in iudgement and in practise Obserue hereby Doctrine that the ignorance of the will and word of God Ignorance of the word of God is a greeuous sin in whomsoeuer it bee found is a great and greeuous sinne against God Leuit. 4 2. and 5 17. Esay 1 3 and 5 13. and 27 11. Ier. 10 25. Luke 12 48. The Prophet Hosea complaineth that there was no knowledge of God in the Land chap. 4 ver 2. They were deliuered out of Egypt planted in a fruitefull land furnished with all commodities he gaue them his word and sacraments he dealt not so with euery Nation Psal 147 20. yet they had no knowledge of his wayes nay they regarded not the knowledge of his waies This is a foule sinne to hate the light and yet to liue in darknesse and to loue darknesse more then the light Ier. 4 22. They were foolish and knew him not they were foolish children and had no vnderstanding they are wise to do euil but to do good they haue no knowledge The grounds of this doctrine are euident Reason 1 For first all the corruption that befell vs thorough the fall and disobedience of Adam is sinne therefore ignorance and blindnesse of minde being a part of that corruption must needs also be sinne the naturall man knoweth not the things of the Spirit of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Corinth 2 ver 14. Secondly ignorance is contrary vnto the Reason 2 image of God wherein at the first we were created and therefore it must needs follow that it is sinne Now a part of Gods image in man was knowledge Col. 3 10. as well as holinesse and righteousnes Eph. 4 24. Ignorance therefore being contrary and opposite to this must needs be sinne Reason 3 Thirdly that for which Christ died to abolish and take away must needs be sinne for wherefore dyed he Rom. 4 25. but for our sinnes but hee suffered euen for our errours in life for our ignorances which was represented by this that euery high Priest taken from among men had compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himselfe also is compassed with infirmity Heb. 5 2. and hee entred into the holiest of all once euery yeare not without blood which he offered for himselfe and for the errours of the people chap. 9 7. Reason 4 Fourthly as knowledge is the beginning and foundation of all piety and obedience so ignorance is the mother and roote of all errour euill wickednesse and prophanenesse Math. 22 29. Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God and therfore it cannot be but displeasing vnto God Psalm 94 verse 10. Vse 1 This teacheth the folly of many men in our times who thinke that ignorance shall excuse them they regard not to learne or know any thing and then thinke themselues excused because they know not These are willingly nay wilfully ignorant 2 Pet. 3 5. They know nothing because they will know nothing like to him that shutteth both his eyes because he will not see the light But this cannot shield and shelter them from the iudgements of God and from his heauy wrath 2 Thess 1 8. who will come to render vengeance in flames of fire vnto such as haue not knowne the Gospel Wee haue the word of God among vs and we heare the sound of it yet few or none at all care to get knowledge and vnderstanding by it This is a most fearefull kinde of ignorance and a great measure of sinne Ignorance is twofold simple and affected and both condemned and both shall receiue vengeance and iudgement The simple is when we haue not the meanes and so haue not that knowledge which we ought to haue for he that sinneth without law shall also perish without law and as many as haue sinned in the law shall be iudged by the law Rom. 2 ver 12. This is a fruite of our originall corruption taketh hold vpon all and is sufficient to condemne the very Turkes and Infidels because not onely to be ignorant of that which wee haue meanes to know but to be ignorant of that which we ought to know is a sinne Some things we may be ignorant of without sinne nay Christ our Sauiour as he is man knoweth not all things Math. 24 36. Mark 13 32. Secret things belong not vnto vs but vnto the Lord Deut. 29 verse 29. But the things reuealed belong to vs and to our children to do them and to be ignorant of any of these is a sinne in the sight of God Affected ignorance is when we haue the light of the truth shining in our faces but we shut our eyes against it lest it should shine into our hearts and this is our case We haue the word wee may reade it or heare it read we haue it preached and other meanes of knowledge offered vnto vs therefore all such are left without excuse It shall not excuse a subiect when hee hath broken
some penall statute to say Alasse I knew not the law I was vtterly ignorant of it I neuer heard in all my life of any such matter For the law is passed printed and published and thou must take knowledge of it Euery man at his owne perill must looke to it and if he runne in danger of it it is his owne fault so we may say of the law of God He hath set it foorth to the view of all and all must make enquiry after it at their vttermost perill If then the Turkes and Sarazens if the Infidels and Barbarians that want the meanes shall not be excused at the day of iudgement by their ignorance how shall we thinke to escape that haue had the meanes And so doth the Lord tell them of Corazin and Bethsaida and denounceth a fearefull woe against Capernaum because they had much mercy shewed vnto them yet neuer regarded the same and therefore telleth them that it should be easier for Tyre and Sidon yea for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of iudgement Math. 11 21 23 24. Secondly woe to our times woe to the age Vse 2 wherein we liue for little knowledge resteth in the hearts of the greatest part They know nothing of God of his nature of his essential properties of the Trinity of the Law of the Gospel what faith is what iustification or repentance They are ignorant how to worship God though they be often taught they remaine euer the same men euer ignorant euer learning but neuer coming to the knowledge of the truth Two chiefe causes there are of this the one in the mind the other in the will In the minde impotency of vnderstanding they are dul to conceiue the things of the Spirit The wisedome of God is foolishnesse to them as mans wisedome is foolishnesse to God 1 Cor. 2. The other is in the will they sauour the things of the flesh wholly they finde no sweetnesse in the word their hearts are put out of taste by worldly things These as they that are euill and blinde by nature so are they become worse by nurture and education they are nuzled in ignorance all their youth for the most part a l their life parents be generally ignorant themselues and no care is in them to haue them instructed Salomon saith Teach a childe or traine vp a childe in the way that hee should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prou. 22 6. He will both sooner apprehend it and better keepe that which is taught him If this time be passed ouer it is harder to learn afterward the eies being blinded and filled with the dust of earthly things can discerne nothing and when such come to age they vtterly despise the things that belong to a better life It is with vs as it was with the Land of Egypt it was ouerspread with darknesse onely a small part where the children of Israel were being excepted so hath ignorance ouerspread the greatest part of our land For look vpon very many places they lie waste as a wildernesse for want of builders the haruest is great but there is great want of Labourers to gather together the corne Mat. 9 37. They haue blinde guides set ouer them that can do nothing to the sheepe but fleece them they can say nothing to them but Bring ye or pay ye If we cast our eies vpon such places as haue able Teachers ouer them hauing gifts sufficient to instruct them yet many of them are idle without care and conscience of their duties is it then to be wondered at that the land is full of ignorance and empty of knowledge Againe in such places where are able Ministers and willing to take any paines amongst the people according to the measure of grace affoorded vnto them yet euen there you shall finde little or no knowledge at all and where they haue bread enough they starue themselues and perish for hunger and where they may haue plenty they liue in penury and misery and want of all things They haue meate and drinke offered vnto them but they will not reach out their hand to take the same like to the sluggard that hideth his hand in his bosome and will not so much as bring it to his mouth againe Prou. 19 24. Many there are that doe manifestly and openly oppose themselues against knowledge and set themselues against seeking after it so farre as they can or dare This plainly sheweth that indeed they neuer had any true knowledge at all and others albeit they doe not directly oppose themselues against knowledge yet in the meane season which is all one they haue no loue of it neither any holy desire to come to knowledge If we consider farther how empty our churches and seats are it will appeare that our ignoraÌ„ce must needs bee very great For how should such carelesse rechlesse persons haue knowledge I am perswaded if these were well and throughly examined they would be found beyond all measure blinde and sottish olde and ignorant worse then infants and little children Knowledge of God is not naturall it is not borne and bred in vs and with vs neither is it to be gotten in our daies by extraordinary meanes seeing therefore they vse not the ordinary it followeth that they are destitute of knowledge causes of â—ance Another reason why men are so drowned in the sea of ignorance is because though they heare much yet they digest little or nothing at all like to him that seeth meate before him but tasteth none of it In the body he that eateth much and digesteth nothing cannot haue his health nor prosper so is it in the soule it may be these will heare two or three times in a quarter but they neuer make conscience to meditate on that which they haue heard but let that slippe which they haue learned and so indeede are neuer bettered by that which they heare Another reason why so much ignorance is among men is because they want exercising of themselues in the Scriptures they apply themselues to no constant reading of them or reasoning and conferring about them and therefore it is not possible for them to haue any sound and well-grounded knowledge in them at all The Ministers may wast theÌ„selues like lights in the Tabernacle yet these people will neuer attaine to any knowledge Vaine allegations of ignorant people Some alledge that their callings are such as they giue them no leisure to attend the Scriptures or to spend any time in reading But it seemeth strange to mee that men should finde a time for all other businesse vnder the Sun and yet not finde any time to further their own saluation How monstrous a thing is it that they haue time enough and enough for the bodie but can finde none at all for their soules They can finde time and leisure to prouide wealth for themselues and their children and yet carry poore starueling soules to the graue suffering them from
