righteousnesse Christ helpeth this hunger being made righteousnesse and wisedome and sanctification and redemption vnto vs. Am I afraid to die and hunger for comfort Christ is my helpe for this hunger and telleth me that blessed are the dead which die in him He that beleeueth in him shall not die eternally But though he be dead yet shall he liue Death is swallowed vp in victorie O Death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victorie Thankes Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs Victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ 5 He shall powre Oyle vpon it and put Incence thereon saith the Text Oyle delighteth the taste and Incense the smelling Neither of them careth God for we know But thus it pleased him to shadow-out vnto his people that they should euer serue him according to his owne presciption which is acceptable as a good taste or smell is and not with the vnsauourie inuentions of their owne braine as hatefull vnto him as the other is pleasing Againe the Oyle noted Christ his kindnesse and mercie which he should euer shewe to poore penitent sinners wounded and smitten with woe for their manifold frailties and sinnes He should not be rough vnto them sterne and cruell but soft as Oyle gracious and kinde swéete and comfortable ready to receiue them and pardon them Learne of mee I am meeke and lowly in heart take my yoke vpon you and you shall finde rest vnto your soules For my Yoke is easie and my burden is light Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden and I will ease you 6 Incense againe figured out the prayers of Christ for his Church so powerfull with God his Father that not onely he was heard himselfe but thereby he obteyned that whatsoeuer we should aske in his Name and for him we should receiue also The vaine vse of Frankincense in Popish Churches as an imitation of the Law is still to loue darkenesse when God vouch safeth light still to continue abolished Ceremonies and still to be stubborne against God with a will-worship of our owne neglecting his Will And shall bring it vnto Aarons sonnes the Priests and he shall take c. Whatsoeuer was offered to God must be giuen into the hand of the Priest still representing vnto men this Doctrine That onely by Christ there was accesse to God and no way els According to that plainer Reuelation in the Gospel by himselfe No man commeth to the father but by me I am the way And let vs therefore by him offer the Sacrifice of praise to God c. Heb. 13. verse 15. 2 A handfull of the Flowre and of the Oyle with all the Incense and the Priest shall burne it for a memoriall vpon the Altar for it is an offering made by fire for a sweet sauour vnto the Lord. Not all the Flowre but a handfull not all the Cakes but one not all was burned but onely a little part of one the rest went to the Priests and none could eate of it but the Priests It was a Memoriall to them to assure them that God did respect the partie Offering and would be mercifull vnto him And because it so pleased God it should be to him also it was a Memoriall to extend his swéete goodnesse to his penitent seruant 3 This Meat-offering you sée in your Chapter was either baked vers 4. or fryed in the Frying-panne vers 5. or sodden in the Caldron vers 7 And which way so-euer it was thrée Rules were to be obserued specified in the Text. First It must be without Leauen vers 11. In the 7. Chapter vers 13. and in the 22. Chap. verse 20. You may read of a lawfull vse of Leauen but it was neuer lawfull by the Law to offer vnto GOD for a Sacrifice any Leauened bread Leauen being a Figure both of corrupt Doctrine and bad life Beware of the Leauen of the Scribes and Pharisees that is of their corrupt Doctrine Mat. 16. And let vs keepe the feast not with old Leauen neither in the Leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth 1. Cor. 5. 8. Leauen noted bad life Christ thē being shadowed in al these burnt Offerings by this Rule of hauing no Leauen they were taught the puritie of Christ his Doctrine and the holinesse of his life His Doctrine so pure that it maketh others pure Ye are cleane through the Word which I haue spoken vnto you And Verily verily I say vnto you if any man keepe my Word he shall not see death Then you sée it maketh cleane His life also so pure that not onely his false accusers could fasten no fault vpon him but by his innocencie he appeased Gods wrath for our impuritie Againe it taught the Church in that Legall fashion by darke figure that after Christ his example they ought also to be frée from both these to wit false doctrine and ill manes Not teaching if they be Teachers any corrupt matter not beléeuing and holding if they be no Teachers and absurd vntrueths Neither Teachers nor People leading a wicked life but in holinesse and righteousnesse as the Lord shall inable spending all their dayes The second Rule is That there he no hony in his Meat-offering made by fire vnto the Lord. Of Hony we read many things as that the nature of it is to preserue bodyes not suffering them to rot and putrifie That many by the vse of it liue vnto a great age as namely in the I le of Corsica by Plinies Testemonie who calleth them long-liuers onely by the dayly vse of Hony Hony hath a swéete and pleasing taste not sharpe Whereupon Salomon saith Faire words are as a hony combe sweetnes to the soule and health to the bones My Sonne eate Hony for it is good and the hony-combe for it is sweet vnto the mouth What might be the reason then that God did forbid any hony to be vsed in this Offering Answere is made that hony although it be swéet in taste yet it is bitter by effect For it greatly increaseth choler which is as bitter as the hony is swéet Secondly although hony be good to eate yet a man may eate too much of it Prou. 25. 26. Thirdly euen in taste it will not séeme swéete if you eate much but very bitter or sowre Lastly it hath the very nature of Leauen béeing boyled and so hauing gotten a little sharpenesse Nowe forasmuch as none of these things are in Christ who was shadowed by this Sacrifice therefore is hony forbidden to be vsed in it as you read here in your Chapter aswell as Leauen vers 11. First in Christ there is no such swéetnesse as ingendreth bitternesse or any euill to the true Cater of him by Faith Secondly Christ cannot be receiued or eaten too much but the more we féede on him the better Thirdly Christ is not swéet at the beginning and bitter at the
therefore let the prayer of Dauid bée in our mouth and vttered from our heart O knit mee fast vnto thee that I may feare thy Name Let vs ioyne inward truth to out-ward shew For the Lord loueth trueth in the in-ward parts Absolon Ananias and Saphira Iudas c had their vncleannesie and how ended they 9 The forbidding to eate the fat was a Ceremonie that euen at home in their houses contynued them after a sort in the exercise of Religion For still they remembered the Law and obeyed the same It also as I haue noted before preached vnto them figuratiuely that for God if he so appoint all the swéet pleasures of this world riches honours friends and whatsoeuer else being as the fat pleasing and delightfull are forsaken forborne refused and left A Lesson neuer ynough learned though often repeated so cleane our hearts to this earth and this fatnesse thereof But pray often and pray heartily with Saint Augustine That the Lord would vouchsafe to giue vs what hee requireth and then require what he pleaseth Hée is strong though wée be weake can make vs as contentedly leaue them as euer we receiued and inioyed them 10 The forbidding of them to eate the blood also as before hath béene noted signified vnto them that the Lord abhorreth crueltie in euery Childe of his and will haue them mercifull pitifull gentle c. In the 30. vers The bringing of the Sacrifice with his owne hands and not sending it by others taught humilitie and dutie to God taught that euery one must liue by his owne Faith and not by anothers and may serue vs now to sée how foolish an Error it is in Poperie to giue another his beades to say them ouer for him that day c. The heauing of it vp was a Figure of the lifting vp of Christ vpon the Crosse So was also the lifting vp of the Brasen-Serpent Some haue made it a Figure also of his Exaltation after Death Hell conquered of which the Apostle speaketh when hée saith Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a Name aboue all names that at the Name of IESUS euery knee should bowe c. That is hath highly exalted him and giuen him Authoritie and Power and Rule whereunto All shall bée subiect men women and creatures whatso-euer Little thinking of any earthly scraping with the foote at the Word of Iesus when neither word déed nor thought yéeld him reuerence due to him Popish eleuation of their consecrated Cake was neuer thought-of in this heauing and therefore vainely doe they vse this proofe The shaking of it too and fro foure wayes East West North and South shadowed the spreading of that lifting-vp of Christ that is of Christs death and Passion throughout all the world by the preaching of the Gospell 11 Lastly the brest and the shoulder were the Priests and so they were admonished to bée as Brests and shoulders to the people Brests for counsaile and direction in all their affaires Shoulders to beare-vp the burthen of care and labour of them to vnder goe Crosses and troubles in gouernment for them and for them to rest as it were and leaâ—e vpon in all their woâ—s of heart and agonies of minde whatsoeuer A profitable Meditation for all faithfull Ministers euer thus to bée as the Lord shall inable them to their seuerall Flockes in this world And as worthy a Meditation againe for the people to increase loue and singular loue in their hearts towards their Pastors for their worke sake euen for this vse of them in all their distresses and occasions whatsoeuer A godly Pastor is a brest of swéete comfort in aduersitie and a faithfull Shoulder to leane vppon euer and to support both vs and ours when without him we shall fall fearefully and paraduenture eternally Happie are the people that haue them and God worke in their hearts to make much of them In the 37. verse sée a short Rehearsall of all the sorts These are some of the chiefest things in this Chapter CHAP. VIII IF you turne to the 28. Chapter of Exodus you shall finde the most of this Chapter there explaned and therefore a bréefer touch may serue héere It contayneth the Sacrifices and Ceremonies vsed at the Consecration of Aaron and his sonnes into the Priests Office and fitly followeth vpon the other Chapters because after Sacrifices appointed the next care is for Priests to offer and vse them according to appointment For vse and benefite to our selues First let vs note that this Office of holy Priest-hood was not of man nor from man but the Lord Almightie first instituted and ordained it by his owne expresse commandement then being ordained he confirmed the honour and reputation of it by that great Miracle of the budding of Aarons rodde and he very seuerly and fearefully punished the contempt of it in Corah and his companie whom the earth opening swallowed vp with their Wiues and children and families all their goods Upon Ieroboam also and Vzziah for inâ—hroching vpon it And the Law was sharpe and generall If any stranger whatsoeuer not called to this Office by GOD approach the Altar hee was to dye The Reasons why the Lord thus precisely appointed these Priests and would not leaue it to euery man to performe this Office were these and such like First it was to be knowen that not euery man No not any man but the Man Christ Iesus could appease Gods wrath satisfie his iustice and take away the sinnes of the world reconciling vs to GOD and putting vs in assurance of eternall life This could not be figured out better than by secluding all the whole Hoste of Israel from this Office and choosing but Aaron and his sonnes as Types of Christ this onely able Priest to doe as I haue said and therefore they onely were chosen and so by such ordinance the Maiestie authoritie and if wée may so speake the propriety of Christs Office resembled and shadowed Secondly God was euer the God of order decencie and comelines and therefore in his Church would haue all things done accordingly not induring any to be an inuader of an other mans right an intruder of himselfe into another mans Office and a busie-body out of Rule out of order Certaine men therefore are appointed and they onely shall doe it Others if they meddle being strangers because not called shall dye the death as you heare before Thus hath he also in the New Testament established a Ministerie and giuen some Apostles some Euangelists some Pastors and Doctors for the building-vp of his Church c. Hée also decréed that the contempt of these is the contempt of him and then iudge you first or last what punishment will insue In neither Olde nor New-Testament can we finde the Popish Priest-hood ordained to Sacrifice for the sinnes of quicke and dead For this is to denie the perfection of
of the sacrament not to be reserued 423. Breast-plate 410. how it informed the priest of God his will 411. the twelue stones in it with names signified that God cared for euery particuler man 412. Bush burning and not consumed 33. Buriall Pompei was without the honour of it 425. C. Calling Moses was called being forty yeeres old 22. we must answere readily when God calleth 34 52 53. our calling is not to bee misliked for some defects 51. in performance of duties we must looke not to our selues but to our calling 78. and both to God and our calling 264. we must vse warinesse in it reckoning of enemies 207. in it wee must bee stronge and cheerefull 214. Hinderers thereof to bee remooued 301 we may not passe the limits of it 322. those that rush into a calling rashly are confounded 39. Calling of Ministers see Ministers Golden Calfe 439. euerie error in Religion is as it were a Calfe 442. Canaan is ours but in the way thither we must reckon of enemies 207. and looke for lets 212. for wee must passe by Marah 238. and fight with Amalech 290 291. we are directed to the true Canaan by Gods word 207 466 in trauailing thither we must not looke backe to Egypt 209. Candlesticke 393. Catechising 127 333 370 196. Cattell die when God is displeased 109. Cato denied diuine prouidence 425. Ceremoniall law the diuision thereof 358. a shadow of Christ and ended in Christ 376 377 402 187. Change of Prince dangerous 6. Change of estate not â—o be feared 25 29 30. No change in God 42 38 426 72 210. Childrens dutie 54 they should not be brought vp in ignorance 196. their differences are known to god who is first who is secoÌ„d 198 Cheerefulnesse in our calling 214. and in Gods seruice 364. Cherubins 387. the stretching of their wings signifieth the protection of Christ 388. their faces one towards another signifieth the consent of the old new Testament 389. God spake from betwixt them ibid. c. Christ his death brought encrease of Christians 4. hee was called an Angell because sent to be our deliuerer 31. 32 hee vniteth diuers houses and Nations 186. he wholely freed vs both from originall and actuall sins 191. he is not to be found out of the church 202 370. he cooleth enlightneth his Church as the cloud and pillar did the Israelites 208. he was the Angell that went before the Israelites 216. his loue to his Church 412. his blood though sufficie at for all yet not helpfull to all 416. hee maketh our prayers acceptable 427 428 how hee now speaketh to his Church 390. Christ was prefigured by Ioseph 4. by Moses 26. by the Lambe in the Passouer 186 187. 188 189 190. c. by the tree that made the bitter waters sweet 237. by Manna 275 383. by the Rock 287 by the blood of the couenant 356. by the Ceremonies of the law 376 377. by the Arke 382 by the Mercie-seat 386. by the table of shew-bred 391. by the candlestick 393. by the most holy place 400. by the altar of burnt-offering 403. by the high Priests Ephod 410 412. Christ his humanitie prefigured by the cloud 357. in the Altar of incense the wood signified his Humanitie the gold his Deitie 428. the vniting of his diuine nature to his manhood 382. the Lambe being without blemish did signifie his puritie 186. being a Male did signifie his spirituall strength 187. being of a yeere old did signifie his experience of infirmities 187. his annointing presigured by the oyle 414. his righteousnesse by the Priests garment 421. his protection of his Seruaunts by the stretching of the wings of the Cherubins 388 his eternall Priesthood by the budding of Aarons rod 383. the Maiestie of his Kingdome by the crowne of gold about the â—rke 382. and about the Altar of sweete perfume 428. His comming in the flesh prefigured to be in the Euening of the world 189. that hee should bee taken from amongest sinfull men 188. his humiliation by the brasen Altar 428. his suffering without the Citie 418. that hee shold not die by by after he was borne 188. that he shold die but once in one place 404. that he shold not putrifie in the graue 382. that he should rise againe by the budding of Aaronsâ—od â—od 383. that he should haue glorie in heauen after his ascention 428. Church of God compared to a Shippe 219. 220 221. True Church and false Church 220. The true Church shall haue Victorie ouer her enemies 227. there is an Vnion betwixt God and it 232. when God will 242. we must reioyce at the welfare of it 302. it is where Christ is 383. it was prefigured by the Arke 384. it is the keeper of the Scriptures 385 by the Tabernacle 400. the puritie of it 401 the rich grace of it ibid. it neuer quite fayleth 33. 414. God his loue to it 55 56 61. Christ his protection of it 206. 388. it is neuer forsaken but her enemies cursed and fauourers blessed 218 219. it increaseth in persecution 10 201. Our Church was before Luther 137 219. Churches built 365 366. Church-robbers 204 430. Liberalitie to the Church 464. Church-Officers Sworne-men c. 114. Church-meetings loued of God 374 403. Church is Gods house 367 it is graced by God 465 reuerence is due to it 371 372. it must be repaired 373. the outward glorie and glistering of it 378 392. the true beautie of it 394. refusall to goe to the Church will bee punished 64. reasons why we should not refuse 316. we must come to the Church cheerefully 365. exaÌ„ples 368 369. 370 we must not go out of the Church before the end of prayers sermoÌ„ 375. The distinct places in our churches coÌ„pared with the roomes of the tabernacle 400. Cloud did guide and protect the Israelites 207 208 216 465. Cloud that couered Moses a figure of the humanitie of Christ 357. Clergie men 303. Colledges built 367. Colours of sinne 9. Communion tables 326. 403. they are more ancient than stone Altars 404. Consecration of the Priests 413. it sealed to their consciences their vocation 414. Condemning must not goe before hearing 12. Conscience tortured by Popish doctrine 139. Good conscience is the preseruer of faith 396. Conscience is as the face of the inward man 461. Remorse of Conscience 170 105. Conuenticles of the wicked 8 371. Constancie in suffering affliction 226 227. Constancie in loue where we once haue loued 286. Constancie a vertue in a Iudge 349. Constancie in Religion ibid. CoÌ„tentation 167 243 268 279 293 361 362. Courtiers should not be drawne from Gods seruice by pleasure profit c. 23 98. Couetousnesse 108 150. 170 265 292 it is a blot in a Iudge 315. Counsaile if good to be receiued from an Inferiour 313. Councellors are Kings eyes and eares 311. Cookes must so dresse meate for other mens bodies that there bee care had of their owne soules 193 194. Courage is a propertie of a
