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
slaunder and slaughter and such like but that heere they were idle was an error in the King and a malicious lie in those that so enformed him By which wee may learne and sée how wicked men haue no eyes often to sée the true causes of a thing but most apt and readie to deuise a false Let a man or woman be gréeued extraordinarily with the burthen of their sinnes and with groanes and sighes trauaile vnder the bitternes of it leauing thereupon those recreations which erst they vsed and delighted in what say the wicked oh it is a melancholie and the body would be purged c. But oh they are blinde and haue no eye-sight into the combates of the godly may wee truly say and so leaue them Festus imagineth Paul is mad when he speaketh the words of truth and sobernes and that much learning maketh him mad when learning is wisedome and maketh wise Yea Heli himselfe mistaketh Anna a vertuous woman and déemeth her to be drunke when rauished in her holy féeling shee was crying to GGD with feruent prayer Wherefore the Apostle teacheth To the end Christ might be mercifull a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God it behooued him in all things to be made like vnto his brethren And in another place Wee haue not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne c. 8. And let them not regard vaine words saith Pharaoh Such taste and such conceipt haue vaine persons of Gods word In the 14. of the Acts the truth of God you knowe is called Heresie of the wicked And in the 17. Chapter it is called Newe of vaine Phylosophers that knewe not what it was Examples of vse to giue vs contentment in patience when like ignorance in our dayes bringeth forth like blasphemies Be stayed strong 9. Then went the Taske-maisters of the people and their Officers out and tolde the people saying Thus saith Pharaoh I will giue you no more straw Goe your selues get you straw where ye can finde it yet shall nothing of your labour be diminished Then were the people scattered c. Sée againe what was said before how the néerer that God draweth to his Church and Children to doo them good the more rageth Sathan in and by his members against them Hard hard therefore are the beginnings of deliuerance out of Egypt spirituall Egypt I meane as well as out of this earthly Egypt And therefore when the Lord shall touch thy hand and open thine eyes to sée where thou art how farre out of the way that leadeth to eternall life and giue thée a desire to returne and be saued Remember what the wise-man saith and bee comforted with it My Sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes and feare and prepare thy soule to temptation c. Reade the place to the ende Remember that Example in the Gospell how the foule spirit being commaunded to depart rent and tare the partie more and worse than euer before Wee cannot leaue anie sinne wherein wee haue continued but by and by some contrarie winde will blowe and wee shall be discouraged if it may be somtimes with threatnings and bitter words sometimes with shew of perils and losses that may ensue sometimes with mocks and taunts in very spightfull manner and in a word if wee haue done euill wee must doo euill still and so be cast away or else Sathan will want his will But be strengthened with this Example and others in the Word Here now their burthen and miserie is greater than euer before For now they must haue no more straw but gather it where they can and yet make vp the tale and number of their bricke before which was a great extremitie yet the end is still as the Lord hath decréed his purpose is to deliuer them from this slauerie and when his time commeth they shall bee deliuered and let goe whosoeuer saith nay Though discomfort encrease for a little while to drawe sighes out of the heart to him that can helpe yet it shall end with ioyfull comfort put in the place of it and so much the sooner by how much it groweth the sharper O stand then and shrinke not and say in your heart now now is my God at hand For now I féele and sée the enemie maddest to oppresse me if hee could Come therefore swéete Lord I humbly beséech thée stay not and till thou commest vouchsafe thy hand to stay me that I faint not Thou art strong and I am weake thou art good and I am bad but thou art mine and I am thine O Blessed Blessed support thine owne that I may euer praise thée 10. And the Taske-masters hasted them saying Finish your dayes-worke c. And they beate them Then they cried to Pharaoh c. A Storie to shew you if you note it how the Law worketh without the Gospel euen roughlie sharply and rigorouslie For doo this doo this finish finish the work is stil the voice of it Whereby sin and the Deuill rageth as here Pharaoh doth For sinne saith the Apostle tooke occasion by the law c. So sinne reuiued But I died and the same commaundement which was ordained vnto life was found to be vnto mee vnto death c. Then crieth the true Israelite O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as heere they cried vnto Pharaoh to bee deliuered from their miserie Blessed therefore bee the Lord for his swéete Gospell which helpeth all this rigour and giueth vs comfort and deliuerance in his Sonne from this great rage to our endlesse comfort Sée also how Tyrannie once begunne encreaseth more and more from words to blowes verse 14. And when they crie vnto Pharaoh in hope of remedie verse 15. shewing him the iniquitie of their vsage and how their offence in not making vp their tale of bricke grew by other mens faults that gaue them no straw verse 16 this pittifull complaint which should haue moued him to commiseration worketh but a confirmation of tyrannie in the wicked King first mocking and scoffing at their Religion as wicked men vse to doo verse 17 and vttering his crueltie with his owne mouth There shall no straw be giuen you yet shal you deliuer the whole tale of Bricke ver 18. Wherefore how happie Kingdomes be to which the Lord hath graunted mercifull and gracious Princes full of pittie and clemencie flowing from a true taste of holy Religion and from an immoueable loue of their true Subiects I leaue the Reader if he haue any bowels in him to féele and consider sending vp his thanks where it is due for what hee enioyeth in abundant measure 11. Then the Officers of the Children of Israel saw thēselues in an euill case c. And they met Moses and Aaron who
of Reconciliation to himselfe reputing vs now iust for his Sonne Christ and Sonnes and Heires of all heauenly benefits with the blessing of his Spirit whereby wée walke in his calling béeing guided and gouerned therby in the same with the blessing of acceptance of all our workes though full of imperfection and weaknesse and with this great blessing That all aduersitie becommeth a helpe to vs to draw vs to Heauen and eternall rest c. How are wée bound to loue such a GOD Let vs often fall into the reckoning of it and rise vp in thankefull speaches and thoughts as others of his seruants haue done before vs vpon the same cause Namely Saint Augustin whose wordes are these Minus te amat O Deus qui aliquid tecum amat quod non propter te amat O GOD hee loueth thee not as much as hee should who loueth any thing els but thee which he loueth not for thee Saint Cyprian Disce nihil Deo praeponere quia Deus nihiltibi praeposuit Learne O man to prefer nothing in thy loue before God because he hath preferred nothing before thee in his loue No no not the life and blood of his owne deare and onely Sonne Saint Bernard Quando ignorabam me instruxit quando errabam me reduxit quando steti me tenuit quando cecidi me erexit quando veni me suscepit c O quid retribuam When I was ignorant he instructed mee when I erred he reclaymed mee when I stood hee held me vp when I fell he raysed me when I came to him he receiued me c O what should I giue to the Lord for these fauours c. 4 And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people And there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the Altar the Burnt-offering and the fat which when all the people sawe they gaue thankes and fell on their faces or they gaue a shoute for ioy Thus did the Lord please to confirme both that maner of worshipping him by such Sacrifices and the Ministerie of Aaron and his sonnes now chosen and consecrated to that Office The like credite he gaue to Elias his Prophet When fire from Heauen came downe and consumed the Burnt-offering and the wood and the stones and the dust licked vp the water that was in the ditch Which the people also sawe and there fell againe vpon their faces and sayd The Lord He is GOD The Lord Hee is GOD. Againe When Salomon had made an ende of praying fire came downe from Heauen and consumed the Burnt-offering and the Sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the House Such mercie in the Lord to méete with mans weakenesse is duely and carefully to bée thought of all péeuish frowardnesse to bée instructed and to beléeue as a most vnfit thing for any that looke for Heauen to be abandoned and cast away Left after all meanes in mercie offered to winne vs and saue vs wée be destroyed with some fearefull iudgement that all the world may talke of vs for our obstinacie This I say because euen this gracious God is the same to man by his Holy-word and infinite fauours séeking vs as lost Shéepe to be wonne vnto him Let vs read let vs search let vs day and night indeuoure to know his holy Will and then constantly and faithfully walke in the same whilest we haue a day to liue This fire from Heauen did not plainlier confirme them than the euidence of his Word doth all those at this day that will looke into it And aswell may we at this day fall vpon our faces and giue a shoute in thankefulnesse for the great glory of the same in the Ministerie of his Seruants indued with great gifts of knowledge and power to expound open the same vnto vs as they did héere or in other places for such visible Lestimonies of his approbation God strike vs and worke with vs for his mercies sake that wée may liue and not die praysing and blessing his Name for euer for his Godnesse Amen Amen CHAP. X. IN the former Chapter hauing shewed by that miracle of fire frō heauen how he accepteth of worship done according to his will now in this by a dreadfull iudgement vpon the two sonnes of Aaron he sheweth how he abhorreth all presumption of man to serue him any other way The sinne and death of the young men for their sinne is layd-downe in these words But Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron tooke either of them his Censar and put fire therein and put incense thereupon and offered strange fire before the Lord which he had not commaunded them Therefore a fire went out from the Lord and deuoured them so they dyed before the Lord. Their sinne was then that to burne incense withall they tooke not the fire from the Altar of that which came downe from Heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests till the Captiuitie of Babilon but other fire which therefore is called strange fire because it was not fire appointed and commaunded Which fault in mans eyes may séeme to haue excuse ann not to deserue so fearefull a punishment For they were but yet gréene in their office and so of ignorance might offend being not yet well acquainted with the nature of their Office Againe of forgetfulnesse they might offend not remembring or thinking of the matter as they ought Thirdly there was no malice in them or purpose to doe euill but wholly they aymed at Gods seruice with a true meaning although in the manner they missed somewhat But all these and whatsoeuer like excuses were as figge-leaues before God vaine and weake to defend them from guiltinesse in the breach of his commaundement and not withstanding any such they are thus fearefully and dreadfully deuoured with fire from God that they then we no◠and all flesh to the worlds end might learne and settle in our hearts two thinges First with what seueritie the Lord challengeth defendeth his authoritie in laying-downe the way and manner of his worship not leauing it to any creature to meddle with but according to prescription and appointment from him Content he is that men shall make lawes for humane matters concerning their worldly estate in this earth as shal be fittest for the place where they liue lawes against murder theft oppression c. but for his diuine worship he onlywill prescribe it himselfe and what he appoynteth that must be done and that onely or else Nadab and Abihu their punishment expected that is Gods wrath expected in such manner as he shall please The Poynt is good to be carefully marked and would god it might take full place in all hearts The Scriptures are plaine and they would be seriously thought of you shall not doe euery man what seemeth good in his owne eies but what I cōmaund what I I command that that shall yee doe c. 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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
is Christ known but frō the rising of the sun to the going downe of the same c. Thus may we profit by their multiplication 2. The second head in this chapter is the crueltie of the Egyptians by meanes whereof a very bitter and heauie affliction followed this great and glorious multiplication The vse to our selues may bée this that euen so dooth aduersity follow prosperitie and therefore prosperity should euer prepare for aduersitie A wise man in his good day thinketh of his euill and dayly beholding the sunne ouer shadowed at times with a darke cloude maketh vse of it to his good Sorrow and ioy wil not dwell togither but by composition they were thus agréed as the Poets feigne that as soone as the one hath had a time the other shall enter and haue his time also the former passing away and giuing place Let no wise-man therefore say as Dauid said tush tush this estate shall neuer decay for the Lord turned his face and Dauid was soone troubled Iob on a day could not thinke on such a change as after happened to him and yet all to the glorie of God and his good No earthly father louing his childe doth forbeare to chastice him much lesse dooth the father of Spirits leaue his children without fit corvection since both hée loueth more and knoweth how better to correct for their good The path to heauen is beaten out through many tribulations and vp must euery man and woman take their crosse that will bée his in eternall comfort Let vs note againe in this place the causes of this their affliction oppression as the Spirit of wisedome for our good hath héere laide them downe The first is their very increasing and multiplying For the king saide Behold the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier than we come let vs worke wiselie with them lest they multiply Where wée sée that Gods fauour bestowed in mercy where hée liketh is still an eye-sore to euill men matter inough for them to grinde and grate their téeth at and to cause them to enter into plots and conspiracies against them The eye of enuie looketh euer vpward who is aboue who riseth who prospereth who is well spoken of well thought of or any way fauoured by the Lord and as much grieued is a spitefull spirit at the good of an other as at the harme of himselfe Which Diogenes noted when hée saw a knowne enuious man looke sadde No man saith hée can now tell whether harme hath happened to this fellow or good to his neighbour for both alike vexe him It was the blot of Athens that renowned Citie to haue few of any excellent vertue escape the rage of enuie in it but that either they were disgraced or banished or put to death in the end Those whom no sword of hating foe could daunt in the field enuie vanquished at home in the Citie deprauing their seruices blotting their names and breaking at last their guiltlesse hearts Which made the Philosopher prescribe this remedie against enuie whē one asked him how he might auoide it Euen neither to do nor say any good thing Thus did enuie rage against their multiplying héere And if Gods actions escape not mans malice shall yours shall mine shall any mans no no praemoniti praemuniti forewarned forearmed the streame ran euer so and God make vs euer patient and strong to go on in our duties A second cause of this affliction is a suspicious feare which entreth into these Egyptians that if there should be warre the Israelites would ioyne themselues to the enemie fight against them and so get themselues out of the land Such fruite groweth vpon such trées misdéeming thoughts causelesse iealousie vaine feares and all vniust opinions Why surely because it is the course that God hath in his word threatned to wicked persons which feare not him as they ought to doe Astonishment of heart a trembling heart feare both night and day c. reade the scriptures and you shall finde much proofe of what I say Suspect bewrayes our thoughts betrayes our words suspicious eies are messengers of woe Well fares that man howsoeuer his meate doth tast that tables not with foule suspition Better to die then to be suspitious Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust for mistrust will treason in the trustiest raise The heart being once infect with iealousie the night is griefe the day is miserie Jealousie is the torment of the minde for which no wit or counsell helpe can finde Suspition wounds and iealousie striketh dead Causelesse and vndeserued suspition sendeth manie an one too swiftlie to their end These sayings of wise and true experience should much moue euery wise person We sée what we nurse when wee nourish this vice And if all this should not moue vs yet let our owne credite moue vs which by this meanes is shrewdly drawne in question the knowne versés saying thus Too much suspition of another is A flat condemning of thine owne amisse A third cause of their affliction was a new King she former being dead vnder whom they felt no such miserie Which may iustlie occasion vs to note carefullie what danger often is in change of Gouernours if the Lord be not mercifull Salomon may haue his wants but when his sonne commeth in his place he thundreth and telleth the people that his little finger shall be heauier vpon them than all his fathers hand This might we as déepelie haue tasted of as euer did these Israelites if God almightie had not thought vpon mercie in stead of iudgement The great neglect of those gracious daies which vnder the blessed gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth our late renowned souereigne wee comfortablie enioyed deserued punishment in a high degrée we must néedes confesse if we will say truth yet in steade thereof our most swéete God whose goodnes knoweth neither bottome nor measure hath raised vp ouer vs such a King againe as both so firmelie is fastned to the loue of the Gospell and so enriched with all other princelie vertues either of nature or grace as not onelie we with bowed knées may euer praise the name of God but all forreigne Nations speake and write of so admirable mercie vouchsafed vnto vs God for his Christes sake make vs thankfull That the King knewe not Ioseph Diuines say it was either for want of reading the Histories or because vnthankfullie hee contemned the good that was done in other times and to other men S. Augustine héere giueth a note how men may know what King ruleth within them to whose words I refer the reader And let this forgetting of Ioseph that is of the seruice and good that Ioseph did to all that land of Egipt in the great famine mentioned in Genesis be the fourth and last cause of this affliction And this indéede if you marke it is a mother of great mischiefe wheresoeuer it is euen this forgetting of such benefites as we ought neuer to
now Moses yon sée tasteth of them Who is hée or shée that haue not some way by these walking tongues béen wounded I leaue you to your owne experience of this venome 8. Whither flyeth Moses then from this raging storme of Pharaohs displeasure raised vp against him by these pratlers Into the land of Midian saith the text where the Lord prouided for him Then marke with your selfe how alwaies one place or other the Lord hath for his seruants If Iudaea be dangerous for the childe Iesus in Egypt he shal find safetie til the time appointed so forth read 2. Cor. 4. 8. 9. Whē he was come thither He sate him down by a wel a place most like to bring some to him of whom he might inquire how he might bestow himselfe But God knoweth what thoughts the circumstances of his case procured vnto him His calling he saw not acknowledged of his country-men but in steade thereof his life brought in question and therefore might fall into some doubt of it himselfe All his worldly comforts were now departed from him and he a poore exile in a strange country not knowing which waie to turne him A great change from so high a place as Moses had in Egypt béeing estéemed the Sonne of Pharoahs daughter and lesser alterations than this wée well know haue giuen good men shrewd plucks yet reade wée of no discomfort in Moses which wée must obserue and be bettered by it GOD humbleth him in his worldly estate and bringeth him to this lowe ebbe yet forsaketh him not but déerelie loueth him and hath great honours in store for him againe when time commeth We are likewise the Lords and wee must bee content that hee doe with vs his owne good pleasure euer The third part 1. THe thirde part of the chapter followeth concerning his mariage in that land the manner wherof you may reade in your chapter verse 16. c. Some blame him as matching with the vnbeléeuing others excuse him saying they were not vnbeléeuers The scripture is silent and therefore we neede not to be curious To excuse the godlie Fathers euer is more than can be to make Iethro and his houshold such beléeuers as they ought to be with whom wée ioine in mariage How beit happily he was better than thousands there Theoderet saith Typus erat Christi domini qui cum ex Iudeis secundum carnem natus esset ecclesiam Gentium appelauit sponsam suam Moses herein was a type of Christ who béeing borne of the Jewes according to the flesh married himselfe to the Gentiles and ralled them his spouse But leaue we it as not profitable to vs to scanne what God hath pleased to conceale And marke the hart of Iethro when he vnderstood how Moses had helped his daughters at the well very kindly he conceiued of that fauour and chid them for so leauing him not bringing him home to eatebread Surely the Spirit of God dooth not so still in euery place note this kindnesse of hart in requiting loue but that he excéedingly liketh it and would haue all his euer to follow it 2 Of his wife the Lord gaue him a sonne whose name he called Gershom adding the reason because saith hée I haue bene a stranger in a strange land So then that which many obiect oftentimes to Gods children by way of reproach that they are strangers exiles and so forth that Moses taketh to be no reproach and therefore giueth the title of it to his sonne for his name An example to teach vs neuer to bée ashamed either of banishment or any hard estate wherewith God shall exercise vs for his glory but rather to reioyce in it and comfortably to thinke of it as Moses doth here The shame is theirs that reproach vs the glorie is ours if we rightly endure it 3. In processe of time this blody Pharaoh dyeth saith the Storie and this is a comfort to the godly as likewise it should be a warning to all oppressors of them they shall die and be packing and shall not continue to deale cruelly Then shall they receiue the wages of their wickednesse and they whom they haue wronged shall bée comforted The rod of the vngodlie lighteth vpon the faithful as God shall please but the Lord hath said it shall not carry vpon them And what swéeter comfort but the rod of Gods iustice shall both light lie vnremooueable vpon the vngodly that repent not of their euil and what greater woe Let them beware then whiles there is time 4. But when was it that he dyed Surely forty yéeres after Moses fled thence Moses was fortie when hée fled and eighty when he came as their Deliuerer Let it thus profit vs. You remember before how Moses began to exercise that Office towards their reliefe which he was certified God had appointed him vnto and thought that they would haue acknowledged it with thanks to God for him But they most vnkindely requited him and so endangered him that he was fame to fly to saue his life When he so began God offered them mercy when they so rewarded him what followed Surely fortie yéeres more the continuance of their bondage and miserie A singular warning to all féeling hearts to beware the reiection of Gods mercy when it is offered For it euer hath a sure punishment and well worthy Consider you particularly Gods dealing with your selfe what hath he offered what dooth he yet offer you what haue you done or what yet doo you Be wise and ponder Surelie God is kinde to offer but he is iust to reuēge any wilful contempt of his Offers with continuance of bitter woe héere or foreuer 5. When he was dead the people cryed to the Lord and sighed saith the text Such sobbes in sorrow were due to them that reiected and would not sée what God offered them of ease But O comfort yet what sée wée againe Surely saith the text God heard them remembred his couenant looked vnto them respected them Swéet Father so is it euer with thee iust to correct but gratious to giue ouer not euer offended but in due time intreated pitifull louing and of endlesse mercie Many things more might this Chapter yéelde vs most worthy noting but I remember for whom I write I would not make the volume great that I wish bought vsed of poore ones the abler persons may haue many better helpes A taste of the comfort of Gods word and the vse thereof to incourage to the buying of Bibles and reading of them is the thing I desire to giue and that is done by something vpon euery Chapter though it be not much fitted as God inhableth mée for the féeling and comfort of them for whom I labour Let this much therefore suiffice vpon this Chapter CHAP. 3. The cheife Heads of this Chapter be these The calling of Moses His speech with God 1. MOses kept the sheepe of Iethro and is not this a great change from an adopted son of a kings
workes how hée had not to doo with man but with God and so be voyde and naked of all excuse But This that the Lord saith Hee will harden his hart troubleth some and they séeke to temper it according to their fancies lest it should séeme iniustice in the Lord first to harden and then destroy not remembring what the Apostle saith God will haue mercy on whom hee will haue mercy and whom hee will hee hardneth And if any obiect and say why doth he then complaine for who hath resisted his Will His mouth is stopped by the same Apostle in the same place with this O man who art thou that pleadest against God Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Noting that no reason is to be demaunded aboue Gods Will for who will goe further shall tast the reward of his rashnes and the Maiestie of God shall ouer-whelme him Hath not the Potter power ouer the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And shall lesse authoritie bee giuen to God Aske the Potter a reason and it is but his Will and yet dust and ashes wil demaund more of God Againe if we be all of one Lumpe of corruption as wee must needes confesse wee are if it please God to exempt some from the death due to so sinfull wretches dooth hée any wrong to others that hée vouchsafeth not the same vnto leauing them but to their owne natures No he may doe with his owne as it pleaseth him and what hée dooth still is iust holy and good Let the wicked then accuse themselues and not God for still in themselues they shal finde the cause if rightly they looke into their owne will 9 It followeth in the Text Then thou shalt say to Pharaoh thus saith the Lord Israel is my Sonne euen my first borne Wherefore I say to thee let my Sonne goe that he may serue me if thou refuse to let him goe beholde I will slay thy Sonne euen thy first borne Marke then the Title God giueth to his Church and meditate on it earnestlie Hée calleth it his Sonne yea his first borne noting therein to all flesh that it is to him as a man-childe to the Father yea as the first borne which commonly is loued most tenderly and in greatest honour Now then thinke with your selfe what heart is in you to the fruite of your body and to your first borne thinke how you could endure to stand and looke vpon the abuse offered by any to the whole or any parte as to sée but a legge or an arme cut-off iniuriouslie by bloody butchers and then thinke of God to his Church and euery part of it whose affection so-much excelleth yours as God excelleth man and holinesse and perfection misery sinne and corruption What a comfort is this when the Deuill roareth and Tyrants his instruments rage breathing-out blood at their nostrils and nothing but death and destruction at their mouthes with furious phrases and spéeches of pride as though there were none that could stop them or controle them in what they will Thinke on the difference of GOD and man in this point that many harmes may be done to our Sons and our first borne which wée sée not neither know of and therefore at the instant féele not any touch for it or by it But God séeth euer and euery where all actions all intendments and purposes all thoughts and secret attempts whatsoeuer and still is aboue man in his tendernesse of loue to his sons children as far as God excelleth dust and earth and sinne and corruption as I saide O what a touch giue these raging cruelties then against his Church vnto him what a féeling hath hée of them and how doo they pierce his gratious bowels wherein he hath wrapped-vp his people as his Sonnes and as his first borne Still thinke of your selfe what heart would be in you and then try the difference of God and you But you will say vnto mée it is comfortable to consider this tender loue that you note indéede but why then doth God suffer such iniuries and oppressions béeing able to auert them as man is not for the most part This is the loue of a Father that he neither can sée nor suffer to be done to the childe hée loueth any outrage and crueltie his power béeing able to saue his childe from it To which if I answere I must pray you to continue euen still in your owne resemblance and to tell me if you dayly sée not most tender Fathers perceiuing cause for a further good to suffer their children to lie in prison to bée tossed in lawe to bée schooled many wayes by suffering want and biting vpon the bridle for a time yet in the midst of al these things haue an eye to them a loue to them and asetled purpose when they know themselues their strength the world his practises men and their humors and many such things not otherwise of many well learned often but by these meanes then to set-hand-to to helpe them that then a loue may bée knowne a loue and a good a good with a liuely taste in comparison of that which would haue béene if sooner the Father or friend had stepped in So so is it with the Lord for our capacitie though indéede no comparison betwixt Him and vs. Hée knoweth his times and turnes and our wants perfectlie fitting the one to the other most mercifully that both onr corruption and his goodnesse may best appeare to the greatest benefit vnto vs. Therefore let him alone in his own waies tarrie we as the Psal saith his blessed leasure Be strong and he shall comfort our hearts put we our trust euer in him Of the earthly father or friend the Prouerbe saith wel he may sée his childe or kinsman neede but he cannot endure to see him bleede So our sweete God wel he may see vs humbled schooled and tamed wained from the loue of this wretched world but vndone cast away finally for euer he cannot endure it he will not suffer it he will not sée it O blessed bée his Name for euer euer for it Haue this in your remembrāce therfore as a swéete Comfort the occasion of this Note Israel is my Son euen my first borne And therefore tell Pharaoh he were best take héede what he doth for I will make his Sonne and first borne féele it if he hinder mine and will not let them go to serue me The world you know contemneth despiseth vs counting vs the refuse of the people and what may bee base or vile but this loue is life and this regarde with God is honour most high in the comfort whereof we may sup-vp these earthly scornes if his Grace bée with vs. The Prophet Esay in his spirit tasted this when so swéetely hee prophecied and published to this day to bée séene and heard
