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
Comfortable Notes Vpon the bookes of Exodus and Leuiticus as before vpon Genesis Gathered and laid downe still in this plaine manner for the good of them that cannot vse better helpes and yet are carefull to read the Scriptures and verie desirous to finde the comfort in them BY The Reuerend Father in God Geruase Babington Doctor of Diuinitie and Bishop of Worcester With a Table of the principall matters contained in this Booke PSAL. 1. Blessed is that man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth exercise himselfe day and night AT LONDON ¶ Printed for Thomas Chard Anno Dom. 1604. * ⎠* Clemens Alexandrinus lib. 1. Strom Pag. 116. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. id est Si ambo verbum praedicant hic quidem scripto ille voce quomodo non sunt ambo admittendi qui effecerunt vt fides operetur per dilectionem c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. id est Praedicandi quidem scientia est quodammodo Angelica vtrouis modo iuuans seu per manum seu per linguam operetur quonlam qui seminat in spiritu de spiritu metet vitam aeternam Erasmus Praefat in Aug. Quia perspiciebat librorum vsum multò latius patere quà m vocis in hanc operam quicquid poterat temporis suffurabatur Clem Alex. Lib. 1. Strom. Pag. 127. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Neque honestus est ille cibi apparatus qui plura habet condimenta quam ea quae nutriunt nec est bellus vrbanusue orationis vsus qui auditores magis potest delectare quà m iuuare Clemens Alexandrinus in his first booke Strom. Pag. 116. If both preach the word this man by writing and that man by speaking why are not both to be approued which haue caused faith to worke by loue c. The knowledge of preaching is in a maner Angelicall whether it worketh by hand-writing or by tonguespeaking because he which soweth in the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Erasmus in his Preface vpon Augustine Because he perceiued the vse of bookes to extend farther then the vse of speech he did withdraw what time he could to this employment Clemens Alexandrinus in his first booke Strom. Pag. 127. Neither is that prouision of meate allowable which is set forth with more sauces then which nourish neither is that vse of speech conuenient or seemely which may more delight then profit the hearers ¶ A Table setting downe Alphabetically the principall matters contayned in this booke of Exodus A. AAron how he was Moses his Prophet 81. his rod kept in the Arke 383. his calling 406. his apparell 408. the seuerall parts of his garments 409. his consecration 413. his yeelding to the people for an Idol 439. and making an Altar before it 441. Adamant in the Ephod mens gesses of it 411. Admonitions from God before he striketh 45. 124. 117. 125. 159. 160. Adulterie wilfully commited is made but a sleight matter by Papists 46. 47. Adoration of the Bread an ancient errour 423. Aduersitie 30. Affliction noted by the heate of the Sunne 208. it followeth Prosperitie 4. God seeth vs in it 36. and pitieth vs vnder it 72. when it is most extraordinarie it doth not shew that the partie is disliked of God 37. but in the midst thereof God regardeth and acknowledgeth 62. and helpeth in the end 210 for it shall haue an end 27. 65. 67. 92. 138. 305. and sometime it is turned to great ioy 20 171 172 242. in it we must be patient 74 167. and constant 226 227. and returne to the Lord. 70 72 75 112 278 384. for though there be diuersities of crosses 94 129. 224 291 333 yet all come to vs by Gods prouidence 112 116 210. the time when they shall begin and when they shall end is in his hand 110 and therefore in and vnder them we must â—aâ—rie his leasure 57 69 167 201 226. God sendeth to the wicked one crosse vpon the necke of another 121. and encreaseth his crosses where there is no amendmeÌ„t 89 91 92 115 159 163 181. euen to the godly one crosse succeedeth another to shew that this life is a warfare 277. to trievs 213 426. to discouer to vs and others our vnknowne weakenesse 238 261. to correct vs 5. to drawe vs to obedience 181. and to other ends 331. to traine vs vp in Gods schoole 290 by it we learne more good than by prosperitie 29 321. Alexander the great his reuerence to the high Priest 414 415. Allegories 398. Altar why there was but one and why of earth and why without steps 326. Altar of burnt-offering a figure of Christ 403. Altar of incense 427. Altar of brasse signified Christ his humiliation the golden Altar his exaltation 428. Altars in Poperie 326 403 404. Alteration 25. fine 29 30. Ambition 40 329. Answere must be readily made when God calleth 34. Antichrist 43 79 424. Angell a name giuen to Christ 31 32 216. Angels subiect to Christ 387 they are our seruants 388 we being in Christ are ioyned to their companie ibid. Anarchie 307 310. Anabaptists confuted touching warre 290. concerning magistracie 307 309. for refusing Ministers and the vse of the sacraments 407. for casting away meanes 240. Athiests 416 417. Antiochus called himselfe God 80. Appearing of God diuersly to diuers ends 32 33 it is to some fearefull to some comfortable 357 358. Apparell of Ministers 408. herein the orders