283 284. Prayers in secret and priuate places 30 31. Prayer in and with the congregation powerfull 370 374. Prayers in Gods eareâ— are loud câ—yes 37. Prayers of the godly desired by the wicked in time of danger 96. Prayer commonly neglected 97. Prayer is of great power and force 99 215 296 441. Prayer iâ— to be ioyned with meanes in warre 295. Prayer to be made daily for Prince Countrey families friends c. 97 445. a. to be made for the Minister that prayeth for vs 298. Prayer to be vsed when we goe to bed and when we rise 177 428. b. Prayer is the refuge of the godly in trouble 280. In prayer diuers gestures 298. Prayer noted by incense 428 c. Prayer must be kindled by Gods promises 457. He that prayeth must be reconciled in Christ 428. b. What reasons we may vse to the Lord in prayer 446. Prayer of the Magistrate or Minister 445. Preaching doth not alwaies preuaile and why so 111. it is to be maintained 360. it ought to be continuall 391. and pure 397. Qâ—arter sermons are not sufficient 395. Priests what they were before the Priesthood was established 322. their calling and choice 406. their garments 408. the seuerall parts of their garments 409. their consecration 413. Priesthood of Christ prefigured by Aâ—rons rod 383. Pride condemned 21. Pride plagued by base things 93 102 233 302. Pride for gifts of learning 361 362. Preparation before the Sacrament 188. Preparation before the hearing of the word of God 319. Presence of God causeth man to feele and finde his owne wants 35 324 407. Presenâ—e of God a comfort 40. the Israelites doubted of it 279. Priuate men may not kill without a calling 23. Priuate men may not make publike reformation 459. Profit of this booke of Exodus Historical 1. Mistical 2. Promises of God certaine 3 73 169 201. Promises of God kindle prayer 457. Promise made in Baptisme 21 22. Promises must not be rash 355. Prophaners of the Church 371. Properties of Magistrates 313. Propitiatorie 385. it was a figure of Christ 388. Prouidence of God 19 20 25. we must be contented with it 243. and must depend vpon it 265. extraordinarie 260 265 272. Prouidence of God waketh for vs when wee sleepe 270. c. it excludeth not vse of meanes 240. Prouidence of God denyed by Cato 425. Prosperitie maketh all sorts forgetfull 195 196. Prosperitie is a crooked rule to measure things by 69. Prosperitie getteth followers 201. it is not a signe alwaies of Gods fauour 250. yet it commeth alwaies from him 416. in it we must prouide for aduersitie 425. Purgatorie 179 180 191. Puritie of Christ 187. Purposes of man knowne of God 45 56 88. Purposes of man disposed by God 19. Q. Queene Maries raigne 139. Queene Elizabeths contentment 293. Quarelling natures 293. Quest Why the mayde was not punished for licentious life as well as the man 341. Quest Whither it were lawful for the Israelites to carrie away the Egyptians iewels 169. R. Rebellers against goodthings 113. Rebellion 278. Rebuking of neere ones 445. R 〈…〉 sants 64 370. c. 460. Receiuing the Supper of the Lord. See Sacrament Recompence of losses 339. Register of Gods mercies 298. Religion measured by gaine 69 107. Religion is not to be measured by the belly 258. Religion is not the cause of dearth c. 129. Religion ought to be but one 326 458. Reliques 207. Remembrance of Gods fauours 272 c. 274. 298. Remorse of conscience is a grace of God 170. Reparation of Churches 373. Repentance is hard in the beginning 66. Repentance promised in extremitie commonly vanisheth 100. Repentance findeth mercy 167 445. it is only in this life 180. an outward signe thereof 450. Repentance signified by wine and required to all spirituall sacrifices 423 424. Reports being euill may not be repeated 348. Resignation of our selues to God 35 53 200. Resurrection of Christ prefigured by the budding of Aarons rod 383. Reuenge 283. Reuerence 301. Reuerence to Ministers 358. Reuerence in the Church 371. Reuerence in speaking and vsing of holy things 402 456. Reuelations may not hinder the vse of meanes 216. Reuelations are ceased 390. Righteousnes of Christ 421. Righteousnes of the Lawe 460. Righteousnes threefold 402. Righteous persons what they are 444. Robe of the high Priest 411. Rock signified Christ 287 288. Roome 221. when it came to be head of all Cities 133. S. Sabboth 263 269 270 434. Sacraments depend not vpon the worthines or vnworthines of the Minister 407 465. Sacrament of the Supper is to be receiued with preparation 188. it is not to be remembred at Easter onely 190. it is to be receiued vnder both kindes 191. to receiue it kneeling is most seemely 192. faith is required to the receiuing of it 202 in it the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe 287. so the Arke is called God 381. the godly onely eate the bodie of Christ 422. the signes are not to be reserued or adored 423. it is not a sacrifice for quick and dead 424. Sacrifice at the consecration of the Priests the blood of it 416. the fat ibid. the flesh 417. the cutting of it 418. the breast and shoulder 420. the head 421. Sanctuaries 332 333. Sanctuary See Tabernacle Sathan rageth more the more God blesseth 64 66. he can worke wonders 86. but can not make a louse when God will restrayne him 103. if he cannot hurt the Church wholely he will hurt it in part 130. his rage when men escape from him 212. his temptation 284. Saints 427. b. Securitie 93. Second causes See Meanes Seed of the Church the bloud of Martyrs 11. Scab an Egyptian plague 112. Scriptures 155 356. compared with foode 289. represented by the shew-bread 391. they must not be wrested 202 418. they are the rule of religion 258. how the Church is keepe of them 385. they are the beauty of the Church 394. In the Scriptures sometimes that is set after which in precise order was to goe before 158. Christ speakes in the scriptures 390. Separation from calamity is of the Lord 106 107. Serpent made of Moses rod 83. Seruants dutie 53. if painefull and faithfull they shall be reco 〈…〉 penced vnder hard Maâ—sters 171 328 c. they must not by any busines be euer kept from Church 193 194. they are accepted of God as well as free men 202. Seruants slocked away 334. Shew bread the signification and name thereof 39â— Shooes put off how to be vnderstood 34 35. Signes vsed of God to confirme faith 41. Signes giuen to Moses to confirme him in his calling 50. Signes and the word must be ioyned 216. Signes of Gods presence 457. Simon Magus tearmed a God 80. Simplicitue of former ages 21. Simplicitie of doues 352. Sinners punished publiquely 121. punished diuers wayes 102 331. punished for diuert ends 331. Sinners repentant finde mercy 167 445. Sinne is hard to be left 46 47 66. one sinne pulleth on another 11. Sinne
knowest that victorie is gotten rather by the faith of the Emperour than by the valour of the Souldiers Both together fight strongly against all foes and forces as you sée And in this place I pray you well note what followeth 5. And when Moses helde vp his hand Israel preuailed but when hee let his hands goe downe Amalech preuailed Thus shewed the Lord to all posteritie and succéeding ages the force of holy prayer in battell or else-where Surely surely it is euer with the Lord a preuailing power as shall be good for the parties vsing it Is any sicke amongst you saith S. Iames let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him c. And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if he hath cōmitted sinnes they shall be forgiuen him For the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Elias was a man subiect to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine it rayned not on the earth for three yeeres and six moneths And he prayed againe and the Heauens gaue raine the earth brought forth her fruit Agréeable héereunto is that great commendation of prayer in Sirach Hee heareth the prayer of the oppressed He despiseth not the desire of the fatherlesse nor the widowe when shee poureth out her prayer Doo not the teares runne downe the widowes cheekes and her crie is against him that causeth them for from her cheeks they goe vp to Heauen the Lord which heareth them doth accept them He that serueth the Lord shall be accepted with fauour and his prayer shall reach vnto the clouds The prayer of him that humbleth himselfe goeth through the clouds and ceaseth not till it come neere and will not depart till the most High haue respect thereunto to iudge righteouslie and execute iudgement c. As Dauids Harpe wrought when the euill spirit vexed Saul saith a learned man so shall thy hartie and zealous prayer quiet thy troubled minde in all distresses and comfort thy heart in all assaulting feares Wilt thou be raysed vp saith Another then first cast thy selfe downe in feruent and humble prayer For no man is raysed that first is not downe Ioshua by prayer obtained to haue the Sunne stand still that hee might haue day enough to slay the enemies of the Lord. In the host of M. Aurelius a companie of Christian Souldiers by prayer obtained rayne when all the host was like to perish for want of water They also obtained thunderbolts to bee throwne from Heauen in the faces of their foes and thereon had a name giuen them of the same Oratio oranti subsidium Deo sacrificium Diabolo flagellum Prayer therefore to him that prayeth is a helpe to God a sacrifice and to the Deuill a whippe But sée our corruption If wee receaue not what wee pray for at the first asking wee faint and cease our praying streight not remembring how often wee vse a medicine for the body before wee can bee whole how manie strokes an Oake must haue before it will fall and how we ouer and ouer againe and againe plough our land and delue our Gardens to reape and gather fruite from them Let vs then amend this fault in our prayer héereafter and neuer forget the force of true and godlie prayer in time Whilest Moses held vp his hands that is continued praying so long Ioshua and the Israelites whō he prayed for preuailed But when he gaue ouer the enemie preuailed Thus shall it be in your case and in my case and all others that be troubled 6. But Moses hands were heauie therefore they tooke astone and put vnder him and hee sate vpon it And Aaron and Hur stayed vp his hands the one on the one side and the other on the other side so his handes were steadie vnto the going downe of the Sunne And Ioshua discomfited Amalech with the edge of the sworde This heauinesse of Moses handes may teach vs the weakenes of all flesh in Christian exercises Wee cannot holde out and continue as we ought but heauines and dulnesse will steale vpon vs and séeke to coole vs and hinder vs. The helpe that Aaron and Hur performed vnto him may teach us the benefit of Christian companie in such holy exercises and the néedefull dutie of praying for him that prayeth for vs that God would be with his spirit that is strengthen him and quicken him and ayde him so to pray so to continue his prayers as the end may be to his glorie and our comfort In regard whereofour Booke of Common prayer hath that answere And with thy spirit The outward gesture may héere also be noted which you shall finde in the Scriptures to be diuers Salomon knéeled Ezekias turned to the wall Christ fell prone vpon his face the Publican knocked vpon his breast and héere Moses lifteth vp his hands All which gestures please God as long as they arise from zeale and truth within and are not hypocriticall And what the Custome of the Church wherein we liue establisheth and vseth wise peaceable persons will kéepe and follow 7. Lastly the Lord commaundeth them to write this for a remembrance in a Booke And Moses built an Altar c. All this hath vse to tell vs howe carefull wee must be in keeping a Register in our hearts of Gods mercies and fauours towards vs in our selues in our friends in our Countrie in our Magistrates and Ministers or any way The point hath béene touched héeretofore when we spake of Manna and therefore I passe it ouer nowe but I pray you remember Examples in this case and followe them Deborah Iudith Hester Anna Mary Toby the one cleansed Leaper that returned to giue thanks the Israelites when they passed ouer the Red Sea c for all these built Altars in their hearts for Gods fauours by being truly and feruently thankfull The earth rendreth the Husbandman her fruite for his paines bestowed on her so doth the Horse and Oxe their labour for the meate which they haue giuen them How much more should man remember what he receaueth and be thankfull to his good God But I stay héere These thinges may yéeld you a taste of the vse of this Chapter if you will now reade ouer the Text againe and obserue the particulars for what is my desire but to worke a liking of reading the Text by shewing some fruite which we may receaue when we are destitute of better teaching CHAP. 18. In this Chapter we haue two generall Heads The comming of Iethro to his sonne in law Moses And the appointing of more Iudges to heare causes 1. COncerning the first the Text saith When Iethro the Priest of Midian Moses Father in law heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people and howe the Lord had brought Israel out of
when GOD is mercifull to his Church or to any member therefore hee enuieth not hee grudgeth not much lesse speaketh ill but with a very louing ioy hee is glad and blesseth the Name of the Lord for it A thing I feare me much wanting now a-daies not onely in Country Christians and men as wee say of the Laitie endued with lesse knowledge but euen in such as be Great men in the Church and of the Clergie The olde Saying was Laici infesti Clericis But in our daies I feare a Clergie mans chiefe enemies are they of his owne coate Such is the rancour and poysoned enuie of these times God in mercie alter it and make our hearts like Iethro his heart heere Gratitude againe to God for his mercies is heere taught by Iethro which is euer a dutie due from man and which being performed moueth him to giue more For as Ambrose saith Gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum inuitatio Thanksgiuing is a mouing of the Lord to bestowe more As ingratitude out of doubt worketh the taking away of thinges giuen It is written of one Timotheus the sonne of Conon a verie good Father a Citizen of Athens that after hee had proudly said in a great assemblie Haec Ego feci non Fortuna This I haue done and not Fortune hee neuer after prospered in any thing but daily lost that glorie which before he had gotten Much more faultie are they that at least in heart though by mouth they dare not openly say so thinke that this or that they haue gotten or done and not God You may thinke of that in Daniel 4. 27. and euer pray against such pride 7. Then Iethro Moses father in lawe tooke burnt offerings and sacrifices to offer vnto God And Aaron and all the Elders of Israel came to eate bread with Moses father in lawe before God Hauing béene thankfull in wordes now he addeth deedes that both wordes and déedes may goe together in honouring God For A dead faith saith S. Iames is that where workes want And as with the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnes so with the mouth we confesse vnto saluation saith S. Paul If wee learne of Iethro euer to ioyne these together as the Lord shall enable vs wée shall rightlie and fully giue assurance both to our selues and others of our true faith This shewed againe that Iethro worshipped the true God otherwise in likelihoode Moses would not haue married his daughter And if Iethro here and Melchisedek and Naaman and Cornelius with others mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures did so hauing for any thing wée know small preaching or meanes of true knowledge besides the working Spirit of a gratious GOD that mercifully pulled them out of the fire Let vs comfortably hope of our Forefathers liuing in the time of ignorance that they found mercie with God And yet beware that wée reason not from thence to any contempt or neglect of that blessed light which God vouchsafeth now aboue those times But euer remēber that singular Spéech of Saint Cyprian Ignosci potuit simpliciter errantibus post inspirationem vero et reuelationem factam qui in eo quo errauerat perseuerat sine venia ignorantiae peccat praesumptione enim et obstinatione superatur Mercy might be shewed to them that erred of simplicitie but after light graunted who shall so continue in his error he sinneth without hope of pardon beeing ouercome with presumption and obstinacie The kinde comming of the Elders with Aaron to eate and bée merrie with Moses Father in law sheweth their loue to Moses and was a great comfort Alike custome we haue to giue a man his welcome as we call it with wine or meate as wée thinke good which you sée is commendable béeing vsed rightly For most good and ioyful it euer was when men togeather agrée in loue and vnitie Many sharp showers Moses was vnder with these Israelites yet here is loue and kindnesse which telleth vs GOD will not euer grieue his seruants Magistrates or Ministers or others faithfull but hath his times to comfort them also and mingle sweete with their sowre that they may be able to beare and to go along with their vocation A swéete goodnesse in him so to consider our weakenesse so to temper things to our strength and let it worke a loue in vs of so deare a Father and to a godly carriage in all stormes For cloudes will blow ouer and after a foule day commeth a fayre Sorrow at night ioye ere day saith the experienced Prophet Dauid and the Lord in mercy giue vs the vse of all his swéete comforts The 2. part 1. NOw on the morrow when Moses sate to iudge the people the people stood about Moses from Morning to Euen c. Amongest the infinite mercies of God vouchsafed to mankind this is one great one that he hath appointed Gouernment Gouernours Iudgment Iudges Iustice and Lawes to defend the good and represse the euill and vnruly In the 11. Chapter of the Prophet Zacharie he calleth it a Staffe and a Staffe of beautie for the excellencie of it I tooke vnto me saith the Lord two Staues the one I called Beautie the other I called Bands and I fed the sheepe The first staffe was the Gouernment Ecclesiasticall and ciuill which hee esiablished amongst them called I say Beautie for the profit comfort good that commeth euer by Gouernment His second Staffe was peace vnitie and concord most mercifully also vouchsafed vnto them which béeing indéede a notable holdfast of happinesse in any state he calleth it by the name of Bands And both these excellent mercies he calleth by the name of Staues because they haue fit resemblances with those Shepeheard Staues that are vsed in féeding and tending the flockes of men For to speake of Gouernmēt wherto the Text leadeth me the Shepeheards Staffe is said to be a Staffe of directiō a staffe of correction a Staffe of defence a staffe of support or ease Euen so is good iust Gouernment if you marke it For it directeth a man willing to liue in order what he shal doo what hée shall not doo as the Staffe guideth the sheepe in the right way kéepeth him from the wrong It correcteth him that will not be ruled It defendeth the oppressed and wronged it is a sure stay to leane and rest vpon when we are toyled with heard dealings of men as the staffe is for the shepeheard to support him when hée is wearie Uery fitlie therefore resembled to a staffe and for the excellencie tearmed not beautifull in the concrete but verie beautie it selfe in the abstract Which Beautie that it may the more appeare vnto you thinke with your selfe of these points or heads First what Names are giuen to Gouernours in the holy Scriptures holy writings of wise men They are called you know Gods Nursing-fathers Nursing-mothers the Ministers of God Shepheards such like they are called