confirme our word by testimony from himselfe in his mercies toward them that beleeue in his iudgments vpon the wicked that resist and in preseruing vs because wee haue beene faithful in doing the message for which we are sent Ezek. 33.32.33 Matth. 10.19 20 22 26 28 29 30. It is also a comfort to all such as doe heare aright such as bring foorth the fruit of the Gospel doe not onely receiue the Gospel but they receiue God himselfe 12 And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab which said We will not come vp 13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs vp out of a land that floweth with milke and hony to kill vs in the wildernesse except thou make thy selfe altogether a Prince ouer vs 14 Moreouer thou hast not brought vs into a land c. Moses hauing spoken to Korah the principall conspiratour that first began to roule this stone and nothing at al preuailed against him doth not giue ouer Ier. 5.4 5. but tryeth if any of the rest had any more sparke of grace or feare of God in them But the farther he proceedeth the lesse hope he findeth For Dathan and Abiram refuse to come vnto him Before this they assembled themselues tumultuously before they were called but now being lawfully called they will not assemble Nay they open their mouthes to accuse him of cruelty and treachery both of them heinous crimes but both of them falsely ascribed vnto him Of cruelty as if he purposed to kill them in the wildernesse of treachery as if hee had brought them from a land flowing with milke and hony but had brought them to possesse no land Thus they preferre Egypt before Canaan the place from which they were gone before the place to which they were going And yet this is not the depth of their impiety 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 doe mocke 〈◊〉 and him for I take this answer of theirs to bee a very mocke and scoffe cast out partly against Moses and partly against God which will appeare if we compare the words of Moses to Korah with this answer For Moses had said Seemeth it but a small thing to you to seeke the Priesthood also they borrow his own words and cast them in his owne face Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs into the wildernesse to kill vs As if they had said Thou tellest vs that it is a great mattter to vsurpe the Priesthood but why dost thou not consider that it is also a farre greater matter to kill so great a multitude And whereas God so often promised to giue to Israel a land flowing with milke and hony they turne it into a iest and tell Moses that Egypt was that fruitfull land as for other land they could see none for their feet to rest vpon â—â—â—trine â—iâ—ate â—ers reuile â—aile at 〈◊〉 that reâ—e them We learne hereby that they which are hardned in sinne and resolued not to giue ouer doe not onely stoppe their eares against all reproofe which notwithstanding is a great sinne but reuile raile vpon and despise such as tell them the trueth and lay before them their faults though they be the Ministers of God that doe it This wee saw before verse 3. in Korah and his company They gathered themselues against Moses and against Aaron and said vnto them Ye take too much vppon you 1 King 18.17 and 21.20 and 22.8 Ierem. 15.10 and 18.18 and 44.16 17. Actes 17.18 Reason 1 The reasons first because as no bitter things are pleasant to the sicke man who would euer haue his humour serued so no reproofes are pleasant to the sinner 1 King 22.7 Euery sinner is as a sicke man and euery reproofe is as a bitter ingredient nothing pleasing to the taste A wicked man desireth to heare nothing but pleasing things to giue a reproofe vnto him is no better welcome vnto him then if you gaue him gall and vineger to drinke Reason 2 Secondly they are fallen into a sweet sleep of sinne and cannot abide to be awaked or any way disturbed and disquieted They loue to goe to hell with ease they would not bee troubled in their iourney But the reproofes of the Minister doe crosse them and therefore they speake all manner of euill against him Vse 1 This sheweth the miserable condition of such as iustifie themselues in their sinnes who being conuicted of a great height of iniquity and impiety doe cast the Ministers reproofe as dung into his face and defend whatsoeuer themselues haue committed A sicke man that is so farre from taking the potion giuen him by the counsell of a learned Physitian that in stead of taking it he doth cast it in the Physitians face may well be thought to be in a desperate condition and must needs perish so it is with men spiritually sicke with sinne euen heart-sicke who are so farre from receiuing a rebuke at the hand of the Minister that they will be impatient toward him and returne rebuke for rebuke vnto his face nay storme and raile at him with opprobrious and contumelious termes it argueth they are forlorne men and in a pitifull and desperate estate It were infinite to speake of all sorts that are possessed with a spirit of contradiction to gainesay the trueth Some find fault because we reprooue such sinnes as are not found in the place where we preach others because by reprouing sinners we would seeme to make the world beleeue that they are more sinfull then other people and thereby make them odious to others Others accuse vs that we reprooue sin out of hatred and malice not out of loue malice to their person not hatred of the sinne But the Minister is to reprooue any sinne that is in the land besides how know they it is not in that place And if it be not we know not how soone it may be We must learne to detest all sinne but how shall wee detest that which we know not and if wee doe know it no man knoweth it so well but hee may know it better and no man detesteth it so much but he may learne to detest it more The assaults of Satan and tentations to sinne come suddenly if we be not forewarned we may be surprised suddenly Againe the reproouing of sin in one place is not the clearing of another or in one person is not the iustifying of another Lastly to accuse the Ministers of reproouing through malice proceedeth in themselues from want of charity 1 King 22.8 Ahab accused Micaiah of hatred because he neuer prophesied good vnto him but euill but indeed the hatred was in himselfe as also he charged Eliah to be the man that troubled Israel whereas indeed it was he and his fathers house 1 Kin. 18.17 18. we are thought to be their enemies for no other cause but because we tell them the trueth Gal. 4.16 Vse 2 Secondly beholde from hence the cause why the Minister of the Gospell is so ordinarily hated of the
should bee also in all Ministers of the Gospel though the power of man rise vp against them they must depend vpon him that is highest in power This christian courage appeareth to haue beene in the Apostles Acts 4.2.29 when they were persecuted imprisoned for preaching in Iesus Name the resurrection from the dead considering the multitude of enemies the assembling of the Rulers the corruption of Pilate the malice of Herod the cruelty of the Pharisies the rage of the Gentiles the tumult of the people they praied saying Now O Lord behold their threatnings and grant vnto thy seruants with all boldnesse to speake thy word And this generally should bee practised of all the godly that haue in mercy receiued to beleeue they must go forward in their holy faith and obedience and arme themselues against the tentation and feare of restraining their liberty of losing their goods of laying downe their life and when men persecute vs for imbracing the faith and professing of godlines we must remember Gods care ouer his seruants and his speciall prouidence ouer them that feare him with the most blessed end that shall certainly follow 2 cor 4 17 18 to wit the kingdome of heauen and an exceeding waight of glory Lastly seeing the godly must lay downe all Vse 3 feare which the wicked seeke to cast vppon them for righteousnesse sake let vs labor truly to feare God For if we may not stand in feare of men let vs know whom we ought to feare and reuerence euen the Maiesty of God fearing to offend him as a good childe feareth his Parents as the Prophet teacheth A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his master If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes Mal. 1 3. This feare is the beginning of wisedome as the wise man sheweth Prou. 1 7 for this feare the holy man Iob is exceedingly commended in the Scriptures this feare should be stronger in vs to keep vs from sinne in respect of God then in respect of meÌ„ This is the vse directly made by the Prophet Esay chap. 8 11 12. Say yee not a confederacy to all them to whom this people saith a confederacy neither feare ye their feare nor be afraid of them Sanctifie the Lord of hostes and let him bee your feare and let him be your dread Where we see that hauing remoued from them the false feare of men he planteth in them the true feare of God hauing shewed where it should not be he teacheth where it should be hauing declared what feare is euill he toucheth the remedy The ready way to take from vs the feare of men dangers that may fall vpon vs from men is the feare of God For whosoeuer feareth God aright How the feâ—â— of God â—â—ueth away thâ—â— feaâ—e of mâ—â— he will not prouoke him to wrath for feare or loue of any creature knowing that God is stronger and mightier then al and assuring himselfe that if God be offended no creature is able to secure him and safegard him from danger of iudgement Againe whosoeuer hath God his friend shall not need to feare man to be his enemy If then we seeke to feare God with all our heart aboue all things we shall be free from the immoderate and excessiue feare of the mightiest enemies But if we doe not feare to offend him we shall bee constraind alwayes to tremble at the least occasion and to feare the wicked the diuels death hell and damnation Euery storme of troubles shall be able to ouerturne vs. Let not our hearts therefore be troubled let vs rest in God and beleeue in him Let no danger driue vs to deny hâ—m Mat. 10.33 lest we be denyed of him in his kingdome And let vs consider the heauy punishment determined and reserued for all distrustfull and fearefull men which shall feare man more then God and so make ship-wrack of faith and a good conscience they shall be punished with vnbeleeuers with the abhominable with murtherers and whoremongers Reuel 21 8. with idolaters and lyars in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone CHAP. XXII 1 AFter the children of Israel departed and pitched in the plaine of Moab on the other side of Iordan from Ierico 2 Now Balak the sonne of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites 3 And the Moabites were sore afraid of the people because they were many Moab fretted against the children of Israel 4 Therefore Moab said vnto the Elders of Midian Now shall this multitude licke vp all that are round about vs as an Oxe licketh vp the grasse of the field and Balak the son of Zippor was King c. 5 He sent messengers therefore vnto Balaam the sonne of Beor to Pithor which is bâ— the Riuer of the Land of the children of his folke to call him saying Behold there is a people come out of Egipt which couer the face of the earth and lie ouer against me 6 Come now therefore I pray thee and curse this people for they are stronger then I so it may be that I shall be able to smite them to driue them out of the Land for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed and he whom thou cursest shall be cursed 7 And the Elders of Moab and the Elders of Midian departed hauing the reward of the soothsaying in their hand and they came vnto Balaam and told him the words of Balak 8 Who answered them Tarry here this night and I will giue you an answer as the Lord shall say vnto me so the Princes of Moab abode with Balaam 9 Then God came vnto Balaam and saide What men are these with thee 10 And Balaam saide vnto God Balak the sonne of Zippor King of Moab hath sent vnto mee saying 11 Behold there is a people come out of Egipt and couereth the face of the Earth come now curse them for my sake so it may be that I shall be able to ouercome them in battaile and to driue them out 12 And God said vnto Balaam Goe not thou with theÌ„ neither curse the people for they are blessed 13 And Balaam arose vp in the morning and said vnto the Princes of Balak Returne vnto your Land for the Lord hath refused to giue me leaue to goe with you 14 So the Princes of Moab rose vp and went vnto Balak and said Balaam hath refused to come HItherto we haue seene the prosperous and happy successe which the Israelites had against three mighty enemies and the threefold triumph ouer them But here ariseth a new enemy with a new deuice or rather a knotte and band of many enemies to stoppe their passage to lessen their multitude and to weaken their strength Moses therefore first declareth what lets and impediments they had as blockes lying in their way and what stopping of their quiet and peaceable proceeding Thus they meet with many stayes and encounter
