now his bloud is required 23 They were not aware that Ioseph vnderstoode them for he spake vnto them by an interpreter 24 And he turned from them and wept and turned to them againe and communed with them and tooke out Simeon from amongst them and bound him before their eies 25 And Ioseph commaunded to fill their sacks with corne and put euery mans money in his sacke and to giue them vittaile to spende by the way and thus did he vnto them 26 And they laded their asses with the corne and departed thence 27 And as one of them opened his sack for to giue his asse proueÌ„der in the Inne he espied his money for it was in his sackes mouth 28 And he saide vnto his brethren My money is restored to me againe for lo it is in my sacke And their heart fayled them and they were astonied and sayde one to another why hath God dealt thus with vs 29 And they came vnto Iacob their father vnto the land of Chanaan and tolde him all that befell vnto them saying 30 The man vvho is the Lorde of the lande spake roughly to vs and tooke vs for spies of the countrie 31 And we sayde vnto him We meane truely we neuer were spyes 32 We be twelue brethren sonnes of our father one is awaye and the yongest is thys day with our father in the lande of Chanaan 33 And the Lorde of the countrie saide againe vnto vs Hereby shall I knowe that ye meane truely Leaue one of your brethren here with me and take foode to put away the famine from your housholdes and get you awaye 34 And bring your yongest brother vnto me that I may knowe that you are no spies but meane truely so will I deliuer you your brother and ye shall occupie in the lande 35 And as they emptied their sackes beholde euery mans bundell of money was in his sacke And when both they and their father sawe the bundelles of money they were afraide 36 And Iacob their father sayde vnto them Me haue ye robbed of my children Ioseph is away and Simeon is away and ye will take Beniamin away all these things are against me 37 Ruben said vnto his father Slay my two sonnes it I bring him not to thée againe deliuer him to my hande and I will bring him to thée againe 38 And he sayd My sonne shall not go downe with you for his brother is dead and he is left alone if destruction come vpon him by the way which ye go ye shal bring my gray heade with sorowe vnto the graue The Exposition vpon the .42 Chapter of Esay And he saide beholde I haue hearde there is corne in Egypt c. THe house of the good Patriarke and godly father Iacob was subiect to the necessitie and daunger of the Famine euen as * before it had happened to Abraham and Isaac So God is wont often to make his good and godly persons partakers of the common Calamities to the ende that that rod which is to the wicked a Punishment and correction may be to them an Exercise of their Fayth and pacience to their greater benefite So it fell out to * Ieremy Ezechiel Daniel We haue here also to obserue the course of Gods Prouidence falling out to truth when men least thinke of it Iosephs * Dreame that moued his brethren to enuye him is nowe vpon this occasion to be fulfilled Ioseph was now of great authority in Egypt without whose consent no Corne could be solde And Iacob although vnknowing is moued by the Instinction of God to sende his sonnes into Egypt to bye corne by which occasion they must needs come to Ioseph and Honor him as Lorde of the lande So went Iosephs tenne brethren c. but Beniamin Iosephs brother Iacob c. You haue here the Example of a Fatherly and tender Loue towarde his yonger sonne whom he would not rashely commit to Daunger eyther by reason of his Tender age or other Incident occasions more like to fall to hym then to his other Children And Iosephs brethren came and bowed themselues before him c. The Dreame that Ioseph tolde to his brethren Cap. 37. is here performed but vtterly as yet vnknown to themselues as often Prophesies are fulfilled by the Ignorance of men in Gods affayres It was prophesied that the Iewes should Reiect and put to death Christ the Son of God which they did in deede by Ignorance For if they had known it they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie Act. 3. 1. Cor. 2. The Apostle propheseth That in the latter dayes some should attende to false spirites and doctrines of Deuils 1. Tim. 4. And so we see it to haue fallen out but not with the Knowledge and Confession of them that doe it who obstinately stande in this that they Defende nothing but Truth and Godlynesse But * God will be alway iustified in his Prophecies and Promises and all * Men shall be founde Liers When Joseph sawe his brethren he knewe c. and spake roughly vnto them c. This might seeme to be of 〈◊〉 or vpon desire of Reuengement that Ioseph vseth the 〈◊〉 Roughly But we 〈…〉 the Acts of good men by the 〈…〉 at the first vntill we see the Ende of their doings For oftentimes they haue other causes 〈…〉 then commonly to all men are knowne Christ him selfe spake * Roughly to the 〈…〉 the first 〈◊〉 in the End he 〈…〉 with Clement Ioseph knowing by his 〈…〉 the Wickednesse of his Brethren might 〈◊〉 Doubt whether they had 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 his yongeâ— brother 〈…〉 To boulte it out whether it 〈…〉 And Ioseph remembred his dreames that he dreamed of them c. Ioseph 〈…〉 before â–ª Therefore being put in 〈◊〉 of them now he so dealeâ—â—y 〈◊〉 his brethren as when they should be opened vnto them thée might not onely simplie Beleeue them but with Feare 〈◊〉 Reuerence acknowledge the Triâ—â— of GOD in them with 〈◊〉 of their 〈…〉 Malice Hereby you shall be prooued be the life of Pharao ye shall not go hence c. It may seeme iustly to be called into question both how Ioseph might without blame Dissemble as he doth in this 〈◊〉 also vse this Prophane and 〈◊〉 Othe by tho life of pharao Surely I thinke Many Singuler factes of the auncient Potriaâ—kes before the law published are not to be drawâ—e into commen Examples for vs now to 〈◊〉 It may be that they had certaine 〈…〉 of God by which they were mooued to doe some thinges otherwise then the common precept requireth Neither is it necessarie for vs to Iustifie all their Factes as good For they 〈…〉 in a Heathnish maner And bee put them altogether in Warde three dayes c. While we read this we may be admonished to 〈…〉 of vs. For God may * turne our State and giue to him 〈◊〉 to be Reuenged as we see here
Iacob answered to Sichem Hemor his father talking amongest themselues deceptfully because he had defyled Dina their sister 14 And they saide vnto them We can not doe this thing that we should geue our sister to one that is vncircumcised for that were an abhomination vnto vs. 15 But in this will we consent vnto you if ye will be as we be and all the males amongst you be circumcised 16 Then will we geue our daughters vnto you and take your daughters to vs and will dwell with you and be one people 17 But and if ye will not hearken vnto vs to be circumcised then will we take our Daughter and go our waies 18 Their wordes pleased Hemor and Sichem hys sonne 19 And the yong man differde not to doe the thing because he had a lust to Iacobs daughter he was also most set by of all that was in his fathers house 20 Then Hemor and Stâ—â—em his sonne went vnto the gate of their citie and coÌ„muned with the men of their citie saying 21 These men liue peaceably among vs and dwell in the lande and doe their occupation therein and beholde the land is large ynough for them we will take their daughters to wiues and giue them our daughters 22 Onely herein will they consent vnto vs for to dwell with vs and to be one people If all the males that are among vs be circumcised as they are circumcised 23 Shall not their goodes and their substance and all their cattell be oures let vs onely consent vnto them and they will dwell with vs. 24 And vnto Hemor and Sichem hys sonne hearkened all that went out of the gate of the citie and all the males were circumcised whatsoeuer went out at the gate of his citie 25 And the thirde day whyles they were sore two of the sonnes of Iacob Simeon and Leui Dinas brethren tooke eyther of them his sworde and went into the citie boldly and slue all the males 26 And slue also Hemor and Sichem his sonne with the edge of the sworde and tooke Dina out of Sichems house and went their way 27 And the sonnes of Iacob comming vpon the dead spoyled the citie bicause they had defiled their sister 28 And tooke their shéepe oxen and their asses and whatsoeuer was in the citie and also in the fields 29 And all their goodes and all their children and their wiues tooke they captiue and made hauok of all that was in the house 30 But Iacob saide to Simeon and Leui Ye haue troubled me and made me to be abhorred of the inhabitours of the land of the Chanaanite and the Pherezite and I being fewe in number they shall gather themselues together against me and slay me and so shall I and my house he destroyed 31 And they answered Should he deale wyth our sister as with an harlot The Exposition vpon the .xxxiiij Chapter of Genesis Dina the daughter of Lea which shee bare vnto Iacob went out to see c. MOses in this Chapter setteth forth a great tentation that happened vnto Iacob far more troublesome and daungerous then that was of the feare of his brother Esaus displeasure He was nowe at some quietnesse in the companie of his wife children and familie and so had remayned a good time doing vndoubtedly the dutie of a good and godly Gouernour of his housholde But sodainely falleth out this trouble and reproch of the Rauishing of his daughter Dina much surelye to the griefe of his minde that did so deerely esteeme the Chastitie of his daughter By which we may vnderstande both what daunger maye come to yong womeÌ„ by Idle gadding and Gasing abroad without the company of some graue Persons to Ouersee them and also that euen good men sometime haue so waiwarde and ouerthwart Wantons to their children as wil not well be brideled within order when their Parents haue done all that they can And yet maye there seeme some negligence in Lea hir mother that she did suffer hir so Loosely to go abroade And Sichem spake vnto his father Hemor saying get me this maiden c. The heart of this yong Gentleman was so set vpon this Maiden in vntemperate heate of loue that he coulde not satisfie himselfe by hir defyling and rauishment but nowe seeketh to haue her to wife and that in a maner by force For although both his father and he vsed Faire wordes and great promises yet he keepeth her at home in his house and would not suffer her to retourne to her father If he had sought to haue maried her before the Villanie offered there had bene no great euill but first to worke so great reproche to the People of God and his Chosen Patriarke and then to seeke vnder a faire colour a forcible Mariage made the offence the greater And Hemor the father of Sichem went out vnto Iacob c. A godly Father and a good Prince or gouernour would first haue sharpely corrected his Son and then afterwarde haue done that might haue seemed agreeable to reason and godlinesse But it may appeare this Hemor was a cockering father and a Loose gouernour and that the like examples of wantonnesse had bene common there without punishment And therfore the same prouoked God of his iust iudgement to suffer so great a Plague to come vpon them although the Sonnes of Iacob which were the instruments thereof can not be excused of outragious Furie that for the offence of Oue personne destroyed and spoyled the Whole Citie And Hemor communed with them saying The soule of my sonne c. In that Hemor so earnestly labourethe to Iacob and his Sonnes for the mariage of Dina and made so great offers it may appeare that euen among the Heathens and Infidels it was thought necessarie to haue the Consent of Parents to the Mariage of their Children Much more shoulde that reuerence be vsed among Christians and them that professe the Feare of God. But the sonnes of Iacob answered to Sichem and Hemor talking among c. It is not to be merueiled if the sonnes of Iacob were much grieued to haue so great a reproch and villanie wrought to their fathers House neyther are they in that any thing to be blamed yea if there had bene any ordinarie Magistrate to haue punished so great an outrage they might and ought with safe conscience to haue complayned to him But I see not by what authoritie they coulde take the sworde of Reuengement in their * owne hands and so farre exceede the Measure of Iustice as to destroy an whole Citie for the offence of one Well might they be the Instruments of Gods Iustice for causes to them vnknowne but that doth not excuse them who followed their owne affection and desire of Reuengement In that they doe dissemble here and pretende consent of Mariage if the Sichemites would be circumcised it doth increase their fault and they make the ordinance of God a colour to worke their affection For their consciences did tell them
the bushe was not consumed 3 Therefore Moyses sayde I will go nowe and sée this great sight howe it commeth that the bushe burneth not 4 And when the Lorde sawe that he came for to sée God called vnto him out of the middest of the bushe and sayde Moyses Moyses And he answered Here am I. 5 And he saide Drawe not nigh bither put thy shwes of thy féete for the place wheron thou standest is holy ground 6 And he saide I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And Moyses hid his face for he was afrayde to looke vpon God. 7 And the Lorde sayde I haue surely séene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their crye from the face of their taske maisters for I knowe their sorrowes 8 And am come downe to deliuer them out of the hande of the Egiptians and to bring them out of that land vnto a good lande and a large vnto a lande that floweth with mylke and hony euen vnto the place of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites and Pherezites and Heuites and of the Iebuâ—ites 9 Nowe therefore beholde the complaint of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also séene the oppression wherewith the Egiptians oppressed them 10 Come thou therfore and I will send thée vnto Pharao that thou mayest bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt 11 And Moyses â—aide vnto God what am I to go vnto Pharao and to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt 12 And he answered For I will be with thée and this shall be a token vnto thée that I haue sent thée After that thou hast brought the people out of Egipt ye shall serue God vpon this mountaine 13 And Moyses sayde vnto God Beholde vvhen I come vnto the children of Israel and shall say vnto them The God of your fathers hath sent me vnto you And if they saye vnto me what is his name what answere shall I giue them 14 And God answered Moyses I am that I am And he said Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath seÌ„t me vnto you 15 And God spake further vnto Moses Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob hath sent me vnto you This is my name for euer and this is my memoriall into generation and generation 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel togither and thou shalt say vnto them The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob appeared vnto me and sayde In visiting haue I visited you and knowe that which is done to you in Egypt 17 And I haue sayde I will bring you out of the tribulation of Egypt vnto the lande of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites Pherezites and Heuites and Iebusites euen into a lande which floweth with milke and hony 18 And they shall heare thy voyce then both thou and the elders of Israel shall go vnto the king of Egypt and saye vnto him The Lorde God of the Hebrews hath met wyth vs and nowe let vs go we beséech thée thrée dayes iourney into the wildernesse and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God. 19 And I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not in a mightie hande 20 And I will stretch out my hande and smite Egypt with all my woonders which I will doe in the mids thereof and after that he will let you go 21 And I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shall not go emptie 22 But euerye wyfe shall borowe of her neighbour and of her that soiourneth in her house Iewels of Siluer and Iewels of Golde and rayment and ye shall put them on your sonnes and daughters and shall robbe the Egiptians The Exposition vpon the thirde Chapter of Exodus Moses kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in lawe priest of Madian c. AS in the other Chapters before haue bene declared the great Oppression and Miserie of the children of Israell in Aegypt so in this Chapter and the residue folowing is set forth the great and mercifull Goodnesse of Almightye God deliuering them from the same And as touching Moises whom God had chosen to be his Instrument herein we may in him learne howe God vseth commonly to deale with his Elect. This Moses was at this time of all men in the worlde most acceptable to God whome euen from his mothers wombe he had chosen to be the Deliuerer of hys people and the Publisher of his lawe And yet it pleased him to suffer the same Moyses to be in Banishment * fortie yeares not onely among heathen persons but in the poore and harde condition of a Sheepehearde And yet may we not thinke that God at the same time did Contemne Moyses but vndoubtedly had great Care of him and while he was in the trauaile of a Sheepeheard did prepare for him an Office farre aboue the Dignitie or maiestie of any earthly Prince The like we see in Ioseph in Dauid in Daniel and in our sauiour Christ himselfe And the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire c. When God of his goodnes was disposed to Deliuer his people out of Aegypt because of 〈…〉 matter of Great weight in the sight of 〈…〉 Vnpossible the Egyptians being Mighty 〈◊〉 and the Israelites Poore and miserable and for that Moyses might doubt of his Calling to so great a purpose God vseth at the beginning a stravnge and woonderfull Miracle of a Fyre burning in a bush and yet the bush not consumed therewith I thinke it not so profitable to recite the Allegories that many interpreters do mention in this place For the true and simple 〈◊〉 is as I haue sayde that God purposing to call Moyses to Deliuer his people doth Confirme him there in by this Miracle of the burning Bushe that he might not Doubt but that the voyce that spake 〈◊〉 him was in dede from God and not by the Delusion of any Man. And when the Lorde sawe that he came to see God called vnto him c. It is no repugnancie that the Scripture before reported that the Angel appeared in a Flaâ—e office here in this place â—yth that God Called Moyses For God speaketh by his Angels as he doth by his Prophets and other Ministers God is the Maister and Instructer and the Angell is the Minister in the name and authoritie of God doing the Message When he sayth The place is holy he meaneth not that the Ground or earth was of it selfe more Holy or acceptable to GOD than anye other place was 〈◊〉 God minded in that place to Reueale himselfe and his holy Will vnto Moyses and afterwardes in the same place to Publishe his