are set about the Mount to kéepe the people downe with the punishment of death if they passed bounds teach vs what an odious thing to GOD curiositie is in matters forbidden and how God would haue euery man content with that which it pleaseth him to vouchsafe him of reuelation and knowledge Such curiositie is it to aske what God did before he made the world and such like foolish Questions To all which it may be answered as God would not haue the people to créepe vp to the mountaine and to péepe and pry what Moses did there with him but set bounds and limits for them beyond which they should not passe without death So is it still The Lord hath in his Word reuealed his Will and beyond our limits wée must not goe hauing an eare where he hath not a mouth If wée doo for this busie curiositie we shal dye eternally as they for that temporally c. 5 And the third day when it was morning there were thunders and lightning a thicke cloude vpon the mount and the sound of the trump exceeding loude so that all the people that was in the campe was afraide This is the third branch of the particular preparation reaching vnto the 20. verse and containing an increase of the Lordes manner of the communication of himselfe specified before in the 9. verse By all which fearefull things the Lord declared his Maiestie saith Chrisostome and the people were touched with a féeling knowledge of their infirmitie But besides that wée may well learne by it how profitable it is to make a good and carefull hearer of Gods voice First to shake him and throw him downe in himselfe by some good waies and meanes For then assuredly the Word entereth more powerfully he hath a more excellent touch than without such humbling he would euer haue had Remember how the Lord called S. Paul when he was riding to Damascus First throwing him downe and by making a sudden light shine about him from heauen and then when he trembled and was astonâ—ed speaking to him with profitable effect Remember also how there came suddenly from heauen a sound as of a rushing a mighty winde in an other place Surely such rushings shakings spirituall frightings in conscience hath the Lord his gratious meaning in to beate vs downe in our selues that we may more carefully hearken vnto him And because the greater part of men is not acquainted with them therefore they remaine dul hearers and dull hearted so that the Preacher looseth but his labour with them How many haue profited in sicknesse by words spoken who in health neuer cared what was spoken so in debt and pouertie in prison and trouble men haue other eares than they haue in prosperitie Doth not our Chronicle mention a Gentleman who at his death vowed openlie that he had learnd more good touching his soule in a darke hole within the Tower of London in a few daies than euer in all his life when he was in light libertie abroad Full well knoweth God the way to winne vs and happy are we if it please him to vse it how sharpe soeuer it be that yet wée may liue hereafter in ioy though presently for a season wée taste of woe I could tell you by experience if it were néedefull of some that haue said to my selfe they had heard many Sermons and read the Scriptures but they neuer felt either Sermon or Scriptures as then when they so spake béeing some way touched in-wardly by their louing God But be Judge your selfe in your selfe if you know any thing Againe these signes shewed the terror of the law to mens consciences for it thunders it threatens it feareth and frighteth and it vtterly condemneth all men to Hell and damnation were there not a CHRIST to saue vs from it The law causeth wrath saith the Apostle that is it denounceth wrath against vs for that wee cannot kéepe it When Iudas could sée nothing but the Lawe his agonie drane him to hang himselfe So was Saul Achitophel and many others driuen to desperate conclusions feareful ends Wherefore the Apostle well addeth that we are not come to this fearefull mount nor vnto burning fire nor to blacknesse darknesse and tempest c so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake But we are come vnto the Mount Sion to the Citie of the liuing God the coelestiall Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels c. AND TO IESVS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEVV TESTAMENT c. Here here is our helpe against the law without whom we were cast away euery one of vs for cursed is he and she that doth not all things written in the law 6 This descending of the Lord we must vnderstand of the Signes of his pretence and not that the Lord is here not there or there and not here moouing from place to place as man dooth Neither speaketh he as man dooth but his Angell in his person taketh by his power the voice of man and as God is said to speake by his Ministers here so by his Angels then and there as he pleased Remember Steuens words in the Acts This is he meaning Moses that was in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in the wildernes with the Angel WHICH SPAKE TO HIM IN MOVNT SINA c. The iterating of his commandement to Moses to sée that the people passe not their limits which we touched before ver 21. 24. sheweth the itching nature of man after hidden secrets to see and know nouelties And the great dislike God hath of this curiositie and how profitable the presence of the Magistrate is to make people kéepe order For surely men are maruellous apt to transgresse and therefore againe againe they must be admonished by Moses and well if many or any admonitions will serue Giue lawes neuer so good and let there not bée a Gouernour to sée to the execution of them and wée sée with griefe what litle good such lawes doo Well therefore and wiselie haue they spoken who said Lex Magistratus mutus et interdum mortuus Magistratus lex loquens et viua The Law is a dumb Magistrate and sometimes a dead but the Magistrate is a speaking Law and a liuing 7 The Priests also are mentioned aswell as the people that they likewise should not passe their limits wherby wee sée that no dignitie authoritie or higher place may be a warrant to doo more than God permitteth But rather should these before others giue example of sobriety order What Priests were now when as yet the Priesthood was not established men differ in opinion some thinking they were the first-borne and others thinking otherwise as Caluin for One vpen this place to whom I refer such as will and go no further in this Chapter CHAP. 20. 1. THe Congregation béeing prepared as you haue heard to receaue the Law now in this Chap. followeth the Law it selfe it is set down in
as our power and places giue vs leaue to follow his example To the poore now in the land you sée his loue and you read his law here with your eyes Why should it not worke a good effect in your heart during your life in this matter First it is his will we should with hand shew our heart both to him and to our poore and needie brethren and without deeds vaine are our words that we loue one another Secondly his recompence is great in them that doo it and neuer faileth Whosoeuer giueth but a cup of colde water shall not loose his reward Come ye blessed of my father and possesse eternall comfort For when I was hungrie you fed Mee and so foorth Mee I say in the poore with you to whom what you did you did it to Mee so I take it Blessed is the man that prouideth for the poore and needie the Lord shall deliuer him in all his trouble By examples might this be prooued but it néedeth not onely remember in the widow of Sarephath what followed her pietie in féeding the Prophet when she had not much for her selfe It is a Storie in steade of a thousand to raise vp our harts in this matter 6 The three feastes heere mentioned to wit Easter Whitsontide and Tabernacles will haue an other place hereafter vnto which I will referre the treatise of them Of the rest of this Chapter spent in the promises of god vnto their obedience I will onely say this that these great swéete promises are as honie till we thinke of the Condidion to wit perfect obedience but then we fall from all hope had we not a Christ because such perfect obedience to the lawe we cannot performe Christ therefore we flye to and relye vpon him who hauing performed that obedience for vs now iustifieth vs by faith in him without that condition and maketh his righteousnesse our righteousnesse by imputation Thou shalt not seeth a Kid in his mothers milke As Crueltie is here forbidden by God so was it condemned by the verie Pagans CHAP. 24. IN this Chapter first note how Moses alone ascendeth vp to God and let it remember vs that there are differences of graces and yet one spirit the giuer of all They that have more may not despise them which haue lesse neither they which haue lesse enuie them which haue more Read the 1. Cor. 12. Chapter c. what if we say that the Lawe was fignified in Moses going to God because it is holy iust but it bringeth not his companie with it because they are imperfect kéepers 2 Moses came and tolde the people all the wordes of the Lord c. So is the duetie of a faithfull Minister still to receiue of the Lord and to deliuer to his people what he hath receiued not any dregges or drosse of mans inuention for in vaine doe men worship him with mens precepts c. All the things which the Lord hath said will we doe Concerning his rash and confident answere of the people note and remember the censure of learned men that you may profit by it to a warier kinde of speaking out of a true féeling of your owne and all mens frailtie of nature by the corruption entred into vs at our fall in our first parents Saint Hierome condemning such vndiscréet hastines saith Melius est non promittere quam promissanon facere melius est ancipitem diu deliberari sententiam quam in verbis esse facilem in operibus difficilem It is better not to promise thā not to keep promise it is better for a doubtful thing to be long deliberated on thā to grant it easily performe it hardly Gregorie againe obersuing this fault in the Iews saith Iudaeorū populū locustae significabant subitos saltus dantes protinus adterram sadentes Saltus enim dabant cū praecepta Domini se implere promitterent ad terram cadebant cum factis denegarent The people of the lewes were signified by the Locustes which vsed sodainly to leape vp and forth with to fall downe to the earth againe They did as it were leape vp when in words they promised to do all things which the Lord had said but they fell to the earth againe when in their deeds they denied the same Let vs therefore I say alwaies weigh our weaknesse and accordingly frame our promises for as we sée in this people we may purpose well that which we cannot so well performe 3 Moses wrote all the words of the Lord as a sure and safe way to kéepe them Tradition by word from man to man fayled in faithfulnesse and brought in many errors vnder the name of Gods word and will Therefore writing was deuised by God himselfe and so his appointed instruments directed by him haue left vnto vs his holy Scriptures This matter hath beene largely intreated of by many 4 This couenant made by bloud was a figure of the precious bloud of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus with which we must be sprinkled to make vs cleane The ninth Chapter to the Hebrewes will be an exposition to this place The promise of the people here againe to obey a God in all things testifieth their heart but not an abilitie to doe it Therefore let vs learne such affection but gather no error from such places of mans power to fulfill the same 5 The Ascention of Aaron Nadab and Abihu with seuentie of the Elders together with the vision was a gracious confirmation of Moses his authoririe and of his lawe giuen But we must know that it was farre from the Maiestie of God which they saw no flesh being able to see him as he is onely a glimse for their comfort hee vouchsafed in such manner as the Text expresseth 6 After Moses ascendeth alone yet so that he leaueth Aaron and Hur with them that whosoeuer had any matter might come to them so watchfull and faithfull was Moses in his place that without iust cause he is not absent and then he leaueth able Deputies Such care in Ministers now adaies would God blesse and the contrarie fault as he is God he will seuerely punish 7 Moses ascending is couered with a cloud and not admitted to God till after sixe daies to teach all flesh patiently and reuerently to tarrie Gods leasure and gracious pleasure for any matter of his will to be reuealed to them not curiously searching but humbly waiting for the thing we séeke being fit for vs. At the ende of the sixe daies euen the seuenth day God called vnto Moses and he is admitted to spéech and I pray you marke how couered with a cloud for the Text saith Hee entered into the middest of the cloud and went vp to the Mountaine So will the Lord haue a comfortable time for all those that waite for him and the knowledge of him in his word They shall sée and heare at last what he will
Tertulliā saith they daily light Candles who haue no light in themselues to whom agree both the Testimonies of darknesse and the reward of punishment But by way of figure these lights shadowed the light of Gods Word which ought euer to shine in his Church as hath bene saide and oyle vsuallie in the Scriptures noteth the Holy-Ghost As in the Psalme He hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And that anointing which he receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. This Holy Spirit Christ giueth to his Church and therefore saide It is good for you that I go way For if I go not away that Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And this Spirit maketh the light of the Word in the heart as that oyle made the light of the lampe in the Church But the lampes were attended and fed euer with more and more oyle and so God by his Ministers dealeth still They attend vpon this light and read and interpret this word vnto Gods people that they may haue light which holy worke and profitable seruice should yéelde them all comfort and fauoure from the people againe if it were well considered as of some blessed be God it is These lampes and lights were not in the holy place of all but in the Sanctuarie and so in the Church militant the light of teaching and preaching is onely necessarie in Heauen which was resembled by the most holy place no such matter shall be requisite I am shorter in these things because I trust the long and happy vse of the Gospell hath remooued such errors out of our hearts we are not now to be perswaded in these matters The truth is manifest and we are grounded Popish foilyes may deceiue and carry away such as refuse knowledge not any others Blessed be God for his mercies and euer so establish and strengthen vs with his gratious Spirit as wée may not looke back to Aegypt any more but still still take comfort in the light of his Word which is light indéed and leaue Romish tapers and trinkets to the abusers of God his offered grace praying yet for them that if it may stand with his blessed will he would vouchsafe to open their eyes and to touch their hearts that at last they may thinke What the whole World will profit a Man if hee loose his Soule and what an horrible sinne it is to pinne that Soule for which the Lorde Iesus suffered such things vpon any mans sléeue that refuseth to shew the ground of his doctrine out of God his written word as all true Teachers euer did CHAP. 28. 1 AFter God hath spoken of the Tabernacle and the seuerall things to be placed and set in the same now he commeth to the persons that shoulde gouerne and as it were be the masters in the same namely the Priests And first hee calleth chooseth the men which he will haue then he adorneth them with fit and decent apparrell for so high a calling Concerning the first Cause thou saith God to Moses thy brother Aaron to come vnto thee and his sonnes with him from among the children of Israel that he may serue me in the Priests office I meane Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar Aarons Sonnes No reasons God here alleageth why he woulde haue these to bee his Priestes rather than any others but simply commandeth to choose them thereby plainly teaching vs that out of his own will and pleasure he euer maketh choise of his Ministers not regarding any dignitie or excellencie in man but only mooued with his owne mercie and fauour first to choose him and separate him euen from the wombe to such seruice and after in time by degrées as he will to fit him and frame him to performe it The inward calling hereunto euery man rightly entring into the Ministerie féeleth in his hart and conscience within which maketh him a true Minister to God and his conscience The outwarde is not now by voice as here it was and after in the new Testament but by the approbatiō of such as in the Church where we liue haue authoritie cōmitted to them so to approoue which maketh him a Minister be fore men not to be refused vpō euery priuate mans fancie before authoritie haue heard the reasons and allowed them well knowing that his insufficiencie or fault maketh not the ordinances of God voyde to them that rightlie vse them but that so to thinke is altogether Anabaptisticall I referre the willing Reader to my Treatise vpon the Lords prayer the last Petition for more in this matter in the temptation that ariseth vpon conceiued wants in Ministers 2 In this choise againe of his Priests you may note the words from among the children of Israel which are all one as if he had saide men as you are and of your acquaintance not my selfe or my Angels who might feare you with Maiestie and excellencie and surelie this both then was and still is a great fauour For you remember before how when God shewed himself in the mount by those fearefull signes the people cryed to Moses Talke thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talke with vs lest we dye so vnable is man to indure the voice of God How Angels also haue feared men the Scripture is ful of testimonies Wherefore in great mercie was Moses thē still are the Ministers now vsed as meanes betwixt God his people to speake from him to them without any terrifiyng feare a thing to make vs more careful to heare thē to vse them wel thankfully acknowledging both that blessing to our weakenesse and the honor done vnto our nature when our owne flesh is in the stead of God vnto vs c. 3 When God had made thus choise of the persons he pleaseth to prescribe them a kind of apparell differing frō others teaching them and that people figuratiuelie many things wherof stil vnto the end of the world there may be vse for profitable instruction Also thou shalt make saith the Text holy garments for Aaron thy brother glorious and beautifull so to shew as the marginall Note saith his office and function to be glorious and excellent so to shew the Maiestie glorie of the true High Priest Christ Iesus of whom Aaron was a figure so to teach with what excellent vertues the Priestes of God as with garments ought to be adorned and beautified The shadowes of the lawe I confesse are gone and Ministers of the word are not now figures of an other Christ to come yet still is it both lawfull and commendable that they should be distinguished from other men by a decent and fit at tyre c. 4 But who shal make these glorious garmēts for Aaron the Priest The Text