Lyra. in Numb cap. 24. Ferus annot in Numb cap. 24. which they vnderstand that Christ shall conuert all Nations and all mankinde to the Catholick faith for Sheth was the son of Adam out of whose loynes the whol world sprang which is a wrested and far-fet interpretation Others passe by it as if they saw it not Anal. Typ in libros histor or as if it were a stranger to them and they to it and therfore will claime no acquaintance of it wherein wee may better praise their wisedome then their knowledge as those which had rather not shoot theyr arrow then misse the marke and stand stil rather then go out of the way Others make these words all one with the former vnderstand them of the subuersion of the Princes of Moab Cal har in lib. Mosis which is without all sap or sence and besides they should set that downe obscurely darkly which before had bene expressed euidently and plainely Or suppose that some Princes among them might bee called by this name which is to wander without a guide to saile without a compasse and to coniecture without ground or warrant Others among which some of the Iewes also are take it to be some towne of the Moabites D Chytr enar rat in Numer which is here specially threatned These interpretations to which we might ioyne sundry others being meere imaginations without reason or fond collections without truth or new conceites without credit are not to be receyued of vs or approued by vs. So then all things beeing duly considered Analy Iun. in Num. we are rather to follow them that vnderstand the words appellatiuely then properly both because such as take them properly Pelarg cöment in lib. Num cap 24. runne into an vnproper and impertinent interpretation and also because the word is so taken in other places of holy Scripture as Esay 24 4. 2 Sam. 10 4 in which places the word Sheth both without any affixe Pagni thesaur ling sanct with his affixe ioyned to it signifyeth the hinder parts Sedes fundamentum nates which the Physitians by an honest and cleane terme do call the fundament and that place which we sit vpon Wherefore by this borrowed and vnproper speech wee may gather not vnproperly that Balaam vnderstood those people that were behinde him or situate at his hinder parts hauing relation to the situation of his body as then it was placed For when he vttered this prophesie hee looked toward the West where hee behelde the Israelites pitching theyr tents beside Iordan and Iericho as we saw before Num. 22 1 so that turning his face towards the Israelites the people of the East must of necessity be behinde him the East and West being two contrary positions of the heauens so that hee which turneth to the one turneth from the other and if the one be before him the other must needs be behinde him So then as hee stood at that time hee might haue called the Israelites the children of his face or fore-parts being then before him as he stoode as hee doth the Ammonites Midianites and other Easterlings the sonnes of his back-parts being then situate behinde him whom afterwards the Israelites subdued Thus much touching the meaning of this hard place in this prophesie touching the accomplishment of this prophesie it was fulfilled doubly first temporally then spiritually first properly then typically Temporally it was begun in Dauid 2 Sam 8 â— who ouercame the Moabites and put them to tribute and figuratiuely finished in Christ who is the true day-starre arising in our hearts and the King of Kings whose Scepter is a Scepter of righteousnes of whose kingdome shall bee none end whose dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the Riuer vnto the end of the Land Psal 72 8. 60 10. Hitherto of the fourth prophesie The next prophesie following is against the Amalekites which is the fift in number The 5 proâ—sie of Balâ—â— but the second that concerneth the Gentiles For his eyes being cast towardes them and their countrey he pronounceth two things of theÌ„ the one past and the other to come and yet one the fore-runner and procurer of the otheâ— They beganne to fall already by the sword of the Israelites as Moses hath declared Exod. 17 19. This word heere vttered shall pursue them and persecute them vnto the death vntill they be vtterly consumed God hath determined by an vnchangeable decree to haue warre with Amalek for euer and vtterly to put out his remembrance from vnder heauen The Amalekites descended of the race of Amalek the Nephew of Esau as it is testified in Gen. 36 12. They were the beginning of the nations that first vexed and assaulted the people of God after they were brought out of the Land of Egypt they were the first enemies that came out against them to stop their way and passage toward the land of Canaan therefore they are commanded to haue warre with them and to destroy them with the edge of the sword according to the word of the Lord Deut. 25 17 18 19. The Amalekites at this time thought nothing lesse then of theyr destruction to come yet the sentence of death is pronounced against them foure hundred yeere before and they cannot escape the danger thereof This was accomplished partly in Saul 1 Sam. 15 7 who put many of them to the mercy of the sword partly and especially in Christ whâ—se glorious kingdom is the vtter ouerthrow and ruine of al the Reprobate Thus much of the fift prophesie against the Amalekites whose Kingdome then flourished The sixt prophesie of Balaam is against the Kenites their next neighbors The 6 proâ—â—sy of Balâ—â— bordering vpon the Amalekites of whom Iethro the father in law of Moses came as appeareth in Iudg. 1 16. 1 Sam. 15 16 which were part of the Midianites by whom we may vnderstand the Midianites themselues one member being put for the whole one principall family being taken for the whole nation These are here described not only by their present estate but also by their future condition Their presente state was peaceable and prosperous and seemed to promise a continuance of their glorie and is therefore compared to a sure nest builded in a strong rocke as in a place of safety defence Touching their future condition he sheweth that notwithstanding their secure dwelling quiet habitation and that they were without feare of danger to bee hurt of the people of God who neuer disturbed their peace nor offered them wrong yet in processe of time destruction likewise should come vpon them when once the fire of warre should bee kindled and breake in amongst them to wit in part 〈◊〉 7 22. when Gideon with three hundred men put to flight a great hoast of them but most especially when the Assyrians and Babylonians carried them captiue out of theyr owne country For when the Assyrians came vp with an army to waste
the duty the profite more then the labour Some are cruell and sauage wolues not sparing to deuoure the flocke by open violence Some are cunning and crafty Foxes vndermining the faith of the faithfull Many vnstable people that are euer learning and neuer attaining to the knowledge of the truth are greatly offended because of the vanity and variety that is in mens opinions and heereupon they cry out they know not what way to take they know not what doctrine to receiue they do not know in such diuersities what to beleeue This scandall is hereby remoued and this obiection answered For seeing we learne that the end of wolues and seducers is to be occupied about Gods people to ruine them it followeth that the Church of Christ vpon earth shall alwayes haue some of these wolues and false Teachers carrying a shew of lawfull Pastors but indeed are rauening wolues Wolues shall alwayes be in the Church of one sort or other such as teach false doctrine or persecute Gods seruants or louing the hyre more then the sweate or heate of the day and the wages better then the worke and the gaines rather then the paines and labour Christ our Sauiour whē the Pharisies had spoken against him Iohn 7 47. and 8 13. and 9 16 24 and sought both by perswasion and excommunication to leade away the people to make the faithfull wise against their practises declareth his office and person in a Parable Iohn 10 14 30. wherein he compareth Gods chosen to sheepe and himselfe to a Shepheard by this occasion he aduertiseth them of three sorts of Teachers which meddle with the flocke of God the first is a Shepheard the second an hyreling the third a theefe and a robber Christ also testifieth that there shall bee false Christs and false Prophets in the Church that shall deceiue if it were possible the elect of God Math. 24 24. So then we are not to wonder at it as at a strange thing when we see diuersity of iudgements and contrariety of opinions nor by by to say A notable subtilty of the diuell to seduce men Alasse what shall we doe that are simple There are great Doctors of one side and as great Doctors of the other side I will neuer be setled in religion till all be agreed This is a notable illusion of the diuell and a subtle delusion whereby vnder a great shew of wisedom he draweth many to destruction For these men thinke they speake discreetly and wisely and yet they speak most ignorantly and foolishly For wilt thou not resolue of thy religion vntill there be a generall agreement and a full accord of all parts Then thou wilt neuer be setled nor resolued thou wilt neuer bee of any religion inasmuch as thou shalt neuer see that perfect concord which thou supposest surmisest Where the good husbandmā soweth his good seed the enuious will sowe his darnell Math. 13 25. Hence it commeth to passe that in the Church there haue alwayes beene Teachers against Teachers Prophets against Prophets Apostles against Apostles Preachers against Preachers For as God raysed vp his Prophets so hath the diuell his false Prophets as Christ chose his Apostles so the diuell called his false Apostles as God hath his Church so the diuell hath his chappell and as God hath two or three gathered together in his Name the diuell will haue twenty gathered together in his name When God sent Moses and Aaron to worke myracles in the sight of Pharaoh to warrant his calling and to bring his people out of the Land of Egypt the diuell had his two ministers Iannes and Iambres that withstood Moses and Aaron deluding the Egyptians and hardening Pharaoh in his euill When Ieremy had in the Name of God denounced captiuity to be brought vpon the people and determined the time to be seuenty years the diuell prouoked Hananiah a false Prophet to speake in the presence of all the people that within two yeares the vesselles of the Lords house shall be restored the yoke of Nebucadnezzar broken such as were carried away be deliuered out of captiuity Ierem. 28 3 11. When Micaiah prophesied the ouerthrow of Ahab and the scattering of Israel vpon the Mountaines as sheep that had no Shepheard 2 Kings 22 17 22 the diuell bestirred himselfe went out as a false spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets Heere we see Prophets teaching against Prophets and the seruants of God set against the seruants of the diuell This is it which the Apostle Peter witnesseth 2. Pet. 2 1 2. There were false Prophets also among the people euen as there shall bee false Teachers among you which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them c. True it is it is a great tentation when wee behold such difference and opposition Moses and Aaron saw the enchanters counterfet the signes and myracles which they wrought by the finger of God yet did they not distrust their calling nor cry out against God A man would thinke Moses and the Magitians to be of equall power and authority and one to bee esteemed as much as the other Thus the vngodly shall alwayes finde something to delude them and to hold them in blindnes Such as will not beleeue the truth shall be fed with dreames and be deceiued with lyes 2 Thes 2 10. Notwithstanding as the rod of Moses deuoured the charmers rod so the truth shall ouercome errors and the light of the Sunne shall abolish the darknesse of the night This the Apostle Paul alledgeth to comfort Timothy and in his person encourageth all the seruants of GOD and Ministers of his word shewing That he will prouide that his truth shall not alwayes be oppressed though it be suppressed for a season yet in the end it shall preuaile 2 Tim. 3 3 8. God will make it to be receiued and entertained when Satan and his instruments shall be confounded Albeit Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses and resisted the truth yet their madnes was made manifest to all Thus then we haue two manner of comforts when we see the truth not receiued Two cōforts when we see the truth of God gainsaid but resisted not beleeued but contradicted First because the Lord vseth vs no otherwise then he hath vsed his Church at all times and in all ages Moses and the Prophets had continuall warre made against them CHRIST and his Apostles were gaine-sayed and withstood therefore let vs take it patiently at this day if we suffer and sustaine the like measure at the hands of wicked and vngodly men For we must not looke that our condition should bee better then of Moses and the Prophets or what reason haue we to expect a priuiledge or prerogatiue aboue them Secondly the end shall alwayes be good the yssue blessed though it greeue vs to fight and the truth sometimes seeme to be in danger yea to be vtterly abolished let vs waite Gods leysure and consider that howsoeuer