Thus saith the Lord that cretaed thee O Iacob and he that formed thee O Israel Feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the floudes that thy doo not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee For I am the Lord thy God the Holy One of Israel thy Sauiour I gaue Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee c. reade the Chap. your selfe and I stay héere 10. Now sée an Accident in the way When Moses was in his Inne the Lord met him and would haue killed him That is by either a sore sickenesse or some other way the Lord made him know his wrath conceined against him as also the cause to wit the omitting of the circumsicion of his Sonne as by the euent wée may sée although it bee not expresly named Where to our profit let vs stay a while and consider diuers things First why Moses so well acquainted with the law of God in this behalfe should omit or neglect to do it And for answere herevnto marke with your selfe how of two sonnes which Moses had and carried with him the circumcision of one is onely here mentioned whereby you may well see the other was before and alreadie circumcised or else Gods wrath would not haue stayed in this place vpon performance of dutie onely to one Now the one hauing before beene circumcised why should he not haue done the like to the other but that out of all question his wife béeing not sonndly perswaded in this point tooke offence at the first grew vnquiet offered vnfit speathes and happely stirred vp her father also Iethro to ioine with her to rattle Moses for such crueltie as they estéemed it to his sonne Wherupon the good man milde soft of spirit in humane frailety chose rather to forbeare the second son to haue his peace than to circumcise also him and please God A notable example to teach vs this doctrine how néedefull it is euen to the great Doctours and Diuines to the great Masters and Teachers and rulers and leaders of others still and continualy to be vnderpropped and held-vp by Gods powrefull ayde and blessed Spirit in their duties when as otherwise euen they they I say that seeme so strong play Moses part here and faint in the way to the offence of God and danger of themselues Nay if Moses faint how much more fall they flat downe that neuer had such measure of grace as Moses had Pray therefore and pray continually for increase of strength for courage and fortitude for constancy and power to repell al the darts that Sathan shall throw at vs and prepare we to buckle with men and women and Diuels that shal assay to quench or to coole our zeale in our places and to bring vs to omit this and that and euerie day somewhat which God expresly requireth and will not abide to be omitted See you Discouragers and discomforters of Gods seruants in necessarie duties what venome is in your darts and poyson in yonr doings Moses this great man is ouercome and brought into daunger by them and O how shal athousand others of farre weaker strength be turned out of the way by you Will God be angry with Moses for yéelding and shall you safely escape that are the causes of his sinne the cut-throates of his zeale and the ouer-turners of his well doing No no assure your selues the wrath of the Lord shal consume you when it hath profitably corrected his childe vnlesse you repent and leaue-off such Deuillish dealing Sée you also you brawling and vnquiet women what your ignorance and obstinacie bringeth your husbands vnto though they be as Moses holy and vertuous they cannot serue God a-right for you they cannot doe what God requireth but you breake their hearts you coole their zeale you turne them out of the way and in the end you bring them to a fearefull danger of Gods destroying of them For the Lord met Moses héere and would haue killed him saith the Text. Shall this euer be vnpunished in you no your Husbands shall bee schooled for their frailtie and you shall be consumed for your arrogancie so proudly and so disobediently contemning both their religious instructions and holy actions If God be in you this will be a warning 11. Then Zipporah tooke a sharpe knife cut away the fore-skin of her Sonne The two things that héere might be considered namely that doctrine of Poperie concerning the danger of children dying vnbaptized and secondlie of such an absolute necessitie of Baptisme as that women must administer it in time of supposed néede I forbeare to stand vpon now I haue sufficiently touched them in my Notes vpon Genesis Therefore doo but remember with your selfe touching the first that wee make a great difference betwixt want of the Sacrament and contempt of the same contempt damning and want not through the strength of Gods promise meaning by want when God so preuenteth by death that it cannot be had according to the manner allowed in the word And touching the second obserue that this act of Zipporah here in circumcising her childe was méerely extraordinarie and doth no way warrant women to baptize now-a-daies Her bitter words to her husband that hee was a bloodie husband to her shewe but what spéeches are often giuen by women that haue their tongues a little too much at liberty His wisedome in not answering her is to this day his praise and her fact her fault in so vndutifully speaking Let this suffice of this Chapter and nowe reade the Text ouer in your Bible and sée how these Notes haue helped you My drift you sée and I leaue it to God I would haue all men encouraged to reade CHAP. 5. The chiefe Heads of this Chapter are these The comming of Moses Aaron to the King The greeuanees of the people Their impatiencie 1. TOuching the first héere wee sée that although Moses was very backward a-while to obey God and goe to this King vpon this errand yet at last hee yéelded faith ouercame feare and all conceits steeped to the obedience of God A happie thing and happie is that man and woman euer which can likewise say truly I haue had my feares and fancies my errors and mine ignorances my pride and my preiudice against that which was good and right but they are all gone I thanke God and I much ioy that they are gone as likewise that I am now sincerely his whose I ought to be and in this obedience doe not doubt but shall end my dayes by his grace 2. Wée may againe thinke héere why God should thus send Moses and Aaron to pray deliuerance for his people when hee was able without stretched arme to haue deliuered them at his pleasure And wee may aunswere our selues in this sort euen for the reasons
following and such like First that these sundry bickerings with this Tyrant for his Church might notablie shewe his loue and affection to his Church which is euery mans great and speciall comfort Secondly that patience might be taught by this Example to all Gods children if their troubles and oppressions receaue not an end by and by Thirdly hee thus taketh all excuse from this obstinate enemie a thing of good vse if wee obserue it For euen as héere by Moses and Aaron the Lord dealt wich Pharaoh so by his Ministers still the Lord dealeth with vs leauing vs as naked without excuse if wee continue disobedient as euer hee did Pharaoh Fourthly hee thus discouered the great darknes of our vnderstanding vntill it be lightned and the damnable waywardnes of our will till it be changed by him Fiftly and lastly by this manifesting of the enemies malice he openeth to our vnspeakeable comfort and so of his Church vnto the end what a victorious hand hee hath to saue and deliuer when and whom hee shall euer please be the rage neuer so strong and great For Pharaoh cannot hold out but whilest God will we sée héere no more shall any Tyrant to the worlds end Thus you sée why God vsed this way by message and entreatie rather than the other by his power and might Let it profit you and so I leaue it 3. You sée also héere againe how God calleth them his people although oppressed and in miserie vnder a wicked wayward and prophane Gouernour It is a swéete comfort to those that tast of like griefe and sheweth as I haue noted before that affliction seperateth not from God but in the midst of all woe hee regardeth and saith mine mine although instantly hee rebuke not either winde or weather c. 4. Pharaoh his proude answere saying Who is the Lord that I should heare him pictureth out the hardnes of an vnregenerate hart and biddeth all beholders to pray against it O dust and ashes darest thou say thou knowest not him that made thée and not tremble for thy ignorance This vnféelingnes was in Pilate when hee said what is truth And what is that which some amongst vs vtter euery day what new doctrine is this Sed non impunè recusat Pharaoh quod scienter ignorat But to his woe doth Pharaoh refuse what wittingly and willingly he knoweth not And so shall all that delight in ignorance Hence commeth waywardnes and wilfulnes obstinacie and frowardnes rage and madnes that men will not heare and know But in Pharaoh sée what will followe one day when by voice and words no good is done Hée in the Sea thou in the lake that euer burneth shalt perish and sinke to eternall confusion 5. I will not let them goe saith hee Then his reason is his Will euer the refuge of the Reprobate I will not I will not and still in the end I will not A short resolution but as dangerous a resolution as man can make against his owne soule many times In the 6. of Ieremie sée the like answere Wee will not walke therein Againe in the 44. Chap. The word that thou hast spoken to vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare it of thee c. And many moe like answeres there be in the Scriptures but whose bee they euen such I say as rebell against God and his good motiues made to them by his Ministers and meanes wishing them well Wherefore the end is Gods wrath vpon them and fearefull destruction Such answeres wee heare too often amongst our selues saying I am setled c. and I wil not heare you God graunt in any due time wee may learne by other mens harmes and leaue them For true and true shall wee finde that S. Augustine saith Religio stulta non prodest sed obest A foolish Religion doth not profit but hurt and God is iust to all men in his time I meane in punishing their proude disobedience This is confirmed euen in that which followeth in the next verse in these words Lest hee bring vpon vs the pestilence or sword Noting that this is euer the end of the contempt of diuine worship according to the prescript of God some fearefull plague and iudgement Surely this one place would suffice to many to awake them and shall no places profit vs Were this people of Israel in danger and wee in none haue wee the Lord bound that wee may doe what wee list and yet be safe If they goe not out to sacrifice to the Lord that is to serue and worship him in that sort and manner that then hee commaunded the Lord will bring vpon them the pestilence or sword and if wee stiflie and stubbornly proudly and presumptuouslie refuse to goe out but of our doores to the Church by vs to serue him as now hée commaundeth shal nothing followe God touch vs and moue vs the knife is vpon our throates and wee feare not Whole houses and Manors are rooted out and ruinated not only abroade in the Land but euen in the Country peraduenture where wee dwell for this rebellion and yet wee thinke our posteritie shall abide and nothing happen vpon our heapings for them when hee is despised that doth but blowe vpon lands and liuings and they are gone Cathedram in Coelo habet qui corda mouet His chaire is in Heauen that moueth harts and hee for his mercie sake I say againe moue vs that wee may enquire séeke and sée whether wee doo well or wrong and doo as wee ought when wee sée it The Lord hath promised to take away the stonie hart and to giue a fleshie in the place if wee will vrge him with his promise by humble hartie and earnest prayer So did Dauid when hee cried O let mee feele let mee feele knowing euen then that this Gods mercie if it were sought should be graunted 6. Then said the King of Egypt vnto them Moses and Aaron why cause yee the people to cease frō their workes c Sée the lot of the Just to be quarrelled with nipped quipped slaundred and euen laden many times with false and most iniurious imputations To Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Iesus Christ himselfe this measure hath béene measured and they haue borne it Deus videt the Lord seeth and in his due time hee will make the truth appeare Fero spero I endure and hope let it bee thy Meditation when none séeth but hee that séeth in secret Againe marke héere how when God draweth néere to yéeld vs comfort then Sathan in his members rageth more and séeketh to encrease our troubles sorrowes and griefes but yet all in vaine God in the end will deliuer his Seruants in despite of all their enemies as here he did Be of good comfort and lay it vp in thy hart 7. They be idle therefore they crie saying Let vs goe to offer sacrifice c. A truth it is that nothing is worse than Idlenes the mother of all vice as discord
vnkinde world will driue vs into it would be ill with vs. But blessed be God that yéeldeth both consilium auxilium counsell and helpe when we can doo neither our selues Let it strengthen vs to call vpon him in all our néedes if some will not heare vs he can send vs to others and his will be done say wee euer 7. But Moses spake vnto the Lord saying behold the children of Israel harken not vnto me how then shal Pharaoh heare me who am of vncircumcised lips Sée weaknes and wants in the best men still If Israel will not heare hee thinketh it cannot be that Pharaoh should heare and a second stop hee maketh his owne infirmitie of spéech But what is not GOD able to doo that his pleasure is to haue done Can hee not make some heare what others would not the Scripture and our experience are full of examples The Niniuites Ionas 3. the Samaritanes Iohn 4. then we may not at our selues so much and what wee are in our selues and of our selues as at the calling and Office committed to vs of God whose power is euer able to make good his gracious Commission vouchsafed to his creature against all fighters and frowners striuers and spurners at it Trusse vp thy loynes therefore O Ieremiah saith God to him and arise and speake vnto them all that I commaund thee be not afraid of their faces lest I destroy thee before them For I behold I this day haue made thee a defenced Citie an yron pillar and walles of brasse against the whole Land against the Kings of Iudah and against the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people of the Land For they shall fight against thee but they shal not preuaile against thee for I am with thee to deliuer thee saith the Lord. The Prophet his feare appeareth before in the 6. ver now this comfort drawn froÌ„ the authoritie function commited to him must take away that feare and giue him strength and courage to doo what the Lord calleth him vnto The like sée in Ezechiel when God saith vnto him Sonne of man Behold I haue made thy face strong against their faces and thy forehead hard against their foreheads I haue made thy forehead as the Adamant and harder than the flint feare them not therefore neither be afraid at their lookes for they are a rebellious house At this day the Lord doth giue to his Ministers the power to binde and loose and hath published this Spéech of vnspeakeable comfort He that receaueth you receaueth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me All which both then and now had and must haue the vse I named euen to draw men from them selues and the regard of their owne power to the consideration of their places and offices vouchsafed of God and of the strength of him who is all in all and hath laid that charge vpon them Not once did it enter into the Lords thought to establish hereby a Title to the Bishop of Rome aboue all others to be called Deus in terris a God on earth as his owne authentical allowed booke calleth him saying Credere Dominum Deum nostrum Papam non posse statuere pro vt statuit haereticum censeretur To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope may not decree as he decreeth would be iudged heresie Such an impudent boldnes as a man would not thinke any should suffer had not the Spirit of God foretold vs by his blessed Apostle that the Man of sinne should sit in the temple of God and shew himselfe as if he were God Whereunto add that good Saying of S. Gregorie who writing of Antichrist saith thus Cum sit damnatus homo nequaquam spiritus Deum se esse mentitur Whereas hee is a damned man and not a Spirit by lying he feigneth himselfe to be God Also that of Anselmus Simulabit se religiosum vt sub specie decipiat pietatis immo se deum esse dicet se adorari faciet atq regna coelorum promittet Antichrist shall feigne himselfe to be holy that hee may deceaue men vnder the colour of holines yea he shall call himselfe God and shall cause himselfe to be worshipped and shall promise the kingdome of Heauen Thinges which wee all knowe the Pope doth and no man euer but the Pope And heare you what a Note Eusebius maketh of this Hoc est argumentum eos â—disse Deum quod velint seipsos appellari Deos. This is a token that they hate God because they will haue themselues called by the name of God Iraeneus that auncient father saith Antichristus existens apostata et latro quasi Deus vult adorari cum sit seruus regem vult se preconiari Antichrist being a Runagate and a thiefe yet will be worshipped as God and being but a slaue yet will be proclaimed and published as a King But you will imagine they haue some shift for this shame or else it is too shamefull Surely all the shiftes they haue cannot make it otherwise than a most odious insolencie such as might fully open mennes eyes who are yet deceiued to discerne the errour of their course in following his law and loue against God Prince and Country as many doo but that the Lord being angrie with their contempt of his truth letteth them still remaine in their blindnes as a iust punishment of their frowardnes Their shift is this they doo not meane he is absolutely God but in some sence or respect For by their Glosse it is said Papa nec Deus nec homo The Pope is neither God nor man And is not this a worthie qualification Might not all those who as vainely as he haue challenged the Title in like sort defend it as he now dooth Proud Antiochus sometime King of Syria honoured himselfe by the name of God So the Emperour Domitian vsed in his Proclamations Dominus Deus vester Domitianus Your Lord God Domitian So the Emperour Caligula called himselfe Deum optimum maximum Iouem Latialem The best and most mighty God and the great Iupiter of Italy So Sapores the great King of Perfia called himselfe FratreÌ„ Solis Lunae The brother of the Sunne and the Moone The péeuish Phisition Menecrates called himselfe Iupiter Nicagoras made himselfe a paire of wings and would néedes be called the God Mercurie Manichaeus the Heretique called himselfe the holy Ghost The Romaines erected vp an Image in the honour of Simon Magus the Sorcerer with this poesie Simoni sancto Deo To the honour of Simon the holy God And did all these well if the distinction be added of God absolute and God not absolute I thinke not Yet which of all these were comparaable to the Pope in this arrogant vanitie considering the knowledge that he either hath or ought to haue aboue them Neuerthelesse Pope Nicholas saide Constat summuÌ„ Pontificem a pio Principe Constantino
Deum appellatum It is well knowne that of the godly Prince Constantine the Pope was called God So in the Counsell of Lateran this proude Antichrist suffered one of his Parasites to say Tu es alter Deus in terris Thou art another God in earth Many other such Stories there are which I passe ouer wishing in my heart that men would obserue and sée what is so manifest before their eyes that although the Pope by their distinction be not an absolute God or an absolute Christ yet certainly hee is a very absolute Antichrist I end then this Note with that exposition of Alexander of Hales our wittie Country-man Scriptura non dicitde Mose constituite Deum sed Deum Pharaonis hoc est potentem super Pharaonem diuinitus The Scripture saith not of Moses I haue made thee God but I haue made thee Pharaohs God that is of power and strength aboue Pharaoh through the hand of God which is with thee Nothing therefore I say do Moses words helpe the Pope to iustifie his blasphemous pride and insolencie 2. And Aaron thy brother shal be thy Prophet That is as he said in the 4. Chapter thy mouth thy Interpreter thy Speaker to vtter that eloquently or in good words which thou shalt appoint him Thy Prophet saith Theodoret as if God should haue said looke how I speake to the Prophets the Prophets to the people so shalt thou speake to Aaron as to thy Prophet he vnto the people Where we sée the incōprehensible Counsell wisedom of God who though he could haue giuen to Moses as well a rowling tongue as a wise hart yet he would not but to the one brother giueth one gift to the other another that either might haue néede vse of another neither of them be exalted in contempt of the other This is that which the Apostle speaketh when he saith Now there are diuersities of gifts but the same Spirit For to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome and to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit And to another faith by the same spirit to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit And to another the operations of great works and to another prophecie to another the discerning of Spirits and to another diuersities of tongues and to another the interpretation of tongues And al these worketh one and the selfe same Spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will The holy vse whereof wee shall take if reuerently we estéeme one anothers gifts enuying none despising none carping cutting nipping no man but with an humble heart glorifying God our selues and beséeching him that in all our brethren also together with their seuerall charges he would glorifie his great Name A Grace so much the more precious by how much it is rare too rare in these last daies wherein the Spirit hath foretold vs Men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankfull vnholy Without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them that are good Traytours headie high minded louers of pleasures more than louers of God 3. Thou shalt speake all that I commaund thee So will God euer haue his Ministers faithfull to kéepe nothing backe of his will deliuered to them for feare or flatterie of any man but truly to discharge the credite reposed in them leauing the successe to him that sent them and disposeth of all hearts at his pleasure Thus protesteth the Apostle very carefully we sée when he tooke his leaue of the Elders of Ephesus saying I haue kept back nothing that was profitable but haue shewed you all the Counsell of God Thus running our race wee shall rest one day in eternall comfort deliuered from a bitter world from euill men and euil natures taking alwaies our best endeauours in the worst sense and rewarding true affection with black enuie most vnfit for Christians 4. But I will harden Pharaohs heart Heathens could say A Deo perfecto nihil malum nihil turpe est From a perfect God no euill nor foule thing commeth Againe Deus malorum causa non est cum bonus sit God is not the Author of euill when as he himselfe is good Therefore concerning this hardning of Pharaoh some vnderstand it by permission that is he suffered him to be hardned as wee say in the Lords Prayer Leade vs not into temptation that is suffer vs not to be led Gregory saith Non duritiem contulit sed exigentibus eius meritis nulla infusa timoris sensibilitate molliuit Hee did not impose hardnes but his merits so deseruing hee softned him not by any infused sense of feare Augustine saith God did it ratione poenae for a punishment And wee all knowe the Lord is not tyed to giue his grace to any man but it is his mercie it is his loue and most frée he is to doo with his owne what he will The consideration whereof should euer worke in vs care and zeale to craue at Gods hands fleshie hearts which may tremble at his Judgements and taste his mercy saying with Samuel Speake on Lord thy Seruant heareth and with Dauid O my God I am content to doo it yea thy lawe is within my heart Marke also héere how God fore-tolde them againe that Pharaoh would not heare them A thing so bitter to the faithfull Minister of God as many fore-warnings are néedefull vnto him to giue him strength against this temptation O therefore that wee may euer haue patience who labour in the word and doctrine God will doo his will God ought to doo his will our dutie is knowne wee may not prescribe to him if wee performe what is our part sweete is our sauour saith the blessed Apostle as well in them that perish as in those that are saued and it is enough O Lord let it be enough to euery groaning heart of thy true Ministers wishing and séeking to haue them saued whō thou hast created and bought with such a price Thou canst make it enough if it please thée to blesse with thy holy Spirit the remembrance of it to them that are sliding to impatiencie 5. Thus warned and thus armed these two brethren Moses and Aaron went vnto Pharaoh and did euen as the Lord had commaunded and Aaron casteth forth his rod before Pharaoh and it was turned into a Serpent The vse of which myracle hath béene tolde before euen to strike a feare into Pharaohs heart that hee might the better attend to what was spoken to giue him assurance that though with his eyes he sawe but the persons of two men neither glorious nor terrible in themselues yet with them was the power and strength of the Almightie God whose hand could shiuer him in pieces if hee rebelled So standeth it still with Gods Ministers that faithfully doo their dutie to the flockes committed vnto them and