should be more curious than profitable Diuers haue done so but with little contentment to their Reader because their assertions are but guesses and verie vncertaine The Names grauen in the Onix stones might teach both the Priest to remember the people and the people to rest in the iudgement of the priest The bearing of them vpon his shoulders shadowe how Christ the true High priest with his power and strength noted by the shoulders doth and euer will support his Church defend and preserue his little flocke Deutro 32. Esay 49. And therefore in all perils flie comfortably to this Meditation The Breastplaces twelue stones with particular names figure that God hath not onely a ioynt care and knowledge but euen a particular of one by one c. Sweete also against temptation c. The bearing of the names of the Tribes vpon Aarons brest being in grauen in the pretious stones which were vpon his breast may profitably remember a godly Minister how déere vnto him his flock and people committed vnto him should be euen grauen as it were in his breast euer in his mind to profit them by all the meanes he may that they may be saued Chiefly it noted the loue of Christ to his Church and euerie member of it who beareth vs not onely in his armes as a nurse or on his shoulders as a strong man but vpon his heart and in his heart as a most kinde God Esay 49. Can a mother forget c The Vrim noting knowledge and Thummim holines shew how fit for a Minister these vertues are The Bels about the garment how a Minister should not be dumbe but heard euer in his Church preaching and teaching the Gospell of GOD for woe be vnto mee saith the blessed Apostle if I preach not c. The Pomgranats good works with good words gold life with true doctrine From the 40. verse to the ende of the Chapter Apparell is appointed for the inferiour Priestes So both Superiour and Inferiour the Lord had a care to haue fitly attired for their holy Calling and it much should mooue all honest mindes to obey the lawefull Orders of a Christian Church wherein they liue The punishment of contempt in going in without these garments is death and shall contempt of Christian Magistrates in disobeying their good lawes be life Let it sinke and he religiously thought vpon CHAP. 29. 1 OBserue how the Lord procéedeth First hee will haue a Church Then Priestes to serue in the same Thirdly comely and fit apparrell for them and Now a verie reuerent and solemne consecration of them to for their holy office of which Consecration as before of the apparrell there is much good to be taken by due consideration of it For it serued greatly to the honouring and gracing of this high Function in the eyes of the people who are much mooued with outward Ceremonies It serued beeing no idle shew for the procuring of Gods blessing vpon them For the Lord gratiously wrought in their hearts by his holy Spirit what was outwardly shadowed by Ceremonie The anoynting oyle outwardly was powred vpon them and the Holy Ghost signified by the oyle was effectually giuen 2. Cor. 3. We are not the ministers of the letter but of the Spirit that is by our preaching the Holy Ghost is not onely effectuall but indeede truely giuen to them that beleeue By oyle the Holy Ghost was signifyed for the fitnesse of resemblance betwixt them For the oyle hath igneam vim a force of fire and so hath the Holye Ghost Oyle penetrateth and pearceth inwardly so doth the Holy Ghost Oyle cherisheth and comforteth so doth the Holy Ghost and Oyle confirmeth and strengthneth and so doth the Holy Ghost It serued to shadowe out the anoynting of Christ with the holy Spirit without measure The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me to preach and so forth Esay 61. God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnes aboue thy fellowes Psalme 45. But to iustifie Popish oyling or necessarie vse of it now by this example were to reduce the Ceremoniall law againe and not to be Christians but Iewes Consecration againe in this sort notably serued to seale vp to their consciences their vocation to this office that in all troubles and afflictions they might be cheered with it they had not thrust themselues in but of God were appointed and that God neuer would forsake eyther them or his owne ordinance In the beléefe whereof let vs euer reuerence and defend the ministerie vse the blessing of it with true thankfulnesse to the Author and beséech him heartely that in his tender mercie to his poore lambes he would continually send faithfull labourers into his haruest In this faith againe let vs cheere vp our hearts when we sée the Church shaken with rage of worldly troubles so that many fall away in weaknesse For if the Lord will euer haue a ministerie greater or lesse surely he will also euer haue a flocke for those true Pastors to imploy their gifts vpon greater or lesse Thinke of the Speech in Amos often Behold the eyes of the Lord God are vpon the sinfull kingdome and I will destroy it cleane out of the earth Neuerthelesse I will not vtterly destroy the house of Iacob saith the Lord. And let faithfull Ministers of God lay vp in their hearts that example of Alexander the Great to Iaddus the High-priest and his companie at Ierusalem with other such like testimonies of Gods power when he pleaseth to vse it This Great conquerour of the world Alexander hauing besieged seuen monethes the strong Citie of Tyrus sent to his néere neighbours the lewes for some men and helpe to besent vnto him but they by pretense of gratitude to the kings of Persia who had euer béene kinde they said to them denied him any ayde Whereupon entering into a great rage against them assoone as hee had gotten the Citie be gathered all his forces to goe against Hierusalem to be auenged of them which when Iaddus the High priest vnderstood he put on all his Priestly attire and tooke the rest of his company also with him and went to méete Alexander in the way desiring peace at his hands Whom when Alexander saw now sée the finger of God with his Minister he presently alighted downe from his horse and falling vpon his knées to the High-priest granted him and all the Iewes their desired peace A most admitable sight in such a warriour such an Emperour such a powerfull Prince as made all the world to stoope himselfe so to humble his bodie to an vnarmed Priest vnknowne to him and neuer séene before His chiefe Counsellours Parmenio Clitus and others were amazed at it and asking a reason Alexander tolde them God had shewed him in a dreame the verie same man so attired and so accompanied and promised him victorie which now remembring and hauing preuailed against Tyrus in reuerence of that vision and hope of
you go ouer older times And for these later times our Romish teachers haue excéeded all that went before them in this fault as may be shewed by many miserable expositions when time shall so require 5 Thou shalt kill the Ramme and take of his bloud and put it vpon the lap of Aarons eare and vpon the lap of the right eare of his sonnes and vpon the thumb of their right hand and vpon the great toe of the right foote c. By the eare is noted obedience whereupon the seruant that would stil continue with his master was put to the post of his maisters house and bored in the eare in token of perpetuall seruice and obedience So by this figure the Lord would shadow out that the Priestes from whom others should draw example should themselues be obedient to his word in all things and first heare and then teach Obedience was euer acceptable and pleasing to God Sacrifice and meat offerings saith the Psalme thou wouldest not haue but mine eare thou hast opened Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when his voyce is obeyed Beholde to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken is better than the fat of Rammes c. Especially in them that call vpon others to obey obedience must needes be looked for and the want seuerely punished The right eare is chosen to shadowe a right hearing of the word for amendement of life and not a left for confirmation of errour and further obstinacie against the Lord as many do heare it The Thumbe of the hand is touched with bloud to teach that we must not onely be hearers but dooers of the word ioyning workes to faith and holy life to a sound beleefe For the kingdome of God standeth not in word but in power The right Thumbe not the left to shadow out that we may not deceiue our selues in our workes and doe what séemeth good in our owne eyes thinking to please GOD with our good and fayre intents but our workes must be right commaunded by God not inuented by vs. For want of which due consideration O how many are deceiued and wearie themselues in dooing what God neuer will accept or reward Wo be to the Teachers that for their owne aduantage haue thus abused Gods poore people the worke of his hands the price of his déere Sonnes bloud The Thumbe is touched but it is the right Thumbe and both by figure and plaine testimonies the Scriptures are manifest in this point To the like end was the great Toe of their right foote also sprinkled with bloud that they might so remember to walke worthie of their vocation And vsually by the foot in Scripture is both action and affection noted Their feete are swift to shed bloud that is their actions are cruell and tyrannicall My feete had almost slipped saith Dauid meaning both action and affection Looke to thy foote when thou enterest into the house of God that is to thy minde intent and affection Lastly both Aaron and his garments and his sonnes and their garments were sprinkled with bloud To teach that he and all his seruice and intercession for the people was onely in his bloud acceptable who should shed his bloud for mankinde the true Aaron and High priest Christ Iesus 6 The brest the shoulder were the Priests part as you sée alotted by God to them for their maintenance yet not without some figuratiue resemblance for the brest is often vsed to signifie wisdom the shoulders to note strength in bearing So by these parts giuen to the Priests God would shadow how the priests ought euer both in wisdom iudgement in bearing induring the many difficulties of their own function all other crosses whatsoeuer go before the people and be examples to them of comfort and courage of counsell and good aduise in all things Great vses are then of Ministers if people had eyes to see them and harts wisely to consider them that with thankfulnes both to God and his instruments they might righly vse Gods goodnes prouided for them 7 The head was cast away not without an excellent figure For thereby was signified that in matters diuine and heauenly we must cast away our owne heads and wits as not able to attaine to such depth and pray with the Prophet Dauid Open mine eyes O Lord that I may beholde the wonderfull things in thy lawe The naturall man saith Saint Paule vnderstandeth not the things that belong to God neyther can he for they are foolishnesse vnto him This meditation is a notable stay when we cannot vnderstand and so are tempted to thinke it false and absurd c. 8 And the holy garments which appertaine to Aaron shall bee his sonnes after him to be anoynted therein and to be consecrate therein c. The same garments continued although the Priest by mortalitie being a naturall man changed and so was signified that our High priest not meere man but God and man is one and his righteousnesse our blessed garment remayneth to Father Sonne and sonnes sonne to the worlds end in them that feare him and by a true faith beléeue in him Againe by the way we may note that by Gods lawe the high priest was not buried in his Robes Pontificalibus as now forsooth Bishops be among apish imitators of these Iewes Ceremonies a toy taken vp without reason vnlesse this may be reason because being dead they meane to discharge that dutie of their place which aliue they neuer made any conscience of 9 Aaron and his Sonnes shall eate the fleshe of the Ramme and so foorth But a straunger shall not eate thereof bycause they are Holye thinges When any Sacrifice was effected in this sort the bringer or owner and the Priestes did eate part and so were as Gods guestes inuited of him to a holy feast which that it might be with more reuerence and spiritual presence all things were done in the Holy place the meat soden and eaten c so a difference made betwixt that and their ordinarie diet at other times their mindes drawen to the meditation of such mysteries and they present rather at a Sacrament than an earthly repast No prophane person was admitted but onely such as were of the family of God and yet in our daies they that will séeme most religious teach and striue to maintaine that wicked and prophane persons may aswell eate the bodie drinke the bloud of Christ as the godly may and to that end teach a grosse reall presence of materiall flesh and blood by transubstantiation Nothing will draw them from this madnesse neyther the figures of the lawe nor the plainnesse of the Gospell but headlong to hell they will runne with it against Scripture Fathers Reason and whatsoeuer ought to perswade wise men The late beginning of this cursed error they read and sée as well as we Tertullians Rule they acknowledge with vs That
trueth is first and that which was first is truth and yet they fayle and still will fayle to graunt and make the conclusion Their handes are red in their poore brethrens bloud who haue auowed trueth and chosen rather to loose life than to forsake trueth what remaines but searefull confusion without repentance God giue them eyes 10 Now if ought of the flesh of the consecration or of the bread remayne vnto the morning then thou shalt burne the rest with fire It shall not be eaten because it is an holy thing First this was done for more reuerence of those holy Sacrifices lest by reseruation eyther any loathing might haue growen from wormes and such like or neglect and contempt by casting it away or loosing it Secondly by this shadowed that God will haue no part of his worship put ouer till an other day but cheerefully euer will hee be serued without delayes Cras Cras To morow to morow is the noice of a Crow not the voyce of a Christian But To day if you will heare his voyce hearden not your hearts And while it is called To day exhort one another with many other such Speaches in the Scripture are we stirred vp to take present time and not to delay Thirdly by this denying them to keepe any the Lord would preuent superstition by abusing those parts kept contrarie to Gods will as to heale diseases to keepe away ill Spirits to hang them about their necke to sweare by them and such like as at this day is to be seene in the Popish Church by reseruation of the Sacrament Sathan was readie then had not this lawe preuented him but after in the time of the Gospell hee preuailed and euen in Tertulians time were crept in foule abuses growing to adoration of the bread 11 These things thus passed ouer belonging to the consecration of the Priestes your Chapter commeth to the Sacrifice which was continuall A Lambe in the Morning and a Lambe at Euen with what further is specified in the Text. By which kinde of Sacrifice notably the Lambe Christ Iesus was figured which taketh away sinnes of the world The manner how the Lambe resembled Christ you may read in the 12. Chapter of this Booke where Speach was of the Paschall Lambe thither I referre you Oyle and Wine were added to this sacrifice to signifie that vnto these holy exercises of the lawe they should bring with them faith and repentance which should make the tast of them good as oyle and wine doth the Sacrifice For without these two what sauour or relish could God haue of them Sorrow for my sinne and faith in him that hath redeemed mee from my sinne is all the camfort God can conceiue in me and therefore beware of dooing any dutie to him without these two lest the Lord say I haue no pleasure in them Oyle and wine then with that Legall Sacrifice and faith and repentance with our spirituall duties and Sacrifices agrée well As all Sacrifices then led vnto Christ so did this daily Sacrifice of the two Lambes Morning and Euening most plainely and therefore after Christ was exhibited in the flesh accordingly these legall Sacrifices had their end all and by name this whereof read the praediction of Daniel in his ninth Chapter Yet neuerthelesse the Synagogue of Antichrist