the Apostle Iohn noteth in the Nicolaitanes Reuel 2 14 20 who maintained the doctrine of Balaam counselling Balak to lay a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel perswading to eate of the things sacrificed to Idols and alluring vnto fornication This he reprooueth in the false Prophetesse whom for her leud qualities he calleth Iezabel who deceiued the seruants of God to make them commit fornication and to eate meates that were sacrificed vnto idols Thus it fareth with the Nations that know not God they are ignorant of the duties which are due vnto men The Turkes that haue seated their Empire in the East and made a mixture of all Religions to the end they might draw some of all sorts vnto themselues doe professe and practise most abhominable vices euen by the doctrine of their Alcoran 〈◊〉 chap. 41. ◠3. where that false Prophet Mahomet alloweth a man to haue foure wiues and to keepe fifteene Concubines he forbiddeth any to be accused of adultery vnder foure witnesses and accounteth those most holy men which accōpany with beasts The Church of Rome defiling the worship of God by detestable idolatry as grosse as the Heathen committed and in some part exceeding all the idolatry of the Heathen in that they worship a breaden god maintaine filthinesse and vncleannesse sundry waies First in the tolleration of the Stewes flat against the Commandement of God Deut. 23 17. There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shal ther be an whorekeeper among the sons of Israel This tolleration is a flat occasion to many young men and women that otherwise might abstaine from this kinde of wickednes And what monstrous impiety is this when father and sonne Brother and Brother Vncle and Nephew shall come to one and the same harlot one before or after the other Secondly they deny marriage as an vnholy thing to their holy Cleargy and thereby open a gappe to all kinde of pollutions contrary to the expresse word of God that a Byshop should be the husband of one wife and that marriage is left free and accounted honourable in all and the bed vndefiled 1 Tim. 3 2. Heb. 13 4. Thirdly not to stand further in ripping vppe these enormities in this place their Law alloweth the marriage of any persons beyond the fourth degree 〈…〉 whereby in some cases followeth incest Al these testimonies and examples being thus layde together doe teach vs that corruption of manners and lewdnesse of life doe alwayes accompany defects and defilings in the true Religion Let vs come to consider the causes to make it more plaine and euident vnto vs. First such Reason 1 is the iudgment and iustice of God punishing one sin with another giuing ouer such as make no conscience to know or acknowledge God into a reprobate sence and appointing them to be vessels of shame and dishonour This is the reason which the Apostle directly handleth Rom. 1 25 26. They turned the truth of God into a lie seruing the creature and forsaking the Creator which is blessed for euer Amen for this cause God gaue them vp vnto vile affections for euen their women did change the naturall vse into that which is against nature and likewise also the men left the naturall vse of the woman burned in their lust one toward another and man with man wrought filthinesse and receiued in themselues such recompence of their errour as was meete Where we see the Apostle charging the Gentiles with turning the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man and so regarded not to serue him declareth that God gaue thē vp to their hearts lustes and deliuered them vp into a reprobate minde so that they committed vncleannesse they defiled their owne bodies betweene themselues did those things which are not conuenient So the same Apostle in another place teacheth That God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies that all they might bee damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse 2 Th. 2 11 12. This dealing is righteous in God being a punishment for sinne howsoeuer it be wicked in the committers Secondly the first Table containeth the great and chiefe Commandements and the second is like vnto it Math. 22 38. So then all prophanenes is as a bitter and poysoned root infecting farre and neere and as a Tree that ouershadoweth all good hearbs that they cannot grow vp or prosper Our Sauior Christ making the summe of the first Table to consist in louing God with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde calleth this the first and the great Commandement as the fountaine and foundation of the other So the Apostle Iohn making the loue to God and to men necessarily to concurre and accompany one another saith If any man say I loue God and yet hate his brother he is a liar for how can he that loueth not his brother whom he hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene 1 Iohn chapter 4 verse 20. And hence it commeth to passe that where men haue not the feare of God and the knowledge of his Name they become abhominable in all their doings Thirdly the diuell ruleth worketh in such as make no care to know God but walke according to the course of this world in superstition in idolatry The Apostle sheweth this to be the cause why they had their conuersation in times past in the lusts of the flesh in the fulfilling of the will of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature the Children of wrath as well as others Because they were ruled by the Prince that ruleth in the aire the spirit that worketh in all the children of disobedience Ephes 2 2 3. Let vs now proceed to the Vses First we Vse 1 learne from hence that wee may iustly feare all iniurious vniust and vncleane dealing and looke for fraud and oppression where there is no true Religion established and professed When Abraham went down into Egypt with his wife and afterward soiourned in the land of Gerar among the Philistims where was no true knowledge of the true God hee thought thus with himselfe Surely the feare of God is not in this place they will slay me for my wiues sake and thereby was moued to deny the protection of his wife and to say shee was his Sister Gen. 12 12. 20 11. This is to be expected looked for from all such places and persons that haue in them no religion of Christ no godlines of life no feare of God we must prepare our selues to endure all hard wrongfull dealing at their hands Wee see this in the example of the Sodomites toward Lot Gen. 19 9. in the inhabitants of Gibeah toward the Leuite and his wife Iudg. 1◠22. For where the feare of God ruleth not there is no vertue no truth no mercy no honesty no sobriety no conscience They refraine not violence
our selues True it is he is mindfull of a few that serue him and ready to shew mercy to one of a City and two of a Tribe that feare his Name Though they be contemned derided of the vnthankfull world yet they are deare to him and they come vp in remembrance before him When all flesh had corrupted their waies he remembred Noah and his family saued eight persons when he destroyed all the rest Gen. 7 1. So he deliuered righteous Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 when hee ouerthrew the cities of the plaine and would haue spared Sodome if ten righteous persons had beene found in it Ge. 18 32. On the other side if multitudes trespasse against him and rush on in euil as the horse into the battell he will not spare them for their multitude sake It is a great encouragement vnto many to walk in the broad way Math. 7.13 because many there are that go in thereat they are much discouraged and terrified from entring into the strait gate narrow way because there be few that finde it they shal haue litle company to go with them but if wee would consider the end both of the one of the other it were sufficient to make vs wise vnto saluation It is a very notable remarkeable iudgment that is remembred vnto vs that fell vpō this multitude the exceeding goodnes kindnes of the Lord onely toward two persons of those sixe hundred thousand that were brought out of the land of Egypt forasmuch as albeit he saued them from the hands of Pharaoh yet afterward he destroyed them that beleeued not Iude 5. Who doth not desire rather like Caleb Ioshuah to be had in euerlasting remembrance Psa 112 6 to haue our names written in the booke of life then to perish with the multitude and to be cast into destruction Vse 2 Secondly it warneth and warranteth the Ministers of God to be bold to reproue sinne in all though they be neuer so great and gracious in the world though they be many yea a whole multitude yet if they be a sinful company they haue a commandement and commission giuen vnto them to reprooue them without respect of persons without care of the multitude and without feare of their faces This is a certaine rule a multitude may not stoppe our mouthes from reprouing sinne and it serueth as a shield and sure defence for the Ministers against those that vpbraid them for their faithfulnesse in their callings asking them what they need to trouble themselues and the people by reproouing these and these things doe you not see that all men practise them It is no matter who or what they are that offend whether they be many or few al or some he is not to be silent because of the multitude but is rather to open his mouth the wider and to lift vp his voyce the louder For if Gods hand will not be stayed when great cities are sinfull when the whole world corrupted their wayes but his iudgements will certainely come according to our sinnes the Minister ought not to be dumbe and tongue-tyed though a whole land be corrupt and sinfull In the dayes of Noah all flesh became obstinate and disobedient stiff-necked and abominable yet he is made a Preacher of righteousnesse to reproue the world of sinne 1 Pet. 3 20. If a Prince send forth his Herald to proclaime warre against a company of rebels shall the Herald because he findeth them to be a great multitude returne backe and not pronounce the sentence and yet thinke himselfe discharged No certainly hee may not do so but rather he should doe it the more speedily and earnestly and boldly because they are a multitude how then should the Minister hold his peace and haue his mouth stopped because generally the times are corrupt and the dayes are euill whereas he should consider that the moe doe sinne the more God is offended dishonored and prouoked In the time of a generall plague or infectious sicknesse will any well in his wits or in his right minde say to the Physician Take no care to cure or recouer any it is a vaine labour to goe about it for the plague is generall Is it not rather the honour of a Physician that will still stay and do his endeauor euen then when the disease is dispersed and scattered