stand before the children of Anac 3 Vnderstand therfore this daye that the Lord thy God is he which goeth ouer before thée as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and he shal bring them downe before thy face So thou shalt caste them out bring them to naught quickly as the Lorde hath sayde vnto thée 4 Speake not thou in thine heart after that the Lorde thy God hath cast them outs before thée saying For my righteousnesse the Lorde hath brought me in to poâ—â—esse this lande but for the wickednesse of these natioÌ„s the Lord hath cast theÌ„ oute before thée 5 It is not for thy righteousnesse sake or for thy right heart that thou goest to possesse their land But for the wickednesse of these Nations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thée to perfourme the worde which the Lorde thy God sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isahac and Iacob 6 Vnderstande therefore that it is not for thy righteousnesse sake that the Lorde thy God dothe gyue thée this good lande to possesse it séeyng thou art a stifnecked people 7 Remember and forget not howe thou prouokedst the Lord thy God to anger in the wildernesse since the day that thou diddest depart out of the lande of Egipt vntill ye came vnto this place ye haue rebelled against the Lord. 8 Also in Horeb ye prouoked the Lorde to anger so that the Lord was wroth with you to haue destroyed you 9 When I was gone vp into the mount to receiue the tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt which the Lorde made with you and I abode in the mount fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes when I neither dyd eate breade nor drinke water 10 And the Lorde deliuered me two tables of stone written with the singer of God and in them were conteined all the wordes which the Lorde said vnto you in the mount out of the middes of the fire in the day when ye came together 11 And when the fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes were ended the Lorde gaue me the two tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt 12 And the Lorde sayde vnto mée Arise and get thée downe quickly from hence for thy people which thou hast brought out of Egipt haue marred all â–ª they are turned at once oute of the waye which I commaunded them and haue made them a molten image 13 Furthermore the Lorde spake vnto me saying I haue séene this people and beholde it is a stifnecked people 14 Let me alone that I may destroy them and put oute the name of them from vnder heauen and I will make of thée a mightie nation and greater than they be 15 And I turned me and came downe from the hill euen from the hill that burnt with fire and the two tables of the couenaunt were in my handes 16 And I loked and beholde ye had sinned against the Lorde your God and has made you a molten calfe and had turned at once out of the way which the Lord had commauÌ„ded you 17 And I toke the two tables and cast them oute of my two handes and brake them before your eyes 18 And I fell downe flat before the Lorde as at the firste time and fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes I did neither eate breade nor drynke water bycause of all your sinnes which ye sinned in doying wickedly in the sighte of the Lorde in that ye prouoked him vnto wrathe 19 For I was afrayde that for the wrath and fiercenesse wherwith the Lord was moued against you he would haue destroyed you But the Lord heard me at that time also 20 The Lord was verye angry with Aaron also to haue destroyed him and I made intercession for Aaron also the same time 21 And I toke your sinne the Calfe which ye had made and burnte him with fire and stamped him and grounde him verye small euen to dust and I caste the dust thereof into the brooke that descended out of the mount 22 Also at the burning place at the place of tempting and at the Sepulchres of lust ye prouoked the Lord to anger 23 Likewise when the Lorde sent you from Cades Barnea saying Go vp and possesse the land which I haue giuen you you rebelled against the worde of the Lorde your God and neither beloued him nor hearkened vnto his voyce 24 You haue bene rebellious vnto the Lord since the day that I knew you 25 And I fell downe flat before the Lord fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes as I fell downe before for the Lorde sayde he would destroy you 26 I made intercession therefore vnto the Lorde sayde O lorde God destroy not thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou haste deliuered through thy great goodnesse and which thou haste broughte out of Egipt through a mightye hande 27 Remember thy seruauntes Abraham Isahac and Iacob and looke not vnto the stubbernesse of this people nor to their wickednesse and sinne 28 Least the lande whence thou broughtest them saye The Lorde is not able to bring them into the lande whych he promised them and because he hated them therfore hath he caryed them out to slay them in the wildernesse 29 Beholde they are thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou broughtest oute in thy mightye power and in thy stretched out arme The Exposition vpon the .ix. Chapter of Deuteronomie Heare O Israel thou passest ouer Jordane this day to goe in and possesse c. THe Israelites were a proude wayward and vnthankefull people sone forgetting Gods benefites done vnto them Wherefore the purpose of Moises is in this chapter to * beate into their memorye that they were made the heires of the land of Chanaan came to al that felicitie wherin they either had or should be onely by the free goodnes and mercye of God for his promises for his couenauntes sake and not by their owne strength or for their owne worthines In this to perswade them he vseth two reasons especially The one by comparing them with the people of that couÌ„trey The other by the example of their owne wayward and rebellious doyngs against God. As touching the former he sayth the people of that countrey were farre greater in number mightier in power than they were For manye of them were of the race of the * Giaunt Anac strong and mightie persons as the messengers that went to viewe the lande did bryng worde So that they were stricken with feare * murmured against GOD as hauing brought them to a land vnpossible for them by conquest to get Wherefore if GOD by hys mightye hande did worke it for them they oughte to acknowledge they did stande and depende onelye vpon hym And as they were not hable to worke thys of their owne strength so coulde they not iustlye thinke that GOD did it for them of dutie or for their owne worthines but rather that they had deserued the cleane contrarye at his hande and that he letteth theÌ„ vnderstand as I haue
haue done to Laye their sinnes before their eyes that he may driue them to Desperation But here God sayth If the vngodlye wyll turne from their sinnes they shall neuer be mentioned vnto them If the righteous turne from his righteousnesse and doe the thing c. It is not sufficient for a man to beginne well in godlynesse and vertue and after to reuolte from it to wickednesse again But he must continue in his well doing Happie is he sayth Christ that contynueth to the ende He that setteth his hande to the Plough and looketh backe is not meete for the kingdome of God. It was not sufficient for Loths wife to depart out of Sodome her looking backe againe did turne her into a salt stone Be faithful vnto death sayth God and I wyll giue thee the crowne of lyfe Out of this Chapiter we may obserue these necessarie pointes First that God is Iuste and doth iniurie to no man And as the sonnes of the children shall not hurt the father onlesse they grewe by the fathers occasion so shall not the sinnes of the father hurt the sonne if he doe not followe the fathers steps Secondly we see that there were in those dayes many which carped and cauilled at the preaching of the Prophets and made matter of scoffing and iesting at it No meruaile therfore if we see the like in these dayes but their iesting tauntes will in the ende fall vpon their owne heades Thirdly we may learne the corruption of our owne nature For as these Iewes would seeme innocent in no wayes acknowledge their offences So doe we eyther denie our sinnes or wyth fayre pretences extenuate them and cast the fault vpon other Many that cannot be perswaded that God gouerneth all things yet when they sinne to excuse themselfe they impute the blame to the prouidence of god Oh say they it was my destenie I thinke God did worke me this shame to doe it So Adam at the begynning layde the fault to the woman which God had ioyned to hym and the Woman turneth ouer the blame to the Serpent But neyther did wyth humble harts acknowledge their disobedience Thys Propertie sticketh in the Nature of all the children of Adam The 18. Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ezechiel 20. IN the seuenth yere the tenth day of the fift Moneth certaine of the elders of Israel came for to aske counsayle at the Lorde and sate downe before me 2 Then came the worde of the Lorde vnto me saying 3 Thou sonne of man speake vnto the elders of Israel and say vnto them thus sayth the Lorde God are ye come to enquire of me As truely as I liue I will not be sought of you sayth the Lorde God. 4 Wylt thou not iudge them sonne of man wilt thou not iudge them cause them to vnderstand the abhominations of their fathers 5 And tell them thus sayth the Lord God In the day when I chose Israel and lift vp mine hande vpon the séede of the house of Iacob and was knowne vnto them in the lande of Egypt yea when I lift vp my hande ouer them and saide I am the Lorde your God. 6 Euen in the day that I lyft vp mine hande vnto them to bring them out of the lande of Egypt into a lande that I had prouided for them which floweth with my like and honie and is pleasant among all other landes 7 Then sayde I vnto them Cast away euery man the abhominations of his eyes and defile not your selues with the Idols of Egypt for I am the Lorde your God. 8 But they rebelled against me and would not hearken vnto me they did not cast away euerye man the abbominations of his eies neither did they forsake the Idols of Egypt then I sayde I woulde powre out mine indignation ouer them and accomplishe my wrath vpon them yea euen in the midst of the lande of Egypt 9 And I wrought for my names sake that it should not be polluted before the heathen among whome they were to whome I was manifestlye knowne in bringing them forth of the lande of Egipt 10 Nowe when I had caused them to go out of the lande of Egypt and brought them into the wildernesse 11 I gaue them my statutes and shewed them my iudgementes which who so doth shall liue in them 12 I gaue them also my Sabbath daies to be a token betwixt me and them and thereby to knowe that I am the Lorde which halowe them 13 And yet the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wildernesse they would not walke in my statutes they haue cast away my iudgementes which who so doth shall liue in them and my Sabbath daies haue they greatly polluted then I said I would powre out mine indignation vpon them and consume them in the wildernesse 14 And I wrought for my names sake least it should be defiled before the heathen in whose sight I brought them out 15 Yet neuerthelesse I lift vp my hande vnto them in the wildernesse that I would not bring them into the lande which I gaue them that floweth with milke and hony and is a pleasure of all landes 16 And that because they cast away my iudgements and walked not my statutes but haue defiled my Sabbathes for their heart was gone after their Idols 17 Neuerthelesse mine eye spared them so that I would not destroy them not consume them in the wyldernesse 18 Moreouer I sayd vnto their sonnes in the wyldernesse Walke not in the statutes of your fathers kepe not their iudgementes and defyle not your selues with their Idols 19 I am the Lorde your God walke in my statutes kéepe my iudgementes and doe them 20 Halow my Sabbathes for they are a token betwixt me and you that ye may knowe how that I am the Lord your God. 21 Notwithstanding their sonnes rebelled agaynst me also they walked not in my statutes they kept not my iudgementes to fulfill them which he that doth shall lyue in them they prophaned my sabbath dayes I saide I would powre out myne indignation euer them and accomplish my wrath vpon them in the wildernesse 22 Neuerthelesse I withdrewe my hande and wrought for my names sake lest it should be defiled in the sight of the heathen before whome I had brought them forth 23 I lift vp my hande to them also in the wildernesse that I might scatter them among the heathen and strawe them among the nations 24 Because they had not kept my iudgements but cast aside my statutes and broken my Sabbathes and their eyes were after their fathers Idols 25 Wherefore I gaue them also statutes that were not good and iudgements wherein they should not liue 26 And I defiled them in their owne giftes in that they caused all that openeth the wombe to passe that I myght destroy them that they might knowe howe that I am the Lorde 27 Therfore speake vnto the house of Israel thou sonne of man and thou shalt