béene noted before this meditation may arise how Gods aduersaries séeke often to oppugne the truth by the selfe same meanes whereby he doth teach it As if Scripture be alleaged Sathan will doe the like if the true Prophets vse a signe then will Zidkia make him hornes to and say when went the spirit from me to thée All which God doth suffer to draw vs forward to true and sound knowledge without which wee cannot stand but shal be shaken to and fro with doubts and feares and wauering conceipts most vnfit for beléeuers The wordes of the Apostle calling vpon vs to be stedfast vnmoueable abounding alwaies in the worke of the Lord. Not to he caried about with euery blast of vaine doctrine but to continue grounded and stablished in the saith not moued away from the hope of the Gospell c Saint Peter in like manner admonisheth to beware of being plucked away with the error of the wicked and of falling from stedfastnesse noting those that forsook the right way and followed the way of Balaam Labour we therefore to know how we stand and building vpon the rocke indéede though such iugâ—ing Sorcerers as these arise in the world and Apishly follow that course to subuert which Gods Ministers follow to strengthen yet they shall not shake vs but we patiently abiding a time setled vpon our true grounds the falshood shall appeare at last and all their follies be discouered in the end to the honour of God the glorie of his truth the comfort of his children and the confusion of such Egyptian Jugglers for euer Gamaliel could note it that Theudas had his time yet in the end fell with all his followers That Iudas of Galilie had his time and drew away much people after him but at last hee perished and the people were scattered Let not Gamaliel be wiser than we to obserue good things for his instruction 7 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said pray ye vnto the Lord that he may take away the frogges from me and from my people and I will let the people goe c. Why doth he not make his Wisemen take them away his Inchaunters and Sorcerers that could set a shew of making the like Could they cause frogges to come and not goe Or why doth he not call to his gods and Idols to helpe him to take them away Can none helpe him but Moses and Aaron by praying for him See then how the Lord when he pleaseth is able to force the wicked to the acknowledgment of him and his true Ministers and let it comfort vs in the middest of all contempts either of our God of our faith and religion or of our persons He can bring them downe that looke so coy by touches of bodie pinches in minde losses in goods and infinite waies And if therefore it please him a while to indure their pride we also must endure it and not grieue at it These exampels must be readie in our mindes euer when we sée such things Not long since this proud Pharaoh said WHO IS THE LORD But now he séeth and must confesse that there is no helpe but in this Lord. His Gods are weake and the frogs crawled in despight of them Moses therefore must pray to his God to helpe and take them away And who now but Moses Aaron with Pharaoh Ah wée despised Ministers by the proude worldlings let vs marke it and beare their coÌ„tempts In their extremities they shall acknowledge our callings iustifie our loue and wishe our prayers They shall stoupe they shall stoupe when our God pleaseth and it is inough Remember that great Nabuchadnezar how the Lord stouped him till hée should know that the Lord ruleth Pray pray for vs O Samuel said the stobborne Israelites when God would and so they came to him whom they erst neglected Men and brethren what shall we doe said they béeing touched that before thought much to be aduised by such men Ieroboam sendeth to the Prophet whose doctrine he would not follow and no worse a messenger than his owne wife and in his heart he acknowledgeth that truth is with him The great Turke in these daies will séeke the prayers of Christian-men when yet he fighteth against the truth that they embrace And many which at other times regard them not either going to sea or to battaile or béeing sicke and vexed at home will send and séeke for the prayers and comfort of Gods Ministers And what is this but a signe of Gods Omnipotent hand ouer all Pharaohs whatsoeuer and that he can reuenge our contempts and giue our truth and carefull walking in our places a due regarde and reuerence when he will with them and in them Let the swéetenesse of it ioy vs and make vs possesse our soules in patience Diues that rich glutton shal sée Lazarus right himselfe wrong one day 8 But why dooth Pharaoh now call rather than in the former plague for Moses and Aaron to pray Surely because this plague more nipped him than the former For when the riuers were blood he might haue wine to drinke and by that meanes not finde the smart so much See wee then howbeit other mens harmes should affect vs yet vnlesse the Lord touch our selues we are dull and dead without sense Which certainly maketh God reach vs a blowe many times when otherwise he would spare vs did we make good vse of our Brethrens harmes Applie therefore euer to your selfe Gods doings saying in your heart and why Lord am I not so also Doo not I also offend thée Father of Heauen and God of all mercie make me wise by other mens harmes and thankfull vnto thée that I am so schooled rather than with mine owne woe 9. Sée how readie Moses is to pray for Pharaoh when he biddeth him to appoint the time himselfe of his prayer and let it make vs thinke with our selues whether wee be thus harted to pray readily and willingly for Prince for Country for friends and familie yea let it open vnto vs what I feare is too true that in our liues scarce once we haue béene vpon our knées for any of these but euen goe on in a common course haling and pulling with the world all the wéeke long and on the Holiday goe to the Church rather for fashion than deuotion praying with lips not with heart a fewe words and then spending all the rest of the time either in sléeping or gazing or thinking of matters little belonging to God O that wee may profit by this readines in Moses to pray for such a wicked king Remember the Scriptures where you see how fathers and mothers haue gone to Christ for their children Maisters for their seruants and neighbours for their friends Christ is th 〈…〉 me and why should not we also be the same and Morning and Euening goe vnto God for our selues and ours as héere did Moses for Pharaoh 10. It may be moued for a question why
Pharaoh being offered to appoint the time himselfe appointed the next day saying To morrowe rather than presently the Frogges being so vgly and no place frée from them no not the Kings Chamber Who would not haue cryed now now euen forthwith pray that I may be deliuered from this plague rather than to haue stayed till the next day It is answered first that hee still doubted whether it was the Finger of God or an enchauntment and therefore was content to deferre the time to trie whether of it selfe it would passe away and so to discredite Moses and Aaron Such hollowe holes are in Hypocrites hearts when they séeme religious and carefull of Prayer or other good things Secondly héerein he shewed the nature of the wicked who not onely deferre their owne duties from day to day but as much as they can put ouer others also that offer good things vnto them as for example if a Preacher tender his seruice this Sabaoth he is tolde the next will be far more fit and if he come also the next Sabaoth then is either the Maister from home the Gentlewoman sicke the weather too hote or colde or some such thing that be Moses neuer so readie yet Pharaoh is not readie but cras cras to morrowe to morrowe is still the song till the Lord strike and all Morrowes end wee passing away to woe without end for our deferring That Moses taketh his owne time and saith Be it as thou hast said it is to teach him that at all times the Lord is the Lord his myracles no enchauntments but a powerfull working for his owne glory the gracious Deliuerance of his Church 11. Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh and Moses cried vnto the Lord concerning the Frogges c. Why went Moses forth might not hee haue stayed in the Court and haue prayed there God forbid but wee should thinke Courts to be places of prayer for such as haue a censcience in euery place to lift vp hands and heart to God yet would God also the hinderances and impediments so to doo in those places were fewer Surelie great Courtiers are found that a meaner place hath yéelded their hearts more heate to good things than those glistering places haue as sometimes a Country-house and sometimes a darke hole in a close prison Moses cried vnto the Lord saith the Text and prayer doth what neither doores nor lockes nor any strength or wit of man could doo the weapons of Gods children are such and so mightie The word of Crying noteth the vehemencie of Moses prayer against colde formalitie too common in most prayers It noteth not any loudnes of voice although that also be lawfull at times since the same Moses is said to crie in another place when hee spake not a word but from his inward Spirit Ezechias thus cried vnto his God and escaped both a mortall disease and the huge host of the Assyrians But what prayer can doo I hope you knowe and therefore goe no further 12. And the Lord did according to the Saying of Moses Sée the credite that Gods seruants haue with their mercifull God they aske and he giueth without any stop Can you thinke God heareth Moses alone no saith the Psalme God is neere vnto all that call vpon him yea to all all and euer remember it Hee will fulfill the desire of all them that feare him he will heare their crie and will saue them The Lord preserueth all them that loue him but he will destroy all the vngodly Wherefore my mouth shall speake the praise of the Lord and all flesh shall blesse his holy Name for euer and euer Daily experience sheweth the like and therefore as Moses héere euen despised Moses was stronger with his God and by his God than all Egypt to remoue a plague so shall wee euer be more strong than our enemies in what God shall sée vs fit to be enabled Wherefore one Moses is better for a kingdome than many others that are iudged to be of greater vertue c. 13. So the Frogges dyed in the houses in the townes and in the fields And they gathered them together on heapes and the Land stanke of them saith the Text. Had it not béene as easie for the Lord to haue taken them quite away assuredly to the Lord all was one but this was done to shewe the truth of the myracle that they were Frogges indéede no enchauntments thereby to méete with the vnbeléefe of the King and all his Courtiers who either openly in words or secretly in heart thought otherwise And by one meanes or other the Lord shall euer in his good time deliuer his truth from false surmises his faithfull Ministers from false imputations and write the wickednesse of Atheists and carnall men vppon their faces to their confusion Onely be wee patient to tarie his will to like of his way and be we assured we shall both sée his glory and receaue comfort 14. But when Pharaoh sawe that he had rest giuen him he hardned his heart and hearkened not vnto them as the Lord had said Sée the corruption of our nature if God worke not No sooner is the rod off but as the Dogge to his vomite and the Sowe to her myre so wretched man returneth to his olde bias and falleth to his former sinne againe When wee are sicke or distressed any way wee pretend repentance wee pray wee crie wee vowe and what not in shewe But forasmuch as all riseth from feare and not from loue it vanisheth againe as soone as the feare is past and the Deuill returneth with seauen worse than himselfe making our end more odious than euer our beginning was This hath béene touched before but yet euer marke it and feare it your selfe as you haue a care to please God For if you forsake God you can neuer blame God if hee forsake you and if after God hath giuen you rest you become retchlesse as Pharaoh was here then if as hee in the sea so you in eternall woe be drowned for euer you haue your desert and GOD is iust 15. The Frogge is as wee all knowe a foule filthie creature abiding in foule places as bogges and myrie plashes all the day long and at night péeping out with the head aboue the water making a hatefull noise with many others of his sort till the day appeare againe Wherefore Diuines haue thought that by these foule creatures fitlie might be resembled such croking Crues as hiding themselues all the day in an Ale denne or such like place of vncleanenes as soone as night commeth put out their heads and make a hatefull noise against Gouernours and Superiours neighbours and honest persons till all that heare them be wearie of them Which filthie Frogges the Lord assuredly will deale with all in his good time as here he did with these Egyptian Frogges namely kill them destroy them and make the stinch of them knowne to manie Till then let patience and
all sinnes So in Daniel is it saide that to Antichrist are giuen the eyes of a man still therefore marke how these properties hit Sixtly Their haire as the haire of women So are these they are delicious and wanton full of light allurements so trick and trim in silke and sutes of their fashion that the very Persians may séeme to giue place vnto them when they are in their Pontificalibus and gay attire In a word nothing may be saide more truly than that their haire is like the haire of women Their loose life hath toâ— much proofe Seauenthly But their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons So are these passing cruell and beyond all the butchering Tyrants that Stories speake of No mercie no bowels no respect of age seâ—e or circumstance vsually respected of men that haue any remnants of pitie Their Inquisition Oh how mercilesse their new deuised Torments Oh how strange Againe their teeth may bee well said to be like Lyons because they deuoured and eate vp such great things Looke vpon their Abbies Priories Nunries and all Religious Houses iudge what teeth they had and when there was not enough to satisfie them of temporall Lands then they preyed vpon the Church making Impropriations the venome whereof remaineth yet So that one way or other they were planted placed seated and setled in the very fat of the earth and had they continued still and not béene limited to fiue moneths who or what should haue escaped their Lyon-like teeth Eightly They had Habbergions like to Habbergions of yron And â—o haue these if you well marke them for by these yron Brest-plates are noted two properties found in the Romish rabble First a most obstinate stubbornnesse and inflexible frowardnesse not enduring any perswasion not yéelding any way but crying euer The Church The Church I am setled I am resolued and as a Captaine of theirs an English Apostata saide once Heaue at vs whilest you will and whilest you may you shall neuer remoue vs. This is to haue an Habbergion or Brest-plate of yron or euen to bee turned into yron Blessed be God who hath thus foretolde vs of this striffe conâ—umacie of theirs to the end we should take no offence that they are not conuerted vnto the Truth but stand and die in their wilfulnes Secondly they are defended by that Antichristian power as it were by an Habbergion of yron claiming an impunitie immunitie from all secular power and authoritie and hauing in readines curses and threats of Excommunication euen against the Greatest Princes and against All their Subiects who shall obey them whereof many a wofull Tragedie hath followed Againe themselues many of them haue béene Princes younger Sonnes Noble-mens younger sonnes greatly allied and friended so that in regard of this power and strength they might truly be saide to haue Habbergions of yron Ninthly The sound of their wings was like the sound of Chariots when many horses runne vnto battell So haue these winges when they flie aloft by the Names of MOST HOLY FATHERS MOST BLESSED MOST EXCELLENT and such like themselues giuing out That they are more blessed than the holy virgin Mary because she bare Christ but once and they make him and beare him in their hands euery day at the Altar Thus flying with their light wings of proud Titles they make such a noise and sound as Chariots drawne by many horses into the battell For denie any of these things and how violent how vehement are they by Disputations Excommunications Suspentions and Sentences of death it selfe Surely no whéeles of Chariots can flash out fire so as these men doo if their flickering wings of flattering Titles be touched Fitly therefore the words of S. Iohn hit them Their Scorpion tailes and power to hurt was touched before therefore I omit it now The tenth Marke is Those Locusts haue a King ouer them And so haue these Romish Locusts their Pope acknowledging no Magistrates authoritie ouer them but exalting him and exempting themselues from all others This King of the Locustes is héere called The Angel of the bottomlesse pit and in the eleuenth Chapter The Beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit Wordes of weight to mooue all Popish mindes if the Lord had not a purpose to destroy them For they must néedes acknowledge such a King is not worth the following and that their Pope is this King that which hath béene said and may further be noted of him clearely sheweth For hee that crosseth and crusheth to his vttermost power His Doctrine that came from Heauen he is the King that commeth out of Hell in whom S. Hierome saith the Deuill dwelleth bodily But the Pope doth so as proofe enough will manifest and Ergo the conclusion followeth as I said His Name also is folde héere which giueth againe great light For albeit the Pope be called Holy Father and so forth yet indéede he is a bloodie Destroyer and so his right Name in Hebrewe is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is destroying Thus in the Prophecie of the Reuelation hath God you sée described a fearefull kinde of Locustes vnto the consideration whereof by reason of these Egyptian Locusts or Grashoppers we haue slipped I hope not without some encrease of féeling how dreadfull their steps be that continually walke in Romish wayes and will not be reclaimed by any meanes Our owne safer iudgement God make vs thankfull for and continue the blessed helpes of our confirmation in his Truth euer vnto vs his holy and Heauenly Word a fréedome to vse all the profitable exercises thereof as Preaching hearing reading writing praying conference and whatsoeuer else without feare vnder the swéete smelling gouernment of a gracious Prince our dread Souereigne Amen Amen 10. Therefore Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and saide I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you And now forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death one 〈…〉 Thus the wicked in extremities seeke to Gods Ministers whom in their heart they hate and cannot abide But this hypocriticall holinesse of this dissembling King we haue diuers times noted before and therefore may passe it ouer now Yet marke the great vehemency of his wordes and consider in your minde what a déep sin Hypocrisy is how disagréeing from the nature of God who is all Truth and from that blessing in the Gospell of a pure heart Moses yéelded againe to pray to God And by a mightie strong West-winde the Grashoppers were taken away and violently cast into the Red-Sea so that there remained not so-much as one in all the coast of Egypt But when it was done Ph 〈…〉 h shewed himselfe in his olde colour and would not let them goe The 9. plague 1. VVHere vpon the Lord spake againe to Moses and said Stretch out thine hand toward heauen that there may be vpon the land
being in darknes as in prison or else where for by experience it is so found often Euen so by long custome of walking liuing in the outward workes of darknes groweth a strong and thicke inward darknes in the heart of man and woman Proofe héereof Ahab Manasses Herod Iudas and such like too many also in our daies who hauing long vsed Swearing Lying Uncleanenes c are growne so blinde in them that they neither will leaue them neither be perswaded they tend so to their destruction as they doo These blinde creatures shrinke to heare of this Egyptian darknes and yet their owne tenne thousand times worse they neuer shake at Let it make vs remember the words of wise Sirach A man that is accustomed to opprobrious words will neuer be reformed all the daies of his life Why because Custome of sinning taketh away the sense of sinning and long aboade in darknes maketh starke blinde Accustome not thy mouth therefore saith he to swearing neither take vp for a Custome the naming of the Holy one Where still marke the word Custome Custome and sée what a strong destroyer it is of the sight the inward sight light I meane of our hearts and mindes Fourthly ouermuch heate may hurt the bodily eyes as we all know the hotedung did Toby his eyes Euen so ouer hote desires of gaine hurteth the inward light as we knowe both by that which hath béene saide touching the world and by that which S. Paule saith that they which will be rich fall into temptations and snares and into manie foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the Faith and pearced themselues through with many sorrowes They that will be rich I say againe I pray you mark the Apostles words that is they which haue resolued with themselues set their hearts vpon it and concluded it that by hab or nab by one way or other whatsoeuer it cost them they will be rich and haue the wealth they possiblie can attaine to These these men with this Will this resolued and setled Will fall into temptations and so forth For this is a kinde of pestilent heate within which as powerfully thrusteth out the inward eye light of the minde as euer any outward heate did the eye of the body And then the inward eye being out nothing but darknes is there so a falling into all dangerous Courses that may leade to destruction and perdition Then vsurie is no sinne no not vsurie vpon vsurie oppression and deceite be no sinnes stealth and robberie if it may be any way coloured is wisedome and well yea murther and blood bite not But is the Lord of Heauen pleased with this sinfull Will to be rich and with these exorbitant wayes or is this heate a pleasing heate vnto him because hee is slowe to wrath and vengeance no no and that shall the end declare both vpon the wealth and the house that this dealing is in appointed time In the meane while we are taught by this place to Timothy to beware of such a Will and of such an inward heate as causeth such inward blindnes Soone enough if well enough say we euer and for these transitorie things as wee brought them not into the world so shall we not carie them out of the world Balaam Gehesi Iudas and such like preach vnto vs to beware of goods euill gotten A darknes then you sée there is within as well as without and the more dangerous farre is the inward because it hideth from vs things of greater consequence than doth the outward Not to sée credenda agenda cauenda things to be beleeued things to be performed and things to be auoyded is a horrible darknes Caine sawe not the first and Salomons foolish young-man led as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a foole to the stockes sawe neither the second nor the third Wherefore the Lord in great mercie hath euer béene carefull to furnish vs with meanes and helpes against it First he created vs as hath béene shewed with light and knowledge most excellent he prouided a great Booke euen the Booke of the World created by him wherein the inuisible things of him that is his eternall power God-head might be seene much excellent knowledge might be had And this Booke remaineth still if wee will reade in it an enemie to darknes Of which Booke Clemens Alexandrinus spake when he said Creatio mundi Scriptura Dei The Creation of the world is Gods Writing Also that Antonie mentioned in the Storie vnto whom a Phylosopher comming and asking him what he did without Bookes he answered O Philosophe meus codex est Natura creaturarum qui adest cum voluero verbaque mihi relegit Dei O Philosopher mȳ Booke is the Nature of all creatures which Booke is euer present with me when I will and deliuereth to me the words of God Héere wee sée the most admirable quantitie of the Sunne and Starres héere we reade the varietie the qualities the motion and the continuance in order appointed of all Creatures in Heauen in Earth and in the Sea so as no man can be either wearie of reading or reade without great profit in this Booke Neuerthelesse the Lord hath not héere left vs but as vnto the Starre manifesting the birth of his Sonne he pleased to add the Scriptures also which witnessed more particularly time place c so hee hath ouer and besides the Booke of the Creation giuen vs another more excellent by much to driue from our hearts this damnable darknes and to kéepe vs in light pleasing to himselfe and profitable vnto vs. Of this Booke farre better wee may vse Damihi Magistrum giue me the Maister than Cyprian could vse then of Tertullians workes For this Booke passeth All Bookes that euer were or shall be I meane the Booke of Gods holy Bible which Booke saith Hierome shall remaine with vs till wee be as the Angels in Heauen Goe we forward and consider how also to this Booke he hath added Prophets Apostles Euangelists Pastors and Doctors in all times to open and expound the same vnto vs that by all meanes wee might be enducd with light loue light liue in light and die in light Add againe the appointing of the Sabaoth day wherein men shonld rest from their labours and hearken to this Booke together with the many precepts giuen to heare to reade to search to know and vnderstand not to be as children perceauing nothing Thinke with your selfe often how the little Infant groweth to strength able to go by it selfe is it not by sucking and plucking his Mothers breasts euen so doth the Childe of God grow to strength of grace and from grace to grace by hanging continually vpon these two Breasts the olde and new Testament And as all men differ from brute Beasts
by reason knowledge so differeth one man from another by more more knowledge in this Booke Woe to those Teachers then that lull vs a sléepe and tell vs that Ignorance is the Mother of Deuotion that giue vs not leaue either to reade or pray or doo any duty in a tongue that we know but like those cursed Scribes and Pharises those hypocrites shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen before men neither going in themselues nor suffering others that would enter to come in Let this now spoken make vs sée their fault and that miserie so to liue as also this most swéet blessing of knowledge now vouchsafed to vs by the mercie of God through the happy gouernment of his Annointed seruant our déere and dread Souereigne and sending vp to God our thankfull thoughts both for it and him and begging the continuance of both long and long vnto vs. 2. It followeth in your Chapter But all the children of Israel had light where they dwelt Which surely was a very admirable thing the houses of Egyptians and Israelites ioyning as it should séeme one close to another as ours in these daies doo For else why should the blood be striked vpon the doore posts of the Israelites for a signe to the destroying Angell where to kill and where to passe ouer if all the Israelites had dwelt by themselues and had not béene mingled with the Egyptians This minde was Gregory Nyssen of and therefore hee saith Nontantum in Gosen vbi cōmuniter morabantur sed cum inter Aegyptios promiscue etiam habitarent in hoc maximum miraculum Not onely in Gosen where onely Israelites for the most part dwelled but among the Egyptians being mingled and dwelling together the Israelites had light and the Egyptian darknes And heerein was the greatest miracle The good wee may take by this strange worke of GOD is first to learne how able our Heauenly Father is to make a separation betwixt his Children and the Wicked when he executeth wrath and Justice if his good pleasure be so to doo though they be in one field together in one house together and in one bed together yet can bee choose the one and refuse the other Wherefore true is that Saying of the Psalme If his wrath be kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Feare wee not then in the time of Plague of Warre or other Publique calamitie least we should perish with the wicked hand ouer head but remember this Place and say in your heart with comfort and faith O Lord my GOD and gracious Father I knowe thine able hand to make a separation if thou please in this calamitie betwixt thy poore Lambes and the Goates as thon diddest in that darknes betwixt the Israelites and Egyptians therefore I flie vnto thee in humble acknowledgement of my sinne and for him that had no sinne I begge that if thy good pleasure may bee so thou wouldest vouchsafe to saue mee from this Sword of thine to let the light of thy mercie and louing countenance shine about my dwelling as thy chéerefull light did about the Israelites So shall my soule and heart euer praise Thee and thanke Thee But if otherwise LORD and Father thy Will bee done and not mine onely in the world to come acknowledge mee as I doo not doubt but thou wilt and it shall suffice Secondly let this place be obserued as a very plaine Figure of that which wee sée amongst vs euery day At one house dwelt an Egyptian and it was all darke at the next an Israelite and it was all light so nowe at one house dwelleth a superstitious Recusant or a prophane Atheist and all is darke At the verie next house dwelleth a zealous Professour of the truth who readeth the Scriptures heareth them preached frequenteth the Sacraments and faithfully laboureth that himselfe with his whole Familie may liue according to the Word and héere is all light which shall leade to the light eternall with God and all his hoste when the good houre commeth God strengthen our hearts euermore in the loue of this light and make vs truly thankfull for these lightsome daies Amen 3. The couetousnes of this great Tyrant verse 24 shadowing the greedie mindes of all Persecutors The stoute care of godlie Moses to haue the Lords whole Will performed and not to rest in a part verse 25. 26. The fearefull driuing away of Moses from his presence shewing the rags of Tyrants towardes their end to bee greater and so comforting the godlie that when they sée the like they may knowe the time is not long and remembring vs what a dangerous thing it is to driue away Gods Ministers from vs with diuers other things in the ver 28. and 29. because I haue béeste too long in this Chapttrr I will leaue to your owne Meditation and so end héere CHAP. 11. There is nothing more common both in these Bookes of Moses and other Bookes of Scripture than to set that after which in precise order was to goe before so is it in this Place For what now is said in these first Eight verses of this Chapter by due order should be put before the 28. verse of the former Chapter which if you doo and bring in the 28. verse after those words in the 8. verse And after this I will depart then the 29. verse of the former Chapter will followe well and after that the end of the 8. verse of this Chapter to wit So he went out from Pharaoh very angry c. The chiefe Heads of this Chapter are these three 1. A Denuntiation of a new plague 2. An Admonition to the Israelites what to do 3. The Plague it selfe 1. COncerning the first it is contained as you sée in these wordes Yet will I bring one plague more vpon Pharaoh and Egypt And to make vse to our selues of it you that are acquainted by your priuate reading with the Course of the Scriptures very well knowe the manner of Gods dealing in this matter from the beginning to the end First how milde it was then how by degrées it encreased to sharper and sharper till the deliuerance of his Church and people were effected At the first he appointed Moses and Aaron with the Elders of Israel to goe to Pharaoh and to entreate him mildly and dutifullie saying The Lord God of the Hebrewes hath met with vs WEE PRAY THEE therefore let vs goe three daies iourney into the Wildernes that we may sacrifice vnto the Lord our God But this praying would not serue wherefore the Lord went néerer them by great and powerfull wonders yet by degrées touching them and not with the greatest at the first He caused Moses rod to be turned to a Serpent c. A thing that hurt them not yet in all reason should haue moued them Then he turned their waters into blood which did somewhat touch them After when that preuailed not hee annoyed them