is not ashamed hereupon to build that filthie Idol of their Masse saying that all they are Antichristes which take away their daily Sacrifice of their Masse But their mouthes are no slaunder The trueth we holde and GOD euer make vs holde it both in this point and the rest In this point we say thus that this daily sactifice of the Lambes figured Christ he is come and therefore no longer to be figured as to come But these Lambes are gone and he the true Lambe remayneth once offered vpon the crosse but daily sauing vs from our sinnes vpon our true repentance and faith in him He is our daily sacrifice and continuall Mediator And who so taketh him away hee is Antichrist ware he thrice three Crownes vpon his head But that doth the Man of Rome and his Succession who teach that remission of sinnes may bee obteyned by other meanes than by him onely Wee haue none but him yesterday and to day and the same for euer His blessed Sacrament he hath left vs to remember vs of his worke wrought for vs and wee so vse it to thankesgiuing and not as a sacrifice for quicke and deade as they doe Judge betwixt vs good Christian Reader and the Lord giue thee wisedome in all thinges 13 Finally the Lord promiseth they vsing these his appointments rightly he will dwell among them and will be their God It is not hard in prosperitie to thinke God is present and careth for vs béeing indéed as Philosophers could say the Cause of all good things in Nature But when the cloudie day of aduersitie commeth and wée are ouerwhelmed as it were with perilles and crosses then is it a gratious strength to thinke and beléeue so stedfastly Cato a Wise-man as long as Pompei stood and flourished defended stoutlye a Prouidence but when he fled into Egipt was slaine of a base fellow lay vpon the shore without any honor of buriall when Cato himself also was beset with Caesars army then in this mist of miserie he fell from his former doctrine turning his tale as if there were no Prouidence at all but euery thing went by Hap and saying There was a great darknesse in Diuine things seeing Pompei who had many times prospered and had good successe in ill causes now was ouerthrowen in a good cause most misearably namely in the defence of his countrey Too many taste of this weakenesse which know more than Cato knew and therefore in the day of comfort and faire Sunneshine it is good to gather strength against a change And to remember such Spéeches as this of God to his Church and to his people I WILL DVVELL AMONG YOV AND WILL BE YOVR GOD. Hee is true in this promise aswell in foule weather as in faire and we must be assured of it Other like Spéeches there are many If any man loue me saith Christ He will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and wee will come to him and dwell with him The Psalmes are full of such comforts The Lord is neere vnto all them that are of atroubled spirit the LORD is neere to all them that call vpon him faithfully It is a memorable place where Esay the Prophet bringeth-in GOD saying Ego DEVS habito cum contrito et humili SPIRITV vt erigam SPIRITVM humilium et viuificem CORDA contritorum I the Lord will dwell with the contrite and humble spirit that I may raise vp the spirit of the humble and reuiue the hearts of them that are contrite It is the manner of sinfull men to insult ouer them that are in affliction and to go ouer where the wall is broken but
his All-powerfull blood Fourthly this laying on the hand shewed that men bringing Sacrifices to God should rather sacrifice themselues and all their exorbitant affections than that beast For manie are content to giue their goods to God but themselues to the deuill which God abhorreth Lastly this Ceremonie taught them of what minde they should be when they offered namely of this that they thought the fauours and mercies of God so great and gracious towards them that if they should euen offer themselues to the death for him and indéede dye as that beast must yet no recompence would that be worthy such a louing Lord and answerable to such his great kindnesse When it is said in the Text that such sacrifice should be axcepted to the Lord to be his atonement vers 4. and in the 9. vers for a sweet sauour vnto the Lord or a sauour of rest which pacifieth the anger of the Lord these promises being no deceiuings of men but true as the Promise-maker is euer true We must note and consider that there was a satisfying power in those Legall sacrifices whereby the right Offerer was loosed and clâ—ered from guilt in the sight of God not that brute creatures of theÌ„selues could doe thus but as they were true figures of Christ and grace by him to be obtained and had sacramentally Therefore they satisfied and helped or reconciled to God as at this day we are washed sacramentally by Baptisme Profitable then no further but as they were exercises to true repentance and faith that sinners might learne to feare the wrath of God and to séeke saluation in Christ and Christ onely Seuenthly the burnt Offering was slaine to fore shew the death of Christ O fooles and slowe of heart saith our Sauiour to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken Ought not Christ to haue suffered those things to enter into his glorie And he began at Moses all the Prophets throughly interpreted vnto them c. Now thinke with your self wherin Moses that is the Law did so shew the death of Christ as by these deathes and killings of the Sacrifices But who offred the slaine sacrifice any but the Priest No that so it might be shadowed how that there is no power in man to please God but by the chiefe and high Priest Christ Jesus of whom the Leuiticall Priest was a type and a figure Eightly the Priests sonnes offered the blood and sprinkled it round about vpon the Altar that is by the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation The blood noting the death of Christ and the sprinckling the preaching of it through the world Ninthly the burnt Offering was flayed and the skinne plucked off then was it cut in peeces vers 6. Hereby was noted the great and gréeuous bitternesse of Christ his Passion who should for maÌ„s sake be stripped-out of all humane helpe and made as bare and naked of all worldly glory shew credite and estimation with men as this Sacrifice was turned out of his skinne Remember what you read in the Psalme spoken of Christ in the person of Dauid I am a worme and no man a shame of men and the contempt of the people All they that see mee haue me in derision they make a mowe and nodde the head saying He trusted in the Lord let him deliuer him let him saue him seeing he loueth him And so foorth as followeth in the Psalme Adde vnto it what you read in Esay He hath neither forme nor beautie when wee shall see him there shall be no forme that we should desire him He is despised and reiected of men c we hid our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Both which Prophecies are Expositions of this shadow may truly tell vs how his skinne was plucked of An other vse there might be to the partie that Offered the burnt Sacrifice euen to teach him to pull-off his skinne and to offer himselfe vp to the Lord flayed and without skinne that is without all counterfeit and bypocriticall shewes without all earthly vaine and proud confidence in himself or any workes or vertue or worth whatsoeuer in him but naked and bare to present himselfe to his God that is with a single a simple a true and a faithfull heart boasting of no desert but humbly crauing mercy and pardon and life for the true Sacrifice sake Christ Iesus who in time should come so suffer for mans sins to set him frée And surely thus still must wée be flayed skinned in all our prayers approachings to God or else we shall deceiue our selues be disappointed of our desire The proud Pharisce in the Gospell was not thus but came with his skinne on and let his example teach vs. The poore Publican was flayed and came with skinne off let it comfort and incourage vs. Tenthly your Chapter saith And the sonnes of Aaron the Priest shall put fire vpon the Altar and lay the wood in order vpon the fire Then the Priests Aarons sonnes shall lay the parts in order the head and the kall vpon the wood that is in the fire vpon the Altar In that body and head and all was laid in the fire it might note how whole Christ should suffer for vs that is Christ wholy both in body and soule for our bodies and soules that had sinned and so you know Christ did verifying and fulfilling the Figure Againe by the head might be vnderstood himselfe and by the parts his Church and members all in the fire all burnt together that it might be shewed the suffering of Christ to belong to his Chosen both in fruite and sense The fruite is his taking away of their sins The sense is their suffering also with him for him which is fit when it shall be his blessed pleasure and alotted to vs but in mercie that so suffering with him we might also reigne with him eternally in his Kingdome The Disciple is not greater than his Master c. Matth. 10. 24. And Blessed is the man whom God correcteth therefore refuse not thou the chastising of the Almightie For hee maketh the wound and bindeth it vp He smiteth and his handes make whole againe c. So saith S. Iames againe Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed hee shall receiue the crowne of Life which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him Thirdly in the fire might be shadowed the power of the Spirit and this Lesson so learned that as the fire gaue those Legall Sacrifices their sauour was as it were the sawce that made them taste well so is the Spirit to all our duties the means to season them and giue them liking with the Lord. Pray then without Spirit and what is it Heare the Word preached without Spirit and what doe you Receiue the Sacrament without this working Spirit and how can you doe well Marke it
loue to them as also in accepting of their little aswell as of the greater Sacrifices of richer persons It hath béene touched before but it can neuer be learned too much so weake are we and subiect to doubts 5 Note againe in the 11. Verse how no Oyle might bee put vpon that Offering neither any incense Oyle signifying gladnesse and Incense a swéete sauour The Lord by this Ceremonie shadowed how hatefull a thing sinne is and all that commit it till the Lord be reconciled to them againe He hath no ioy in vs neither yéeld we any swéet sauor And as he ioyeth not in vs so should we not ioy in our selues For if we do we powre Oyle vpon our Sacrifice contrary to the Law and if we thinke well of our selues we put incense also vnto it The Lord loueth a sorrowing sinner adorned with sackcloth and ashes and they that so weepe shall laugh he abhorreth proud sinners that doe euill and yet reioyce assuring such laughers that they shall weepe But alas our dayes who sorrow lesse than they that sinne most and who are more lustie and iolye than they that haue least cause if they knew their estate Read the 21 of Iob and sée the merry dayes of the wicked so in the Booke of Wisedome againe in many more places in the Scripture These men offer prayers to God at times after their fashion but they put Oyle and Incense vpon their Offering they reioyce and are merry being full of euill and they thinke their smell is as Incense to God pleasing and acceptable when hée abhorreth them and all their workes O take héede therefore of this vuféelingnesse and remember this Ceremonie often in al your doings and you disliking your selfe the Lorde shall like you in his liked and beloued Sonne your onely Sauiour euer 6 In the 15. verse Sée and marke the Law against purloyning and taking away of Tythes or First-fruites due to the Priests God still loueth his Ministers and still requireth that they be honestly liberally maintained God still abhorreth the wilfull and wayward breakrs of such Order for their maintenance as the Christian Magistrate in his authoritie according to right establisheth and appointeth Therefore let such as desire to be acceptable to God neither offend him nor their own consciences by such fraud and iniurie S. Augustines Speach is as true as old The fault is not forgiuen with God vnlesse that which was taken away bee restored to men not that restitution taketh away sinne before God but because true Faith must néedes haue good fruite and cannot be without restitution if there be power and if not yet in heart and will For againe Saint Augustine If that which is another mans sinfully purloyned by me be not restored repentance is but feigned there is none indeede How little this false and vniust dealing with Gods Ministers is regarded with many in these dayes who knoweth not and they are neuer troubled for it much lesse doe they purpose either restitution or amendment But the day will come when it will smart this Lawe of God hauing his enduring equitie and God in other places professing That this robbing of his seruants is the robbing of him and so he taketh it and so will punish it But let this suffice of this Chapter These things will come in other places to be remembred againe CHAP. VI. THis Chapter first speaketh of the Offering for Sinnes that are done willingly And secondly setteth out more fully the Rites and Ceremonies of other Sacrifices briefly touched before beginning with the fire and ashes of the Burnt-offering Of the former the Text saith thus If any sinne and commit a trespasse against the Lord and denie to his neighbour that which was taken him to keepe or that which was put to him of trust or doth by robbery or violence oppresse his Neighbour Or hath found that which was lost and denieth it and sweareth falsly for any of these things that a man doth wherin he sinneth when I say he thus sinneth and trespasseth he shall then restore the robbery that he robbed or the thing taken by violence which he tooke by force or the thing which was deliuered to him to keepe or the lost thing which he found Or for whom soeuer hee hath sworne falsly he shall both restore it in the whole summe and shall adde the fift part more thereunto and giue vnto him to whom it pertaineth the same day that he offereth for his trespasse Also he shall bring for his trespasse vnto the Lord a Ramme without blemish out of the flocke in thy estimation worth two sickles for a trespasse Offering vnto the Priest And the Priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord and it shall bee forgiuen him whatsoeuer thing hee hath done and trespassed therein This Place thus written out at large yéeldeth great comfort to many a trembling soule and therefore duely to be regarded Sinnes of ignorance haue not such blacknesse in them although Sinnes as you saw before as sinnes wittingly and willingly committed and therefore when féeling commeth this Circumstance of knowledge greatly afflicteth the conscience But blessed be God euen these sinnes also finde mercie with him vpon true Repentance So did Abraham for his lye which contrary to his knowledge hée wittingly and willingly committed So did Dauid for his fall Peter and many more Here you sée a Speciall sacrifice appointed and an atonement to bee made Should it not be so likewise now that euen for these sinnes there were an atonement by Iesus Christ our state vnder the Gospell were worse than theirs vnder the Law Yet let no mercie and goodnesse in God make vs bolde and presumptuous to sinne but with Dauid pray against such kinde of sinning euer Keepe me O Lord from presumptuous sinnes that they haue not dominion ouer me c. 2 You may obserue the examples or particulars layd downe in the Text and sée how before God all these are sinnes which yet many persons in the world make little reckoning of To denie the thing committed to our keeping To breake the trust reposed in vs To robbe our Neighbours and violently to take things from them To denie that which was lost and wee haue found To sweare falsly many times and euen for trifles with such like doe euery one thinke them sinnes and stand in feare to commit them No we know it well they are lightly thought of by too many But let Gods Lawe profit all his to a true knowledge what is sinne and to a due care to auoide it when we know it So shall it he well with vs for euer and with those also we wish well vnto after vs to a thousand generations 3 Note in the 5. vers The restitution againe which God appointeth to be made to the owners euen with a fift part more the same day that hee offereth for his trespasse And still gather this Doctrine for your vse That