hath chosen you 25 Neuerthelesse I haue waked vp one from the north and he shall come from the east he shall call vpon my name and shall treade vpon princes as vpon clay and as the potter treadeth downe the mire 26 Who declared this from the beginning and we will know him or from the olde times and we will confesse and say that he is righteous but there is none that sheweth or declareth any thing there is none also that heareth your wordes 27 The first is he that shall say to Sion Beholde beholde they are present and to Hierusalem it selfe will I giue an Euangelist 28 But when I consider there is not a man among them nor any that can giue counsaile nor that when I examine them that can answers one worde 29 Lo wicked are they and vaine with the things also that they take in hande yea their Images are but winde and vaine things The exposition vpon the. xlj Chapter of Esay Bee still you Islandes and hearken vnto me let the people lay their c. ESay in this Chapter imagineth god to stande in place of iudgement as it were at the barre pleading his owne cause agaynst the Idols and false Gods of the Heathen and al the worshippers of the same Which he doth to this ende not onely to confound the heathen for the vanitie of their worshipping of Idols stockes and stones but also to confirme and establish hys owne people of the Iewes and other in the true worship of him selfe being the onely liuing and almightie God maker and gouernour of all things And therefore as being in place of iudgement hee thus beginneth Bee still and keepe silence all you inhabitours of the Islandes and other partes of the earth that worship your false Gods. Lay your strength together arme and furnish your self with as good matter as you can for your defence to answere that I shall say and then will I pleade the cause with you euen in iudgement of the world c. Who raysed vp the iust man from the east and called him to go forth c. This is his fyrst reason against the heathenish worshippers of Idols By the iust man he meaneth the Patriark Abraham whom God called out of his couÌ„trie of Mesopotamia from Idolatrie wherin he was bredde and caused him to go into the lande of Chanaan and there to worship the true god where also although he were in a straunge lande vtterly vnknowne god did so prosper and defend him that he made euen kings abashed to worke him villainy as it appeareth in Pharao king of Egypt Gen 12 and Abimelech king of Gerar Gen. 20 21. yea and at another time gaue him force and hability to put to flight and chase foure kinges at once which had caried away prisoner his cosin* Loth. Gen 14. which easie victory god vttereth here by this spech Scattering them like stubble with his bowe The force of this example is thus This maruelous calling defending prospering of one meane man in a straunge Countrie agaynst so noble and mighty persons and the making of him so notable a man among them done and wrought by me only yea and the true seruice and honor wherwith he worshipped me the only liuing God coulde not bee vnknowne to all your Idolatrous nations thereabout For he preached and declared these thinges as a Prophete and gaue you to vnderstande by whose power it was done yea you sawe it you knewe it and were abashed at it and therefore shoulde you haue sought to haue learned at hys hande whyle he was amonge you the knowledge and seruice of that mighty God that did so aduance and * defend him in farre other maner than your Idols were hable to do But you were so farre froÌ„ thus doing that you comforted encouraged one another forwarde in your wicked Idolatrye and ioyned your helpes togither to make vp your grauen and carued Goddes The Carpenter who had carued the stocke spake to the Goldsmith to lay on the plates of siluer or gold that it might seme a gay God and the Goldesmith instructed the hammer man to set it on fynely and smooth and to soulder it surely and set it fast with nayles and * this did you altogither take conference to sette forwarde your worshipping of Images Idols as you yet continue And therfore are you in the iudgement euen of men * vnexcusable that by this means knowing the power of the true God you haue not yelded to doe condigne worship to him but run on yet still in your owne vayne and * grosse phantasies Hereby ought we also to learne dearely beloued euen in these our dayes in howe great danger we are and how vnexcusable before god if we hauing so great oportunitie to learne the truth of the doctrine and gospell of Christ doe neglect the same and followe on still in the desire of our olde superstition and Idolatrie The calling preseruing and defending of Abraham was not so great nor the publishing of the true knowledge of God by him so notable as the publishing prospering defending of his Gospell hath bene in these latter days agaynst Popes Princes Prelats and al powers of the earth And therfore may God more iustly stande in iudgement with vs to our vtter condemnation if we do not acknowledge his goodnesse But thou Israell art my seruant thou Iacob whome I haue chosen c. Least that Gods people of the Iewes and other faithfull of hys Churche shoulde bee discouraged with the pryde and prosperitye of the Heathen and their cruelty agaynst them Here doeth hee comforte and assure them that hee will helpe and defende them also as notably and with as great terrour to the wicked as hee had done their father Abraham Shewinge that hee had * bounde himselfe by Couenant to be the mightie and defending God not onely of Abraham but also of his posterity And putting them in mind of their wonderfull deliueraunce out of Egypt whence he led theÌ„ through the desert into the land of Chanaan which he had promised before to the seede of his loued seruant Abraham Therefore sayth he be not afraid thou little silly worme Iacob Thoughe my Church and people that put their trust in mee seeme neuer so simple and contemptible and euen as very wormes of the earth in sight of the gay meÌ„ and great powers and as it were * Lions of the worlde yet are they my people the sheepe of my pasture And therefore will I and â—he holy one of Israell my sonne Christ Iesu their Redeemer preserue and defend them yea I wil make them as a treading Cart as a new stayle wher with corne is threshed that they may thresh * grind and beate to dust Mountains and Hils that is the high and mighty Empires kingdoms and principalities of the world thinke they themselues neuer so strong They shall fanne and scatter them abroade with
shame they are driuen to vâ—â—ode their vntemperate stomacks No merueyle though God punishe such exceeding grieuously as he shreatneth Esay 5. And Ham the father of Chanaan seing the nakednesse of his father c. Thus God punisheth vndiscrete Parents that 〈…〉 as he had done 〈…〉 And Sem and Iaphet taking a garment layde it vpon their shoulders c. As in Ham we haue a Paterne of a lewde and vnnaturall sonne so haue we in Sem and Iaphet an example of good and godly children not onely nothing at all delighting in the reproch of their Father but being hartily sorie for the same and with all Reuerence Shamefastnesse and modestie * seeke â—o hide that vncomelynesse that had happened vnto him And this in deede is the office of good children not as Ham to Discrie and blase abroade the Shame of their parentes but with 〈◊〉 Secrecie and honestie to hide such blemishes as shall happen vnto them And Noah awooke from his wine c. and saide cursed be Chanaan c. This is the Curse of Ham and his wicked Posteritie as a dewe rewarde of his vndewtifulnesse towarde his father And also she Blessing of Sem and Iaphet wherewith God prospered them as well for this their Reuerence towarde their Paâ—entes as for their other Obedience to the 〈◊〉 of god This curse of Ham the blessing of Sem 〈◊〉 Iapher â–ª with their poslepitie was vttered by Noah in way of prophecie For Ham 〈◊〉 the father of the inhabitants of the lande of Chanaan that was subdued by the mightie hand of God and deliuered in subiection to the Israelites after their comming out of Egypt Of Sem 〈…〉 the people of Israel whom God merueilously preserued and brought into that lande of promise where they were Lords ouer the posteritie of Ham. Of Iaphet and his progenie came the most part of the Gentiles which a long time were seperated from the knowledge of God and so deuided from their brethren of the Iewes and of the posteritie of Sem. But at the comming of Christ by the sweete voyce of the Gospel they were brought vnder one * Sheephearde and one Folde and so according to the blessing of their father Noah dwelled in the tentes of Sem and were partakers of the promises * first made to the loste sheepe of the house of Israel So that this is an euident testimonie of the Calling of the Gentiles euen by the mouth of the holy Patriarke so manye hundred yeares before in deede it was performed The sunday called Quinqua gesima â–ª at Euening praier Genesis 12. AND the Lord sayde vnto Abram â—et thâ—e out of shy Countrey and out of thy Nation and from thy fathers house vnto a lande that I will shew thée 2 And I will make of thée a great people and will blesse thée and make thy name great that thou shalt be a blessing 3 I will also blesse them that blesse thée 〈◊〉 curse thâ— that curse thâ—â— in thée shall 〈…〉 of the earth be 〈◊〉 4 And so Abrâ—â— departed as the Lordâ—had 〈…〉 himâ— and Let 〈◊〉 with him and Abram was 〈◊〉 and fiue yeares olde when he departed out of Haran 5 And Abram tooke Sarai his wife and Lâ—t his brothers sonne and all their substance that they had in possession and the soules that they had begotten in Haran and they departed that they might come into the lande of Chanaan and into the lande of Ehâ—â—aan they came 6 Abram passed through the lande vnto the place of Sichem vnto the plaine of Morâ—h And the Chanaanite was then in the lande 7 And the Lord appearing vnto Abram sayde Vnto thy séede will I giue this lande and there builded he an aulter vnto the Lorde which appeared vnto him 8 And remoouing thence vnto a mountaine that was eastwarde from Bethell he pitched his tent hauing Bethell on the west side and Hai on the east and there be buylding an aulter vnto the Lorde did call vpon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram tooke his iourney goyng and iourneyng towarde the south 10 And then there was a famine in that lande and therefore went Abram downe into Egypt that he might soiourne there for there was a griouous famine in the lande 11 And when he was come néere to enter into Egypt he sayde vnto Sarai his wife Beholde I know that thou art a fayre woman to looke vpon 12. Therefore shall to come 〈…〉 that when the Egiptiâ—◠〈…〉 wife and they will she is his but they saue thée aliue 13 Say I pray thée that thou art my sister that I may fare well for thy sake and that my soule may liue through thy occasion 14 And so when Abram was come into Egipt the Egiptians 〈…〉 for she was very fayre 15 The princes also of Pharaâ— sawe 〈◊〉 and commended hâ—â— before Pharad and the woman was taken into Pharaâ—â— house 16 〈…〉 for her sake and he had shéepe 〈…〉 and mayde seruants 〈…〉 17 But the Lorde plagued Pharao and his house wyth great plagues because of Sarai Abrams wife 18 And Pharao calling Abram sayde Why hast thou done this vnto me 19 Why diddest thou not tell me that she was thy wife why saydes thou She is my sister and so I might haue taken her to be my wife Nowe therefore beholde there is thy wife take her and go thy way 20 And Pharao gaue his men commaundement concerning him and they conueyed him forth and his wife and all that he had The Exposition vpon the .xij. Chapter of Genesis And the Lorde sayde to Abram Get thee out of thy Countrey c. GOd would not haue his chosen seruant Abram whome of his singuler grace hee had appoynted to a great purpose any loÌ„ger to be Tempted Troubled Afflicted among the wicked Chaldees though they were of his kinred And therefore * willeth him to depart Here we haue to note that when it pleased God to Cal one whom he might appoint to be Father of the faythfull he did not choose him out of the Posteritie of the Wicked but from the Generations of the Godly though they were now fallen to great corruption and liued in Idolatrie And this person doth God call Freely not in respect of anye Woorthinesse or dignitie in the partie For there are not here recited any merites or deserâ—es in Abram why God shoulde so it but 〈◊〉 proceeded only of the Mere grace and Free election of God. By this departure of Abram out of his wicked Countrey If may seeme to be drawne into question whether a godly man maye liue among hys wicked Countrey men or no but is bound in conscience to depart from them wheÌ„ Vice naughtinesse doth increase To this it may be answered that there are two causes for which a godly man may ought to Forsake the Companie and habitations of the wicked 1 The one is if he can not be out of daunger of Life and
Carnall affection and loue towarde his elder Sonne hee sought to Transfer the blessing of God heritage of preheminence in the couenant of God vnto him Wherein he might seeme to ouerthwart the Election of God which coulde not be done without some offence and therefore GOD did suffer him to be Deluded by his Wife and Childe And yet this humaine affection in Isaac was ioyned with a constant fayth in the fauor of God wherby he beleeued that aswel himself as other Patriarks were ordeined y good instruments of God by their blessings to denounce and declare the Heritage and Succession of the Couenant of God made to Abraham and his Seede And Rebecca spake vnto Iacob her sonne saying beholde I haue heard c. Moses here declareth by what Craft the blessing was transferred to Iacob from Esau And truely this dealing of Rebecca is not without blame For albeit she could not rule her husbande and Cause him to yeelde to the declared purpose of God in preferring Iacob the yonger brother yet shoulde she not haue vsed so vncomely and vnlawfull meanes to worke the thing by Counterfeyting and Vntruth If she * knewe as she did in deede that it was the Immutable purpose electiō of God She should haue paciently looked and haue abidden vntill God had wrought it by such waies as he thought good if she could not by any godly perswasiō haue brought it to passe But such Frailetie God often in his Saintes of his great mercie pardoneth when it is not done of Malicious minde and purpose as surely it was not in Rebecca but of a desire by some meanes or other to bring that to effect which she knewe was the will of God. Then saide Iacob to Rebecca his mother Beholde Esau my brother c. Iacob did to easily yeelde to his Mothers perswasion and as in his words he shewed that he feared his father and was lothe to enter his displeasure so he shoulde haue feared GOD much more and Considered what a blemishe it was to purchase his blessing by Coūterfayting vntruth For although he respected a right ende that is to attaine that which was the * promise of God yet by Such meanes he should not haue done it Then saide Isaac vnto Iacob come neere and I will feele thee my sonne c. Isaac did suspect that he was abused therefore Tryeth the matter by all meanes he can But it pleased God to dull hys senses partly to shewe that Man laboureth in * vaine to ouerthwart hys Purpose that which he is determined to haue partly that by this maner of correction he might punishe and Chastice his Immoderate affection towarde Esau his elder sonne God giue thee of the dewe of heauen of the fatnesse of the earth c. Vnder these worldly blessings the auncient fathers conteined the Heauēly promises Albeit they be not vitered so Plainly as they haue bene sence in the time of the Gospell For Gods will was to deale with thē vnder tipes * and figures of worldly things And therefore the lande of Chanaan and the Fertilitie thereof is a tipe of the heauenly and euerlasting Felicitie with God and the Subiection of enemies doth signifie the Conquest and ouerthrowe of our Spirituall enimies to whome we were thrall and in daunger When Esau hearde the wordes of his father he cried alowde c. A man might think that Gods mercy would haue bene mooued with this * heauie and sorrowful complaynt of Esau for the losse of his fathers blessing but it is euident that this lamentation did not proceede of a Sound fayth and true Repentance but rather of a prowde minde and of a Desperate furie and rage as it maye appeare by the Hatred that he protested and by the bitter wordes greeuous Threatnings that after he vsed against hys brother Manacing that after his fathers death he would assuredlye kill him And of what affection he was and howe smally he esteemed his birth right and the felicitie that might come thereof he declared when he Solde the same to Iacob his brother for a messe of wortes And she called Iacob her yonger sonne saide vnto him thy brother c. The blessing that Isaac had giuen to his yonger sonne might seeme of Small force seing he was brought euen nowe presently into so great Feare to be Slaine by hys brother and this was vndoubtedly no small temptation and trouble to the minde of Rebecca that she sawe her sonne whome she so tenderly loued by her Fact to be brought in daunger of Present death But yet did she and her son so much esteeme this Blessing that rather then they woulde yeelde it vp to Esau to haue his fauour he was Contented to go into voluntarie Banishment and she to forgo the Presence and Companie of her sonne that she so much esteemed By this example in Iacob we must learne to take paciently if after the hope of Gods blessing and of his fauour * immediatly the Crosse of affliction do followe and not for the trouble and daunger of the worlde to forgoe the sweete promises of God. Neyther must we seeke to purchase the quietnesse of thys lyfe with the Losse of Goddes Heauenly Blessing The second Sunday in Lent at Euening praier Genesis 34. DIna the daughter of Lea which she bare vnto Iacob went out to sée the daughters of the lande 2 Whom when Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Heuite Lord of the countrie sawe he tooke her and laye with her and defiled her 3 And his heart laye vnto Dina the daughter of Iacob and he loued that damsell and spake kindely vnto her 4 And Sichem spake vnto his father Hemor saying Get me this maiden vnto my wife 5 And Iacob heard that he had defiled Dina his daughter his sonnes being with their cattle in the fielde and Iacob helde his peace vntill they were come 6 And Hemor the father of Sichem went out vnto Iacob to commune with him 7 And when the sonnes of Iacob comming out of the fielde heard it it grieued them and they were not a little wroth bicause he had wrought folly in Israel in that he had lyen with Iacobs daughter which thing ought not to be done 8 And Hemor communed with them saying The soule of my sonne Sichem lōgeth for your daughter I pray you geue her him to wyfe 9 And make maryages wyth vs and giue your daughters vnto vs and take our daughters vnto you 10 And ye shall dwell with vs and the lande shall be before you dwell and doe your businesse therein and haue possessions therein 11 And Sichem sayde vnto her father and vnto her brethren Let me finde grace in your eies and whatsoeuer ye appoint me that wyll I geue 12 Aske fréely of me both dowrie and giftes and I wyll giue according as ye saye vnto me so that ye geue me the damsell to wyfe 13 But the sonnes of