with filthie Frogges and so still you knowe by degrées vntill he had brought 9. fearefull plagues vpon the Land But as you also know none of them all would worke the deliuerance of the Church but still with an hardned heart as soone as any plague was remoued Pharaoh returned to his disobedience against the Lord. Whereupon at length God came to these words Yet will I bring one plague more as if hee should haue saide notwithstanding that all these former works can preuaile nothing with Pharaoh yet let him not thinke that he can be too hard for me for hee shall well finde that I both can and will be too hard for him I haue yet one Plague more which I wil bring vpon him and that shall so stoope him that hee shall not onely let my people goe but shall be most glad of the dispatch of them Sée we then in these things for our owne vse the Course and procéeding which euer from the beginning the Lord hath vsed and euer will vnto the end as he shall sée occasion euen first in mercy to entreate and in mildnes by more gentle meanes to allure then in the end by power and Judgement to compell when the former course will not serue In the first age when the olde world would not bee reformed but more and more prouoked him to wrath by taking wiues descended of wicked Parents more regarding in a fleshly sensuality outward beautie than inward vertue the Lord saide His Spirit should no longer striue with man meaning with lenitie and gentlenes as vnto that time it had done but now hee would bring vpon them his one plague more as héere vpon Egypt which should be indéede a stooping plague as héere this was and should suffice to crush crooked disobedience and to pull downe haughtie pride as was méete That was the Great flood which destroyed man woman and childe sauing eight persons appointed to be saued When Sodome and Gomorrha would not 〈◊〉 warned by any way of mercie and patience vsed by a gracious God vnto them many yéeres then that one plague more of fire and brimstone from Heauen came and stooped them and burnt them to ashes as they deserued Iezabell had faire warnings to amend her life to loue Religion to leaue Idolatrie and to become a better woman both to GOD and the world many a yéere before her fall came Eliah that worthie Prophet liuing by her doing great works to shew that God was with him yet nothing would serue Therefore at the last came the stooping Plague and shee was throwne downe at the windowe where the Dogges did eate her vp all sauing the scull feete and palmes of her hands A dreadfull example of Gods wrath vpon a sinner when milde and mercifull wayes to amend him will not serue Manasses a King of great vngodlines as you sée in the Storie at length was brought by the stooping plague of yron-fetters and bondage to be humbled and repent as was fit for him What gracious dealing did God first vse towards Nabuchadnezzar in forwarning him by a Dreame what should be the end of his wicked life then to prouide Daniel for him both to expound the same vnto him and to giue him that good aduise specified in the Text euen to breake off his sinnes by righteousnes and his iniquities by mercy towards the poore and that there might be an healing of his error yet all would not serue but he went on and offended God more and more as you sée in the 27. verse Wherefore God brought vpon him his stooping plague and draue him from among men to haue his dwelling among the beasts of the field to eate grasse as the Oxen and to haue his body wet with the dewe of Heauen till his haire was growne as Eagles feathers and his nailes like vnto birds clawes By which one plague more the Lord as you knowe brought him home and humbled him Let vs come vnto that fearefull example of Hierusalem â—he wofullest Storie that euer pen committed to paper What preaching and teaching had they first vouchsafed vnto them What Prophets and men of God full of grace power liued among them yea euen the Sonne of God himselfe Christ Iesus they had in the flesh to conuerse with them who both by Doctrine and miracles most admirable offered them life and comfort and laboured to drawe them from their danger but all would not serue they killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent vnto them they despised all and with bloodie hands crucified the Lord of life himselfe in a most high contempt of God and all his offered grace What remained therefore but that the Lord should drawforth his last plague his one plague more his stooping plague as héere he did against Pharaoh and to make such a rebellious people knowe themselues So hee did and sent against them Titus the sonne of Vespasian with the Romaine power who besieged their Citie at such a time as the greatest concourse was there brought them to famine and such miserie as neuer befell any people in this world but them and in the end vtterly ouerthrew them all their Citie and glory and whatsoeuer had exalted it selfe against God O miserie who can reade it or speake of it with drie eies When once they began to issue-out compelled with famine they were still taken and crucified vpon crosses and gibbets set vp before the walles that they which were within might sée them and giue ouer but yet they would not Fiue hundred a day were thus hanged vp till there were neither trées to be gotten nor any more space left to set them in Amongst whom no doubt were the children of those that cried against our Sauiour Crucifie him crucifie him his blood be vpon vs and vpon our children They regarded not God his Sonne and God regarded not their sonnes when time came The number of dead bodies vnburied and the multitude of other miseries was so great that Titus himselfe shaked at it and lifting vp his hands to Heauen cried O Lord O Lord this is not my doing as if hee should haue said it is thy wrath and Judgement thy Justice and vengeance pursuing this people or else it could neuer be thus Certaine of them getting meate for compassion sake in the Campe of the Enemies were yet so prosecuted with this anger of God that when they hoped their liues were in some safety suddainly in the night by the bloodie Souldier imagining that sure they had gold and Jewels within them which they had swallowed to conuay them for their vse were miserably â—â—aine and slit-vp their bowels raked in for that which happily was not there to the number of two thousand in one night which sore grieued the Generall Titus when he heard of it There was a desire to knowe the number of dead caâ—cases caried out of the Citie for want of buriall to be throwne in the Ditches as dung vpon the earth but
the number was numberlesse and no way to knowe it certainly but out of one gate the Kéeper had noted to bee caried out A hundred and fiftie thousand dead bodies Which miserable creatures before they died were driuen to eate the Leather of their Shooes the Leather of their Girdles the Leather of their Bucklers and Targets the dung of the Stable and in the end their very Children A stouping plague indéede and neuer to be forgotten of Gods people that heare it but to be vsed as a mighty motiue to stir vp their hearts euer to a due feare of that power that can thus crush them if they will rebell against him Now appeared an vse of our Sauiours words when going to his passion he said Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not for me but for your selues and your Children For behold the daies will come when men shall say Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the paps which neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hilles Couer vs c which was now verified in a most wofull miserie Let neuer Sinners then prouoke the Lord in this manner but so profit by his easier Crosses laide vpon them and by his long-suffering-patience vouchsafed towardes them as these great and terrible Testimonies of his anger may be euer farre and farre from them For if not assuredly hee is the same still as mightie as euer as iust as euer and he hath his stooping plague remaining for euery man and woman which will rebell Thus haue you séene the Lordes manner in former times Come now to our selues and these times Surely the Lord is all one and his dealings all one euen with vs. For hee first entreateth vs by his Word the mildest way that possibly can be when a man or woman sitting in the Church shall féele God by the Preachers spéech in his or her bosome and yet no man liuing knowe it no not the Preacher himselfe that he hitteth vpon them Then if this doth not serue the Lord commeth néerer and layeth vpon vs his easier Crosses yet greater and greater by degrées Our friends growe vnkinde our Seruants vnfaithfull our Children vndutifull our goods abate and our health changeth to sicknes and griefe And if these also become vnprofitable as too often they are then the Lord goeth to his Quiuer and taketh out a strong arrowe to shoote at vs as The sweating sicknes The deuouring plague or such like which shall at once swéepe the Earth cleane from such rebelling Spirits and stoope vs vnto Hell because vnto Heauen wee would neuer be brought This you haue séene to bee true in some part with your owne eyes and therefore we ought to think of it earnestly for our amendment Happy is the man who taketh his time to turne to his God that he may be saued I reade of One that said hee had but one Booke and the same Booke had but two leaues a white leafe and a red yet could hee neuer reade quite ouer those two leaues though he liued many yeeres reade diligently so much matter was contained in them For in the white leafe hee said were laid downe all the Mercies and fauours of God vouchsafed to mankinde either in generall or particular And in the red leafe all his fearefull Iudgements poured-out vpon sinners which were disobedient and would not be reformed This Booke hath béene in all ages and godlie persons haue had a care to reade in it Dauid looked vpon the White leafe and sawe first such heapes of Mercies towards mankinde ingenerall that he cried Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him little lower than God and crowned him with glory and worship Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thy hands thou hast put all things vnder his feete All sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field The fowles of the ayre and the fish of the sea with that which passeth through the pathes of the seas Then in particular towards himselfe hee sawe also such Goodnes as that he likewise cried Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought mee hitherto with all the rest that followeth in the Place worthie your reading fullie ouer by your selfe In the Red leafe he reade so manie Judgements of God as that hee prayed Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh liuing can be iustified in thy sight If thou Lord shalt marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Haue mercie vpon me O Lord according to thy louing kindnes and according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine miquities Iacob reade in this Booke and séeing in the white leafe Gods gracious goodnes towards him said O Lord ouer this riuer did I come with my staffe and now haue I gotten two bands I am not worthie of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant In the Red leafe also he saw such griefes as it had pleased God to exercise him with all and tolde the King that his daies had beene but fewe and euill and hee had not attained vnto the yeeres of the life of his Fathers yet was he then a hundred and thirtie yéeres olde Others also haue done the like séeing the infinite fauours of God and these fearefull punishments two and thirtie Thousand destroyed for the golden Calfe to teach men to beware of Idolatrie Threescore and Ten thousand destroyed with the plague for Dauids numbring of the people to teach men to beware of pride and vaine confidence in any Earthly thing Corah Dathan Abiram with their Families swallowed vp aliue with the gaping Earth to teach men to take héede of murmuring against authoritie and that which is the Gospell Binde him hand foote to teach vs that what parts are ioyned in vitio they shall assuredly be ioyned in supplicio Sinne together and be punished together is a Keckning that shall not faile Wherefore since things are thus as well in our daies as in former times what remaineth but that this knowledge humble vs vnder his mighty hand that can euer stoope vs at his pleasure Let vs remember the words of Dauid and vse them as our owne Agnosco iniquitatem c. I knowe mine iniquities and my Sinne is euer before mee Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten mee in thy displeasure c. Let vs remember that good Saying of the Father Non litigando sed flendo Deum vincimus Wee ouercome God not by striuing with him but by weeping before him The stubborne Oake is torne vp by the rootes when the bowing Réede standeth still Neuer can the lower part of the whéele come vpward vnlesse the vpper part goe downward neither euer can a man in his death be glorified vnlesse
wisheth a Benefice forget his dutie when hee hath got it and suffer his people the Lords Lambes to perish by his sloath Thus doth the Seruant when hee is become a Maister and thus doo thousands who when they were vnmaried and had little thought and said if they had some portion to liue vpon some reasonable competent estate O how would they serue God and doo good things to their power But all is forgotten and they are not the same persons when the Lord in mercie hath giuen them more cause to serue him than euer they had Followe this Meditation farther your selfe and thinke often in your heart what a swéete killing poyson Prosperitie is to many a one and how néedefull this Note of Moses was That they should Remember their duties to God when they were come into that pleasant Land of Promise 15. The Cōmaundement To teach their children what the Passeouer meant noteth vnto vs how the Word Sacraments should goe together not hiding in an vnknowne tongue by neglect of preaching what Gods ordinance is but plainly openly euer ioyning Doctrine to it that the people of God may knowe the Lords meaning in his holy Sacraments so vse them as they ought to his glory and their cōfort Yea the children you sée should not be brought vp in ignorance as ours are to the great prouocation of Gods wrath against vs. But euen when they are young taught and tolde what a Sacrament is and what is meant by the Paschal Lambe for thus would they prooue good seruants of God when yéeres came on and the Lord be honoured in our séede when we are dead Which whether it can be without a blessing from his hand both vpon them and whatsoeuer we leaue vnto them iudge in your owne soule when you haue considered well how sweete and gracious God is how many are his promises how faithfull he euer is in them Doo therefore as followeth in this your Chapter of this people ver 7. They bowed thēselues and worshipped That is they thankfully receaued the Lords pleasure at Moses mouth not as the word of man but as it was in déede the Word of God And they went their way and did as the Lord commaunded Moses and Aaron A blessed obedience both in hearing and doing a chéerefull alacritie and readines such as gladded the heart of Moses and euer will glad all godly Ministers Chronicled héere vp in the Booke of God by the direction of God to the lasting praise of them that were so touched and moued to obey God in his mercie make it also profitable to thy soule good Christian Reader that thou likewise in the Booke of life mayst be Chronicled vp for euermore Amen The second part 1. COncerning the death of the first borne which was the second generall Head noted before to be in this Chapter that which hath béene spoken before in the Denunciation may suffice to which I refer you praying that héere may be obserued the great care of Almightie God to haue this thing well remembred when againe he thus repeateth it with all his Circumstances of time of persons their awaking their crying their desire to bee rid of the Israelites their forcing of them away in all hast c. Surely Gods works for mankinde in generall or for any of vs all in particular to be forgotten must néedes be most displeasing vnto him when we sée such care as this to preserue in his church children a due Remembrance of them Theodoret speaking of these first-borne saith Cur interfecit primogenita Aegypti Propterea quòd Israële prmimogenita Dei Pharaoh nimis durae subiecerat seruituti Hoc enim ipse Dominus Deus dixit Filius meus primogenitus Israel c. Why did he slay the first borne of Egypt Euen because Pharaoh had subiected his first borne Israel to too hard and cruell a bondage For thus speaketh the Lord of Israel Israel my first-borne Sonne c. Againe in this that the first-borne only dyed both of man and beast not the second-borne nor the third-borne wée may with profit well obserue how the differences of children are knowne to God who is first who is second and who is third which may yéelde this vse neuer for any childe to goe about with craft and subtilty or any vnlawfull inuention of man to thrust himselfe into the place and prerogatiue thereof which God in his prouidence hath not giuen him but to abide in the order disposed to him of God and to trust in his mercy who so disposed for feare lest God who knoweth our order seuerely punish vs for breaking his order He could haue made the yongest the eldest if he had pleased he could haue made the 3. to be the 2. if he had so liked But he hath not done it and what he doth is euer best til his owne hand alter the same A contented minde much pleaseth God and a working spirit contrary to his Will as much offendeth him Let it be thought on for there is too much cause in the world giuen and sinne is counted Wisedome 2 This mightie power of God is fearefull and comfortable Fearefull for that in one night yea in one instant and with one word as it were he destroyed so many first-borne in Egypt Comfortable because what iudgment soeuer he vseth and executeth against the wicked yet he can saue his owne in the very middest of death and danger So that not a haire of their heades shal be hurt Thousands may fall on the right hand and tenne Thousands on their left yet no harme happen to them Also this gratious Clemency and Mercy in the Lord is most comfortable who when he could as easily and as iustly haue destroyed all yet in his goodnes that hath neither bottome nor measure he taketh but the first-borne so gratiously humbleth thē by a few This is that which the Prophet speaketh when he beggeth of the Lord in wrath to remēber Mercy so noting his manner and nature euer full of pitty long suffering 3 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron saying get you hence c. That is he sent his Messengers vnto them to will them to depart For Moses saw him no more after the departing mentioned in the tenth Chapter the last verse And in the eleuenth Chapter verse eight you sée Moses foretold that thus his seruants should intreat him to depart Euer till now Pharaoh had some exceptions either of their Children or of their Cattell c. But now all are put in a libertie graunted vnto all and glad and glad to be deliuered of them Thus can God with his mighty arme bring downe the proude stomakes of the greatest and make them yéelde to his Will wholly not in part A fruitfull consideration for those that dayly amongst vs vse to limmit their obedience to God saying either openly or secretly in their hearts Herein will I follow my Teacher and herein I will not Adultery
they can They will rake they will scrape they will hoord and muckervp their wicked Mammon is their GOD and their Chest their hope in time of néede But what became of Manna it selfe when it was kept contrarie to Gods liking Wormes bred in it as you sée it stanke and no wayes serued to their vse that so disobediently had laide it vp Euen so so shall it euer bee with this Crue let them make their reckoning of it and rest assured Ill gotten goods shall not prosper nor the thirde heire bee the better for them Our eyes daylie sée what may teache our hearts if GOD bee within vs and this notable place of rotting Manna would neuer bee forgotten 7. Yet the sixt day they reserued and it corrupted not Uerie true and let it neuer goe out of your minde whilest you liue For vpon the sixt day they were commaunded to gather both for that day and the day following ver 5. which was the seauenth day and the Sabbath to the end they might rest vpon the Sabbath and not goe out to gather and it corrupted not No more shal any goods you get and gather with the will and good liking and by the commaundement of Almightie God that is truly lawfully and with a good conscience but the Lord shal blesse that basket and that store to you whilest you liue and to yours when you are gone and though it bee but little yet hee shall make it sufficient to sustaine your selfe to bring vp your Children and to doo what they which haue thrice as much as you comming in cannot doo Your Children againe after you maintayned with that which you haue well gotten shall prosper either in learning or trade so that they shall come to great Places often and to bee Great menne to carie such Offices of credite as are in the Countrie or Tewne where they dwell and leaue Gods mercies againe to their Children after them to a thousand generations louing and fearing Gods holy Name and kéeping his Commaundements when the quite contrarie shall come to passe with the goods ill gotten as you haue séene 8. Forget not to marke héere also the great care that GOD hath of his Sabbath that it bee kept holy according to his appointment when hee will not suffer these Israelites to gather so much as his Manna for their foode vppon the Sabbath day but appointeth them to doo it the day before May not a good soule thus reason then with himselfe or her selfe Good Lorde what doo I vppon the Sabbath day This people of his might not gather Manna and may I safelie gad to Faiers and Markettes to dauncinges and drinkinges to wakes and wantonnesse to Beare-baytinges and Bull-baytinges with such like wicked prophanations of the Lords day May I bee absent from the Church where Gods people are gathered together in his Name he in the midst of them walking about my Closes and grounds sending my Seruaunts and Cattle to Townes with corne which I haue solde before because I will not spare them on the wéeke daies and so forth Are these works for the Sabbath Is this to keepe holy the Sabbath day Can I answere this to my God that giueth me sixe daies for my selfe and taketh but one day to himselfe of which I rob him also No no assuredly I shall not be able to endure his wrath for these thinges one day and therefore I will leaue them and regard héereafter his holie Sabbath better than I haue done Yes assuredly this is a sound and a blessed Reason and therefore I pray God to set it in our hearts since now a-daies there is so much offending this way 9. When came this Manna from Heauen in the day or in the night In the night when the dewe fell downe this Heauenly bread fell with it and in the morning as hath béene noted verse 14 When the dewe ascended this lay all scattered vpon the earth to be gathered till the heate of the Sunne melted it away ver 21. What a swéete Note doo I sée heere namely that when his Children sléepe and are at rest Gods prouidence for them sléepeth not but worketh and giueth thinges for their vse and for their comfort for their health for their life for their aduancement vnto honour Groweth not the grasse when wee sléepe and the best hearbs for our health and vse Come not the swéet showers when we sléepe that make the Husbandman reioyce and sing Peter was a sléepe in the prison the next day to suffer death by cruell tyrannie watched and warded and bound with chaines neither was there any helpe in mans eyes for him only the little flocke of Gods Children gathered together in the house of a religious woman prayed for him but the prouidence of God was not sléepe which watched ouer him and his life and sent his Angell to deliuer him in such miraculous manner as you reade of euer and euer leauing vs a Testimonie of his care loue mercie and power as shall be good for vs the swéetnesse whereof I am not able to reach vnto but crie with the Prophet from my heart O blessed blessed is the man that hath the Lord for his God! it is better to trust in him than in all the Princes of the world And if he be on our side wee neede not care what man can doo against vs. Such another Example is that of king Ahasuerosh not able to sléepe but calling for the Chronicles and hitting vpon that place where Mordecai his loyaltie and faithfull seruice was mentioned thereby enquiring what had béene done for him and so exalting him to great honour Poore Mardocheus was a sléepe when this was done and little thought of such a matter But his swéete and gracious God was not on sléepe you sée sending from Heauen his Manna that is his comfortable Mercie to his Childes honour and his whole Churches good by his aduancement Shall wee euer then fall from this God by distrustfull feare that thus careth for his when they be on sléepe Lord Lord giue vs the vse of these thinges and strengthen our Meditation to an immoueable Faith and strong comfort in Thee euermore Consider the olde generations of men saith the wise Sirach and marke them well was there euer any confounded that put his trust in the Lord Did euer any continue in his feare and was forsaken or euer any call vpon him and was despised No no no no. And therefore lay it vp in your heart marke the Scriptures If wee beléeue that he hath made our bodies shall wee not also beléeue that hee will prouide for them séeing the creation is greater than the preseruation Hath hee care ouer the wicked to doo them good and will hee not much more reioyce to doo his Children good Did the Lord loue vs when wee were his enemies and will he leaue vs succourlesse when we are reconciled to him in so déere a price as his owne Sonnes precious blood O if he did vs