of a Christian Church must be obeyed 412. The Arke was an outward signe of Gods presence 380. called by the name of God and by other names 381. a figure of Christ 382. Authoritie of the booke of Exodus 1. Authoritie in all superiors must be reuerenced 301. The Authors intent in writing this booke 28 90 289 299 332. B. Baptisme not euerie want but the contempt the 〈…〉 â—f damneth 60. not to be administred by women ibid. Names giuen at Baptisme 21. the wordes of the institution paraphrased 384. Banishment for good causes not to be ashamed of 27. Baites to allure the wicked to destruction 210 211. Backeparts of God 454. Beautie ioyned with pietie a great blessing 16 17. Beare-baytings c on the Sabboth 269. Beades 427. Beasts are cared for by God 336. Bed we must remember God and pray to him when we goe to bed 176 177 128 428. Beginnings of repentance are hard 66. Beginnings of errour are to be stayd 441. Beginnings of the yeere was diuersly taken 184 185. Bels about the Priests garment signified that a Minister should not be dumbe 412. Bible 155. Bispop vniuersall 133. Bispops in Popery why buried in their robes 421. Birth not to bee regarded so much as Gods graces 463. Blessing of God 272. Bitter waters 235. Blood of Christ 189 416. Booke of Creation 154. Booke of life 447. A Booke that hath but two leaues White Red 164. Borrowed things must be restored 179. Boasting of the wicked against the godly 233. Bribes 352 353. Bread
appeareth by the Lawe made for Recompence in case of hurt done to the thing lent which would neuer haue béene made had it béene at our pleasure It is also a part of our loue to our Neighbour and a breach of the Eight Commaundement to denie when I may lend Wherefore that which Augustine saith of the rich man may bee truly also saide of one that will not lend Diues ille non damnatur quod aliena tulerit sed quod egentisua non tribuerit ad petenda minima peruenit qui hic paruanegauit That rich man was not condemned because hee tooke from others what was not his owne but because he gaue not to others what was his owne and he was driuen to aske lesser things who heere denied little things But it is withall a dutie againe on the other side truly to restore what is borrowed and kindly to make recompence for any hurt done Craft cunning in the matter of borrowing lending I like not to call honest Iosephus hath another opinion in his Antiquities namely that the Egyptians did fréely giue these thinges to the Israelites partly to be rid of them without any further death for they said we shall die all and partly in a remorse for the passed wrongs which they had done vnto them so long The first Reason may teach vs to prefer our liues before any worldly trash whatsoeuer which yet many among vs will not doo but sparing money in meate in apparell in physicke in healthie dwelling and such like cast away the maine Chaunce which is their life and loose all Mezentius his crueltie is said to haue béene this To tie a quick man to a dead till the dead should kill the quicke And surely it is Sathans crueltie at this day to locke some so fast to their dead treasure that in the end they perish by it and that eternally S. Augustines Spéech is too true Mundus clamat Ego deficiam Caroclamat Ego inficiam Diabolus clamat Ego decipiam Christus clamat Ego reficiam The World crieth I will faile thee The Flesh crieth I will infect thée the Deuill crieth I will deceaue thée Christ crieth I will refresh thée and yet for one that will followe Christ the other thrée shall haue many The second Reason may drawe vs to the like remorse when euer there shall be the like occasion For it was a grace of God in Dauid that his heart smote him when hee had sinned And in those Iewes that they were pricked In the King that he would aske what had beene done for Mordecai in recompence of his faithfull seruice then reade of in that Chronicle Our iniuries are many and our fauours few but thankfull requitals please God and man An aged Maister and Mistris vnder whom you grewe vp to be able to liue should not be forgotten when God maketh you rich and them poore Among the vertues of Dauid this was not the least that hee carefully enquired for some of Sauls house to whom hee might shewe kindnes for Ionathans sake c. The Third opinion in this Question is S. Augustines whereof I like best because expresly it mentioneth the Commaundement of God which indéede was all in all in this point Hoc Deus iussit qui nouerat quid quemque pati oportebat nec Israelitae in hoc furtum fecerunt sed Deo iubenti ministerium praebuerunt This God commaunded who well knewe what was fit for euery man to suffer neither did the Israelites in this commit any stealth but yeeld their obedience to God commaunding To the same end speaketh Nazienzen also Rapuerunt spolia ab eo qui dicit meum est argentum meum est aurum They tooke these spoiles by the warrant of him who saith siluer is mine gold is mine Rupertus saith mercedem quam illi iniusté detinuerunt hij iustè abstulerunt The wages which they vniustly with-held these Israelites iustly tooke away But that could not bee without warrant of Gods Commaundement and therefore that must necessarily be vnderstoode Which being so we