farre and neare And shall it bee thought the dishonour of the Minister of God when the plague of sin is spread as a leprosie ouer all that from the sole of the foote euen vnto the head there is no soundnesse but wounds and bruises putrifying sores if he shall then lift vp his voyce as a Trumpet and reproue sin with zeale and boldnesse No doubtles he ought to do it if he be faithfull and painefull in his place hee will do it yea though he see little hope when the euill is growne common and hath preuailed the hearts of the multitude through custome are hardened For if the blood of one soule that perisheth be a burden too heauy to be borne how then shall he bee able to beare the weight and the cry of the blood of many soules If the blood of Abel which was but the blood of the body and that but of one only Gen. 4 10. did notwithstanding cry for vengeance against him that shed it doubtlesse the blood of the soule much more of many soules redeemed by the precious blood of Christ shall cry vnto God and bring wrath vpon their heads that shed it as water vpon the earth Forasmuch as they must answer for them if they perish through their negligence and ydlenesse What though no repentance or reformation follow our reproofes yet we must not giue ouer but continue constant in our caling knowing that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord but our reward is layde vp with God in the life to come to remaine for euer Vse 3 Lastly it must teach and admonish vs to take heed that we doe not follow a multitude to do euil nor be caried with the time as with a streame to commit wickednes as if we must needs be safe and out of gun-shot because we follow the multitude and do as the most doe For it is neuer a whit the lesse sin neyther are lesse iudgements to be looked for In the gouernment of a priuate family if al the seruants and children should conspire together against the gouernor of the houshold shall their multitude ioyning in one euer a whit excuse or lessen their conspiracy No certainely rather it will make the master of the family to bee far more angry and displeased with them so is it in this point thogh they be many that rebell rise vp against God yet they shall therby nothing at all protect themselues from his wrath and displeasure Iude ver 4. There are many thousands in hell ordained of old to this condemnation yet none of them hath the lesse torment or the
for a meate offering c. 14 And their drinke offerings shall be halfe an Hin of wine vnto a Bullocke and the third part of an Hin vnto a Ramme and the fourth part of an Hin vnto a Lambe c. 15 And one Kid of the Goats for a sinne offering vnto the Lord shall bee prepared besides the continuall burnt offering and his drinke offering In these words we haue the monethly solemnity commanded to the Iewes to wit the Calends of the moneths called the New Moones or beginning of euery moneth The worship performed therein was two young Bullocks one Ram seuen Lambs of the first yeare three tenth deales of flower for euery Bullock and two tenth deales of flower for euery Ram for a meate offering c. it must also haue a drinke offering containing halfe an Hin of wine c. Here we haue mention made as also before of the Hin and of the Epha Touching the Epha Omer we haue spoken already chap. 5 15 16. What the Hin was Now we must speake somewhat of the Hin Some are of opinion that it cannot bee certainely knowne how much the Hebrew measures contayned as appeareth in Lyra and Caietan and so they leaue it vncertaine to determine Others to enwrap the Hin in greater obscurity make two kindes of measures of this one kinde the greater and the lesser but this is a bare coniecture without warrant Mention is made heereof before chap. 15 4 5 7 9. This we are to hold for a certaine truth that the Hin is of liquid things and it is commonly accounted to containe six pintes which we receiue as most probable least suspected because it agreeth with the computation of the Hebrewes who generally hold that it holdeth twelue of the measures called Log and the Log contayned sixe egges and there goeth to a pinte of our english measure as much as 14 eggeshels containe But of this see before chap. 15. Now to returne to the matter which is heere handled Of the feast of the New Moone we see that the Calends or beginnings of the moneths were consecrated hallowed vnto God as before chap. 10 10 and in many other places 1 Sam. chap. 20 5. 1 Chron. chapter 25 verse 31. 2 Chron. chap. 8 verse 13 and chapter 31 verse 5. Nehem. chapt 10 verse 33. Ezr. chap. 3 verse 5. Ezek. chapter 45 verse 17 and 46 verse 1. Amos 8 verse 5. This was the solemne feast of the Iewes Vse 1 let vs see what it belongeth vnto vs. First see heereby that God did set apart diuers times besides the Sabbath to his people that serue him to heare his word and to resort to the Prophets to bee taught and instructed in the wayes of godlinesse 2 Kings 4 25. Ezek. 36 1 at such times the people went to the Prophets when the Priests were oftentimes negligent in theyr places Christ our Sauiour complayneth in the Gospel that they were as sheepe without a Sheepheard Math. 9 verse 36 when there were store of Priests and Leuites in the Land howbeit they were dumbe dogges and opened not theyr mouthes to interpret the Law The Sabbath day is the cheefe time to seek after knowledge and euer was from the beginning neuerthelesse God appointed other times also to his people There are not many places in the land where the word is preached on other dayes thē the Sabbath I would there were more of them it is a good helpe to many other places where they want teaching if the people resort to them as they were wont to the Prophets they are to be commended encouraged If there were a dearth of Corne among vs how farre would we goe to fetch Corne rather then wee would starue I beleeue as far as the sonnes of Iacob who went out of the Land of Canaan into Egypt so ought it to be with vs in regard of the soule we should be ready to go from place to place yea from Land to Land rather thē pine away and perish for want of instruction Amos 8 12. But if many that liue among vs had liued in those dayes that cannot abide that preaching should be vpon any other day they wold haue enueyed against this as a great disorder and vpbraided the people that they gad after Sermons and leaue their businesse and begger themselues In the dayes of Christ the people followed him out of their houses and Cities and sought him out to bee taught of him yet he neuer reproued them or forbad them but fedde them both in soule and body Doth the Lord command vs so often to delight in the Law of the Lord to meditate therein day and night to seeke first of all the kingdome of God and ought a few miles to stop vs or hinder vs How far will men ride and runne and sayle for a little earthly substance It is accounted by worldly minded men that sauour nothing but of the earth no disorder at all to runne on heaps from towne to towne to drunken feasts may games dancings playes beare-baytings and other like fooleries and vanities they allow this running from place to place but if any go halfe so farre to seeke after the word and to edifie themselues in theyr most holy faith they cry out against it with open mouthes and thinke them worthy to bee punished Thus they would also haue done to Gods owne people the Iewes if they had seene them runne resort to the Prophets in the ruinous times of the Church with so great zeale and forwardnesse as they did Secondly we learne that all moneths and Vse 2 times are consecrated to vs through Christ so that worshipping God truely they shall turne to our good and benefit according to the saying of the Apostle Whether life or death or things present or things to come all are ours 1 Cor. 3 22 23. The heathen and they that are heathenishly minded are afraid of the influence of the starres and of the constellation of the heauens yea the Starre-gazers would beare vs in hand that some times are dismall and fatall to some purposes The Gentiles made it vnlucky to enterprize some busines in some of the moneths Hence it is that the Poet saith Ouid de fust l. 3. Hac quoque de causa fite Prouerbia tangunt Mense malum Maio nubere vulgus ait That is The Prouerbs teach and common people say It s ill to marry in the moneth of May. In like manner he teacheth before that some times are vnfit for the marriage of widowes or of maides forasmuch as such as marry in them are not long liued but haue died quickly Nec viduis tedis eadem nec virginis opta Tempora quae nupsit non diuturna fuit And one of the wisest Philosophers among the heathen enquiring into the causes Plut in his Roman quest 86. why the Romanes would not marry in the moneth of May alledgeth this as one because they offered oblations to the dead in this moneth and therfore was
neither heare nor see what God saith vnto vs. He calleth vnto vs daily and maketh the Gospel sound aloud in the middest of vs that wee might haue the inward remorse of a good conscience to repent vs of all our euill wayes yet we notvvithstanding this summoning of vs do remaine dull and deafe dumb and blinde Wherefore vve must not look till there be a solemne holyday to call vs vnto the Church there to keepe a feast of Trumpets but it must serue vs all the daies of our life as a spur to cause vs to returne to God 7 And ye shall haue on the tenth day of this seuenth moneth an holy conuocation and ye shall afflict your soules yee shall not doe any worke therein 8 But yee shall offer a burnt offering vnto the Lord for a sweete sauour one yong bullocke c. 9 And their meat offering shall be c. 10 A seuerall tenth deale for one Lambe c. 11 One kidde of the Goats for a sinne-offering c. The next feast is the feast of affliction or humiliation othervvise called the feast of fasting The Iewes themselues vvere so superstitious in the obseruation of this feast that as Munster testifieth they thought it not lavvfull for them to reade any thing that might make themselues mery or reioyce their harts Munst annâ—t as the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt Of the Feast of fasting and afflicting the soule their entrance into the land of Canaan or their deliuerance from the tiranny of Haman and such like but onely mournefull things that may serue to make them heauy and sorrowfull as the threatnings of the Prophets the Lamentations of Ieremy the destruction of Ierusalem and other Scriptures of like argument Theod. quaest â—2 in Leuit. Thom. 1.2 quaest 102. art 4. Lyra in 23. Leuit. This feast was not ordayned without cause Many surmise that it had his originall for the Lords forgiuing the Israelites their sinne of idolatry committed in making and worshipping the golden Calfe Exod. 32 Of this we reade more at large Leuit. 