is a difference betweene Lying and Dissimuling A godly and wise Man in time and place may Dissemble and not vtter his Purpose But none sauing wicked and vaine persons doe Lie. As touching the Lande of Chanaan promised * to them by God what did it appertaine to Pharao to knowe In that Moyses is taught to say they should goe three dayes iourney into the wildernesse to Sacrifice to God it was no Vntruth For in Exod. 24. it is declared they did so And I am sure the king of Egipt will not let them go no not in a mightie c. God telleth Moyses of this before least when it shoulde so fall out hereafter it myght shake Moyses his fayth and make him to Doubt of his calling So God vseth often to Forewarne his Elect of such Stormes as are to come least in the time of their troubles they should Faint and Mistrust his gracious Promises of comfort and blessing So our Sauiour Christ tolde his Apostles when he sent them to preach They shall delyuer you vp sayth he vnto their counsailes and shal whip you And againe Ioh. 15. If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also And Ioh. 16. The tyme shall come when they that kill you shall thinke them selues to doe acceptable service to God. These things haue I tolde you sayth Christ that when they come to passe you maye not be offended therwith but remember that I haue forewarned you And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egipt with all my wonders c â–ª He doth againe Comforte Moyses with the promise of his Mightie assistance and the great Successe that he wyll worke for hym and hys people But this may seeme straunge that God sayth he will helpe the Israelites to Spoyle and Robbe the Egiptians We must learne that the Eternall God and Lorde of Heauen and Earth that made the Lawe is not bounde and tyed by his owne law Therfore that the Israelites do by the appointment of God is no Breach of his law but a work of Obedience to his holy will. * GOD is Lorde of all things neyther hath any Man any thing but that he hath at Gods hande and that not in perpetuall Possession but so of Loan for the time that he may without vniustice take it away from any It was Iustice also before God that they which had beene Enriched by the Oppression and iniurie of the people of God should also by the appointment of God haue their Iniurious gotten Goodes taken from them by the same People But I must often repeate this that such Extraordinarie Acts done by the especiall Commaundement of God are not to be drawne into the Example of common life The fift Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 5. MOyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and folde Pharao Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel Let my people go that they may holde a feast vnto me in the wildernesse 2 And Pharao saide Who is the Lorde that I should heare his voyce and let Israell go I knowe not the Lorde neyther will I let Israell go 3 And they sayde The God of the Hebrues hath called vs let vs go we pray thée thrée daies iourney into the desert and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God least he smite vs with pestilence or with the sworde 4 Then sayde the King of Egypt vnto them Wherfore doe ye Moyses and Aaron let the people from their workes get you vnto your burdens 5 And Pharao saide furthermore Beholde there is much people nowe in the lande and you make them leaue their burdens 6 And Pharao commaunded the same day the taskmaysters which were amongst the people and the officers saying 7 Ye shall geue the people no more strawe to make bricke withall as ye did in time past let them go and gather them strawe themselues 8 And the number of brick which they were wont to make in tyme past lay vnto their charges also and minishe nothing thereof for they be Idle and therefore crye saying We will go and doe sacrifice vnto our God. 9 They must haue more worke laide vpon them that they may labour therein and not regarde vaine wordes 10 Then went the taskemasters of the people and the officers out and tolde the people saying Thus sayth Pharao I will giue you no more straw 11 Go your selues and gather you strawe where yée can finde it yet shall none of your labour be minished 12 And so were the people scattred abrode throughout all the lande of Egypt for to gather stubble in steade of straw 13 And the taskemaisters hasted them forwarde saying Fulfill your worke your daylie taskes in their due tyme as if you had strawe 14 And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaos taskemaisters had set ouer them were beaten And they saide vnto them Wherfore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making of bricke both yesterday and to day as well as in times past 15 The officers also of the children of Israel came and complayned vnto Pharao saying Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy seruants 16 There is no straw giuen vnto thy seruantes and they say vnto vs Make bricke and thy seruants are beaten and there is wrong done to thine owne people 17 He sayde Ye are Idle Idle are ye and therefore ye say We will go and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde 18 Go therfore nowe and worke and there shall no straw be geuen you and yet shall you deliuer the whole tale of bricke 19. And the officers of the children of Israel dyd sée that they were in worsâ— caâ—e after it was sayde Ye shall minishe nothing of your bricke of your daylie taske in due tyme. 20 And they met Moyses and Aaron which stoode in their way as they came out from Pharao 21 And saide vnto them The Lorde looke vpon you and iudge you which hath made the sauour of vs to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharao and in the eyes of his seruants and haue put a sworde in their hande to sâ—ay vs. 22 Moyses returned vnto the Lorde and sayde Lorde wherefore hast thou so euil entreated this people And wherfore hast thou sent me 23 For since I came to Pharao to speake in thy name he hath fared foule with this folke and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people at all The Exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Exodus Moyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and tolde Pharao Thus saith c. AFter Moyses and Aaron had nowe purchased Credite with the Israelites as is mentioned in the * former Chapiter they enter nowe into the execution of their office for the deliuerance of the people of God and speake vnto Pharao for them This was in them a great Obedience vnto God in a matter verie vnlike for them to bring to passe in the sight of the worlde and ioyned with their great perill and daunger in dealing with so sterne and Obstinate a Tyranne Their obedience to
which folowe the profession of God for the worldes sake Some of the children of Israel call vpon God as knowing in him to be their onely ayde Othersome and the more part forgetting Gods mightie workes so lately done for them repent them of their following of God and Raile at their guyde and leader Moyses with spiteful reproches But he as a good and mercifull Gouernour doth not storme with them nor requite them with that which in Iustice they might seeme to deserue but Comforteth them with the repeating of the promises of God and the assurance of his mightie helpe thereby teaching vs that in time of aduersitie their is no surer comfort then to call to our Remembrance the sweete promises of God made vnto his people and the example of such things as he hath done for them And the Lorde saide vnto Moyses wherfore criest thou vnto me c. The text saith not that Moyses Cried in his praier nor that any voyce was heard come from him But he cryeth in the eares of the Lord that Prayeth in fayth with a feruent and earnest minde though no voyce be harde to other in his prayer And such earnest * calling vpon God with hart and minde doth alwaye preuayle and taketh effect before God as we see here that Moyses prayer doth Speake vnto the children of Israel that they go forwarde c. Here now God ▪ sheweth his mightie arme stretched out to the deliuerance of his people and worketh 3. great and wonderfull Miracles The first that the Angell of God which directed the pyller of fyre and the clowde before the people of Israel doth nowe sodainely withdrawe himselfe backe and is placed betweene the Egiptians and the campe of Israel so that on the part of Israel in the night time there was a light and brightnesse that they might see to doe any thing that they thought good and on the part of the Egiptians was so great darknes that they did scant see one the other much lesse were hable to doe any thing against the Israelites The second Miracle was that by the stretching out of Moyses rodde there came such a strong winde as staied the waters of the Sea that the children of Israel might passe through vpon the dry lande The thirde is that when the Egiptians desperately as men blinded with the furie of their owne wickednesse did follow the Israelites to the Sea the Angell of God so abashed them that they were readie to flie from the face of Israel and then Moses at the appointment of God stretching out his rodde the waters returned vpon them in such sort that the Egiptians with all their power were drowned in the sea By these Miracles the name of God was glorified throughout the whole worlde and he knowne to be both a mightie and mercifull God in the defence of his people and also a seuere Lord in punishing such as did resist his holy will. The tone of which two things ought to strengthen our faith in time of aduersitie and to make vs to put our assured trust in God as one that by his mightie power Can and of his mercyfull goodnesse Will deliuer vs The tother shoulde stirre vp in vs the feare of God and cause vs in time to repent and to embrace his worde and calling least for our vnrepentant hartes he deale with vs as he did with Pharao and the Egiptians The first Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Numeri 16. AND Corah the sonne of Isaar the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leui went apart with Dathan and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab and On the sonne of Peleth the sonne of Ruben 2 And they rose vp before Moses with certaine of the children of Israel two hundred and fiftie which which were capitaynes of the multitude famous in the congregation men of great renoume 3 And they gathered themselues togither against Moises Aaron and said vnto them Ye take to much vpon you séeing all the multitude are holy euery one of them and the Lorde is among them Why lift ye your selues vp aboue the congregation of the Lorde 4 And when Moises heard it he fell vpon his face 5 And spake vnto Corah and vnto all his companie saying To morow the Lorde will shewe who are his who is holy and who ought to approch me vnto him and whome he hath chosen he will cause to come neare vnto him 6 This doe therefore Take you fire pannes both Corah and all his compainie 7 And put fire therein and put incense in them before the Lorde to morowe And the man whom the Lorde doth choose the same shall be holy Ye take to much vpon you ye sonnes of Leui. 8 And Moyses sayde vnto Corah Heare I pray you ye sonnes of Leui. 9 Séemeth it but a small thing vnto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the multitude of Israell and brought you to himselfe to doe the sceruice of the tabernacle of the Lorde and to stande before the multitude and to minister vnto them 10 He hath taken thée to him all thy brethren the sonnes of Leui with thée and séeke ye the office of the priest also 11 For which cause both thou and all thy companie are gathered together agaynst the Lorde And what is Aron that ye murmure agaynst him 12 And Moyses sent and called Dathan and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab which sayde We will not come vppe 13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs out of the lande that floweth with milke and honie to kill vs in the wildernesse except thou make thy selfe Lord and ruler ouer vs also 14 Moreouer hast thou brought vs vnto a lande that floweth with Milke and honie and giuen vs inheritance of fieldes and vineyardes Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men We will not come vp 15 And Moyses waxed very angrie and sayde vnto the Lorde Turne not thou vnto their offering I haue not taken so much as an asse from them neyther haue I hurt any of them 16 And Moyses sayde vnto Corah Be thou and all thy company before the Lord both thou they and Aaron to morow 17 And take euery man his censer and put incense in them and bring ye before the Lorde euery man his censer two hundred and fiftie censers thou also and Aaron euery one his censer 18 And they tooke euery man his censer and put fire in them and layde incense thereon and stoode in the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moyses and Aaron 19 And Corah gathered all the congregation agaynst them vnto the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation and the glorie of the Lorde appeared vnto all the congregation 20 And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses and Aaron saying 21 Seperate your selues from among this congregation that I may consume them at once 22 And they fell vpon their faces and sayde O God the God of Spirites of all fleshe hath not one man
before his comming These things we haue seene in these latter dayes meruelously fulfilled in all the elements In the Sunne and Moone often Eclipses In the vpper parte of the aire blasing Starres Swoordes Pillars of fire fire Drakes flying in the Aire and other like impressions In the Earth Earthquakes and other straunge alterations In the Water many and exceding great floudes risings and swellings to the great griefe and annoyance of Mankinde And as there hath bene in all times some of those signes so in no age so manye as hath bene within these fewe yeares Whereby we must needes gather that we are fallen into those latter troublesome and perilous dayes thathere the Prophete speaketh of But whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued for c. The whole summe of our* saluation consisteth in * calling vpon the name of the Lord and in putting our* confidence and trust in his mercy and deliueraunce wrought for vs by the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Iesu Who suffred and dyed for vs by his resurrection made perfect the misterie of our Redemption At Mount Sion and in Hierusalem according to the vnfallible Promises of Almightie God. The. 20. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Micheas 6. HEarken ye nowe what the Lorde sayth Aryse thou and contende with the mountaynes and let the hilles heare thy voyce 2 Heare O ye mountaynes the Lordes quarrell and ye mightie foundations of the earth for the Lorde hath a quarrell agaynst his people and will pleade with Israell 3 O my people what haue I done vnto thée or wherein haue I grieued thée giue me answere 4 I haue brought thée out of the lande of Egypt and deliuered thée out of the house of bondage and I made Moises Aaron and Miriam to lead thée 5 Remember O my people what Balach the king of Moab had deuised against thée and what answere that Balaam the sonne of Beor gaue him from Sethin vnto Galgal that ye may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lorde 6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lorde and bowe my selfe to the hie God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings and with calues of a yeare olde 7 Hath the Lord a pleasure in many thousandes of rammes or innumerable streames of oyle shall I giue my first borne for mine offences and the fruite of my bodie for the sinne of my soule 8 He hath shewed thée O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thée namely to do iustly to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God. 9 The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the citie and the man that shall be saued considereth thy name hearken what is your rod and heare him that warneth you 10 Are not yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abhominable 11 Shoulde I iustifie the false balances and the bagge of deceytfull weightes 12 For the rich men thereof are full of crueltie and thâ— inhabitants thereof haue spoken lies and haue deceytfull tongues in their mouthes 13 Therefore I will take in hande to punishe thée and to make thée desolate because of thy sinnes 14 Thou shalt eate and not haue inough yea thou shalt bring thy selfe downe in the middes of thée thou shalt flée but not escape and those that thou wouldest saue will I deliuer to the sword 15 Thou shalt sowe but not reape thou shalt presse out Oliues but Oyle shalt thou not haue to annoynt thy selfe with Oyle thou shalt treade out must but thou shalt drinke no wine 16 Ye kéepe the ordinances of Amri and all the customes of the house of Ahab ye walke in their counsels therefore will I make thée waste and cause thy inhabiters to be hissed at and ye shall beare the reproche of my people The Exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of Micheas Hearken you now what the Lorde sayth Arise thou and contende with c. THe Prophet Micheas blameth the Iewes for their wickednesse and declareth to them their punishment for y same 1 First he noteth their vnthankefulnesse for the great benefites that they haue receyued at his hande 2 Then he taketh from them al the confidence that they might haue had to please God with their Sacrifices and external Hypocrisie and sheweth what they should doe to please God rightly 3 Thirdly he sharpely rebuketh their obstinacie in contemâ—ing the worde of God and refusing to heare him 4 Lastly he openeth some of their particular faultes and denounceth their punishment that God will bring vpon them And all this doth he in maner of a pleading of Gods cause before Iudges which * maner the Prophetes diuerse times doe vse thereby to set out the Iustice of God and more euidently to declare that his people euen by the Iudgement of men or other common creatures are vnexcusable and by their owne wickednesse to pull vpon themselues iust and grieuous punishments In this place the Prophete by appointment of God taketh Mountaynes and Hilles and the verie Foundations of the earth to heare the cause and complaint of Almightie God agaynst his people of Israel And that is it that the Prophete vttereth in the person of God saying Arise thou and contende with the mountaynes c. And then he Obeying the appoyntment of God sayth Heare O you mountaynes the Lordes quarell c. As if he had sayde Forsomuch as the heartes of this people are so farre from God that not so much as one of them will consider and vnbe â—stande his cause I appeale to you hilles and mountaynes and make the vnsensible Creatures Iudges agaynst them In this the Prophet both noteth the hard hearts and the obstinate contempt of the Iewes particularly and also generally teacheth all then which in like maner contemne the worde of god that they shal by no meanes be hable to escape iust iudgement and condemnation For because the * who le world was made by God for vs and in all poyntes seruing to our vse perfourmeth that ende to the which it was made though all other Iudges and witnesses would fayle the very partes of the world and the coÌ„mon creatures will pronounce sentence against vs if we in our calling doe shewe our selues vnthankefull disobedient and rebellious agaynst God. O my people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieued thee c. There is no one thing that in the Prophetes causeth more difficultie then the often and the sodaine chaunging of the Person wherefore that is here also to be obserued The second verse was vttered in the person of the Prophet these three verses God himselfe speaketh Although God were grieuously displeased with them yet he calleth them His people therby * shewing that he would be readie to receiue them to Mercie if they would turne vnto him and repente Then he lamentably vpbraideth them with the vnthankefull receiuing of his great benefites that he had done for them Whereby hee
that Woises vttereth is and leaue out that 241. b. for but oblation reade but an oblation 242. b. for had not gathered reade had now gathered 261. a. And made to them his lowe leaue it out 279. a. for of his flocke reade of his stocke 293. b. had ruled leaue out had 296. b. for to be thought that reade to be thought but that for in his flocke reade in his stocke 320. b. for moysting reade moysture 321. b. for this their beautie reade this the beautie 322. a. for by this benefite reade by his benefite 337. b. for the chil reade the children 354. a. for benefices reade benefites 355. b. for endue reade endure 350. a. in the .11 side of Ddd. for continuance reade countenance 380. b. for riches his benefites reade riches of his benefites 382. b. for other Iewes did reade other Iewes did thinke IN the Copie that the Printer vsed sundrie applications of the text were striken out bicause I thought them somewhat troublous to the vnlearned reader and bicause the quotations in the margent that were made for the confirmation of such applications were not so plainly striken out they printed the same quotations and thereby it commeth to passe that sundry of them in the margent are not fitlye to the places which they are set against as these especially that folowe Fol. 2. b. Deut. 3. b. 15. Psal 77. d. 41. Fol. 4. a. Esay 66. a. 3. Psal 51. d. 17. Psal 39. b. 9. Fol. 13. b. lo. 10. a. 3. 2. Tim. 2. c. 19. 2. Pet. 2. b. 9. Fol. 14. a. 1. Tim. 4. a. 1. Fol. 17. a. Iacob 4. e. 9. Psal 74. b. 8. Fol. 18. a. 1. Reg. 20. e. 30. Fol. 24. b. Eccle. 7. b. 14. Fol. 25. a. Exod. 5. e. 21. Rom. 7. b. 13. Fol. 57. a. Iacob 4. c. 10. Fol. 104. b. Dan. 14. a. 8. 10. Fol. 206. a. 1. Cor. 7. d. 19. Gal. 6. d. 15. Fol. 207. a Io. 4. d. 24. 2. Cor. 3. d. 17. Phil. 3. a. 3. Esay 43. b. 7. Fol. 215. b. Psal 108 d. 29. Psal 110. a. 1. Luc. 1. g. 68. Ephe. 1. a. 3. Fol. 232. a. Ephe. 4. a. 4. The first Sunday in Aduent at Morning prayer Esay 1. THe vision of Esay the sonne of Amos which he sawe vpon Iuda and Hierusalem in the dayes of Vzia and Ioathan Ahaz and Ezekia kings of Iuda 2 Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue done vnfaythfully against mée 3 The Oxe hath knowne his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israell hath not knowne my people hath giuen no heede 4. Ah sinfullnation a people laden wyth iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children they haue forsaken the Lorde they haue prouoked the holy one of Israell vnto anger they are gone backwarde 5 Why should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away euery heade is diseased and euery haâ—â— heauy 6. From the sole of the foote vnto the heade there is nothing sounde in it but woundes blaynes and puâ—ifiyng sore they haue not bene sained neyther wrapped vp neyther molified wyth the oyntment 7 Your land is wasted your Cities are burnt vp straungers deuour your lande before your face and it is made desolate as it were the destruction of enimies in the time of warre 8 And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a cotage in a vineyarde like a lodge in a garden of Encumbers like a besieged Citie 9. Except the Lorde of hostes had left vs a small remnant we should haue béene as Sodoma and like vnto Gomorra 10 Heare the worde of the Lord ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken vnto the lawe of our God thou people of Gomorra 11 Why offer ye so many sacrifices vnto me will the lord say I am full of the burnt offerings of weathers and of the fatnesse of fedde beastes I haue no pleasure in the blood of bullocks lambes goates 12 When ye come to appeare before me treading in my courtes who hath required this at your handes 13 Offer me no mo oblations for it is but lost labour incense is an abhominable thing vnto me I may not away with your newe Moones your sabbathes and solemne méetings your solemne assemblies are wicked 14 I hate your newe Moones and appoynted feastes euen from my very heart they make me wearie I cannot abide them 15 When ye holde out your handes I will turne mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers yet I will heare nothing at all seeing your handes are full of bloud 16 Wash you make you cleane put away your euill thoughtes out of my sight ceasse from doing of euill 17 Learne to doe well applie your selues to equitie deliuer the oppressed helpe the fatherlesse to his right let the widowes complaint come before you 18 And then go to sayth the Lorde let vs talke together though your sinnes be as red as scarlet they shal be as white as snowe and though they were like purple they shall be as white as wooll 19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the lande 20 But if ye be obstinate and rebellions ye shall be deuoured with the sworde for the mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it 21 Howe happeneth it then that the faythfull Citie which was full of equitie is become vnfaythfull as a whore Righteousnesse dwelt in it but now murtherers 22 Thy siluer is turned to drosse and thy wine mixt with water 23 Thy princes are wicked and companions of théeues they loue gifts altogither and gape for rewardes As for the fatherlesse they helpe him not to his right neyther will they let the widowes causes come before them 24 Therefore saith the Lorde God of hostes the mightie one of Israell Ah I must ease me of mine enimies and auenge me of mine aduersaryes 25 And I shall lay my hande vpon thée and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne 26 And set thy iudges againe as they were sometime and thy senatours as they were from the beginning and then thou shalt be called the righteous Citie the faythfull Citie 27 Sion shall be redéemed with equitie and her conuertes with righteousnesse 28 But the transgressours and the vngodly and such as forsake the Lorde shall altogither bée vtterly destroyed 29 For ye shall be confounded for the trées which ye haue desired and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens that ye haue chosen 30 For ye shall be as a trée whose leaues are fallen away and as a garden that hath no moystnesse 31 And the very strong one of your Idols shall be as towe and the maker of it as a sparke of fire and they shall both burne together and no man quench them The exposition vpon the first Chapter of Esay The vision of Esai the sonne of Amos which he saw vpon Iuda c.
THe first verse conteynetâ— the tytle which briefly noteth what the thing is by whome it was vttered agaynst what place and people and in what time It is a vision that is a prophesie or reuelation declared by almightie God and therefore not to be esteemed as any maâ—s deuise and vttered by Esaias the sonne of Amos descending of the royall lyne of the kings of Iuda Who prophecied in the raignes of Ozias Ioathan Achas and Ezechias as it may be thought by the space of fourescore yeares And vttered this prophecie agaynst the nation of Iurie and Hierusalem the chiefe and royall citie thereof that is to say against that Nation that God had chosen of all other for his peculier people and had mainteyned and preserued it with great benefites and yet nowe was fallen from his true worshippe vnto Idolatrie sinne and wickednesse And therefore sayth he Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lorde hath spoken c. That he may the more earnestly mooue that dul and hard harted people he beginneth with a tragicall exclamation and calleth heauen earth to witnesse agaynst them as if he had sayde Forsomuch as the vnthankfulnesse and wicked stubburnnesse of this people is such as they will giue no eare to the worde of God earnestly calling them to repentaunce I turne my speeche to you O heauens and speake to thee O earth Though heauen be 〈◊〉 of yet â—â—ely it will heare though the earth be hard and stonie yet it will relent and be moued but this people will not bend this Nation will by no meanes be reclaymed * Yea they are more dull and vnâ—â—nsible in the vnderstanding of Gods will and of his great goodnesse toward them than the 〈…〉 beastes are For what Oxe doth not from 〈◊〉 himselfe to his mayster that keepeth him What Asse doth not acknowledge and looue those that feede him But my people sayth the Lord whom I haue cherished whome I haue * fostered as my * children with all care and tendernesse do not onely with vnthankfull mindes forget my benefites but with stonie and stubburne heartes refuse to heare my calling and in all maner of wickednesse bende themselues against me and striue to prouoke my wrath and indignation agaynst them Whie should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away c. From the beginning of the fift verse to the tenth he doth greatly amplifie their wayward stubburnnesse declaring that as they could not be woonne to repentance nor mooued to turne to their gracious Lorde by consideration of his exceeding great benefites towarde them so neyther could they be reclaymed nor anye thing at all mooued with the grieuous plagues and punishmentes which to that onely purpose as a mercifull father he had brought vppon them but rather by the same hys plagues they increased in stubburnnesse waxed euery day worse than other And therfore sayth he To what ende should I plague or scourge you with aduersitie any further seeing your obstinacie is such as you will increase in wickednesse and still heape sinne vpon sinne and offence vpon offence The Realme of Iurie may well be resembled to a mans bodie the heade and heart whereof is the Citie Hierusalem and the King and Princes with the residue of the inhabitants thereof and the other cities and townes as the inferiour members All which I haue grieuously touched with my seuere iustice and sharpe punishments so that from the * crowne of the head to the sole of the foote from the highest Citie to the lowest Village from the noblest person to the basest subiect there is none but he hath felt the bitter smart thereof and that in such sort as no Phisition is hable to cure or heale their festured sores that is nor King nor Counsaylour nor Prince nor Priest nor Prophete can helpe the miserie of this kingdome and restore it to the prestinate state and integritie againe Their lande lyeth waste their Cities are burnt with fire straungers possesse their Countrey their possessions are spoyled their royall Citie Hierusalem is left desolate as a lodge in a vineyard or a Cotage in a Cucumber garden that hath no house neere vnto it their people are slaine their glorie decaied their strength consumed yea if the Lorde of hys great mercy had not * left theÌ„ some coÌ„fort through the promised séede of Messiah their desolation had beene euen as the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha and yet I say all this notwithstanding are their hearts nothing mooued to repent or to turne to the Lorde for mercie Heare the worde of the Lorde ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken c. And for that they did flatter themselues in the middes of this great wickednesse with a vaine opinion of hypocriticall iustice and superstitious worshipping of God as thoughe by suche meanes they should winne his fauour towarde them The Lorde plainly sheweth that he doth lothe and abhorre their sacrifices and offerings their festiuall dayes and their solempne meetinges yea though they were commaunded by his owne lawe so long as they were voyde of * inwarde holinesse of heart and minde and distayned with sinne and wickednesse both before God and the worlde In which place the more to mooue them almightie God seemeth to labour with diuersitie of woordes to lette them vnderstande how little account he maketh of such externall worshipping being destitute of true holinesse right worshipping in spirite in truth VVhy offer you sayth he so many sacrifices c. I am full of them I haue no pleasure in them VVho required them at your hands Offer no more It is but lost labour It is * abhominable vnto me I may not away with them They are wicked I hate them They make me weary I cannot abide them I will not heare your prayers I will turne mine eyes from you By all which wordes God sheweth how little he regardeth hipocrisie where true holinesse waÌ„teth Then from the sixtenth verse to the .xxj he sheweth what is the right way to winne his fauour Make you cleane sayth he put away your wicked thoughts and deuises Ceasse from doing euil Learne to do good Applie your selues to equitie Deliuer the oppressed Helpe the fatherlesse Heare the widowes complaint For these are the true fruites of right repentance And then If your sinnes were as red as scarlet in token that you had deserued bloud and confusion they shall be as white as snow in testimonie that by Gods mercie ye be cleared from them This if you will doe the Lorde will looke fauourably on you and prosper you but if you continue obstinate and rebellious as hytherto you haue done the sworde of Gods wrath shal vtterly deuour you for his owne mouth hath spoken it and therefore thinke not that it is mans worde onely How happeneth it then that the faithfull Citie which was full of equitie c. From the .xxj. to the
Noble By Multitude the commons and poorer sort The seuententh verse is a * consolation of the poore and godly which were oppressed by the couetous and wicked drunkardes and shal remaine after their plague and take the fruition of that wealth that the wicked were constrayned to leaue as waste For by the names of sheepe and straungers he meaneth the Godlye that were left after the punishment of the wicked and had their houses and landes taken from them into the which they were nowe restored againe The thirde sower grape is Obstinacie in sinne and manifest derision and contempt of god and his woorde That is it that the Prophete meaneth when he sayth Wo bee to them that drawe wickednesse with cordes of vanitie c. That is that with vaine allurements doe leade their mindes to increase in wickednesse and adde sinne to sinne whatsoeuer perswasion shall be made to the contrarie As by thinking that that is no sinne which in deede is sinne or that that is but a small offence and pardonable which is an heynous and grieuous offence before god Which at the length breake out of this that they * deryde and scoffe at the threatning of Gods iustice And say O you Prophets and Preachers you threaten Gods plague to come vpon vs but in the meane season we enioy our pleasant life so that God doth shewe himselfe rather to be content with our maner of liuing then with yours or if he do not when his plagues light vpon vs then tell vs of them but it appeareth they are * long in comming and god is not so readie to punish as you say he is The residue of the sower grapes are not onely the cloking of vices with the faire names of vertue and disgracing of vertues with the foule names of vices but also pride selfelyking and bryberie in Magistrates which are plaine in the text Agaynst all which he threatneth his grieuous plagues and sayth Hee will destroy great and small strong and weake among them that is both roote and braunche And after that to their vtter confusion he will bring vpon them a mightie armie of straungers Nations dwelling farre of which shall be lustie couragious and fierce earnestly bent agaynst them and well appoynted in all maner of weapons munition and furniture Which is ment of that hoste that Vespasian and Titus brought to the siege and destruction of Hierusalem The seconde Sunday in Aduent at Euening prayer Esay .24 BEhold the Lord maketh the earth waste and empty he turneth it vpside downe and scattereth abroade the inhabitours thereof 2 And the priest shall bée as the people and the mayster as the seruaunt the mistresse like the mayde the seller like the byer he that lendeth vppon vsurie like him that boroweth vppon vsurie the creditour as the dettour 3 The lande shall be cleane wasted and vtterly spoyled for so the Lorde hath spoken 4 The earth is sorie and consumeth away the worlde is féeble and perisheth the prowde people of the earth are come to naught 5 The earth also is become vnprofitable vnder the inhabitours thereof which haue transgressed the lawes chaunged the ordinannce broken the euerlasting couenant 6 Therefore hath the curse consumed the earth and they that dwell therein are fallen into trespasse Wherefore the inhabitours of the earth are perished with drougth and fewe men are left behinde 7 The wine fayleth the vine hath no might all they that haue béene merie of heart are come to mourning 8 The mirth of tabrets is layde downe the noyse of such as haue made meriâ—is ceassed the ioye at the harpe is at an ende 9 They shall drinke no more wine with mirth strong drinke shall be bitter to them that drinke it 10 The Citie of vanitie is broken downe euery house is shut vp that no man may come in 11 In the stréetes is there a crying because of wine all cheare is vanished away the mirth of the lande is gone 12 In the Citie is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction 13 For in the middes of the lande euen among the people it shall come to passe as at the shaking of Oliues as the grapes are when the wine haruest is done 14 They shall lift vp their voyce and make a mery noise and in magnifying of the Lord shal they crie out of the west 15 Wherefore prayse ye the Lorde in the valleyes euen the name of the Lorde God of Israell in the Iles of the sea 16 From the vttermost part of the earth haue we hearde prayses and mirth because of the righteous and I sayde I knowe a thing in secrete wo is me the transgressours haue offended the transgressours haue grieuously offended 17 Fearefulnesse the pit and the snare are vpon thée O thou that dwellest on the earth 18 It will come to passe that whosoeuer escapeth the fearefull noise shall fall into the pitte and he that commeth out of the pitte shall be taken with the snare for the windowes from on high are open and the foundations of the earth are mooued 19 The earth is vtterly broken downe the earth hath a sore ruine the earth quaketh excéedingly 20 The earth shall réele to and fro like a dronkarde and shall be remooued like a tent and the iniquitie thereof shall be heauie vpon it it shall fall and not rise vp againe 21 And in that day shall the Lorde visite the hoast aboue that is on hie and the kinges of the worlde that are vpon the earth 22 And they shall be gathered togither as they that be in prison and they shall be shut vp inward and after many dayes shall they be visited 23 The moone shall be abashed and the sunne ashamed when the Lorde of hostes shall raigne in mount Sion and in Hierusalem with worship and in the sight of such as shall be of his counsell The exposition vpon the. 24. Chapter of Esay Beholde the Lord maketh the earth wast and emptie he turneth it c. IT is not vnknowne that vntill the coÌ„ming of our sauiour Christ the Iewes only were the Church and chosen people of god and the Gentiles that is al other nations of the earth of which number we also are were as straungers from god giuen ouer to Idolatrie wickednesse and had no true sense nor knowledge of God and his right worship But after that the Iewes obstinately had * refused Christ and his Gospel preached vnto them and the Apostles were sent to publish the same into the whole worlde the Iewes by Gods iust iudgement were reiected to be no more of the Church of god and the other Nations of the earth before time kept from the true knowledge of God were then receyued and chosen as his Church and people Of this reiecting of the Iewes and of the horrible desolation of their Countrie and Citie Hierusalem For their obstinacie in refusing Christ the true Sauiour offered vnto them and of the calling of