this sort First Manna came down from heauen so did Christ as touching his deitie Secondly Manna signifieth a gift or a thing prepared so was Christ giueÌ„ prepared by the loue of God without all merit or cause in vs. Thirdly Manna was but a small and contemptible thing to looke on so was Christ little regarded of earthly minded worldlings but as the Prophet notably declareth much despised set at naught Manna was round which is the perfectest figure and so was Christ a perfect Sauiour to all that euer beléeued in him Manna was white the colour of innocencie and our Sauiour Christ without spot or blot of any sin Manna was sweet and like the hony so is Christ swéeter than any hony to all those that tast him by a true Faith Manna was brused and beaten in morters and milles Christ was tormented for our sins with many torments All were commanded to gather Manna and all that trauell and are heauie laden are commaunded to come and take holde of Christ Manna continued till they came into the land of promise then ceased Christ shal be with vs to the end of the world shal subdue all things vnder his feete and then himselfe be subiect to God deliuer vp the Kingdome to him that God may be all in all Thus notably you see was Christ foreshadowed in this Manna The Israelites might not forget the shadow and may we forget the substance and thing it selfe No no. And therefore well prayed the old Father Da Domne vt sicut verbum caro factum est sic cor meum fiet carneum Lord graunt that as the word became flesh so my hart may be also fleshy and not stony Maiestie huÌ„bled it self shal miserie exalt it self Remember often remember euer this sweet Manna Puer natus Filius datus A Childe is borne a Son is giuen Datus ex diuinitate natus ex virgine Natus qui sentiret occasum Datus qui nesciret exordium Natus qui matre iunior Datus quo non pater senior Natus qui mâ—oeretur Datus ex quo vitanasceretur Sic qui erat Datus qui non erat Natus Giuen in regard of his Deitie Borne in regard of his humanitie Borne who shoulde haue an end Giuen who had no beginning Borne who was yonger than his mother Giuen who was as old as his Father Borne who should die Giuen from whom life should spring So he that was was Giuen and he that was not was Borne Ambulare vis ego sum via falli non vis ego sum veritas mori non vis ego sum vita Noc dicit tibi Saluatortuus non est quo eas nisi ad me non est qua eas nisi per me Surge homo via venit ad â—e Wilt thou walke I am the way wilt not thou be deceiued I am the truth wilt thou not die I am the life This saith thy Sauiour to thee There is none to goe vnto but to mee there is none by whom thou maist goe but by mee Arise O man the way commeth vnto thee Thus remember I say againe this blessed Manna and let this much suffice of this Chapter CHAP. 17. The generall Heades of this Chapter are two A bitter contention for want of water A warre with Amalech 1. COncerning the first thus wée may profit in the wildernesse of Sin they complaine of famine and wish for the fleshpottes of Egypt againe and for their bellies full of bread Thence they remooue and come to Rephidim where they as bitterly complaine for want of water So to an earthly minde that will not looke at God euery place ministreth some discontentment when a heart grounded in pietie taketh all well that God sendeth and learneth as well to want as to abound Againe euen to the godlie such as many of these Israelites were for we may not vnderstand that all were guilty of these murmurings but a great sort or the greater sort one crosse succéedeth another that still our life may bée a true warrefare and no heauen made of earth A man that is borne of a woman saith holy Iob hath but a short time to liue is full of trouble ful of trouble I say againe we must mark it So shal we grow to the Apostles resolution desiring to be loosed and to be with Christ which is best of all For neuer shall wée haue permanent comfort till that day come but still a mixture and an vnequall mixture more of the sowre than of the sweet more of the woe than of the weale that we may crye hartily Come Lord Iesu come quickly 2 When they are pinched with this want of water what doo they Not cry vnto God but flie vpon Moses with an vnfitting spéech saying Giue vs water that wee may drinke as though Moses were God to create fountaines and springs Thus dooth corrupt man possessed with impatiencie take a wrong course leaue God and runne to Man and then speake according to his rage without due and right consideration of Mans ability and power A like spéech had good Rachel to her husband Iacob when impatiencie had caught her Giue me children To whom Iacob answered not without griefe AM I GOD c Let vs therefore in all our wants set our faces the right way and looke to Heauen not to Earth to God not to Man For there is the tresurie and the bottomlesse store-house of all comforts Aske there seeke there knocke there and you haue a promise Runne to creatures and you haue none Againe Moses was the Magistrate set ouer them by God and therefore an high offence to contend with him to bee troublesome to him and to grieue him Such malecontents are odious to God and their ends if they continue in their faultes euer foule Moses was further a méeke Gouernour and most milde the Scripture saith of him that he was the meekest man aliue He had deliuered them from a bloody bondage and bene Gods instrumeÌ„t of many benefits comforts The more therfore was their fault a great deale the better swéeter his gouernment was to them Let it teach as many as haue the like blessing to auoide the like sin to be thankful both to God and his meanes It is registred for a praise euer to indure the remembrance of it God will not haue put out that when a rebellious spirit made a commotioÌ„ against Dauid the Lords annointed the men of Israel foolishly wickedly followed him forsooke their King yet the men of Iuda would not doo it but as the Text saith They claue fast vnto their King to their good King their religious King their natural Prince their louing Lord Gouernour annointed and set ouer them by a mighty God No Charmes would they hearken vnto against him but claue fast vnto him and I say againe the praise of it shall neuer dye 3 They are saide also to tempt the Lord A further
comfortablie will aunswere I knowe whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that in loue hee hath adopted mee to bee his Childe that hee is true in his promise and powerfull in performance And these three so strengthen my heart that no want of merit no consideration of my owne vilenesse no greatnesse of the future blessednesse canne cast mee downe from the height of hope wherein I am soundlie rooted This is the three-folde corde c. To this effect haue many other Fathers written also but I omit them Lastly this example of God in this place as it teacheth patience and long suffering when we are abused so doth it notablie also teach cōstancie in loue where we once haue loued A thing worthie following if I had not béene too long in this Note I will therefore reserue it to some other place onely now praying you to remember whom you resemble if this grace be in you and from whom you swerue if it bee not It is enough to mooue a Childe of God 6. Of this striking of the Rocke there is often mention made in the Scriptures and therefore a thing worthie good consideration Hee claue the hard rocks in the Wildernes and gaue them drinke thereof as if it had beene out of the great depthes He brought waters out of the stonie rock so that it gushed out like the riuers Againe in another Psalme He opened the rocke of stone and the waters flowed out so that riuers ranne in drie places For why he remembreth his holy promise and Abraham his seruant The things we may thinke of are these The fall of Moses and Aaron at this time The figure and allegorie of this rocke Concerning the first reade what is written in the Booke of Numbers Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rocke and Moses said vnto thē Heare now yee Rebels shall we bring you water out of this rocke And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron Because yee beleeued me not to sanctifie me in the presence of the children of Israel therefore yee shall not bring this congregation into the Land which I haue giuen them Héere you sée it reuealed that Moses and Aaron staggered at this matter and offended the Lord. Whereby we are notably taught that although there be many in this world who through the grace that is giuen them fight a good fight hauing faith and a good Conscience yet there is not one frée from all sinne sauing Iesus Christ alone But euen Moses himselfe héere that Great light hath his darknes and his infirmitie Hee that had wrought such Great miracles and deuided the maine Sea through the power of him that now biddeth him strike the rocke yet héere hee doubteth and fainteth in Faith as God himselfe witnesseth of him Truly therefore said the Prophet Dauid If the Lord shall marke what is done amisle Who Who shall be able to abide it And the Apostle likewise There is none that is righteous no not one All haue gone out of the way And in the sight of God can no flesh liuing be iustified Let not Sachan then amaze vs with our imperfections for the swéetest Roses haue their prickels and Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance On the other side againe Let not Sathan tempt vs to a conceipt of purity or perfection either in our selues or others for if Moses fall if Dauid fall if Samuel fall if Iob fall if Abraham fall and all haue fallen who shall say my heart is cleane Beware of these extremities both wayes walking in the middle way take holde of Christ by him fearing no imperfection and for him flying all vaine thoughts of absolute integritte Againe learne heere and forget it neuer what an odious thing in the sight of God any doubting in him is which yet the Doctrine of Rome so laboureth to maintaine For when for this onely fault the Lord is so moued with his déere seruant Moses that he reiectech him from conducting his people into the promised Land and burieth him in the Desert certainly we may not entertaine doubting in our hearts touching any promise of his and especially in so great a matter or in such a graund Article of Faith as the Remission of sinnes is 7. For the second thing namely the Type you reade in the Apostle that this rocke was Christ that is a Figure of Christ With which kinde of phrase would the Romish Teachers not wrangle that Great contention about the Sacrament néeded uot For to giue the name of the thing signified to the signe signifying was neuer strange among learned men and in this very particular of the Sacrament S. Augustines words are well knowne Non dubitabat Dominus dieere hoc est corpus meū cum signum daret corporis sui The Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when he gaue a signe of his body To which end also speake other of the Fathers abundantly if it were any purpose here to enter into his matter 8 For the thirde thing namely the Allegorie thus is it noted by the learned That when all mankind was to be smitten by the Law for sinne yet through the infinite loue of God the Rocke onelie was smitten that is Christ of whom the Law laid hold for vs hée submitting himselfe for vs was smitten off it for vs. Thus saith the Prophet He was smitten for our transgressions and with his stripes we are healed Other Scriptures also That God so loued the world that he gaue his onely be gotten Sonne to suffer c. That he himselfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree c. This blessed rocke thus smitten for vs hath gushed out swéete water for vs to drinke to coole that scalding heate of burning sin in our soules which els would quickely kill vs and be our bane Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him saith this our Rocke and Sauiour shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that I shall giue shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life But let no man thinke that this water that is the swéete and cheering comfort of the Gospell is to be got by mans merites as some teach but euer remember the Prophets words Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without monie c. The Prophets words are sull of force First calling to All to come and excepting none which is a great cōfort thē offering mercy without money that all cursed cogitations of workes and worthes in our selues might euer die and be abhorred Come vnto me all ye that trauell and are heauy laden and I will refresh you not your owne merits and works The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs saith the Apostle from al sin al sin I say againe and not our workes
Egypt Then hee tooke Zipporah Moses wife c and went vnto him Thereby noting that the hearing of Gods great and wonderfull workes done for his people mooued his heart to come and ioyne himselfe to them so entereth God to the heart by the eare vsuallie And therefore the vse of the eare to heare of God and his workes out of his word euer cried for in the Scriptures and the stopping of the same euer condemned as to GOD rebellions and to the soule most hurtfull and pernitious O that it might sinke and settle in all men for their amendment and encrease of care and conscience to heare 2. What is Iethro A Gentile Where dwelt hee In Midian a good way of Gentiles then heare and Iewes will not they that dwell farre of come and they that are néere will not He that but heareth is much mooued they that sée with their eyes and féele with their hands Gods works and mercies murmure repine sinfully Doo not things fall out thus in our dayes and finde wee not by erperience to the griefe of all good mindes that plentie is no daintie would GOD wee did not But let vs in time remember what is spoken for our admonition if wee haue grace Manie shall come from the East and West and shall sitte downe with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the Kingdome of Heauen And the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Woe be to thee Chorazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackcloath and ashes The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it for she came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and beholde a greater than Salomon is heere Then Christ in his person now Christ in his word the same Christ God and man euer aboue Salomon who was his creature 3. Iethro brought with him Moses wife whom he had sent away and her two sonnes ver 3. The time when hee sent her away I doo not remember to be expressed in the Scripture But of like it was when shee shewed her selfe so crosse and weyward about the circumcision of her sonne to the hazard of Moses owne life whom the Lord would haue killed for neglect of the Sacrament Happily he thought shee would be crosse and headie in other things as well as in that and therefore for feare lest shee should hinder him in his vocation now imposed by God he sent her for a time back with his Children to Iethro her father Whereof we may make me thinks these two vses first that it is a gréeuous offence for either wiues or others to be an hinderance to men in their duties enioyned them by God for this is euen to striue against God and to set our will against his will to the great perill both of the men so called and of the parties that so hinder them if they persist Secondly that it is the dutie of all so called to remoue from them in a lawfull sort those hinderers preferring the Lords worke before their owne affection and remembring zealouslie their Maisters wordes Hee that loueth Father or Mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And hee that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than me is not worthie of me But whosoeuer shall forsake houses or Bretheren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake he shall receaue an hundreth fold more and shall inherite eternall life This forsaking for a time of Moses was a holie resistance of his owne affections and a zealous care of his imposed office 4. And Iethro saide to Moses that is hee sent messengers to say I thy Father in lawe Iethro am come to thee and thy Wife and thy two Sonnes with her A singular modestie in Iethro and reuerence to his Sonne in lawe Moses his place when albeit hee had with him those guests that hee knew in nature must néedes be welcome besides his owne due who was come so farre in loue and kindnes yet hee would not come to him without this reuerent sending before to acquaint him Such reuerence to mens places in our daies is much wanting in those that chiefely should performe it and familiaritie breedeth contempt But behold Iethro héere and know that God hath Chronicled this for his praise and our profit Reuerence to Magistrates reuerence to Ministers reuerence to all authoritie and superioritie certainly it pleaseth God and commendeth vs. The contrarie is immodestie yea impietie and as a great contempt of the Author of that authoritie as of the partie contemned vsuallie punished of God either with want of euer hauing authoritie or with such contempt if they haue authoritie as erst they measured vnto others 5. Howe requiteth Moses this kinde respect The Text saith Hee went out to meete his Father in lawe and did obeysance and kissed him and each asked other of his welfare and they came into the Tent. No authoritie and greatnes maketh him proude or vnmindfull of an olde friend who had shewed him kindnes when he was in a lower estate but with a singular humilitie he receaueth reuerence in his place and with like respect againe boweth himselfe and reuerenceth Iethro Such mutuall loue and reciprocall offices of complement and order shall you euer sée in wise men what difference soeuer is in their places And there is no greater pride than where least worth is Pride maketh rude and rudenes getteth little loue wee all knowe Such an Example as this is in steade of an hundred to a wise heart and yet you may ioyne Dauids protestation to it be much profited Lord I am not high minded I haue no proud lookes c. 6. Then Moses told his Father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians c. Being met together after ordinarie salutations and kinde enquiring one of anothers health they fall to religious and godlie talke Moses taking pleasure to speake Iethro to heare of such gracious fauours as the Lord had shewed to his people and of such powerfull iudgements as he had laide vpon their enemies Which may serue for a good motiue in our daies to cut off idle if not very prophane conference when wee méete and to leade vs this good way remembring euer that of idle words wee must giue an accompt Woe be to the world because of offences for it must needes be that offences must come but woe bee to that man by whom the offence commeth c. If any man among you seeme religious refraineth not his tongue but deceaueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine The hartie ioy also that was in Iethro when hee heard these thinges notablie telleth vs the right affection of a Childe of GOD
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
the Lord with a perfect heart Againe in 〈◊〉 17. v. O my God thou tryest I know the heart and hast pleasure in righteousnesse I haue offered willingly in rhe vprightnesse of mine heart all these things I haue also found thy people which are here to haue offered willingly with ioy The Apostle also witnesseth that God loueth a cheerefull giuer and what is done grudgingly that is with a sparing nigardly hart or of necessity that is against a mans will as loth to be euill reported off all that be it whatsoeuer the Lord despiseth and regardeth not to which agréeth that aduise of the wise-wise-son of Sirach Giue vnto the most High according as he hath inriched thee and looke what thine hand is able giue with a cheerefull eye With a cheerefull eye I say againe and doo you mark it For the Lord recōpenceth and will giue thee 7. times as much meaning as thou giuest with such a cheereful eye Such a matter in al offerings gifts and duties to God is willingnesse cheerefulnesse hartinesse making good that Saying of S. Augustine Nemo inuitus benefacit etiamsi id quod bonum est facit Euen a good deede vnwillingly done is not well done Were this considered of people that for feare of lawe or such like respects come to Church and to the holy Communion without al conscience loue of such as cannot be drawne to giue any thing to the poore to reparatiō of their Church to the Minister that preacheth the Word of life vnto them is in Gods stead sent by him directed and inabled by him for their saluation more than by méere authoritie and strength of the law the Magistrate they shal be forced vnto surelie it would work some better disposition in them I would hope so draw from a gracious God reward vpon willing duties which now perish without any profit to them from him because they are altogether forced He is able to make it felt and considered 4 The fourth point is to what end these offerings should be euen for a Sanctuarie saith the Text that is for a place to offer Sacrifices in and to heare the lawe in as wée now speake to make a Church For this Sanctuarie was in steade of a Church vnto them till Salomon built the glorious Temple The fauorites of Rome often obiect to the Professors of the Gospell that we haue no Churches built by any of our Religion c. To whom true answere is made that first our bodies are the Temples of the holy Ghost therefore were there no other Temples than these yet God might dwell in vs and we be his Secondlie this people of the Iewes and our Forefathers had no such Churches as now be but worshipped the true God in Tabernacles or tents in the wildernes before this Sāctuarie was made then in this Sanctuarie which was moueable also frō place to place Thirdly Jesus Christ in the Mountaines in Ships such like places taught the people they heard his word beléeued Iohn Baptist in the prison preached Christ and that was his Church Paul did like begat disciples to Christ in his bands He preached taught two yeares together in his owne house hired in Rome Thereupō it hath bin said that our Fathers true godly men indéed had dark Churches light harts afterward counterfet Christians had shining Churches and darke harts Men became like the Disciples of Christ in that error of theirs when they so gazed vpon delighted in and doted vp ō the outward forme and matter of the Temple cōming to their Master to shew him the building of the Temple and saying to him Maister see what manner stones and what manner buildings are here how it was garnished with goodly stones and with consecrate things To whom Christ answered Are these the things that ye look vpon As if he should haue saide this is but lightnesse in you to eye so much these things for they are not the things that I most estéeme And therefore the time will come when not one stone shall be left vpon an other which shal not be throwen downe Earthly temples and Churches haue an vse whilest God pleaseth but true Religion may bée without them and God rightly serued if none were But now there are Churches in the World and did the Papists builde them all No No Assuredlie the Iewes and the Gentiles did build most of them and their labours we inioye Some peraduenture were built or repaired by men of Romish Religion Princes Bishops or others but what said their great man Campion preaching at the nerall of Sir Thomas White Surely saith he this they did in maxima rerum vilitate et multorum opibus adiuti in a time of great cheapenesse of euery thing and helped with the riches of many men Thus could he sée and say before discontentment made him Popish and blinde Popery made him blinde also Constantine the Great built Churches before euer Popery was hatched Charles the Great built Schooles of diuinitie and Vniuersities in Germanie Fraunce Italy not for Popery but for the Bible to be taught in and Saint Augustines workes reade at their tables Edward the third King of this Realme loued Wickleff adorned the Vniuersities and speaking honorablie of the bountie of Princes blameth accuseth greatlie the spoile and ouerthrow of Churches by Popes The Britans auntientinhabiters of this Nation as Beda witnesseth had their Churches and Temples and yet no Popery Therefore all was not done by papists The varie papists themselues confesse the contrarie Churches then wée haue and not built by them which yet if wée had not wée might bée Gods people Worthy persone in our daies which haue built Colledges inriched Cities with many such other good works would also haue built Churches if wée had wanted c. 5 To what end would God haue this Sanctuary builded That I may dwell among them saith the Lorde Hee that hath Heauen for his seate and earth for his footestoole dwelleth not in Temples made with hands Neither is included in any place But because there he gaue them visible signes of his gratious presence and was not called vpon in vaine but with effect and profit to all men that rightlie made their refuge to him therfore such mercie is called euen dwelling among them God is not changed in these daies but still kinde comfortable to his people And therefore euen our Temples also are his house in which he is trulie worshipped and euer present to heare our true prayers and to send vs away with his comfort as then he did Which vse and end of the Church is a matter of great good to all minds that rightlie and religiouslie will meditate of it and be instructed For if it be his house where he dwelleth and is present if it bée the house of prayer and the worship of God with what zeale and desire should we go
hath made a gracious league and couenant as you read in Esay The mountaines shall remooue and the hilles shall fall downe but my mercie shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee c. This is my couenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I haue put in the mouth of thy seede from hence forth for euer A comfortable meditation in all the stormes and stirres of the Church Militant here on earth to looke and runne vnto this Couenāt which shal neuer faile because God is true and to consider that whatsoeuer men be or do or threaten to do the Church dependeth not vpon men nor their fauours or leagues or promises but vpon Gods couenant with it euen the Almightie maker of all the worlds Masse who bloweth vpon all earthly Potentates and they perish who saueth not with bow and speare but with his word and will no confederacies of men being able to indure his wrath He he is our strength and stonie rocke he is our defence our Sauiour our God and our might in whom we will euer trust our buckler the horne also of our saluation and our refuge By his commandement it is said to the members of his Church I baptize thee in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost As much as if he should will his Minister to say from him to me to you to euerie one particularly 〈◊〉 the Almightie God maker and preseruer of all things together with my coeternall Sonne crucified for thee and raysed vp againe and with the Holy Ghost powred vpon the Apostles make with thee a Couenant of euerlasting peace which by no power of the Deuill or his members shall euer be made frustrate And to this Couenant I flye in all my feares séeking no vnlawfull meanes but remembring comfortably the words spoken Quoniam in me sperauit liber abo eum protegam eum quia cognouitnomen meum c. Because he hath hoped in mee I will deliuer him I will saue him because he hath knowen my Name I am with him in trouble to wit as his confederate I will deliuer him and exalt him to honour I will fill him with length of life shew him my saluation Then for the kéeping of the law as the two Tables of Moses were kept in the Arke so is the Church the kéeper of the Scriptures not onely by intertaining and holding the holy doctrine in our senerall hearts as in an Arke but euen also by preseruing the Bookes the ministerie of that trueh to the end of the world in prosperitie and aduersitie So whether we apply it as a figure of Christ or of the Church you sée the consideration of this Arke may yéeld vs many good meditations The Mercie Seate THe Arke as you may sée had a couer appointed to be made for it which was the Mercie Seate or the Propitiatorie The wordes of your Bible are thus Also thou shalt make a Mercie seate of pure gold two cubits and a halfe long and a cubit and a halfe broad And thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold c. How notable a figure againe this was of Christ I pray you sée for first it was the couer of the Ark where the law of Moses lay and who hideth and couereth vs from the wrath of God and from the accusation of the lawe but Iesus Christ He is like a coole shadow to flie vnto in the scorching heat of Gods deserued displeasure which is a consuming fire And were it not for him vp would the law rise against vs with his heauie curse and crie for condemnation against vs for our manifolde breaches and contempts which no flesh is able to abide Wherupō the Psalmist saith O Lord O Lord if thou wilt marke what is done amisse who who is able to indure it But do not thou O Lord enter into iudgement with thy seruant to wit without this mercie seat couer or propitiatorie for without Christ thy Sonne represented and shadowed héereby shall no flesh be iustified in thy sight Our first Parents hauing sinned couered themselues with Figge leaues and did they help Euen so are all couers beside this against God and sinne trie them and trust them who will One Dionysius a sowre and seuere defender of that Stoicall vnfeelingnesse of passions being tormented in his reines cried out That all things were false which he had till then held of paine griefe as that it might so easily be borne indured whatsoeuer it was for now he felt the contrarie that pain pincheth wil be felt notwithstanding all plaisters of philosophie humane reasons Euen so shall the sense of Gods diuine iudgement conuince all hypocrites when he shall please to touch them with it make them confesse that will-worship outward works whatsoeuer are as figge leaues to hide them from God their sinnes whatsoeuer opinion they haue formerly held of the force and merit of them and that Christ onely is the couer of the Arke when the accusing law lyeth to whom whosoeuer flie and in whom whosoeuer trust being iustified by faith they haue peace with God through him Thinke you then of it for euer and lay hold on him and on him onely by your vnfeigned faith in him if you meane to be sure and safe without perill and hazard He is our mouth whereby we speake vnto God he is our eye whereby we sée God and he is our hand whereby we offer to God Quo nisi intercedente nec nobis nec omnibus Sanctis cum Deo quicquam est Without whose intercession neither we nor any of the Saints haue any thing to do with God Quem inuenirem qui me tibi reconciliaret an eundum mihi ad Angelos At qua prece quibus Sacramentis verus Mediator Christus Whō should I find to recōcile mee to thee saith S. Angustine Must I go vnto Angels But with what praier with what Sacraments The true Mediator is Christ Quisquis pro peccato compunctus esurit sit it iustitiam credat in te qui iustificas impium per solam fidem iustificatus pacem habebit apud Deum Whosoeuer feeleth compunction for sinne and hungreth and thirsteth after righteousnes let him beleeue in thee that doest iustifie the wicked and by faith only he shall haue peace with God saith S. Bernard Non in fletibus actibus nostris sed in Aduocati nostri allegatione confidimus We doe not trust in our weeping or working but in the allegation or pleading of our Aduocate for vs saith S. Gregorie Thus spake the olde Fathers all we must marke it Popes pardons were pro fisco non pro Christo for their own gaine not for the good of Christes people as One of their owne side said well of them c. 2 Secondly it was