23 26 27 28. It was solemnized on the tenth day of the seuenth moneth to be a day of attonement an holye conuocation to afflict theyr soules and to offer an holy offering by fire to the Lord and whatsoeuer soule shall not be afflicted in that same day he shall be cut off from among his people This yearly feast of expiation is also described Leuit 16 29 and it is made an euerlasting statute to make an attonement for the children of Israel for all their sinnes once a yeare This was not ordained without cause forasmuch as we see how men do naturally couer theyr faults as much as they can So the Prophet Zachary testifieth that while the people were in captiuity and banishment in Babylon all that whole time they had kept their extraordinary fasts very strictly chap 7 5. Vse 1 But let vs proceede to the Vses Heereby the Iews and all men to the end of the world are put in minde that wee must seriously bethinke vs of our sinnes both of the greatnesse and number of them which we commit and humble our selues for them It was the wil of God to establish amongst his owne people a yeare-minde of them by teaching them to humble themselues by fasting and acknowledging their sinnes and making a solemne confession of them and crauing pardon and forgiuenesse of them We cannot think of our sinnes aright without griefe of heart neyther ought wee to bee greeued for this greefe 2. Cor. 7 8. This sorrow is of God and for our good and therefore called godly sorrow and is not to be shunned or shaken off by vs. It pleaseth God greatly and maketh glad the Angels in heauen Luke 15 verse 17 and bringeth vs vnto infinite ioy and peace of conscience in the latter end Such then as can bee glad and reioyce at it exceedingly when they haue offended God and wounded their own soules their sinne is deepe their heart is hard and their condemnation shall be double in hell of whom Christ saith Luke 6 25. Woee be to you that laugh for ye shall weepe and waile So then their publike and solemne fasting was a protesting of themselues to bee guiltie in Gods fight of horrible offences and they were put in minde when they were come home to their houses to consider that it is not enough for them to hang downe their heads like a bull-rush for a day and to craue forgiuenesse for we prouoke God euery day and as it were enter into a new band with death True it is we are washed but we defile our selues again God hath pardoned vs yet we returne to our sinne as to our vomit againe and wee make no end of sinning So long as we liue in this world wee haue some corruptions lurking in vs and it is vnpossible for vs altogether to abstaine from euill Thus were the Iewes taught to looke vpon themselues and into theÌ„selues and vpon their sinnes by this feast which haply otherwise they would neuer haue thought vpon and thus it serueth for our instruction also Secondly we see heereby what superstition Vse 2 remaynerh amongst the Romanists who haue turned this feast of Affliction and humiliation into their Lenton-fast Of the Lenton Fast then they hang downe their heads and acknowledge theyr sinnes and punish themselues with fasting pretend for it the example of the Iewes and the practise of Christ Thus they make vs no better for the comming of our Lord Iesus in the flesh Galath chap. 5 verse 4. and 4 verse 2 who hath shewed himselfe vnto the world They pretend themselues to bee Christians but make themselues Iewes Neyther is it any whit better to maintaine their Fast of fortie dayes by an apish imitation of Christ Iesus For if they will be like vnto him let them abstaine from all manner of meate and drinke let them during those dayes eate nothing at all and then let them boast that they haue fasted and fashioned themselues like vnto him But their manner is to feede themselues vnto the full at dinner that they are like to surfet and they cramme their bellies that they leaue no roome for any more Againe the Fast of Christ was not an abstinence from flesh onely and a taking liberty to eate fish to drinke wine and to feede vpon all kind of the most delicate dishes which is the Romish Fast hee did eate nothing at all in those dayes Moreouer hee did this but once in all his life and that to shew his diuine power and to magnifie the maiestie of the Gospel whereas these scorners will seeme to go beyond him by many degrees and not to resemble him And wherefore do they take vp the fashion of the Iewes to afflict themselues but to haue freer scope to despise despight God himselfe all the yeare after They make sowre faces and disfigure themselues play the notable hypocrites when Passion-sunday commeth
euery day is particularly remembred to the end of the Chapter And lest they should bring little vnto GOD and thinke to please him with a small pittance as many hold it well saued which can be saued from the worship of God he stinteth them what they shal bring and setteth downe the number of bullockes rammes and lambes which they should offer euery day This feast beganne vpon the fifteenth day The Iewes haue mingled this day with many superstitions The Lord set downe particularly vnto them what they should doe and left nothing to their owne choise howbeit they haue found out many inuentions and traditions would not content themselues with the simplicity of the Scripture But the right vse thereof is expressed in sundry places of the Law Leuit. 23 34. Deut. 16 13. Why it is called the feast of Tabernacles It is called the feast of Tabernacles because during the dayes of this feast they were to liue in tents or Tabernacles it being a memoriall of Gods preseruing of them in the wildernes where was no house for them in which to rest and inhabite This was a most holy feast to remember them when they had no dwellings and therefore Moses doth so largely dwell vpon the solemnities of it then they were especially enioyned to reade the Lew at this feast when all Israel was to appeare before the Lord Deut. 31 10 2. Chron. 8 13 Ezr. 3 4. Nehem. 8 14 15 Ioh. 7 2. This feast is now abrogated and belonged not to the Gentiles that were conuerted to the faith after the passion and ascension of Christ Coloss 2 17. Acts 15 10. Heb. 10.1 Notwithstanding wee must consider the inward signification of this ceremonie and see what vses remaine thereof to our selues And therefore the Prophet Zachary chapter 12 16 describing the calling of the Gentiles to the true God and their gathering into the true Church setteth it forth according to the manner of Gods seruice vsed in the Law that they should goe vp from yeare to yeare to worship the Lord of hostes and to keepe the feast of Tabernacles alluding to the ceremony of the Law as our Sauiour doth Matth. 5 23 24 meaning that they should worship GOD according to his commandements and not after their owne fansies First wee learne heereby that it is a duty Vse 1 belonging to all to remember the dayes of their troubles and afflictions from which GOD in great mercy hath deliuered vs. Hence it is that GOD doth put his people in remembrance so oftentimes of their deliuerance out of Egypt yea euen when they were setled in safety and planted in the land of Canaan they must call to minde that they were sometimes strangers in the land of Egypt Deuteron 4 20 and 6 12 20 21 22 and 10 19 and therefore GOD wrote this with his owne finger in the Law Exod. 20 2 that they should alwayes haue before them the iron fornace how he brought them forth to bee vnto him a people of inheritance We are ready to forget our former condition when GOD hath giuen vs rest and as the wise virgins themselues slumbred Math. 25 5 so wee are very proue to security when once hee hath remoued our sorrowes and sufferings from vs. So then the Lord GOD would haue his owne people yeare by yeare to depart out of their houses and dwell in tents that is vnder the open firmament in arbors made of boughes and branches I will not stand to recount the foolish and apish toyes Iewish superstitions in obseruing the feast of Tabernacles which the Iewes at this day take vpon them to obserue as that their Cabbines bee not too close but made full of holes they are careful diligent to prouide that the boughs be not too thickly plotted together they must haue loop-holes to see the stars whereas in the meane season they little consider whereunto God ment to direct them what lesson he meant to teach them so that wee might say vnto them as Paul somtimes did to the men of Athens I perceiue that in all things ye are too superstitious Acts 17 22. Thus doth the Euangelist taxe them for the holines that they put in their often washings Mar. 7 3 4. The Pharisies and the Iewes except they wash their hands oft eate not holding the tradition of the Elders and when they come from the market except they wash they eate not and many other things there be which they haue taken vpon them to obserue as the washing of cuppes and pots and brasen vessels and of tables In all which it may be truely saide of them that they lay the commandement of God apart and obserue the traditions of men But in this feast the purpose of God was that they should call to minde both where they were and where they had beene that albeit they were at rest and ease in the land of Canaan yet they had not alwayes beene so for GOD had carried them as it were vpon Eagles wings and led them in a strange and miraculous maner in the wildernesse for forty yeeres Thus ought wee to consider what wee haue beene in times past as well as what wee are at the present and thereby be prouoked to serue and glorifie him in time to come Thus doth the Lord deale with Saul 1 Sam. 15 17 When thou wast little in thine owne sight wast not thou made Head of the tribes of Israel c. Thus hee dealeth with Dauid 2. Sam. 12 7 8. Thus hee sendeth his Prophet to tell Ieroboam what hee was and to call him backe to the consideration of his first beginning 1 Kings 14 7 I exalted thee from among the people and made thee Prince of my people Israel and rent the kingdome away from the house of Dauid and gaue it thee and thou hast not beene as my seruant Dauid which kept my commandement and followed me with all his hart and did onely that which was right in mine eyes but hast done euill aboue all that were before thee for thou hast gone and made thee other gods and molten images to prouoke me and hast cast me behinde thy backe c. Wee ought also to consider what wee haue beene in regard of temporall deliuerances and in regard of spirituall deliuerances from the bondage of sinne Ephes 2.1 2 3 4 11 12 13 for their deliuerance from the slauery of Egypt did figure out our deliuerance by Christ from the bondage of sinne Satan and hell it selfe Vse 2 Secondly obserue from this feast that GOD euermore preserueth his Church euen when it is oppressed with greatest dangers and troubles nay then his power and mercy is made most manifest his power shineth brightest in our weakenesse and his mercy appeareth most of all in our misery The people of Israel had notable experience heereof in the wildernes when they remoued from place to place and had no leysure to builde neyther had they stuffe wherewith to build They were a wonderfull multitude of people by
of God his holy word is damnable that the open prophanation of the Lords day is damnable that the horrible pride whereof our whole nation is sicke is damnable that drunkennes that aboundeth ouer-spreadeth euery where is damnable if this be madnesse we confesse we are mad and God make vs yet more and more mad to lay open these abominations But indeed and in truth if we will iudge aright it is quite contrary for they are the maddemen and the Minister is sober Paul was charged to be madde but who was madde Paul or Festus The mad man laugheth and the Physician bewaileth him euen so it is betweene the Minister and the people they scoffe at him while hee mourneth for them for the hardnes of their harts knowing them to be beside themselues forasmuch as they will not refraine from those things which they reprooue Alas what doe these men heerein but like foolish patients who pull off the plasters which the Surgeon hath laide vpon their wounds and in the mean time lye rotting and festering in their corruptions If these men continue thus resolute obstinate in their euill wayes the time shall one day come O that it be not at hand O that it be not too late when they shall confesse that the Ministers of the Lord were sober and that themselues were the mad men when they shall feel themselues for their iniquities thrust down to the place of the damned and see the Ministers that reproued them among the Saints of God in great glory Vse 4 Lastly learne from hence the great desire that God hath of the good and saluation of his people who thus carefully sendeth his Ministers to call so earnestly and effectually for the conuersion and repentance of sinners The Lord doth not appoint them for a forme and fashion but to deale with power zeale if by all meanes they may saue some 1 Cor. 9. Esay 55 1 would the Lord make so much ado if he were not desirous that the sinner should repent him of his euill wayes that so he might blot all his wickednes out of his remembrance Ezek. 18. A man would be accounted very desirous to sell his wares and vtter his commodities who not onely hath a broker to vent them for him but maketh open proclamation at the crosse or in the market place that he