is perpetuall * felicitie and tranquilitie For Christ hath obteyned for vs of God the father all those blessings that we haue not onely bodily but also and specially spirituall that is * remission of sinnes * imputing of Christes iustice to vs and the spirite of GOD to * mortefie the lustes of the flesh whereby we haue * peace and quietnesse of conscience before God and the worlde The dead will not liue they that be out of life will not rise againe c. Here entereth the first part of an other contrary comparison betweene the wicked and the godly and in this verse he sayth of the wicked that they doe die and liue not againe for their resurrection shall bee to them a death perpetuall and no life And although they seeme to prosper and flourishe long on earth to the annoyance of the godly yet the Lorde visiteth them in due time * and rooteth the memorie of them out of the earth so that they shall neuer ryse againe to glorie Thou hast increased the people O Lorde thou hast increased c. This is the other part of the coÌ„parison touching the godly as if he had sayde Thou O lord christ destroyest the wicked and rootest out theyr memorie neuerthelesse thou doest gather thy Church and increase the number of thy people that thy glorie may be spred and extended to the vttermost boundes of the earth And yet doest thou not gather them to rest and quietnesse of this life but to great vexation and affliction and therfore doe they resort to thee in theyr trouble * and poure out their prayers to thee in the time of thy chastening For * thy chastening they do acknowledge it to be whatsoeuer commeth Although it be the hande of the wicked yet they knowe it to proceede from thy fatherly prouidence to their great benefite and commoditie that their fayth may be increased their spirite styrred vp to call vpon thee Thy dead men shall liue euen as my body shall they rise againe c. The wicked although they flourish for a tyme in this worlde yet shall they not liue in blesse after the resurrection of the deade but shall die for euer But the godly that haue liued here in trouble and dyed in thee shall rise againe to lyfe and ioyes euerlasting Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doores c. This is a consolation in the person of Christ exhorting his people paciently for a time to beare the affliction and trouble of this life and to enter into the closets and secretes of their heartes and call vpon the name of the Lord for the succour and strength of his holy spirit vntill the time of his indignation be past For the Lorde in short time will come * to visite the wickednesse of the earth and the earth shall no longer keepe secrete but * disclose the bloud and crueltie that hath beene shewen to the saintes of God that his iustice may proceede agaynst them for the same The fourth Sunday in Aduent at Morning prayer Esay 30. ALas for those disobedient children sayth the Lorde that they will take counsayle and not of me that they will take a secrete aduise and not out of my spirite and therefore adde they sinne vnto sinne 2 Euen they that walke to go downe into Egypt and haue asked no question at my mouth but séeke strength in the might of Pharao and trust in the shadow of Egypt 3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharao be your confusion and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your shame 4 For his Capitaynes were at Zoan and his Ambassadours came vnto Hanes 5 They were ashamed of the people that could doe them no good and that might not helpe them nor shewe them any profite but were their confusion and rebuke 6 The burthen of the beastes of the South In a lande of trouble and anguish from whence shall come the yong and olde Lion the viper and fierce serpent that flieth agaynst them that vpon coltes beare their ryches and vpon camels their treasures to a people that can doe them no good 7 For vaine and nothing worth shall the helpe of the Egyptians be therefore haue I cryed vnto Hierusalem they shall haue strength inough if they wil settle their minds in quietâ—esse 8 Now therefore go thy way and write this beâ—ore them in a table and note it in a booke that it may finally remaine and be kept still for euer 9 For this is an obstinate people and dissembling children children that refuse to heare the law of the Lorde 10 For they say vnto the séers Sée not and to them that be cleare of iudgement Looke not out right things for vs but speake fayre wordes vnto vs looke out errours 11 Get you out of this way depart out of this path and turne the holy one of Israell from vs. 12 Wherefore thus sayth the holy one of Israell Because your heartes rise agaynst this worde and because you trust in wrong dealing and peruerse iudgement and put your confidence therein 13 Therefore shall ye haue this mischiefe for your destruction and fall like as an hie wall that falleth because of some ryft or blast whose breaking commeth sodainly 14 And the hurt thereof is like an earthen vessell which breaketh without helpe so that in the bursting of it there is not founde one sheuer to fetch fire in or tos take water withall out of the pitte 15 For thus sayth the Lord God euen the holy one of Israell In repentance and in rest shal ye be safe in quietnesse and sure confidence shall be your strength but ye haue had no lyst thereto 16 For ye haue sayde No but we will escape through horses therefore shall ye flie and we will get vs vp vpon swift beastes and therfore shall your persecutors be swifter 17 A thousande shall flie at the rebuke of one and at the rebuke of fiâ—se shall ye all flie till ye be left as a ship mast vpon the top of a mountaine and as a breaken vpon aâ— hill 18 Therefore â—oth the Lorde cause you to wayte that he may haue merrie vpon you to the intent that he may haue the preeminence when he is gratious vnto you for the Lord is the God of iudgement Blessed are all they that hope in him 19 If the people remaine in Sion and at Hiesrusalem thou shalt not be in 〈◊〉 but at the voyce of thy complaint shall he haue mercie vpon â—hée and when he â—â—reth it he shall giue thée an aunswere 20 And though the Lorde giue you the breade of trouble and the water of aduersitie thy raine shall be no name sâ— scant but thine eyes shall sée thy raine 21 Yea and thâ—â—e eare shall heare the talking of him that both speake behinde thée This is the way walke yâ— in it turne not aside neither to the right hande nor to the left 22
Ye shall destroy also the couering of your siluer Images and the decking of your golden Idols euen as filthinesse shalt thou put them away and thou shalt say vnto it Get thée hence 23 Then shall God giue raine vnto thy séede that thou shalt sow the ground withall and breade of the increase of the earth which shall be fat and very plenteous in that day also shall thy cattell be fed in large pastures 24 The oxen likewise and the yong Asses that eare the ground shall eate cleane prouender which is purged wyth the winde and the fan 25 Finally vpon euery hie mountaine and hill shall there be riuers and streames of waters in the day of the great slaughter when the towers fall 26 Moreouer the light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sunne and the Sunne light shall be seuen folde and haue as much shine as in seuen dayes beside when the Lord bindeth vp the fore of his people and healeth the stroke of their wounde 27 Beholde the fame of the Lorde commeth from farre and his presence is so hote that no man is able to abide his lippes are full of indignation his tongue is as 〈◊〉 fire 28 His breath is a vehement flood of water that reacheth vp to the neck that he may sift away the heathen in the â—ine of vanitie and his breath is a bridle of errour in the rawes of the people â–ª 29 And ye shall sing like 〈◊〉 in the night when the holy solemnitie beginneth and ye shall haue gladnesse of hart like as when one commeth with 〈…〉 he hill of the Lorde and to the most mightie one 〈…〉 And the Lorde shall cause his glorious voles to be hearde and shall declare his stretched ouâ— arme with a terrible countenauncee and with the flame of a consuming fire with noysome lightning with a showre and with hayle stones 31 For through the voyce of the Lorde shall Assur be destroyed which 〈◊〉 other men with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it shal come to passe that whither soeuer he goeth the rod shall rleaue vnto him which the Lorde shall lay vpon him with tabrets and harpes and with great warre shall he fight agaynst his host 33 For the fire of hell is ordeyned from the beginning yea euen for the king is it prepared this hath the Lorde set in the déepe and made it wyde the burning wherof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lorde which is like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it The exposition vpon the .30 Chapter of Esay Alas for those disobedient children sayth the Lorde that they will take c. AT what tyme the Assirians vnder * Senacherib in the tyme of Ezechias inuaded Iurie and put Hierusalem in great feare * many of the Princes and people were verye earnest to haue selâ—â— for succour into Egypt â–ª and might hardly be perswaded otherwise And 〈◊〉 they were commaunded by God in their distresse to put their trust in him and not seke helpe at the heathen and godlesse people that were 〈…〉 Esay in this 〈…〉 from that put 〈◊〉 and sayth 〈…〉 dicut children sayth the Lorde that contemning my worde whereby I haue promised them helpe agaynst the Assirians will 〈◊〉 followe theyr owne 〈…〉 of my holy spirite seeke ayde of straungâ—â—â— for their defence and so adde 〈◊〉 vpon sinnes not onely disobeying my worde in taking that aduice but stubburnely refusing my calling back from the execution 〈◊〉 purpose They 〈…〉 and confidence that they shoulde haue in me and follow their owne counsayle and seeke their owne strength by the power of the * Aegyptians But that vaine shadow of Pharoes power and the Aegyptians shall be their confusion Yea they sende theyr Princes in ambassage to the farremost partes of Aegypt that is to Zoan Hanes with rich presentes and giftes in seruile maner to craue ayde of a godlesse people that shall neyther be willing nor * hable to helpe them The burthen of the beastes of the South In a lande of trouble c. The Prophete doth not onely reprooue theyr doyng but amplifyeth their follie shewing that they take great and daungerous iourneyes with their beastes lâ—aden wyth treasure to passe into Aegypt through the wildernesse which is here noted by the lande of anguish and trouble and by the wayes were assaulted by Lyons and other wilde beastes â–ª and 〈◊〉 with great hurt and daunger And all to bie the helpe of them that â—â—re not hable to succour them whereas they might haue had the readie helpe of God at home If according to his worde and preaching of his Prophete they would haue called vpon him and put their trust in hims Nowe therefore go thy way write this before them in a table c. These wordes be spoken in the person of God to the Prophete willing him to write this prophesie and to set it in the sight of the people that it might remain for an euerlasting memorie against them and that all ages might thereby vnderstand what an * obstinate stubburne and waywarde people this was that by no preaching or teaching of the Prophetes of GOD could be withdrawne from their vnfaythfull deuises For they say vnto the Seers Se not and to them that be cleare c. By the name of Seers and those that vnderstand he meaneth the Prophetes and Preachers that God had sent vnto them In this place therefore Esay painteth forth the waywarde obstinacie and contempt of Gods worde before mentioned In so much that they did not only turne away their eies their eares and all their sences from the doctrine of his truth but also derided the same and desired to haue it vtterly rooted out and taken away Of which virulent furie of the wicked ryseth all affliction persecution and trouble against the prophets and messengers of god For when once they can not abide the truth then seeke they all meanes to * vexe them by whome it is offered and brought vnto them Looke not out right thinges for vs but speake fayre wordes vnto vs c. It cannot be thought that any people can be so obstinately blinded that they will with so * open wordes * protest that they will not here the truth vnder the name of the truth or that they will with plaine wordes desire to be deceiued and be led into errour by flatterie but rather with a countenaunce of hypocrisie will detest the truth vnder the name of falsehood and errour because it is to them sharpe and vnpleasaunt and vnder the name of truth and godlinesse desire to haue * erronr and falsehoode beeyng to them more pleasaunt and acceptable because it is more * agreeing to theyr fantasies But the Prophete here pulleth of their visarde and letteth them be seene as they are inwardely in heart and mynde in deede abhorring the truth Wherefore thus sayth the holy one of Israell Because your heartes rise c.
In these verses next folowing is denounced a grieuous threatning of God agaynst such wilfull and obstinate refusers and contemners of hys worde Seeing sayth hee your wickednesse is such thus sayth that holy god that hath chosen Israel for his peculier people Because you haue refused this my worde and promise wherby I haue vndertaken to preserue and deliuer you from your enimies in all your aduersities and putte your trust in wrong dealing and peruerse iudgement by seeking helpe of Idolatours with money and ryches therefore I say shall extreeme destruction come vpon you And as an high wall if it begin to haue a clift falleth sodainly before men beware oâ— it so you which by the blessing of God haue beene hitherto highe and notable because you haue begun to be cleft with the breech of vufaythfulnesse and wickednesse shall fall vpon the sodaine to extreeme coÌ„fusion Yea and euen as an * earthen vessell so broken by the fall of a great stone vpon it that one sharde or shiuer is not left so big as to carie a cole of fire on or to take water out of a pitte so you I say that haue hitherto beene the vessels of Gods great merâ—ie shall be so oppressed and destroyed that scant any remnant shall be saued yea in the ende you shall be brought to so small a number that you shall be but here and there one as it were a maste of a shippe vpon a mountayne or a beacon vpon an hill Which shall remaine onely as a token of the great calamitie that by Gods hande shall fall vpon you Therefore doth the Lorde cause you to waite that he may haue c. Here the Prophete declareth a cause why they should leaue the helpe of straungers and put their trust in him that is because he hath determined to saue them from the Assirians if they will â—arie in their Citie and cal vpon him for helpe The Lord sayth he causeth you to wayte and deferreth hys doing not that he intendeth to forsake you but that he may merrifully and with the more glory of his iudgement deliuer you Therefore should ye be of good cheere and looke for the helpe of the Lorde For * blessed are they and good shall come vnto them that put their trust in the Lorde For this I doe assure you sayth the prophete if the people remaine in Hierusalem with quiet trust in God * though for the time they feele some trouble hurt and scarcitie by the enimies besieging them yet shall they not perish be oppressed but at their first complaint and calling vpon him he will haue mercie on them And although the Assirians shall seeme so to haue wasted their countrey that they shall not haue any sustenance to liue by God yet wil so mercifully deale with them that he shall giue them plentie of foode with raine and prosperous weathering to maintaine the same Yea and as a pastour folowing his flocke doeth guide them with his 〈◊〉 vnto the right way so shall the Lorde sende them Prophetes Princes and Rulers that shall gouerne and guide them that they in their doings may go neyther on the right hande nor on the left but keepe the straight and true way But the Lorde doth not onely require of them that they should remaine with quiet trust and coÌ„fidence in him but also that they should destroy and cast away their filthie Idols the * worship whereof hath led them from the true seruice of God and so caused them grieuously to offende and to stray from the right way of his worde appoynted Then shal God giue raine vnto thy seede that thou shalt sow the ground c. Againe the Prophete doth put them in minde of that great and good blessing of plentie and successe of all thinges that God would sende them if they would forsake their owne waywarde doings and turne to him by repentance These be the blessinges of wealth and prosperitie that he promiseth to them that followe his will. Deuter. 28. and Leuit. 26. Finally vpon euery high mountaine and hill there shall be riuers c. The Prophete sayth that at that time that god shall destroy great multitudes of the Assirians and pull downe their high towers that is ouerthrow their mightiest Princes then shall there be great store of water and springs on all the hilles of Iuda whereby their drie landes may be made battle and fertile Yea when God shall haue deliuered them out of daunger and restored them to their former libertie Then shall the light of the Moone be as the light of the Sunne c. That is God shall poure vpon his people so great ioy and gladnesse that the sunne and moone shal seeme to them to be farre brighter than before they were For to those that are in daunger and heauinesse the sunne and moone doe seeme darke and dimme and when they be deliuered al things for ioy seeme more bright and comfortable And because these particuler deliueraunces of the Iewes from their enimyes often in the Prophetes are figures of the great deliuerance of the people of God from their spiritual enimies by Christ Iesu this whole place may well be interpreted of the happie and * spirituall successe that by Christ shall come to the faythfull and of the great brightnesse of his holy spirite which then shoulde shiâ—e farre more plentifully then euer it did before Beholde the fame of the Lorde commeth from farre and his presence c. This is an other cause why that people shoulde stay themselues in the trust of God and not seeke other forraine ayde and strength For that he will destroye the Assirians and come vpon them as a dreadfull and terrible God his countenaunce his wordes yea the very breath of his mouth shall be so terrible to them that although they be a mightie nation yet shall they not be hable to abyde it but that he will shake and sift them and as it were with a * bitte in their mouthes so turne them that with all their power they shall fall downe and come to nothing Yea the Lorde shall cause hys terrible voyce to be heard among them and shall so stretch out his arme vpon them as he shall most dreadfully declare his grieuous anger towardes them euen as if he had sent downe flames of deuouring fire * lightning and stormes of haile from heaueu to consume them And this scourge of Gods wrath shall not depart from them whither soeuer they go Insomuch that the very king himselfe shall be touched with it and be partaker of that hell and deuouring fire that the iustice of God hath prepared for them euerlastingly The fourth Sunday in Aduent at Euening prayer Esay 32. BEholde a king shall gouerne after the rule of righteousnesse and the princes shal rule according to the ballance of equitie 2 And that man shall be vnto men as a defence for the winde as a refuge
for the tempest like as a ryuer of water in a thirstie place and the shadow of a great rocke in a drie lande 3 The eyes of the séeing shall not be dimmse and the eares of them that heare shall take diligent hésede 4 The heart of the vnwise shall attaine to knowledge and the vnperfect tongue shall speake plainely and distinctly 5 Then shall the foolish niggard be no more called gentle nor the churle liberall 6 But the niggarde will speake niggardly and his heart will worke euill and play the hypocrite and imagine abhominations agaynst God to make the hungrie leane and to withholde drinke from the thirstie 7 The weapons of the churlish are euill he deuiseth noysome deuises that he may beguile the poore with deceytfull wordes yea euen there as he should giue sentence with the poore 8 But the liberall person imagineth honest things and commeth vp for liberalitie vnto promotion 9 Vp ye rich and idle women hearken vnto my voyce ye carelesse daughters marke my woordes 10 Many yeares and dayes shall ye be brought in feare O ye carelesse women for the vintage shal faile and the haruest shal not come 11 Be abashed you that liue in aboundance tremble you that liue carelesse cast of your rayment make your selues bare and put sackecloth about you 12 For as the infantes wéepe when their mothers â—eaâ—es are tryed vp so shall you wéepe for your fayre fieldes and fruitefull vineyardes 13 My peoples field shall bring thornes and thistles and so shall it be in euery house of voluptuousnesse and in euery citie that reioyceth 14 The palaces also shall be broken and the greatly occupied cities desolate The towers and bulwarkes shal become dennes for euermore where wilde Asses take their pleasure and shéepe their pasture 15 Vnto the time that the spirite be powred vpon vs from aboue and that the wildernesse be a fruitfull fielde and the plenteous fielde be reckened for a wood 16 Then shall equitie dwell in the desert and righteousnesse in a fruitfull lande 17 â–ª And the worke of righteousnesse shall be peace and her fruite rest and quietnesse for euer 18 And my people shall dwell in the Innes of peâ—ce and in sure dwellings in safe places of comfort 19 And when the hayle fallesh it shall fall in the wood and the Citie shall be set lowe in the valley 20 O howe happie shall ye be when ye shall safely sowe your séede beside all waters driue thither the féete of your Oxen and Asses The exposition vpon the .32 Chapter of Esay Beholde a king shall gouerne after the rule of righteousnesse c. IN this Capter Esaias literally speaketh of the happie state and gouernment of the kingdome of Iurie and Hierusalem that should be vnder Ezechias after God had deliuered them from the daunger and inuasion of the Assirians But prophetically he meaneth of the kingdome of Christ the Messias and sauiour For albeit Ezechias was a good and godly Prince and his people well and wisely guided by him yet was there not vnder him nor can there be in any worldly 〈◊〉 such perfection as is 〈…〉 Therfore he referreth them as I haue sayde to the spirituall kingdome of Messias vnder 〈◊〉 all these things shall be perfourmed He shall gouerne according to the rule of righteousnesse 〈◊〉 that is to say his 〈…〉 lance of equitie He 〈…〉 agaynst the coldenesse of worldely 〈…〉 to succour them in the blustering stormes of tentation a Pleasant riuer with his grace to 〈…〉 〈…〉 among his people Then shall the foolish niggard be no more called gentle nor the churle c. In the kingdomes of the worlde there is great hypocrisie and dissimulation and as Cato once sayd they leeâ—e the true proper names of things and lauishing of other mens goodes is called liberalitie â— and rashe boldenesse is termed valiauntnesse couetousnesse thrifty sparing c. and al foule vices 〈◊〉 with the fayre tytles of vertues But in the kingdome of messias it shall not be so * the visardes of hypocrisie shall be shaken of and euery 〈…〉 and knowne by their 〈…〉 and operations 〈…〉 and yâ—â—e women and â—earken vnto my voyce ye carelesse c. 〈…〉 in this place leaueth 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 and turneth to the 〈…〉 Iewes By the riche 〈…〉 the great and wealthie 〈…〉 which and both heare Christes 〈…〉 curitie for euer Many yeares and dayes shall you be troubled because the vintage shall say le and 〈◊〉 shall not come in The lawe of Moises euen from the beginning mannred dressed and prepared the Israelites along time as it had beene a 〈◊〉 â–ª that when the Messias should come they shoulde receyue him and bring forth fruite accordingly 〈◊〉 it falleth out cleane contrary For when he shall come he shall finde no grapes there but wylde grapes and thistles Therefore so great calamitie shall come vpon you as you shall be astonied therwith and through extreeme sorow torment your selues pul of your garments and weare sackcloth vpon you You shall be wayle your 〈…〉 time battle but now 〈…〉 your vines your lands 〈…〉 christ the Messias had * 〈…〉 his spiritie vpon hiâ— Apostles at the time 〈…〉 Insomuch that if there fall any 〈…〉 * they shall be so armed with the spirit of God and strength from aboue that it shall not hurt them Oh how happie shall you then be when this great plentie tranquillitie and quietnesse shall come among you so that both Oxe and Asse both Iewe and Gentile shal ioyne togither in the profession of one fayth The first Sunday after Christmas at Morning prayer Esay 37. 〈…〉 heard that he râ—nt his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lorde 2 But â—e sent 〈◊〉 the chiefe ouer the householde 〈◊〉 the fâ—rthe with the 〈…〉 clothed 〈…〉 vnto the Prophete Esay the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 7 Beholde I will rayse vp a 〈◊〉 agaynst him and he shall heare a rumour and he shall go againe into his Countrey 〈◊〉 will I destroy him with the sworde in her owne lande 8 Nowe when Rabasakeh returned he sworde the king of Assiria laying stege to Libnas for he had vnderstanding that he was departed from Lachis 9 And there came a rumour that Tharakas king of Ethiopia was come forth to warre agaynst him and when the king of Assiria heard that he sent other messengers to king Ezekia with this commaundement 10 Say thus to Ezekia king of Iuda Let not thy God deceyue thee in whome thou hopest and sayst Hierusalem shall not be giuen into the handes of the king of Assiria 11 For lo thou knowest wel how the kings of Assiria haue handled all the 〈◊〉 that they haue subuerted and hopest thou to escape 12 Were the people of the Gentiles whome my progenâ—tours conquered deliuered at any time through theft Gods As namely Gosan 〈…〉 and the 〈…〉 and Auâ— 14 Now when
〈◊〉 had receyued the letter of the messengers 〈…〉 vp into the 〈…〉 the Lorde 15 And 〈…〉 on this maner 16 O Lorde 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 is God of all the kingdomes of the worlde for thou onely hast 〈…〉 heauen and earth 17. 〈…〉 Lorde and 〈◊〉 open 〈…〉 wordes of 〈◊〉 which hath 〈…〉 to blasphéeme the liuing God. 18 It is true O Lorde that the kings of Assiria haue conquered all kingdomes and landes 19 And cast their Gods in the 〈◊〉 for those were 〈◊〉 Gods but the workes of mens handes of wood or 〈◊〉 therefore haue they destroyed them 20 Nowe therefore 〈…〉 O Lorde our God from the handes of 〈…〉 that all the kingdomes of the earth 〈◊〉 know that thou onely art the Lorde 21 Then Esay the sonne of Amos fent vnto Ezekia saying Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israell wheras thou hast made thy prayer vnto me as touching Sennacherib the king of Assiria 22 This is the aunswere that the Lorde hath giuen concerning him Dispised art thou and mocked O daughter Sion he hath shaken his heade at thée O daughter of Hierusalem 23 But thou Sennacherib whome hast thou defied and blasphemed Agaynst whom hast thou lifted vp thy voyce and exalted thy prowde â—ookes euen agaynst the holy one of Israell 24 Thou with thy seruants hast blasphemed the lord and thus holdest thou of thy selfe â–ª I wil couer the hie mountaynes and sides of Libanus with my horsemen and there will I cut downe the hie Ceder trées and the fayrest Firre trées I will vp in the heigth of it and into the chiefest of his 〈…〉 If there be no water I will graue and drinke and as for waters of defence I will drie them vp with the féete of mine hoast 26 Yea hast thou not heard what I haue taken in hand and brought to passe of old time That same will I doe now also and waste destroy and bring strong Cities vnto heapes of stones 27 For their inhabitours shall be like lame men brought in feare and confounded they shall be like grasse and gréene hearbes in the fielde like the hay vpon house toppes that withereth before it be growen vp 28 I know thy wayes thy going forth and thy comming home yea and thy madnesse agaynst me 29 Therefore thy furiousnesse agaynst me and thy pride is come before me I will put my ring in thy nose and my bridle bitte in the â—awes of thée and turne thée about euen the same way thou camest 30 I will giue thée also this token O Ezekia this yeare shalt thou eate such as groweth of it selfe and the seconde yeare that which springeth againe of the same in the thirde yeare ye shall sowe and reape yea ye shal plant vineyardes and enioy the fruites therof 31 And such of the house of Iuda as are escaped shall come togither and the 〈◊〉 shall take roote beneath and bring forth fruit aboue 32 For the escaped shall go out of Hierusalem and the remnant from the mount Sion and this shall the zeale of the Lorde of hostes bring to passe 33 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde concerning the king of the Assirians He shall not come into this Citie and shall shoote no arrow into it there shall no shield hurt it neither shall they call ditches about it 34 The same way he came he shal returne and not come at this Citie sayth the Lord. 35 And I will keepe and saue this Citie sayth he for mine owne and for my seruant Dauids sake 36 Thus the aungell of the Lorde went forth and slue of the Assirians host an hundred foure seore and fiue thousand and when men rose vp earely in the morning beholde they 〈…〉 and all my full of â—eads 〈◊〉 37 So Sennacherib the king of the 〈◊〉 brake vp and dwelt at Niniâ—e 38 Afterwarde it chaunced as he prayed in the temple of Nesroch his God that 〈◊〉 and Sarazer his owne sonnes â—â—ue him with the sworde and fled into the lande of Armenia and Asarhaddon his sonne raigned in his steede The exposition vpon the .xxxvij. Chapter of Esay When Ezechias heard that he rent hys clothes and put on sackcloth c. THis Chapiter is annexed to the former as a part of the same historie the declaration wherof is so plaine and easie to be vnderstanded that the text needeth no exposition at all Only you haue to obserue certaine good and whole some lessons to be gathered out of it And first you haue to note in Ezechias and his people a great * zeale for the glorie of the name of God wherewith they may seeme to be more touched then with their own miserie and distresse For all the while their countrey was in spoyling as they shewed themselues somewhat troubled so yet did they not declare so great sorowe But after that they heard the name and power of the God of Israel so blasphemed they rent and toare their clothes and after the maner of the Countrey thereby declared extreeme sorow detestation and abhorring of so great wickednesse This zeale of Gods holy name and glorie shoulde we follow and be * earnestly mooued in heart and minde when we heare the Gospell of Christ and the truth of his worde reuiled and euill spoken of but the maner of the worlde is otherwise Men are much mooued with their owne reproches and seeke reuengement of euery light worde and small iniurie but for the hinderance of Gods glorie and of his worde we make small account Secondly here is to be obserued and diligently to be learned by the example of the good king Ezechias and his people what we ought to doe in our great miserie and distresse that is not neglecting such meanes as God hath giuen and by hys worde alloweth to helpe vs to put our whole trust and confidence in God and with repentant hearts humble mindes to * flie to him by earnest praier and calling vpon his blessed name for helpe For so here doth Ezechias and his people and with all seeketh meanes to confirme and strengthen theyr fayth being somewhat shaken with the instruction of Gods holy worde and promises For that cause doth he here sende to Esay the Prophete by whose mouth God giueth them great comfort and willeth them not to feare For sayth he in the Lordes name I will rayse vp a winde agaynst him and hee shall heare a rumour that shall carie him backe into his Countrey agayne and yet shall he not so escape for euen there I will destroy him Say thus to Ezekia king of Iuda Let not thy God deceyue thee c. Heare we haue to learne that God oftentimes after promise and comfort of deliuerance giuen doth for the time encrease and double as it were the affliction of his people as he doth here to Ezechias and his subiects by this seconde message being in deede more terrible and blasphemous than the former And yet doth he not this that he mindeth to breake promise