plainly héere sée to our comfort how carefull God is to haue his Children well recompenced for either the wrongs which they haue sustained or the faithfull seruice which they haue performed The Egyptians when they least thinke of it shall recompence them héere and that fully Iacob was thus regarded also you knowe by God for his honest seruice to Laban when the sheepe brought forth young of party colour till hee was encreased exceedingly and had many flockes Mayd-seruants and Men-seruants Camels and Asses Neither euer shall any Seruant Artificer or painfull man finde it otherwise if he walke in his place as in the sight of God doing his dutie God can doo it God will doo it and men should be staide with it both from idlenes and vntruth in their dealings 3. Another swéete thing we may also sée by this point namely how Crosses and losses by a gracious God are turned in time to his Childrens ioy and gaine Abraham had no Childe in many yéeres and to him it was a great griefe but in the end hee had one giuen of whom came the blessing of all Nations and a multitude like to the Starres of Heauen for number So was griefe turned into ioy to Abraham Iacob lost his Ioseph looking vpon his bloodie Coate brought home by his brethren and O woe of woes but Iacob had afterwerd his Ioseph againe with which ioy the Scripture saith the Spirit of Iacob reuiued Anna likewise was barren to her great griefe but in the end shee had a Samuel to her vnspeakable ioy Dauid endured many sharpe showers but at last hee hath the Crowne and many comforts Mordecai his feare and Quéene Hesters feare howe ended they with ioy to themselues and the whole Nation Tarie then Gods time liue in his feare you sée what a swéet Regarder he is in time of his childrens woes 4. But how came it to passe that the Egyptians so willingly parted with such thinges when they were asked The Text answereth and telleth you because the Lord gaue the Israelites fauour in the sight of the Egyptians So are all hearts in his hand and he turneth them euer as he pleaseth for his Childrens comfort To Abraham Isaack and Iacob he wrought fauour in strange places with the Greatest and with the smallest Nehemiah found grace with the Great King by His working Ioseph Daniel and many moe And the Lord giueth grace and worship saith the Psalme with-holding no good thing from them that liue a godly life Flatterie and briberie may get fading friends but when the Lord worketh fauour the cōfort is great and the fauour is permanent 5. For our imitation of this Act the matter is soone answered what they did here had warrant from him whose Will is Regula iustitiae the Rule of right and they did well But such extraordinarie thinges may not be followed when the like warrant is wanting Yet in some sort
this a fore-shewing of that and that a true fulfilling of this In like sort doth S. Paule when he saith Our Passeouer is offered vp speaking of Christ If the Familie were too little to eate a whole Lambe then must they take their neighbours next vnto them to make a fit number Whereby was noted and figured that Christ is not deuided into diuers houses and families kingdomes and Countries but he doth vnite and gather diuers houses and Nations to make one Church euen as héere many did eate one Lambe A comfortable Figure and worthy often remembrance Wee may not deuide the Lambe but we must gather our selues to the Lambe and that is the true Church where people are so gathered Be sure then of the Lambe and not of the place where the Lambe once was but now is not féede vpon this Lambe in manner prescribed that is beléeue in Christ according to the Scriptures and be sure you are right other notes may deceaue you this will not And if as yet you be not thus gathered make no longer stay in so dangerous an estate but be reformed and blesse God for his Truth 4. Your Lambe shall be without blemish saith the next verse first to prefigure the puritie and vnspottednes of Christ frée and cleane from all sinne And secondly to teach that a more excellent ransome was to be had to saue man from sinne than in all mankinde was to be found which wholly was sinfull In Apish imitation of which immaculate puritie our profound Romists take great care that their Cake be whole round and sound not bitten nor broken but without blemish as this Paschal Lambe was giuing themselues rather to abolished Ceremonies than to the teaching of Christ now come in whom these Ceremonies had end It must be a Male not a female thereby figuring the spirituall strength of Christ according to which the Prophet Esay spake of him before That hee should deuide the spoile with the strong and that great number of Angels about the throne euen thousand thousands saying that he is worthie to receaue power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glorie and praise Thirdly the Lambe must bee of a yeere olde thereby to prefigure our Sauiours experience of infirmities and miseries which euen a daies continuance in this wretched world yéeldeth both to man and beast much more a yéere Of which the Prophet also foretolde when he said of Christ Hee is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities Surely he hath borne our infirmities