Malice towards him but God vsed their Malice for the instrument of his glorie And God was with Ioseph and he became a luckie man continuing in the c. By this example in Ioseph we haue to learne that God oftentimes Suffereth those that he loueth most deerely and by whome he will set foorth the Glorie of his name to be cast unto * Trouble and Affliction But yet he is so carefull for them that he doth not onely Stay the power of the wicked towarde them but also worketh them Grace Fauour and Credite euen with Heathens and vngodly persons such as this Putifer the Egyptian and the keeper of the prison were So that vnder his * very Enimies he doth preserue hys elect and chosen Ioseph was nowe become a Bondeman and afterwarde is made a Prisoner and yet God increaseth him with his blessings Whereby we may vnderstande that God hath a loue and care of his thoughe they be neuer so base so simple and so Miserable in the worlde And the Lorde blessed the Egiptians house for Iosephs sake c. God for his electes sake doth not onely oftentimes Spare the godlesse and Wicked Persons but also * blesseth them with increase of worldly benefites by that meanes to asswage their furious and Tyrannicall spirites towarde them that they may liue in more Quiet and comfort vnderneath them And after this his master wife cast her eyes vpon Ioseph and saide c. Nowe falleth out a newe temptation to Ioseph by his masters wife through which he was cast into greater trouble then euer he was before In Putifars wife yo haue y example of a wicked and Adulterous woman who although she had a Noble man to her husband that honoured and loued her yet of a sinnefull and shamelesse nature being a Woman Woeth this godly yongman her own Seruant and entiseth hym to horrible Aduterie moued onely therevnto by the good giftes and blessings of God as well in the Bodie as in the minde of Ioseph And in thys her diuelish purpose gyueth not ouer by sundrie repulses but with impudent Obstinâ—â—â— contrarie to the nature of Womanhead contynueth in the same euen to the vsing of Violence to the yong man And when she sawe his Constancie to be such as by no way shée could winne him with shamelesse Malice to cloke and colour her owne wickednesse as the * maner of such persons is she accuseth hym to her husband that he would haue Rauished her and by that occasion caused him to be cast into prison In Iosepth you haue the example as wel of a faithful seruant as of a Chast yong man hauing the feare of God before hys eyes For albeit he were vnmaried in the Heate of yong yeares and prouoked by his Ladie and Maistres at sundrie times watching fitte occasions of secreasie for so lewde a purpose yet could he neuer be wonne to yeelde to such vnthankfull Villanie toward his Maister of whome he had bene intertayned with so great fauour Yea and when by the Malice of the woman the matter was brought to extremitie he rather chose bothe to * leese the Fauour and credite wyth his maister and to abide all Miserie Imprisonment yea and Death also then any way to haue his Conscience touched with so Fowle a sinne before God. And Iosephs maister tooke him and put him in prison in the place c. This was great Lightnesse and rashenesse in Putifar eyther by the blinde Rage of Ielousie or by Immoderate affection and Credite toward his lewde wife without iust and further Examination to condemne a seruant whom he had of long time Tried so Faithfull and profitable and in whome he had seene the euident tokens of Gods Fauour and assistance in all his doings But the Lorde was with Ioseph c. and gotte him fauour with c. God neuer leaueth his but in the * deepest afflictions is with them and procureth them reliefe The thirde Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Genesis 42. ANd Iacob seyng that there was corne in Egypt said vnto hys sonnes Why gape ye one vpon another 2 And he sayde Beholde I haue heard that there is corne in Egypt get you downe thyther and bye vs corne from thence that we may lyue and not dye 3 So went Iosephes ten brethren downe to bye corne in Egypt 4 But Beniamin Iosephs brother would not Iacob sende with his other brethren for he sayde Lest peraduenture destruction come vpon him 5 And the sonnes of Israel came to bye corne among other that came for there was dearth in the lande of Chanaan 6 And Ioseph was gouernour in the lande solde to all the people of the lande And Iosephes brethren came and bowed themselues with their faces downe to the ground before him 7 When Ioseph sawe his brethren he knewe them and made hymselfe straunge vnto them and spake roughly vnto them saying Whence come ye They answered Out of the lande of Chanaan to bye vittayle 8 And Ioseph knewe his brethren but they knewe not him 9 And Ioseph remembred his dreames which he dreamed of them and saide vnto them Ye are spies and to sée where the lande is weake is your comming 10 And they saide vnto him Nay my Lorde but to bye vittayle thy seruantes are come 11 We are all one mans sonnes and meane truely and thy seruantes are no spies 12 And he sayd vnto them againe Nay but to sée where the lande is weake is your comming 13 And they saide We thy seruants are twelue brethren the sonnes of one man in the lande of Chanaan and behold the yongest is this day with our father and one no man weteth where he is 14 And Ioseph sayde vnto them That is it that I spake vnto you when I sayde Ye are spies 15 Hereby ye shall be proued by the lyfe of Pharao ye shall not go hence except your yongest brother come hither 16 Send out one of you which may fet your brother and ye shall be kept in prison that your wordes may be proued whether there be any truth in you or else by the lyfe of Pharaoye are but spies 17 And he put them altogither in warde thrée daies 18 And Ioseph sayd vnto them the thirde day This doe and liue for I feare God. 19 If you be true men let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison and go ye carie corne to put avvay the famine from your housholde 20 But bring your yongest brother vnto me and so shall your wordes be tried true and ye shall not die And they did so 21 And one sayde to another We haue verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therfore is this trouble come vpon vs. 22 And Ruben answered them saying Saw I not vnto you that you should not sinne against the laâ— and ye would not heare and sée
as 〈◊〉 Asses dyd bring so Long a iourney coulde s long a' tyme â–ª finde to great a Number as were of Iacobs retinewe For besides the .lxvi. persons that descended of his bodye as is mentioned Cap. 46 it can not be but that he they had a great nuÌ„ber of seruants But we must consider that the seruants might be fedde with Herbes Rootes and Acornes as the maner of the East partes is in the time of distresse And that the Corne that was brought was in Sparing maner employed to the sustenance of other his Sonnes and Nephewes This was a * harde temptation that thys Godly Father whome God had taken by his promise into his Protection was nowe brought to so great a Necessitie for want of Sustenance yea and in that lande wherein God had promised his Abundant blessing This in a frayle man might haue shaken the credite of that notable promise Cap. 35 I am thy God encrease and multiply I will blesse thee It is profitable for vs in time of Affliction to consider such Examples of the holy Fathers that we maye learne by the lyke Armour of trust in the prouidence of God and pacient expectation of his blessed will to Ouercome such Tentation euen as they did If thou wilt send our brother with vs we will go downe c. It may seeme Contrarie to the dewtie of Good and obedient Children so precisely to prescribe a Condicion vnto their father but for so much as they were driuen to this Necessitie by the streight charge that Ioseph gaue them not to come without their brother they durst not yeelde without Condicion And because Iacob had * before so stifly stoode in the refusall to sende Beniamin they doe nowe the more plainly declare their Necessitie with the cause thereof and that without anye iust Reproofe of Obstinacie or Disobedience The man asked vs streightly of our state and of our kindred saying c. Because Iacob accused his sonnes of Cruell dealing toward him in telling that they had a yonger brother they Excuse and cleere themselues by declaring 1 First the Curious Questioning that the man vsed to them of their State and Kindred whereeby they were Driuen to answere 2 Secondly that they were in that case they might not choose to answere and that according to the Troth 3 Thirdly that they coulde not Surmise that he would haue saide vnto them Bring your yonger Brother Then sayde Iuda to Israell his Father sende the lad with me that c. Iuda perswadeth his Father to yeelde to the sending of Beniamin 1 First by the Necessitie of dearth and Hunger wherein he and all his dyd stande 2 Then the vndertaking vpon his peryll the safe Bringing home of the yong man. 3 Lastly by the hurte and Hinderance that they had alreadie Susteyned by thys his delay And therfore the father nowe after his affection is somewhat Quailed vpon better consideration yeeldeth to that before he refused and as a wise man Instructeth them in what maner they should go what they should doe to * appease the Rigour of the Gouernour and to shunne such daunger as might seeme to be toward them And yet not trusting altogither to thys policie prayeth to Almighty God most hartily to Prosper them and sende them mercye in his sight When the men were brought into Iosephs house they were afraide c. A conscience * guiltie of wickednesse and a man put in feare is alway Suspicious and surmiseth that euery thing is done to his harme though it be farre otherwise So Iosephs brethren being in feare Suspect euill and daunger to come of that which in deede was done of Gentlenesse and therfore seeke so much as they can to preuent it by offering againe their Money that they caried away with them in their sackes And he saide peace be vnto you feare not your God and the God of your c. An example of a godly faythfull and gentle Seruant Because he sawe them in a great feare he comforteth them and willeth them to be of good cheere assuring them of that which they Doubted of and as for their Money that was in their sacks he wylleth them to Thanke their GOD for it by whose goodnesse it was wrought And yet vnderstanding his maisters Purpose as a faythfull seruant doth not bewray the same vnto them And he asked them of their welfaire and saide is your father that olde man c. In these Questions of Ioseph and in the residew of his dealing declared in this place towarde his brethren you maye perceiue the * Force of gentle and Naturall Affection toward such as by Nature we are Bounde vnto and yet the same by Ioseph with great wisedome and Moderation for certain purposes repressed and dissimuled for the tyme Such affections therefore may well stande wyth Wisedome and Godlinesse and in sundrye places are Praised in the saintes of God. And they prepared for him by himselfe and for them by themselues and for c. They prepared for Ioseph by hymselfe as a Prince and great Person For them and the Egiptians seuerally because the Egiptians did Disdaine and Abhorre to eate with the Hebrewes In which part we haue to note first touching Ioseph That although from verie Poore eâ—tate yea * and out of the Prison he was adualiced to highe Dignitie vndoubtedly reteyned the same humblenesse of minde that was in him before yet he was content and thought it no Burden to his Conscience to obserue the Comelynesse of his estate and to sit Seuerally as a great Piere and State of the Realme The lyke we see in Dauid Hester Daniell c. Honours annexed to Power and dignitie they Refused not but with modestie and gentlenesse in the feare of God vsed the same The cause why the Egiptians Disdained the Hebrews was for that they were Grasiers and keepers of cattell as is mentioned Cap. 46. which might seeme to proceede of a great Pride in the Egiptians wherewith Ioseph as a wise man doth seeme to beare least by Strugling against that which he could not mend he might take away that Oportunitie that he had purposed to worke the Reliefe and singuler Benefite of his Father and Brethren Some write that the Egiptians worshipped Sheepe as Gods and therfore did hate the Hebrews because they did not onely feede Sheepe but also Kyll eate them so that their lothing of the Hebrews came not only of Pride but also of Idolatrie and Superstition because they vsed Crueltie towarde their Gods. The fifte Sunday in Lent at Morning prayer Exodus 3. MOyses kept the shéepe of Iethro his father in lawe priest of Madian and he droue the flocke to the backside of the desert and came to the Mountaine of God Horeb. 2 And the Angell of the Lorde appeared vnto hym in a flame of fyre out of the middest of a bushe And he looked and beholde the bushe burned wyth fyre and
so in the land whither ye go to possesse it 6 Kepe them therfore do them for that is your wisedom and vnderstanding in the syght of the people that they may heare all these ordinances and say Surely it is a wise and vnderstanding people it is a great nation 7 For what other nation is so great that gods come so nie vnto as the Lord our God is nie vnto vs in all things as oft as we call vnto him 8 Yea and what nation is so greate that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day 9 Take héed to thy self therfore and kéepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thyne eyes haue séen and that they depart not out of thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sonnes thy sonnes sonnes 10 Specially the day that thou stodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lorde sayde vnto me Gather me the people together and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me all the days that they shal liue vpon the earth that they may teach their children 11 Ye came and stode also vnder the mountayn the mountayn burnt with fire euen vnto the middes of heauen and there was darknesse cloudes mist 12 And the Lord spake vnto you oute of the middes of the fire and ye hearde the voyce of the wordes but sawe no similitude but hearde a voyce onely 13 And he declared vnto you his couenant which he commaunded you to do euen ten commaundements which he wrote vpon two tables of stone 14 And the Lord cōmaunded me that same season that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which ye ought to do in the land whither ye go to possesse it 15 Take therefore good héede vnto your selues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of fire 16 Lest ye marre your selues make you a grauen image picture of any maner of figure whether it be the likenesse of man or woman 17 The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that flyeth in the ayre 18 Or the likenesse of any maner worme that créepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19 Yea and lest thou lift vp thyne eyes vnto heauen and when thou séest the sunne the Moone and the starres with al the hoast of heauen shuldest be driuen to worship them and serue them and shuldest worship and serue the things which the Lord thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen 20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the yron fornace euen out of Egypte to be vnto him a people and inheritaunce as ye be this daye 21 Furthermore the Lord was angrie with me for youre wordes and sware that I should not go ouer Iordane that I should not go in vnto that good lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thée to inheritance 22 But I muste dye in this land and shall not go ouer Iordane but ye shall go ouer and possesse that good land 23 Take héed vnto your selues that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he made with you that ye make you no grauen image or likenesse that the lord thy God hath forbidden thée 24 For the lord thy God is a cōsuming fire a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children and thy children beget children and shalte haue remained long in the lande if ye do wickedly and make any maner of grauen image and worke euill in the sight of the Lorde thy God to prouoke him to anger 26 I call heauen and earth to