answereth Thou shalt speak to all cuÌ„ning men or men wise in hart whom I haue filled with the Spirit of wisdome that they may make Aarons garmeÌ„ts to consecrate him c. By which words two things are taught vs. First that in the seruice of God nothing ought to be done but what procéedeth from the directioÌ„ of God his Wisdome Will that being the Rule and only Rule of his owne worship Mens inuentions without warrant from him haue no place be they neuer so gloriously coloured painted with good intents and meanings Secondly that mechanicall Arts Trades OccupatioÌ„s haÌ„dy-crafts are not fouÌ„d out by men without directioÌ„ of Gods Spirit but God is the Author of them as here appeareth to the great coÌ„fort of the vsers of them well Many men otherwise good men do coÌ„demn Gold smithes Iewellers perfumemakers Imbroiderers Arace-weauers such like as though they serued onely for vanitie excesse when indéede they be the workes of God I meane their seuerall skils and fruits of his Spirit as héere we sée If any man abuse them it is the fault of man not of the skill and what may not be abused The verie Heathens haue acknowledged these things Inuenta Deorum the Inuentions of God Our Bookes mention strange garments the workes of mens handes Yet none like vnto this haue béene described being Exquisitioris artificii diuinioris inuenti vtpote à Spiritu sapientiae coelestis dignioribus sanctioribusque hominibus tributus Of a more exquisite workmanship and of a more diuine inuention giuen by the spirit of heauenly wisedome to more worthie and more holy men Let vs giue God the glorie and make right vse of the skill of men 5 The seuerall sorts are laid downe in the 4. verse are Six in number A Brestplate an Ephod a Robe a Broidred coat a Miter a girdle The matter is specified of all these garments namely gold blewsilke purple and scarlet fine linneÌ„ He beginneth with the Ephod v. 6. sheweth how that should be made vnto the 15. ver Where you are to remember that there were two sorts of Ephods one of this sort that is here described rich precious vsed only of the High-priest and an other of plaine linnen which was common to others whereupon it was said that Saule caused foure-score and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod to be slaine that is so many Priestes Little Samuel also being a childe is said to minister before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod And his mother made him a little coat that is say some a little Ephod and brought it to him from yeare to yeare when she came vp with her husband to offer the yearely sacrifice Dauid againe danced before the Arke girded with a linnen Ephod Touching the first kinde of Ephod you sée here it is said that in two Onix stones the Names of the children of Israell were to be grauen Six Names of them in one stone and sixe in the other And these stones to be put vpon the shoulders of this Ephod that Aaron might beare their Names before the Lord c. Whereupon Beda thus noteth lib. 3. de Tabernac cap. 4. Tres ob causas Aaron nomina Patriarcharum in humeris portasse sicut in pectore Primò vt ipse fidem vitamque Patriarcharum meminisset imitari Secundò vt 12. tribuum quae de his natae sunt in orationibus sacrificijs memor existeret Tertiò vt idem Pop. scripta in veste Praesulis sui patrum nomina videns curaret sedulo ne ab illorum meritis desciscens ad errorum contagia declinaret For three causes Aaron did beare the names of the Patriarches vpon his shoulders as vpon his breast First that he might remember to imitate the faith and life of the Patriarkes Secondly that he might remember both in his prayers and sacrifices the twelue Tribes whereof the Patriarches sprang Thirdly that the people seeing the Names of their Fathers written in the garment of their high Priest might diligently take heed that they fell not from the vertue which was in them vnto vice and error Mysticus vsus vt signaret Christum humeris suis portantem instar Pastoris oues perditas c. A mysticall vse of this Ephod with these Names to represent or shadow Christ like a Shepeheard bearing his sheepe vpon his shoulders c. The second is the Breastplate froÌ„ the fifteenth verse to the thirtie one In which brestplate was Vrim Thummim Vnde certior factus est Sacerdos de Dei erga se populuÌ„ voluntate quoties de iure consulentibus responsa erant danda Num. 27. vers 21. Esdr 2. vers 63. Nehem. 7. vers 65. By which the priest was informed of Gods wil toward himselfe the people as often as counsaile was sought and an answere to be giuen How this was done seuerall men are of seuerall mindes Iosephus saith Tantus erat splendor in 12. lapidibus quos suprapectus Pontifex portabat vt omni fieret multitudini manifestum Eorum auxilâ—is adesse Deum li. 13. Antiq cap. 12. The twelue stones which the Priest did beare vpon his breast did so shine and glister that the whole multitude might obserue Gods fauour to them Suidas in the word Ephod if I forget not hauing not the booke now with me maketh mention of an Adamant in the Ephod which the priest putting on when he sought counsell of God and putting his hands vnder it Cum detraheret depreheÌ„debat eas quasi colore quodaÌ„ infectas When he drewe them out he did finde them as it were stayned and coloured with a certaine colour Et si Deus petitioni annuebat confestim micabat lapis Adamas sin negabat nihil ad proprium pristinum lapidis fulgoreÌ„ accedebat quod si Deus voluit pop obijcere gladio lapis reddebatur cruentus si autem imminebat mors lapis fiebat niger And if God would graunt the petition presently the Adamant stone would glister extraordinarily but if God denied it then the Adamant remained still without any change in his colour and shining if God would deliuer the people to the sword then the stone was made bloodie and in case of death it would shew blacke The like things Epiphanius hath speaking of the Adamant which the High-priest did beare and weare August was of an other minde and beléeued not those things Quest 117. in Exod. And so you sée in a matter obscure mens guesses Diuers others I might repeat but let it be a vertue sometimes to professe ignorance The third is the Robe from the 31. verse to the 36. The fourth is the golden plate vpon his forhead or miter whereon was grauen HOLINES TO THE LORD from the 36. vers to the 39. The fift is the broidred coate verse 39. And the sixt the girdle in the same verse Of euerie parcell to stand and search out particular significations
in this matter The third part 1 THen Moses prayed and said O Lord c. Heere héere then sée A faithful Magistrate A faithfull Minister A true Shepeheard ouer his people coÌ„mitted to him of God Who knoweth what iudgements godly Gouernours turne away by their earnest intercession to God for their people We sée this place we read what Hester did and the mercie of God is plaine for their sakes It should worke in vs all loue and obedience and dutie to them and make vs day and night pray for the continuance of them Treasons and treacheries raylings and reuilings slaunders and defamations wrongs and iniuries any way are not fit requitals of such good receiued by them and for them This prayer of Moses if you marke it is most vehement as comming from a mooued heart and vseth vehement and vrging arguments vnto God As first of his fauour all waies extended to them vers 11. Secondly of his glorie which would be obscured by the Aâ—gyptians lewd speaches if he destroyed them ver 12. Thirdly of his promises made vnto their fathers Abraham Isaac and Israel the trueth whereof might not be violated vers 13. with which the Lord moued in mercie stayeth as you see Such Reasons serue euen at this day and may be vsed to the Lord in our prayers Hee hath béene good to vs infinite waies and we may intreat him by these passed fauours to vouchsafe future and to stay his wrath which we haue deserued Nothing more commonâ—with Dauid in euerie Psalme if you marke it Againe euen by our punishment the enemie will be proud and speake euill they will call both himselfe and his truth into question and ecclipse his glorie to the vttermost His promises also we haue most richly and therefore in all these respects we may craue pardon and doing of it heartely with true repentance and purpose to amend he is the same God still and we shall finde fauour 2 Upon this earnest praier the Lord saith the text v. 14. changed his minde from the euill which he threatned to doe vnto his people with which comfort Moses came away and drawing neere the host he first heard the noyce of singing vers 18. for they were making merrie about their new God then comming nearer he saw the Calfe and the dancing vers 19. But then although he were the meekest man in the world yet his wrath waxed hote and he cast the Tables out of his hands and brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine Which breaking of the first Tables allegorically shewed that the law of God lighting vpon our vnregenerated nature is brokeÌ„ as it were and by the meanes of our inabilitie cannot iustifie vs. But the second written tables are put in the Arke that is when God by his Spirit worketh in vs we are regenerated and the law is obeyed of vs though not fully yet in measure this imperfect obedience is made perfect by Christ Aug. Magno etiam mysteris figurata est iteratio Testamenti noui qucniam vetus erat abolendum constituendum nouum Quaest 144. By a great mysterie the abrogating of the olde Testament by the comming of the new was figured But vnderstand Augustine rightly Then he tooke the Calfe which they had made and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder and strowed it vpon the water and made the children of Israel drinke of it vers 20. Partly to despight them and partly that they should haue no occasion to remember it After he rebuked Aaron vers 21. And if Aaron now elect High priest a Figure of Christ be so sharply rebuked of Moses surely great men must be reprooued and it is a cursed doctrine that though the Pope should carrie thousands of soules to hell yet no man may say Sir why do you thus Secondly in matters concerning the glorie of God we must rebuke euen our néere ones as others no place for affection After that he called for such as would reuenge this wrong done to the Lord vers 26. and the sonnes of Leui gathering to him he bad euerie man put his sword by his side goe to and fro from gate to gate through the host slay euerie man his brother euerie man his companioÌ„ euerie man his neighbour vers 27. so that there fell of the people the same day about three thousand men vers 28. This was the zeale of his heart to the glorie of God it must be a glasse for vs to look in whilst we liue in this world The Lord hath placed the commaundements in the Decalogue the petitions in the Lords prayer which concern his honor before those which coÌ„cerne our selues to teach vs that we ought to prefer his glorie before all worldly things yea euen life it selfe if they come in Question together Thus did Shadrach Meshach and Abednego thus did Daniel when he he opened his window and made his prayer to God notwithstanding that cruell law thus did the Mother and her seuen sonnes in the Machabees thus did Elias Phinees Dauid and others Thus did not olde Heli and therefore the Lord smote him Mine eyes gush out with teares saith the holy Prophet because men keepe not thy law And doe not I hate them that hate thee and am grieued with them that rise against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were mine enemies He that loueth Father or mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And he that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than mee is not worthie of mee c. 3 And when the Morning came Moses said vnto the people yee haue committed a grieuous crime but now I will goe vp to the Lord if I may pacifie him for your sinne Moses therefore went againe vnto the Lord and said Oh this people haue sinned a great sinne and haue made them gods of Gold Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written When Moses had fought on Gods part with the sword now he striueth for the people with his prayer so both true to God in a holy zeale and carefull of his people in the bowels of loue was this holy man this faithfull Gouernour and leader of this multitude Anotable example for all Magistrates and all Ministers euer to follow But heere is more than I said in the former Note For here is a preferring of Gods Glorie before euen life and comfort eternall which is farre more than this temporall life and all the ioyes of it So shall you sée in Saint Paule to the Romanes and what a measure of Gods holy Spirit it was consider you Farre are we from this that preferre euerie small profit and pleasure before this glorie of God and yet say we hope to be saued as well as they A true féeling of our owne iniquitie herein may much amend vs hereafter and God for
his Sonnes sake giue it vs. Againe you may note here how Moses doubleth ouer and ouer in this Chapter the foulenesse of their fault calling it a great sinne a grieuous sinne c. so learning you not to extenuate faultes before God if you sue for mercie but to set them out in their true colours that mercie may the more appeare 4 Touching this Booke of life you must know it to be a figuratiue Spéech borrowed from the manners of men who vse Bookes and writings for their memorie and not conceiue that God hath or néedeth any such things It is therefore in sense as if Moses had said O Lord pardon them or depriue me of that saluation which is as sure before thee as if it were registred and written in a book Such borrowed speeches you haue more in Scriptures as you may remember In the Psalme you read of a Booke wherein Dauid saith Were all his members written which day by day were fashioned when as yet there were none of them In the Reuelation you read of bookes againe when he saith I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened c. And for the Booke of life you read persons written in it of two sortes one as it seemed the other true indeed Of the first speaketh the Psalme Let them be wiped out of the Booke of the liuing and not be written among the righteous meaning wherein they séemed to be written or might perswade themselues they were written but indêed were not For then they could not be wiped out Of the later you read here and in other places Where though Moses speake of rasing out yet indéede there is no such matter being nothing but the eternall election of God which neuer can be altered This is more plaine in the words following when God answered Moses that Whosoeuer sinned against him he would put him out of the Booke meaning hee would make it appeare that he neuer was written in it For the house built vpon the Rocke can neuer fall They should deceiue the verie Elect if it were possible as if he should say but it is impossible Hee that commeth to mee I neuer cast away No man taketh my sheepe out of my hand and many such other places Lastly consider and note here how he biddeth Moses go on with his charge but for the people he wil visit them vers 34. And so the Lord plagued the people because they caused Aaron to make the Calfe which he made vers 35. It telleth Magistrates and Ministers that they may not desist from their dueties for the peoples frowardnes but indeuouring to their vttermost to reforme them they must go on though they perish and euen in them so perishing they shall be a sweet sauour to the Lord. That Aaron thus escaped among them if you thinke of it Answere your selfe The Lord knoweth whom to spare for their amendment and whom for a time to spare though he know they will neuer amend O how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past all finding out Grieuous and thrise grieuous is the sinne of Idolatrie that not for Moses his so earnest prayer may be fréed wholy from all further punishment though in part the Lord yéeldeth as vers 14. you saw God make it sinke where it is so much vsed by deceiued Romish Recusants CHAP. 33. 1 GReat was the sinne which this people had committed mentioned in the former Chapter and therefore the Lord whose mercie hath neither bottome nor measure not willing the death of any sinner much lesse of so many thousands but rather that by repentance pardon may be procured in this Chapter gratiously vseth the meanes that their hearts may smite them with true féeling of their fault and so they turne and be spared Their sinne I say was great and great sinnes are not so easily repented of as they ought to be Againe in sinnes of this kinde namely when they are coloured and couered ouer with a good intention by them to serue to GOD most hardly are men and women drawen to acknowledge an errour and mistaking Matters of the second Table committed against our neighbour we much better discerne than matters of the first Table concerning the worship of God For here we thinke wholy our meaning should be accepted which was to worship God be the thing we do eyther neuer so void of warrant in the word or neuer so contrarie to the word The meanes that God vseth here is by letting them know that he will be no more with thē as he hath beene nor trauell with them as he hath done Moses shall goe on with them to the land which God had promised to giue thē And to send his Angell to driue out the Canaanites But himself would not go for they were a stif-necked people lest he should consume thē in the way The Lord noteth a maner of repentāce namely to put away their costly rayment frō thē not that this is a necessarie part of Repentance alwaies but that at this time by this outward signe the Lord would haue them testifie that which is néedfull indéed the true remorse and sorrow of their harts And vpon the hearing of this fearefull newes that indéed the Lord would thus deale with them they cast from them accordingly their best attire and sorrowed for their fault 2 For further working of this sauing sorrow in them the Tabernacle wherein the Lord will conferre with his seruant Moses vntill the other now so much spoken of was readie is by the appointment of God to Moses pitched without the host farre of from the host that by this signe also it might be shewed how God was estranged from them for their sinne who earst so comfortably and so powerfully had shewed himselfe for them and amongst them All which things religiously considered manifest vnto our soules what a sweete God the Lord whom we serue is who thus séeketh his lost people euen a father ful of all pittie compassion that they may returne to him againe and haue that which so ill they haue deserued his fauour and loue for euer Will this God can you thinke in your conscience euer cast away the poore sinner that commeth in sorrow when he worketh thus to draw men to sorrow Féele and be comforted with it 3 And when Moses went out vnto the Tabernacle all the people rose vp now reuerencing him whom before they spake verie lightly of saying This Moses we know not what is become of him What caused this but that still he was in fauour with God and they out So so shall a sound and vpright heart to God euer in the end procure honor howsoeuer for a time contēpt may be shewed for God will honour them that honour him it is his Word and it shall neuer fayle That vnion that was betwixt God and his seruant Iohn Baptist when he was true to God and
Gouernment is of God and God in Gouernours and is honoured greatly euer was and will be 9 Keepe diligently that which I commaund thee this daye and beholde I will cast out before thee the Amorites c. Who subdueth enemies casteth them out God and God onely man is but by his meanes and preuaileth and faileth as the Lord will Why dooth God subdue That wée may keepe and keepe diligently what he commandeth doo this and prosper as shall be good euer doo it not and vaine shall all strength bée when the Lords patience is expired and Iustice taken in hand Publikely and priuately this is true thinke of it 9 Take heede thou make no compact with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest lest they be the cause of thy ruine among you It séemeth cruel if the inhabitaÌ„ts would yeeld and submit themselues not to receiue them But learne here and euer that God is the true line of mercie and where he condemneth beware pittie For that is to condemne him and to exalt thy selfe aboue him in mercie Because saith the Prophet to Benhadad thou hast let him go whom I appointed to die thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people Lest saith this Text they be the cause of thy ruine False Religion you sée in the end worketh destruction and how then is it policie how better for a Common-wealth as some Romish Catholiks vainly haue written Thirdly Thou shalt ouerthrow their Altars c. Then no tolleration to be had of two Religions in one GouernmeÌ„t If the Lord be God he must be worshipped but if Baal be he he must be worshipped solely and only not GOD and Baal both Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue God is a ielous God and will not giue his glorie to another Dauid a Prince truly religious saith Their offerings of blood will not I offer neither make mention of their names within my lips Princes destroying Idolatrie and purging the Church are renowned in Scripture with a blessed memorie Salomon for his mingling was plagued Valentinian sought of Ambrose a Church in Millan for the Arrians and Ambrose denyed it c. But by whom are the Altars to be broken downe By the Magistrate onely or by priuate men also and by euery one that is zealous Surelie publike things by publike persons in authoritie Constantine Theodosius and such like But for priuate things priuate men may doo them as Iacob purged his owne house of his Wiues Idols And the Councill coÌ„demneth Maisters that will suffer in their houses images and not take them away Priuate men to meddle with publike things is dangerous Paul came to Athens and found an Altar yet he threw it not down The Councill decreed that he which beeing not a Magistrate should breake downe an Image and be slaine in the fact should not be numbred among Martyrs Theodoret maketh mention of Auda a Bishop who ouerthrew Pyreum Persarum and saith thus that a priuate man ouerthrewe this I praise it not c. Extraordinary instincts God hath giuen but let men take heede they be not deceiued Gideon had Gods instinct euery motion to such matters must not be such a warrant Ambrose defendeth the Bishop that burned the Iewish Synagogue and reckoneth one among Martyrs which in the time of Iulian threw downe an Altar and was condemned Our owne times haue yeelded some examples But you see all are not of one minde Therefore beware of false spirits that will rashly write of reformation without tarrying for the Magistrate So euery man may bee a Magistrate and the swéete societie of man with man turned to blood and slaughter Some yet are too milde and they tell vs Idolatrie must first bee taken out of the heart by true teaching c. They say well that true teaching goeth before but what then Therefore is the Magistrates worke excluded No. For are not the sinnes against the second Table also to be taken out of the hart by teaching and yet I hope the magistrate may concurre with teaching and punish theeues and murderers and adulterers c Much more in the first Table touching Gods honour and seruice 10 Mariage with thâ—se Idolaters is forbidden and I wish it marked I haue els where touched it and the curse of God is often so great vpon such matches as I wonder at the presumptuous prouoking of Gods wrath that I sée in many A Recusants liuing is respected and bodie and soule destroyed for euer The father wilfull throweth his déere childe away and neuer thinketh of the iudgment he shall haue with God at his fearefull daye for the same I know where I am and I stay God in mercie worke féeling and true repentance Tertullian perswadeth Christian Widowes to take heede of these mariages Salomon was ouerthrowne by them c. 11 When Moses came downe from the mountaine Aaron and all the children of Israel looked vpon him and behold the skin of his face shone bright and they were afraide to come neere him Diuers and sundrie causes might cause the Lord thus to change Moses face First to assure him by this outward token that his prayers were accepted and Gods fauour againe restored to the people Secondly that thus the lawe written in the two Tables now the second time and Moses also the Minister of the law might receiue authoritie and dutifull regard with the people Thirdly that it might note Moses to shine with heauenly knowledge and Wisdome instructed by the Lord for the good of the people Fourthly to note that Ministers faces that is their outward actions and words which appeare to men should glister shine So let your light shine that meÌ„ may see your good works c. Fiftly to shadow that the law which Moses now represented is onely bright and shining in the face that is outwardly for the righteousnesse of them that obserue the lawe for outward actions is onely a seeming iustice shining before men who looke no further than to the out-ward apparance but before God who séeth the heart and reines it is none Whereas the righteousnesse of Christ is all glorious within and without Sixtly to teach that the law lightneth the conscience which is as the face of the in-ward man making it sée and know sinne but the minde it lightneth not wich any faith to saue from sinnes Christ onely dooing that by his holy Spirit c. Therefore the people feare and dare not approach the lawe euer striking a terrour into the harts of them that behold their sins in it and by it Moses himselfe saith your Chapter knew not of this glorie of his face And modest men are not carried away with knowledge of their own gifts but are as it were ignorant of them Socrates when all men iudged him most learned yet of himselfe held this both thought and spéech That he knew nothing And in matter of our almes
direction when to remooue by the day also it went before them and a fire by night so day and night the Lord directed them in their waye to Canaan Blessed were those men thinke you that were thus directed And is God now changed No no in his word he is and by his word he offereth to lead you to the true Canaan in heauen as comfortably as plainely and as powerfully as he did his people by these outward meanes vnlesse you be wilfull and will not follow Looke therefore in his name I beg it at his word haue it read it loue it meditate vpon it and continually as you may exercise your selfe in it It will set you at the last where all the pleasures of the world cannot set you and from whence you would not come when once you are there for ten thousand millions of such worldes These helpes of mine to this end accept and vse as the pledges of his loue that wisheth you eternall comfort and peace Read first a Chapter in your Bible and then read these Notes vpon the same they will stirre vp your minde to further meditation For who is able to sound the full depth of the Lords word God that hath no measure in mercie for his déere sonnes sake make them profitable vnto you Amen Amen ¶ The most of the Latine marginal Notes came later than that they could be added into the Chapter in their places and therefore they were put in the margine the roome suffering no translation of them into English Comfortable Notes vpon the Booke of Leuiticus as before vpon Genesis Gathered and layd downe still in this plaine manner for the good of them that can not vse better helpes and yet are carefull to reade the Scriptures and very desirous to find 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 Blessed is that man whose delight is in the Lawe of the Lord and in that law doth exercise himselfe day and night Psal 1. Printed at London for Thomas Chard 1604. ¶ A Table setting downe Alphabetically the principall matters contained in this Booke A. A Aron a figure of Christ 71 73. his consecratioÌ„ 71 not hated of God although his children were punished 84. compared with Christ 125 126. Absent men should not be evill spoken of 167. A solution 116. Adams apple defiled not but the breach of God 〈…〉 s commandement 93. Adultery 122. not punished sharply en 〈…〉 h with vs 139. Affection must not rule in iudgement â—â—8 Afflictions of the godly prefigured 15. 〈◊〉 comforte in them 19. a sacrifice 22. 〈…〉 ed by salt 28. in them were must be 〈◊〉 82 83 115. they are not ever signes 〈…〉 s hatred and dislike 210. they doe 〈◊〉 obedience 86. divers ends why God 〈◊〉 his children 210. A 〈…〉 tie 137. A 〈…〉 sacrifice 21. A 〈…〉 ion figured by the Eagle 99. A 〈…〉 xters figured by the Sea-mew 99. by linnen and woollen garments 170 A 〈…〉 baptisticall separation 87. forsaking of their wives 145. Anger 197. Avenging condemned 169. Auricular confession 108. 220. Ashes the ceremony of them 54. The Authors comfortable experience in his Ministrie 85 86 128. his counsell for reading and his intent in writing this Booke 186. B. BElles God calleth vs to the Church by them 192. Betrothing or contract in mariage must be with consent of parents 146. it must not be secret 148. how many sortes there are of it 149. Beasts that might be vowd to God 216 Beasts were called vnclean in the time of Noah because God did exclude them from sacrifices 94. cleane beasts resemble the godly contra 95. Blasphemy 195. to be punished with death 196. Blemishes forbidden in the Priests are applied 183. Blood why regarded as an holie thing 131. why the apostles commanded to abstaine from eating blood 132. Blessings enioyed by Christ 73. Blessings outward are not ever accompanied with Gods favour 209. wee must waite Gods leisure for enioying of them 210. Blind men who they are 167 183. Bodily comelines is a blessing of God 182. Buriall 85. Buriall of Christ prefigured 54. Burnt offring three sorts thereof 8. that out of the heird in what case it was vsed 9 9 and with what rites 10 c. the second kinde out of the flockes 17. why it was killed on the north side of the Altare ibid. 18. the third kind of the fowles 19. the ceremonies of it 47 c. C. CAtechising 63. Calling to be followed 88. Canopus honoured for a god 50 51. Ceremoniall laws gave place to necessity 89. why some part thereof was continued in the New Testament 132. Cedar wood shadowed out a holie life 118. Mourning for the dead 85 180. The Mowse figured such as live vpon others labors 102. Murther to be forborne 131. Multitudes of sinners punished 41. N. NAlab and Abihu slaine 76. Name of God not to be prophaned 198. Naturall corruption 104 121 125. Naturall reason gathereth good observations for weather 172. for sowing mowing c. 173. Natures lawes 135. Nations forraine are not to be imitated 134. Nose either flat or great what it noted 183. O. OAthes vnlawfull are not to be performed 44. The Obedience of Christ prefigured 17. Observation of nature in creatures 172 if it bee superstitious it is condemned 173. Olde men are to be reverenced 175. Oppressors figured by the Goshawke and the Kite 99. and 167. Order 16. to bee observed in Gods church 69. Originall corruption 121 174. it was in the Priests 180. Ostrich figured painted hypocrites 99. Outward blessings are not ever signes of Gods favour 209. Owle figured vnsociable men 99. Oyle a signe of Christ his mercie 24. the ceremonie of it 45. a shadowe of the spirite 71. a figure of pure doctrine 194. P. PArtialitie 199. Pardons 205 218. Patrons 53. Priest a figure of Christ 24 38 49. a figure of the church 30 59 71. the dignitie of his calling 40. it was first instituted and then confirmed and the contempt of it punished by God 69. no man might enter on it without a calling and the reasons thereof 69. ceremonies vsed at their consecration 71. their chiefe office was to teach the people c. 87. other dueties belonged also to them 90. they might not mourne for every one dead 179. there were degrees to distinguish them among themselves 180. their marriage limited 181. they ought not to have blemishes of body that their calling might not come into contempt 182. Priesthoode of Christ 109. Peace-offering wherein it was like or vnlike the burnt-offering 31. two sortes thereof 61. Papists figured by the Sea-mew 99. Passeover 190. Parents vnnaturall signified by ravens 99. Parents consent required in marriage of children 146. they must provide fitte matches in time 147. Parting the hoofe signified teachers that divide the worde aright and beleevers that distinguish things 96. Patience 82 83. Pelagius confuted