or to forsake his people but for to* exercise and trie their fayth and to stirre them vp to more earnest prayer and calling vpon his name and that in the ende their deliueraunce may be both to his people more pleasaunt to himselfe more glorious and to the aduersaries the greater confusion Nowe when Ezekia had receyued the letter of the messengers c. Here is to be learned the nature and condition of a true* fayth which riseth against the greatnesse of tentation as it is written that the stocke of the Palme tree doth agaynst an heauie burthen layde vpon it God increaseth the daunger and Ezechias encreaseth his fayth and feruencie in prayer Neyther doeth he giue ouer as the maner of the flesh is but paciently continueth and wayteth for the comming of Gods mightie hand and fulfilling of his promise and resorteth to his old succour and sanctuarie of prayer and calleth vpon God. In whome you maye learne also the maner of true prayer first proceeding out of a * coÌ„stant a strong fayth secondly directed to the * ouely liuing and true GOD thirdely notsomuche desiring their owne deliueraunce and worldelye benefite as the * setting oute of the glorie and name of God. For to that ende the whole course of his prayer tendeth This is the aunswere that the Lorde hath giuen concerning Sennacherib c. As Ezechias continueth in constant fayth and prayer so doth the Lord in comforting and promising helpe by the mouth of his Prophet vntil their full deliuerance be wrought which not long after he putteth in execution mightily and miraculously Wherein we haue to obserue the force * strength of constant earnest and faythfull prayer which is such that albeit God doth for the exercise thereof deferre his working yet in the ende if ordinarie meanes want he will miraculously by his Aungels from heauen worke the help and deliuerance of his faythfull people calling vpon him rather then they shall perishe in their daunger and their enimies triumph ouer them Thou with thy seruants hast hlasphemed the Lorde and thus holdest thou c. The Lorde by his prophete reprooueth the pride and blasphemie of the tyranne and rehearseth the prowde bragge that he made of himselfe By the mountaynes and sides of Libanus he meaneth the kingdomes and cities of those people that Sennacherib had conquered and by Ceders and Firre trees and the chiefest of their wooddes he vnderstandeth their kinges princes and strong holdes By the consuming of their fensiue waters he noteth that by pollicie and labour he deriued away and turned the course of such waters as were lettes and stayes to his purpose Hast thou not heard what I haue taken in hande and brought to passe c. The Prophete in the person of God reprooueth the proude bragge of the Assirian Prince Doest thou thinke sayth the Lord that thou by thy owne pollicie and wisdome hast conquered so many Cities and kingdomes hast thou not heard what I haue done in times past I * haue before time declared by my Prophets that I would destroy wicked kingdomes and punishe the naughtinesse of men by the spoyle of their Cities yea and with the rodde of Chasticement to correct euen mine owne people and bring their Cities to heapes * of stone that haue I nowe done by thee as by mine instrument Wherefore although thou thinkest thy selfe to haue done great feates by these conquests and turnest all this to thine owne glorie It was not thou but I that did it For thou haddest not bene hable without me to haue woonne one poore towne I knowe thy wayes thy goyng foorth and thy comming home I did first set thee in thy royall throne and then stirred thee to vndertake these great enterprises agaynst the kingdomes of the earth for their punishment And nowe I see thou doest not acknowledge mee but settest vp thy countenaunce and blasphemous mouth agaynst me as a furious and madde man Therefore I tell thee I will put a * ring in thy â—osâ— and a bitte in thy lippes that albeit thou shew thy selfe neuer so wilde and wanton a Colt I wil turne thee euen the same way that thou camest I will giue thee also this token O Ezekia this yeare shalt thou eate c. Least Ezechias and his people should be discouraged with the long delay God signifyeth that the warre should yet continue three yeares and that in the meane time he woulde almost * miraculously maintaine them from famine The first yeare by that which groweth of it selfe the second by that which falleth of the former haruest and the thirde yeare in which the warre shoulde be ended and they deliuered by their ordinarie and quiet labour and trauaile of the ground Thus the aungell of the Lord went forth and slue of the Assirians hoast c. Here is declared the execution of that promise that god had made by his prophet Esay the miraculous deliueraÌ„ce of his people wherin we haue to note first the seuere iustice of God against a prowd and blasphemous tyranne killing in one night by his aungell .185000 of his souldiours Secondly the long suffering of God who suffered Sennacherib to go * vnpunished three yeares that if he would haue repeÌ„ted he might haue found mercie Thirdly that the wicked sometime escape from meane daunger and by Gods prouidence are reserued to greater As heare Sennacherib escapeth killing by the Aungell and is murthered of his owne sonnes in the seruice of his * Idolatrous Gods because he would not acknowledge the true God. The first Sunday after Christmasse at Euening prayer Esay 38. ABout this time was Ezekia sicke vnto death and the Prophete Esay the sonne of Annos came vnto him and sayde Thus commaundeth the Lord Set thine house in order for thou must die and not escape 2 Then Ezekia turned his face towarde the wall and prayed vnto the Lorde 3. And sayde Remember O Lorde I beseech thée that I haue walked before thée in truth and a stedfast hart and hane done the thing that is pleasant to thée And Ezekia wept â—ore 4 Then sayd God vnto Esay 5 Go and speake vnto Ezekia The Lorde God of Dauid thy father sendeth thée this worde I haue heard thy prayer and considered thy teares beholde I will put fiftene yeares mo vnto thy lyfe 6 And deliuer thée and the Citie also from the hande of the king of Assyrla for I will defende the Citie 7 And take thée this token of the Lorde that he will doe it as he hath spoken 8 Beholde I will turne the shadow of Ahaz diall that nowe is layde out with the Sunne and bring it tenne degrées backward So the Sunne turned ten degrées backwarde the which he was descended afore 9 A thankesgiuing vvhich Ezekia king of Iuda vvrote vvhen he had bene sicke and vvas recouered 10 I thought I should haue gone to the gates of hel when mine age was shortned
wherein I can be worshipped but onely the * expresse Image of my Deitie my sonne Christ Iesu your Sauiour and the true Messias Wherefore yet agayne I say vnto you beware of the Idolatrie of the Gentiles and cleaue fast vnto me For * my deuises shall stedfastly be established and I will fulfill all my pleasure and whatsoeuer I haue declared to you by my Prophets for your comfort Yea euen as I haue promised you I will bring a Birde out of the East that is a noble king of the Persians that shall with great power breake into Babilon trausferre the Empire from them and restore you to your Countrey againe And not onely this but I wil also in conuenient and short time bring forth my iustice and sauing health and set my saluation in Sion and my glorie in Hierusalem by the comming of the Messias and Sauiour of the worlde The 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 51. HEarken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that séeke the Lord take héede to the stone wherout ye are hewen and to the graue wherout ye are digged 2 Consider Abraham your father and Sara that bare you howe that I called him alone and blessed him and increased him 3 Therefore shall the Lorde comfort Sion and repaire all hir decay making hir desert as a Paradise and hir wildernesse as the garden of the Lorde Myrth and ioy shall be founde there thankesgyuing and the voyce of praise 4 Haue respect vnto me then O my people both highe and lowe and laye thine eare vnto me for a lawe and an ordinance shall go forth fro me to lighten the gentiles 5 It is harde by that my health and my righteousnesse shall go forth and the people shall he ordered with mine arme the Ilandes that is the Gentiles shall hope in me and put their trust in mine arme 6 Lift vp your eyes towarde heauen and loke vpon the earth beneath for the heauens shall vanishe awaye lyke smoke and the earth shall ware olde lyke a garment and they that dwell therem shall perishe in like maner but my saluation shall endure for euer and my righteousnesse shal not cease 7 Hearken vnto me ye that haue knowledge in righteousnesse thou people that hearest my lawe in thine heart feare not the reuylings of men be not afraide of their blasphemies 8 For wormes and mothes shall eate them vp like cloth and weell but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation 9 Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde wake vp like as in time past euer and since the the worlde beganne 10 Art not thou the same arme that hast wounded the prowde and hewen the Dragon in péeces Art not thou euen the same which hast dryed vppe the déepe of the Sea which hast made plaine the sea ground that the deliuered might goe through 11 Therefore the redéemed of the Lorde shall turne againe and come with ioy vnto Sion continuall ioy shall be on their heade and mirth and gladnesse shall be with them and sorrowe and wo shall flie from them 12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then fearest a mortall man and the childe of man which goeth away as doth the floure 13 And forgettest the Lorde that made thée that spreade out the heauens and layde the foundation of the earth but thou art euer afrayde for the sight of thine oppressour which is ready to doe harme where is the wrath of the oppressour 14 The exile maketh haste to be loosed that he dye not in prison and that his bread fayle him not 15 I am the Lorde thy God that diuide the sea and his waues shall rage whose name is the Lorde of hosts 16 I haue put my wordes in thy mouth and haue defended thée in the shadowe of my hande that I maye plant the heauens and lay the foundation of the earth and saye vnto Sion Thou art my people 17 Awake awake and stande vp O Ierusalem thou that from the hande of the Lorde hast drunken out the cup of his wrath thou that hast supped of and sucked out the slumbring cup to the bottome 18 For among all the sonnes whome he hath begotten there is not one that maye holde it vp and not one to leade it by the hande of all the sonnes that he hath nourished 19 Both these things are happened vnto thée but who is sory for it yea destruction wasting hunger and sworde but who will comfort thée 20 Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euerye stréete like a taken venison and are full of the terrible wrath of the Lorde and punishment of thy God. 21 And therefore thou miserable and dronken howbeit not with wine heare this 22 Thus sayth the Lorde thy Lorde and God the defendour of his people Beholde I will take the slumbring cup out of his hande euen the cup wyth the dregges of my wrath that from henceforth thou shalt neuer drinke it more 23 But I will put it into their hand that trouble thée which haue spoken to thy soule Stoupe downe that we may go ouer thée make thy body euen with the grounde and as the stréete to go vpon The Exposition vpon the. lj Chapter of Esay Hearken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that seeke c. THe good and godly people in the time of Esay seeing themselues fewe in number and hearing by the Prophetes that they shoulde be ledde captiue into Babilon greatly feared that all faythfull and true worshippers of GOD should in that persecution be vtterly consumed Therefore God here speaketh to them and comforteth them signifying that he will not onely in that trouble of Babilon preserue his chosen and elect of the Iewes but also not long after greatly encrease the number of his Church by the* accesse of all Nations that he would call to the light of his truth and to his true worship by the promised Messias and Sauiour of the seede of Abraham And first he willeth them to consider The rocke wherout they were hewen and the denne whereout they were digged that is as he expoundeth himselfe Abraham their father and Sara their mother of whome they discended and that God called Abraham being but one man* out of his Countrey and suffered him to liue in Chanaan to the age of an hundred yeres and his wife fourescore without children and yet that he so encreased him that his issue prooued innumerable as the * sande of the sea And by this example he willeth them all other faithful to vnderstand that though his Church people appere to the world to be neuer so much afflicted or to be brought to so low an ebbe yet he will increase and multiplie it with exceeding numbers and bring them out of miserie and trouble vnto great ioy
myrth and comfort Yea that he will repayre the ruine and decaye of his Church and make their desert and wildernesse a Paradise and garden of pleasure The ruine and decay of Sion are the lost sheepe of the house of Israell which Christ and his Apostles restored The Desert and VVildernesse are the Gentiles which of olde had refused the true knowledge of God and therefore were as straungers to the promise of saluation But the se deserts God made pleasant Gardens by the teaching and publishing of his Gospell This is it that he promiseth when he sayth A lawe and ordinance shall go forth from him to lighten the Gentiles The time is euen at hande that my health and righteousnesse shall go forth c. Be of good cheere my people sayth God and be not ouerwhelmed with the heauinesse of your affliction It is euen at hande that not onely my sauing health shall go forth to preserue you but the might and strength of mine arme also by the preaching of the Gospell to gouerne and guide all other Nations Inso much that the * inhabitantes of the Islandes and other countryes shall beleeue in me and put their trust in my name And do you not mistrust this health and saluation that shall come to you by the Messias For * heauen and earth with all the inhabitours thereof shal vanish away as smoke but the iustice and saluation wrought by the sonne of God shall be most certaine and continue for euer Therefore my people that vuderstand righteousnesse feare not the * reuilings raylinges and reproches of men that shall fall vpon you for the profession of my name and truth For your enemyes shall be consumed as a garment with mothes and my sauing health that you trust in shall stande stedfast for euer and euer Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde c. In these three verses next following God comforteth his people with the example of their deliuerance out of Egypt But his maner of vtterance is with great maiestie figuratiuely turning hys speech to his owne diuine power the sense whereof is this Thou mightie power of God that manye tymes since the beginning of the worlde hast shewed thy selfe rayse thy selfe now in this great anguishe and care that his people are nowe in Is not that mightie arme hable to deliuer his seruāts now in this miserie which before time did * wound the pride of Aegypt and wyth thy woonderous workes hew in peeces that dreadful Dragon Pharao and dryed vp the sea and made it to stande as * walles on eche side of thy people passing through and resolued the same againe to the confusion of thy enimies Therefore let not the Redéemed of the Lord feare but that they shal with ioy returne againe to Sion and there remaine with muche myrth and gladnesse It is I it is I that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then c. God sharply rebuketh his people for Timorousnesse and continuall mistruste in all their aduersities It is I sayth he it is not Abraham nor Moyses nor Aaron nor any of my Saynts your Predecessours but euen I my selfe the mightye God your Lorde that doth alwaye * comfort and helpe you Seeing then the Idols that your enimies trust in are so Vaine as I haue tolde you and they themselues so Fraile and mortall and on the contrary part I your Lord your assured God so mightie and of so great force as I haue alway declared my selfe aswell in the creation of the worlde as in the preseruation of you and delyuerance out of Aegypt from your prowde oppressour whome I then brought full lowe and made him glad to hasten you away out of the Exile that you then were in and gaue you the * treasures of hys people that you might not want breade and sustenance by the way seeing I say all this is so why doe you still mistruste and feare the power of vain men seeme they in the worlde neuer so terrible Remember therefore my promises whereby I haue assured you that I will deliuer you and acknowledge you for my people Awake awake and stande vp O Hierusalem thou that from the hande c. The Lorde here comforteth his people in telling them that he wil take the scourge of his wrath from them and lay it vpon their enimies By the Cuppe and by drinking it is vsuall both in the olde testament and newe to vnderstande Affliction as in Hier. 25. Take this cup of wine of my furie at my hand c. And Christ himself in his agonie Mat. 26. Let this cuppe passe from me c. that is this scourge of my Crosse and passion The plaine sense of thys place is O my Church be of good comfort for albeit thou hast for a time through my wrath for thy sinnes beene grieuously afflicted and no man either would or coulde comfort and helpe thee yet after I shall come through thy repentance of my mercie pardoning thy sinnes this my bitter Cup of affliction shall be taken from thee and * poured vpon the heades of those that haue oppressed thee to their vtter confusion By the Slumbring or poisoned cuppe he meaneth the grieuous aduersities that hath so touched and weakened them as they are not almost hable to stande but stagger and reele as they go as it were men halfe deade Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euery streate like a taken venison c. In these verses he describeth the great miserie that the Iewes were in at theyr captiuitie in Babilon not onely cruelly murdered in all Cities but pyning for hunger and dying in the streetes as it appeareth by the hystorie of Tobie The. 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Euening prayer Esay 53. BUt who hath gyuen credence vnto our preaching or to whome is the arme of the Lorde knowne 2 For he did growe before the Lorde like as a branche and as a roote in a drye grounde he hath neyther beautie nor fauour when we looke vpon him there shall be no fayrenesse we shall haue no lust vnto hym 3 He is despised and abhorred of men he is such a man as hath good experience of sorrowes and infirmities We haue reckened him so vile that we hid our faces from him 4 Howbeit he onely hath taken on him our infirmitie and borne our paines yet we did iudge him as though he were plagued and cast downe of God. 5 Whereas he notvvithstanding was wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickednesse for the paine of our punishment was layde vpon him and with his stripes are we healed 6 As for vs we are all gone astraye lyke shéepe euery one hath turned his owne way but the Lorde hath throwne vpon him all our sinnes 7 He suffered violence and was euill intreated and did not open his mouth he shal be led as a shéepe to be slaine
restorer of thy stocke and Countrie Yea if thou turne thy feete from the sabbath so that thou doe not the thing c. As the Iewes fasted so did they keepe the Sabbath day that is Externally and in way of hypocrisie not rightly and as God appointed Therefore he doth here also teach them the true maner of solemnising his holy day The * Sabbath was ordained that they should learne to doe she will of God to walk in his way and to * heare and reade his worde But they solowed their owne will they walked in their owne way they harkened to their owne deuises wherfore sayth God if thou follow not thine owne will if thou walke not in thyne owne wayes if thou harken not to thyne owne deuises but giue glorie vnto my name then shalt thou keepe an acceptable Sabbath in my sight then shalt thou through peace and quyetnesse of coÌ„science delight in the Lorde Then will Iaduance thee aboue other kingdomes of the earth Then will I feede the with the fruites of Iacobs heretage that is with all those blessings that are to come by the promysed â—eede and Sauiour of the Worlde The 5. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 59. BEholde the Lordes hande is not so shortened that it can not helpe neyther is his eare so stopped that it may not heare 2 But your misdeedes haue seperated you from your God and your sinnes hide hys face from you that he heareth you not 3 For your handes are defiled with bloud and your fingers with vnrighteousnesse your lippes speake leasings and your tongue setteth out wickednesse 4 No man regardeth righteousnesse and no man iudgeth truely euery man hopeth in vaine things and imagineth deceipt conceyueth wearinesse and bringeth forth euill 5 They bréede Cockatrice egges and weaue the Spiders webbe who so eateth of their egges dyeth but if one treade vpon them there commeth vp a Serpent 6 Their webbe maketh no cloth and they may not couer them with their labours their deedes are the déedes of wickednesse and the worke of robberie is in their handes 7 Their féete runne to euill and they make haste to shed innocent bloud their counsels are wicked counsels harme and destruction are in their wayes 8 But the waye of peace they knowe not in their goings is no equitie their wayes are so crooked that whosoeuer goeth therein knoweth of no peace 9 And this is the cause that equitie is so farre from vs and that righteousnesse commeth not nigh vs we looke for lyght loe it is darkenesse for the morning shyne sée we walke in the darke 10 We grope like the blinde vpon the wall we grope euen as one that hath none eyes we stumble at the noone day as though it were towarde night in the falling places lyke men that are halfe dead 11 We reare all like Beares mourne still like Doues we looke for equitie but there is none for health but it is farre from vs. 12 For our offences are many before thée and our sinnes testifie against vs yea we must confesse that we offende and knowledge that we doe anâ—â—sse 13 Namely transgresse and dissemble against the Lorde and fall away from our God vsing presumpteous and â—rayterous imaginations casting false matters in our hearts 14 And therefore is equitie gone aside and righteousnesse standeth farre of truth is fallen downe in the stréete and the thing that is plaine and open may not be shewed 15 Yea the truth is taken awaye and he that refrayneth himselfe from euill must be spoyled when the Lorde saw thâ—s 〈◊〉 displeased him fore that there was no equitie 16 He sawe also that there was no man righteous and he wondred that there was no man to helpe hym wherefore he helde him by his owne power and he sustayned hym by his owne righteousnesse 17 He put righteousnesse vpon him for a breast plate he set the helmet of health vpon his head he put on wrath in the steade of clothing and tooke iealousie about him for a cloke 18 Euen as when a man goeth forth wrathfully to recompence his enimies and to be auenged of his aduersaries he will recompence and reward the Ilands 19 They shall feare the name of the Lorde from the rysing of the sunne and his maiestie vnto the going downe of the same for he will come as a violent water streame which the winde of the Lorde hath moued 20 But vnto Sion there shall come a redéemer and vnto them in Iacob that turne from wickednesse sayth the Lorde 21 I will make this couenant with them sayth the Lorde My spirite that is vpon thée and the wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall neuer go out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy chylders children from this time forth for euermore worlde without ende sayth the Lorde The Exposition vpon the lix of Esay Beholde the Lords hand is not so shortened that it cannot helpe c. IT is no doubt but the Prophet doth in all this Chapiter answere the cogitations of the wycked hypocrites mentioned in the Chapiter before which did impute the calamitie that God had sent vpon them not to their owne sinnes as they * should haue done and so bene moued to repentance but to the great seueritie and sharpenesse of almightie GOD towarde them Therfore the Prophet here sheweth that God lacketh in himselfe neyther Power nor Will to helpe them but that he is hindered and stayed by their naughtinesse and wicked life which at large he reciteth First he chargeth them with * Bloud Crueltie violeÌ„ce and Extortion which is to be thought to haue beene both in Magistrates and priuate persons Secondly with * vntruth Falshoode and Lying as well in doctrine by their Priests false Prophets as by other in contractes bargaines Thirdly with vnrighteousnes and Corrupt iudgment through hatred loue or briberie Fourthly that they put their trust in vanitie craftie deuises and wicked doings They breede Cokatrice Egges and weaue the Spiders webbe who so eateth c. By this figuratiue Speech he reproueth the studies endeuours and workes of the wicked which all are eyther as Cockatrice Egges * poysonous and hurtfull either as Spiders Webbes vnder a faire shew Vaine and vnprofitable If a man vse their counsayles thinking them to be good they shall worke him destruction euen as the Egges of a Cockatrice to him that eateth them If a manne any way touch them he shall be in daunger of the poysonous infection that commeth of them Therfore the best way is to shun their Companie The Spiders webbes although they be finely and artificially wrought yet serue they to no vse neyther can men make any garment of them wherewith to couer them from the weather So the counsailes of the wicked thoughe they seeme neuer so finely deuised yet are they * vnprofitable wyll helpe a man nothing at all Their deedes are the
sâ— the woman seing that the same tree was good to eate of and pleasant to the eyes and a trée to be desired to make one wise tooke of the fruite thereof and did â—ate and gaue also vnto her husbande being with hir and he did eate 7 Then the eyes of them both were opened and they knewe that they were naked and they sowed Figge leaues together and made themselues apernes 8 And they heard the voyce of the Lorde God walking in the Garden in the coole of the day 〈◊〉 Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trées of the garden 9 And the Lord God called Adam and sayde vnto him Where art thou 10 Which saide I heard thy voyce in the garden and was afrayde because I was naked and hid my selfe 11 And he sayde Who tolde thée that thou wast naked Hast thou not eaten of the same trée concerning the which I commaunded thée that thou shouldest not eate of it 12 And Adam sayde The woman whome thou gauest to be with me she gaue me of the trée and I did eate 13 And the Lorde God sayde vnto the woman Why hast thou done this And the woman sayd The Serpent beguyled me and I did eate 14 And the Lorde God sayde vnto the Serpent Because thou half done this thou art cursed aboue all cattell and aboue euery beast of the fielde vpon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy life 15 I will also put enmitie betwéene thée and the woman betwéene thy séede and her séede and it shall treade downe thy head and thou shalt treade vpon his héele 16 But vnto the woman he sayde In multiplying I will multiply thy sorowe and thy conceptions In sorrowe thou shalt bring forth children thy desire shal be to thy husband and he shall haue the rule of thée 17 Vnto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkened vnto the voyce of thy wife and hast eaten of the trée concerning the which I commauÌ„ded thée saying Thou shalt not eate of it cursed is the grounde for thy sake in sorrowe shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life 18 Thorne also and thistle shall it bring forth to thée and thou shalt eate the hearbe of the fielde 19 In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate breade till thou be turned againe into the grounde for out of it wast thou taken For oust thou art and into dust shalt thou be turned againe 20 And Adam called his wifes name Heua because she was the mother of all lyuing 21 Vnto Adam also and to his wife did the Lorde God make garmentes of skiâ—â—es and he put them on 22 And the Lorde God sayde Beholde this man is become as one of vs in knowing good and euill And nowe least peraduenture he put forth his hande and take also of the trée of life and eate and liue for euen 23 The â—efore the Lorde God sent him forth from the garden of Eden â–ª to dresse the grounde whence he was taken 24 And so he droue out man and at the East side of the Garden of Eden he set Cherubins and a fierie two edged sworde to kéepe the way of the trée of lyfe The Exposition vpon the .iij. Chapter of Genesis And the Serpent was subtiler then euery beast of the fielde which the c. IN this chapter are 3. things conteyned First the temptation seducing and transgression of mankind wrought by the Serpent Secondly the Condemnation and punishment of Man Woman and the Serpent Thirdly the the Casting of Man out of Paradise As touching the first Saran enemie to Mankinde and enuying the happie estate that he was in by the sufferance of God abused the Serpent as his fittest Iâ—strument to deceaue man and Seduce him froÌ„ the obedience of god For we may not thinke that the Serpent dyd this of his owne motion nor phantastically dreame that beastes of the fielde Coulde then vse a distinct Speech to declare there mindes as here the Serpent doth But God for Causes to his secrete wisedome onely knowne suffred the Deuill to abuse the tongue of the Serpent as he afterward did suffer him to be a * lying spirite in the mouth of the false Prophetes to deceyue Achab. And as the good Angell of God miraculously * opened the mouth of Balahams Asse to Speake vnto hys maister And if it shall seeme straunge to any man that Eua was not afraide to talke with the Serpent he must vnderstande that before Adam fell from God by Disobedience the beastes of the fielde were not so terrible to Man as since that time they haue beene Yea it may well be gathered that the Serpent was more familiar with Man then any other beast and that the Deuill Craftily tooke that occasion to worke by hym and the woman sooner seduced and ouercome as well by that as by hearing of him to speake Contrarie to the maner of other beastes This I gather by that punishment of the Serpent that God after pronounceth I will set enemitie betwene thee and the woman c. For thereby it maye appeare that before there was a Certaine inclination of kindnesse and familiaritie betweene them more then in other In this temptation of Adam in Paradise we haue to learne that no Place is free to man from temptation yea that the Deuill then worketh most perilously and most preuayleth when we are in the state of Prosperitie and Felicitie and therfore at that time we ought by all meanes most diligently to beware of him For by Prosperitie we soonest forget our selues and are most easely intrapped And the Serpent sayde vnto the woman ye shall not die the death c. Here let vs diligenly note How Satan not only at thys time but in all ages dealeth toward God and his holy worde When the will of God is deliuered vnto his people by his true and sincere worde * then immediatly doth the Deuill by his Instrumentes seeke to Corrupt and falsifie the same eyther by manifest impugning it as vntrue or by writhed interpretations drawing it to another Sence then it was spoken in and al to seduce the people of God froÌ„ his True worship and obedience From this roote commeth those things that of late hath bene taught in the Church when God had sayde* Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen Image thou shalt not bowe downe vnto them c. The Serpent with his lying tongue impugneth it saying Thou mayest with great holynesse fill the Churches and places of prayer with Images and go in Pilgrimage to them and worship them by kneeling by offering by sensing and all other meanes of honour â–ª When Christ saide in the * institution of the Sacrament Drinke you all of this Nay sayth the Serpent The laye men maye not drinke of this but Priests onely When the word of God teacheth vs that Christ â–ª with * one oblation made perfite all that be
God euen in the very point staieth him saying Lay not thy hande vpon the childe nowe I knowe that thou fearest God. In which words he sheweth also that the feare of God is the Roote of true obedience God knewe before that Abraham did feare him but by this maner of speaking the scripture gyueth vs to vnderstande that GOD doth not regarde the Shewe and pretence of hys feare and worship but the true * Practise of the same in deede that the world also may vnderstand the same and * glorifie God therein They are detestable to God that pretend to feare and worship him and doe not in deede but by hipocrisie and dissimulation Therfore doth he extoll here the Faith of Abraham that shewed so notable proofe therof And Abraham lifting vp his eyes looked and beholde there was c. God of his singuler prouidence by such meanes as his wisedome onely knoweth prepared this Ramme to be their vpon the sodaine to be offered in the place of Isaac And Abraham to make a solemne and perpetuall Memoriall not of his owne Doing but of gods Mercies chaungeth the name of the place calling it The Lorde will see to signifie that God is readie and at hande alwaye to His and seeth them in their distresse and neede And the Angell of the Lorde cryed to Abraham the seconde time c. Thys is the fruite of Abrahams fayth and obedience that by the Mouth of the Angell of God he hath Confirmed vnto him the great Blessings that God before had promised But for somuch as the reason why God doth here so blesse Abraham is added in thys wise Because thou hast done thys thing and hast not spared thy only sonne c. There may seeme two great Doubts to be moued First howe this may stande with the Free Promise of the same blessing made to Araham cap. 12. before he shewed this obedience Secondly because this part of the blessing In thy seede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed doth appertain to the Spirituall and Heauenly blessing in the Sauiour of the world Christ Iesu It may seeme by the words that the same blessing did depēd vpon this Fact of Abraham so that if he had not this done that promise had not bene performed For he sayth Because thou hast done this thing c. and because thou hast heard my voyce But thys maye seeme verie absurde and repugnant to the Scriptures that the Sauing of the worlde by Christ should be graunted because of the Obedience of Abraham and not of the Free mercie of God. To these doubtes we must answere that with out exception these Promises were made and in dewe tyme performed of the free mercie of God and loue towarde not Abraham alone but all mankinde also not regarding their Worthinesse but his Owne goodnesse And when God sayth Because thou hast done this thing and because thou hast heard my voyce we must vnderstande that God for our imbecillitie and weake capacitie in heauenly matters speaketh in this place as he doth in manye other after the Maner of Men. For a man oftentimes hath a fauourable inclination to loue an other and that of his owne motion without any consideration of desert in the person and vpon the same loue towarde him doth freely promise him some good benefite and pleasure But when he seeth the good will of the partie towarde him againe he is greatly Delited therewith and the more he doth declare it by his readie seruice the more he is incensed to performe his Liberall Promise to him and to assure him of the same In the like maner doth God deale here with Abraham The principall Causes of these blessings and the Performance thereof are the Truth and Free mercie God as it maye appeare in that they were made to Abraham not onely * before he did this but before Isaac was borne The second cause that moueth God here to repeat them and to confirme Abraham in the assurance of them was his * Faith and obedience in this place declared After these thinges one tolde Abraham beholde Milcha she hath c. This may seeme straunge to the worldly Man that Abraham forsaking his countrie at the calling of Almightie GOD and hauing the promise of great increase of his seede at the length when he was an Hundred peares of age hath but One sonne and Nahor his brother who taried behinde and had no promise of God hath by that time a Number of children So the Blessings and Promises of God in this life seeme not to take such force but the vngodlye be more happie then they But the onely sonne of Abraham was not giuen by the Common Course of Nature as Nahors were but of the mightie Power of God aboue all Nature or reason and before the birth of the Child he had the Promises of gods blessings and the assured couenāt of God that he would be * His God and the God of his Seede which was a far greater Felicitie then the Multitude of Nahors children The second Sunday in Lent at Morning prayer Genesis 27. AND it came to passe that when Isahac wasxed olde and his eyes were dimme so that he could not see he called Esau his eldest sonne and sayee vnto him My sonne And he sayde vnto him Here am I. 2 And he sayde Beholde I am nowe olde and know not the day of my death 3. Now therefore take I pray thée thy weapons thy Quiuer and thy Bowe and get thée to the fielde that thou mayest take me some veneson 4 And make me well tasting meates such as I loue and bring it to me that I may eate that my soule may blesse thee before that I die 5 But Rebecca heard when Isahac spake to Esau his sonne And Esau went into the fielde to hunt veneson and to bring it 6 And Rebecca spake vnto Iacob hir sonne saying Beholde I haue hearde thy father talking with Esau thy brother and saying 7 Bring me veneson and make me daintie meate that I may eate and blesse thée before the Lord afore my death 6 Now therefore my sonne heare my voyce in that which I commaunde thée 9 Get thée to the flocke and bring me thence two good kiddes from the goates and I will make of them pleasant meates for thy father such as he loueth 10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father that he may eate and that he may blesse thée before his death 11 Then sayde Iacob to Rebecca his mother Beholde Esau my brother is a hearie man and I am smooth 12 My father shal peraduenture féele me and I shall séeme vnto him as though I went about to beguile him and so shal I bring a cursse vpon me and not a blessing 13 And his mother sayde vnto him Vpon me be the cursse my 〈◊〉 onely heare my voyce and go and fetch me them 14 And Iacob went and fet them and brought them to his mother and his mother made