GOD is neuer pleased with any thing that is ours whilest wee retaine and keepe that which is not ours But marke well an Offering to the Lord beside that satisfaction of men And through all Moses finde me a place where sinne is taken away otherwise than by Sacrifice Now whatsoeuer is attributed to the Sacrifices the same is plainly taken away from mans workes And if it was neuer the meaning of God to tye that people to the out-ward Sacrifice it selfe but by the same to leade them to Christ shadowed by the Sacrifice then apparant it is to all men that there is no meanes to take away sinne but onely by Christ Which all men will not confesse because they would establish works in farther strength thaÌ„ God hath giuen 4 Well weigh it againe in the 7. verse and euer throughout these Bookes That the Priest must make the aâ—onement so euer signifying that not in the Sacrifice but in the Priest-hood was the matter Now that Priest-hood noted Christ his Office And therefore as then no Sacrifice pleased but offered by the Priest so at this day nothing of ours as prayer and such like auaileth but in Christ and by Christ our onely and eternall High-Priest Againe the Text saith before the Lord this atonement shall be thereby ouerthrowing the wicked error of them that affirmed a ciuill purgation onely of sinne by those Sacrifices and not any spirituall promise in them Which I say is most wicked as well as false Because so those Sacrifices and Exercises of pietie should no way haue serued to bréede and strengthen Faith in man touching his spirituall estate whereunto in déede they wholly aymed and effectually wrought in the godly that vsed them rightly 5 The second point in this Chapter is concerning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Sacrifices And first of the firevpon the Altar wherwith the Burnt-offering was consumed The Text is thus Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Command Aaron and his sonnes saying This is the Law of the Burnt-offering it is the Burnt-offering because it burneth vpon the Altar all the night vnto the morning and the fire burneth on the Altar c. So carefull is God of this continuall burning that if you marke it is repeated ouer and ouer In the 12. verse againe but the fire vpon the Altar shall burne there and neuer be put out Againe in the 13. verse The fire shall euer burne vpon the Altar and neuer goe out c. To this ende the Priests care was to féede it with wood and sée to it day and night and with no other fire might either Sacrifice or Incense be burned and offered to God This fire was carefully kept vpon the Altar to the captiuitie of Babilon and afterward found againe of Nehemias 2. Machâ—b 1. 18. 19 verses Of like from hence might grow that great honour and regard which the Heathens had fire in whereof we read often The Athenians in their Prytaneo and at Delphos and at Rome of those Vestall Virgins continuall fire was kept and of many it was worshipped as a GOD. The Persians called it Orismada that is Holy-fire and in publicke pompe they vsed to carry it before Kings with great solemnitie A merry Tale there is of this god Fire which I will repeate The Chaldeans say our Bookes worshipping this vaine god proudly boasted that of all other gods he was the strongest conquering and consuming all other gods of the Gentiles And no maruell for they were either wood or mettall that by fire might bée defaced This bragge at last came to the eares of a Priest of Canopus This Canopus was Maister of Menelaus shippes and dying in an Jland at the entrie of Nilus the famous Riuer of Egypt caused that Iland to be called after his name and was there honoured for a God This Priest fearing lest his god Canopus the Image béeing belike of some mettall might come in contempt and so his liuing be taken away deuised thus with himselfe Hée got a water-pot full of holes like vnto these that we water gardens withall stopped vp all the holes with waxe filled it full of water painted it very trimme and setting it very artificially vpon the toppe of the old Image of his god Canopus brought him foorth to contend with the Chaldeans god of fire which of them should be the greater The fire was set about him and great expectation in the beholders which way the victorie would goe By and by when the heat of the fire had melted the waxe that stopped the holes of the pot the water began to streame out at all the holes quite put out the fire about it Then there was a cry by all Canopus friends Victorie victorie and from that time Canopus that Idoll was counted through this subtiltie of the Priest the strongest God of all others Thus blinde are men when God giueth not light and thus easily abused when they are blinde We may maruell lesse at this great simplicity if we consider what is taught and held by these that thinke themselues wise in these dayes Namely that the water called Holy-Water sprinkled in the graue of a dead man not only purgeth the same man from all spot of sinne but extinguisheth also in great part that fell-fire which they call Purgatorie-fire Thus you sée mens follyes both of fire and water But passe we them ouer and come to the Matter What might be the reason why God appoynted this Ceremonie of continuall fire vpon the Altar and how may we profit by it First there was figured by it the death of Christ from the beginning of the world Namely that he was the Lambe slayne from the beginning for Mankinde and by this shadow they were led to beléeue That although as yet Christ was not come in the flesh neuerthelesse the fruit of his death belonged to them aswell as to those that should liue when hée came or was come for this fire was continuall and went not out no more did the fruite of his Passion faile to any True-beleeuer euen from the beginning But they were saued by beléeuing that he should come as we are now by beleeuing that he is come Also this fire came from Heauen Leuit. 9. vers 24 and so should Christ in the time appointed This fire was euer in and neuer went out and so is God euer ready to accept our Sacrifices and appointed duties euer ready to heare vs and forgiue vs but we are slow and dull and come not to him as we ought No other fire might be vsed but this and so they were taught to kéepe to Gods Ordinances and to flye from all inuentions of their owne heads For euer it was true and euer will be true In vaine do men worship me teaching for Doctrines mens praecepts Our owne deuises séeme they neuer so wise so fit so holy and excellent they are strange fire not that fire that came from Heauen Not that fire that God will be pleased
withall or indure This fire comming first from Heauen and thus preserued still preached vnto them by figure that aswell did their Sacrifices and seruices duly performed according to the Law please God as that did when first God sent his fire from Heauen to consume it in token of approbation which surely was a great comfort to their consciences and a mightie proppe to fainting fearing weake Faith This fire thus mayntayned and kept with all care and not suffered euer to goe out taught them and still may teach vs to be carefull to kéepe in the fire of Gods holy spirit that it neuer die nor go out within vs. The fire is kept in with wood with breath or blowing and with ashes so is Gods Spirit kept in that holy and happy fire by honest life as by wood by true sighes of vnfained repentance as by breath or blowing and by méeke humilitie as by soft ashes O that we may haue care to kéepe it in what should I say This continued fire taught then and though it be now gone and abrogated may still teach vs now to be carefull to kéepe in amongst vs the fire of Gods Word the true preaching of his Truth to the saluation of our soules Foolish men foolishly will imitate this Law by maintening of lights and Lampes candels and tapers to burne continually but let vs care to preserue this Lampe and Light of Gods Gospell amongst vs that it goe not out and God shall be pleased We and ours bettered in his blessing It had bene a hainous sinne then to suffer the fire of the Altar to goe foorth and can wée thinke it is no sinne now by taking away the maintenance to serue our gréedy couetousnesse to put out this fire from amongst vs and all Gods people about vs GOD make Patrons thinke of it and giue them conscience before there be no more time for mercie Fitly is the Preaching of the Gospell shadowed by the fire vpon the Altar consuming the Burnt-offering For the fire hath these properties it shineth and giueth light it heateth it consumeth it tryeth so the Preaching of the Gospell Thy Word is a Lanterne vnto my feete and a light vnto my path S. Peter calleth it a Candle in a darke place and many Scriptures teach the shining light of it The heate in like sort Did not our hearts burne within vs whilest he talked with vs and opened the Scriptures The fire kindled and I spake with my tongue saith the Psalme and as fire it pleased the Holy Spirit to appeare at Pentecost to shew this fruite of effect of the Word preached by their mouthes it heateth the heart to all good life and maketh vs zealous of good workes The drosse of our corruption by degrées it washeth the stubble of our fancies it burneth-vp and consumeth so that we abhorre the sinnes we haue bene pleased with and hate the remembrance of euill passed Lastly it tryeth Doctrine and seuereth Truth from error it tryeth men and discouereth Hypocrites All worthy Motiues to make vs carefull to preserue this fire perpetually amongst vs whilest we liue and in a holy zeale to prouide for it also when we are dead So shall we liue béeing dead Nay so shall we assuredly neuer die but with immortall soules and neuer dying tongues praise his Name that liueth foreuer and will haue vs with him This is the Ceremonie of the fire 6 The next Ceremonie is concerning the Ashes of the Burnt-offering wherin your Chapter saith thus ver 10. And the Priest shal put on his linnen-garment shall put on his linnen breeches vpō his flesh take away the ashes when the fire hath consumed the Burnt-offering vpon the Altar he shall put them beside the Altar c to the 14. vers First concerning these linnen-breeches you sée the Law for them to be made Exod. 28. 42. with the Reason of the same modestie and comelinesse in their Ministrie This putting-off their garments figured that bareing of our Sauiour Christ when hée suffered from his Garments so that as the Priest héere layd aside the clothes he ware and put his linnen-breeches about his nakednesse euen so was the Lord Iesus stripped out of all his clothes and onely with his nakednesse couered nayled vpon the Crosse for our sake Some haue said also that this laying aside of their garments shadowedout that laying aside as it were of his Diuinitie whilest in his humanitie hée truely suffered vpon the Crosse Not that euer there was any reall seperation betwixt his Natures that being impossible but because his God-head did as it were hide it selfe by not shewing his Power that the decréed Saluation of man by the meanes also decréed might be effected The carying the ashes foorth without the Hoste notably figured-out the suffering and buriall of Christ with-out the Citie of Hierusalem which was performed The ashes were to be put in a cleane place not prophaned or abused or carelesly cast away so to note that although Christ his body should dye and be as ashes in the conceite of men yet should that body reuiue againe and must not be putrified but put in a cleane place euen a newe Tombe wherein neuer any man lay before c. 7 In the 14. verse and so to the 19. The Ceremonies of the Meat-offering are more fully set down thā they were before in the second Chapter That the remnant should be the Priests was before said but it was not layde-downe how Aaron and his sonnes should vse this remnant Wherefore now it is further added That they should eate it vers 16. But how It shall be eaten without Leauen in the holy Place in the court of the Tabernacle The Males onely might eat it and not women c. What Leauen vsually in Scripture signifieth you haue heard before Namely corrupt doctrine and bad life with either which the Lord would not haue his Priestes stained In the holy Place onely and not else-where must they eate it to signifie that onely in the Church is the benefit of Christ to be had and not out of the Church The branch beareth not fruite but in the Uine and the Uine is onely in the Uine-yard This Church is not a building of lyme and stone but a societie of Christian people among whom the Gospell is truly preached the Sacraments duely and rightly administred and who with one consent firmely beléeue that they haue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting not by the merits of mans righteousnesse but by and for the merites and righteousnes of the Lord Iesus onely To be in the Church therfore is not to be in the place of Lyme and stone built to méete in but to be one of this number that holdeth and beléeueth as all Patriarks and Prophets Apostles and Martyrs and all the faithfull Elect of God euer haue done from the beginning of man and hereafter shall doe to the ende of the world who all as
his word séeing it is so sure a way for mée to walke in Or why should any Teacher deliuer to me that which hée neuer receiued of God to be deliuered to his people If they craue obedience why should they bée angry that I pray to haue it shewed out of his word whom onely I must obey Hée hath prescribed a forme of seruing him that forme hée will accept and blesse with eternall peace all other formes hée will abhorre and punish Nadab and Abihu preach so vnto vs and all flesh They wish vs to take héed by their harme God is in other things full of patience but in this he is full of wrath and his authoritie to appoint his owne worship he will not indure it to be taken from him by any man Let Popish whisperers then make good out of Gods word Latine Prayers when we vnderstand no Latin Calling vpon Saints that heare vs not Flying from the sufficiencie of Christs Passion to our owne merits crossings and creepings with a thousand deuised toyes and we will obey them But if they cannot let them leaue vs to serue God according to his word that we may bée accepted 3 You may also well note it here that Nadab Abihu were two of Aarons eldest sonnes which after their father should in his place haue succéeded him yet there is no mercie with God to stay his iudgement when they will not be ruled by his word No prerogatiue therefore of any man shall saue him from wrath if hee thus offend but the eldest shall die aswell as a yonger the richest aswell as the poorer a great man or woman aswell as a small There is no regard with God of these things But the soule that serueth him according to his owne will reueiled in his VVord that is regarded and euer déere vnto him c. Build we not therefore vpon any titles and so swarue from the rule laid downe vnto vs. If so little a transgression cannot be qualified any way by any circumstance O what will bée their case one day that so many wayes stray from the Law of God and almost in no one iote of their worship haue any warrant Thinke with your self more of this matter and meditate further of it at your times 4 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neere mee and before all the people I will be glorified You can conceiue what wo it was to Moses to sée this end of two of his brothers sonnes but he must stoope to God and so he doth telling Aaron the trueth of the fault and so consequently defending God that he did but iustly In déede saith he we must confesse that this is that we were told before how God will be sanctified in them that come neere vnto him that is how he will haue his Law obeyed and followed in his worship and not any way else how though he vse the Ministerie of man yet no man liuing must be wiser than Hee to swarue from the forme appointed and to follow his owne libertie but man must thinke it his wisedome to doe as God biddeth c. 5 But Aaron held his peace saith the Text that is was so astonished with the fearefulnes of it that he had no spéech but all amazed and shaken with the woe of it held his peace He howled not out with any vnséâ—mly cries neither vttered any words of rage and impatiencie but méekly stooped to Gods will kissed his rodde and held his peace If thus Aaron in so great a iudgement how much more we when our friends dye naturally swéetly and comfortably so that we may boldly say NoÌ„ amisimus sedpraemisimus VVe haue not lost them but sent them before vs whether we our selues hope to follow Lay to this heauie harted father yet silent and patient the example of olde father Elye the Priest to whom when Samuel had related such fearefull things quietly he answered It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The example also of Dauid who in his distresse very bitter and heauie yet notably said Let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes These are most excellent Paterns for vs to follow in all our crosses and griefes not forgetting that golden Saying of Iob Wee haue taken good things at Gods hands and shall we not take euill O yes yes The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and euer euer blessed be his Name for all The fish groweth greater in salt waters and the Lord for his mercie make our Faith Pacience and Comfort in him great in the saltest and bitterest waters of this world Amen 6 Obserue here againe with your selfe the strange and admirable change of these worldly matters in the turne as we say of a hand For but Yesterday as it were Aaron and these sonnes of his had a famous and glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignitie vpon earth nothing vnder the Sunne being more glorious than that Priest-hood in those dayes And how may you thinke his heart reioyced to sée not onely himselfe but his children which Parents often loue more than themselues so blessed and honoured But O change now sudden and fearefull O fickle fading comfort that man taketh hold of in this world whatsoeuer it be if wordly These sonnes so lately exalted and honoured to their old Fathers swéet and great ioy now lye destroyed before his face to his extréeme and twitching torment And how Not by any ordinarie and accustomed death but by fire from Heauen a sore and dreadfull iudgement For what also Euen for breach of commaunded dutie by the Lord all which doubled and trebled the fathers sorrow As it did in Dauid when his sonne Absolon died not an vsual death and in rebellion and disebedience against his king and Father You remember his passion then vttered O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne He considered the cause wherein he dyed the manner how he dyed to a father so kinde as Dauid was both of them full of woe and sorrow Let neuer therefore any prosperitie in this world puffe vs for wée little know what to morrow-day may bring with it The glasse that glistereth most is soonest broken the rankest corne is soonest layd and the fullest bough with pleasant fruite is soonest slit hauing more eyes vpon it moe stones cast at it than all the other boughs of the trée Pleasant wine maketh wise men fooles and fooles often starke mad Thousands fall at the left hand but tenne thousand at the right Multos fraÌ„git aduersitas sed plures extollit prosperitas Many saith Saint Bernard are crushed with aduersitie but more are puffed vp by prosperitie Lacertus Milonem perdidit ambitio Caesarem Nimis alter Naturae nimis alter Fortunae credidit Milo his strong arme ouerthrew him and Caesar his ambition The one