is holy and vndefiled giuen as a good Schoolmaster to lead vs vnto Christ And euen the whole Scripture together Olde Testament and New Law and Gospell is giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnes That the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works The other poynt may be a litle touched namely his prophanenesse that rested at this worship and thought it vnfit Wherein first let vs consider that not man deuised it and God approoued it but euen God himselfe both deuised it and accepted it For the first man Adam was taught of God and he taught his sonnes Cain and Abell otherwise in Faith could not Abell haue so worshipped Faith being by hearing and hearing by the word of God So from man to man it procéeded as the Wil of God in all generations and was vsed with the godly as the forme of dutie which God required of them and allowed And now here in your Chapter the words are thus Now the Lord called Moses and spake vnto him out of the Tabernacle of the Congregation c concerning this kinde of worship Whereupon it followeth that being his owne appointment who is wisedome it selfe iustice it selfe and all goodnes flesh and blood dust and ashes should not dare to censure it but as good although no reason thereof could appeare to his vnderstanding The singular vse of it and great fitnesse to the ende God appointed it for will after appeare in the whole Booke by noting the particular Sacrifices mentioned and commanded But in the meane time although God be not bound to giue reasons euer to vs of his Will nor we bound to search out for them but humbly and obediently to rest in his good pleasure made knowne by his Word yet if we thinke he chose this course to confound the wisedome of the wise we shall not thinke amisse For all the learned Writings and wise Lawes deuised by man to make people good could neuer worke so much to that end as this did in such as tooke the right vse of it The more therefore any despised it thought it folly the more did it ouerthrow him in his iudgement and prooue his wisedom to be starke folly 2 Yet concerning the continuance of this kinde of Worship the Lord neuer intended it should be perpetuall but onely for a time namely till that great Sacrifice figured and shadowed by all those Sacrifices should be exhibited and giuen vnto mankinde according to the Scriptures with whom all shadowes should cease and take an end And this was well knowne to such as rightly vnderstood the Scriptures albeit to some others it was not tollerable doctrine but very dangerous to be touched The Prophet Dauid vnderstood it when he said Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldest not haue but mine eares hast thou opened Sacrifice for sinne hast thou not required then said I Loe I come The Prophet Malachie spake of it when he alleageth the Lord speaking thus I haue no pleasure in you saith the Lord God of Hostes neither will I accept an Offering at your hand For from the rising of the Sun vnto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place Marke this Incense shall be offered vnto my Name and a pure offering for my Name is great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hostes Agréeable to which place are the words of Christ to the woman in the fourth of Iohn Woman beleeue me the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this Mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father c. Also the Apostle Paule his words I will that the men pray euery where lifting-vp pure hands without wrath or doubting Whatsoeuer therefore you read in the Word of the perpetuitie of this kinde and forme of worship you must still take it by restraint vnto the comming of Christ and the continuance of that common wealth and policie of the Iewes not longer 3 Touching these Sacrifices and Rites we are to know and euer remember that God neuer instituted and ordeined them to be meritorious and euen by the workedone as we say to appease the wrath of God and deserue eternall life For so thought some Hypocrites in those dayes and are sharply and often rebuked for it And the Apostle telleth vs plaine The blood of Bulles and Goates cannot take away sinne c. 4 They were not appoynted to be onely Allegories of good workes and ciuill vertues and darke deliniaries of a politicall life as were the Symbols of Pythagoras or the Hieroglyphicks of the Egyptians And yet there may be a fit application of them this way For indéed they do shadow-out such vertues as the Sacrifice of Christ should worke by Faith in true beléeuers but I say they were not instituted onely for this purpose but the holy Ghost looked at higher matters in these Ceremonies namely that they might shadow-out the Lord Jesus the promised Messias and the true Sonne of God and that Sacrifice which he should make of himselfe for the Redemption of all mankinde vpon the Crosse according to the Scriptures that they should nourish and maintaine the promises hereof in mens hearts and that sauing Faith hereupon springing in him in him onely to be saued for euer For euery Sacrifice was a Sermon of this matter of his comming of his suffering of his death c. And by such visible sights the Gospell was preached concerning life by him Thus iudged S. Iohn when he sayd Behold the Lambe of God c. as if he should haue saide that Lambe that was shadowed by all the Lambes and Sacrifices of the Law Hetherto tend the words of Saint Paul to the Ephesians Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God The words of S. Peter Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the Fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot The words of Saint Iohn The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne In the Reuelation The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world How Surely not onely in the purpose and appointment of God but by the Sacrifices which were offered euen from the beginning For by all such his death was shadowed and he as it were slaine to the faith of man as often as any Sacrifice was offered The whole Epistle to the Hebrewes also in full manner teacheth thus much and marke the words well in the 10. Chapter The Law had the shadow of good things to come not the verie image of the things 5 For the varietie of them there were many sorts of sacrifices and yet but one Christ to be signified by them all This did
therefore that all Sacrifices had either all or part burned with fire c. We know not saith the Apostle what to pray as we ought but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. The Spirite beareth witnesse to our spirit that we are the children of God If any man haue not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his The Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake The Spirit shal quicken your mortall bodies and so foorth This fire therefore the Lord euer vouchsafe vnto vs and we shall doe well Lastly when it is sayd the wood must be layd in order the peeces in order and all in order well might they then and we now obserue and learne how highly God is pleased with order and how much he abhorreth confusion Wherefore the Apostle giueth it for a Rule Let all things be done decently and in order And the more we frame our selues vnto good order the more assurance we euer haue the Spirit gouerneth vs. But the Inwards the Legges thereof shall ye wash in water sayth your Chapter The eleuenth Circumstaunce in this kinde of Sacrifice notably shadowing how Christ our Sauiour brought nothing impure or vncleane vnto his Passion as all other men doe when they suffer For although they suffer willingly ioyfully yet doe what they can they shall euer finde a law in their members rebelling against the law of their minde and leading them captiue vnto the law of sinne which is in their members No man therefore can offer a perfect offering to his God for his sinnes Onely Christ hath whose Inwards and Legges were washed that is who wholly was pure and immaculate within and without euery way This This is my wel-beloued Sonne in whom I and in whom onely I am well pleased Lastly this burnt Offering in this sort vsed and offered was a sweet sauour vnto the Lord sayth the Text. Not that God is delighted as man with any outward sauour but because first being done according to his prescript he accepted it and liked it and secondly he saw in it his slaine Sonne and smelled as it were his obedience which though it was fulfilled in time yet was with God from the beginning as hee was also slaine from the beginning Thus haue you viewed the Ceremonies of the first kinde of Burnt Sacrifices taken from the Herd Consider of them againe and often the Lord being intreated shal make them profitable to you The second kinde of Burnt-offerings ANd if his Sacrifice for the Burnt-offering be of the Flockes as of the Sheepe or of the Goates he shall offer a Male without a blemish c. The first kinde was of the Herde as you haue séene now the second is of the Flockes where againe you may note the Ceremonies before in the other kinde obserued and let that Exposition serue here without any repetition againe of the same things One thing here is which was not before touched namely how they shall kill it on the North-side of the Altar not on any side indifferently but on the North-side onely which was done assuredly to draw this his people from the idolatrie of the Gentiles who worshipped the Sunne in many places and therefore euer in their seruices turned them towards the place where the Sunne was as in the morning to the East at mid-day to the South at night to the West And matters of great moment they would referre to the iudgement of the Sunne The Persians in choise of a King agréed that all should méete at a place on Horsebacke betimes and whose Horse first neighed before the rising of the Sunne he should be King For they tooke the Sun for a God and Horses with them were consecrated to the Sunne as things pleasing to him In Tyrus when seruants and slaues had cruelly slaine by treachery and villanie their Masters and all Freemen they forsooth would make a King of themselues and how Euen thus they would all assemble before the Sunne and he that could first sée the Sunne arise he should be King as chosen out by that their God the Sunne These toyes lest the Israelites should learne of their neighbours the Heathens God not onely by words expresse prohibitions but also by such signes as this would teach and instruct them On the North-side therefore must this Burnt-offering be killed 2 This Ceremonie might admonish them that the full Sunne Christ Iesus was not yet risen vnto them but in time he should come and shine in his strength For these Sacrifices and Legall Rites were but as litle candels that gaue some small light and a farre more excellent Light should they expect that beléeued in due time And now I pray you hath it not appeared and with his glory put out all these dimme Lights of the Law We know it and find it with thankefulnesse euer may we thinke of it For he that reserued vs for these times and these times for vs could haue made vs be borne and to haue our being in the darkest times But now this Ceremonie of turning to the North is gone and we may turne any way and please God The time is come when the true worshippers shall worship in Spirit and trueth euery where and euery way lifting vp pure hands vnto God Thus much would our old Fathers signifie by the placing of the vpper ende of our Churches East-ward not North-ward which they would not haue done if they had thought this Ceremonie had bound men still Let vs then vse things indifferent indifferently and not vnto any superstition or sinne The third kinde of Burnt-offering 1 ANd if his Sacrifice be a Burnt-offering to the Lord of Fowles then he shall offer his Sacrifice of the Turtle-Doues or of the yong Pigeons Behold the third sort of burnt Offerings taken neither of the Herde nor of the Flocks but of the Fowles wherein first the Lorde by varietie did méete with the variable and mutable nature of man and so kept that people from lusting after the fashions of the wicked Secondly he mercifully regarded and prouided for the poore that should not be able to offer the former sorts and so might haue béene discomforted with it This appeareth Chap. 5. vers 7. 11. 14. 21. 22. 2 But of Fowles you sée héere not all sorts might be offered as Géese Cockes and vncleane Fowles whereof you read els-where but Turtles and Pigeons Which Fowles long before this time God appointed Abraham to offer Gen. 15 Happily because these most aptly figured Christ In whom was all holy simplicitie pacience innocencie c. 3 Concerning the Rytes your Chapter specifieth them in this sort The Priest shall wring the necke of it a sunder or pinch it with his nayle so as not the head should be quite plucked of but wounded that the blood might goe out and the creature die Thus was the Passion of Christ shadowed out whose blood was shed and he dyed yet his head not plucked
ignorantly as not thinking of the matter were committed against the Ceremoniall Law chiefly and for which there was no other punishment layd downe either Ciuill or Criminall Neither was this expiation other you must euer remember than as Faith truly tooke hold of Christ figured by the Sacrifice For it standeth firme that it is impossible for the blood of Bulles and Goates to take away sinnes Heb. 10. 4. But Christ with his owne Offering hath consecrated for euer them that are sanctified vers 14. Sée also Rom. 8. 3. 2. Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 13. 11. c. 3 The first person that is named is the Priest that is the High-Priest that is anointed who saith your Chapter If he doe sinne according to the sinne of the people then shall he offer for his sinne which hee hath sinned a young Bullocke without blemish for a sinne-offering vnto the Lord c. By which you may profite thus When you read that the High-Priest had need also some times to offer for his negligences and ignorances you sée how plainly it was taught to that people that the High-Priest was not the true High-Priest which should make perfect and sound satisfaction and attonement to God but another was to be expected of whom that was but a Figure and shadow to wit the Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of GOD promised in the Scriptures Then for the Ceremonies vsed The bringing of him to the doore of the Tabernacle The laying his hand on his head The killing of him c haue béene expounded before But where mention is made of The blood brought into the Tabernacle of the Congregation you may remember that there were two sorts of these Offerings for sinne One whereof the blood was thus brought in and of these the Priest might eate no part but the flesh the Skinne the head c were burned without the Hoste vers 11. An other whereof the blood was not brought in and the flesh of such the Priest might eate Chap. 6. of this Booke and 10. The sprinkling of the blood seuen times signified that the satisfaction and expiation for and of sinne made once by Christ endured good for euer in all ages and times and néeded not to bée iterated The number of seuen representing the whole time of this worlds continuance Others by this seuen-foldsprinckling haue thought that the grieuousnes of sinne was shadowed and noted For say they it is written He that slayeth Cain shall be punished seuen-fold that is grieuously And againe If Cain be auenged seuen-fold truely Lamech seuentie-times seuen-fold that is more grieuously a great deale Wherefore this seuen-times sprinkling of the blood might note that euery sinne with God deserueth seuen punishments that is sharpe and great punishment if he should deale with vs in Justice and not in mercie 4 The blood was put vpon the hornes of the Altar of sweet incense to signifie that no prayer can perce vnto God but in and by the blood of Christ All the rest of the blood was powred at the foote of the Altar of burnt Offering to note still the true shedding of CHRISTS blood for mankinde and because also it was holy it might not bée cast out as prophane The burning of the body without the hoste plainly shewed that Christ should not suffer in Hierusalem but should be led out of the Citie to a place appointed and there suffer which you know was fulfilled accordingly Heb. 13. 11. 12. And the whole Bullocke was to be burned being a sinne offering to teach men to burne all their sinnes and not to diuide them as we do when we say I will amend my drunkennes but I cannot leaue my swearing or if I leaue that also yet my licencious life a litle more must haue a swinge c. But burne all thou were best and willingly kéepe none burne them I say by true sorrow and detestation of them euen All All lest but one béeing wilfully still delighted in burne thée all and wholy in Hell for euer When Moses with the Israelites was to depart out of Egypt and Pharaoh would haue had them leaue their cattell behind them sauing what they intended to sacrifice Answere was made they would not leaue one hoofe of a beast behinde and so deale you with your sinnes leaue not one hoofe of sinne behinde No one sinne no part of sinne that is still I say by wittingly willingly and boldly continuing in it and delighting in it Otherwise frée from sinne in this life we cannot be But through the grace of GOD we may be frée from presumtuous pleasure in sinne and sigh and grone more and more for that any way we should offend so good a God as we finde infinite wayes of him that we do offend desiring and longing to be frée euen from all sinne 5 In that there is more solemnitie about the Sinne-offering of the Priest than of a priuate-man you may first sée the care of God to set out to his Church the Dignitie of his Calling which euer with him was great and for him with all that truely reuerenced and feared his name Secondly you may thinke of the greatnesse of sinne in such a One. For the more is required to the expiation of it the greater is euer the sinne The like may be said of Princes faults and great mens Also by the heauy punishment which God hath layd on them when they fell the same appeareth for how heauily did God punish Eli the Priest for not correcting his sonnes faultes but by a sinfull kinde of gentlenesse suffring their grieouous misdemeanours to continue King Saul for sacrificing against the Law how sharply punished Dauids adulterie and murther O how fearefully punished Horribly and suddenly will God appeare to the great Officers of his kingdome And The mightie shall be mightily tormented saith the Booke of Wisedome Read your selfe the 6. Chapter of the Booke 6 In the 13. verse Note how a multitude of offendors excuseth no offence but if euen the whole Cōgregation should sinne through ignorance yet a sinne-offering must be offered by them all and their number yéeldeth no excuse Great was the number of sinners when God sent the Flood but their number defended them not So in Sodom and Gomorrha the offenders were many Ten Tribes of twelue fell away from GOD and became Idolaters Broad is the way that leadeth to Hell and many finde it going to Hell though they be many c. Secondly obserue with your selfe the phrase hid from your eyes and sée the state of many a man and woman doing euill The matter is hid from their eyes in Gods anger and albeit they lie at the pits brinke of damnation and destruction yet they sée it not féele it not are not troubled with it Because indéed they neuer sit and take an account of themselues and their workes laying them to the Rule of the Word which if they did conscience would quickly bite and spie and
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
this be not Saint Iohn telleth vs Hee Hee not she shee is the propitiation for our sinnes And therefore Come vnto him all that trauell not vnto her c. But thus séeing our manifold vncleanenes and the right remedie of it by modestly and chastly reading ouer this Chapter I wade no further in it This is a taste of the vse of it More will follow in the next Chapter and Chapter 23. CHAP. XVI 1 STill the Lord goeth on to note mans imperfections how he is freed from them séeing herein consisteth all that wée truely know our selues to be as we are and the way of God appointed for our remedie First hée forbiddeth Aaron at al times to enter into the holiest of all whereby may be learned that euen Ministers aswell as other men are not rashly to enter into all the things of God but to stand in reuerence of some mysteries either dealing not at all or very aduisedly and sparingly with them as their nature requireth 2 It is shewed how he should come in when hée did enter Namely with a yong bullocke for a sinne offering and so foorth Learne wée may by it with what ornaments men and women should come before God It is not silke nor veluet that he careth for neither the costly Iewels of pearle and stone that wée thinke so highly of but come with a sinne offering that is come with an humble acknowledgement as this sinne offering figured that thou art a sinner confesse it to God with a gréeuing heart and bring Iesus Christ in thy soule with thée offering him by thy true faith to God his Father as a sure safetie for all sinners against deserued wrath and punishment 3 Hee must also put on the holy linnen coate c. Another shadow of Christ his righteousnes wherewith wée must be clothed and couered if wée euer finde acceptance with God For to that end Aaron did change his garment to shewe that hée sustayned an other person who was holy he himselfe beeing but a man subiect to imperfection and sinne To which end tended also his washing and sacrifice héere mentioned 4 This likewise serued to beat into the people their corruption when they sawe Aaron thus changed that was the Priest chosen of God and anoynted with the holy Oyle For if hee might not enter but in such sort how much lesse might they appeare at any time before God but in Christ and by Christ shadowed in all these sacrifices And concerning this once entring into the Holy place you haue had the figure of it before and the Place to the Hebre. noted Chap. 9. verse 8. Aaron entred but once a yéere and Christ but once the Tabernacles diuers Aaron by blood Christ by blood but the blood diuers Aaron made an Atonement Christ made an Atonement but in a differing manner Aaron outwardly or ciuily as touching the sight of man Christ of the conscience truely and rightly and touching God Hebr. 9. verse 9. 13. Aaron often Heb. 10. 11. Christ but once verse 12. 14. Aaron confessed sinnes and layd them vpon the Goate but his owne sinnes aswell as the peoples Christ had no sinnes of his owne and ours hee bare himselfe and layd them vpon himselfe not vpon any creature whatsoeuer 5 The two hee Goates béeing presented lots were to be cast ouer them one Lot for the Lord and another for the Scape Goate Thus was it shadowed that in a sinner there is nothing to make him worthy of God his choise And therefore as GOD would not chuse either the one Goate or other but by lot the one was appoynted and not by choyse so wee are accepted whensoeuer we finde fauour without all merit or matter worth or dignitie in our selues to mooue the Lord to such goodnesse 6 The Goate vpon which the Lords lot fell was offered for sinne-offering And Incense cast vpon the fire to make a cloude to couer the Mercy-seate that Aaron dyed not the one shadowing the death of the Sonne of God the other with what feare reuerence we ought euer to come before God For if to Aaron the Maiestie of him were so dangerous how much more to others not to bée compared to Aaron Would God we thought of this euer when we come to Church to doe our duties to him Then would there not in that place bée so much light behauiour and sléepie vsage of our selues as is by which things the holy place is defiled verse 16. Homines ita contaminant Dei sacra ne quid tamen discedat eorum naturae nec dignitas violetur Quare diserte exprimit Moses purgari Sanctuarium ab inquinamentis non suis sed Filiorum Israel Men doe so pollute the holy things of God that nothing departeth from their nature neither is their glorie violated Therefore playnly doth Moses lay downe that the Sanctuarie is to bee purged from pollutions not of their owne but of the Children of Israel 7 But as touching the other Goate called the Scape Goate it was brought aliue And Aaron saith God shall put both his hands vpon his head of it and confesse ouer him all the iniquities of the Châ—ildren of Israel all their trespasses in all their sinnes putting them vpon the head of the Goate and shall send him away by the hand of a man appointed into the wildernesse So the Goate shall beare vpon him all their iniquities into the land that is not inhabited c. From this Law of God no doubt did spring that Custome among the Heathens who offering Sacrifices as Herodotus witnesseth of the Aegyptians vsed to banne and curse the head of the beast offered in Sacrifice with these words That if any Euill bee to come either vpon the Sacrificers themselues or vpon the whole Countrey of Aegypt it would please the Gods to turne all vpon that Head The Massilians also yearely vsed to make an Atonement or expiation for their Citie with some holy man whom decked and set out with holy garments and with Garlands after the maner of a Sacrifice they led through the Citie and putting all the euils vppon his head that might any way hang ouer their Citie they cast him into the Sea sacrificing of him so vnto Neptune speaking these words with great solemnitie Be thou an expiation for vs. Thus the Heathen catched at things but not in a right maner whereby wée may well sée what a darkenesse it is to bee depriued of the light of the Word of God In like maner receiuing it from the Doctrine of the olde Fathers by the tradition of Noah his sonnes that there should in time come a Man who taking vpon him the sinnes of all men should become a Sacrifice for the saluation of all men and not vnderstanding the maner how this should bée they vsed in great extremities perils as Plagues Famine Warres c to offer vp men to their Gods to appease their wrath thereby So in Liuie wée