that neyther conueniently they might * marie wyth the Inhabitants of that Countrey neyther in deede that they did meane so to doe but to be reuenged they suffered the Sacrament of Gods Couenant to bee Distayned of the Faythlesse and Heathen persons Their woordes pleased Hemor and Sichem his sonne c. When Hemor the Prince and his Sonne and all the residue of the people at their perswasion did so easily yeelde to the motion of Iacobs Sonnes woâ—â— any further instruction it is euident they had no conscience at all nor passed what Religion they receyued nor what God they worshipped so they might be in hope either to satisfie their bodily pleasure or to attaine some Worldly Commoditie and rychesse For these were the onely causes and respectes that mooued them And where such mindes are both in Prince and Subiectes there can not want aboundance of all euill Wherefore albeit it be not expressed in the text it may well be gathered there were great Vices generally among theÌ„ that prouoked the Wrath of God agaynst them And the thirde day while they were sore two of the sonnes of Iacob c. Albeit onely the two sonnes of Iacob are here named it is not likely they did the thing alone but that they were the chiefe causers and Capitaynes and had other of their brethren and of their fathers familie with them without their fathers consent or at the leastwise pretending that they would doe nothing but fetche home their Sister who was there vniustly detayned and not making him priuie of their whole purpose But Iacob sayde to Simeon and Leuie ye haue troubled me and made me c. Iacob chasticeth his Sonnes and sheweth how Rashly and vndiscretely they haue done and into how great daunger they had brought both hym themselues and al that euer apperteyned to them And surely if GOD had not of his diuine Prouidence marueylously Preserued his people lesse daunger coulde not haue followed then Iacob speaketh of But the Rashnesse and Heate of yong men is such that they are so blinded with the desire of theyr owne phantasies and affections as they regarde no perilles nor thinke any Councell to be like to their owne The thirde Sunday in Lent at Morning prayer Genes 39. IOseph was brought vnto Egypt and Putiphar a Lorde of Pharaos and his chiefe stewarde an Egyptian bought him of the Ismaelites which had brought him thither 2 And God was with Ioseph and he became a luckie man continuing in the house of his mayster the Egyptian 3 And his mayster saw that God was with him and that God made all that he did to prosper in his hande 4 And Ioseph found grace in his maysters sight and serued him And he made him ouerseer of his house and put all that he had in his hande 5 And it came to passe from the time that he had made him ouerséer of his house and ouer all that he had the Lorde blessed the Egyptians house for Iosephs sake and the blessing of the Lorde was vpon all that he had in the house and in the fielde 6 And therefore he left all that he had in Iosephs hande and he knewe nothing with him saue onely the breade which he did eate And Ioseph was a goodly person and a well fauoured 7 And after this his maisters wife cast her cyes vpon Ioseph and sayde come lie with me 8 But he refused and sayde vnto his maisters wife Beholde my maister woteth not what he hath in the house with me and hath committed all that he hath to my hande 9 There is no man greater in the house then I neyther hath he kept any thing from me but onely thée because thou art his wife howe then can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne agaynst God And after this maner spake shée to Ioseph day by day but he hearkened net vnto her to sléepe néere hir or to be in hir companie 11 And on a certaine day Ioseph entered into the house to doe his businesse and there was none of the housholde by in the house 12 Then she caught him by the garment saying lie with me And he left his garment in hir hande and fled and got him out 13 And when she sawe that he had left his garment in hir hande and was fled out 14 She called vnto the men of hir house and tolde them saying Sée he hath brought in an Hebrue vnto vs to doe vs shame for he came in to me to haue lyen with me and I began to crie with a lowde voyce 15 And when he hearde that I lift vp my voyce and cryed he left his garment with me and fledde away and got hym out 16 And she layde vp his garment by hir vntill hir Lorde came home 17 And she tolde him with these wordes saying This Hebrue seruant which thou hast brought vnto vs came vnto me to doe me shame 17 But assoone as I lift vp my voyce and cryed he left his Garment with me and fled out 19 When his mayster heard the wordes of his wife which she tolde him saying after this maner did thy seruant to me he waxed wroth 20 And Iosephs maister tooke him and put him in prison in the place where the kings prisoners lay bounde and there continued he in prison 21 But the Lorde was with Ioseph and shewed him mercie and got him fauour in the sight of the Lord of the prison 22 And the kéeper of the prison committed to Iosephes hande all the prisoners that were in the prison house and whatsoeuer was done there that did he 23 And the kéeper of the prison looked vnto nothing that was vnder his hande séeing that the Lorde was with him For whatsoeuer he did the Lord made it to prosper The Exposition vpon the .xxxix. Chapter of Genesis Joseph was brought vnto Egypt and Putiphar a Lorde of Pharaos c. MOses in this Chapter beginneth to set forth a notable example in Ioseph of the Prouidence and wisedome of God turning the enuious and Malicious indeuors of Iosephs brothers vnto the worke of his Glorie and preseruation of his people God was determined that after certaine yeares for the * Sinfulnesse of men there should by his iust iudgement come vpon all that part of the world a general Plague of Dearth and Scarcitie in which there was great daunger that Iacob and his sonnes and familie being the posteritie of the seede of Abraham to whom he had made his Couenant shoulde Perishe and die for Lacke of sustenance Therefore many yeares before taking occasion of hys brothers Malice he * sendeth Ioseph before into Egypt and there after some trouble at the length aduaunceth him to great Power and honour that he might be an helper and Succourer for his Father brethren in the time of their great Distresse The Brothers of Ioseph neyther foresawe any euill to come nor sought for any thing in their doings but the Satisfying of their owne Enuie and
the bushe was not consumed 3 Therefore Moyses sayde I will go nowe and sée this great sight howe it commeth that the bushe burneth not 4 And when the Lorde sawe that he came for to sée God called vnto him out of the middest of the bushe and sayde Moyses Moyses And he answered Here am I. 5 And he saide Drawe not nigh bither put thy shwes of thy féete for the place wheron thou standest is holy ground 6 And he saide I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And Moyses hid his face for he was afrayde to looke vpon God. 7 And the Lorde sayde I haue surely séene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their crye from the face of their taske maisters for I knowe their sorrowes 8 And am come downe to deliuer them out of the hande of the Egiptians and to bring them out of that land vnto a good lande and a large vnto a lande that floweth with mylke and hony euen vnto the place of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites and Pherezites and Heuites and of the Iebuâ—ites 9 Nowe therefore beholde the complaint of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also séene the oppression wherewith the Egiptians oppressed them 10 Come thou therfore and I will send thée vnto Pharao that thou mayest bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt 11 And Moyses â—aide vnto God what am I to go vnto Pharao and to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt 12 And he answered For I will be with thée and this shall be a token vnto thée that I haue sent thée After that thou hast brought the people out of Egipt ye shall serue God vpon this mountaine 13 And Moyses sayde vnto God Beholde vvhen I come vnto the children of Israel and shall say vnto them The God of your fathers hath sent me vnto you And if they saye vnto me what is his name what answere shall I giue them 14 And God answered Moyses I am that I am And he said Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath seÌ„t me vnto you 15 And God spake further vnto Moses Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob hath sent me vnto you This is my name for euer and this is my memoriall into generation and generation 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel togither and thou shalt say vnto them The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob appeared vnto me and sayde In visiting haue I visited you and knowe that which is done to you in Egypt 17 And I haue sayde I will bring you out of the tribulation of Egypt vnto the lande of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites Pherezites and Heuites and Iebusites euen into a lande which floweth with milke and hony 18 And they shall heare thy voyce then both thou and the elders of Israel shall go vnto the king of Egypt and saye vnto him The Lorde God of the Hebrews hath met wyth vs and nowe let vs go we beséech thée thrée dayes iourney into the wildernesse and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God. 19 And I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not in a mightie hande 20 And I will stretch out my hande and smite Egypt with all my woonders which I will doe in the mids thereof and after that he will let you go 21 And I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shall not go emptie 22 But euerye wyfe shall borowe of her neighbour and of her that soiourneth in her house Iewels of Siluer and Iewels of Golde and rayment and ye shall put them on your sonnes and daughters and shall robbe the Egiptians The Exposition vpon the thirde Chapter of Exodus Moses kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in lawe priest of Madian c. AS in the other Chapters before haue bene declared the great Oppression and Miserie of the children of Israell in Aegypt so in this Chapter and the residue folowing is set forth the great and mercifull Goodnesse of Almightye God deliuering them from the same And as touching Moises whom God had chosen to be his Instrument herein we may in him learne howe God vseth commonly to deale with his Elect. This Moses was at this time of all men in the worlde most acceptable to God whome euen from his mothers wombe he had chosen to be the Deliuerer of hys people and the Publisher of his lawe And yet it pleased him to suffer the same Moyses to be in Banishment * fortie yeares not onely among heathen persons but in the poore and harde condition of a Sheepehearde And yet may we not thinke that God at the same time did Contemne Moyses but vndoubtedly had great Care of him and while he was in the trauaile of a Sheepeheard did prepare for him an Office farre aboue the Dignitie or maiestie of any earthly Prince The like we see in Ioseph in Dauid in Daniel and in our sauiour Christ himselfe And the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire c. When God of his goodnes was disposed to Deliuer his people out of Aegypt because of 〈…〉 matter of Great weight in the sight of 〈…〉 Vnpossible the Egyptians being Mighty 〈◊〉 and the Israelites Poore and miserable and for that Moyses might doubt of his Calling to so great a purpose God vseth at the beginning a stravnge and woonderfull Miracle of a Fyre burning in a bush and yet the bush not consumed therewith I thinke it not so profitable to recite the Allegories that many interpreters do mention in this place For the true and simple 〈◊〉 is as I haue sayde that God purposing to call Moyses to Deliuer his people doth Confirme him there in by this Miracle of the burning Bushe that he might not Doubt but that the voyce that spake 〈◊〉 him was in dede from God and not by the Delusion of any Man. And when the Lorde sawe that he came to see God called vnto him c. It is no repugnancie that the Scripture before reported that the Angel appeared in a Flaâ—e office here in this place â—yth that God Called Moyses For God speaketh by his Angels as he doth by his Prophets and other Ministers God is the Maister and Instructer and the Angell is the Minister in the name and authoritie of God doing the Message When he sayth The place is holy he meaneth not that the Ground or earth was of it selfe more Holy or acceptable to GOD than anye other place was 〈◊〉 God minded in that place to Reueale himselfe and his holy Will vnto Moyses and afterwardes in the same place to Publishe his
the calling of GOD sprang out of a Constant* Faith in the promises of God by Miracles confirmed vnto them By the same meanes must we also learne to frame our selues to the Obedience of Gods Calling though it seeme to be ioyned with neuer so great daunger And yet although they haue the calling and commaundemeÌ„t of God to deliuer his people they doe not stirre the Israelites to Rebellion and will them to arme themselues against the Tyranne were he neuer so Cruell and iniuryous but in curteis maner entreate him that they maye haue licence to depart into the wildernesse But what obteyned they by their endeuour First Pharao CoÌ„temneth and despiseth the God of Israell VVho sayth he is the Lorde that I should heare his voyce Then he chargeth Moyses Aaron as authors of Sedition saying VVherefore doe yee lette the people from their workeâ— c. Lastly he Oppresseth the people farre more Grieuously then he did before For he causeth them to gather strawe and stubble yet to make their Full taske of Brickes as they dyd before These things happened not without the Knowledge of God for he said before * I know that Pharao will not let you go But Gods pleasure is in this maner of Deliuerance of his people to set vp a Spectacle or Example to all ages to learne in what Sort he will vsually delyuer his people out of the kingdome of Satan Wickednesse and Error First he sendeth abroade his Messengers Prophetes and Preachers to publish the sweete voice and Promises of his Worde and Gospell Then when they beginne to execute their office and men somewhat hearken vnto them the Deuill by hys Instruments Raiseth greater trouble and Affliction then euer they had before so that manye mindes be therewith greatly Offended Yet in the ende God by the * Mightie power of his Spirite and holy Worde ouerthroweth the kingdome of darkenesse and Deliuereth his people out of the Tirannie of Egipt And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in woorse c. These officers of the Israelites by this Cruell answere did not acknowledge the wicked Obdurate hart of Pharao against the holy wil of God as they should haue done with Pacience Comfort themselues and their brethren but after the maner of olde Adam Murmure against GOD quarreling with his seruauntes Moyses Aaron and laying all the cause of the trouble vpon them Wherein they shew an example both of Impiety and Vnthankfulnesse Impious it was to lay the fault of their affliction and miserie vpon them that were the Ministers of Gods blessing and of their gracious Deliuerance Great vnthankfulnesse might it appeare seing Moyses and Aaron did hazard their Liues for their great Benefite to Call and accompt them Tormentors and Murderers of the people For say they You haue put a sworde into their hands to kill vs. But this is and hath bene the Course of the worlde alwayes The cause of all Mischiefe when it ryseth after the publishing of the worde of God is Cast vpon the Ministers and Preachers of the same and in steede of thankfull minds they haue all Spite and Reproch that can be done or spoken against them So was it in the time of the Prophets â–ª So was it in the time of Christ and his Apostles So was it in the time of the Primitiue Church as it maye be declared by infinite examples Moises returned vnto the Lorde and sayde Lord wherefore hast thou so c. Moyses here in part doth Well and godly in part he sheweth his Weakenesse Mistrust and infirmitie He doth Well in this that he both not Storme and rage agaynst those 〈◊〉 Sâ—aunderers * nor doth not requite euill with euill and also that he doth not giue ouer his calling and Flee from God but rather runneth to him for Succour and comfort For so the Text sayth He returned to the Lorde He sheweth his Weakenesse in that he seemeth not througly to Remember the wordes of God Before spoken to him when God sayd I know that Pharao will not deliuer you no not in a mightie hande and therefore he doth complaine and quarrell with God. VVherefore sayth he hast thou so euill intreated this people and why hast thou sent me As though any thing had happened which God had not Before tolde him shoulde come to passe and yet God doth not Sternely rebuke Moyses but mercifully 〈◊〉 with his Infirmitie strengthneth him with the Renewing of his Promise and signification that he will nowe begin to shewe his mightie power against Pharao for their deliuerance The sixt Sundaye in Lent at Morning and Euening prayer Exod. 9. 10. THe Lorde sayde vnto Moyses Go in vnto Pharao and thou shalt tell him Thus sayth the Lorde God of the 〈…〉 Let my people go that they may 〈…〉 If thou refuse to let them go and 〈…〉 Beholde the â—ande of the Lorde is 〈…〉 is in the fielde for vpon horses vpon asses vpon camelles vpon ouen and vpon sheepe there shall be a mightie great 〈◊〉 4 And the Lorde shall doe wonderfully betwéene the beastes of Israell and the beastes of Egypt so that there shall nothing die of all that pertayneth to the children of Israell 5 And the Lorde appoynted a time saying to morowe the Lorde shall finish this worde in the laâ—de 6 And the Lorde did that thing on the morowe and all the cattell of Egypt dyed but of the cattell of the children of Israell died not one 7 And Pharao sent and behold there was not one of the cattel of the Israelites dead And the hart of Pharao was hardened and he did not let the people go 8 And the Lorde sayd vnto Moyses and Aaron Take your handes full of ashes out of the fornace and Mosses shall sprinkle it vp into the ayre in the sight of Pharao 9 And it shall be dust in all the lande of Egypt and shall be swelling sores with blaynes both on man and beast thorowout all the land of Egipt 10 And they tooke ashes out of the fornace and stoode before Pharao and Moses sprinckled it vp into the ayre and there were swâ—lling â—ores with blaynes both in men and in beastes 11 And the sorcerers could not stand before Moses because of the blaynes for there were bâ—tches vpon the enchaunters and vpon all the Egyptians 12 And the Lord hardened the hart of Pharao and he harkened not vnto them as the â—ord had sayd vnto Moyses 13 And the Lordâ— sayde vnto Moyses Rise vp earely in the morning and stande before Pharao and thou shalt tell him Thus sayth the Lorde God of the Hebrues Let my people go that they may serue me 14 Or else I will at this time sends all my plaguey vpon thine heart and vpon thy seruants and on thy people that thou mayst know that there is none like me in all the earth 15 For now I wil stretch out my hand that I may
smite thée and thy people with pestilence and thou shalt perishe from the earth 16 And in verse déede for this cause haue I kept thée â–ª for to shew thée my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde 17 Yet exaltest thou thy selfe against my people that thou wilt not let them go 18 Beholde to morowe this time I will sende downe a mightie great hayle such a one as was not in Egypt since the foundation thereof was layde vnto this time 19 Send therefore now and gather thy beastes and all that thou hast in the fielde for vpon all the men and the beastes which are founde in the fielde and not brought home shall the hayle fall and they shall die 20 And as many as feared the worde of the Lord amongst the seruants of Pharao made their seruants and their beasts â—lee â—â—to the houses 21 But he that regarded not the worde of she Lorde left his seruants and his beastes in the field 22 And the Lord sayd vnto Moses Stretch forth thy hand vnto heauen that there may be hayle in all the lande of Egypt vpon man and vpon beastes and vpon all the hearbes of the fielde throughout the lande of Egypt 23 And Moyses stretched forth his rod vnto heauen and the Lord thundred and hayled and the fire ranne along vppon the grounde and the Lord hayled in the lande of Egypt 24 So there was hayle and fire mingled with the hâ—â—le so grieuous and such as there was none throughout all the lanâ—â— of Egypt since people inhabited it 25 And the hayle smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field â–ª both man and beast and the hayle smote all the hearbes of the fielde and broke all the trées of the fielde 26 Onely in the lande of Gosen where the children of Israell were was there no hayle 27. And Pharao sent and called for Moses and Aaron and saide vnto them I haue now sinned the Lorde is righteous 〈◊〉 I and my people are vngodly 28 Praye ye vnto the Lorde that these thunderings of God and hayle may be 〈…〉 and I will let you go and ye shall â—arâ—e no longer 29 â—â—yses layde vnto him Assoone as I am out of the Citie I will spread abroade my handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder shal ceasse neither shall there be any more haile that thou mayst know howe that the earth is the Lordes 30 But I know that thou and thy seruants yet feare not the face of the Lorde God. 31 And so the flaxe and the barlie were smitten for the barly was shot vp and the flaxe was boulled 32 But the wheate and the rie were not smitten for they were late sowne 33 And Moises went out of the Citie from Pharao and spred abroade his handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder and hayle ceassed neyther rayned it vpon the earth 34 And when Pharao â—awe that the raine and the haile and thunder were ceassed he sinned yet more and hardened his hart he and his seruants 35 And the hart of Pharao was hardened neyther would he let the children of Israell go as the Lord had sayde by the hand of Moises The .6 Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 10. ANd the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses Go into Pharao for I haue hardened his heart and the heart of his seruantes that I might shewe these my signes before him 2 And that thou tell in the audience of thy sonne and of thy sonnes sonne what things I haue done in Egypt and the miracles which I haue done amongst them that ye maye knowe howe that I am the Lorde 3 And so Moyses and Aaron came into Pharao and said vnto him Thus sayth the Lord God of the Hebrewes How long wilt thou refuse to submit thy selfe vnto me Let my people go that they may serue me 4 Or else if thou refuse to let my people go beholde to morrowe will I bring Grashoppers into thy coastes 5 And they shall couer the face of the earth that it can not be séene and they shall eate the residue which remayneth vnto you and is escaped from the hayle and they shall eate euery gréene trée that beareth you fruite in the fielde 6 And they shall fill thy houses and all thy seruaents houses and the houses of all the Egiptians after such a maner as neyther thy fathers nor thy fathers fathers haue séene since the time they were vpon the earth vnto this day And he turned himselfe about and went out from Pharao 7 And Pharaos seruantes sayd vnto him Howe long shall he be hurtfull vnto vs Let the men go that they may serue the Lorde their God knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed 8 And Moyses and Aaron were brought againe vnto Pharao and he sayde vnto them Go and serue the Lorde your God but who are they that shall go 9 And Moyses answered We will go with our yong and with our olde and with our sonnes and with our daughters and with our shéepe and with our Oxen we must go for we must holde a feast vnto the Lorde 10 And he saide vnto them Let the Lorde be so with you as I will let you go and your children take héede for ye haue some mischiefe in hande 11 Nay not so but go ye men and serue the Lorde for that was your desire And they were thrust out of Pharaos presence 12 And the Lorde saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thine hande ouer the lande of Egipt for Grashoppers that they may come vpon the lande of Egipt and eate all the hearbes of the lande and all that the hayle left behinde 13 And Moyses stretched forth his rod ouer the lande of Egipt and the Lorde brought an east winde vpon the lande all that day and all that night and in the morning the east winde brought the grashoppers 14 And the grashoppers went vp ouer all the lande of Egipt and remained in all quarters of Egypt verie grieuously before them were there no such grashoppers neyther after them shall be 15 For they couered all the face of the earth so that the lande was darke and they did eate all the hearbes of the lande and all the fruites of the trées whatsoeuer the hayle had left there was no greene thing left in the trées and hearbes of the fielde through all the lande of Egipt 16 Therefore Pharao called for Moyses and Aaron in haste and saide I haue sinned against the Lorde your God and against you 17 And nowe forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lorde your God that he may take away from me this death onely 18 And Moyses went out from Pharao and prayed vnto the Lorde 19 And the Lorde turned a mightie strong west winde and it tooke away the grashoppers cast them into the red sea so that there was not one grashopper in all the coastes of Egipt 20 And the Lord hardened Pharaos heart so that he woulde
that GOD oftentimes Preserueth his people from those Miseries that he casteth vpon others And yet if we looke into the common course of the worlde we shall see that the * Wicked are in more Felicitie and more Free from punishment then the good and godly And this tentation hath often * shaken the mindes of the Saintes of God as it appeareth in sundrie Psalmes What then shall we say to this Surely the Common ordinance of GDD is that the Godly should be in Happinesse and escape Plagues and the Wicked onely be Punished And if this common ordinance of God be altered It is eyther because they that professe the name of God be* Sinfull and Liue not according to theyr Calling or else that Gods good and fatherly will is by suche Chasticing and Affliction of this life to keepe his seruants in Obedience to Quicken their Fayth and put them in minde of the Heauenly felicitie and life euerlasting The Care and Cogitation whereof in time of * Prosperitie is more Cold and Slacke in vs then our duetie requireth Easter daye at Morning prayer Exodus 12. AND the Lord spake vnto Moyses and Aaron in the lande of Egypt saying 2 This moneth shall bée vnto you the beginning of Monethes and the first moneth of the yeare shall it be vnto you 3 Speake ye vnto all the congregation of Israell saying In the tenth day of this moneth euery man take vnto him a lambe according to the house of the fathers a lambe thorowout euery house 4. If the householde be to little for the lambe let him take his neighbour which is next vnto hys house according to the number of the sâ—â—les euery one of you according to his eating shall make your count for a lambe 5. And let your lambe be without â—â—â—mish a male of a yeare olde vvhich ye shal take out from among the shepe and from among the goates 6 And ye shall kéepe him in vntill the fourâ—enth day of the same moneth and euery assemble of the congregation of Israell shall kill him about euen 7 And they shall take of the bloud and strike it 〈◊〉 two side postes and on the vpper doore post in the houses where they shall eate him 8 And they shall eate the fleshe the same night rost with fire and with vnleauened breade and with sowre hearbes they shall eate it 9 See that ye eate not there of rawe nor sodden with water but rost with fire the head feete and purtenance thereof 10 And ye shall 〈◊〉 nothing of it remaine vnto the morning That which remayneth of it vntill the morow shal ye burnâ— with fire 11 Of this maner shall ye eate it Wyth your loynes gâ—rded and your shooes on your feete and your staffe in your hande and ye shall eate it in haste for it as the Lordes Passouer 12 For I will passe thorow the lande of Egypt this same night and will smite all the first borne of Egipt from man to beast and vpon all the Gods of Egypt I will execute iudgement I am the Lorde 13 And the bloud shall be vnto you 〈◊〉 token in the houses wherein you are and when I see the blood I will passe ouer you and the plague shalâ— not be vpon you to destroy you when I smite the lande of Egypt 14 And this day shall be vnto you a remembrance and you shall kéepe it an holy feast vnto the Lorde throughout your generations ye shall kéepe 〈◊〉 holy for an ordinance for euer 15 Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleaue ned bread so that the first day ye put away leaueÌ„ out of your houses For whosoeuer eateth leauened bread from the first day vnto the seuenth day that soule shall be rooted out of Israell 16 The first day shall be an holy conuocation vnto you and the seuenth day shall be an holy conuocation vnto you and there shall be no maner of worke done in them saue about that onely which euery man must eate that onely may ye â—oe 17 And ye shall obserue the feast of vnleauened bread for this same day haue I brought your armies out of the lande of Egypt therefore ye shall obserue this day and all your children after you by an euerlasting decrée 18 The first moneth and the fourtenth day of the moneth at euen ye shall eate vnleauened bread vnto the one and twentie day of the same moneth at euen againe 19 Seuen dayes shall there be no leaneued bread founde in your houses and who soeuer eateth leauened bread that soule shall be rooted out from the congregation of Israell whether he be a straunger or â—orne in the lande 20 Ye shall eate no leauened breade but in all your habitations shall ye eate vnleauened breade 21 Then Moyses called for all the elders of Israell and sayde vnto them Choose out and taâ—â— you to euery houshold of you a lâ—mbe and kill the Passeouers 22 And take a 〈…〉 and dip it in the bloud that is in the bason and strike the vpper post of the doore and the two side postes with the bloud that is in the bason and none of you go out at the doore of his house vntill the morning 23 For the Lorde will passe ouer to smite the Egiptians and when he séeth the bloud vpon the vpper doore post and the two side postes he will passe ouer the doore and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to plague you 24 Therefore shall ye obserue this thing for an ordinance to thée and to thy sonnes for euer 25 And when ye be come to the lande which the Lorde will giue you according as he hath promised ye shall kéepe this seruice 26 And when your children aske you What maner of seruice is this that ye doe 27 Ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lordes Passeouer which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israell in Egypt â–ª and he smote the Egiptians and saued our houses And the people bowed themselues and worshipped 28 And the children of Israell went and did as the Lorde had commaunded Moises and Aaron so did they 29 And at midnight the Lorde smote the first borne in the lande of Egypt from the first borne of Pharao that sate on his seate vntill the first borne of the captâ—â—e that was in prison and all the first borne of cattell 30 And Pharao rose in the night he and his seruantes and all the Egyptians and there was a great crie in Egypt â–ª for there was not a house where there was not one deade 31 And he called vnto Moyses and Aaron by night saying Rise vp and get you out from amongst my people both you and also the children of Israell and go and serue the Lorde as ye haue sayde 32 And take your shéepe and your droues with you as ye haue sayde and depart and blesse me 33 And the Egyptians forced the people that they might senâ—e them out of the lande in hast for they sayd
We be all but dead men 34 And the people tooke their dough before it was sowred which they had in store béeing bounde in clothes vpon their shoulders 35 And the children of Israel did according to the saying of Moises â–ª and they borowed of the Egyptians iewels of siluer and iewels of golde and rayment 36 And the Lord gaue the people fouour in the fight of the Egyptians so that they grâ—â—nted such things as they had reâ—â—red and they robbed the Egyptians 37 And the children of Israel tooke their iourney from Ramesis to Suchoth sixe hundred thousand men of foote beside children 38 And a great multitude of sundrie other nations went also with them and shéepe and oxen and excéeding much cattell 39 And they baked vnleauened cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt for it was not sowred For they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tary neither had they prepared for themselues any prouision of meate 40 The dwelling of the children of Israell which they dwelled in Egypt was foure hundred thirtie yeares 41 And when the foure hundred and thirtie yeares were expyred euen the selfe same day departed all the hostes of the Lorde out of the lande of Egypt 42 It is a night to bée obserued vnto the Lorde in the which he brought them out of the lande of Egypt This is that night of the Lord which all the children of Israell must kéepe throughout their generations 43 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moises and Aaron This is the law of Passeouer there shall no straunger eate thereof 44 But euery seruant that is bought for money after that thou hast circumcised him shall eate thereof 45 A straunger and an hyred seruant shall not eate therof 46 In one house shall it be eateâ— thou shalt 〈◊〉 none of the fleshe out of the house neither shall ye breake a boâ—e thereof 47 All he congregation of Israell shall obserue it 48 If a straunger also dwell 〈◊〉 you and will helde passeouer vnto the Lord let him circumcise all that be â—â—les and then let him come and obserue it and he shall be as one that is borne in the lande for no vncircumcised person shall eate thereof 49 One maner of lawe shall be vnto him that is borne in the lande and vnto the straunger that dwelleth among you 50 And all the children of Israel did as the Lorde commaunded Moyses and Aaron so did they 51 And the selfe same day did the Lorde bring the children of Israell out of the lande of Egypt with their 〈◊〉 The Exposition vpon the .xij. Chapter of Exodus And the Lord spake vnto Moises c. Saying this Moneth c. THe Historie of the oppression of the children of Israell in Aegypt and their maruelous deliuerance from the tyrannie of Pharao described in the former Chapters doth as it were in a liuely Image set before our eyes our spirituall deliuerance from the tyrannie of Pharao the deuill and from the heauie burthens of Sinne and Wickednesse wherwith we were ouerwhelmed in the Aegypt of this worlde Our Pharao is the Deuill our Aegypt is this worlde our bondage is the subiection to Satan and his kingdome our taskes of Bricke are the grieuous burthens of our sinnes our Moises is Christ our Deliuerance is the Conquest that our Sauiour Christ made of Sin Satan Hell and Death by the merite of his passion And as the night before the Israelites were Deliuered it pleased God to ordeyne them a Sacrament whereby they should from time to time call into theyr remembrance the great benefite of God shewed vnto them and yeeld most heartie thankes to him for the same Euen so our sauiour Christ the night before he went to his passion thereby to worke our deliuerance * ordeyned the holye Sacrament of his last supper wherby we might confirme in our memorie the worke of our redemption and set forth his death vntill his last comming This Sacrament of the Iewes now here discribed in this Chapter is called the Passeouer because by the sprinkling of the doore postes with the bloud of the lambe God willed his Angell to Passeouer the houses of the Israelites and not to strike them with that punishment wherewith he plagued the Aegyptians In like maner when Almightie God seeth the bloud of the Innocent Lambe his deere sonne Christ Iesu sprinckled vpon the doore postes of our Consciences by Fayth in his Passion the execution of his wrath due for sinne doth passe and not light vpon vs as it doth vpon the Reprobate and Wicked that haue not Fayth nor Beleeue his Gospel But forsomuch as this whole Sacrament of the Iewes Passeouer is nothing but a comfortable sweete preaching to vs of the death of Christ and the mysterie of our redemption I thinke it good to note some chiefe and particuler poyntes thereof vnto you The Pascall lambe as I haue sayde is Christ Iesu for so sayth saint Paule Our Passeouer is offered Christ Iesu And for this cause also Iohn the Baptist poynting vnto him sayde Beholde the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the VVorlde This Lambe must be without spot to note therby the innocencie of our Sauiour Christ who therefore of saint Peter is called The Immaculate and vndefiled Lambe For in him there was no sinne although he tooke vpon hym the Burthen of all our sinnes This lambe was taken From among the sheepe to declare the humanitie of Christ who was taken out of the flocke of that breede that God before had blessed in Abraham And therefore sayth saint Paule to the Hebrewes He tooke not the nature of Angels vpon him but the seede of Abraham The Passeouer was killed in the euening and latter part of the day and so Christ came to redeeme and deliuer Mankinde towarde the latter ende of the worlde The bloud of the Lambe Sprinckled vpon the doore postes as is before sayde is the bloud of Christ by fayth sprinckled in our consciences As the flesh of the Lambe might not bee eaten raw so must not Christ be receyued as a raw an vnperfite or an vnsufficient Sacrifice only for originall sinne or for our sinnes before Baptisme onely or for the sinnes of some and not of other But for a sufficient Sacrifice and ful Satisfaction for all the sinnes of the whole worlde that eyther hath bene or hereafter shall be For as Paule saith to the Hebrewes VVith one oblation once made he made perfite all that be sanctified The Lambe must be eaten with bitter herbes in signification that the receyuing of Christ by fayth in this worlde is ioyned with the bitternesse of Affliction and Trouble For whosoeuer will liue holily in Christ Iesu shall suffer persecution Nothing must be left of the lambe vntill the morning to note that we must repent and beleeue in Christ while we be in this life and not deferre the matter to another time For Christ can