hath such and such wares to be bought and yet all this while he respecteth his own priuate good and gaine onely But when a man will proclaime and say Ho come and buy without money or without money worth doubtlesse this argueth a mans great loue and desire of the good of his brother The Ministers they stand vpon their watch-tower and cry from the house toppes Ho euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate ye come buy wine and milke without money and without price Esay 55 1. He requireth no more but this to lay downe their vices and to take vp his graces The Physician sometimes giueth strong purgations but the end of them is the curing of the disease and the recouering of the diseased So is it with God when he armeth his Ministers with the two edged sword of his word giueth them courage and boldnesse to open their mouthes against all iniquity It is therefore a token of a desperate heart and a signe of one cast into a reprobate sense when the threatnings of Gods iudgements driue not to repentance Such as hate to be reformed there is more hope of a foole then of them Wherefore discourage yee the hearts of the childron of Israel from going ouer into the land which the Lord hath giuen them This is one reason of the reproofe and why he dealeth so sharply with them they did weaken the hands yea the hearts of their brethren whom they ought to haue strengthened and encouraged This teacheth vs Doctrine â—o man oght â—o discourage â—â—hers in weldoing that it is a grieuous sinne to giue offence to others or to do any thing whereby our brethren may be discouraged from walking in Gods wayes or encouraged to the breach of any of his Commandements Heereunto come sundry examples set downe in the Scriptures While the Israelites wandred in the wildernes and were going toward the land of Canaan they had many meanes offered to pull them backe as we haue seene before some of them would haue made them an Electo or Captaine and so returne backe againe into Egypt Chapt. 14 4 the spies that were sent to search the land discouraged the hearts of their brethren saying The people is greater and taller then we the cities are great and walled vp to heauen and moreouer we haue seene the sonnes of the Anakims there Deuter. 1 28. Numb 13 28. Thus it was with the people of GOD when they were returned from captiuity and began to build the altar and the Temple to the Lord God of Israel for the aduersaries of Iudah and Biniamin sought to weaken their hands and to trouble them in building Ezra 4 4. Neither was it any better afterward when Nehemiah came vp to build the wals of Ierusalem and to reuiue the stones out of the heapes of rubbish for Sanballat Tobiah and the rest of that ranke scoffe at them and say Euen that which they build if a foxe come vp he shall euen breake downe their stone wall Nehem. 4 3. The Lord likewise chargeth his people that if there did arise among them a Prophet or a dreamer of dreames that should go about to seduce them and draw them away to serue other gods they should not beleeue the signes nor hearken to the words of that Prophet but cleaue fast vnto God obeying his voyce and keeping his Commandements Deuter. 13 1.3.4 The grounds hereof First such as offend by giuing offence to Reason 1 others and withdraw them from their holy obedience to God are guilty of a grieuous sin yea are partakers of their sins whom they haue terrified and discouraged from obeying the Lord. For whomsoeuer we haue hindred from good things we are guilty of their sins and their blood shal be required at our hands The sinne of the Israelites committing fornication with the daughters of Moab was thâ— sin of Balaam also because through his counsell they committed that trespasse against the Lord Num 25 1 and 31 16 Secondly such are the seed of that wicked one the children of the diuell they are his instruments and set on worke by him that was a murtherer from the beginning Ioh. 8 44. Hee tempted our first parents in the garden discouraged them from hearkning to the voyce of GOD so are all those tempters that any way hinder the course of their brethren walking in the wayes of God and are stamped in the image of the first tempter and are made like vnto him And therefore when Peter disswaded Christ from the worke of mans redemption for when Christ began to shew to his
11 13 They died in faith and receiued not the promises but saw them afarre off and beleeued them and receiued them thankefully and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth Strangers be not inhabitants and trauailers bee not liegers and continuers in one place This should teach vs to vse this world as though wee vsed it not to buy as though wee possessed not considering that the fashion of this world goeth away and the glory of man fadeth as the flower Wee must cast off all lettes that may stay and hinder vs in our iourney like vnto trauellers who will carry nothing with them in the way but that which may helpe and further them to their iourneyes end If they finde by experience any thing to clogge them they wil cast it from them as the blinde man cast away his cloke Marke 10 50 that he might runne with speed to him that called him and rather lose their present profite then lacke the place of blessednesse to which wee are going For our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth vnto vs a farre more excellent and an eternall waight of glory while we looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Let vs therefore learne contentation of heart in euery estate of life which GOD will bring vpon vs. Let vs while wee conuerse vpon the earth haue our conuersation in Heauen and liue as citizens of that kingdome accounting our selues heere to bee from home esteeming this life a place of banishment and sighing to bee deliuered from the bondage of corruption and restored to the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Wee all desire to inherite Gods kingdome as Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous but we would not willingly bee soiourners heere Soiourning importeth a temporary abode not a setled life but a passing forward in hope of translatiō to a better estate we must all embrace and receiue this as a ruled case A citizen of heauen is a pilgrim on the earth that euery citizen of Heauen is a pilgrim on earth Genes 47 9. 1 Chronic. 29 15. 1 Peter 1 17 and 2 11 12. If then we desire to be citizens of Gods kingdome we must behaue our selues as pilgrims on the earth Wee are as it were exiles and banished men in a forreine land ought we not then to desire earnestly and heartily to come into our owne countrey and among our own people Whosoeuer hath a rich patrimony in his own country great wealth much honour noble friends and is forced for a season to soiourne in a strange land among strangers nay enemies where he is euilly intreated reproched reuiled disturbed and persecuted on euery side certainely he will set his heart and affections vpon nothing there but all his mInde is set vpon his countrey desiring aboue all things to returne and come againe thither Thus it ought to be with vs our countrey is in heauen where wee haue an euerlasting inheritance and an incorruptible treasure and are pilgrims vpon the earth where wee are hated and assaulted by Satan the world and the flesh and are dayly subiect to sundry troubles and infirmities What folly therefore is it to place our happinesse and felicity vpon the earth and to set our hearts vpon earthly things Vse 3 Thirdly the people of God during their abode in the wildernesse after they were called out of the bondage of Egypt did not go forward toward the land of Canaan with a constant and a setled course but made many stayes and delayes sometimes they marched forward with a couragious resolution vnder the banner of God and his seruant Moses and sometimes they retired backward by the way of the red sea toward Egypt and often wished themselues againe in Egypt When they remembred the fish which they did eate in Egypt freely the cucumbers and the melons and the leekes the onions and the garlicke Numb 14 25 and 11 5. These doe the Iewes delight in to this day which maketh them loathsome and vnsauory which dyet theyr fathers learned in Egypt So it is with vs being called with an holy calling to the knowledge of the Gospel True it is we doe heere runne for a prize this life is the race the runner in it is euery true Christian the Angels are the beholders eternall life is the Crown for which we striue the high Iudge of all is God the enemies that seeke to subuert and supplant vs are Satan the world and our corruptions against which wee are to wrastle with might and maine as for life and death yet we beginne slowly and set forward faintly and being entred into the way wee make many starting-holes that stay vs in our course that we do not proceed with such a good courage and setled resolution as becommeth vs. The truth hereof we may behold in all the faithfull throughout all ages of the Church who haue found hard beginnings in their first calling an vnwillingnes to yeeld a difficulty to resolue an vntowardnesse to enter a backwardnesse to proceede and a dulnesse to perseuere The Lord appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush and called him to speake to Pharaoh and to bring his people the children of Israel out of Egypt Exodus 3 2 and 4 1 but he maketh many exceptions and replyes to the call of God And to the end to pull his necke out of the yoke sometimes hee alledged theit infidelity that they will not beleeue that GOD appeared vnto him sometimes he obiecteth his owne infirmity that he was not eloquent but slow of speach slow of tongue and sometimes he breaketh out into open obstinacy denying to yeeld vnto the voyce of God saying Send by the hand of him whom thou shouldest send So Ieremy had many excuses and exceptions when the word of the Lord came vnto him that hee had sanctified and ordayned him to bee a Prophet vnto the Nations for he replyed by and by O Lord God behold I cannot speake for I am a childe Ier 1 3 The like we see in Ionah who fledde from the presence of God because of the charge enioyned to him to go to Nineue Ionah 1 3. Lot albeit a righteous man whose heart was grieued for the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites yet being called to depart out of Sodome did linger and loyter behinde in his departure his pleasures whispered him in one eare and his profits rounded him in the other so that he prolonged the time and the Angels caught him his wife and two daughters by the hand the Lord being merciful vnto him they brought him forth and set him without the city Gen. 19 16. The disciples that were called of Christ made sundry delayes one would first goe and bury his father and afterward hee would returne and attend vpon Christ Luke 9 39 another would first