indeauour the supplanting of both Trueth and Peace vnder the colour of policie and safetie c. The cutting and marking of their flesh was also Heathenish 15 Thou shalt not make thy daughter common to cause her to be a whore least the land also fall to whoredome and the Land bee full of wickednesse This is a Branche of the Commandement against Adulterie admonishing Parents to looke to their houses and Magistrates to looke to the Land that there be no Stewes nor places of sinne suffered for any colour whatsoeuer as is in Rome for gaine euen an yearely Reuenue The power of Satan ouer Heathens in this matter was fearfull and therefore the Lord admonisheth his people to beware of their fashions and sinnes The Cyprij say our Bookes before the marriage of their daughters maydens appointed certaine dayes places when where they were to come together so to rayse a dowrie marriage portion for them The Locrenses thought it was a way to please their gods to prostitute their Uirgins and therefore in any distresse and danger of warre and the like they would make vowes that if they might haue victorie and bée deliuered so and so many maydens vpon a solemne Feast appointed for that purpose should bee prostituted These horrible things serue to shew vs the corruption of our nature and the blindnes entred into our vnderstanding by the first fall till God renue vs by his holy Spirit and giue vs the light of his Word as also to stirre vs vp to thankfulnesse to our most gracious God for better knowledge vouchsafed to vs whereby wée are kept from being such beasts and monsters as these Heathens were and men still are without him 16 You shall not regard them that worke with spirits neither Southsayers you shall not seeke to them to be difiled by them I am the Lord your God Conferre this with Deut. 18. and with that which hath béen sayd in the Commandement against Witches c. 17 Thou shalt rise vp before the hore-head and honour the person of the olde man and dread thy GOD I am the LORD A branch of the Commandement for these olde men are in stead of Fathers And therefore the Apostle willeth them to bée exhorted a◠Fathers Againe olde Age is a blessing of God and therefore it should bee reuerenced The contempt of it is the contempt of God and so taken by him as these wordes shewe héere and dread thy God This honour to bée done to them must also teach them so to liue and behaue themselues as they may bee worthy of all honour and reuerence 18 And if a stranger soiourne with you in your land you shall not vexe him But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be as one of your selues and thou shalt loue him as thy selfe For yee were Strangers in the land of Aegypt c. A gratious God thus euery way to méete with our corruption and to restraine it by his wise and holy lawes Hee knoweth and wee should learne to féele the aking heart in a stranger that is out of his Countrey and farre from his frindes wanting many things that he is ashamed to speake of and knoweth not how to get them Therefore not further to be verid with our churlish and vnkinde words or déeds But we to remember the olde saying Aut sumus aut fuimus possumus esse quod hic est Either wee are or haue been or may be that which hee is God make vs thankefull for his comforts 19 Yee shall not doe vniustly in Iudgement in Lyne Weight or Measure You shall haue iust Ballances true Weights c. God is truth and requireth truth in vs. Againe euill gotten goods the third heire shall not enioy and therefore truth is best These are the Lawes of a righteous God and wée must regard them if euer we meane to be regarded of him Happie shall wée be if we doe it And let this suffice of this Chapter CHAP. XX. THis Chapter repeateth Lawes mentioned before adding punishments to the breakers of them which before was not done It shall not therefore be néedfull to goe ouer them all againe particularly but leaue you to conferre them your self which you may doe by helpe of the quotations in the Margent of your Bible referring you to the former places where the same Lawes were mentioned without addition of that punishment which here now is layd downe Onely for order sake I will giue you these few obseruations 1 In laying downe seuerall paynes and punishments for the breakers of his Lawes the Lord teacheth that Common-wealths and gouernments doe stand and are preserued aswell by punishments of the euill as by rewards of the good and that as néedfull therefore is the one as the other If either reward or good examples of such as loue obedience would serue it were best but it neuer would nor wil the lesser part being euer so led and the greater by feare of paynes The saying is olde and true It is as great a vertue to keepe what is gotten as first to get it and euen so is it as good a dutie in a Magistrate to sée Lawes kept as at first to make them And since they will not be kept of all without punishments therefore punishments are most necessarie Idle then and absurde was it in those Heretickes that argued God not to be Author of the Olde Testament because there are so many punishments mentioned and executed For is it a fault in a Chirurgion to cut of a corrupt part for the sauing of the whole So in the Magistrate it is no crueltie but vertue to preferre the safetie of many before the will and liking of one 2 The punishments héere threatned and appointed for Idolatrie and Idolaters is very worthy noting Whosoeuer sayth GOD shall giue his children to Molech an Idoll of the Ammonites as you sawe before vnto whom they burned and sacrificed their children 2. Kin. 23. Verse 10. and by this one kinde the Lord vnderstandeth all kindes of Idolatrie that person shall the people of the land stone to death But what if they bée negligent sée the seueritie of God against this sinne Then will I saith God set my face against that man and cut him off from among his people Yea I say againe If the people of the Land hide their eyes and winke at that offender and kill him not then will I set my face against that man and against his familie and will cut him off and all that goe a whoring after him c. Why Lord why so Because hee hath defiled my Sanctuarie and polluted my holy Name See in these tearmes the nature of Idolatrie yet there is mercie with the Lord and great patience Tempt him not therefore but meditate of these Examples Salomon fell to Idolatrie and what a iudgement did God shew vpon his house in his sonnes entrance Rehoboam by cutting off for euer from him ten of the Tribes Manasses
all that mourne The Angel at his birth Beholde I bring you tydings of great ioy that shall bee to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is CHRIST the LORD Why a Sauiour An other Angell told the blessed Virgin because hee should saue his people from their sinnes This is the true fréedome and Christian Iubile we speake of If the Sonne make you free you shall bee free in deed Bee it knowen vnto you therefore saith the Apostle men and brethren that through this Man is preached vnto you the forgiuenes of sins And from all things from which ye could not bee iustified by the Lawe of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Thus Rom. 6. Galat. 3. and in many 〈◊〉 places Thirdly in this Iewish Iubile there was a returning to their Lands and former possessions which were alienated from them so by this Christian Iubile euen this fréedome proclaimed by Christ we returne to our old Paradise againe from whence we were cast by sin that is to the inheritance of the sonnes of God in Heauen the true Paradise from which wée shall neuer bée remooued any more O ioyfull Iubile then if wée féele it that by the Trumpet of the Word is preached vnto vs in Christ Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare 4 Besides these two Iubiles thus instituted of God you haue a third in these dayes instituted of the Pope to get vnto him from foolish people great summes of money The first Authour whereof was Boniface the eight who deuised to promise vnto all them that would come to Rome in the yeare 1300 and after that euery hundreth yeare to séeke pardon for their sinnes a full remission of all their sinnes After him Clemens the 6. who was made Pope in the yeare 1342 finding the swéete of this deuise and thinking euery hundreth yeare too long cut it of in the middest and according to this Mosaicall Iubile made his Romish Iubile euery fiftieth yeare promising like pardons and indulgences to all commers After him came Sixtus the fourth in the yeare 1473. and hée thought fiftie yeares too long also and cut it of once againe in the middle appointing euery 25. yeare a Iubile But sée the desire of money in these holy fathers When this time also was too long to tarry for pardon-money and they were ashamed to shorten it againe they deuise that certaine appointed persons should goe into all Countries with pardons to sell and offer to fooles that would buy them by which pardons they should receiue as full remission of all sinnes as if they had come in the yeare of Iubile to Rome to fetch them Which grosse abuse was the meanes God so hauing appointed to stirre vp Luther to preach against that abuse and so was drawen on to other points till light brake out of darkenesse c. 5 In the 20. Verse the Lord méeteth with an obiection of some men that might happily say what shall we eate the seuenth yeare for wée shall not sowe nor gather in our increase c And most graciously and comfortably he answereth it I will send my blessing vpon you in the sixt yeare and it shall bring foorth fruite for three yeares c. The like swéet promise Verse 19. Sée then and sinke it into your heart soundly what God is able to doe for you touching all worldly necessaries if you will obey him and trust in him Such a promise in Exodus hée made also to kéepe all things in safetie for them at home while they were at Hiorusalem seruing him according to this Lawe And what losse had the Shepheards when they left their flockes in the fieldes and went to the childe Iesus according as the Angel had told them Let this place againe strengthen your faith against all obiections of flesh and blood made from naturall reasons and causes as they sééme to men For if the Lord be able euen then when the earth is weakest hauing béen worne out with continuall tillage 5. yeares together to make the 6. yeare bring foorth a triple blessing inough for that yeare for the 7. yeare and for the 8. yeare till haruest were readie what vnseasonable weather what barennesse of land what this what that shall make a man dispaire of Gods prouidence for things néedfull Leaue God to himselfe and to his Almightie power doe you your dutie feare him loue him serue him obey him with a true heart call vpon your children and seruants to doe the like and you shall sée the louing kindnesse of the Lord to your comfort These things shall be cast vpon you and hée that knoweth your charge and gaue you that charge will neuer faile you nor them of what is fit You sée héere what hée can doe and let it profit you I will tell you the féeling of my heart further in this point and thus I reason Can God bée thus strong when the land is weake and will he be thus strong to the comfort of his seruants Why then cannot he be or why will he not bée strong in my weaknes in your weaknes in euery man womans weakenesse that beleeue in him Away feare away I may not hearken vnto thée when I am weakest he wil be strongest For his power is best seene in weaknes and I will trust in him drawing an Argument with Dauid from my weaknesse to mooue him and not to discomfort me Heale mee O Lord for I am weake My weakenes shal driue me vnto thée not from thée I wil tarry thy good leasure Lord strengthen me Lord comfort me and vnder the couering of thy wings let me be safe from al temptaions displeasing thée and hurting mée Amen Amen 6 In the 29. Verse If a man sell a dwelling house in a walled Citie hee may buy it out againe within a whole yeare after it is solde c. First this and such other Lawes confirme our trading and dealing one with another by buyings and sellings assuring vs that such contracts are lawfull and with a good conscience one man may vse them with another Secondly we sée and learne that GOD doth not only know and regard the greater matters of Kingdomes and Princes affayres but euen the meaner actions also of men and the very smallest things are not hid from him Therefore doe iustly in all trading knowing that God his eye is vpon thee and then looke for a blessing he shall not faile thée 7 Moreouer if thy brother bee fallen in decay and impouerished with thee thou shalt relieue him c. It is not ynough to abstayne from taking that which is not mine owne but I must giue that which is mine owne where need is For mercie and humanitie to distressed persons smell sweete in the nostrils of the Lord and haue many blessings assured 8 If thy brother impouerished sell himselfe vnto thee thou shalt not compell
stoode in their way as they came out from Pharaoh To whom they said the Lord looke vpon you and iudge for ye haue made our sauour to stinke before Pharaoh and before his Seruants in that ye haue put a sword in their hands to sley vs. A third euent of the ambassage of Moses and Aaron is this bitter expostulation of these Officers wherein as in a glasse most bright and cleare you sée the condition and lot of faithfull Ministers in this wretched world First the King and now the people accuse them as worthie of great reproofe both gréeuous to good minds but especiallie to be accused of their brethren when they doo as their dutie requireth O it is double gréeuous and euer was But thus was it euer and will bee euer and therefore praemonitus praemunitus forewarned forearmed and praeuisaiacula minus feriunt Darts espied before they come hurt lesse God giue vs patience loue still to them that loue not vs. Heere is great bitternes and yet vndeserued in this their spéech if you marke it and heere is great inconstancie compared with the Chapter before where they worshipped and welcommed these happy Messengers of a gracious God who saw their oppression and miserie and sent to helpe them But quae nocent docent things hurtfull instruct and giue wisedome While all is well good is the Minister and when the crosse commeth he and his doctrine though the truth of God is cause of all away with that and away with him The word which thou hast spoken to vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare it of thee But wee will doo whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne Incense to the Queene of Heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Iuda and in the streetes of Ierusalem now marke their reason for then had wee plenty of victuals and were well and felt no euill But since we left off to burne Incense to the Queene of Heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her we haue had scarcenes of all things and haue beene consumed by the sword and by famine This is the stay of the multitude and this is the line they measure all things by their prosperitie in worldly matters and immunitie from trouble and affliction any wayes But it is a crooked rule if we hearken to God and he that will followe him must take vp his crosse and followe him when his good pleasure shal be so Take héede also by these mennes examples to expect deliuerance from any calamitie sooner and faster than God pleaseth For because of this they breake out in this sort against Gods Seruants they will not tarie the leasure of God but when themselues will and as they wil they must be deliuered A dangerous dealing and no way fit for them that are séekers and crauers 12. Wherefore Moses returned to the Lord and said Lord why hast thou afflicted this people wherefore hast thou thus sent me For since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy Name he hath vexed this people and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people Sée sée the right remedie in all affliction euen to returne vnto the Lord as Moses did here For he woundeth and he healeth hee killeth and he maketh aliue he bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp againe But Moses manner of returning with such expostulations here is not to be commended for hee pleadeth with the Lord as though hee did contrarie to his promise because as yet there appeared no fruite of his ambassage He also complaineth as though his calling were in vaine since worse worse was the condition of the people from his first comming Wherefore sée and marke the weakenes of the strongest sometimes and especiallie when of such they are vexed as they haue deserued well and indéede should receiue a kinder course frō them O gall of friends how bitter art thou how strikest thou to the very bottome of a fleshie heart and leauest a sting behinde thée that killeth with the poyson and venome of it if God succour not Neither the furie of Pharaoh nor the crueltie of the Egyptians moued Moses any thing but his owne to wrong him whose good hee sought and with all perill to himselfe endeauoured it moueth him so that his weakenes breaketh out euen before his God This should moue men and all that looke to be liked and liue with God to forbeare and flie from the like vnkindnes toward those whom God hath sent to them for their good and this must remember such messengers to pray for strength and as Moses yet forsooke not his Office for all this so neither they to doe but still going on to expect the Lords mercy which here to Moses now shewed it selfe and gaue him comfort as followeth in the next Chapter CHAP. 6. The parts of this Chapter are two First a repetition of things done before from the 1. verse to the 12. Secondly a short Storie by way of digression of the names and families of the Israelites from the 12. verse to the end of the Chapter 1. TThen for vse of this Chapter let vs consider these wordes of the Lord ver 3 And I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by the Name of Almightie God but by my Name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them and vnderstand the true sence and meaning of them Wherein wee may not thinke that this name Iehouah was vnknowne before this time for expreslie hee named himselfe thus to Abraham Gen. 15. 7. and to Iacob Gen. 28. 13. as also in the 26. ver 24. where Iacob prayed vnto the Lord by this Name But the Lords meaning is by this kinde of spéech to prefer by way of comparison this manifestation of himselfe which now he entended to make before all others made to the Fathers in former times because those contained but promises this should haue the effect and performance of the promises so as the words are as if the Lord should haue said I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by the name of Almightie God that is I gaue them promises which they by faith laide hold on and beléeued moued with the assurance they had of my Almightie power and all-sufficiencie but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them that is I gaue them not the accomplishment and matter of my promise as now at this time I will doo to you For now as my Name Iehouah signifieth an existence by my selfe of whō in whom by whom and for whom whatsoeuer is is and hath being so shall you sée it come to passe in your Deliuerance from this raging Tyrant and cruell bondage I will performe what I haue said and I will now cause it to be what heretofore I haue onely said should be S. Bernard hath a good Saying touching this matter when hee teacheth vs thus
the Lord graunt it If a traueller haue but a little money left to bring him home hee trauelleth farther in a day than otherwise hee would And so doo you by your present wants take occasion to goe forward faster and faster in a holy course that you may be at home and take your rest Away with murmuring and all euill speaking for a man is knowne by his speech as mettall is by his ring And no glasse sheweth more plainely the spots of your face than your tongue will shewe the spottes of your heart Let it gréeue you to heare others doo it for the Lord is not with them And to be sorie for a bodie from which the soule is departed not for a soule from which God is departed is not pietie saith S. Augustine Foolish men speake foolishly but our spéech should be with a graine of salt S. Augustine noteth it very well that S. Iames doth not say None can tame but no man can tame the tongue that when it is tamed wee might knowe it to be a worke of God and not of man It is walled in wich two walls the lips and the teeth to note a double triall that should be taken of our words before we speake First whether it be lawfull secondly whether it be expedient that we meane to say And if both these then speake on and spare not all shall bee well But if either of these want then kéepe the doore fast and let not that little member haue his will The good Abbot sawe both the good and the difficultie of this who being vnlearned and very desirous to be instructed when hee was come to that verse of the Psalme I saide I will looke to my waies that I offend not in my tongue bad Stay there till hee had learned that lesson which he feared would be both hard and long But happily I am too long also in this point and therefore I shut vp with this wish that no tongue may bee like that cursed Bay tree whereon the Prouerb grew Insana laurus The contagious bay tree My meaning is that no man or woman haue a tongue so venemous to make murmuring wheresoeuer it is as that bay tree would make chiding and strife as long as any iote of it were in ones hand for you sée the sinne of such a tongue and let it suffice God séeth and God heareth who as Augustine saith is euery where and cannot be mocked But happily you will thinke why then doth God suffer any murmuring to bee And I pray you remember Saint Gregorie his Answere Permittitur murmurati◠detractio vt caueatur elatio GOD suffereth murmuring and detraction that it may keepe downe in men pride and arrogancie Thus much of this matter of Murmuring if not too much of purpose enlarged because the fault is too generall both in persons murmuring and in matters murmured at 4. But did they all murmure without exception No but although that Text make no exception yet we may safely think the Lord had his number among them that did not murmure at all Yet forasmuch as this number was very small in comparison of the Murmurers therefore there is no mention made of it but all in generall are said to murmure And indéede what are the godly but as wheat hid vnder a great heape of chaffe which doth not appeare so well till the chaffe be wynowed blowne away It was sufficient that the Lord well discerned both c. 5. The words of their Murmuring are expressed in the 3. verse Oh say they that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt when wee fate by the flesh-pots when wee ate bread our bellies full for yee haue brought vs into the Wildernes to kill this whole companie with famine Words of such impietie as I knowe not how to begin to speake of them O impiam et nefandam vocem O wicked and horrible words saith a godly Interpreter O sinfull and cursed speech may all that reade it and taste of GOD say especially in this people so acquainted with Gods mercy grace and power so made famous ouer the world with miracles wrought for them against their enemies For what is this which they say but all one as if they had saide wee care not for our Deliuerance out of Egypt and from all the bondage and crueltie against vs and our Children wee giue GOD no thankes for it for wee were better so than thus O that hee had let vs alone by the flesh-pots and come to deliuer vs when wee had sent for him Such height of vnthankfull contempt who trembleth not to reade and shaketh not to thinke of in his heart But let it profit vs for to that ende the Lord hath Chronicled it in his Booke First then let it teache vs and tell vs yea soundlie settle in vs howe quicklie these sinfull hearts of ours slippe from their duties if once anie crosse lay holde on vs making those mercies and benefits of God vile and of no account which at the first when we receaued them were most great in our eyes most welcome and acceptable we then saying O how should we thanke the Lord enough for these thinges But is this well Doth the word teach vs thus or doo wee our selues endure this measure to be measured to vs by those to whom we haue béene good and kinde vnto No no And therefore abhorre it as most odious both to God and man and looke wee at the Rule which teacheth vs otherwise Great were the fauours that Iob had receaued from his God aduersitie commeth and that as you know in a great degrée Doth Iob vilifie therefore either in tongue or heart those former fauours and say O that God had neuer bestowed them on me No you know but holily and vertuously he embraceth Gods will and telleth his repining wife That since they had in former times receaued good things from God should not they also receaue euill when it was his pleasure Yes yes And therefore saith hee The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken and blessed blessed be the Name of the Lord euen in taking as well as giuing and euer for all thinges that he doth The Apostles of Christ were exalted by him to the highest dignitie in his Church it was no doubt a great grace vnto them and very acceptable but afterward cōmeth persecution imprisonment whipping and many crosses Doo they then say as these Israelites O that wee had died by the hand of the Lord O that wee had neuer beene Apostles and so cast the mercies of God in his face for the troubles which followed such fauour Not so you sée but they went away reioycing that they were made worthy to suffer those things for so kinde a Lord as had exalted them to that dignitie and giuen vnto them such graces and places as then they had Let vs looke vpon such Examples as these and pray to God for strength to followe them Let vs
often remember that good Counsaile of the wise man My sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes feare AND PREPARE THY SOVLE TO TEMPTATION Settle thy heart and be patient bowe downe thine eare and receaue the words of vnderstanding and shrinke not away when thou art assailed but waite vpon God patiently Ioyne thy selfe vnto him and depart not away that thou maist be encreased at the last end Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receaue it patientlie and be patient in the change of thine affliction For as gold and siluer are tried in the fire euen so are men acceptable in the fornace of aduersitie And so forth much more if you will reade the Place your selfe Forget not what the Apostles in the Acts did and said Who confirmed the Disciples hearts and exhorted them to continue in the faith affirming that wee must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God There are many such places in Scripture Away then with those crooked wayes wherein too many doo walke and be taught by these Examples what euer to doo The Gospel is welcome to manie at the first and they greatly reioyce in it but when either trouble groweth for it or they are restrained by it from their accustomed sinnes of swearing drunkennes sensualitie couetousnes oppression vsurie and such like then they wish they had neuer béene troubled with such preaching and all Gods mercie is returned to him with great vnthankfulnes as héere it was of these murmuring Israelites If authoritie and offices either in Church or CoÌ„mon-wealth be giuen in Gods goodnes to some men they receaue them ioyfullie and say they are much bound to God for them But when such things happen as vsuallie followe such places to wit trouble and charge lies and slaunders contumelies and reproaches with great vnthankfulnes then they turne both tongues and hearts and wish they neuer had béene so graced For Matches and mariages O what impietie is in many many times cursing the parties and almost cursing God that gaue them such a match when yet at the beginning all was well and euerybody pleased Let all these and all others faulty in like sort looke vpon these murmuring Israelites and be ashamed of such sinne For man and wife let them consider but one thing which GOD hath giuen them in their owne bodies and sée how it will instruct them Their two eyes if they goe together and looke both one way be it vpward or downward to the right hand or to the left All is well and comely in the face But if they bée seuered and the one eye looke one way and the other an other there is a blemish wée all confesse and it is not well So man and Wife who as the two eies are made to looke one way should neuer bee seuered to goe a sunder to crosse one an other to reproach one an other to shame one an other to breake-vp house and depart one from another Surely the blemish is great and as many as care either for piety or honestie will consider of it Secondly these words of the Israelites may shew vs what is the course of too many Men and Women in the world another way euen to preâ—er the flesh-pots of Egypt before the Land of Canaan and bellies full of bread before a blessed deliuerance out of cruell bondage that is Earth before Heauen and the ioyes of this world before all that can bee giuen when this life is ended A miserable and monstrous blindnesse yet such as no perswasion will preuaile against it is so setled and rooted in sinfull hearts Remember what you reade in the 11. of Iohn when Christ had raised vp Lazarus to life againe And many that had seen these things beleeued on him Then gathered the high Priests a Councill and said what shall we doe If we let this man thus alone all men wil beleeue in him now marke and the Romanes will come take away both our Place and Nation So before Christ they preferre their places and for the world adieu to Heauen Such others were those in the Prophet Ieremy who measured Religion by plenty and scarcitie iudging that best which brought most profit and that worst wherein there was any want The word which thou hast spoken say they to vs in the Name of the Lord we will not heare of thee But we will doo whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both wee and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes c. For then had we plentie of victualles and were well and felt no euill But since we left off to burne incense to the Queene of Heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her wee haue had scarsenesse of all things and haue beene consumed by the sword and by famine But if you reade the rest of the Chapter you shall see that their Plagues grew because they sinned against the Lord and would not be ruled by his Word to worship him and him onely according to his Word Such Arguments made the Heathen against the Christians in former times as witnesseth Tertullian Cyprian and others attributing all calamities that happened to the Christians because that they worshipped not the Idols of the Heathens but they answered euen as Ieremy that such calamitles fell because they the Heathens would not forsake their Idols embrace Gods true Religion so indéede they did Such words and euen the very selfe same words vse the Papists against vs and the Gospell at this day telling vs often and too often vnlesse it were truer how great plenty was in former times when Popery swaied how many egges forsooth for a penny and all this geare grounding an argument thereupon that therefore that was truth and this is falshood euen as Heathenish and Iewish Idolaters did before them But with Ieremy and the godly Fathers we truely inuert their argument vpon them that their contempt of truth and foule Idolatry in despite of truth prouoketh God to many crosses and will yet prouoke him further if they continnue without amendment And touching their pretended plenty when Popery ruled we say it is a Tale for as great dearth was then as since Touching our owne country of which I chiefely speake let them remember what our Chronicles note in Richard the first his time how sharpe a scarcity there was by the space of thrée or foure yeares What a Sommer that was in Edward the 3. his time called the deere Sommer In Richard the 2. his time what a dearth when the people wereforced so to féede vpon fruite to susteine Nature as that thereby many fell into fluxes and dyed How the childrens cries were so pitifull for the want of foode which their Parents had not to giue them as a stonie heart could not indure to heare Of Henry the sixth his time when