sinned Wilt thou be wrath with all the multitude 23 And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses saying 24 Speake vnto the Congregation and say Get you away from about the tabernacle of Corah Dathan and Abiram 25 And Moyses rose vp and went vnto Dathan and Abiram and the elders of Israell folowed him 26 And he spake vnto the congregation saying Depart I pray you from the tentes of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs least ye perish in all their sinnes 27 And so they gate them from the tabernacle of Corah Dathan and Abiram on euery side And Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the doore of their tentes with their wiues their sonnes and their little children 28 And Moyses sayd Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these workes for I haue not done them of mine owne minde 29 If these men die the coÌ„mon death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lorde hath not sent me 30 But and if the Lorde make a newe thing and the earth open her mouth and swallowe them vp with all that they haue and they go downe quick into the pitte then ye shall vnderstand that these men haue prouoked the Lorde 31 And assoone as he had made an ende of speaking all these wordes the ground cloue asunder that was vnder them 32 And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them vp and their houses and all the men that were with Corah and all their goodes 33 And they and all that they had went downe aliue vnto the pitte and the earth closed vpon them and they perished from among the congregation 34 And all Israell that were about them fled at the crie of them and they sayd Least the earth swallowe vs vp also 35 And there came out a fire from the Lorde and consumed the two hundred and fiftie men that offered incense 36 And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses saying 37 Speake vnto Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the priest that he take vp the censers out of the burning and scatter the fixe here and there for they are halowed 38 The censers of these sinners against their owne soules let them make of them broade plates for a couering of the aulter For they ffered them before the Lorde and therfore they are halowed and they shall be a signe vnto the children of Israell 39 And Eleazer the priest tooke the brasen censers which they that were burnt had offered and made brode plates for a couering of the aulter 40 To be a remembrance vnto the children of Israell that no straunger which is not of the séede of Aaron come néere to offer incense before the Lorde that he be not like vnto Corah and his companie as the Lorde sayde to him by the hande of Moyses 41 But on the morow all the multitude of the children of Israell murmured agaynst Moyses and Aaron saying Ye haue killed the people of the Lorde 42 And when the multitude was gathered against Moyses and Aaron they looked towarde the tabernacle of the congration and beholde the clowde couered it and the glorie of the Lorde appeared 43 And Moyses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation 44 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses saying 45 Get you from among this congregation that I may consume them quickly And they fell vpon theisr faces 46 And Moyses sayde vnto Aaron Take a censer and put fire therein out of the aulter and poure on incense and go quickly vnto the congregation and make an attonement for them For there is wrath gone out from the Lorde and there is a plague begunne 47 And Aaron toke as Moyses commaunded him and ranne into the middes of the congregation and behold the plague was begunne among the people and he put on incense and made an attonement for the people 48 And when he stoode betwéene the dead and them that were aliue the plague was stayed 49 They that died in the plague were fourtéene thousande and seuen hundred beside them that died about the conspiracie of Corah 50 And Aaron went againe vnto Moyses before the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation and the plague was stayed The Exposition vpon the .xvj. Chapter of Numbers And Corah the sonne of Isaar c. went apart with Dathan and Abiram c. THe Scripture in this place setteth forth vnto vs an example of repining Of the wicked and of rebelling against the good Magistrate and ordinance of god Wherein we haue to marke that no Prince or Magistrate can be so good and vpright but that wicked and lewde subiectes blinded with their priuate affections will rebell and * picke quarrels against him Moyses and Aaron were chosen and appointed by GOD himselfe they had the continual assistance of Gods holy Spirit and Angels guiding them and working with them They were painefull and diligent in their office verye carefull for the good estate of the people verieâ— milde and mercifull in their gouernment and Farre from all couetousnesse briberie and corruption And yet did Corah Dathan and Abiram with many other rebel agaynst them reprooued them and discredited them in all theyr doyngs as ambitious prowde cruell and false In this example we haue to obserue First that the * rootes of rebellion commonly are Pride and selfeliking Enuie and ambition For pride causeth men to haue a great liking of themselues and to thinke themselues more Worthie men to be in honour and dignitie than anye other And therefore mooueth them partly to Enuie partly to Disdaine other and ambitiously by sturre and rebellion to seeke that which by other quiet meanes they cannot get That this was the roote of this rebellion here mentioned it appeareth by that Moyses speaketh to them You take to much vpon you you sonnes of Leui. Seemeth it but a small thing vnto you that God hath seperated you and taken you to his owne seruice but that you must seeke the office of the priest also In these wordes he toucheth theyr Pride and Ambition Secondly wee haue to marke what Instruments Rebels commonly vse agaynst good Princes and Rulers that is to saye Lying and Dissimulation By Lying they spreade false and vnâ—eue reporrtes of the Prince that he is Prowde that he is Couetous that he is Cruell that he Oppresseth the commons c. Yea and depraue all his well doynges to bring him the sooner in Hatred with the people and to cause them to mislike him which commonly with euery apparant cause are easily caryed to the desire of alteration of Princes and Rulers especially if they vse seueritie of Iustice in punishing By Dissimulation they cloke their owne Ambitious purpose of aduauncing themselues and pretende forsooth that they doe all for the Loue and safegard of the common weale and for Pitie toward the poore commons and for their ease and reliefe when as in deed they seeke nothing but the setting vp of themselues or the wreaking of malice
out of the lande For I wore that he whome thou blessest is blessed and whome thou cursest is cursed 7 And the elders of Mâ—ab and the elders of Madian departed hauing the revvarde of the soothlaying in their hande And they came vnto Balaam and tolde him the wordes of Balac 8 He answered them Tarie here this night and I wyll bring you worde as the Lorde shall saye vnto me And the Lordes of Moab abode with Balaam 9 And God came vnto Balaam and saide What men are these wyth thée 10 And Balaam saide vnto God Balac the sonne of Ziphor king of Moah hath sent vnto me saying 11 Beholde there is a people come out of Egipt and couereth the face of the earth come nowe therefore and curse them for my saâ—e so it may be that I shal be hable to ouercome them in battaile and to driue them out 12 And God said vnto Balaam Go not thou with them neyther curse the people for they are blessed 13 And Balaam rose vp in the morning and saide vnto the Lordes of Balac Get you vnto your lande for the Lorde will not suffer me to go with you 14 And the Lordes of Moab rose vp and went vnto Balac and saide Balaam would not come with vs. 15 And Balac sent againe a greater companie of Lords and more honourable then they 16 Which came to Balaam and tolde him Thus sayth Balac the sonne of Ziphor Oh let nothing let thée but come vnto me 17 For I will greatly promote thée vnto great honour and will doe whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me come I pray thée curse this people for my sake 18 And Balaam answered and saide vnto the seruantes of Blalac If Balac would geue me this house full of Siluer and Golde I can not go beyonde the worde of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more 19 Nowe therefore I praye thée tarie ye here this night that I may wit what the Lord will say vnto me more 20 And God came vnto Balaam by night and sayde vnto him If the men come to cal thée rise vp and go with them but looke what I say vnto thée that shalt thou doe 21 And Balaam rose vp earely and sadled his asse and went with the Lords of Moab 22 And the wrath of God was kindled because he went and the angell of the Lorde stoode in the waye to be against him as he rode vpon his asse and his two seruauntes were with him 23 And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lord stande in the way and hauing his sword drawne in his hand the asse turned aside out of the waye and went out into the fielde And Balaam smote the asse to turne her into the way 24 But the angel of the Lorde stoode in a path betwéene the vineyardes and there was a wall on the one side and another on the other 25 â–ª And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lorde she thrust her selfe vnto the wall and crusht Balaams foote against the wall and he smote her againe 26 And the Angell of the Lorde went further and stoode in a narrowe place where was no waye to turne eyther to the right haude or to the left 27. And when the asse sawe the angel of the Lorde she fell downe vnder Balaam and Balaam was wroth and smote the asse with a staffe 28 And the Lorde opened the mouth of the asse 〈◊〉 she saide vnto Balaam What haue I done vnto thée that thou hast smitten me nowe three times 29 And Balaam saide vnto his asse Because thou hast mocked me I would also there were a sword nomine hand for euen nowe would I kill thée 30 And the asse saide vnto Balaam Am not I thine asse which thou hast ridden vpon since the first time vnto this day Was I euer wont to doe so vnto thée He saide nay 31 And the Lorde opened the eyes of Balaam and he sawe the angell of the Lorde standing in the way hauing his sworde drawne in his hande he bowed himselfe therefore and fell flatte on his face 32 And the Angell of the Lord saide vnto him Wherfore hast thou smitten the asse these thrée times Beholde I came out to withstand thée because thine hart hath declined out of the way before me 33 And the asse saw me and turned from me nowe three times or else if she had not turned fro me I had surely slaine thée and saued her aliue 34 Balaam saies vnto the angell of the Lorde I haue sinned for I wisâ— not that thou stoodest in the way against me Now therefore if it displease shée I will turne home againe 35 The angell of the Lorde saide vnto Balaam Go wyth the men but what I saye vnto thée that shalt thou speake And so Balaam went with the Lordes of Balac 36 And when Balac heard that Balaam was come he went out to méete him vnto a citie of Moab which is in the border of Arâ—on in the vttermost coast 37 And Balac saide vnto Balaam Did I not sende for thée to call thée and wherefore camest thou not vnto me Am I not hable in déede to promote thée vnto honor 38 And Balaam made answere vnto Balac Lo I am come vnto thée and can I now say any thing at all The worde that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speake 39 And Balaam went with Balac and they came vnto a citie of stréets 40 And Balac offered oxen and shéepe and sent thereof to Balaam and to the Lords that were with him 41 And on the morowe Balac tooke Balaam and brought him vp into the his places of Baal that thence he might sée the vttermost part of the people The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Numb And the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab c. IN the ende of the former .xxi. Chapter it was sayde that Schon king of the Amorhites did conquere take from the king of Moab all his lande euen vnto Arnon which as maye in this place appeare is not so to be taken but that there was a portion of lande yet remayning to the Moabites ouer which Balach their king raygned But in likelyhood his kingdome was not so mightie that he durst with his power wythstande the Israelites and therfore he craueth of the Madianites and other his neighbours that they woulde ioyne with him agaynst them The Moabites discended of one of the daughters of Loth the Madianites came from Abraham by Cethura and therefore were they as kinne vnto the Israelites and shoulde in curtesse euen by the Lawe of nature haue vsed more gentlenesse vnto them passing through their Countrey The Historie of this Chapiter and of the next following comprehendeth many matters worthie the obseruing First it sheweth that Satan by his instruments ceaseth not continually by Violence and force by craft and subtiltie by all the meanes he can to worke trouble daunger and confusion to the people and Church of god And
Luc. 1. and a number of other which in the time of Christ by his prouidence were borne dumbe Neither is it to be accounted a much greater miracle to make an Asse speake then to restore to the vse of his tongue a man dumbe borne They then that with scorne wil discredite this wil in like maner Discredite all the Miraculous workes of God. And wheÌ„ Balac heard that Balaam was come he went out to meete him c. This place declareth how Obsequious and full of submission those persons are to their false Prophetes which beside the true feare of God are giuen ouer to Superstition The King here commeth forth for honours sake to 〈…〉 vpon the way Like honour we 〈…〉 the Emperour and sundrie other 〈…〉 Kings haue giuen to the Popes But 〈…〉 or neuer reade that the like reuerence 〈…〉 vsed to the true Prophets and Ministers 〈◊〉 For the world more loueth honoreth that is 〈◊〉 and euill then that which is pure and good The second Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Numb 23. ANd Balaam sayd vnto Balac Buylde me here seuen aulters and prepare me here seuen oxen and seuen rammes 2 And Balac did as Balaam sayde and Balac and Balaam offered on euery aulter an oxe and a ramine 3 And Balaam â—ayde vnto Balac Stande by thy whole burnt sacrifice and I will go if so be that the Lord will méete me and whatsoeuer he sheweth me I will tell thée And he went vp hyer 4 But God met Balaam and Balaam sayde vnto him I haue prepared seuen auâ—sers and haue offered vpon euery aulter an oxe and a ramme 5 And the Lorde put a saying in Balaams mouth and sayde Go againe to Balac and say on this wise 6 And when he went againe vnto him â—o he stoode by his whole burnt sacrifice he and all the Lordes of Moab 7 And he â—olie vp his parable and sayde Balac 〈◊〉 of Moab hath brought me from Mesapotamia out of the mountaynes of the Cast saying Come 〈◊〉 Iacob for my sake come and defie Israel 8 â–ª s How that 〈◊〉 him whom 〈…〉 or howe shall I defie him whom the hath noâ— â—â—fied 9 For from the toppe of the rocks 〈…〉 from the hilles I beholde him lo the people 〈…〉 themselues and shall not be reckened among 〈…〉 10 Who can tell the dust of Iacob and the number of the fourth part of Israell I pray God that my soule maye die the death of the righteous and that my last ende may be like his 11 And Balac sayde vnto Balaam What hast thou done vnto me I tooke thée to curse myne enimies and beholde thou hast blessed them altogither 12 He answered and sayd must I not take héede to speake that which the Lorde hath put in my mouth 13 And Balac sayde vnto him Come I pray thée with me vnto another place whence thou mayst sée them and thou shalt sée but the vtmost part of them and shalt not sée them all curse them out of that place for my sake 14 And he brought him into a fielde where men might sée farre of to the top of an hill and built seuen aulters and offered an oxe and a ramme on euery aulter 15 And he sayde vnto Balac Stande here by thy whole burnt sacrifice while I méete the Lorde yonder 16 And the Lorde met Balaam and put a worde in his mouth and sayde Go againe vnto Balac and say thus 17 And when he came to him beholde he stoode by his whole burnt sacrifice and the Lordes of Moab with him And Balac sayd vnto him What hath the Lorde sayde 18 And be tooke vp his parable and answered Rise vp Balac and heare hearken vnto me thou sonne of Ziphor 19 God is not a man that he should lie neyther the sonne of man that he shoulde repent shoulde he say and not doe or shoulâ—â—e speake and not make it good 20 Beholde I haue taken vpon me to blesse for he hath blessed and it is not in my power to alter it 21 He behelde no vanitie in Iacob nor sawe transgression in Israel The Lorde his God is with him and the ioyfull shoute of a King is among them 22 God brought them out of Egypt they haue strength as an Vnicorne 23 For there is no sorcerie in Iacob nor soothsaying in Israell according to this time it shall be saide of Iacob and Israell What hath God wrought 24 Beholde the people shall rise vp as a Lion and heaue vppe himselfe as a yong Lion he shall not lie downe vntill he eate of the pray drinke the bloud of them that are slaine 25 And Balac sayde vnto Balaam Neither curse them nor blesse them at all 26 But Balaam answered and sayd vnto Balac Tolde not I thée saying All that the lord speaketh that I must do 27 And Balac sayd vnto Balaam Come I pray thée and I will bring thée yet vnto another place if at all it will please God that thou mayst thence curse them for my sake 28 And Balac brought Balaam vnto the top of Peor that looketh towarde Iesimon 29 And Balaam sayde vnto Balac Make me here seuen aulters and prepare me here seuen oxen seuen rammes 30 And Balac did as Balaam had sayde and offered an oxe and a ramme on euery aulter The Exposition vpon the .xxiij. Chapter of Numbers And Balaam sayde vnto Balac buylde me here seuen aulters and prepare c. THere maye appeare some Heathnish pompe and superstition in erecting of these seuen aulters and appoynting for Sacrifice seuen oxen and seuen rammes because the true Saintes of God neuer vsed the like and God him selfe by his commaundement had appoynted Moises to make but one aulter whereon his people should offer sacrifices vnto him Therefore this false Prophet doth here also bewray himself in his shewe of Gods worship to haue mixed Heathnish Superstition and Magicall deuises of his owne And yet neuerthelesse that it pleased God in some respect to suffer him to be the instrument of the holy ghost to vtter the truth of his blessing of his people and the promises made before to Abraham and other of the Increase and prosperous successe of theyr seede that their wicked enimies to their further condemnation might haue some Vnderstanding thereof But God mette Balaam and Balaam sayde vnto him I haue prepared c. It maye seeme verie straunge that God would in any point communicate with the fylthynesse of Balaams deuises For there is no partaking betweene light and darkenesse and God detesteth all societie with Deuils Yet although God hate the wicked corruption of Balaam it did not let him but that in some Particuler thing he might vse hym to his purpose For this meeting of Balaam was no token of Gods fauour neyther that he did Alow the superstition of the seauen aulters and sacrifices But as he often vsed wicked persons for instruments of his glorie So doth he nowe vse the mouth of this false
so in the land whither ye go to possesse it 6 Kepe them therfore do them for that is your wisedom and vnderstanding in the syght of the people that they may heare all these ordinances and say Surely it is a wise and vnderstanding people it is a great nation 7 For what other nation is so great that gods come so nie vnto as the Lord our God is nie vnto vs in all things as oft as we call vnto him 8 Yea and what nation is so greate that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day 9 Take héed to thy self therfore and kéepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thyne eyes haue séen and that they depart not out of thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sonnes thy sonnes sonnes 10 Specially the day that thou stodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lorde sayde vnto me Gather me the people together and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me all the days that they shal liue vpon the earth that they may teach their children 11 Ye came and stode also vnder the mountayn the mountayn burnt with fire euen vnto the middes of heauen and there was darknesse cloudes mist 12 And the Lord spake vnto you oute of the middes of the fire and ye hearde the voyce of the wordes but sawe no similitude but hearde a voyce onely 13 And he declared vnto you his couenant which he commaunded you to do euen ten commaundements which he wrote vpon two tables of stone 14 And the Lord cōmaunded me that same season that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which ye ought to do in the land whither ye go to possesse it 15 Take therefore good héede vnto your selues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of fire 16 Lest ye marre your selues make you a grauen image picture of any maner of figure whether it be the likenesse of man or woman 17 The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that flyeth in the ayre 18 Or the likenesse of any maner worme that créepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19 Yea and lest thou lift vp thyne eyes vnto heauen and when thou séest the sunne the Moone and the starres with al the hoast of heauen shuldest be driuen to worship them and serue them and shuldest worship and serue the things which the Lord thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen 20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the yron fornace euen out of Egypte to be vnto him a people and inheritaunce as ye be this daye 21 Furthermore the Lord was angrie with me for youre wordes and sware that I should not go ouer Iordane that I should not go in vnto that good lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thée to inheritance 22 But I muste dye in this land and shall not go ouer Iordane but ye shall go ouer and possesse that good land 23 Take héed vnto your selues that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he made with you that ye make you no grauen image or likenesse that the lord thy God hath forbidden thée 24 For the lord thy God is a cōsuming fire a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children and thy children beget children and shalte haue remained long in the lande if ye do wickedly and make any maner of grauen image and worke euill in the sight of the Lorde thy God to prouoke him to anger 26 I call heauen and earth to recorde against you this daye that ye shall shortly perishe from of the lande wherunto you go ouer Iordane to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes therein but shall vtterly be destroyed 27 And the Lord shal scatter you among the people and ye shal be left fewe in number among the nations whither the Lord shall bring you 28 And there ye shall serue Gods which are the work of mans hande wood and stone which neither sée nor heare nor eate nor smell 29 If frō thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him * if thou seke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30. When thou art in tribulation and when all these things that be here spoken of are come vppon thée euen in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lorde thy God and shalt be obedient vnto his voyce 31 For the Lorde thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thée neither destroye thée nor forget the appoyntment of thy fathers which he sware vnto them 32 For aske of the dayes that are paste which were before and since the day that God created man vpō the earth and aske from the one side of heauē vnto the other if euer there came to passe suche a great thing or whether anye such like thing hath ben hearde as this 33 Did euer any people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the middes of a fire as thou hast heard yet lyued 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a people frō among nations by temptations by signes by wonders by warre by a mighty hande by a stretched out arme and by great sightes according to all that the Lord your God dyd vnto you in Egipt before your eyes 35 Vnto thée it was shewed that thou mightest knowe that the Lord is God and that there is none other but he 36 Out of heauen he made thée heare his voyce that he might instruct thée and vpō earth he shewed thée his great fire thou heardest his word out of the middest of the fire 37 And bycause he loued thy fathers he chose their séede after thē and brought thée out in his sighte w his mightie power * out of Egipt 38 To thrust out natiōs greater mightier than thou before thée to bring thée in to geue thée their land to inheritāce as it is come to passe this day 39 Vnderstand therfore this day and consider it in thine hearte that the Lorde is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath neither is there any other 40 Thou shalt kepe therfore his ordināces hys commaūdements which I cōmaund thée this day y it may go wel with thée with thy childrē after thée and that thou maist prolong thy dayes vpō the earth which the lord thy God geueth thée for euer 41 Then Moyses seuered thrée cities on the other syde of Iordane toward the sun rising 42 That he shoulde flée thither whych had kylled hys neighboure vnwares and hated him not in
that can more moue either a godly person or anye man of common sense and reason to loue and obey one than to consider hys great works and benefites done for his defence and deliuerance out of thraledome and miserye Therefore Moyses willeth the children of Israell to descend into earnest * consideration with themselues how great and maruellous workes God had done for them That he chose them firste as his peculiar people among all the nations of the earth that when they were holden in miserable * captiuitie vnder the tyrannye of the Egiptians of his meere mercy without any regard of their worthynes and farre beyond their hope or expectation he by mightie * power deliuered them By his own voyce with great maiestie of signes and wonders he published hys law vnto them that they might not be ignorant of hys holye will and commaundementes He maruellously gaue victory vnto them against mighty * kings and Nations and to bring them into a blessed lande and countrey by his power not * their might he turned out the inhabitants thereof before them Therefore if after so great and many benefites they should reuolt from this so gratious mercifull and mightye a God they should shewe themselues very vnthankfull and worthy of great punishments TheÌ„ Moyses seuered three Cityes on the otherside of Iordane c. Bicause it semed not iust in the sight of God that they which had committed manslaughter vnwillingly by casualtie and chaunce should be punished as wilfull murderers or those that wittingly doe kil men or commit any other hainous offence Therefore God appoynted Moyses to assigne sixe Cities that myght be as sanctuaries for such persons to resorte vnto for their salftie Of which these are three that Moyses here in this place speaketh of Of the ordaining of these Cities of refuge you may read Num. 35. Deut. 19. Iosua 20. The thirde Sundaye after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deut. 5. AND Moyses called all Israel sayd vnto them Heare O Israel the ordinances and lawes whiche I speake in your eares this daye that ye may learne them fulfill them in déede 2 The Lord our God made a couenaÌ„t with vs in Horeb. 3 The Lorde made not this couenaunt with our fathers but with vs euen with vs which are al here alyue this day 4 The Lorde talked with you face to face in the mount out of the middes of the fire 5 And I stoode betwéen the Lord and you the same time and shewed you the word of the Lord For ye were afrayde at the sight of the fire and went not vp into the mount and he sayd 6 I am the Lord thy God which brought thée out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage 7 Thou shalt haue none other gods in my presence 8 Thou shalt make thée no grauen image or any likenes of that which is in heauen aboue or that is in earth beneath or that is in the waters beneath the earth 9 Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Ielous God visiting the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation among them that hate me 10 And shewe mercy vpon thousands among them y loue mée and kepe my commaundementes 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 12 Kepe the sabbath day that thou sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée 13 Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe 14 But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter nor thy man seruauÌ„t nor thy maide nor thine Oxe nor thine Asse nor any of thy â—â—ttell nor the stranger that is within thy gaâ—es that thy man seruaunt and thy maide maye rest as well as thou 15 Remember that thou wast a seruaunte in the lande of Egipt how that the Lord thy God brought thée out thence through a mightie hand a stretched out arme For which cause the Lord thy God coÌ„maunded thée to kepe the Sabbath day 16 Honour thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée that thy dayes maye be prolonged and that it may go well with thée in the land which the Lord thy God geueth thée 17 Thou shalt not kyll 18 Thou shalt not commit adulterie 19 Thou shalt not steale 20 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 21 Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house his fielde his seruant or his maide his Oxe his Asse or ought that thy neighbour hath 22 These wordes the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the middes of the fire of the cloude of the darknesse with a great voyce added no more therto and wrote them in two tables of stone and deliuered them vnto me 23 And it came to passe that when ye heard the voyce out of the middes of the darknesse for the mountaine dyd burne with fire then ye came vnto me with the Captaines of your tribes and your Elders 24 And ye said Behold the Lorde our God hath shewed vs his glory and his greatnesse we haue hearde his voyce oute of the middes of the fire we haue séene this daye that God doth talke with man and he yet liueth 25 Now therfore why shoulde we dye that this great fire should consume vs If we heare the voyce of y Lord our God any more we shall die 26 For what flesh hath it bene that euer heard the voyce of the liuing God speaking oute of the middes of the fire as we haue done and yet did liue 27 Go thou and heare all that the Lord our God saith and tell thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God saith vnto thée we will heare it and doe it 28 And the Lorde hearde the voyce of your words when ye spake vnto me and the Lorde saide vnto me I haue heard the voyce of the wordes of this people which they haue spoken vnto thée they haue wel said all that they haue spoken 29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me kepe all my commaundements alway that it might go well with them and with their children for euer 30 Go and say vnto them Get you into your tentes againe 31 But stand thou here by me and I will tell thée all the commaundements ordinances lawes which thou shalt teach them that they may doe them in the land which I geue them to possesse 32 Take hede therefore that ye doe in déede as the Lorde your God hath commaunded you and turne not aside either to the righte hande or to the
left 33 But walke in all the wayes which the Lorde your God hath commaunded you that ye may liue that it may go well with you and that ye may prolong your dayes in the land which ye shal possesse The exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Deuteronomie And Moyses called all Israel and sayd vnto them heare O Israel c. MOyses purposing in this chapter by repetition to call to their remembraunce the lawe and commaundementes that god gaue vnto hys people in Horeb In these fine fyrst verses in way of a preface he exhorteth admonisheth them diligently to harkē to the lawes ordinances of God and that in such sort as they maye in dede* perfourme them and not onely by hearing receyue them For they conteyne that blessed couenaunt whereby both God did more euidently and notablie binde him self to be their god thā he did before time to their fathers and they also with like protestatiō submitted themselues to be his people so that they coulde not now without great blame fal frō his obedience I am the Lord thy God which broughte thee out of the land of Egipt c. Almighty God that his law might haue the greater reuerence maiestie with his people in the first entrance he * challengeth to himself the authoritie of a Lord God ouer them I am saith he the Lorde thy God * therby giuing thē to vnderstande that they ought of right to submit thē selues to his will and pleasure Secondlye he putteth them in mind of the great benefite of deliuerance that they had receiued at his hande * therby the more to moue allure them to obedience By these ten commaundements we may fully perfectly learne those things whereof by the law of Nature we haue but a single bare taste onlie that is First that we owe a * perfect loue reuerence and feare toward god Secondly that he is pleased with godlines and iustice displeased * with wickednesse and dishonestie Thirdlye by examining our liues according to this rule of his perfecte iustice that we are of our selues * vnworthye to be esteemed his creatures seing that we do not in our obedience fulfill that end * wherunto we were made by him And forsomuch as God the law maker is spirituall in this his lawe he speaketh not onely to our body in requiring external iustice but also to our soule requiring inward and spirituall integritie and in dede such puritie as the Angels in heauē haue as it may appeare by Christs own interpretation* Mathew 5. and likewise when he saith* Thou shalt loue God with al thy hart wyth all thy mind with all thy soule c. Moreouer to the right vnderstanding of these commaundements we must not onely consider the euils that by them God forbiddeth but the vertues and good things that are contrarie vnto the euill For in forbidding the euill he commaundeth the good As for example when he saith * Thou shalt not commit adultry he doth not onlie prohibite all vncleane actes thoughtes but also commaundeth the contrarie that we should moderate our whole life in all chastitie puritie and continencie yea to our powers prohibite vncleanesse in other also These wordes the Lorde spake vnto all your multitude in the mount c. That the wayward people might not discredite the law of God make the lesse accompt of it bicause he was the minister thereof Moyses in this place putteth them in minde that God himself with his owne * voyce gaue these commaundements in the hearing of them all that with so great * terrour and maiestie of thunder lightening fire earthquake that they themselues confessed they were not hable to abide it therfore ernestlie desired that Moyses might be a mediatour betwene God and thē in the deliuerie of his lawes binding themselues wyth this* promise that they would accepte fulfyll those lawes that he in the name of God should deliuer them wherfore he willeth them to take hede that they did in dede performe those things that God had commaunded not to turne aside from them either* on the righte hande or on the left that they might enioye the promises that God in like maner had made vnto them Oh that there were such an heart in thē that they would feare mee c. It is God onely that is hable to mollifie the stome harts of men giue them pliant and obedient willes to fulfill his commaundementes What may it meane then that God in this place both wishe to his people such an hart as would feare him seing that he only can giue it and they of thēselues not able to haue it Surely he doth not signifie hereby that men of their * owne free willes are hable to frame their harts to the perpetuall loue and feare of God. But he speaking after the manner of men declareth that it is a thing rather to be wished than to be looked for that the wayward people of the Iewes shuld for euer be obedient to his lawes and ordinaunces God by wishing that his people might or by commaunding that they shoulde kepe his commaundements doth not signifye that they haue of themselues power to doe them but by the commaundement they maye learne what they should doe and in finding wante in themselues be driuen to seke habilitie* where it is to be had that is at the mercy grace of almighty God. The fourth Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Deut. 6. THese are the commaundementes ordynaunces and lawes which the Lorde your God commaunded mée to teache you that ye mighte doe them in the lande whither ye goe to possesse it 2 That thou mightest feare the Lorde thy God and kepe all his ordinances and his commaundements which I commaund thée thou and thy Sonne and thy sonnes sonne all the dayes of thy life that thy dayes may be prolonged 3 Heare therefore O Israell and take héede that thou doe it that it may go well with thée and that ye may encrease mightily as the Lorde God of thy fathers hath promysed thée a land that floweth with milke and hony 4 Heare O Israel the lord our God is lorde onely 5 And thou shalte loue the lorde thy God with all thyne heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might 6 And these wordes which I commaunde thée this day shal be in thine heart 7 And thou shalt shewe them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou art at home in thine house and as thou walkest by the waye and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp 8 And thou shalt binde them for a signe vpon thine hand and they shal be as frontlettes betwéene thine eyes 9 And thou shalt write them vpō the postes of thy house and vpon thy gates 10 And when the Lord thy God hath brought thée into the land which he sware