trusted too much to Nature and the other to Fortune As a Spiders webbe so is a mans greatnes in this world soone wiped away with a little whiske Often therefore thinke of Saint Iohns words Loue not this world neither the things that are in the world If any man loue this world the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in this world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And this world passeth away and the lust therof but hee that fulfilleth the Will of GOD abideth for euer 7 But was Aaron hated of God because this fearefull happe fell vpon his Children No no. Therefore learne to stay your hastie nature from iudging rashly and bée not caryed away by a pratling world Euer remember what Crosse is layd héere not vpon a meane man in the Church but vpon him that had the highest place that was a Figure of Christ and accepted of him and meditate of it much with your selfe for your comfort c. 8 Note in the 4. and 5. verses the maner of bury all not in the Hoste but without in the fields prepared and kept for such vse Where was then the superstitious conceite of Churches and Church-yards Their friendes and kins-men cary them foorth to buriall and the custome is still commendable amongst vs. 9 After Moses said vnto Aaron and vnto Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes vncouer not your heads neither rent your clothes least yee die and lest wrath come vpon all the people but let your brethren all the House of Israell bewayle the burning which the Lord hath kindled In this case it was not lawfull for Aaron and his sonnes to mourne least they should séeme to preferre their carnal affection to God his iust iudgement And it is a great Caueat to all such as desire to gouerne themselues in an acceptable course Of mourning for the dead and the maner of Nations differing in the same more may be said in the 19. Chapter 10 But the people here might mourne that it might euer be learned noted and remembred how néerely and truely the griefe of the Minister should touch a louing and godly people But where where is such a people God forbid but wée should assure our selues there is a portion that doth thus although al that reape the labours aswell as they dee it not And let it bée a faithfull Ministers comfort euer that mee loue him and suffer with him in any griefe of his than hée knoweth off I know what I say and my soule blesseth the Lord for my experience in this poynt My infirmities are many and my weaknesse to doe seruice hath euer béene great I know it I acknowledge it in humilitie before him that knoweth whether I lye or no. Yet hath it béene his good pleasure euer since I was first a Minister to shew himselfe strong in my weaknesse and to giue a gracious blessing to my poore Labours in diuers places that I might well learne it is all one to him to worke with small gifts and with great And touching the thing I spake of I haue found this loue in some for my onely Ministerie sake that I haue béene aduertised by writing of matters much concerning mée and to this day could neuer learne and know who they were The Lord reward it ten thousand folde into their bosomes if they bée liuing and vpon theirs if they be gone to God Thus much breaketh from mée in this place out of a thankfull heart to GOD and to them and for a true comfort to my Brethren in this Land lighting vpon these my weake labours that besides their owne experience they know also mine that howsoeuer all are not kinde and louing where wée liue and labour yet more are our faithfull friends than wée know And therefore let vs goe on through all reports good and bad and through all crosses great and small doe the worke whereunto wée are called and rest vp-vpon him that will neuer faile vs nor let vs fall 11 And they did according to Moses commandement saith the Text. So will the rod of God waken his people and worke obedience For which cause the Lord often layeth it where hée loueth not willing as himselfe saith the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne and liue 12 Thou shalt not drink wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy sonnes with thee when yee come into the Tabernacle of the Congregation lest yee die This is an Ordinance for euer throughout your Generations That yee may put difference betwixt the holy and the vnholy and betweene the cleane and the vncleane And that yee may teach the Children of Israel all the Statutes which the Lord hath commanded them by the hand of Moses Sobrietie is a vertue fit for all men but especially for Ministers of the Word and Sacraments Thus much in this Law the Lord shadowed and wée may truely learne wine was forbidden them absolutely when their turne came to minister but now that Law bindeth not Yet to Sobrietie with wine and without wine we are euer bound Let a Minister saith the Apostle be no drinker of wine meaning disorderly and vnfitly for otherwise Timothie is exhorted to drinke a little wine for his stomacke-sake and his often infirmities To all men the same Apostle saith againe Bee not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but bee fullfilled with the spirit c. The reason added that thus they might be sound and sincere Interpreters of the Law For the chiefe Office of the Priests was not to kill beastes and offer Sacrifices but to haue knowledge and to teach the people the difference betwixt the true God and false Idolles betwixt holy things and prophane betwixt right prayer and wrong concerning the Law and sinne and grace c. according to the Prophet Malachies Speach The lippes of the Priest shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hostes. But here is no thought in this Law of any proud and Anabaptisticall separation of our selues from the fellowshippe of our Brethren and the vnitie of the Church vnder a colour that wée are holy and others prophane Beware we euer of such Doctrine and such Teachers 13 Then Moses said to Aaron and vnto Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes that were left Take the Meat-offering c. This is added to comfort and strengthen the shaken hearts of Aaron and his liuing sonnes who might by this strange punishment haue béene driuen into doubt whether euer the Lord would bée pleased that they should meddle againe with the Sacrifices And we sée therein a swéete and gracious God who maketh not his promises voyd to all for the faults of some but only teacheth to beware by other mens harmes Wée must therefore cleaue to our Calling and euen so much
the more painfully goe forward therein by how much wée sée others punished for ill-doing There is as certaine reward with GOD for well-dooing as there is punishment for the contrary Be taught therefore I say and schooled but neuer be discouraged and feared from imposed duetie 14 And Moses sought the Goate that was offered for sinne and loe it was burned therefore hee was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar the sonnes of Aaron which were left aliue c. Part of this Goate being a Sinne-offering should haue béene eaten I meane the shoulder and brest alotted to the Priest but it was all burned contrary to the Law For which Moses was iustly offended hauing séen so lately Gods wrath vpon the other fault The answere of Aaron you haue in the 19. verse in effect and sense as if hée should haue said I confesse and acknowledge the Ordinance of God is to be kept and wée are to eate with ioy of the parts alotted vnto vs of the Sacrifice for sinne the blood whereof was not brought into the Tabernacle of the Testimonie But how could I eate with ioy in so heauie and wofull a case of my children Compelled therefore with the greatnesse of my griefe I did what I did c. At which answere sayeth your Chapter Moses was content so bearing with his infirmitie considering his great sorrow but not leauing an example to forgiue them that maliciously transgresse the commandement of God And as Moses is said to haue stayed his anger so you sée the Lord himselfe did not punishing againe this fault It layeth open vnto vs the great kindnesse of our gracious God of whom the Psalme saith He is full of compassion and mercie long suffering and of great goodnesse He will not alway be chiding neither keepeth hee his anger for euer He dealeth not with vs after our sinnes neither rewardeth vs according to our wickednesse c. Secondly you may sée here how these Ceremoniall Lawes gaue place to necessitie as Dauid also in necessitie did eate the Shew-bread which was otherwise vnlawfull for him to doe and Ezechias admitted to the Passeouer those that were not clensed But for Morall Lawes there is no dispensation for corporall necessity but a constant course must be held in obeying them For it is not necessarie that I should liue but it is euer necessarie that I should liue righteously Lastly in that Moses admitted a reasonable excuse wée may learne to abhorre pride and to doe the like Pride I say which scorneth to heare what may be said against the conceit we haue once harboured A modest man or woman doth not thus But euen for his seruant and his mayde holy Iob had an eare and did not despise their iudgement their complaint or griefe when they thought themselues euill intreated by him The example of God himselfe is in stead of a thousand who mercifully both heard and accepted of Abimelech his excuse for taking away Abrahā his wife I know saith he that thou didst it euen with an vpright-minde and therfore I kept thee also that thou shouldest not sinne against mee c. Shall the Lord bée thus swéet and we so dogged so churlish so sterne and sower that no excuse may serue for a thing done amisse if once wée haue taken notice of it Beware beware and remember your owne frailtie well A stubborne frowardnesse hath hurt many swéete gentlenesse and curtesie neuer any but though wicked men were vnthankfull yet our gracious God was pleased And thus of this Chapter CHAP. XI IT belonged to the Priests Office in those dayes not onely to teach True Doctrine to the people to pray for them and to offer Sacrifices appointed by God but also to discerne and iudge betwixt things cleane and vncleane Therefore hauing hitherto spoken of Sacrifices and the Ceremonies therof now Moses commeth to speake of vncleane things Namely Men and Women vncleane Meates vncleane Houses Garments Marriages and such like directing the Priest how hée should iudge in this behalse truely neither make that vncleane which was not nor that cleane which God made vncleane This Chapter which now you read speaketh of vncleane meates beastes Fishes and Birdes Whereof before wée consider according to the Text wée may all remember the state of this matter concerning difference of meate as in the Scripture wée are taught First then in Genesis you read thus Behold I haue giuen vnto you euery herbe bearing seed which is vpon all the earth which hath life in it selfe euery greene herbe shall be for meate and it was so No flesh as yet then granted to man In the 9 Chapter you read thus Euery thing that moueth liueth shal be meat for you euen as the greene herbe haue I giuen you all things But flesh with the life thereof I meane with the blood thereof shall yee not eate c. Héere is flesh granted also as well as herbes and onely the blood thereof excepted But now in this Chapter of Leuiticus many sorts of meates are forbidden as vnclean Was this perpetuall No it was but Ceremoniall and for a time Wherfore the Apostle was bold to say in his time and for all times after Let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moore or of the Sabboth dayes which are but a shadow of things to come but the body is Christ And whereof a shadow First these things shadowed the dutie of mā to depend vpon the word and will of his God in all things yea euen in his meate Secondly how carefull hée ought to be to séeke cleanenes of body and soule before the Lord and to auoyd the contrary which by the fall of our first Parents was and is so crept into all their posteritie as now our very righteousnesse that is our best things are but as a foule filthy stayned cloth Thirdly how God had made a difference betwixt them and all other the Nations of the world reputing them in his mercy as cleane and all other people as vncleane that is accepting them for his People before all others Remember the Uision of Peter in the Acts and the meaning of it Namely that Peter should not forbeare to goe to the Gentiles in respect of any former difference betwixt Iewe and Gentile for this should bée to call that vncleane which God had made cleane God now had broken downe by his sonnes Passion the partition wall and Gentile aswell as Iewe should be accepted the Ceremonie of those meates cleane and vncleane which shadowed out this partition and difference now hauing his ende and béeing finished Kill and eate now of all meates and Goe and teach now all Nations Call not any meate now any more vncleane for all is cleane to them that are cleane And put no difference now betwixt Cornelius and a Iewe for all are cleane that is In euery Nation hee that feareth God
read Quintus Curtius did in a time of Pestilence The Decij Father and sonne in a time of hard Warre with the Latines and Samnites Codrus King of the Athenians in Lycurgus Menoeceus in Euripides and the daughters of Erecteus offered themselues to be sacrificed for their Countrey So Achas 2. Kings 16. Manasses Chap. 21. and the King of Moab Chap. 3. their owne sonnes This was a great mistaking you plainely sée and therefore let it mooue you to send vp thankfull thoughts to God for your better knowledge and vnderstanding What a notable Figure againe this Scape Goate was of Christ you sée vpon his head all the sinnes of mankinde were layd hec bearing them himselfe and remoouing them away from vs Esay 53. 4. 8 Well may you also marke héere when Confession was made ouer the head of this Goate what diuersitie of wordes are vsed as all iniquities all trespasses all sinnes Why so many wordes but to teach that confession of sinnes must not be light and formall onely but earnest vehement heartie and zealous And in déed neuer can a good childe of God satisfie himselfe herein but still wisheth hée could more bewayle his sinnes and more earnestly expresse with words what his soule féeleth in this behalf Saying as I heard a dying woman once say to the good profit of all about her O Sir I am sorie and sory that I can bee no more sory c. 9 And he that caried forth this Scape Goate shall wash his clothes and his flesh in water and after that shal come into the Host If such a thing did separate a man in some sort from the Church how much more doth that sinne that is our owne cleauing to vs and resting in vs make a diuorce betwixt God and vs and the Church and vs Sée therefore the vse of these Figures to worke a touch in them of the effect of sin let our corruption bée displeasing vnto vs that we in Christ may be pleasing to God 10 A certaine day they had named héere The tenth day of the seauenth moneth but wée haue now no one day therefore all our life should be a time of true humbling of our selues before God Not of bowing downe our heads like bul rushes but of humbling our soules euen our inward soules as here is said and repeated And this often iteration that the Priest and none els should make the Atonement should put on the linnen clothes and holy vestments should purge the holy Santuarie the Tabernacle of the CongregatioÌ„ should clense the Altar make Atonement for the Priests and People this I say manifestly noted out the graces of the Messiah Christ Iesus and directed all to him to finde remission and pardon in him of all impurities and defilings whatsoeuer Thus haue you some taste of the vse of this Chapter Meditation with Prayer will yéeld much more CHAP. XVII IN this Chapter you haue two seueral lawes giuen which you may obserue The first that euery Sacrifice should bee brought to the doore of the Tabernacle and no man should dare to offer it otherwise The second against eating of any blood Concerning the first the words are sharpe Namely that the Lord will impute blood vnto him that hee hath shed blood and that hee shall bee cut of from among the people The reasons both of the Lawe and this seueritie were these and such like First because it serued for the preseruation of the ministerie which God had ordained that euery man should not bee his owne Priest Secondly because it was a chiefe meanes to kéepe them from idolatrie and offering the honour due vnto God to deuils as the Heathens did or to other creatures to whom it was not due Thirdly because thus they were taught that all worship of God ought to bée gâ—ided and directed by his word and commandement not by the priuate willes of men as often before yée haue séene Deut. 12. That which I command that onely shall yee doe Yea in this place note it and euer thinke of it to follow my owne fancie and not Gods prescription is to become as odious to God as if I had killed a man Esay 66. hee that killeth an Oxe is as if hee killed a man meaning when hée killeth not the Oxe according to the maner appointed of God Yet yet will some men teach and some vnwise people beleeue that a good intent will beare out all and wée are not tyed to the Word of God but read and remember such places as these Fourthly because héereby was signified that onely in the Church by faith in the chief high Priest Christ Iesus Our sacrifice and seruice accepted of God is and can bee offered and done and no where els 1. Peter 2. verse 5. Hebrews 13. 15. 2 But you will say the Scripture doth often mentâ—â—n that sacrifices were offered elsewhere and not brought to the doore of the Tabernacle Which is very true but then marke you the complaints that God maketh against such persons and their doings Iehoshaphat did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but the high places were not taken away The first of Kings 22. verse 43. The like of Ioas the second of Kings 12. 2. 3. Of Manasses marke what is written 2. Chron. 33. 16. 17. Of Israel 2. of the Kings 17. 32. 33. Of Iuda Iere. 44. c. For in all these places you may sée that no good meanings or intents no colours nor couers will serue but forasmuch as the prescript forme of bringing their sacrifices to the doore of the Tabernacle and offering them according to the rules giuen by God were not obserued therefore both they their worship displeased God and that so highly as grieuously he punished theÌ„ for the same And is it not a most strange dotage to thinke that God should not appoint his owne worship but wee out of our idle darke braynes do what séemeth good to vs Let it mooue you euer worke with you to your good 3 Yet you will say againe not only these but the Prophets that knew their duties and were carefull to doe it did not bring the sacrifice to the Tabernacle but offered in other places as Samuel in Mispah 1. Sam. 7. and Elias in Mount Carmel 1. Kings 18. You must answere your selfe thus touching these men That all this in them was extraordinarie and wée may not follow extraordinarie matters without some such personal and speciall vocation as no doubt they had For wee doe not liue by examples but by Lawes And thus much of the first Lawe in this Chapter Concerning the second Law of abstayning from eating of any blood it was first giuen to Noah Genesis 9. then repeated againe as you saw in the third seuenth Chap. and shall sée in the Nineteene Chap. of this Booke of Leuiticus The Lord by this Lawe would teach men to abstaine from murder and bloodshed the blood of man