and caried our sorrowes c. Reade ouer the whole Chapter Whereunto the Apostle agréeth againe when he saith We haue not a High-Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne The comfort and vse whereof followeth in the next verse Therefore let vs goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receaue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede And indéede a Comfort of comforts it is that in his owne bodie and our true Nature it pleased him thus to taste our woes For hee did it onely that wee might be assured of his knowledge and loue that he both knoweth our case better than we can expresse it and in his loue towards vs will helpe and succour vs as shall be fit Fourthlie ye shall take it of the Lambes or of the Kids saith the Text To shadowe out how Christ should be taken from amongst the stocke of sinfull men from whom hee descended without sinne as appeareth by the Scripture 5. And you shall keepe it vnto the 14. day of this Moneth from the 10. day wherein it was taken Whereby Two things chiefely were figured First that Christ should not by and by suffer after he was borne but liue and abide a certaine time in the world and then die euen as this Lambe taken vp the 10. day was not killed till the 14. day All which we knowe was fulfilled accordingly he being at the time of his Passion about thirty and thrée yéeres olde Secondly it both serued to prepare their hearts to the right eating of it being a Remembrance before their eies those 4. daies before and also to prefigure vnto vs with what meditation and preparation wee ought euer vnto our liues end come to the eating of the true Passeouer whereof this Lambe was but a shadowe in that holy Sacrament which is left vnto vs as a Remembrance of his Passion for mankinde Other conceipts haue some Writers which I omit onely I will remember His words that saith Decimo quarto die immolabatur quia tunc plenilunium est Luna recepta luminis sui plenitudine Sole iam occidente in Oriente consurgit quia morienti Christo Sole iustitiae Ecclesia quae in Luna intelligitur ad vitam consurgit c. The 14. day this Lambe was offered because then the Moone being at full and rising in her full light when the Sunne was set thereby might bee shadowed that the Church vsuallie signified by the Moone riseth with light and to light that euer shall endure in great fulnes after the setting of the Sunne that is by the death of Christ the true Sunne both of light and life to all that faithfully beléeue in him 6. It was to be killed at night and why at night more than any other time Surely to note and remember vnto them alwaies the time of their Deliuerance out of Egypt which was in the night Againe it might shadowe out the time of Christ his comming in the flesh which was as it were in the Euening of the world that is in the last times 1. Cor. 10. In regard whereof as some haue noted many of his mercies and miracles were shewed vpon men in the Euening or towards Euening as when it is saide in the Gospell When the Euen was come they brought vnto him many that were possessed with Deuils and hee cast them out c. Likewise in Marke when Euen was come at what time the Sunne setteth they brought to him all that were diseased and hee healed them Thus shewing by the time of Euening that he was indéede that health of mankinde which in the latter time should come 7. The blood was to be sprinkled and striked vpon the doore posts with a bunch of Hyssope that it might be a signe for the Lord to passe ouer their houses by when he executed wrath vpon the Egyptians Non quod incorporea natura huiusmodi signis egeret sed quia conueniebat vt per symbolum intelligerent illi prouidentiam Dei c. Not that God had any neede of such signes but that by such outward meanes it was comfortable to them to knowe and be assured of Gods prouidence for their safety saith Theodoret. And it figutatiuely shewed the effect and vertue of Christes blood the true paschal Lambe euer to saue from
small in price and heareth the young Rauens that call vpon him He that openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnes will hee either forsake or forget man or woman trusting in him No it is a Hellish thought and away with it for euer out of your heart The life is farre more worth than meate and the body than any rayment Wee are much better than any fowles and yet the Lord feedeth them when they neither sowe nor reape nor carie in to anie barnes Could not God heere haue bidden them gather for many daies if he had would and lay vp in store for a deere yeere as wee vse to speake yet hee would not but tieth them to a dayes foode and for the next day to depend vpon him He failed them no day nor euer faileth vs if wee beléeue Cast your care then chéerefully vpon him and cleaue fast vnto him you shal sée his Mercie you shal sée his Truth you shal sée your Comfort If the earth yéeld neither corne nor grasse and that for fortie yeeres together yet can hee nourish you and yours with bread from Heauen and the daintie flesh of Quailes at his pleasure The hard Rocke or the drie tooth shal yéeld drinke for your thirst at his will Elias had bread and meate brought him by the wilde Rauen And the little meale and