recorde against you this daye that ye shall shortly perishe from of the lande wherunto you go ouer Iordane to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes therein but shall vtterly be destroyed 27 And the Lord shal scatter you among the people and ye shal be left fewe in number among the nations whither the Lord shall bring you 28 And there ye shall serue Gods which are the work of mans hande wood and stone which neither sée nor heare nor eate nor smell 29 If frō thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him * if thou seke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30. When thou art in tribulation and when all these things that be here spoken of are come vppon thée euen in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lorde thy God and shalt be obedient vnto his voyce 31 For the Lorde thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thée neither destroye thée nor forget the appoyntment of thy fathers which he sware vnto them 32 For aske of the dayes that are paste which were before and since the day that God created man vpō the earth and aske from the one side of heauē vnto the other if euer there came to passe suche a great thing or whether anye such like thing hath ben hearde as this 33 Did euer any people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the middes of a fire as thou hast heard yet lyued 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a people frō among nations by temptations by signes by wonders by warre by a mighty hande by a stretched out arme and by great sightes according to all that the Lord your God dyd vnto you in Egipt before your eyes 35 Vnto thée it was shewed that thou mightest knowe that the Lord is God and that there is none other but he 36 Out of heauen he made thée heare his voyce that he might instruct thée and vpō earth he shewed thée his great fire thou heardest his word out of the middest of the fire 37 And bycause he loued thy fathers he chose their séede after thē and brought thée out in his sighte w his mightie power * out of Egipt 38 To thrust out natiōs greater mightier than thou before thée to bring thée in to geue thée their land to inheritāce as it is come to passe this day 39 Vnderstand therfore this day and consider it in thine hearte that the Lorde is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath neither is there any other 40 Thou shalt kepe therfore his ordināces hys commaūdements which I cōmaund thée this day y it may go wel with thée with thy childrē after thée and that thou maist prolong thy dayes vpō the earth which the lord thy God geueth thée for euer 41 Then Moyses seuered thrée cities on the other syde of Iordane toward the sun rising 42 That he shoulde flée thither whych had kylled hys neighboure vnwares and hated him not in
that can more moue either a godly person or anye man of common sense and reason to loue and obey one than to consider hys great works and benefites done for his defence and deliuerance out of thraledome and miserye Therefore Moyses willeth the children of Israell to descend into earnest * consideration with themselues how great and maruellous workes God had done for them That he chose them firste as his peculiar people among all the nations of the earth that when they were holden in miserable * captiuitie vnder the tyrannye of the Egiptians of his meere mercy without any regard of their worthynes and farre beyond their hope or expectation he by mightie * power deliuered them By his own voyce with great maiestie of signes and wonders he published hys law vnto them that they might not be ignorant of hys holye will and commaundementes He maruellously gaue victory vnto them against mighty * kings and Nations and to bring them into a blessed lande and countrey by his power not * their might he turned out the inhabitants thereof before them Therefore if after so great and many benefites they should reuolt from this so gratious mercifull and mightye a God they should shewe themselues very vnthankfull and worthy of great punishments TheÌ„ Moyses seuered three Cityes on the otherside of Iordane c. Bicause it semed not iust in the sight of God that they which had committed manslaughter vnwillingly by casualtie and chaunce should be punished as wilfull murderers or those that wittingly doe kil men or commit any other hainous offence Therefore God appoynted Moyses to assigne sixe Cities that myght be as sanctuaries for such persons to resorte vnto for their salftie Of which these are three that Moyses here in this place speaketh of Of the ordaining of these Cities of refuge you may read Num. 35. Deut. 19. Iosua 20. The thirde Sundaye after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deut. 5. AND Moyses called all Israel sayd vnto them Heare O Israel the ordinances and lawes whiche I speake in your eares this daye that ye may learne them fulfill them in déede 2 The Lord our God made a couenaÌ„t with vs in Horeb. 3 The Lorde made not this couenaunt with our fathers but with vs euen with vs which are al here alyue this day 4 The Lorde talked with you face to face in the mount out of the middes of the fire 5 And I stoode betwéen the Lord and you the same time and shewed you the word of the Lord For ye were afrayde at the sight of the fire and went not vp into the mount and he sayd 6 I am the Lord thy God which brought thée out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage 7 Thou shalt haue none other gods in my presence 8 Thou shalt make thée no grauen image or any likenes of that which is in heauen aboue or that is in earth beneath or that is in the waters beneath the earth 9 Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Ielous God visiting the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation among them that hate me 10 And shewe mercy vpon thousands among them y loue mée and kepe my commaundementes 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 12 Kepe the sabbath day that thou sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée 13 Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe 14 But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter nor thy man seruauÌ„t nor thy maide nor thine Oxe nor thine Asse nor any of thy â—â—ttell nor the stranger that is within thy gaâ—es that thy man seruaunt and thy maide maye rest as well as thou 15 Remember that thou wast a seruaunte in the lande of Egipt how that the Lord thy God brought thée out thence through a mightie hand a stretched out arme For which cause the Lord thy God coÌ„maunded thée to kepe the Sabbath day 16 Honour thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée that thy dayes maye be prolonged and that it may go well with thée in the land which the Lord thy God geueth thée 17 Thou shalt not kyll 18 Thou shalt not commit adulterie 19 Thou shalt not steale 20 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 21 Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house his fielde his seruant or his maide his Oxe his Asse or ought that thy neighbour hath 22 These wordes the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the middes of the fire of the cloude of the darknesse with a great voyce added no more therto and wrote them in two tables of stone and deliuered them vnto me 23 And it came to passe that when ye heard the voyce out of the middes of the darknesse for the mountaine dyd burne with fire then ye came vnto me with the Captaines of your tribes and your Elders 24 And ye said Behold the Lorde our God hath shewed vs his glory and his greatnesse we haue hearde his voyce oute of the middes of the fire we haue séene this daye that God doth talke with man and he yet liueth 25 Now therfore why shoulde we dye that this great fire should consume vs If we heare the voyce of y Lord our God any more we shall die 26 For what flesh hath it bene that euer heard the voyce of the liuing God speaking oute of the middes of the fire as we haue done and yet did liue 27 Go thou and heare all that the Lord our God saith and tell thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God saith vnto thée we will heare it and doe it 28 And the Lorde hearde the voyce of your words when ye spake vnto me and the Lorde saide vnto me I haue heard the voyce of the wordes of this people which they haue spoken vnto thée they haue wel said all that they haue spoken 29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me kepe all my commaundements alway that it might go well with them and with their children for euer 30 Go and say vnto them Get you into your tentes againe 31 But stand thou here by me and I will tell thée all the commaundements ordinances lawes which thou shalt teach them that they may doe them in the land which I geue them to possesse 32 Take hede therefore that ye doe in déede as the Lorde your God hath commaunded you and turne not aside either to the righte hande or to the
left 33 But walke in all the wayes which the Lorde your God hath commaunded you that ye may liue that it may go well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shal possesse The exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Deuteronomie And Moyses called all Israel and sayd vnto them heare O Israel c. MOyses purposing in this chapter by repetition to call to their remembraunce the lawe and commaundementes that god gaue vnto hys people in Horeb In these fine fyrst verses in way of a preface he exhorteth admonisheth them diligently to harkē to the lawes ordinances of God and that in such sort as they maye in dede* perfourme them and not onely by hearing receyue them For they conteyne that blessed couenaunt whereby both God did more euidently and notablie binde him self to be their god thā he did before time to their fathers and they also with like protestatiō submitted themselues to be his people so that they coulde not now without great blame fal frō his obedience I am the Lord thy God which broughte thee out of the land of Egipt c. Almighty God that his law might haue the greater reuerence maiestie with his people in the first entrance he * challengeth to himself the authoritie of a Lord God ouer them I am saith he the Lorde thy God * therby giuing thē to vnderstande that they ought of right to submit thē selues to his will and pleasure Secondlye he putteth them in mind of the great benefite of deliuerance that they had receiued at his hande * therby the more to moue allure them to obedience By these ten commaundements we may fully perfectly learne those things whereof by the law of Nature we haue but a single bare taste onlie that is First that we owe a * perfect loue reuerence and feare toward god Secondly that he is pleased with godlines and iustice displeased * with wickednesse and dishonestie Thirdlye by examining our liues according to this rule of his perfecte iustice that we are of our selues * vnworthye to be esteemed his creatures seing that we do not in our obedience fulfill that end * wherunto we were made by him And forsomuch as God the law maker is spirituall in this his lawe he speaketh not onely to our body in requiring external iustice but also to our soule requiring inward and spirituall integritie and in dede such puritie as the Angels in heauē haue as it may appeare by Christs own interpretation* Mathew 5. and likewise when he saith* Thou shalt loue God with al thy hart wyth all thy mind with all thy soule c. Moreouer to the right vnderstanding of these commaundements we must not onely consider the euils that by them God forbiddeth but the vertues and good things that are contrarie vnto the euill For in forbidding the euill he commaundeth the good As for example when he saith * Thou shalt not commit adultry he doth not onlie prohibite all vncleane actes thoughtes but also commaundeth the contrarie that we should moderate our whole life in all chastitie puritie and continencie yea to our powers prohibite vncleanesse in other also These wordes the Lorde spake vnto all your multitude in the mount c. That the wayward people might not discredite the law of God make the lesse accompt of it bicause he was the minister thereof Moyses in this place putteth them in minde that God himself with his owne * voyce gaue these commaundements in the hearing of them all that with so great * terrour and maiestie of thunder lightening fire earthquake that they themselues confessed they were not hable to abide it therfore ernestlie desired that Moyses might be a mediatour betwene God and thē in the deliuerie of his lawes binding themselues wyth this* promise that they would accepte fulfyll those lawes that he in the name of God should deliuer them wherfore he willeth them to take hede that they did in dede performe those things that God had commaunded not to turne aside from them either* on the righte hande or on the left that they might enioye the promises that God in like maner had made vnto them Oh that there were such an heart in thē that they would feare mee c. It is God onely that is hable to mollifie the stome harts of men giue them pliant and obedient willes to fulfill his commaundementes What may it meane then that God in this place both wishe to his people such an hart as would feare him seing that he only can giue it and they of thēselues not able to haue it Surely he doth not signifie hereby that men of their * owne free willes are hable to frame their harts to the perpetuall loue and feare of God. But he speaking after the manner of men declareth that it is a thing rather to be wished than to be looked for that the wayward people of the Iewes shuld for euer be obedient to his lawes and ordinaunces God by wishing that his people might or by commaunding that they shoulde kepe his commaundements doth not signifye that they haue of themselues power to doe them but by the commaundement they maye learne what they should doe and in finding wante in themselues be driuen to seke habilitie* where it is to be had that is at the mercy grace of almighty God. The fourth Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Deut. 6. THese are the commaundementes ordynaunces and lawes which the Lorde your God commaunded mée to teache you that ye mighte doe them in the lande whither ye goe to possesse it 2 That thou mightest feare the Lorde thy God and kepe all his ordinances and his commaundements which I commaund thée thou and thy Sonne and thy sonnes sonne all the dayes of thy life that thy dayes may be prolonged 3 Heare therefore O Israell and take héede that thou doe it that it may go well with thée and that ye may encrease mightily as the Lorde God of thy fathers hath promysed thée a land that floweth with milke and hony 4 Heare O Israel the lord our God is lorde onely 5 And thou shalte loue the lorde thy God with all thyne heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might 6 And these wordes which I commaunde thée this day shal be in thine heart 7 And thou shalt shewe them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the waye and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp 8 And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shal be as frontlettes betwéene thine eyes 9 And thou shalt write them vpō the postes of thy house and vpon thy gates 10 And when the Lord thy God hath brought thée into the land which he sware