stand before the children of Anac 3 Vnderstand therfore this daye that the Lord thy God is he which goeth ouer before thée as a consuming fire he shall destroy them and he shal bring them downe before thy face So thou shalt caste them out bring them to naught quickly as the Lorde hath sayde vnto thée 4 Speake not thou in thine heart after that the Lorde thy God hath cast them outs before thée saying For my righteousnesse the Lorde hath brought me in to poâ—â—esse this lande but for the wickednesse of these natioÌ„s the Lord hath cast theÌ„ oute before thée 5 It is not for thy righteousnesse sake or for thy right heart that thou goest to possesse their land But for the wickednesse of these Nations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thée to perfourme the worde which the Lorde thy God sware vnto thy fathers Abraham Isahac and Iacob 6 Vnderstande therefore that it is not for thy righteousnesse sake that the Lorde thy God dothe gyue thée this good lande to possesse it séeyng thou art a stifnecked people 7 Remember and forget not howe thou prouokedst the Lord thy God to anger in the wildernesse since the day that thou diddest depart out of the lande of Egipt vntill ye came vnto this place ye haue rebelled against the Lord. 8 Also in Horeb ye prouoked the Lorde to anger so that the Lord was wroth with you to haue destroyed you 9 When I was gone vp into the mount to receiue the tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt which the Lorde made with you and I abode in the mount fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes when I neither dyd eate breade nor drinke water 10 And the Lorde deliuered me two tables of stone written with the singer of God and in them were conteined all the wordes which the Lorde said vnto you in the mount out of the middes of the fire in the day when ye came together 11 And when the fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes were ended the Lorde gaue me the two tables of stone the tables of the couenaunt 12 And the Lorde sayde vnto mée Arise and get thée downe quickly from hence for thy people which thou hast brought out of Egipt haue marred all â–ª they are turned at once oute of the waye which I commaunded them and haue made them a molten image 13 Furthermore the Lorde spake vnto me saying I haue séene this people and beholde it is a stifnecked people 14 Let me alone that I may destroy them and put oute the name of them from vnder heauen and I will make of thée a mightie nation and greater than they be 15 And I turned me and came downe from the hill euen from the hill that burnt with fire and the two tables of the couenaunt were in my handes 16 And I loked and beholde ye had sinned against the Lorde your God and has made you a molten calfe and had turned at once out of the way which the Lord had commauÌ„ded you 17 And I toke the two tables and cast them oute of my two handes and brake them before your eyes 18 And I fell downe flat before the Lorde as at the firste time and fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes I did neither eate breade nor drynke water bycause of all your sinnes which ye sinned in doying wickedly in the sighte of the Lorde in that ye prouoked him vnto wrathe 19 For I was afrayde that for the wrath and fiercenesse wherwith the Lord was moued against you he would haue destroyed you But the Lord heard me at that time also 20 The Lord was verye angry with Aaron also to haue destroyed him and I made intercession for Aaron also the same time 21 And I toke your sinne the Calfe which ye had made and burnte him with fire and stamped him and grounde him verye small euen to dust and I caste the dust thereof into the brooke that descended out of the mount 22 Also at the burning place at the place of tempting and at the Sepulchres of lust ye prouoked the Lord to anger 23 Likewise when the Lorde sent you from Cades Barnea saying Go vp and possesse the land which I haue giuen you you rebelled against the worde of the Lorde your God and neither beloued him nor hearkened vnto his voyce 24 You haue bene rebellious vnto the Lord since the day that I knew you 25 And I fell downe flat before the Lord fourtie dayes and fourtie nightes as I fell downe before for the Lorde sayde he would destroy you 26 I made intercession therefore vnto the Lorde sayde O lorde God destroy not thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou haste deliuered through thy great goodnesse and which thou haste broughte out of Egipt through a mightye hande 27 Remember thy seruauntes Abraham Isahac and Iacob and looke not vnto the stubbernesse of this people nor to their wickednesse and sinne 28 Least the lande whence thou broughtest them saye The Lorde is not able to bring them into the lande whych he promised them and because he hated them therfore hath he caryed them out to slay them in the wildernesse 29 Beholde they are thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou broughtest oute in thy mightye power and in thy stretched out arme The Exposition vpon the .ix. Chapter of Deuteronomie Heare O Israel thou passest ouer Jordane this day to goe in and possesse c. THe Israelites were a proude wayward and vnthankefull people sone forgetting Gods benefites done vnto them Wherefore the purpose of Moises is in this chapter to * beate into their memorye that they were made the heires of the land of Chanaan came to al that felicitie wherin they either had or should be onely by the free goodnes and mercye of God for his promises for his couenauntes sake and not by their owne strength or for their owne worthines In this to perswade them he vseth two reasons especially The one by comparing them with the people of that couÌ„trey The other by the example of their owne wayward and rebellious doyngs against God. As touching the former he sayth the people of that countrey were farre greater in number mightier in power than they were For manye of them were of the race of the * Giaunt Anac strong and mightie persons as the messengers that went to viewe the lande did bryng worde So that they were stricken with feare * murmured against GOD as hauing brought them to a land vnpossible for them by conquest to get Wherefore if GOD by hys mightye hande did worke it for them they oughte to acknowledge they did stande and depende onelye vpon hym And as they were not hable to worke thys of their owne strength so coulde they not iustlye thinke that GOD did it for them of dutie or for their owne worthines but rather that they had deserued the cleane contrarye at his hande and that he letteth theÌ„ vnderstand as I haue
them before the Lorde thy God in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy seruant and thy mayd and the Leuite that is within thy gates and thou shalte reioyce before the Lord thy God in all that thou puttest thyne hand to 19 Beware that thou forsake not the Leuite as long as thou lyuest vpon the earth 20 If when the Lorde thy God shall enlarge thy border as he hath promised thée thou say I will eate flesh bicause thy soule longeth to eate fleshe thou mayst eate fleshe what soeuer thy soule lusteth 21 If the place whiche the Lorde thy God hath chosen to put his name there bée too far from thée then thou shalt kill of thy oxen and of thy shéep whiche the Lord hath giuen thée as I haue commaunded thée and thou shalt eate in thyne owne citie whatsoeuer thy soule lusteth 22 And as the Roebucke and the Harte is eaten so thou shalt eate them both the cleane and vncleane shal eate of them 23 But take héede that thou eate not the bloud for the bloud is the lyfe and thou mayste not eate the lyfe with the fleshe 24 Thou shalt not eate it but poure it vppon the earth as water 25 Thou shalt not eate it that it maye goe well with thée and with thy children after thée but thou shalt doe that whiche is ryghte in the sighte of the Lorde 26 But thy holy things whiche thou haste and thy vowes thou shalte take and come vnto the place which the Lord hath chosen 27 And thou shalte offer thy whole burnt offerings both fleshe and bloude vpon the aulter of the Lorde thy God and the bloud of thine offerings shall be poured out vpon the aulter of the Lorde thy God and thou shalt eate the fleshe 28 Take héede and heare all these words which I cōmaund thée that it may go wel with thée and with thy children after thée for euer if thou doest that whiche is good and righte in the sighte of the Lorde thy God. 29 When the Lorde thy God shall destroy the nations before thée whither thou goest to possesse them and thou succéedest in their inheritaunce and dwellest in their lande 30 Beware that thou be not taken in a snare after them after that they be destroyed before thée and that thou aske not after their Goddes saying As these nations serue theyr Gods I wil do so likewise 31 Nay thou shalt not do so vnto the Lord thy God for all abhominations and that whiche the Lord hateth the same haue they done vnto their goddes 32 For they haue burned both their sonnes their daughters with fire before their goods Therefore whatsoeuer I commaund you take héede ye do it and put thou naughte thereto nor take ought therefrom The Exposition vpon the .xij. Chapter of Deuteronomie These are the ordinaunces and lawes whiche ye shall obserue and doe c. AS Moyses before in sundry places had warned the Israelites earnestly to shun Idolatrie and false woorshipping of God so here that they might haue the lesse occasion to be seduced hee chargeth them when God hathe brought them into the land of Chanaan giuen thē the possession therof that they shuld * destroy all the places wherin those wicked nations serued their gods yea and to ouerthrow their aulters breake their pillers burne their groues hewe downe their grauen images and somuch as they coulde bring the names of them out of memorie that they remayned not among them as stumbling stockes for them to fall at Wherin we also haue to learn that to the vttermost of our power we should deface the monumēts of Idolatrie yet after the Idolatrie false worshipping of God is by good order and doctrine taken away as touching the outwarde things that they vsed some more libertie is left to christiās than was to the Israelites For I do not see but that christian mē may wel vse churches and some other things that haue bene before time wickedly abused and apply the same things now to better vses As the precepts for auoyding of Idolatrie were perpetual binde all ages so this commaundement of destroying the places c. was but temporall and an ordinance to them only giuen and therfore doth not bynd all other in like maner as it did binde them You shall not doe so to the Lorde youre God but ye shall seeke the place c. In this part of the chapter Moyses by gods Authoritie appointed to the Israelites a certain order to be obserued in the externall exercise of Gods true worship wherby it might differ frō all false woorshippyngs of Idolatrous Gods dispersed throughout the world and that is it that hee woulde haue but one Sanctuarie and one Aulter thereby to declare their*vnitie and consent in one faith and religion Therefore he appointeth but one place* where he wil be worshipped and thither he willeth them all to resorte and to that place to bring their offrings The choyce of this place God reserueth to himselfe neyther was it appointed among the people of Israell vntill the tyme of king Dauid and then chose hee Mounte Syon and the Citie of Hierusalem as it is sayde Psalme 78 Hee refused the tabernacle of Ioseph hee chose not the trybe of Ephraim but chose the trybe of Iuda euen the hyll of Syon vvhyche hee loued And agayne Psalme 132. God hathe chosen Sion and had a desire that it myghte bee an habitation for him This is sayeth he my rest for euer here I vvill dvvell c. In all the meane time vntill Dauids reigne the Arke of GOD had not anye settled place but yet they dydde woorshyppe GOD and doe Sacrifice where the Arke and the Tabernacle was So that euery man or euery Tribe did not erect a seuerall aulter where they might sacrifice to their god The sacrifices and offerings mentioned vers 6. are such as by God him selfe were appointed to diuers purposes as appeareth Leuit. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Num. 15. and in sundry other places In al those sacrifices the Priestes and Leuites that attended vpon the seruice of God hadde their portions appointed them the residue they that offred did eate with thankes giuing reuerence For by this speech To eate before the Lord is noted the holy feastes that they solemnised at sacrifices as a differēce from their other meales and eatings For then were they at the tabernacle where god did principally declare his presence to them and therfore were sayd To eate before the Lorde Notwithstanding thou mayst kill and eate fleshe in all thy cities c. God permitteth the Israelites to eate fleshe suche as they lyke in any place so that it were not offered to him in Sacrifice but vsed as their common meate And he putteth for example the Roe and the Harte whiche were neuer offered to God and therefore mighte all sortes of men eate of them yea euen
suche as by Gods lawe were compted vncleane and needed purification by the order of the lawe but of Sacrifices none such might eat before they were purged But as God permitteth them to eate fleshe so he forbiddeth them to eate the bloud the whiche hee doth Leuit. 17. farre more earnestly The lyke * inhibitioÌ„ he vsed also to Noah after the deluge Whiche God didde to accustome his people to a more myldenesse among themselues that they shoulde not be readie to murder and slaughter For when by Gods ordinance they had learned to spare the Bloud of beastes they must nedes think it a greater* crueltie to shed mans bloud Therfore in Genesis God immediately after the prohibition to eate the bloud of beastes addeth VVhosoeuer sheadeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shead Thou mayste not eate within thy gates the tythe of thy corne c. As Moyses hadde shewed them that they might eate fleshe so now he telleth them what they may not eate that is their tythe the fyrst borne of their cattell their vowes their freewil offerings c. For of all these so muche as was Gods portion was allotted to the fynding of his ministers the Priests the Leuites and also the poore people as maye in parte appeare Nu. 18. And therfore they myght not eate them at home that they might not defraud the ministers of God of whom they* ought to haue care and therefore God chargeth them that they doe not forsake the Leuite but the residue of the same * Sacrifices that was not appointed to the Priests c. they are commanded to eate before the Lord that is at his Tabernacle where hee chiefly declared his presence When the Lorde thy God shall enlarge thy border as he hath promised c. Here is repeated the same thing that was spoken Verse 15. 16. that they might eate fleshe according to their habilitie that God had giuen them and how they might eate it that is as a common meate not as a Sacrifice There is added also a more large and earnest* prohibitioÌ„ of eating of bloud bycause in the bloudis life or the vitall spirites so that it may seeme crueltie to eate bloud To eate bloud of it selfe was not a matter of so greate momente and therefore when God presseth so earnestly the prohibition and with so great punishmente it is euident the Lawe tendeth to some other ende that is that they might esteme the Liues of all things and especially of Man to be precious And therfore saith he The bloud is the life But thy holy thinges whiche thou hast and thy vowes thou shalt take c. This maketh the former Precept more plain and sheweth euidently that the cause whiche God would haue no mo places of worship than one was that the diuersitie of places and Aultars might not among that wayward people cause so many Seueral Gods as they had seuerall places of worship Therefore are they willed here to bring al Holy things that is such as be dedicated to God or appointed for Sacrifice to that appointed place where the Lord wolde choose to be worshipped Take heede and heare all these wordes which I commaund thee c. Forsomuch as the Imitation of that people that dwelled in the land of Chanaan mighte bee a great occasion easily to leade them to Idolatrie and worshipping of strange gods Moyses heere straightly forbiddeth them not so muche as to Enquire of the maner of their false Gods. For this is lightly the beginning of all Idolatrie when men vnderstanding the simplicitie of Gods true worship curiously Enquire of mens deuises whether there be any thing in theÌ„ worthy obseruation which they may adde as they thinke to beautifie the simplicitie of Gods coÌ„maundement and so by little and little fall eyther to flat Idolatrie or to very Grosse superstition Wherefore God bridleth here this loosnesse of his people and saith They may not do so to their Lorde God for hee did not onely mislike those false worshippings but dyd Hate them Loth them accompted them Abhominable and especially that Horrible vse of Burning their sonnes and daughters vnto deuils Therefore to knit vp this instruction God commaundeth them that they shoulde cleaue faste vnto his worde and not in any poynte to alter it eyther By adding any thing thereto or by taking any thing therefro As if hee had sayde that all studies and indeuours of men to woorship him not proceding out of this* roote of his holy word and law seemed they neuer so godly were superstitious wicked and abhominable in his syght And therefore they may seeme to breake the first commaundement and to frame vnto themselues strange Gods which worship God in any other maner than in his worde is appoynted For this cause doth Esaie chap. 29 threaten horrible punishment to suche persons Bicause saith God this people hath vvorshipped mee vvith their mouth and their hartes farre from mee and their feare tovvards mee hath proceded of the commaundementes of men I vvill doe maruels among this people For the vvisedome of their vvise men shall perishe c. Seing therfore the whole worship of God that these many yeares hath ben in the Churche of Rome hath bene altogither Mans deuise besyde and contrary to the word of God no maruell if God hath so * blynded and astonied thewisedome vnderstanding of the chiefe doctours and best learned of them that they stand in defence of very grosse errors and superstitions The Sunday after the Ascention at Euenyng prayer Deuteronomie .xiij. IF there aryse among you a Prophete or a dreamer of dreames and giue thée a signe or a wonder 2 And that signe or wonder which he hath sayde come to passe and then saye Lette vs goe after straunge Gods which thou hast not knowne and let vs serue them 3 Hearken not thou vnto the wordes of that prophete or dreamer of dreames For the Lorde thy God proueth you to knowe whether ye loue the Lorde youre God with all your heart and with all your soule 4 Ye shall walke after the Lorde youre God and feare him kéepe his commaundementes and hearken vnto his voyce you shall serue him and cleane vnto him 5 And that prophet or dreamer of dreames shall dye bicause he hath spoken to tâ—rlie you awaye from the Lorde your God whiche brought you out of the lande of Egypte and deliuered you out of the house of bondage to thrust thée out of the waye whiche the Lorde thy God commaunded thée to walke in and therfore thou shalt put the euill away from thée 6 If thy brother the sonne of thy mother or thyne owne sonne or thy daughter or the wyfe that lyeth in thy bosome or thy frende which is as thyne owne soule vnto thée entice thée secretely saying Let vs go and serue straunge gods which thou haste not knowne nor yet thy fathers 7 And they be any of the gods of the people
which are rounde aboute you whether they bée nye vnto thée or farre off from thée from the one ende of the earth vnto the other 8 Thou shalte not consent vnto him nor hearken vnto him thyne eye shall not pitie him neyther shalt thou haue compassion on him nor kéepe him secrete 9 But cause hym to be slayne Thyne hande shall bée fyrste vpon him to kill him and then the handes of all the people 10 And thou shalte stone him with stones that he dye bycause he hathe gone aboute to thruste thée awaye from the Lorde thy God whiche broughte thée out of the lande of Egypt and from the house of bondage 11 And all Israell shall heare and feare and shall doe no more any suche wickednesse as this is among you 12 If thou shalte heare saye in one of thy Cities whiche the Lorde thy God hath giuen thée to dwell in 13 That certaine men béeing the children of Beliall are gone out from among you and haue mâ—ued the inhabiters of their Citie saying Let vs goe and serue straunge gods whyche ye haue not knowne 14 Then thou must seeke and make search and enquire diligently and beholde if it be true and the thing of a suretie that suche abhomination is wrought among you 15 Then thou shalt smite the dwellers of that citie with the edge of the sworde and destroye it vtterly and all that is therein and the very cattell thereof wyth the edge of the swoorde 16 And gather all the spoyle of it into the middes of the stréete therof and burne with fyre bothe the citie and all the spâ—yle thereof euery whitte for the Lorde thy God and it shal be an heape for euer and shal not be built agayn 17 And there shall cleaue naughte of the damned thing in thyne hande that the Lorde maye turne from the fiercenesse of his wrath and shew thée mercie and haue compassion on thée and multiplie thée as hée hathe sworne vnto thy fathers 18 Therefore shalte thou hearken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God to kéepe all his commaundementes whiche I commaunde thée this daye that thou doe that whiche is right in the eyes of the Lorde thy God. The Exposition vpon the .xiij. Chapter of Deuteronomie If there arise among you aprophete or a dreamer of dreames c. IN the later end of the former chapter Moyses had willed the people in any wise to beware of the strange worship of heathen Gods Now he willeth theÌ„ to take heed of false teachers rising amoÌ„g themselues seking to â—educe them froÌ„ the true worship of God that in any wise they do not herken or giue credit vnto theÌ„ The Deuil enuying the true honor of God doth not only seke to blemish ouerthrow the same by forain enimies but also eueÌ„ at * howe in the house of God he rayseth False Doctours and teachers â–ª that vnder faire titles and goodly pretenses of holinesse maye draw the people of God from his known truth Wherefore Moyses here noteth the coloures wherewith the Deuill by his ministers in this case vseth to deceiue meÌ„ They wil take on them the name of Prophetes or such as haue reuelation from God by dreames yea and sometime he will help theÌ„ by Gods sufferance to * work some straunge and miraculous thing that by such a Syâ—ne or wonder they maye gather the greater credite in their false doctrine Wherfore God here fore warneth his faythful people to take heede of suche gaye tales and to suspecte such faire pretences and to cleaue only to hys word and hearken to * his voice from whyche if their teachers do swarue and wil them to do that is contrary thereto they must not beleeue them but accompt them as wicked Seducers and deceiuers This lesson is so giuen to the Israelites that it may bee also an instruction to all the faithfull in the Church of God at all times and especially in these latter dayes wherin the Holy Ghost hath giuen warning before hand that Antichrist and his ministers should vse the same meanes and that so mightely that if it were possible he should Seduce* euen the elect of God. When Moyses sayeth The Lorde your God proueth you c. we must vnderstande that God doth not tempt or proue of purpose to lead or induce to that whiche is euill or to lay stumbling blocks at which his people may take offence fall but only by such meanes to examine and â—rie them to make that knowne openly to the World which he knoweth to be inwardly in their hearts whether it be good or euill So did God tempt Abraham Gen 22. that his faith might be â—nown â—o al meÌ„ So did Christ tempt the womaÌ„ of ChanaaÌ„ wheÌ„ he called hir dogge and refused to heare her praier And for this and doth S. Paule saye 1. Cor. 11. that There must be â—â—ctes in the church that they that be proued may be knowne For this cause then God suffereth suche Soducers to be in his Churche that by them the Hypocrites and dissimulers may be tryed from the faythfull and electe Children of god The good man may some times by suche meanes fall into errour and be intrapped of the wicked but it is onely in some parte and for a time and after returneth againe by repentance which god suffereth in him to punish his Negligence that did not bestowe sufficient diligence in studiyng and meditating in the word of God or did not Liue seuerely according to his profession and calling When in the. 5. verse Moises saith And the Prophete or dreamer of dreames shal die c. He declareth that we must not only * discerne false teachers from other and beware of them but that they muste by the Magistrate be seuerelie punished to the example of other least the infectioÌ„ of their corrupt Doctrine do destroy the soules of many and disturbe the Churche of god In that he appointeth the punishment of Death we haue to note these circumstaunces That it must not be executed by euery Priuate maÌ„ but by the Magistrate who hath * Aucthoritie giuen of God to punishe the wicked That not euery one that hath dispersed some errour to the offence of the godly is by and by to be taken and put to Death but such onely as be principall Ringleaders seeke by all meanes they can to drawe the people of God to Apostasie and forsaking of his fettled and knowen truth and vtterlye to subuert the same And lastly that the Crime must be euidently knoweÌ„ and tried and the partie fully conuicted It semeth to many that it is Extremitie trueltie in matter of Religion conscience to vse the punishment of Death and they saye that Christ was milde and mercifull required his Disciples to folow his steppes In so much that wheÌ„ they desired fire to come from heauen to punishe euill persons he said They knew not of what spirit they vveare But let those men
Moyses Num. 32. by reading of whiche place this wil be the better vnderstanded And they answered Iosuah saying All that thou hast commaunded vs c. In this thirde parte of the chapiter the people shewe their obedience vnto that Prince and leader that was by God appointed vnto them All things saye they That thou hast commaunded vs vve will doe Whereby we maye learne an example of obedience to Magistrates not onely of obedience but also of carefull loue toward them For that it was that here moued the people to praye for Iosuah saying The Lorde thy God be vvith thee as he vvas vvith Moyses Whereby we are taught also to pray to God for the good estate of oure Princes that we maye quietlye liue vnder them as S. Paule saith in honestie and godlines The first Sunday after Trinitie at Mornyng prayer Iosua 10. NOwe when Adonizedec King of Hierusalem had heard howe Iosuah had taken Ai had destroyed it and how that as he had done to Iericho and her king euen so he had done to Ai and her king and how the inhabitours of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them 2 They feared excéedingly for Gibeon was a great Citye as any Citie of the kingdome and was greater than Ai and all the men thereof were verye mightie 3 Wherefore Adonizedec king of Hierusalem sente vnto Hoham king of Hebron and vnto Pira king of Iarmuth and vnto Iaphia king of Lachis and vnto Dabir king of Eglon saying 4 Come vp vnto me and helpe me that we maye smite Gibeon for they haue made peace with Iosuah and with the Children of Israel 5 Therefore the fiue kinges of the Amorites the kyng of Hierusalem the kyng of Hebron the kyng of Iarmuth the king of Lachis and the king of Eglon gathered themselues together and went vp they with all their hoastes besieged Gibeon and made warre against it 6 And the men of Gibeon sent vnto Iosuah to the hoast in Gilgal saying Withdraw not thy hand from thy seruants come vp to vs quicklye and saue vs and helpe vs for all the kings of the Amorites which dwell in the mountaynes are gathered together agaynst vs. 7 And so Iosuah ascended from Gilgal he and all the people of warre with him and all the men of might 8 And the Lorde saide vnto Iosuah Feare them not for I haue deliuered them into thine hande neither shall anye of them stande againste thée 9 Iosuah therefore came vnto them sodenly and went vp from Gilgal all night 10 And the Lorde troubled them before Israel and slue them with a greate slaughter at Gibeon and chased them along the way that goeth vp to Bethoron and smote them to Azeka and Makeda 11 And as they fled from before Israel and were in the goyng downe to Bethoron the Lorde caste downe greate stones from heauen vpon them vntill Azeka and they dyed there were moe dead with hayle stones than they were whom the children of Israel slue with the sword 12 Then spake Iosuah to the Lorde in the daye when the Lorde deliuered the Amorites before the Children of Israel and he saide in the sighte of Israel Sunne stande thou styll vpon Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon 13 And the Sunne abode and the Moone stoode styll vntyll the people auenged themselues vpon their enemyes Is not this written in the booke of the righteous So the Sunne abode in the middest of heauen and hasted not to goe downe by the space of a whole daye 14 And there was no daye like that before it or after it that the Lorde heard the voyce of a man for the Lord fought for Israel 15 And Iosuah returned and all Israel wyth him vnto the campe to Gilgal 16 But the fiue kings fled and were hyd in a caue at Makeda 17 And it was tolde Iosuah saying The fiue kings are founde hyd in a caue which is at Makeda 18 And Iosuah saide Roule great stones vpon the mouthe of the caue and set men by it for to kepe it 19 And stande ye not styll but folow after your enimies and smite all the hindmoste and suffer them not to enter into their Cities for the Lorde your God hath deliuered them into your hand 20 And when Iosuah and the Children of Israel had made an ende of slaying them with an excéeding greate slaughter tyll they were wasted the reste that remayned of them entred into walled Cities 21 And all the people returned to the hoast to Iosuah at Makeda in peace neither dyd anye man moue his tongue againste the Children of Israell 22 Then sayde Iosuah Open the mouth of the caue and bring out those fiue kings vnto me out of the caue 23 And they dyd so and broughte those fiue kinges vnto him out of the caue euen the king of Hierusalem the King of Hebron the king of Iarmuth the king of Lachis and the king of Eglon. 24 And when they broughte oute those fiue Kings vnto Iosuah Iosuah called for all the men of Israel saide vnto the chéefe of the men of warre which went with him Come néere and put your féete vpon the neckes of these Kings And they came néere and put their féete vpon the neckes of them 25 And Iosuah sayde vnto them Ye shall not feare nor be faint hearted but be strong plucke vp your heartes for thus shall the Lorde doe to all your enemyes against whom ye fighte 26 And then Iosuah smote them and slue them and hanged them on fiue trées and they hanged styll vpon the trées vntyll the euenyng 27 And at the goyng downe of the Sunne Iosuah gaue commaundement and they toke them downe of the trées and caste them into the caue wherin they had béen hyd and layde great stones in the caues mouthe vvhich remaine vntyll this day 28 And that same daye Iosuah tooke Makeda and smote it with the edge of the swoorde and the kyng thereof also destroyed he vtterlye wyth all the soules that were therein and let none remaine and he did to the king of Makeda as he did vnto the king of Iericho 29 Then Iosuah went from Makeda and all Israel wyth him vnto Libna and fought against Libna 30 And the Lorde delyuered it and the King thereof into the hande of Israel and he smote it with the edge of the sworde and all the soules that were therein He let non◠remaine in it but did vnto the King thereof as he did vnto the King of Iericho 31 And Iosuah departed from Libna and all Israel with him vnto Lachis and besieged it and assaulted it 32 And the Lord deliuered Lachis into the hand of Israel which toke it the seconde daye and smote it with the edge of the sworde and all the soules that were therin doyng according to all as he had done to the citie of Libna 33 Then Horam king of Geser came vp to helpe Lachis and Iosuah smote him and his
people vntill none remayned of him 34 And from Lachis Iosuah departed vnto Eglon and all Israel with him and they besieged it and assaulted it 35 And toke it the same daye and smote it with the edge of the sworde and all the soules that were therin he vtterly destroyed the same daye according to all that he had done to Lachis 36 And Iosuah departed vp from Eglon and all Israel with him vnto Hebron and they fought against it 37 And when they had taken it they smote it with the edge of the swoorde and the King thereof and all the townes that perteyned to it and all the soules that were therein and he lefte none remainyng but dyd accordyng to all as he had done to Eglon and destroyed it vtterly and all the soules that were therin 38 And Iosuah returned and all Israell wyth him to Dabir and foughte against it 39 And when he had taken it and the king therof and all the townes that parteyned therto they smote them with the edge of the sworde and vtterly destroyed all the soules that were therin neither let he anye remaine euen as he dyd to Hebron so he did to Dabir and the King thereof as he had done also to Libna and her king 40 Iosuah therefore smote all the hyll contreys and the South countreys and the valleys and the downes and all their kings let none remaine of them but vtterly destroyed all that breathed as the Lorde God of Israel commanded 41 And Iosuah smote them frō Cades Barnea vnto Asah ▪ and all the countrey of Gosen euen vnto Gibeon 42 And all these kinges and their lande dyd Iosuah take at one time because the Lord God of Israel fought for Israel 43 And Iosuah and all Israel returned vnto the hoast that was in Gilgal The Exposition vpon the .x. Chapter of Iosuah Nowe when Adonizedec king of Hierusalem had heard how Iosuah c. IN Adonizedec and the other fiue kings of the Amorites that are spokē of in this chapiter is expressed to vs the nature and propertie of wicked and obstinate enemies of God and his people If maruellous things be wrought against them they be stricken with * feare yet will they not submit themselues to the mightie hand of God and acknowledge his power but still encrease in wickednes and become more obstinate heaping to themselues greater confusion These kings had* hearde and vnderstoode as well as the Gibeonites how maruellously God had dealte for his people against* Seon King of the Amorites and* Og king Basan and also againste the Cities of Iericho and of* Aye whereby they mighte haue beene taughte how vaine their cruell and wicked endeuour of resistaunce woulde be vnto them But they were so farre from that cogitation That because the Gibeonites had* submitted themselues to the Children of Israel they here Ioyu◠in Conspiracie to destroye them and their citie In which pointe the Gibeonites set forth vnto vs the Image of all them that forsaking the Errour Blindnesse and wicked obstinacie of the world doe ioyne themselues to God and his people For by and by their verie Neighbours Yea the nighest of their Kin seeke to Vexe and Persecute them with all extremitie and that not because they be Sinfull or euil or because they are Idolatours Couetous persons Adulterers and suche like for at those thinges they can winke well inough But because They make peace vvirh Iosuah and the Children of Israel that is * because they Allie themselues to GOD and his people But in suche cases wee muste learne by earnest Prayer and intercession to flee for succour to our Iosuah Christ Iesu who vndoubtedly wil spedelie helpe and assiste vs against suche enemies as Iosuah doth here the Gibeonites And so Josuah ascended from Gilgal he and all the people of warre Forsomuch as the Gibeonites were the confederates of Israel Iosuah doth here the part of a wise good and faithfull* Prince that he is so ready to rescue and helpe them in their daunger For if he shoulde haue done otherwyse beyng nowe become his Subiectes he shoulde bothe haue omitted his duetie towarde them and also haue procured to him and his people a note of Vnfaithfulnesse toward such as had submitted themselues vnto him and whom he had receiued to his defence protection In that he doth it with Spede and commeth Sodainly on his enemies in the night ere they were ware of him he played the parte of a Wise and Skilfull Captaine vnderstanding that in warfare after men be once in good readinesse nothing more preuaileth than spedie dealing with good watching of oportunitie of place and time This is not to be omitted that God is* ready to comforte his good Princes and Gouernours in their enterprises for the defence of his people Feare not them saith God I haue deliuered them into thy handes and therefore dyd he easilie obtayne Victorie of them yea God will* fight for them miraculouslie altering the course of all naturall effectes rather than they shoulde miscarie or want strength and oportunitie to be reuenged on his enemies As we see in this place by two Notable and straunge Miracles killing moe of the enemies with Hailestones from heauen than the Israelites did with the sworde Then said Josuah vnto the Lorde c. and he said in the sight of Israel c. A question maye in this place be moued whether Iosuah did wel in asking such a strange Miracle of God or whether he mighte seeme rather to tempte God in so doyng To whiche it maye be answered that vndoubtedly he dyd it by Instinction of the Spirite of GOD in a strong faythe beyng perswaded that it would be to the glorie of god For Gods purpose was by thys Miracle to confirme the Faith of his People and to abashe the Chanaanites his enemies to declare his power to those Heathenishe and Godlesse People and by this Miracle to declare vnto them that he was the onelye Authoure and worker of all those Miracles that they before had heard of in Egipte and in the wildernesse And yet the praying for suche Miracles is not now to be followed of vs For God hauing nowe abundantlie declared his wyll and pleasure in his holie Worde lefte vnto vs by our Sauioure Christ and his Apostles will haue his People to cleaue stedfastlie to that and* not to looke for Signes and Miracles from Heauen But thys is notable and to oure great comfort to be obserued that Iosuah by his Prayer might seeme to haue the Sunne and Moone and all the Creatures of God at his commaundement By like force of Prayer Moyses opened awaye throughe the redde Sea Exodus 14. and ouercame in Battayle the Amalachites Exodus 17. Iosaphat subdued his enemies and caused them to kill one the other 2. Croni 20. Ezechias deliuered his Citie Hierusalē ▪ caused also the Sunne to goe backe certayne degrees 2. Croni 32. By which