was an Idolater the people followed him and what did the Lord to him till he saw his fall and was most sorry for it The whole state of the Iewes how was it ouer throwne for this wickednesse Read that notable Chapter of Ieremie the Prophet from that 28. verse forward It is true may some say Idolatrie grieuously offendeth God but what is Idolatrie Let that person know that euery worship not commanded of God is Idolatrie the worship also that is commanded if it be done in other maner then is commanded To make it plaine the worshipping of God in and vnder that similitude of a golden Calfe was therefore Idolatrie because God commanded and appoynted no such thing were their intent neuer so good their distinction betwixt God the calfe neuer so plainely made Againe to offer those sacrifices which the law appointed and by God were commaunded with affiance in that out-ward worke done was Idolatrie because in a thing commanded they did not vse the maner commaunded So so God make it enter is the reading of Lessons of Scripture saying of Prayers singing of Psalmes Fasting and such like very offensiue to God and plaine Idolatrie when they are vsed with an opinion of merit the Lord Iesus robbed by them of that praise that is only due to him for meriting our reconciliation with God and eternall saluation Beware beware we then how we kindle the wrath of him against vs that hath here vowed to set his face against such persons to cut them off and their Families also with them although the Magistrate wink and will not sée what the Lord hath willed him both to sée and to punish Yea the Lord will himselfe bée reuenged both of doer and sufferer bée hée Father Husband Master Magistrate or whatsoeuer bound by place and Office to looke to such things and to reforme them And therefore beware of winking at and suffering what you are able to amend Great is the good that a willing Superiour may doe although nor euer what hée would through the enuie and practises of some that should not hinder For it is true that either sincerely or at least séemingly inferiours will frame to his will that is ouer them And séemingly I say because all is not euer gold that glistereth And I remember when certaine Embassadours praysed the Lacedemonian souldiers for being so orderly who before had béen so iniurious one of them answered No no the prayse is not ours that wee are thus changed for wee are the same men still but wee haue now another Captaine and hee it is that ordereth vs c. Thus goe ouer your Chapter and sée the seuerall punishments annexed to euery lawe and feare his wrath that is so strong and iust CHAP. XXI Three principall Heads are contained in this Chapter The Priests mourning for the dead His Marriage His bodily qualities COncerning the first the Priests in the Law might not lament and mourne for euery one but for such as here are mentioned Namely His kins-man that is neere vnto him by his mother or by his father or by his sonne or by his daughter or by his brother or by his sister a mayde that is neere vnto him which hath not had an husband for her hee may lament c. The drift of this whole matter in short was to restraine them from such Heathenish fashions as were then vsed among the Gentiles round about them who vsed to cut themselues to teare their cloathes to beate their heads and foolishly many wayes to vse themselues In the 19. Chapter before this was touched Ezek. 44. you may reade of it and in the 6. of Baruch directly contrary to this Law did the Priests mourne Yet euen Gentiles did sée the folly of much of this as Bion his speach sheweth who tested at Agamemnons furious pulling of his haire and saide hée pluked it of as though baldnesse were an excellent remedie to aswage griefe 2 That of following his sisters Funerall not married and not following if shee were married was not to derogate any thing from that holy Ordinance of God but because his sister marryed was ingrafted into another house and familie and so was not the next of kinne in that respect 3 The high Priest might neither follow father nor mother nor any A thing that God would haue to distinguish the Priests among themselues and so to shewe how he not onely liketh and alloweth of degrées among thē but euen he maketh the same degrées appointeth some higher some lower some to doe this others not to doe that that reuerence may bée among themselues one to another and of all the people to them all Allegorically this restraint of the High Priest from that which was then a legall pollution noted that in Christ was no spot nor blot nor pollution of any sort whatsoeuer And the suffering of others to goe that in them also touching themselues there was originall corruption aswell as in others howbeit their Office was more excellent and gaue them preheminence aboue other men Popish priests say their Priest-hood was shadowed by this in the Lawe yet they vse shauing and going to Funerals c. 2. Of the Second Point concerning their Marriage your Chapter sayth They shall not take to wife an Whore or one polluted neither shall they marry a woman diuorced from her husband for such a one is holy vnto his GOD. Thou shalt sanctifie him therefore for he offereth the bread of thy GOD he shall be holy vnto the c. All which things are thus layde downe to giue credite to his Office and function and to shadow out that the Church which is the Spouse of the great High-Priest Christ Iesus is and should be without wrinkle a chaste Virgin holy vndefiled by imputation through Christ If Marriage had béen such an vnfit thing for the Priests the Lord could as easily haue simply forbidden them to marry at all as thus to haue limited them what manner of women they should marry But neuer shall they sée whom God in wrath hath blinded How plainely héere doth God require reuerence to them and magnifieth their Office that they offered the bread of God and were holy yet marryed but I will not enter into this matter it hath béene touched before that Marriage euer was honourable among all men and the bed vndefiled And Let euery man haue his wife and euery woman her husband c. The heauen and earth were ashamed when time was of their holinesse that vnder the colour of holinesse forbad marriage and the Lords wrath is vpon the houses where they dwelt to this day c. 3. The Third Poynt concerning bodily qualities in the Priests beginneth in your Chapter heere at the 17. verse making exceptions against all blemishes and particularly making mention of diuers which may not bée so taken as if God respected the outward fauour and personage of any man For when Samuel went to annoint Dauid and sawe
morall vertues you sée and it is very certaine that such vices of the minde as haue béen noted neither then were nor now are for such as offer the bread of God but are to bée prayed against and taken héede of to the vttermost strength that God giueth yet happily not intended by the Law And therefore I rather like to leaue these applications as the conceipts of men and to learne by all these blemishes forbidden that the Iewes were then taught which wée haue also learned and beléeue how no mortall man could be able to worke our peace and reconciliation with God but onely Christ Iesus For in all men are some or other blemishes and it became vs to haue such an High-Priest as is holy harmelesse vndefiled seperate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens c. In him then there was no blemish but he was the imaculate Lambe of GOD able to saue vs willing to saue vs with the best blood hée had and he hath thus saued all those that beléeue on him and wée reiect all other Sauiours whatsoeuer This was certainely the drift of this Lawe and therefore wée may boldly gather this fruite from it Lastly these persons hauing such blemishes albeit they might not performe this dutie to stand at the Aitar yet were they allowed to eate of the sacrifices and such things as the Priests did eate of and allowed to bée in the Congregation so say some shadowing that the Church although blemished neuerthelesse is admitted to the communion and participation of those things which Christ by his eternall sacrifice hath obtained for it And my selfe would gather this comfort from it that albeit some one or other infirmitie may iustly disable mée for such a place either in the Church or Common-wealth yet from a place with the elect either héere or for euer it shall not hinder mée No ten thousand blemishes nor any blemishes shall hinder mée if gréeued with them and fighting against them as the Lord enableth mée I take hold of my spotlesse Sauiour as my helpe and safetie against them all Thus then doe you meditate of this Chapter and bee bettred by it reading it ouer with these Notes and praying in your heart for the helpe of his working spirit to make the Word profitable vnto you My labour is but to draw you to read by a taste and to pray that God may worke with you further then my Labours The Word being a Well the bottome whereof no man can come so vnto but there will be still more water to draw CHAP. XXII HAuing in the former Chap. noted what should hinder from the Ministerie now it pleaseth the LORD to note what should disable them to eate of the holy things mencioning againe such vncleannesses in men as before in other Chapters of this Booke were mentioned If this question arise in your minde why God hauing before forbidden all men that had these pollutions to eate of holy things should not againe particularly forbid the Priests answere is made because men in any authoritie and place are often apt to exempt them themselues by one excuse or other from such obedience as they are content others should bée bound vnto The Lord also threaneth punishment to the breakers of this Lawe that feare may restraine where loue will not 2 The particular vncleannesses I will not goe ouer héere but leaue you to looke backe to the 7. Chapter the 13. and 15. Chapters with such like Thus much doe you note again let it be eueryours that polluted sinners remaining in their vncleannesse without remorse and amendement haue no right to the merits of Christ but shall dye and perish in their filthinesse Clensed therefore we must be by newnesse of life and Faith in Christ Iesus that we may be saued 3 The Stranger is forbidden to eate c. Verse 10. to tell vs the state of Turkes Heathens and Infidels till the Lord reduce them to his fold To preuent couetousnes in the Priests by selling and contempt of holy things by being so common 4 The qualities of Sacrifices to bée offered againe teach vs the excellencie of CHRIST his Sacrifice being without all fault Secondly what liuing Sacrifices holy and acceptable vnto GOD wée ought to bée 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 12. c. Thirdly what maner of giftes wée should euer bring to the Lord and his Ministers Namely our better not our worst as now adayes is vsed The olde Verse teaching men right in this behalfe Qui dare vult bona det sua vel sibi munera seruet He that will giue let him giue what is good or keepe his gift to himselfe CHAP. XXIII THIS Chapter entreateth of the holy Feastes and Dayes obserued of the Iewes by GOD his appointment either weekly or yearely Weekely as the Sabboth Yearely as the Feasts of Easter of Trumpets of Tabernacles of Penticost c. Of all which in Exod. 23. Numb 28. 29. and Deut. 16. 1 These feasts you may sée were in remembrance for the most part of some benefits and mercies of God and therefore playnely teach vs what a due dutie from vs to God it is to remember carefully and thankfully his louing fauours shewed vnto vs at any time vpon any occasion Thou shalt shew thy Sonne sayth God in that day saying this is done because of that which the Lord did vnto me when I came out of Aegypt And it shall bee a signe vnto thee vpon thine hand and for a remembrance betweene thine eyes c. Likewise those stones commanded to be set vp by Iosua they shall serue saith God for a signe among you that when your children shal aske their fathers in time to come saying what meane you by these stones then yee may answere them when the Arke passed through Iordan the waters were cut of and these stones are a memoriall for euer of the same Dauid knowing this to bée a due dutie cryeth to his soule to praise God and neuer to forget his benefites And to others to remember the marueilous works that he hath done his wonders and the iudgements of his mouth A thankefull remembrance worketh loue and desire to please God but other fruites come of forgetfulnesse as you may sée Psal 78. Verse 7. 8 9. 10. 11. Beneficiorum dei memoria Magistra advitam The remembrance of Gods benefits is the Mistres of good life sayd Saint Chrysostome in his time And Dona dei bona non sunt nisi dei esse confiteamur The gifts of God are not good except wee acknowledge them to come from God sayd Saint Augustine 2 In that they were called the Feastes of the Lord Men were taught in them to séeke and attend such things as belonged to God and not their owne matters pleasures sports c. To this end still are Holy-dayes kept and therefore thinke of the right vse of them 3 When hée saith It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings Learne
Samuel her sonne But in case a person thus vowed had a desire to be frée againe the Lord permitted that there might be a redemption made according to sexe and age with money And if the partie were so poore that such a rate could not be performed then was the Priest to nominate and appoint the quantitie or summe that should bée payd The proportions named in your Chapter héere are these Verse 3. A Male from 20. yeares to 60. was valued at 50. sicles that is 50. pounds Verse 4. A Female at 30. sicles that is 30. pounds after 5. shillings the ounce sterling Verse 5. From 5. yeares to 20. the Male at 20. sicles the Female at 10. Verse 6. From a Moneth to 5. yeares olde a Male at 5. sicles a Female at 3. Verse 7. From 60. yeares vpward a Male at 15. sicles a Female at 10. Verse 8. If any could not pay this then the Priest rated as I sayd Et hac redemptio fit vt quae morte propria non expletur saltem praetio vouentis deuotio compleatur And this redemption is made saith one that the deuotion which was not made by death at least might be made by the commutation which the Vower should giue 2 The second sort of things that might bée vowed were beastes Verse 9. where you sée if it were a Beast that lawfully might bée offered in sacrifice then was there no redemption allowed of it But if it were any vncleane beast of which men doe not offer a Sacrifice vnto the Lord then it might be redeemed and in case the partie would not redeeme it the Priest might sell it If there were a redemption made then was a fifth part more aboue the valuation to be giuen because it was a kinde of fault at least in shew to take that backe againe which was once giuen to God and to retayne to a priuate vse what was giuen to a religious and holy vse 3 The third sort were Houses Verse 14. when a man shall dedicate his House to bee holy vnto the Lord then the Priest shall value it whether it bee good or bad and as the Priest shall prise it so shall the value be Here also lay a redemption as you may sée in the next verse The fourth sort were fieldes whereof some were by inheritance some by purchase If the Field were inheritance then was there one maner of redemption Verse 16. c. if by purchase then an other verse 22. c. 4 Verse 26. Notwithstanding the first borne of the beasts because it is the Lords first borne none shal dedicate such bee it Bullocke or sheepe for it is the Lords c. You know the first borne were the Lords by an other Law and no redemption might be made of such but they must be left to the seruice of God as they were appoynted either to bée offered in Sacrifice or to be to the vse of the Priests c. 5 There were of Vowes againe two kindes one simple whereof you haue séene these perticulars an other which had an execration or curse ioyned to it if the thing vowed should be changed from the vse and end allotted whereof now your Chapter speaketh in the next place Verse 28 and 29. Notwithstanding nothing seperate from the common vse that a man doth seperate vnto the Lord of all that he hath whether it be man or beast or land of his inheritance may be sold nor redeemed for euery thing separate from the common vse is most holy vnto the Lord. Nothing separate from the common vse which shall be seperate from man shall be redeemed but dye the death Where you must vnderstand by seperate such a seperation or vow as is made with a curse if it be altered In which there was no redemption allowed or sale or alienation any way In this sort if men were vowed they must dye and not be spared But then not innocent men must be vowed but Malefactors that by euill doing deserued death Such were the men of Iericho Iosua 6. and Achan Iosua 7. the Amelakites 1. Sam. 15. and such others which made the sinne of Saul and the people very great when they spared Agag the King and the better sheepe and Oxen and the fatte beastes and the Lambes and all that was good would not destroy them And héere hence sprang that kinde of giuing things to the Church for the seruice of God that you sée in many old Charters in England with a grieuous curse vpon all those that should alter change those things from that vse wherein they shewed their earnest desire to haue things continue as they were giuen 6 Now if you aske why God ordayned these kinde of Vowes the answere is that he did it in two respects First that his people might not follow the fashion of the idolatrous heathens round about them who had their fashion of vowes wicked and sinfull but might be directed in a good sort séeing they would follow some sort Secondly that here-hence might spring some maynteinance for the Minister whereof in all things and by all meanes hee shewed his gracious care 7 They of the Romish Religion as from these Rites and customes of the olde Testament they haue borrowed many things so haue they vowing and many strange Vo 〈…〉 es haue they in vse and high regard They haue also redemptions of their Vowes namely Pardons and dispensations matters of no small profit to them But the Leuiticall Priest-hood béeing ended and all these Ceremonies Rites Customes and Lawes that were not Morall by the comming of the Lord Iesus the truth of all Figures and shadowes and man hauing no power of his owne head to erect and deuise any worship of GOD without his warrant in his Word easily may wée sée and all men with vs what ground their Vowes haue and how pleasing they are to GOD. Their owne Friendes and Fauorites doe say and write In malis promissis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum fouleVowe change thy determinaâ—ion Quod iâ—cauté vouisti ne facias hastVowed accomplish not Et non erit hoc praeuaricatio sed temeritatis emendatio And this shall not bee any vnfit varying but a most fit reformation of rashnesse Melius est non vouere quam vouere id quod sibi is cui promittitur exolui nolit toVowe then to Vowe that which hee to whom the promise is made will not haue payde to him Virginitas carnis non seruatur mente corrupta intactis corporibus fugit castitas de moribus Virginitie of the flesh is not kept when the minde is corrupt Though the bodie bee neuer touched yet chastitie often flyeth from a man and womans manners With many such like sayings worthy noting 8 Yet let vs knowe that there are two sorts of Vowes Ciuill Vowes and Religious Vowes Ciuil Vowes are such as Men make to Men in honest lawfull and possible things binding themselues thereby to a