the * deliuerance from the tyrannie of Satan sinne and Antichrist * the knowledge of his holy worde * light of his Gospel wherby we are to be made the children of God and * heires not of the land of Chanaan and the fruites and pleasures therof but of the celestiall Ierusalem the kingdome of God and eternall lyfe with Christe Iesu in heauen And if the consideration of worldly benefits might be so good a stay vnto the Israelites how much more ought these to be vnto vs if we think our selues worthie the name of christiās See that you walke not after straunge gods and the gods of the nations c. As the Ievves and by them all other are forbidden to worship straunge gods so are we also to woorship the liuing God with straunge worship that is with any other worship than he himselfe in his holie worde hath appointed We must beware therefore that wee fall not away from Gods true worship * in spirit truth vnto idolatrie superstition and fonde* deuises of men therby thinking to please god For as god is a ielous God and will be worshipped alone and not with other false Gods so is he a seuere God and delyghteth more in single obedience to his woorde than in sacrifice superstition or any of mans deuised holinesse thoughe it seeme neuer so pleasant in the sight of the worlde or to be done of neuer so good an intent * Saule when he spared the fat beastes of the Amalekites for sacrifice might seme to haue done it for a good purpose But God dyd so muche mislyke it that for the same he cast hym bothe oute of his fauoure and out of the kingdome of Israell And when thy sonne asketh thee in time to come saying What meane c. It is not sufficient for vs to know the true worship of God oure selues but we must desyre also to instruct * and teache other and especially oure owne * children that Gods true Religion may be deliuered from hande to hande and so be enlarged to our posteritie How farre from this are a greate number of suche as will be called Christians and neither can nor will teach theyr sonnes and daughters themselues nor yet procure them to bee instructed by other no nor to come thyther where by order they are appoynted to bee taughte the principles of christian faith Surely it muste needes be thoughte they haue small feare of God little sense of the mysterie of oure redemption in Christe no regarde of the good estate of their chyldren or of the saluation of their owne soules They should teache theyr children in lyke manner as Moyses here commaundeth the Iewes and saye We were of oure selues and of oure* owne natures as bondeslaues and subiecte to Sathan synne and Hell And it pleased Almightie God of his exceeding greate mercie withoute any regarde of woorthynesse in vs to sende downe his only and dearely beloued sonne from heauen to take fleshe of the blessed virgin and here liued in this worlde in great contempt and reproche and at the laste was put to moste cruell death by his passion paying the ransome for oure sinnes and for vs satisfied the Iustice of God. So that we by* him are nowe reconciled to God haue remission of our sinnes and in his sight are reputed iust and appoynted heires of eternall lyfe wyth Chryste Iesu For thys cause doe me* assemble togyther in the house of Prayer and vse the Sacramentes and mysteries of oure Religion thereby to call into our remembraunce this vnestimable benefite and to* giue thankes vnto him for the same and to pray for the assistance of his holy spirite that in all vertuousnesse and holynesse of lyfe we may shewe our selues thankefull and studie to liue according to thys our holye vocation that the name of God maye in vs bee praysed This I saye shoulde they teach their children to make them to vnderstande why they be called Christians and what the substance of true religion is The fourth Sunday after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deuteronomie 7. WHen the Lorde thy God shall bring thée into the land whither thou goest to possesse it and hathe caste oute many nations before thée the Hethites the Gergesites the Amorites the Chanaanites the Pherezites the Heuites and the Iebusites seuen nations greater and myghtier than thou 2 And when the Lorde thy God hathe sette them before thée thou shalte smyte them and vtterly destroy them and make no couenaunt with them nor haue compassion on them 3 Thou shalte make no mariadges with them neyther giue thy daughter vnto his sonne nor take hys daughter vnto thy sonne 4 For they will deceyue thy sonne that he should not folowe mée and they shall serue straunge gods and then wil the wrath of the Lorde waxe hotte agaynst thée and destroy thée sodeinly But thus ye shall deale with them ye shall ouerthrowe their aulters and breake downe their pillers cutte downe their groaues and burne theyr grauen Images wyth fyre 6 For thou arte an holy people vnto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thée to be a special people vnto himselfe aboue all nations that are vpon the earth 7 The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you bicause ye were mo in numbre than any people for ye were the fewest of all people 8 But bycause the Lorde loued you and bicause he wold kéep the othe which he had sworne vnto your fathers therfore hath the Lorde brought you out through a mightie hande and deliuered you out of the house of bondage from the hande of Pharao king of Egypt 9 Vnderstande therefore that the Lorde thy God he is God and that a true God which kéepeth appointment and mercie vnto them that loue him and kéepe his commaundementes throughout a thousande generations 10 And rewardeth them that hate him to their face so that he bringeth them to naughte and doth not deferre the time but rewardeth him that hateth him before his face 11 Kéepe thou therefore the commaundementes and ordinances and lawes which I commaunde thée this daye that thou do them 12 If ye hearken vnto these lawes and obserue and do them the Lord thy God also shall kéepe vnto thée the couenant and the mercie whiche he sware vnto thy fathers 13 He will loue thée and blesse thée and multiplie thée he wil also blesse the frute of thy wombe and the fruite of thy lande thy corne thy wyne and thyne oyle and the increase of thy kine and thy flocks of shéep in the land which he sware vnto thy fathers to giue thée 14 Thou shalt be blessed aboue all nations there shall be neither man nor woman vnfruitfull among you nor any of your cattell shal be barren 15 Moreouer the Lord wil take away from thée all maner infirmities and will put none of the euill diseases of Egypt which thou knowest vpon thée but will sende them vpon
all them that hate thée 16 Thou shalt consume all the nations whiche the Lorde thy God shal deliuer thée thyne eye shal haue no pitie vpon them neither shalte thou serue their gods for that shall be thy decaye 17 If thou saye in thyne hearte These nations are mo than I howe can I caste them out 18 Thou shalte not feare them but remember what the Lord thy God did vnto Pharao and vnto all Egypt 19 The greate temptations whyche thyne eyes sawe and the sygnes and wonders and the myghtie hande and stretched out arme whereby the Lorde thy God broughte thée oute so shall the Lorde thy God doe vnto all Nations of whome thou arte afrayde 20 Moreouer the Lorde thy God will sende hornets among them vntyll they that are lefte and hyde themselues from thée bée destroyed 21 Thou shalte not feare them for the Lord thy God is among you a myghtie God and a terrible 22 For the Lorde thy God will put oute these nations before thée by a little and a lyttle thou mayest not consume them at once leaste the beastes of the fielde increase vpon thée 23 But the Lorde thy God shall giue them before thée and shall destroye them with a myghtie destruction vntill he haue brought them to naught 24 And hée shall delyuer theyr Kings into thyne hande and thou shalte destroye their name from vnder heauen There shall no man bée able to stande before thée vntyll thou haue destroyed them 25 The grauen Images of their Gods shalte thou burne with fyre and couet not the gold and siluer that is on them nor take it vnto thée least thou be snared therein for it is an abhomination before the Lord thy God. 26 Bryng not therefore abhomination into thyne house least thou be a cursed thing as it is but vtterly defye it and abhorre it for it is a cursed thing The Exposition vpon the seuenth Chapter of Deuteronomie When the Lorde thy God shall bring thee into the lande c. FOrsomuche as not onely the Israelites but all mankinde through natural corruption are verie prone to Idolatrie and superstition Moyses as a good gouernour and Father dothe* forwarne them of one great daunger whereby if they tooke not heede they might soone be caried or led awaye from the true worship of god And that is the league alliance and mariadge with Heathens and suche as were of corrupt faith and religion For they which willingly ioyne with infidels doe as it were drawe in one yoke with them to their owne destruction Drawe not sayth sainct Paule in one yoke with the vnfaithfull Wherby surely he meaneth ioyning with them in al those wayes by whiche wee maye be broughte into their familiaritie They that meane faythfully to serue God must alwaye haue * separation betwene them and the wicked Therfore Gods will is that wee shoulde not onely wyth open consente not ioyne with them but bycause of our owne frayltie that will bee soone mysledde to beware of all theyr allurements But bicause if we wil haue no societie with the wicked we muste* leaue thys lyfe we must make some difference betweene such contractes as doe linke vs vnto them and other whyche leaue vnto vs oure christian faythe and libertie without daunger So long as wee liue among the vnfaithfull wee cannot shunne the societie of those thinges that appertaine vnto common lyfe as it appeareth in Loth but if we goe further by leagues of nygh frendshippe and * ioyning in defence one of the other or in mariage or suche lyke surely wee open a wyde gap to the deuill to tempte vs and to drawe vs by little and little to corruption of Faith and Re igion or at the least wyse to stoppe our mouthes and staye oure endeuours from the defence and furtherance of Gods true worship against superstition and idolatrie When Moyses not onely forbyddeth ioyning in familiaritie with the wicked but also willeth them to Smite and vtterly destroy them nor to Haue anye compassion on them it maye not seeme eruell or vniust They haue for their warraunte the commaundemente of GOD who besyde that hee is Lorde of the whole worlde and had promised the countrey where the Chananiâ—es dwelt vnto his people to inhabite foure hundred yeares before for their wickednesse mighte iustly haue destroyed them as he declareth to Abraham Gen. 15. And if then from that time to this the space of foure hundred yeres of his great mercie God gaue them respite to repente and they contynued styll in wickednesse and encreased theyr synnes to full measure thys straighte punishemente that God here and in other places commaundeth can not in any wyse seeme crueltie and extremitie but to out example a token of his * iust iudgemeÌ„t against the obstinate and vnrepentant sinner If God say Leui. 18. That the earth did spue them out for their sinne as beeing wearie of the stenche thereof the people of GOD as his instrumentes myghte iustely destroye them and pulled daunger vpon them selues when they did not For oftentymes God vpbraydeth them with sharpe reprofe for that they spared those that he would haue punished For thou arte an holye people vnto the Lorde thy God. c. In this part Moyses putteh them in mind that God hath chosen them among all nations of the earthe to bee hys peculiar people and declareth wyth what cause hee was moued so to doe and to what ende The cause of Gods election he sheweth to be his * onely loue mercie and truthe and not any respecte of woorthynesse honour or multitude in them For they were the waywardest the basest and the smallest people of a greate multytude Only of his mercie he called Abraham the father of the faithfull and set his loue vpon him and promised with assuraunce of an othe that hee woulde bee * his God and the God of his seede and then he woulde giue the * land of Chanaan as an heritage vnto his seede Therfore to fulfyll thys hys promyse as a true and faithfull Lord though they otherwise deserued he hath remained their good God and giueÌ„ to them his lawe that they mighte not be ignoraunt of his holy wil. c. The end whervnto God did chose them was not that they should continue in superstitious idolatrie and wickednesse but that they should be an * holy people vnto him and studie to obserue his lawes and ordinaunces and for that purpose hath he from tyme to tyme ben so gratious and merciful vnto them The same admonition muste we also learne to applie vnto our selues God of his meere mercie and not of our* worthinesse hath chosen and called vs to bee his people and membres of his Churche and partakers of all those promyses that hee hath made to mankinde in Christe and that not to this ende to continue in sinne and sensual lyfe for he hath not called vs to vncleannesse sayeth Saincte
fiftie righteous within the Citie wilte thou destroye and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therin 25 That be farre from thée that thou shouldest do after this maner and slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thée Shall not the iudge of all the world doe according to right 26 And the Lord saide If I finde in Sodome fiftie righteous within the citie I will spare all the place for their sakes 27 And Abraham aunswering sayd Behold I haue taken vpon me to speake vnto the Lord which am but dust and asshes 28 If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie righteous wilt thou destroy all the citie for lacke of fiue And he saide If I finde there fortie and fiue I will not destroy them 29 And he procéeded to speake vnto him againe and saide What if there shal be fortie founde there He aunswered I will not doe it for forties sake 30 He said vnto him againe Oh let not my Lord be angry that I speake What if there shall thirtie be founde there And he saide I will doe nothing if I finde thirtie there 31 He saide againe O sée I haue taken vpon me to speake now also vnto my Lord What if there shal be twentie found there He aunswered I will not destroye them for twenties sake 32 And he sayd Oh let not my Lord be angry I wil speake yet but this once What if ten shal be found there He answered I will not destroy them for tennes sake 33 And the Lord went his way assoone as he had left communing with Abraham and Abraham also returned vnto his place The exposition vpon the .xviij. Chapter of Genesis And the Lorde appeared vnto him in the plaine of Memre c. THis Chapter sheweth how God appered by his angels vnto his seruant Abraham Then how Abraham inuited and entertayned the Angels thinking them at the first to haue ben Men as they appeared And lastly howe the Angels reuealed to him the purpose of God to destroy Sodom and what talke Abraham had with them If we loke to the time of this appearāce it may be thought it was shortely after Abraham had circumcised himselfe and all his And thereby haue we to learne how diligent and * readie the prouidence of God is to Visit Comfort Confirme such as by true faith and obedience haue submitted themselues vnto his Religiō holy ordinaunces The chiefe cause of the sending of these angels vnto Abraham was to confirme to him and his wife Sarah the promise that he had made him of a Chyld by her of whom the Blessed seede should descende By the way also he reueleth to him the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha Why it pleased God to sende three Angels not two or one we must not with vayne curiositie search It is not wicked to think that he respected therin the mysterie of the holy Trinitie as many of the anciente Fathers haue writtē but whether that agree with the Simplicitie of the historie I leaue to the iudgement of the godly In Abraham we haue an example of a godly willing desire to entertain Strangers and to relieue them which is not vnfruteful for vs to consider First therefore Abraham sate at his Tent dore in the heate of the day vndoubtedly not of Idlenes but of purpose to espie if any trauailers passed by that he might entreate them to stay and take some reliefe And therfore whē he saw the Angels thinking them to haue ben Men He ran vnto thē He might haue called to them or sent a seruant but in running himselfe appeared a more godly willingnesse And when he came vnto them he bowed himselfe with all humblenesse though he had neuer seene thē before and called the one of them by the name of Lord for reuerēce thinking him happily a worthier person than the two other If sayth he I haue found fauour in thy sight passe not away c. So ready was this godly father to * liberalitie in entertainement that he signifieth they shuld rather do him a pleasure than receiue any benefite at his hād and that it were a reproch to him if they did not vouchsafe to tarie with him The things that he promised them were but smal A little water to wash their feete and a morsell of bread to comforte thē Which he doth to that end that their modestie and bashfulnesse might not think that they shuld be chargeable and burdenous to him so be the lother to tarie Mē in those coūtries vsed to trauaile cōmonly bare footed and therfore was it ease and comforte to wayfaring men to * wash their feete The place whither he biddeth thē to rest thēselues was vnder a tree Such was the simplicitie of y anciēt time they had not yet takē vp the wasting of their substāce in building of Gay houses gorgeous parlers This Reuerende Patriarke and father of the faithful whom god vsed so familiarly with his angels dwelt in a Tent or Tabernacle had no house at all to declare y he was but a * pilgrime in this land and had no place of long abiding And they saide do as thou hast said and Abraham went apace c. Forsomuch as it was the pleasure of god that it should not yet be knowne what the Angels were as Abraham was ready and willing to offer them such things as were for the reliefe of wayfaring mē as he toke them to be so do they will him to do as he had spoken concealing as yet that they were the Angels and messengers of God sent vnto him And Abraham in making the prouisiō sheweth the same humblenes ready good will that he declared in the bidding He wēt apace to Sarah into the Tent He ran vnto the beastes He fet a tender and a good calfe He prouided all that he had spoken not onely of the best but with speed For as he knew it to be curtesie to entertayne straungers so hee thoughte it no good manner to cause them to tarie longer than happily the necessitie of theyr busynesse woulde suffer them As wel by the place before mentioned as by the residue of this Entertainment we may learne that the worlde was not yet growen to such a nicitie tendernesse and delicacie in feeding other furniture as by Sensualitie men since that are come vnto and especially in these latter dayes Here some moue question how the Angels did eate or whether they did eat or no Seing that they be celestial Spirits and haue no Bodies that neede sustenance and feeding surely Godly Christians must not in such questions be curious As gods pleasure was that they shuld be taken as men for the time So of his diuine power whiche dayly worketh strange things he had prouided bodies for them to walke in and with the same bodyes did they eat althogh their Spiritual substance needed no sustenance And when