golden Calfe hauing no respect of Aliance or Kinred Exod. 32 and yet are they reported To haue Consecrated their handes vnto the Lorde That whyche is appoynted by GOD can not seeme to bee agaynste hys Lawe Iaell was of the people of God and therfore might she well adde her helping hande to their deliuerance especially agaynste an vnrepentant Tiranne and seeyng the same to bee appoynted by God. The .ij. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Iudges 5. THen Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang the same day saying 2 Praise ye the Lorde for the auenging of Israell and for the people that became so willing 3 Heare O ye kings hearken O ye Princes I euen I wyll syng vnto the Lorde I wyll syng prayse to the Lorde God of Israell 4 Lorde when thou wentest out of Seir when thou departedst out of the féeld of Edom the earth trembled and the heauens rayned the cloudes also dropped water 5 The Mountaines melted before the Lorde euen as did Sinai before the Lord God of Israell 6 In the dayes of Samgar the sonne of Anath in the dayes of Iael the hye wayes were vnoccupied and the trauaylers walked thorough bywayes 7 The inhabitauntes of the townes were gone they were gone in Israell vntyll I Debora came vp whyche came vp a mother in Israell 8 They chose newe Gods and then had they the enimie in the gates was there a shield or speare séene among fortie thousande of Israell 9 My heart loueth the gouernours of Israel and them that are willing among the people O praise ye the Lord. 10 Speake ye that ryde on fayre asses ye that dwell by Midden and that walke by the wayes 11 For the noyse of the archers among the drawers of water ceassed there shall they speake of the righteousnes of the Lord his righteousnes in his vnfensed townes in Israel then shall the people of the Lord goe downe to the gates 12 Vp Debora vp get thée vp and sing a song arise Barak and leade the captiuitie captiue thou sonne of Abinoam 13 Then shall they that remayne haue dominion of the proudest of the people the Lorde hath geuen me dominion ouer the mightie 14 Oute of Ephraim was there a roote of them againste Ameleck and after thée Beniamin among thy people Out of Machir came rulers and out of Zabulon they that handle the pen of the writer 15 And of Isachar there were Princes with Debora and Isachar and also Barak he was sent on foote into the valley for the diuisions of Ruben vvere great thoughtes of heart 16 Why abodest thou among the shéepe foldes to heare the bleatings of the flockes for the diuisions of Ruben were great thoughtes of hearte 17 Gilead also abode beyonde Iordane and why doth Dan remaine in shippes Aser continued on the sea shore and taried in his decayed places 18 But the people of Zabulon haue ieoparded their liues vnto the death like as did Nephthali in the hye places of the féelde 19 The kings came and foughte then foughte the Kings of Chanaan in Thanack by the waters of Megiddo and wanne no money 20 They foughte from heauen euen the starres in their courses foughte againste Sisara 21 The riuer of Kison swept them away that auncient riuer the riuer Kison O my soule thou hast marched valiauntly 22 Then were the horse hoofes smitten a sunder by the meanes of the praunsings that their mightie men made 23 Curse ye the Citie of Meros sayde the Angell of the Lord curse the inhabitantes thereof bycause they came not to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mightie 24 Iael the wyfe of Haber the Kenite shal be blessed aboue other women blessed shall she be aboue other women in the tent 25 He asked water and she gaue him milke she brought foorth butter in a Lordly dyshe 26 She put her hande to the nayle and her righte hande to the Smithes hammer with the hammer smote shée Sisara and smote his heade wounded him and pearsed his temples 27 He bowed him downe at her féete he fell downe and laye styll at her féete he bowed hymselfe and fell and when he had sunke downe he laye there destroyed 28 The mother of Sisara looked oute at a wyndowe and cryed throughe the lattesse Why is his charet so long a comming Why tary the whéeles of his charets 29 All the wyse Ladyes answered her yea and her owne wordes answered her selfe 30 Surely they haue founde they diuide the spoyles euery man hathe a damsell or two Sisara hathe a praye of diuers coloured garmentes euen a praye of rayment dyed with sundrye colours and that are made of néedle worke rayment of diuers colours and of néedle worke on both sides whiche is méete for him that is chiefe in distributing of the spoyles 31 So perishe all thine enemyes O Lorde but they that loue him let them be as the Sunne when he ryseth in his might And the lande had rest fortie yéeres The Exposition vpon the fifth Chapter of Iudges Then Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang the same daye c. NO kinde of worship is to God more pleasant nor by the holye Ghost in the Scriptures more earnestly required than when God hathe shewed the great benefites of his mercie towarde his people that they * for the same declare themselues Thankefull and prayse his holie name therefore Call vpon mee saieth God by his Prophete Dauid in the daye of they trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me not that God needeth oure Glorifying or praysing beyng of himselfe most Glorious and worthy praise but he * deliteth in Thankfulnes and also for our causes would haue his enemies by that meanes feared when they vnderstande him to be declared by his people to be so terrible and mightie a punisher of his sinfull and wicked aduersaries And on the other parte that they which be weake and fainte may haue their faith Strengthened and more readily commit themselues vnto his mercy when they perceiue him to be so willing and gracious a God beyonde all Deserte Expectation of his mere goodnesse to deliuer them Therefore Debora doth here the parte of a good and faithfull Gouernour that is both her selfe so ready and also * willeth the residue of hir people in this pleasant triumphant Song to the terrour of the enemies and comfort of the faithfull to Set forth the Mightie mercifull goodnesse of God towarde them The like examples we haue in Moyses at the redde Sea In * Anna for her sonne Samuel In * Iudith for her victorie ouer Holophernes c. The People that became so vvilling were the tribes of Zabulon and Nepthalie who did readily folowe the Appointment of God declared by Debora and for the same doth she here and afterwarde Praise them and Reproue the other Lorde when thou wentest out of Seir when thou departedst out of the. c. Debora praiseth God by
Svvept avvay with the Riuer Kison by which the fielde was foughte Yea and the horse men fled with suche violence that they rent their horses hoofes Curse ye the Cittie of Meros sayde the Angell of the Lorde Curse the. c. Meros was a Citie of the Israelites neere to Thabor where the victorie was gotten therfore vnexcusable because they came not forth to helpe and by the Angell of God are here cursed Whereby all men are taught* not to withdrawe their helping hand when God calleth to the deliuerance of his people from the wicked tirannie of the oppressour In the residewe the Prophetisse pleasantly setteth forth the gesture Policie and stoutenesse of Iael in killing Sisara with the great reproche of that proude and confident tiranne that so long vnder his Prince had oppressed Gods people In the ende to the comforte of the faithful in waye of conclusion or rather of a triumphant reioysing She addeth that God in like maner will deale* with all his enemies and they that loue him and put their trust and confidence in his mercy shall prosper and Florishe as the Sunne risen to his might that is when he is come to his midde dayes course The thirde Sunday after Trinitie at Mornyng prayer 1. Samuel 2. ANd Hanna prayed and sayde Myne heart reioyceth in the Lorde and mine horne is exalted in the Lorde my mouthe is wyde open ouer mine enemies for I reioyce in thy saluation 2 There is none holye as the Lorde for without thée is nothing neither is there any of strength as is our God. 3 Talke no more proudely let not arrogancie come out of your mouthes for the Lorde is a God of knowledge and his purposes come to passe 4 The bowe with the mightie men are broken and they that were weake haue girded themselues with strength 5 They that were full haue hyred oute themselues for breade and they that were hungrye ceasse tyll the barren haue borne seuen and she that had many children is waxed féeble 6 The Lorde killeth and maketh aliue bryngeth downe to the graue and fetcheth vp againe 7 The Lorde maketh poore and maketh riche bringeth lowe and heaueth vp on hye 8 He raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dounghill to set them among princes and to make them inherite the seate of glorye For the pillers of the earth are the Lordes and he hath set the worlde vpon them 9 He will kéepe the féete of his Saintes and the wicked shall kepe scilence in darkenesse and in his owne might shall no man be strong 10 The Lordes aduersaries shall be destroyed of him and oute of heauen shall be thunder vpon them the Lorde shall iudge the endes of the world and shall giue mighte vnto his king and exalte the horne of his annointed 11 And Elkana went to Ramath to his house and the lad did Minister vnto the Lord before Eli the priest 12 But the sonnes of Eli were Children of Belial and knew not the Lord 13 And the priests custome toward the people was that whensoeuer anye man offered anye offering the priests lad came whyle the fleshe was a séething and a fleshhooke with thrée téeth in his hand 14 And thrust it into the panne kettle caldron or pot and al that the fleshhooke broughte vp that the priest toke for him selfe And so they dyd vnto all the Israelites that came thither to Silo. 15 Yea and thereto before they burnt the fat the priests lad came and sayde to the man that offered Geue fleshe that I maye roste it for the priest for he will not haue sodden fleshe of thée but rawe 16 And if any man saide vnto him Let them burne the fat according to the custome and then take as muche as thyâ—e heart desireth Then he would answere him Yea thou shalt giue it mée now and if thou wilt not I will take it with violence 17 And the sinne of the young men was verye great before the Lorde for men abhored the offering of the Lord. 18 But the childe Samuel Ministred before the Lordâ— girded with a linnen Ephod 19 Moreouer his mother made him a little coate and brought it to him from yéere to yéere when she came vp with her husband to offer the yéerely sacrifice 20 And Eli blessed Elkana and his wife and sayde The Lord giue thée séede of this woman for the petition that she asked of the Lorde And they went vnto their owne home 21 And the Lord visited Hanna so that she conceyued and bare thrée sonnes and two daughters and the childe Samuel grewe before the Lorde 22 Eli was very olde and heard all that his sonnes did vnto all Israel and howe they lay with the women that wayted at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation 23 And he saide vnto them why doe ye suche things for of all these people I heare euill reportes of you 24 Oh nay my sonnes for it is no good reporte that I heare howe that ye make the Lordes people to trespasse 25 If one man sinne against another the iudge shall iudge it but if a man sinne againste the Lorde who will be his dayseman Notwithstanding they hearkened not vnto the voyce of their father bicause the Lord would slay them 26 The childe Samuel profited and grewe and was in fauour both with the Lorde and with men 27 And there came a man of God vnto Eli and saide vnto him Thus saith the lorde Did not I plainely appeare vnto the house of thy father when they were in Egipte in Pharaos house 28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest for to offer vpoÌ„ mine aulter and to burne incense and to weare an Ephod before me and I gaue vnto the house of thy father all the offeringes made by fyre of the Children of Israel 29 Wherefore treade ye downe my sacrifice and mine offering which I commaunded in the Tabernacle and honourest thy children aboue me to make your selues fat of the first fruites of all the offeringes of Israel my people 30 Wherfore the Lorde God of Israel sayth I saide that thy house and the house of thy father should walke before me for euer but now the Lord sayth That be farre from mée for them that worshippe me I will worshippe and they that despise me shall come to shame 31 Beholde the dayes come that I will cut of thine arme and the arme of thy fathers house that there shall not be an old man in thine house 32 And thou shalt sée thine enemie in the habitation of the lord in all the wealth which God shall giue Israel and there shall not be an olde man in thine house for euer 33 Neuerthelesse I will not destroy euery one that come of thée from mine aulter to make thine eyes to faile and to make thine heart sorowfull and all they that be multiplied in thine house shall dye vvhen they be men 34 And
for punishment thereof cause them to be led Captiue into Babilon to serue strange Lordes and Maisters in a Countrey that was not theirs Preache this vnto the house of Iacob and crie it out in Juda. c. God leaueth nothing vndone whereby this Stubburne people may declare themselues vnexcusable if they doe not Repent forsake their wickednesse and therefore chargeth the Prophete that they lacke not Teaching and Preaching and the euident declaration of Gods Iustice to come vpon them and that in such maner as they maye not thinke it to be Wordes onely and bare Threatninges to feare them but that they maye be well assured that they shall be as truely perfourmed in dede as they were vttered in wordes And then if they did not obey they shoulde shew themselues to be not only a Blockishe a folishe people but in dede as indurate Storkes and Stones and altogether like those Idolles that they worshipped which had eyes and yet sawe not and eares and yet hearde not c. but did suffer the Worde of God to passe as if it had bene spoken to Vnsensible creatures To the further amplification and condemnation of their Obstinacie in reiecting al obedience and Feare of God he compareth them to the Sea. The Sea saithe he then whiche there is nothing more forcible and violente yet at my Decree and appointment dothe it* tarie within his boundes and in his greatest rage and swelling of Waues dothe not breake oute beyonde the bankes of light Sande and Grauell Hereby this People mighte be taughte how great my Power is so learne to Feare me as their God and to Obey me as their Lorde that made them and all the worlde beside but they are more dull of vnderstanding than the* Vnsensible creatures and further from obedience than the furious and raging Surges of the Sea. Although the exceeding might and power of God in bounding the Sea within certaine Limites did not moue them to feare his Maiestie yet considering that of his fatherly Prouidence he sent them Raine in due times all maner of Seasonable weathering to temper the grouÌ„d that it mighte bring forth Fruites to their vse and commoditie it should haue somewhat enclined their hartes to Loue his Fatherly goodnesse and Reuerently to haue serued him But they were as vâ—thankefull toward the Goodnesse and mercie of God as they were obstinate against his Power and Maiestie Neuerthelesse youre misdeedes haue turned these from you c. Hereby we are taught that when God taketh from vs the Fruites of the Earth and his other good blessinges the cause thereof is our owne Sinfulnesse and forsaking of God and his true Seruice In the 26. and 27. verses the Prophete reckeneth vp some of their offences and especiallye their Falsheade Deceipte and Crafte in trapping and snaring the simple and by vniust and suttell meanes drawing them into daunger so that it maye appeare there remayned among them no Faithe nor Trueth nor Integritie and vprighte dealing but altogether couetous craftinesse iniurie and oppression And as the People were giuen to extortion and oppression so were the Magistrates negligent in ministring Iustice in defending the innocent and punishing the violence of the oppressour and wrongfull doer Yea and the * verye Prophetes also Preachers and Priests which should haue instructed and taught both People and Magistrate were themselues giuen ouer to Couetousnes and Briberie and by false prophecying teaching noseled the people in their wickednesse and in the contempt of God and of his true Prophetes And therfore God denounceth that he must needes of his Iustice punishe both them and all suche other wicked People as they are The .14 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ieremie Cap. 22. THus sayeth the Lorde Goe downe into the house of the King of Iuda and speake there these wordes 2 And saye Heare the worde of the Lord thou king of Iuda that sittest in the kingly seate of Dauid thou and thy seruants and thy people that goeth in and out at these gates 3 Thus the Lorde commaundeth Kepe equitie and righteousnesse deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent doe not gréeue nor oppresse the straunger the fatherlesse nor the wydowe and shed no innocent bloude in this place 4 And if ye kéepe these things Faithfully then shall there come in at the doore of this house Kinges to sit vpon Dauids seate they shal be caryed in charrets and ryde vpon Horses bothe they and their seruantes and their people 5 But if ye will not be obediente vnto these commaundementes I sweare by myne owne selfe sayeth the Lorde this house shal be waste 6 For thus hathe the Lorde spoken vpon the Kinges of Iuda Thou Gileaâ— arte vnto me the heade of Libanus shall I not make thée so waste as the Cities that no man dwell in 7 I will prepare a destroyer with his weapons for thée to hewe downe thy especiall Cedar trées and to caste them in the fire 8 And all the people that goe by this Citie shall speake one to another Wherefore hathe the Lorde done thus vnto this noble Citie 9 Then shall it be answered Because they haue broken the couenaunt of the Lorde their God and haue worshipped and serued strange Gods. 10 Maurne not ouer the dead and be not woe for them but be sorie for him that departeth awaye for he commeth not againe and séeth his natiue countrey no more 11 For thus sayeth the Lorde as touching Sellum the Sonne of Iosias King of Iuda which raigned after his father When he is caryed oute of this place he shall neuer come hither againe 12 For he shall dye in the place wherevnto he is led captiue and shall sée this lande no more 13 Woe worthe him that buyldeth his house with vnrighteousnesse and his parlours with the good that he hath gotten by violence which neuer recompenceth his neighbours labour nor payeth him his hire 14 Who thinketh in himselfe I will builde mée a wyde house and gorgious parlours who causeth wyndowes to be hewen therein and the séelings and ioystes maketh he of Cedar and painteth them with Sinoper 15 Thinkest thou to raigne nowe that thou haste inclosed thy selfe with Cedar Dyd not thy father eate and drynke and prosper well as long as he dealt with equitie and righteousnesse 16 Yea when he helped the oppressed and poore to their righte then prospered he well from whence came this but onely because he knewe me saith the Lorde 17 Neuerthelesse as for thine eyes and thyne heart they looke vpon couetousnesse to shedde Innocent bloude to doe wrong and violence 18 And therefore thus sayth the Lorde against Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias King of Iuda They shall not mourne for him as they vse to doe Alas brother alas sister neither shall they say vnto him Alas for that noble prince 19 But as an asse shall he be buryed corrupte and bée caste withoute the gates of
to reproue the Ievves for their Disobedience and contempt of his holie Lawes and ordinances being not their Earthlie father but the euerliuing Lorde and God. Then came the worde of the Lorde to Hieremie saying c. In these verses foloweth the applying of this example and comparison of the Rechabites In which application these things are to be noted First the comparison betwene a mortal man and god If the Authoritie of Ionadab a mortal and fraile Creature preuailed so much with his posteritie whom he did neuer greatly benefite how much more Iustlie shoulde the Maiestie and Eternall Power of God in giuing of his Lawe haue bene esteemed among his owne people vpon whom he had bestowed so many and so great blessings Secondly Ionadab gaue his Commaundement but Once and neuer called vpon it afterwarde and yet was it obserued very curiouslye for the space of .300 yeares But Gods Law as it was once giuen with greate Maiestie terrour so was it Continually called vpon by his Prophetes and teachers euen by the diligent and carefull sending of God himselfe And that in so earnest maner as possibly could be deuised and yet woulde they neuer either continue in his obedience or easilie returne vnto his true worship when they were once fallen from it Thirdly those things which God required of the Ievves were not of like Seueritie and rigour as the commaundementes of Ionadab to his posteritie For he lefte vnto them the vse of Tillage Inhabitinge of houses Drinkinge of Wine Planting of vines and all such other like things that mighte be to their comforte in the worlde and onely required that they would not run after the worshipping of other Gods. And yet would they not therin obey him nor yet reclaime themselues when they were reproued wheras the Rechabites did not onely kepe themselues in more Obedience of the Lawe of God than they did but also tied themselues to the streicte and rigorous obseruation of the orders before mentioned onelie in reuerence of Ionadab their Ancester and Forefather by whom they were giuen And therefore thus saith the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel beholde c. Nowe that God by the example of the Rechabites had confounded the disobedience of his People and shewed that they haue nothing to laie for their excuse he addeth what punishment shall come vpon them for it Forsomuch saith he as I haue often sente my Prophetes vnto you to cal you to repentance to bring you home againe into the righte way yet you will not in any wise heare them I will speake no more vnto you in way of exhortation but I will pronounce terrible Sentence against you and most earnestly assure you that those punishmentes that I haue deuised withoute faile shall come vpon you Here is to be noted that whē men Obstinatelie refuse the comfortable worde of God sent vnto them in the waie of instruction and teaching they shall after heare and feele his Dreadfull worde of Threatning iuste punishment to come vpon them for their Disobedience and cōtempt Hieremie also spake vnto the housholde of the Rechabites thus saith c. After that he hath pronounced punishment against the Ievves for their Contempt of Gods holy will he declareth also that God of his goodnesse according to his Promise anexed to the fifte commaundemente woulde reward the obedience and Reuerence that the Rechabites did shew towarde their Father Ionadab and that he would so prosper their stocke as They should neuer faile of one to stande before him that is whiche shoulde be acceptable vnto him For it cannot be interpreted that they shoulde stand before God in the Ministration of the Temple for that was appointed to the Priestes and Leuites onely As touching that the Patrons of superstition alleadge this place for the Maintenance of obedience to mens traditions in the Churche it is verie vnfit For the Rechabites as is saide before were not tied to this obseruatiō with opinion of Holinesse or as a worshipping of God as men were with the traditions of the Church of Rome but obserued those things as Politique orders of life with Reuerence of their Ancesters by whom they were enioyned The .15 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ieremie Cap. 36. IN the fourth yéere of Ioakim the sonne of Iosias the king of Iuda came the word of the Lorde vnto Ieremie saying 2 Take a booke and write therin all the wordes that I haue spoken to thée against Israel against Iuda and against all the people from the time that I began to speake vnto thée in the raigne of Iosias vnto this daye 3 That when the house of Iuda heareth of the plague which I haue deuised for them they may peraduenture turne euerie man from his wicked waye that I may forgiue their offences and sinnes 4 Then dyd Ieremie call Baruch the sonne of Neriah and Baruch wrote in the booke at the mouth of Ieremie all the wordes of the Lord which he had spoken vnto him 5 And Ieremie commaunded Baruch saying I am in prison so that I may not come into the house of the Lorde 6 Therefore goe thou thither and reade the Booke that thou haste written at my mouth namely the words of the Lorde and reade them in the Lordes house vpon the fasting daye that the people whole Iuda and all they that come out of the cities may heare 7 Peraduenture they will pray méekely before the face of the Lorde and turne euery one from his wicked waye for great is the wrath and displeasure that the Lorde hathe taken againste this people 8 So Baruch the sonne of Neriah did according to al that Hieremie the Prophet commaunded him reading the wordes of the Lorde out of the booke in the Lordes house 9 And this was done in the fifth yeare of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda in the nynth moneth when it was commanded that all the people of Hierusalem should fast before the Lord and they also that were come from the cities of Iuda vnto Hierusalem 10 Then redde Baruch the words of Hieremie out of the booke within the house of the Lorde out of the treasurie of Gamariah the sonne of Saphan the scribe which is beside the higher loft of the newe doore of the Lordes house that al the people might heare 11 Now when Micheas the sonne of Gamariah the sonne of Saphan hard al the words of the Lord out of the booke 12 He went downe to the kings palace into the scribes chamber for there al the Princes were set Elisama the scribe Dalaiah the sonne of Semei Elnathan the sonne of Achbor Gamariah the sonne of Saphan Zedekias the sonne of Hananias with all the princes 13 And Micheas tolde them all the wordes that hée hearde Baruch reade out of the booke before the people 14 Then all the princes sent Iehudi the sonne of Nathaniah the sonne of Selemiah the sonne of Chusi vnto Baruch saying Take in thine hande the booke whereout
that The Lord kept them out of sight Whiche coÌ„mandement maner of Speaking should not haue ben vsed if Hieremie had ben in prison before And therfore that which some Translaters interprete Clausus sum that is I am in prison or shut vp other doe expounde Detentus or impeditus sum that is I am stayed or letted meaning by the Spirite of God as we read that Paule was Letted and stayed from going to Bithinia In the seuenth Verse Hieremie noteth the cause why he willed Baruch to Reade his SermoÌ„s vnto the people that is if it were possible that they might be moued to Turne from their Wicked wayes humble theÌ„selues in Prayer before the face of the Lord therby to turn away his heauie Wrath and displeasure from them True Prayer is alway ioyned with Faith huÌ„blenes Faith doth lift vp our mindes to heaueÌ„ and maketh our Prayer to Ascend vnto the Lord Feare reuereÌ„ce which is ioyned with faith bicause of the sense of our vnworthines doth moue vs to HuÌ„ble debase our selues in the sight of God to â—lee only to his Mercie especially wheÌ„ he declareth Signes of his terrible Wrath toward vs as he did at this tyme by the Prophete to his People If God did but Lightely threaten vs we should not Contemne it but be Greatly moued therwith and much more wheÌ„ he sheweth his Displeasure so greuous as we may Iustly looke for Vtter confusion So Baruch the sonne of Neriah did according to all that Hieremie c. He describeth now the readie Obedience of Baruch the maner of his doing noting the circumstances at what Time in what Place and before Whom it was done It was done the fift yeare and ninth moneth of Ioakims Reigne at that tyme that the king according to the customable maner of the Iewes in tyme of danger had commaunded a solemne and Publique fast and Prayer to be made vnto the Lord to turne away the Danger that they were in by Nabuchodonosor and the Chaldeis at their first Inuasion that was made in his Reigne and is mentioned .4 Reg. 24. This maner is very good in time of Danger to proclame publique Prayer Fasting withal that we may by that Testimonie declare the true Sorow of our hearts conceiued bicause of the displeasure of God toward vs But we are taught by this place that External Prayer Fasting done for a Forme only and not with earnest Repentaunce and true Faith to God doth not at all moue gods mercie toward vs but rather inceÌ„seth his displeasure and Hasteneth his heauie iudgement bicause of our Hipocrisie and dissimulation How vnpleasant such Fasting is to God ye may reade Esaie 58. what the true Fast is ye may learne there also and Ioell 2. Suche a tyme Hieremie had chosen very fit for the publishing of the Thretnings of God against them that they might be Moued not onely to Praye but also as he sayeth To pray meekely before the face of the Lorde Baruch did reade these Prophecies of Hieremie in a notable place of the Temple here described verse 10. where the Greatest assembly of the People was and where he mought be beste hearde His Audience were not one or two but the Whole number of the People as wel of the Citie as also of the Countrey gathered together at that tyme wherby his doing was the more Notable and further Knowne and Published Nowe when Micheas the Sonne of Gamariah had hearde all c. It is not here expressed of what mind or Purpose this Micheas did make so greate Speede to declare the doing of Baruch vnto the Nobles and Counsellers If he did it as beeing stricken with Admiration and Terrour of those things that he did heare as it may be thought he did bycause hee was the sonne of Gamariah who shewed himselfe to haue the Feare of God in persuading the King not to Burne the Booke then his doyng was worthy greate commendation But if he did it to purchase Blame vnto the Prophete or to get Fauour of the Counsailers it was that which alway dothe folow the Prophetes Preachers of almightie God in doing of his message that is that * All doe not heare them fruitfullie to good purpose but Some are readie to depraue their doings and sayings by malitious Accusations to worke theÌ„ trouble and danger But howsoeuer it was with Micheas it was not done withoute the assured prouidence of God that the Prince and Nobles might knowe of it and not pretende ignorance Where by the way this also is to be Noted that while the multitude and people were at the common appointed Prayer in the house of God the Nobles verie vâ—seasonablie were in the Counsaile house consulting by like what might be best to doe The care of Praying to God shold haue touched them aswell as the people and afterwarde taken oportunitie to haue mette in counsaile Then all the Princes sent Iehudi the sonne of Nathaniah c. It may appeare that the Princes did not neglect the reporte of this matter as being striken with feare of Danger hanging ouer them and therefore with spede they sente a Messenger as may appeare of some Name and credite to bring Baruch vnto them â—â—ho althoughe he mighâ—e loke for nothing but Imprisonment Danger of life yet was he willing and ready to goe Before them and there in their hearing Redde the same things that he had openlye declared vnto the People Nowe when they had hearde all the wordes they were abashed c. The Maiestie of Gods wordes and Threatnings in the Prophecies of Hieremie strake a Feare and terrour into the hartes of the Princes so that as men astonied they loked one vpon the other But yet there appeared great wante of True repentaÌ„ce and right feare of Gods wrath For if that had bene in them surely they would haue donne as Iosias â–ª did at the readyng of the Booke of the lawe of God. 2. Reg. 22. But the affection of these Noble men seemed in comparison therof to be Fainte colde They questioned with Baruch how he was hable to write those things and he answered simply that Hieremie spake them and he wrate them at his mouthe Wherby they might vnderstand that it was not done by the curious Deuise Industrie of man nor laid vp together in writing as matters Curiously penned But by the strength of the Spirite of God which brought those things freshe in remembrance to Hieremie that he in speache had vttered long before With whiche consideration the weighte of those things that were redde they being Somewhat moued said they would Enfourme the king of all that was done know his pleasure But bicause they suspected his Furie crueltie they willed Baruch Hieremie to Hide themselues out of the way that no maÌ„ might know where they were And they wente in to the King to the Court but they kept the booke c. The Princes