oyle in the Cruze wasted not till the dearth was past and so forth as you heard before These Israelites garments were not worne nor the shooes of their feete torne in so many yéeres who then will distrust such a GOD Hee can doo what hee will doo and he will doo what is best be euer assured with ioy Many a time hath the poore woman had no bread in the morning for her children and before night both bread and money Goe farther your selfe for this meditation is most swéete That man liueth not or euer shall who cleauing to God hath béene forsaken by him 3. For the day then how much might they gather without stint No. The Text saith An OMER for a man according to the number of the persons this was the stint Euery man was to take for them in his Tent. This OMER was about a pottle of our measure Marke howe the Lord alloweth a sufficiencie and vtterly disliketh all néedelesse superfluitie Our wanton wils he will not fellowe but our iust néede hee will supplie Would wee learne this blessed meane in all our courses God would ioy in it and the childe vnborne be the better for it Our houses and land would tarie with vs and descend from vs to them wee loue our Tenants should taste of better bargaines and liue and die at our féete the poore would send a shréeking crie to the eares of God for mercie and goodnes to be poured vpon vs for our relieuing of them The Common-wealth should finde vs furnished either to defend or offend vpon occasion and in one word both Heauen and Earth be glad of it O why why then should not our OMER content vs for the day God is wise that made this Lawe and who euer followed his wisedome and repented You sée the Note and to a féeling heart I néede not amplifie it any farther 4. But might they gather this pottle of Manna anie time of the day No. It was to be gathered in the morning for when the heate of the Sunne came it was melted So God would teach them to take time whilest time serued And it may well admonish vs to doo the like Wée haue a Morning we haue an Euening Our able youth and good health is our morning our feeble Age and sicke estate is our euening Spend not the first vainely and you shall not want in the last vncomfortably God is good and giueth vs a gathering time he looketh we should vse it as he intendeth that is in the morning to goe forth to our labour honestly and truly to liue in a lawfull vocation to doo what wee are called to faithfully and carefully So shall we eate the fruite of our labours when the euening of age and sicknes commeth and all shall be well But a carelesse youth and an ill spent health will make a wanting age and an helplesse sicknes Gods blessings are not at our election to haue them when we will but when wee séeke when he bids we shall finde His Manna is readie if we come in time and if we linger till we list he hath his Sunne to melt it away and it is gone O take time then and be ruled by God youth and health you sée is a blessed time In the Booke of Wisedome sée another vâ—e of this time of this day and euer remember it namely That it might be knowne how wee ought to preuent the Sunne rising to giue thanks vnto God and to salute him before the day spring For the hope of the vnthankfull shall melt as the Winter Ice and flowe away as vnprofitable waters Let vs doo thus then and be most assured that such Morning sacrifice shall be no lesse profitable vnto vs than pleasing to him 5. And did they iust gather their measure and no more euery man No. The Text saith Some gathered more and some lesse Yet when they did measure it with an OMER hee that had gathered much had nothing ouer and hee that had gathered little had no lacke c. By which miracle the Lord would both restraine the gréedie Scrapers of this world that are neuer satisfied and comfort his owne Chosen that haue not such heapes For what hath the greatest Raker that liues amongst vs at this day touching himselfe but his liuing and hath not the poorest man by his little as much yes assuredly wee sée it daily Nay we sée more namely that this little little which the poore man hath yéeldeth him often a more healthie life and a merrier minde sounder sléepe and quieter thoughts than that great abundance which the gréedie Gatherer hath gotten Daniel with his thinne fare of pulse and water looketh as well or better than they that féede vpon the Kings allowance such a mighty God euery way is our God And why then should our desire to haue be so exorbitant or our hearts so deiected if wee haue but little GOD will make my little stretch to an OMER that is to enough and his much shal be no more doo what hee can O minde minde then bee content Looke vpon thy God and feare nothing he is the same he is no Changeling c 6. Did they reserue nothing of all their gatherings till the morning your Chapter goeth on and saith Let no man reserue thereof till the morning Notwithstanding they obeyed not Moses but some of them reserued of it till the morning and it was full of wormes and stanke therefore Moses was verie angrie with them Sée euer in the world some disobedient and distrustfull wretches let all the Preachers in the world were they as good as Moses say and doo what
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