for punishment thereof cause them to be led Captiue into Babilon to serue strange Lordes and Maisters in a Countrey that was not theirs Preache this vnto the house of Iacob and crie it out in Juda. c. God leaueth nothing vndone whereby this Stubburne people may declare themselues vnexcusable if they doe not Repent forsake their wickednesse and therefore chargeth the Prophete that they lacke not Teaching and Preaching and the euident declaration of Gods Iustice to come vpon them and that in such maner as they maye not thinke it to be Wordes onely and bare Threatninges to feare them but that they maye be well assured that they shall be as truely perfourmed in dede as they were vttered in wordes And then if they did not obey they shoulde shew themselues to be not only a Blockishe a folishe people but in dede as indurate Storkes and Stones and altogether like those Idolles that they worshipped which had eyes and yet sawe not and eares and yet hearde not c. but did suffer the Worde of God to passe as if it had bene spoken to Vnsensible creatures To the further amplification and condemnation of their Obstinacie in reiecting al obedience and Feare of God he compareth them to the Sea. The Sea saithe he then whiche there is nothing more forcible and violente yet at my Decree and appointment dothe it* tarie within his boundes and in his greatest rage and swelling of Waues dothe not breake oute beyonde the bankes of light Sande and Grauell Hereby this People mighte be taughte how great my Power is so learne to Feare me as their God and to Obey me as their Lorde that made them and all the worlde beside but they are more dull of vnderstanding than the* Vnsensible creatures and further from obedience than the furious and raging Surges of the Sea. Although the exceeding might and power of God in bounding the Sea within certaine Limites did not moue them to feare his Maiestie yet considering that of his fatherly Prouidence he sent them Raine in due times all maner of Seasonable weathering to temper the grouÌ„d that it mighte bring forth Fruites to their vse and commoditie it should haue somewhat enclined their hartes to Loue his Fatherly goodnesse and Reuerently to haue serued him But they were as vâ—thankefull toward the Goodnesse and mercie of God as they were obstinate against his Power and Maiestie Neuerthelesse youre misdeedes haue turned these from you c. Hereby we are taught that when God taketh from vs the Fruites of the Earth and his other good blessinges the cause thereof is our owne Sinfulnesse and forsaking of God and his true Seruice In the 26. and 27. verses the Prophete reckeneth vp some of their offences and especiallye their Falsheade Deceipte and Crafte in trapping and snaring the simple and by vniust and suttell meanes drawing them into daunger so that it maye appeare there remayned among them no Faithe nor Trueth nor Integritie and vprighte dealing but altogether couetous craftinesse iniurie and oppression And as the People were giuen to extortion and oppression so were the Magistrates negligent in ministring Iustice in defending the innocent and punishing the violence of the oppressour and wrongfull doer Yea and the * verye Prophetes also Preachers and Priests which should haue instructed and taught both People and Magistrate were themselues giuen ouer to Couetousnes and Briberie and by false prophecying teaching noseled the people in their wickednesse and in the contempt of God and of his true Prophetes And therfore God denounceth that he must needes of his Iustice punishe both them and all suche other wicked People as they are The .14 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ieremie Cap. 22. THus sayeth the Lorde Goe downe into the house of the King of Iuda and speake there these wordes 2 And saye Heare the worde of the Lord thou king of Iuda that sittest in the kingly seate of Dauid thou and thy seruants and thy people that goeth in and out at these gates 3 Thus the Lorde commaundeth Kepe equitie and righteousnesse deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent doe not gréeue nor oppresse the straunger the fatherlesse nor the wydowe and shed no innocent bloude in this place 4 And if ye kéepe these things Faithfully then shall there come in at the doore of this house Kinges to sit vpon Dauids seate they shal be caryed in charrets and ryde vpon Horses bothe they and their seruantes and their people 5 But if ye will not be obediente vnto these commaundementes I sweare by myne owne selfe sayeth the Lorde this house shal be waste 6 For thus hathe the Lorde spoken vpon the Kinges of Iuda Thou Gileaâ— arte vnto me the heade of Libanus shall I not make thée so waste as the Cities that no man dwell in 7 I will prepare a destroyer with his weapons for thée to hewe downe thy especiall Cedar trées and to caste them in the fire 8 And all the people that goe by this Citie shall speake one to another Wherefore hathe the Lorde done thus vnto this noble Citie 9 Then shall it be answered Because they haue broken the couenaunt of the Lorde their God and haue worshipped and serued strange Gods. 10 Maurne not ouer the dead and be not woe for them but be sorie for him that departeth awaye for he commeth not againe and séeth his natiue countrey no more 11 For thus sayeth the Lorde as touching Sellum the Sonne of Iosias King of Iuda which raigned after his father When he is caryed oute of this place he shall neuer come hither againe 12 For he shall dye in the place wherevnto he is led captiue and shall sée this lande no more 13 Woe worthe him that buyldeth his house with vnrighteousnesse and his parlours with the good that he hath gotten by violence which neuer recompenceth his neighbours labour nor payeth him his hire 14 Who thinketh in himselfe I will builde mée a wyde house and gorgious parlours who causeth wyndowes to be hewen therein and the séelings and ioystes maketh he of Cedar and painteth them with Sinoper 15 Thinkest thou to raigne nowe that thou haste inclosed thy selfe with Cedar Dyd not thy father eate and drynke and prosper well as long as he dealt with equitie and righteousnesse 16 Yea when he helped the oppressed and poore to their righte then prospered he well from whence came this but onely because he knewe me saith the Lorde 17 Neuerthelesse as for thine eyes and thyne heart they looke vpon couetousnesse to shedde Innocent bloude to doe wrong and violence 18 And therefore thus sayth the Lorde against Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias King of Iuda They shall not mourne for him as they vse to doe Alas brother alas sister neither shall they say vnto him Alas for that noble prince 19 But as an asse shall he be buryed corrupte and bée caste withoute the gates of
Captiuitie and your selues brought to shame and Confusion bycause of youre Obstinate wickednesse You thinke youre selfe in greate Honour and Felicitie Glorie muche in that ye dwell in houses Gorgiously Seeled with Ceders of Libanus but all that your Gaynesse shal be little regarded in the tyme of your Sorow when the VioleÌ„ce of the enimie shall Sodaynly come vpon you at the time ye least thinke of it euen as the throwes of a Woman labouryng with chylde As truly as Jliue saith the Lord though Iechonias the sonne of Ioakim c. The maner of the Prophetes is almost continually to vtter their sayings in the Person of God and oftentymes to * repeate that it is the worde of the Lorde and that the Mouthe of the Lord hath spoken it to the intent that the people might be wel Assured that it was no vain speache that they vttered but the certaine Will and determinate Purpose of god And therfore if they would shunne the danger thereof that they ought to giue credite to it and Beleeue it Of all other Princes doe most hardely Beleuethe declaration of Aduersitie to come vnto them bicause they haue commonly the greatest worldly Helpes to deliuer them Wherfore that Iechonias otherwyse called Ioakim the sonne of Ioakim might not doubt of that he here speaketh he vttreth it in the Person of God and confirmeth it with an othe That although he sit â—â—on the holie Throne of Dauid yet he shoulde be a miserable Captiue yea God sheweth himself so to detest that king for the Contempt of his Word that though he were as straightly ioyned to him as a Signet on his right hand yet he woulde plucke him of and cast him into the haÌ„ds of his Enimies that seek his life And that bothe He his Mother that bare him and his SeruaÌ„ts with al other that wer Chief about him shuld be led Captiue into a StraÌ„ge laÌ„d there Die in great miserie O thou Earth earthe earthe heare the woorde of the Lorde c. Forsomuch as the Iewes had so great confideÌ„ce in the Promise that was made to Dauid for the continuance of his posteritie in his seate So long as the Sunne and Moone endured as neither Prince nor People coulde in anye case bee brought to Beleue the Threatnings of God to the contrary therfore the Prophet here in earnest maner bicause the People were so Obstinate turneth his Speache to the Earth and openly denounceth that he was Willed by God himself to set vp this Prophecie in writing vpoÌ„ the doores of the Temple to the knowledge of all men that Iechonias shuld not Prosper in his Issue nor haue any child That shuld be so happie to sit on the seat of Dauid and beare rule after him And yet maye not this seeme repugnante to the prophecie of Iacob That the scepter should not be taken from Iuda and a Lawgiuer from betvveene his feete vntill Silo came c. For althoughe the Iewes after this Iechonias had no king in Succession either vnto the time of the Captiuitie or after whiche reigned among them with suche Libertie and Maiestie as the kings of Iuda before had Done yet had they a Gouernement by which they had Ruled bothe their Common weale and the External forme of Religion according to the Lawe of Moyses vntill the very comming of our Sauioure Christ vnder the Romaines by whoÌ„ euen that mean Libertie which they had to that Time was taken away and the Prophecie of Iacob fulfilled as well in the Losse of their gouernement as in the comming of Messias that should be the Expectation of the Gentiles The .xv. Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Hieremie 35. THe wordes whiche the Lorde spake vnto Hieremie in the raigne of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda are these 2 Goe vnto the house of the Rechabites and call them out and bring them to the house of the Lord into some commodious place and giue them wine to drink 3 Then took I Iazaniah the sonne of Hieremie the sonne of Habaziniah and his brethren and all his sonnes and the whole housholde of the Rechabites 4 And brought them into the house of the Lord into the closet of the children of Hanan the sonne of Iegedaliah the man of God whiche was by the closet of the Princes that is aboue the closet of Maasiah the sonne of Sellum whiche is the treasurer 5 And before the sonnes of the kinred of the Rechabites I set pottes full of wyne and cups and sayd vnto them Drinke wine 6 But they sayde Wée will drinke no wine for Ionadab the sonne of Rechab oure father commaunded vs saying Ye and your sonnes shall neuer drinke wyne buylde houses sowe no séede plante no vines 7 Yea ye shall haue no vineyards but for all your time ye shall dwell in tentes that ye maye liue long in the lande wherin ye be straungers 8 Thus haue wée obeyed the commaundemente of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab our father in al that he hath charged vs and so wée drinke no wine all our lyfe long wée nor our wyues our sonnes and our daughters 9 Neither buyld we any house to dwel therein we haue also among vs neyther Vineyardes nor corne lande to sowe 10 But we dwell in tentes we obey and do according vnto al that Ionadab our father commanded vs. 11 But nowe that Nabuchodonozor the King of Babylon came vp into the lande we sayd Come let vs go to Hierusalem that we may escape the hoast of the Chaldeis and the Assyrians and so wée dwell nowe at Hierusalem 12 Then came the word of the Lord vnto Hieremie saying 13 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Go and tell the men of Iuda and the inhabiters of Hierusalem Will ye not be reformed to obey my wordes sayeth the Lorde 14 The wordes whiche Ionadab the sonne of Rechab commaunded his sonnes that they should drinke no wine are faste surely kept for vnto this day they drinke no wine but obey their fathers commandementâ— but as for me I haue stande vp early I haue spoken vnto you and giuen you earnest warning and yet haue ye not ben obediente vnto mée 15 Yea I haue sent my seruantes all the Prophets vnto you I rose vp early and sent you word saying O turne you nowe euery man from his wicked way amende your lyues and goe not after straunge gods to woorshippe them that yée maye continue in the lande whiche I haue giuen vnto you and your fathers but ye woulde neyther heare me nor folow me 16 The children of Ionadab Rechabs sonne haue stedfastly kept their fathers commandemeÌ„t that he gaue them but this people is not obedient vnto me 17 And therfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Behold I wil bring vpon Iuda vpon euery one that dwelleth in Hierusalem all the trouble that I haue deuised against them For I haue spoken vnto them but they woulde
say vnto them thus sayth the Lorde God Yet in this also your fathers haue blasphemed me and grieuously transgressed against me 28 For after I had brought them into the lande for the which I lifted vp my hande to giue it vnto them when they sawe euery high hill and all thicke trées they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented their offering of anger there also they made their swéete sauours and powred out their wine offerings 29 And I saide vnto them What is that high place wherevnto ye resort and the name of it is called Bamah vnto this day 30 Wherefore speake vnto the house of Israel thus sayth the Lord God Are ye not defyled in the waies of your fathers and commit ye not whordome after their abhominations 31 For when ye offer your giftes and make your sonnes to passe through the fyre you are polluted with all your Idols vnto this day shall I answere you when I am asked O house of Israel As I liue sayth the Lorde God I will not be sought of you 32 And that vvhich commeth into your minde shall not be at all which you say We will be as the Gentiles as the kinreds of Countreys to serue wood and stone 33 As truly as I liue sayth the Lord God I my selfe will ruâ—e you with a mightie hande with a stretched out arme and with indignation powred out ouer you 34 And I will bring you from the people and gather you out of the countreys wherein ye are scattered with a mightie hande with a stretched out arme and with indignation poured out 35 And I will bring you into the wildernesse of the people and there I wil be iudged with you face to face 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernesse of Egypt so will I pleade with you also sayth the Lord God. 37 I will cause you to passe vnder the rodde and I will bring you into the bonde of the couenant 38 And I will purge out of you the rebels and them that transgresse against me and bring them out of the lande of their habitation as for the lande of Israell they shall not come in it that you may know how that I am the Lorde 39 As for you O house of Israell thus sayeth the Lorde God Go you and serue euery man his Idols séeing that ye obey not me and pollute no more my holy name with your giftes and your Idols 40 For vpon my holy hill euen vpon the hie hill of Israell sayth the Lorde God shall all the house of Israell and all that is in the lande worship me and in the same place wil I fauour them and there wil I require your heaue offeringes and the firstlings of your oblations with all your holy thinges 41 I will accept your swéete sauour when I bring you from the Nations and gather you togither out of the landes wherein you haue bene scattered that I may be hallowed in you before the heathen 42 And ye shall know that I am the Lorde when I shall bring you