Thou art the Lord my God When Christ saith If thou beleeue al things are possible to him that beleeueth Mark 9 23 the beleeuer answereth Lord I beleeue helpe mine vnbeleefe When God requireth to do his will the beleeuer saith to him againe Loe I come O my God I am content to do it yea thy law is within mine heart Hence we must all learne to abhor abiure the false faith of the false church of Rome which teacheth that to be true faith which generally beleeueth the word of God to be true This is the faith of the reprobates and thus the diuell and all damned spirits may be said to haue faith For euery article of the Creed teacheth vs to beleeue not onely generally that there is a God Iames 2 19 a Sauiour a Sanctifier a Church of God a Communion of Saints a forgiuenesse of sinnes a resurrection of the body to euerlasting life which the diuell and his angels knoweth confesseth and beleeueth but particularly that God the Father is our Father that Christ is our Sauiour that the holy Ghost is our Sanctifier that there is an holy Catholike Church and that we are true members of it that we haue our part and fellowship in the Communion of Saints that our sinnes are forgiuen vs and that we shall rise againe to glory and immortality Hence it is that we pray daily not onely for remission of sinnes to be giuen to the faithfull but for the forgiuenesse of our owne sinnes Hence it is that in coming to the Lords Table we receiue Christ as the bread of life and the food of our soules There can be no eating and drinking but by a particular taking and receiuing so can there bee no beleeuing in Christ without a speciall receiuing apprehending of Christ according to the saying of Christ Iohn 6 56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him No man is fed by the meate that another man eateth so no man is iustified by the faith whereby another man beleeueth but the iust man liueth by his owne faith Hab. 2 4. For he is the bread of life that came downe from heauen He that cometh to him Iohn 6 35 shall neuer hunger and he that beleeueth on him shall neuer thirst Let vs therefore labour for this speciall faith and affiance in the mercy of God and make particular application of the merits of Christ Let vs beleeue in him who is the true brazen serpent or rather the truth of the brazen serpent let vs make him to be our life who is of God made vnto vs to be wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1 30. 10 And the ChildreÌ„ of Israel departed thence and pitched in Oboth 11 And they departed from Oboth and pitched in the hilles of Abarim in the Wildernesse which is before Moab at the rising of the Sunne 12 They departed thence and pitched vpon the Riuer of Zared 13 Thence they departed and pitched on the other side of Arnon which is in the Wildernesse coming out of the Coast of the Amorites for Arnon is the border of Moab betweene the Moabites and the Amorites 14 Wherefore it is spoken in the booke of the battels of the Lord against Vaheb in the Land of Suph and against the Riuers of Arnon 15 And the streame of these Riuers which goeth downe to the dwelling of Ar lieth vpon the border of Moab 16 And from thence they remoued to Beer the same is that Well whereof the Lord said vnto Moses Assemble the people and I will giue them water 17 Then Israel sang this song Rise vp Well shout ye vnto it 18 O Well which the Princes digged the Nobles of the people digged it by the direction of the law-giuer with their staues And from the Wildernesse they went to Mattanah 19 And from Mattanah to Nahaliel and from Nahaliel to Bamoth 20 And from Bamoth to the Valley which is in the Land of the Moabites at the beginning of the Hilles and looketh toward the Wildernesse In this diuision is contained the third part of this Chapter describing the peregrinations and perambulations of the Israelites in what places they pitched their Tents till they came to the possession of the Amorites Touching these seuerall iournies some are barely and nakedly mentioned because no notable matter or extraordinary and memorable accident fell out therein other are passed ouer and not at all mentioned or remembred because the whole order of their trauelling in the Wildernesse is particularly recorded afterward Numbers chapter 33 how they remoued from place to place and after what manner But vpon some other of their remoouals Moses doeth somewhat more largely insist and as it were make a stay as in the setting downe of two points First rehearsing the boundes by which the Israelites passed into the Land of promise secondly describing the well which they digged for water Touching the first point they are said to haue pitched in Oboth then at the heapes of the hilles of Abarim situate right ouer against Moab then at the brooke Zared lastly at the borders of the Amorites neere to the Riuer Arnon Now because these were at the first the bounds and borders of the Moabites Moses sheweth how by conquest they were lost declaring both who lost them and likewise who wonne theÌ„ by the dint of the sword For he telleth vs by the Spirit of God that these places were once in the power possession and dominion of Vaheb who before managed the state and kingdome of the Moabites but Sihon thirsting with ambition to enlarge the boundes of his dominion set vpon Vaheb bad him battell and wonne these Coasts Countries from him Now to continue the memoriall remembrance heereof to posterity there was a publike register made hereof to posterity shewing that the name of those quarters was Suph â—â—t 1 1. and declaring that Vaheb had bene the lawfull possessour of theÌ„ as Sihon was now the wrongfull vsurper Neuerthelesse as all things else are ouerswaied by an higher power so this battell was fought and directed by the prouidence of God that the Moabites for their horrible idolatry might be punished that Sihon prouoking Israel to battell might be repressed and that thereby an inheritance for the people of God might be prepared and obtained This is the cause why God drew out the swords of these Infidels one against another that the Moabites lost a part of their dominion and the Amorites enlarged their borders Thus the Israelites took nothing from the Moabites neither possessed any part that was in their present possession as Iephtah prescribeth in the booke of Iudges chap. 11 26. For when the King of the Amonites challenged Israel for encroching vpon his ancient dominion deteining part of his Country from him to wit from Arnon vnto Iabbock and Iordan after their departure out of Egypt and required of them to make present restitution Iephtah conuinceth them and disproueth this allegation
as false and vnreasonable declaring as the truth was that Israel took not away that land which they claimed as their owne but wonne it from the Amorites by the law of warre and Verse 20 by right of conquest who denying them passage and moreouer making assault vpon them constrained them to draw out their swords to defend themselues by occasion whereof they obtained victory through the helpe of God and possessed their Cities And as they tooke them by force of armes so they held thē Verse 26 by prescription of time three hundred yeares So that he declareth that if any had right to those Cities or could lay any iust claime or title vnto them it should be the Moabites who were the lawfull owners of them before Sihon had encroched vpon them and taken them away from the first inhabitants But the Moabites hauing once lost them in battell neuer asked Verse 25 them of the Israelites neither laid any claime vnto them therefore much lesse should the Amonites to whom they appertained not by any iust title neither belonged any way vnto them either as owners by law or conquerers by sword and therefore they had no cause to dispute what right Israel had vnto that Land which now they possessed The second point heere amplified and enlarged is touching the well which by a diuine reuelation to them they had digged For when they departed from the Riuer Arnon they came into a dry place where they wanted water such as the wildernesse affoordeth many where the streames are swallowed vp in the hot sandes but at the speciall commandement of God they were directed what to doe as Peter was where he should cast his Net Luke chapter 5 verse 4 they digged and found water in great abundance and therefore they praise God by an effectuall song of thanksgiuing amplified by many rhetoricall figures as goodly flouers or as precious iewels to beautifie and garnish the same withall For first they eloquently by an Apostrophe turne their speech to the Well it selfe though a dumbe and senslesse creature and speake vnto it as if it had eares to heare and vnderstanding to conceiue Rise vp O Well confessing thereby the great power of God who contrary to the nature of all heauy and weighty things made the water to ascend whose property is to descend and exhorting with many acclamations and loud out-cries one another to the worke Secondly they set downe who were the labourers and workmen about the Well together with the tooles and instruments wherwith they laboured to wit the Princes and Nobles directed by Moses by whose ministery they receiued the Law and holpen with their staues and such like instruments wherewith they laboured fit for that purpose And this is the third myracle which God wrought in giuing them waters First in Rephidim immediately after they had passed ouer the red Sea Exod. 17. The second in the desert of Zin whē they came to Kadesh as we shewed before in the former chapter The third is that recorded in this place in the desert of the Moabites Afterward Moses reckoneth vp other places by which they passed as Mattaanah Nahaliel Bamoth and so that Valley which is in the plaine of the Moabites In this History of the passage of the Israelites from place to place a question Question ariseth what is meant by the booke of the warres of the LORD mentioned in the fourteenth verse For where is it now extant or what is become of it From hence also from such like places many conclude that sundry bookes of Canonicall Scripture are lost I answer Answer the word Sepher is taken diuersly and doubtfully it signifieth any publishing or rehearsing whether it be written or vnwritten whether it be set downe by the pen or vttered by liuely voice as also the word Tradition is taken for that which is deliuered eyther by word of mouth or by course of writing So then we cannot necessarily conclude It is rehearsed therefore it is written Nor thus It is written Therefore it is an holy booke and put into the Canon of the Scripture Let these three things be cleered and decided that it was a booke that it was an holy booke and lastly that it was a Canonicall booke and then wee shall easily be satisfied But Moses speaketh barely of rehearsing the warres not of writing them as if he should say Whensoeuer the warres ordered and disposed by the prouidence of God shall be spoken off this warre also and worke of his shall bee remembred which he hath wisely wrought and accomplished for his people against Vaheb King of the Moabites giuing part of his Country to Sihon that so his owne people might recouer the same out of his hands againe and reteine it as a possession for themselues as Iephtah telleth the Ammonites Iudg. 11 23 24 that they had held it by prescription of a long time peaceably without any molestation from the Moabites or desire of re-entry But if this had bene penned in a booke and reserued to posterity no doubt Ieptah would haue produced it as a sure witnesse to cleere the whole matter and to put it out of all doubt Wherefore this truth must be holden of vs that no part of the Canonicall Scripture No canonical Scripture is lost inspired of God is lost and perished I meane such as was committed as the Lords treasure to the Church for the perpetuall instruction thereof in faith and obedience so that no one oracle or sentence of God can fall away True it is 2 King 22 8. 1 Mac. 1 19. these sacred bookes may sometimes bee neglected and carelesly kept of men they may be furiously burned and despitefully handled by cruell tyrants that seeke the ouerthrow of all piety and religion but they can neuer be finally lost and wholly extinguished As he that keepeth Israel cannot slumber or sleepe so he that keepeth the holy Scripture the glory of Israel cannot slumber nor sleepe For first of all who is the author and enditer of thē but God and will not he preserue his truth and keepe it for the good of his Church in all ages Shal we make him vnable or vnwilling to defend and continue them If vnable we make him a weake and impotent God if vnwilling we make him enuious and malicious both which are farre from the pure and perfect nature of God and cannot stand with his essence Secondly all the workes of God remaine for euer and euer and are done in truth and equity Take a perfect view of all creatures vnder the Sunne which are the workes of his hands though they may be abolished and rooted out in one place yet they continue in another If thou wouldst ascend into the heauens or goe downe into the deepe if thou wouldst take the wings of the morning and dwell in the vtmost parts of the sea which of all the Creatures are now missing What place is void empty What hath beene that is not now being and extant in