might seme to be touched with some Feare of God but yet not so greatlye but that they feared the Prince more and especially the multitude of them And therefore did they put the matter so vnto him that they would not doe otherwise than stoode with his Pleasure Some of them did more Freelye deale with the King as Elnathan Dalaiah and Gamariah and in his most vehement rage with some Danger of their owne state liues perswaded intreated him not to Burne the booke But nothing could staie his Furie but that before he had hearde it redde through eueÌ„ in Contempt of God of his worde and Threatnings he out it in peeces and cast it in the fire When God in the wordes of his Prophete did so terribly Thunder in the eares of the king he should haue bene Greatly moued therwith and haue * Rent tore his garments in token of the inward feare and Sorow of his hearte knowing most assured Danger to hang ouer both him and his kingdome But after the maner of Indurate hartes as a furious beast he Rageth eueÌ„ against God himself thinketh by Fire as it were to Consume his Threatnings If he thought it to be the doyng of poore Hieremie onely why did he make so great accompt of the matter and shew himselfe so much grieued therwith seyng he knewe that so contemptible a person as he iudged him to be coulde not of himselfe worke hurte to him or to his realme If his conscience trembling at the matter dyd tel him that the Authoritie of God was in those wordes why did he so furiouslie storme at the thing as thoughe he had bene hable by his rage to haue Discountenanced the wrath of God toward him and his people But cruell Hipocrites haue euer some * pretenses of reason to bolster vp their obstinacie against God his Prophetes and therefore caused he Hieremie and Baruch to be sent for if God had not hyd them and by his prouidence kepte them from his furie and wicked purpose For God vseth to preserue his Messengers from danger and perill euen maugre the heades of all his Enemies vntill their full and appointed time be come that his Name may be glorified his Truth enlarged by their Death Nowe after the King had burnte the booke and the sermons which c. The wicked persecuters thinke by crueltie and violence to Suppresse and Extinguishe the worde of God and his trueth but by his prouidence it riseth more Strongly against them to their greater confusion Ioakim thoughte by casting the Booke of Hieremies Prophecies into the fire he had as it were cutte of the hande of God and deliuered himselfe and his kingdome from those plagues that weare denounced by those * Seditious and Factious men as he toke them Hieremie and Baruch But beholde that he and all his mighte vnderstande that he struggled in vaine and stroue againste the streame the prouidence of God publisheth another booke containing not onely the same matter but also an euidente declaration of Gods iuste Iudgement and sharpe punishment to come vpon that wicked King and his stocke that is that his owne deade Corpse shoulde be caste forthe contemptuouslie withoute Buriall as is saide in the former Chapiter and that none of his issue and generation in righte descente should sit any time in the throne of Dauid after him For Iechonias his Sonne raigned onely three monethes and was ledde away Captiue so that he might scantly seme to haue raigned and Sedechias was his Vncle and was set vp in despite of him and his Sonne Iechonias or Ioakim after whoÌ„ they had no King of that directe liue but Zorobabel vntill the comming of the Messias Christ Iesu who was The yong branche that sprang a freshe out of the olde vvorne stocke of Iessie as oute of a roote that had not flourished in manye yeares before Yea and he assureth both the King and al his people though they did neuer so contemptuously refuse to hearken to his worde that he woulde visite their wickednesse and bring vpon them all those euils that he hath promised In like maner God in al ages dealeth with the persecuters of his word and holy Scriptures and neuer more than in these latter dayes The enemies of the Gospell haue thoughte to suppresse Gods trueth by burning the godly writings of learned men and by destroying the Preachers and professours of the same with fire and with the sworde shedding their bloude most cruellie But the prouidence of God raiseth other euen of the ashes of them that doe as constantly teache and defende his truth euen to the faces of them and maugre their heartes publishe the Gospell in writing more largely thaÌ„ euer it was before And so wil it be vntill God bring their iuste deserued plagues vpon their heades though they in the meane time to the heaping of his greater wrath vpon them in furious rage kill and sâ—ea some of his Saintes which he hath appointed that way to glorifie his name The .16 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ezechiel Cap. 2. ANd then said he vnto me Stâ—nde vp vpon thy féete O thou sonne of man and I will talke with thée 1. And the spirite 〈…〉 when he had spoken vnto me and set me vpon my féete so that I hearde him that spake vnto me 3 And he said vnto me Thou sonne of man I sende thée to the Children of Israel to a rebellious people which haue rebelled againste me both they and their forefathers haue wickedly behaued themselues againste me euen vnto this verye daye 4 For they are children of a harde face and stiffe heart I doe send thée vnto them thou shalte say vnto them Thus saith the Lorde God. 5 And whether they will heare or refuse for they are a rebellious house yet they maye knowe that there hath bene a Prophet among them 6 And thou sonne of man feare theÌ„ not neither be afraide of their wordes for briers thornes are with thée and thou doest dwell among scorpions feare not their wordes nor be abashed at their lookes for they are a rebellious house 7 And thou shalt speake my wordes vnto them whether they will heare or refuse for they are rebellious 8 Therefore thou sonne of man obey thou all things that I say vnto thée and be not thou rebellious like the rebellious house open thy mouth and eate that I giue thée 9 And I loked and behold a hand was sent vnto me and loe in it was a roule of a booke 10 And he opened it before me and it was written within and without and there was written therin lamentations and mourning and woe The Exposition vpon the .ij. Chapter of Ezechiel And then saide he vnto me stand vp vpon thy feete O thou sonne of man c. IN the firste Chapiter of this Prophete in a vision was declared what He was of how greate aucthoritie that called Ezechiel that is the Omnipotente and euerliuing
God and the Lorde of Hoastes vnto whose dominion all Creatures are subiecte and by him are gouerned and maintayned Nowe the Prophete in this place hathe as it were his Commission deliuered vnto him and is sente as Gods Messenger vnto the Israelites liuing in banishmente and is instructed what maner of people they are how they will receiue him and howe he shall behaue himselfe toward them In the ende of the former Chapiter it is mentioned that Ezechiel seyng in a vision an Image of the glorie of God not being hable to abyde the Maiestie thereof fell downe vpon his face in like manner as we reade that Daniell did when he sawe a terrible vision And there vvas no strength saith he remaining in me c. and yet I hearde the voyce of his vvordes and fell astonied vpon my face Such is the frailtie of man as he is not hable to abide but a meane shadowe of the glorious Maiestie of God. But the same God suffereth not these good men that he hath ouerthrowne with terrour of his glorie to remaine long prostrate and cast downe but he comfortablie erecteth them with his spirite as we see in this place in Exechiel whom he not onelye commaundeth to stande vp vpon his feete that he may speake vnto him but also endueth him with his spirit that he may be hable so to doe For such is our weaknes that wheÌ„ we be once ouerthrowne we cannot rise of oure selues but onely by the mighte of Gods Holie grace and Spirite Wherefore sayth S. Paule VVe are not able of our selues to doe any thing but al our sufficieÌ„cie is of God And again Not of my self but of the grace of God in me Ezechiel therfore staÌ„deth not here vpoÌ„ his feet of himself but by the Spirite of God entring into him Neyther was the outward Word of God sufficieÌ„t for this Purpose For the Strength might of the word of God is by the Grace of his Spirite goeing alwaye with it The externall VVord as his blessed Instrument soundeth in the eare and moueth the sense but the Spirite of God worketh in the heart And he said vnto me thou sonne of man J sende thee to the children of c. Hovve shal they hear saith Paule vvithout prea ching and hovve shall they preache onlesse they be sent God therefore commonly vseth in notable maner to call his Prophets and they alwaye lightly declare their owne calling and sending as here Ezechiell dothe that they may not bee thought to haue Come of themselues * as they commonly do that are Seducers and deceiuers of the People but to be Sente and appoynted by God. Here is also declared to Whom and to what maner of persons the Prophet is sente that is to the children of Israel liuing nowe in Captiuitie and wyth greate Impacience murmurynge agaynste GOD and hys Iustice So that neyther by Teaching they coulde bee persuaded neyther by the Scourge and punishemente of God anye thing amended Therefore are they described to bee a Rebellious people euer Stryuing and settyng them selues agaynste GOD as their * Fathers had done before them A people of an Harde and impudente face whome Nothyng coulde make ashamed but rather wyth Stoute countenaunce will Defende their Wickednesse and Glorie in it and therefore by Hieremie also are they sayde To haue an Harlottes forheade They are noted also to bee a People of a Stiffe hearte that is of an Obstinate and headie mynde whome neyther Godly persuasion nor greuous punishmente coulde moue to retourne to God and acknowledge their fault When GOD obiecteth to his People the Imitation of their Forefathers wee also are Taughte to beware howe wee Stubburnely Staye oure selues agaynste the Callyng of God and his holie woorde and Gospell by the Imitation of oure Forefathers And yet wee see that men in these dayes shewâ— no greater grounde of their Consciences than to saye They will Beleeue and doe 〈◊〉 their Forefathers haue doone If that â—â—eason bee sounde as by this place and manye other wee are Taughte it is not Surely the Iewes might well seme excusable and not so much to be blamed for reiecting the doctrine of the Prophetes and of Christe and his Apostles For vpon that reason they chiefly grounded them selues Therefore wee oughte diligently to Learne by the vnfallible rule of Gods woorde Wherein oure Fathers dyd well and therein to followe them and contrarywyse gladly to Shunne and forsake those thinges that they doe otherwyse When God commaundeth Ezechiel to goe to the Children of Israell and saye vnto them Thus sayth the Lord both Preachers haue to learne that they remembre whose Messengers they are and that they Teache not the people of God their owne Phantasies and deuises but that only as Paule sayeth whyche they haue receyued of GOD that they maye boldly say with Ezechiel Thus sayth the Lord. And on the other parte the hearers and people are by the same woorde instructed when they heare the Preachers not to make accompte of them as simple men onely nor to accepte their wordes as the wordes of men but as the Doctrine of God whose ambassadours they are sent by him to enfourme them of hys holy will and pleasure and to leade them into his wayes The Preachers of God must not loke to haue their Doctrine by and by to be thankfully frutefully received or that their laboures 〈◊〉 shall haue fauourable and good Successe The Prince of this Worlde is enimie to God and to his cause and therfore wil not easily suffer them that forsake God and fighte vnder his Banner to yelde to the obedience of God and to be reformed at his callyng Therfore sayth God to Ezechiel VVhether they will heare or refuse giue not ouer thy function and office of teaching but let them knovve to their further Condemnation and to the takyng away of all Pretenses of ignorance That there hath ben a Prophet of God among them to gyue them warning and to cal them from their wickednesse I know and I tel thee before hand that they are a Rebellious and obstinate People and wyll not hearken vnto thy Preaching nor accepte thy Doctrine but thou haste my Commandemente and my Commission to confirme thee therfore performe that * Plant and water that stony and harde Ground and leaue the Increase and successe to me If they repent thou mayste haue Comforte of thy trauayle if they continue Stubburne they must haue Iustice for their Disobedience And thou sonne of man feare them not neither be afrayd of their wordes c. Suche is the Frayltie and timorousnesse of Man that hee cannot choose but bee Moued with the Clamour and obloquie of many agaynste hym Therefore God dothe heere strengthen and as it were Arme Ezechiell his Prophete agaynste the waywardnesse of that People and wylleth hym to take pacientely whatsoeuer they shall doe or saye Hypocrites ryse agaynste Gods truth and in woordes pretende Gaye and holye Titles and Names for
hath done all these abhominations he shall die the death his bloude shall be vpon him 14 Nowe if this man get a sonne also that séeth all his fathers sinnes which he hath done and feareth neyther doth such like 15 Namely that hath not eaten vpon the hilles neyther hath lift vp his eyes to the Idols of the house of Israel nor defiled his neighbours wyfe 16 Neyther hath oppressed any nor hath withholden the pledge neyther hath spoyled by violence but hath gyuen his bread to the hungry and hath couered the naked wyth a garment 17 Neyther hath withdrawne his hande from the afflicted nor receyued vsurie nor increase but hath executed my iudgements and walked in my statutes this man shall not die in his fathers sinne but shall liue without fayle 18 As for his father because he hath cruelly oppressed and spoyled his brother by violence and hath not done good among his people lo he dyeth in his owne sinne 19 And yet say ye Wherefore then should not this sonne beare his fathers sinne Because the sonne hath done iudgement and righteousnesse he hath kept all my statutes and done them therefore shall he liue in déede 20 The same soule that sinneth shall die the sonne shall not beare the fathers iniquitie neyther shal the father beare the sonnes iniquitie the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon hymselfe also 21 But if the vngodly will turne away from all his sinnes that he hath done and kéepe all my statutes and doe the thing that is iudgement and right doubtlesse he shall liue and not die 22 As for all his sinnes that he did before they shall not be mentioned vnto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall lyue 23 For haue I any pleasure in the death of a sinner sayth the Lorde God shall he not lyue if he returne from his wayes 24 Againe if the righteous turne from hys righteousnesse and doe iniquitie and shall doe according to all the abhominations that the wicked man doth shall he lyue All the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be remembred but in his trāsgression that he hath committed in his sinne that he hath sinned in them he shal dye 25 And yet ye say The waye of the Lorde is not indifferent Heare therefore ye house of Israel is not my way equall or are not your wayes rather vnequall 26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie and dyeth in the same in his iniquitie which he hath committed shal he die 27 Againe when the wicked turneth awaye from his wickednesse that he hath done doth iudgement and right he shall saue his soule aliue 28 Because he séeth and turneth away from all hys iniquitie that he hath committed he shall surely liue and not die 29 And yet sayth the house of Israel The way of the Lorde is not equall Are not my wayes equall O ye house of Israel are not your wayes rather vnequall 30 Therefore I will iudge you euery man according to his wayes O ye house of Israel sayth the Lord God returne and bring againe others from al your wickednesse so iniquitie shall not be your destruction 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a newe hart and a new spirite for why will he dye O ye house of Israel 32 Seing I haue no pleasure in the death of hym that dyeth sayth the Lord God bring agayne your selues then and ye shall lyue The Exposition vpon the .xviij. Chapter of Ezechiel The woorde of the Lorde came vnto mee saying what meane ye by this c. THe Prophetes often Preached vnto the Iewes that it could not be but God would grieuously punish them because they Continued in the sinnes of their forefathers and that he had long time of his Pacience borne with the offences of them both and therefore of Necessitie Gods Iustice must nowe be executed Vpon this occasion the Waywarde people easily beleeuing their fathers offences and hardly brought in perswasion of their Owne blasphemously murmured agaynst God and in their heartes condemned him of vniustice because the punishment of their fathers offences should light vpon them And to note this their Meaning they vsed this common prouerbe The fathers haue eaten sower grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge By Sower grapes they vnderstood Idolatrie sinne and wickednesse as appeareth Esay 5. which their fathers had committed and by Teeth on edge the griefe and paine of the punishment So that as I haue sayd their meaning was that God Iniuriously spared their sinfull fathers and punished the Innocent children In Hieremie also Cap. 31. it may appeare they vsed the same prouerbe Wherefore the Prophete Ezechiel in this place defendeth the Iustice of God agaynst their blasphemous Obloquie sheweth that as the wisdom of God might haue other respects in their punishments then they were hable to conceyue so they could not Rightly quarrel with God in that poynt because beside their fathers Wickednesse Euery man had his Owne sinnes for which in Iustice he might be Condemned and punished And the Prophet to this purpose vseth fiue eauses 1 The first is that the Iust man continuing in his Iustice and doing in all thinges rightly shall prosper and not be punished This doth he in the 5. 6. 7. 8. and. 9. verses Wherein also by particular properties he describeth a Iust man. 2 The second is if that Iust father beget a Wicked sonne his fathers Iustice shall not helpe him but he shal be punished for his Owne naughtines 3 The thirde if the Wicked man be getet a Iust sonne who seeing his fathers euill doings feareth God and liueth Vprightly he shall not die in his Fathers sinnes but liue be in y fauour of God. 4 The fourth if the vngodly man will Turne from his wicked wayes and keepe the lawes and statutes of God his sinnes that he did before shall not be Mentioned vnto him nor he punished for them 5 If the righteous turne from his righteousnesse and fall to Iuiquitie his righteousnesse shall not be remembred but he shall be plagued for his Transgression wherein he continueth For somuch as there are sundrie places of the Scriptures that in words seeme contrarie to the sayings of Ezechiel there may iustly seeme some Doubt to rise thereof I will sayth God requite the sinnes of the fathers vpon the sonnes to the thirde and fourth generation And againe If thou wilt not heare the voice of the Lorde c. cursed shall be the fruite of thy wombe and thy sonnes and thy daughters shal be deliuered to strangers The like we haue Exo. 34. and Hier. 23. and in many other places For Chams offence towarde his father the Curse and punishment lighteth vpon Chanaan Many thousandes perished for Dauids sinne
because the kinges commaundement was strayte and the fornace was excéeding hote the men that put in Sidrach Misach and Abednego the flambe of the fire destroyed them 23 And these thrée men Sidrach Misach and Abednego fell downe in the mids of the hote fierie fornace bounde 24 Then Nabuchodonozor the king was astonied and rose vp in all hast he spake vnto his councell and sayde Did not we cast thrée men bounde into the mids of the fire They answered and sayde vnto the king It is true O king 25 He answered and sayde Lo I sée foure men lose walking in the mids of the fire and they haue no hurt and the fourine of the fourth is like the sonne of God. 26 Vpon this went Nabuchodonozor vnto the mouth of the hote fierie fornace he spake also and sayde O Sidrach Misach and Abednego ye seruants of the hie God go forth and come hither And so Sidrach Misach and Abednego came forth of the middes of the fire 27 The Dukes Lordes and Nobles and the hings councell came together to sée these men vpon whome the fire had no maner of power in their hodyes insomuch that the very heare of their heade was not burnt and their clothes vnchaunged yea there was no smell of fire felt vpon them 28 Then spake Mabuchodonozor and sayd Blessed be the God of Sidrach Misach and Abednego which hath sent his Angel and deliuered his seruants that put their trust in him and haue altered the kings commaundement and ieoparded their bodyes rather then they woulde serue or worship any God except their owne God onely 29 Therefore I make a decrée that euery people nation and language which speake any blasphemie agaynst the god of Sidrach Misach and Abednego shall be drawne in péeces and their houses shall be made a sakes because there is no God that can deliuer after this sort 30 So the king promoted Sidrach Misach and Abednego in the prouince of Babilon The Exposition vpon the thirde Chapter of Daniel Nabuchodonosor the king made an Image of golde which was 60 c. THe Prophet Daniell in this historie setteth forth a Iyuely Image of the contentiō betweene the Church of God and the Sinagoge of Satan betweene the True worship of God and the wickednesse of Idolatrie and superstition First we haue to obserue in what things the false worship of God consisteth that is in Images and other externall ceremonies which God in his Scriptures expressely oftentimes and most * earnestly prohibiteth as that thing wherewith his true religion cannot stande And therfore it maye iustly be meruayled howe of late yeres they that haue had the scriptures of God among them and professe themselues to be pillars of Gods people could fall to so Grosse errour in Religion as that they durste bring the worshipping of Images into the Church of God against his expresse commaundement to the contrarie saying Thou shalt not make vnto thy selfe any grauen Image c. Next haue we to consider Whence Idolatrie and false worshipping of God especially taketh authoritie and credite that is partly from the Founders and erectours thereof great Emperours Kings Princes and persons of Honour partly from the richnesse of the matter cunning workmanship and glorious pompe in the face of the worlde by which meanes it caryeth with it commonly the multytude the countinance of worldly power The charges of making this Image of Golde so high and so thicke may seeme huge monstrous and almost vncredible But therin is to be learned both what exceeding riches that Empire had gathered by the spoyle of the worlde and also howewastfully men giuen to errour can * poure out their treasures and substance towarde the maintenance of Idolatrie and superstition Whereas to finde the Ministers of Gods true Religion or to relieue their poore christian brethren they will grudge to giue a small portion yea or any thing at all but rather seeke to take that from them that by order they haue alreadie Are there not thinke you in Englande that when tyme was could be contented to giue fortie shyllings towarde the gylding of a gaie Image or twentie Nobles to bye a sute of Copes that nowe will not wythout murmuring giue sixe pence to bye a Byble or other Booke of seruice Then Nabuchodonosor sent forth to gather together the Dukes Lordes c. In these verses following is declared the dedication of this Idolatrous Image wherein Daniell verie liuely painteth forth both howe Idolatrie taketh credite of the glorie and maiestie of the worlde and also how readie and obedient all sorts and states of men shewe themselues to the furtherance of the same Here wanted nothing that could giue continuance to this Idole or cause the people to haue it in admiration The richnesse of the matter the straunge and monstrous biggenesse of the Image the Kings authoritie the straightnesse of the charge and great penaltie the consent and assemblie of Dukes Lordes noble persons Iudges Officers and Shiriffes the noyse of Cornets Trumpets Harpes Shalmes Psalteries Dulcimers and all maner of musicall instruments To all this commeth the exceeding readie Obedience of all the multitude of subiectes And surely it is much to be marueyled that in so great a number of Noble men of so great wisedome and experience such a multitude of people there should not so much as one rise vp say VVhy should men endewed with reason and vnderstanding and made to the * Image of God fall downe and vvorship a dumbe and vnsensible Idol that hath * eies and seeth not that hath eares heareth not that hath a mouth can not vtter one worde VVhy should he that is by Gods ordynance Lorde and maister of all earthly creatures crouche dovvne to an Idole made of mettall digged our of the grounde and framed to a fashion by mannes hande But such Men are when Gods spirite doth forsake them that no errour can be so grosse but they will readily encline vnto it Seing then so foule a wickednesse was here approued by so generall cōsent of all states we must by this Example take heede howe in matters of holynesse we grounde our consciences vpon the authoritie and consent of men seeme they in the worlde neuer so great of power neuer so wise learned or skilfull by experience But the worde of God onely must be the foundation grounde of consciences in all things that appertaine to the worship of God. Nowe weare there certaine men of the Chaldeis that went euen then c. It may verie well be thought that this Erection of the golden Image and the charge and worshipping of it was a cunning deuise put into the Kings head and wrought by some of the Nobles of purpose to intrap Sidrach Misaach and Abednago because they being straungers were in so great fauour of the Prince as in the sixt Chapiter we see they did worke against Daniell Such fetches cunning deuises haue the wicked of the worlde to
as it were in iudgement cleareth him selfe that he neuer hurted them neuer wrought trouble griefe vnto them whereby they might pretende cause to reuolt from him but alway hath shewed him selfe their gracicious mercifull and bountifull Lord euer readye to assiste and helpe them and miraculously with mightie hande to deliuer them As for example out of Aegipt from the sterne Tirannie of Pharao and his people In the wildernesse from manye dangers by the meanes of Moyses Aaron Marie their sister indued with the spirite of prophecie From the wicked deuises of Balach at which time he turned the Cursing that was sought agaynst them into a notable blessing By this wee also haue to take heede that wee doe not contemne the worde of God and reiect the memorie of his exceeding benefits that he hath of late yeares done for vs least it be grieuously laide against vs as the like is here vnto the Iewes Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bowe my selfe to the hye God c. As the Prophet before made as it were God him selfe to accuse the Iewes euen so here doth he bring in the people of the Iewes cōsulting asking by what meanes by what sacrifices by what satisfactions they may please God and appease his wrath and displeasure Here is to be noted that as the faithfull when they perceiue God to be displeased resort to his holy worde and out of that learne what to doe to please God so other that are vnfaithfull when he hath beaten into their mindes some sense of his wrath as he had here done to the Iewes they cannot ascende to any higher consideration then the wisedome of the flesh and of the worlde And therefore giue themselues to worke reconsiliation by externall things as sacrifices outward kneelings fastings and tormentings of the bodie iudging that God also maketh great account of those outwarde thinges which they themselues greatly esteeme and wherein they iudge principall holinesse to consist But God being a spirite sheweth himselfe to delight in that holinesse only that is in spirite and in truth And therefore in the 8. verse the Prophete aunswering their question sayeth God hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thee c. Whereby he taketh from them their pretence of ignoraunce or rather reproueth their obstinate impudēcie wherby they moue such questions As though God had not by his seruant Moises and by his Prophetes declared oftentimes vnto them what true worship he looketh for at their handes and wherewith his anger will be appeased that is with repentaunce and the true fruites therof Such as are the doing of iustice when not onely the Magistrate dealeth vprightly in iudgement but also euerye priuate man according to his office and calling The loue of mercie and pitie consisting in all the workes of Charitie The humblenesse of our hartes submitting our selues to the will and pleasure of God declared in his worde For To walke with God is to walke before him according to the appointment of his holy will and worde The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the Citie and the man that shal be saued c. In this part of the chapter the Prophete chargeth them with their sinnes wherewith they had displeased god The Lordes voyce is the preaching and teaching of his worde You haue heard sayth the Prophete what * dueties God requireth of you neyther can you in this pretende ignorance For the Lord doth his part diligently when he sendeth his Prophets to you that be of this Citie and to all other likewise that be in your case and by them crieth to you that you should repent and doe those fruites of repentaunce And therefore the faythfull and good man that hath care of his saluation doth consider it and feare the name of thee O Lorde But you O stiffe necked Ievves shewe your selues to contemne his voyce and to neglect his calling Therefore seeing you will not heare that voyce calling you to saluation hearken to this voyce that assureth you of your punishment rodde and destruction Then layeth he before them their grieuous faultes and offences that is Riches vniustly gotten False measures False waightes and balances Crueltie Lying Falsehoode and deceyte as well in their occupying and bargayning as in all other dealing and for these thinges sayth he the Lorde will take in hande to punish them Therefore I will take in hande to punishe thee and to make thee desolate c. This is vttered in the person of God I wyll therefore punish thee sayth the Lorde and take all those my good gifts frō thee which hath made thee so prowde and obstinate not ouely so but bicause thou wilt not repent and turn from thy sinnes O thou wicked Citie I will vtterly destroy thee and make thee desolate The first plague is famine and that in a strange maner that they should haue to eate and yet there meate not prosper with them The seconde plague that by inward mischiefe among themselues that is by discorde discention or other like meanes by giuing credite to the false Prophetes that were among them they shoulde worke their owne ouerthrowe The thirde is that all meanes of help succour and refuge should be taken from them and that those whome they would seeke to saue the Lorde would deliuer to the sworde The fourth is that their goodes and the fruites of the grounde shoulde be spoyled and taken from them and that they shoulde enioy no part of their labours therein The last is that they should be vtterly wasted caried away captiue and be a scorne and reproch to all people The. 21. Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Habacuc 2. I Will stande vpon my watch and set me vpon the tower and will looke and sée what he will say vnto me and what I shall answere to him that rebuketh me 2 And the Lorde answered me and sayde Write the vision and make it plaine vpon tables that hée may runne that readeth it 3 For the vision is yet for an appoynted time but at the last it shall speaks and not lye though it tarie waite for it shall surely come and shall not stay 4 Beholde he that lifteth vp himselfe his minde is not vpright in him but the iust shall liue by his fayth 5 Yea in déede the prowde man is as he that transgresseth by wine therefore shall he not endure because he hath enlarged his desire as the hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth vnto him all nations and heapeth vnto him all people 6 Shal not all these take vp a parable agaynst him and a taunting prouerbe agaynst him and say Wo to him that increaseth that which is not his howe long and he that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay 7 Shall they not rise vp sodenly that shall bite thée and awake that shall stirre thée and thou shalt be their pray 8 Because thou hast spoyled
and in the cause of their sister Cozbi the daughter of a lorde of the Madianites which was slain in the day of the plague for Peors sake The exposition vpon the .xxv. Chapter of Numeri And Israell aboade in Sittim and the people began to commit whoordom c. THe offence that is described in thys chapter to haue bene committed by the childreÌ„ of Israel may seme to be wroughte by the * wicked policie of the false prophet BalaaÌ„ who seeing before that the fauor of god was much enclined to the Israelites did aduertise the Moabites to suffer their wiues daughters to be carnally abused by them to the end that their God being * displeased with their whooredome adulterie might forsake them and so leaue them to the daunger of theyr enimies This was a maruellous way wardnesse in the Israelites that neyther with aduersitie nor prosperity they could be reteined in their dutie toward God. In aduersitie they * sundry tymes murmured against God. And now in prosperitie being come to a * fertile couÌ„trey and hauing great successe of * victorie they are caryed away with loosenesse and wanton lust towarde straunge women and thereby prouoke the heauie * wrath of God against them Wherfore by this example we are admonished in bothe states of Fortune to beware and to call earnestly vnto God for the assistaunce of his grace that wee be not caryed from the remembrance of our dutie eyther with the griefe of the tone or with the pleasauntnesse of the tother In this example also wee haue to obserue howe perillous the companie of * wicked women is not onely for the grieuousnesse of whoordome it selfe but also for the perill that is least we be ledde also by the poysoned pleasure therof vtterly to * forsake God and to contemne his holy lawe and true worship And the Lord sayde take al the heades of the people and hang them c. Iustly doth Saincte Paule 1. Corinth 10. admonishe vs to beware of whooredome and fornication least the lyke perill of Gods wrath doe lyghte vpon vs also The common multitude of the offenders were slayne by hande as aâ—ter doth appeare but the heades and ryngleaders of the people to that wickednesse that is the Princes Magistrates and rulers who shuld haue stayed and punished this foule offence are by God commaunded to be hanged vp against the sunne that their * punishement mighte be the more grieuous to the terror of other For the prince or greate person offendeth double bothe in the filthinesse of the deede it selfe and also in the example whereby he draweth a number to the lyke naughtynesse Suche as the greate persons are suche commonly are the people Wherfore wel saith wisedom cap. 6 The mightie persons shal myghtily be punished A notable lesson is here to be gathered of al them which at this day make so smal accompt of fornication whooredome and adulterie as though it were no synne at all yea as though it were a praise or glorie to them to be knowne and taken to be suche persons And beholde one of the children of Israell came and brought vnto c. This was a notable spectacle of the coÌ„tempt of God and all good men when Moyses and the people were before the doore of the Tabernacle bewayling and lamenting the wickednesse that was encreased among them and by their prayers tears sought to turne the displeasure of God froÌ„ theÌ„ this maÌ„ as it were in despite of them all and of God himselfe in their syghtes brought a straunge strumpet into his tent to be abused of himselfe and of his children By this example it may appeare that wickednesse was growne to a very * high degree among them seing that they had therin caste away al shame * and feare of God. This was none of the common sort of people that coÌ„mitted this outrage He was a lorde and a noble man of the house of Simeon the strumpet also was a Lady or GeÌ„tlewoman the daughter of Sur an head ruler of the Madianites Wherby it appereth what kinde of persons doe soonest breake out to suche foule examples of the contempt of god And as the offence committed was greuous so was the Authour and manner of the punishment extraordinarie For Phinees was a priest and no ciuile Magistrate his * office was to serue God in the teÌ„ple and not by death to punish offenders yet bicause the example of the wickednesse was horrible he was stirred vp vndoutedly by the spirit of God in the vehemencie of his zeale for Gods cause to vse an extraordinarie punishmeÌ„t of those persons that with such despite of Gods lawe and true worship did grieue the heartes of all good men in their heuie distresse And therfore though this fact of Phinees be greatly praised both here and in other * places of the holy Scripture yet being but a peculiar instinction of God in this one cause it is not to be taken as an example coÌ„monly of all persons to be folowed For if euery priuate man should take vpon him to punish offences and that by death it would grow to very greate disorder But Magistrates and they to * whom God hath committed the sworde may here learne with how earnest zeale they should see to the repressing and punishing of synne and wickednesse and not as commonly they doe eyther winke at it without punishment or so triflingly punishe it that it is rather a mockerie than a punishment Then God spake to Moyses saying Phinees the sonne of Eleazar c. By this God sheweth that Phinees was led by his instinction to the zelous execution of that punishment therfore doth not only shewe him selfe to lyke well of it but also rewardeth him with the * perpetual annexing of the high priesthood to him and to his house posteritie Here good princes and magistrates may learne that God with great blessing will rewarde the iust and with sharp punishment correct the authors of wickednesse and vice The third Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Deuteronomie 4. NOw therfore hearken O Israel vnto the ordinances lawes which I teach you for to do them that so ye may liue and goe in and possesse the land whiche the Lorde God of your fathers giueth you 2 Ye shal put nothing vnto the worde which I commaund you neither shal you take ought from it that ye may kéepe the coÌ„maundements of the Lorde your God whiche I commaunde you 3 Your eyes haue séene what the Lorde did against Baal Peor for all the men that folowed Baal Peor the Lord thy God hath destroyed from among you 4 But ye that cleaue vnto the Lord your God are aliue euery one of you this day 5 Behold I haue taught you ordinances lawes such as the Lord my God coÌ„maunded me that ye should do