into the land of Israell into the land for the which I lift vp my hande to giue it vnto your fathers 43 There shall ye call to remembraunce your owne wayes and all your workes wherein ye haue bene defiled and ye shall be cut of in your owne sight for all your wickednesse that ye haue done 44 And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I deale with you for my names sake and not after your wicked wayes nor according to your corrupt workes O ye house of Israell sayth the Lorde God. 45 Moreouer the worde of the Lorde came vnto me saying 46 Thou sonne of man set thy face towarde the way of Themanah and drop thy vvorde towarde the south and prophecie towarde the forrest of the south fielde 47 And say to the forrest of the south Here the worde of the Lorde thus sayth the Lorde God Beholde I will kindle a fire in thée that shall consume all the gréene trées with all the drie the continuall flame shall not be quenched and euerie face from the south to the morth shall be burnt therein 48 And all fleshe shall sée that I the Lorde haue kindled it and it shall not be quenched 49 Then sayd I Ah Lord God they say of me Doth not he speake parables The Exposition vpon the .xx. Chapter of Ezechiel In the seuenth yeare the tenth day of the fift Moneth certaine of the elders c. THe Iewes as is sayde in the former Chapter quarreled with God and thought it extremitie that theyr Fathers wickednesse shoulde be punished in them Wherfore in this place the Prophete declareth that as there fathers were euill and rebellious against God so were the children and posteritie also and therefore that they were iustly plagued by him in respect of themselues as well as of their fathers In the verie enterance of this speech he sheweth at what time and by what Occasion he preached this vnto them In the seuenth yeare sayth he c. that is from the captiuitie and banishment of Iechonias in Babilon For from that time as it appeareth in sundrie places they began their account partly to call to remembrance the Heauie iudgements of GOD agaynst them for their sinne partly to Comfort themselues with the promise of deliuerance after .70 weekes or yeares prophecyed vnto them by Hieremie and Daniell The occasion of this speach of Ezechiel is the same that was in .14 Chapter that is the comming of the Elders of Israel vnto him to haue answere from God of their estate and captiuitie that they were in They pretended to reuerence the Prophete as a father and instructer and that they were desyrous to learne at his hande what they should hope or what they might doe but meaning nothing lesse then syncerely to follow his teaching For if they had so purposed they woulde long before haue left those things with which God by his Prophets declared that he was greatly Displeased With like affection came they to Hieremie to consult of their fleeing into Aegypt but when hee had tolde them Gods will they would not beleeue him but followed their owne phantasie * Sedechias also coniured the same Hieremie to tell him plainly the will and purpose of God but when he heard it he made no account of it but by the motion of his Nobles cast him into prison With like affection oftentimes the Priestes the Scribes the Phariseyes the Saduces the Herodians came vnto Christ but neuer soundely to learne but rather take him in trip and thereby to worke him daunger In like sort many at this day pretende with fayre face a Loue of the truth and a Fauour of the Religion published according to the worde of God and therefore will come to Sermons and to seruice and when it serueth for their purpose will Speake agaynst Papistrie and with wordes vpholde the truth but with howe sounde minde and conscience their
of anye people that is * because they Breake the lawe of God Cast awaye his iudgementes and Contemne his worde Yet is God of long pacience and slow to wrath euer trying all means of amendment before he come to extremitie and euen then also sometime he respecteth not the desertes of men but the Glorie of his owne name Moreouer I sayd vnto their sonnes in the Wildernesse Walke not in the c. In the space of fortie yeares well neare all the Fathers which came out of Aegypt were deade partlye by Gods plagues for their disobedience partly by his iust iudgementes otherwise so that but two of them came into the lande of promise Therefore God by his seruant Moyses exhorted their sonnes not to followe their fathers steppes but to cleaue to the law and ordinances of God as it appeareth well neare in the whole booke of Deut. But they were no more obedient thā their fathers were God forbade the people to follow the statutes and Traditions of their fathers Therefore the holy ghost confuteth them which in matters of religion and holinesse will pretend to follow the Example of their fathers and not measure their faith by Gods worde and his holy scriptures The authoritie of fathers ought certainly to be great with their children in all thinges that are not Repugnant to Gods will which is safely and surely vnderstanded by his worde only and not by example of Ancetours or predecessours For it hath beene a common thing among the people of God as it appeareth in this place a number mo that Ancetours haue Erred in Gods causes and therefore can they be no sure ground of conscience I gaue them also statutes that were not good and iudgements wherein they c. All the lawes and precepts of God were pure holy and good therfore the meaning of these words is that forsomuche as in no case they woulde be brought to keepe the Good and wholsome lawes of God by his iust iudgement he gaue them ouer to their owne Phantasies suffered them to vse the wicked and Superstitious ordinances of the heathen to their owne further condemnation And the same meaneth he by this saying I defiled them in their owne giftes and gaue them vp to a reprobate sense that they might destroy the first borne of their owne children in sacrificing them to the Idoll Moloc The like to this Paule also threatneth that shall happen vnto men in the latter dayes and in the times of Antichrist that forsomuch as they will not loue the truth God will bring vpon them an effectuall illusion that they may beleeue lyes to the ende that all may be iudged which would not giue credite to the truth After I hadde brought them into the lande for the which I lifted vp c. Nowe followeth howe Waywardly and disobediently their Fathers behaued themselues after they came into y land of Chanaan For the greater benefices that God of his goodnesse had bestowed vpon them the more readie were they to Fall from his true worship to the Idolatrie and superstition of the Gentiles They serued the Lorde Truly all the dayes of Iosuah and of the Elders that followed him as it is written in the seconde of the Iudges But in the next generation the children of Israel dealt wickedly in the sight of the Lorde and serued all maner of Idols The whole Booke of the Iudges is nothing but as it were a Register of their inconstancie and light flitting from the True seruice of God notwithstanding that he did sundrie times of his great mercie Rayse diuerse Gouernours to deliuer them And afterwarde did they in like maner in the Reigne of many euill kings both of Israell and Iuda And I sayd vnto them what is that high place wherevnto you resort c. The Patriarkes and Saintes of God did alway Sacrifice vnto God as appeareth by Abell Noah Abraham and other Which were not therefore acceptable and pleasant vnto god because they were full Satisfaction for sinnes but rather partly as Thankesgiuing for his benefites partly as figures of the true Redemption and Satisfaction that shoulde be made by the oblation and Sacrifice of Christ Iesu vpon the Crosse Afterwarde God by Moyses distincted those Sacrifices into sundrie sortes and appointed one Place where he would be serued that is at his tabernacle before the time of Salomon and in his temple of Hierusalem after it was by him builded But the Israelites making small account of this order and appoyntment of God builded aulters in euery high place and on the same offered Sacrifice not onely to the liuing God pretending the imitation of the Patriarkes against the prescript of Gods worde but also in the like places offered to Idols and straunge Gods according to the imitation of the Gentiles as in diuerse Chapiters before I haue noted Thus sayth the Lord God are you not defiled in the wayes of your fathers c. After that God hath layde before them the rebellious wickednesse of their Fathers in Aegypt in the wildernesse and in the land of Chanaan that they might not * glorie in the holinesse of their fathers as some time they were woont to do he now commeth to themselues and declareth ▪ that whatsoeuer by Hypocrisie they pretended yet in deede and in truth they were as euill and wicked as they in all kinde of abhomination and spirituall whoredome And in one example especially he maketh proofe of the whole reciting that which of all other was most Horrible that is the Offering of theyr children vnto Idols Wherefore he sayth he will not answere them to their questions nor will not be sought vntoby such Hypocrites as they are And that which commeth into your minds shall not be at all which you say c. These Elders came to the Prophete vnder fayre pretence to Learne at his hande howe they might behaue themselues and howe long the captiuitie shoulde endure but in the meane time they reuolued in their mindes howe they might haue a reasonable colour and pretence cleane to reiect the law of God and to serue Idols of wood and stone euen as the heathen did Happily they surmised that the Prophete would haue tolde them that the * captiuitie should endue 70. yeares as it was then commonly spred from the mouth of Hieremie And then would they haue answered that seeing it was so that they should tary so long in Babilon it should be best for them to applie themselues to the Religion and maners of the people of that Countrey Otherwise if they did sticke to stifly to their former Religion and so much differ from the Babilonians they shoulde be sure to finde them the more grieuous Lordes and Maisters to them But God detecteth this their vnhappie purpose and sayth they shall haue due correction for it As truely as I liue sayth the Lord I my selfe will rule you with a mightie c. I know sayth God this
your trayterous and rebellious deuise of your heartes to reuolt wholye from my seruice to the Idoles of the Gentiles among whom you are But surely I will ouershwart you and though you doe make the Babilonians more fauourable to you I my selfe will bee your Aduersarie and by mightie hande and extremitie of punishment will force you whether you or no to acknowledge me your Lorde and god It shall not come to passe as you thinke that you shall * quietly serue stocks and stones with Idolators I wil not neglect fugitiue seruants as slacke maysters are woont to doe Seeing that I haue once taken you into my couenant I will by sharpe punishment And by my indignation powred out vpon you make you desirous and glad to come againe vnder my obedience I will bring you from the people and gather you out of the countrie c. God signifieth that he will not breake couenant with them but as he had promised by his Prophets so would he doe in deede that is he would bring them from among those Countries wherin they are scattred but in such sort as the godly only should haue comfort thereby and the wicked no cause at all to reioyce He threatneth to deale with them as he did with their fathers in the wildernesse of Egipt For in Egipt he declared his iustice by sundrie kindes of punishment When they murmured against God in the wyldernesse manye of them he consumed with fyre Num. 11. When Dathan and Abyram rose against Moses 250. perished with fyre and the residue the earth swalowed vp yea and the next day again 14000. and 700. were destroyed Num. 16. When they spake against Moyses at an other time a great nūber were slaine by Serpentes Num. 21. In this sort of iudgement God here Protesteth that he will deale with the wicked Israelites and by such meanes as it were cull out and purge away the obstinate and rebellious transgressours from the other so that they shall neuer enioy the lande of Israel agayne wyth comfort and quietnesse As their fathers which God brought out of Egipt because of their often Disobedience * neuer came into the lande of promise euen so the Prophet sayth those euill children that without repentance continued in their abhominations should neuer haue the quiet fruition of their Countrie againe Notwithstanding that for his promise sake he would deliuer bring home the Residue which eyther by teaching of his Prophets or by punishment or any other meanes did forsake their wycked wayes and turne againe to the obedience of his lawe As for you O house of Israel c. Go you and serue euery man his Idoles c. Forsomuch as they would not yeelde to obey God and to follow his law with scornefull reproch he biddeth them go on according to their owne fantasies wholy to serue euery man his Idoles and not to mixt withall the Title of his name and so distaine it By which wordes we may perceiue that God will not be matched with other but haue worship done wholy to himselfe Hovv long sayth Elias halte you on both sides If the Lorde be God follovv him If Baal go after him VVhat agreement can there be betvveene Christ and Belial saith Saint Paule And our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs That vve cannot serue tvvo maysters We must therefore learne also to serue Christ wholy and not to mixt Idolatrous Superstition wyth the truth of his Gospell For vpon my holy hill euen vpon the high hill of Israel sayth the Lorde c. These wordes that follow may be literally vnderstanded of such of the Israelites brought out of Captiuitie as by manifold plages did repent and learne to worship God sincerely not after their owne deuises as they dyd before in their highe places but according to the prescript of Goddes worde And therefore being restored into their Countrie God signifieth their deuotion should be acceptable vnto him and all their Sacrifices pleasant And for somuch as the Prophets doe oftentymes breake out from thinges of present state in the worlde vnto the blessing to come in the promised seede and Sauiour this place maye also verye well be interpreted of the spirituall Israel that is the Church and people of God vnder Christ For by the Holy hill and highe mountayne of Israel or Sion is vnderstanded the Church because the Apostles were first sent from thence to preache the Gospell in all the worlde Of this hill speaketh Esay 2. cap. and Micheas 4 cap. The hill of the Lords house shall be prepared in the height of the mountaines and all Nations shall presse vnto him The * Sacrifices of Christians which are acceptable vnto God the * sacrifices which he wil require of them are earnest prayer thankesgyuing for his benefites the sacrifice memorial of the Lords supper * charitable reliefe of their poore brethren and their owne soules and bodies consecrated to his seruice In these will he delight and these shall be to him as A svvete sauour There shall you call to remembrance your owne wayes and all your workes c. The Repentant Iewes after Captiuitie shall call to remembrāce sayth the Prophet their owne naughtie wayes and workes against the lawe of God and with heauie harts being sorie and * ashamed of them shall acknowledge and * confesse that euen by their owne iudgements they were worthy by Gods iustice to haue bene cleane cut of from him and that it is of his onely mercie and goodnesse that he hath wrought otherwise And that for his owne names sake and for his owne glorie in performing his couenant he hath restored them into their Countrie againe In like maner christian men by the free mercies of God being deliuered from the captiuitie of Sinne Satan and Death and broughte home into holye Mount Sion the Church of God and heauenly Hierusalem doe call to remembrance their olde wickednesse and abhominations wherein they lyued to the dishonour of God and reproch of the worlde and therefore are * ashamed of them and * confesse in their harts that they were worthie of the wrath of God by perpetuall damnation to be cut from his presence And in that it is otherwise done that it proceedeth of the Riches of his goodnesse towarde mankynde layde out aboundantly vnto them in Christ Iesu our Sauiour The 18. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ezech. 24. IN the ninth yeare in the tenth Moneth the tenth day of the Moneth came the worde of the Lorde vnto me saying 2 O thou sonne of man wryte thée the name of this daye yea euen of this present day for the king of Babylon set himselfe against Ierusalem this selfe same day 3 And shewe the rebellious house a Parable and speake vnto them thus sayth the Lord God Prepare a pot set it on and powre water into it 4 Gather the péeces thereof into it euery good péece the thigh and the shoulder