Deum appellatum It is well knowne that of the godly Prince Constantine the Pope was called God So in the Counsell of Lateran this proude Antichrist suffered one of his Parasites to say Tu es alter Deus in terris Thou art another God in earth Many other such Stories there are which I passe ouer wishing in my heart that men would obserue and sée what is so manifest before their eyes that although the Pope by their distinction be not an absolute God or an absolute Christ yet certainly hee is a very absolute Antichrist I end then this Note with that exposition of Alexander of Hales our wittie Country-man Scriptura non dicitde Mose constituite Deum sed Deum Pharaonis hoc est potentem super Pharaonem diuinitus The Scripture saith not of Moses I haue made thee God but I haue made thee Pharaohs God that is of power and strength aboue Pharaoh through the hand of God which is with thee Nothing therefore I say do Moses words helpe the Pope to iustifie his blasphemous pride and insolencie 2. And Aaron thy brother shal be thy Prophet That is as he said in the 4. Chapter thy mouth thy Interpreter thy Speaker to vtter that eloquently or in good words which thou shalt appoint him Thy Prophet saith Theodoret as if God should haue said looke how I speake to the Prophets the Prophets to the people so shalt thou speake to Aaron as to thy Prophet he vnto the people Where we sée the incōprehensible Counsell wisedom of God who though he could haue giuen to Moses as well a rowling tongue as a wise hart yet he would not but to the one brother giueth one gift to the other another that either might haue néede vse of another neither of them be exalted in contempt of the other This is that which the Apostle speaketh when he saith Now there are diuersities of gifts but the same Spirit For to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome and to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit And to another faith by the same spirit to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit And to another the operations of great works and to another prophecie to another the discerning of Spirits and to another diuersities of tongues and to another the interpretation of tongues And al these worketh one and the selfe same Spirit distributing to euery man seuerally as he will The holy vse whereof wee shall take if reuerently we estéeme one anothers gifts enuying none despising none carping cutting nipping no man but with an humble heart glorifying God our selues and beséeching him that in all our brethren also together with their seuerall charges he would glorifie his great Name A Grace so much the more precious by how much it is rare too rare in these last daies wherein the Spirit hath foretold vs Men shall be louers of themselues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankfull vnholy Without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of them that are good Traytours headie high minded louers of pleasures more than louers of God 3. Thou shalt speake all that I commaund thee So will God euer haue his Ministers faithfull to kéepe nothing backe of his will deliuered to them for feare or flatterie of any man but truly to discharge the credite reposed in them leauing the successe to him that sent them and disposeth of all hearts at his pleasure Thus protesteth the Apostle very carefully we sée when he tooke his leaue of the Elders of Ephesus saying I haue kept back nothing that was profitable but haue shewed you all the Counsell of God Thus running our race wee shall rest one day in eternall comfort deliuered from a bitter world from euill men and euil natures taking alwaies our best endeauours in the worst sense and rewarding true affection with black enuie most vnfit for Christians 4. But I will harden Pharaohs heart Heathens could say A Deo perfecto nihil malum nihil turpe est From a perfect God no euill nor foule thing commeth Againe Deus malorum causa non est cum bonus sit God is not the Author of euill when as he himselfe is good Therefore concerning this hardning of Pharaoh some vnderstand it by permission that is he suffered him to be hardned as wee say in the Lords Prayer Leade vs not into temptation that is suffer vs not to be led Gregory saith Non duritiem contulit sed exigentibus eius meritis nulla infusa timoris sensibilitate molliuit Hee did not impose hardnes but his merits so deseruing hee softned him not by any infused sense of feare Augustine saith God did it ratione poenae for a punishment And wee all knowe the Lord is not tyed to giue his grace to any man but it is his mercie it is his loue and most frée he is to doo with his owne what he will The consideration whereof should euer worke in vs care and zeale to craue at Gods hands fleshie hearts which may tremble at his Judgements and taste his mercy saying with Samuel Speake on Lord thy Seruant heareth and with Dauid O my God I am content to doo it yea thy lawe is within my heart Marke also héere how God fore-tolde them againe that Pharaoh would not heare them A thing so bitter to the faithfull Minister of God as many fore-warnings are néedefull vnto him to giue him strength against this temptation O therefore that wee may euer haue patience who labour in the word and doctrine God will doo his will God ought to doo his will our dutie is knowne wee may not prescribe to him if wee performe what is our part sweete is our sauour saith the blessed Apostle as well in them that perish as in those that are saued and it is enough O Lord let it be enough to euery groaning heart of thy true Ministers wishing and séeking to haue them saued whō thou hast created and bought with such a price Thou canst make it enough if it please thée to blesse with thy holy Spirit the remembrance of it to them that are sliding to impatiencie 5. Thus warned and thus armed these two brethren Moses and Aaron went vnto Pharaoh and did euen as the Lord had commaunded and Aaron casteth forth his rod before Pharaoh and it was turned into a Serpent The vse of which myracle hath béene tolde before euen to strike a feare into Pharaohs heart that hee might the better attend to what was spoken to giue him assurance that though with his eyes he sawe but the persons of two men neither glorious nor terrible in themselues yet with them was the power and strength of the Almightie God whose hand could shiuer him in pieces if hee rebelled So standeth it still with Gods Ministers that faithfully doo their dutie to the flockes committed vnto them and
Pharaoh being offered to appoint the time himselfe appointed the next day saying To morrowe rather than presently the Frogges being so vgly and no place frée from them no not the Kings Chamber Who would not haue cryed now now euen forthwith pray that I may be deliuered from this plague rather than to haue stayed till the next day It is answered first that hee still doubted whether it was the Finger of God or an enchauntment and therefore was content to deferre the time to trie whether of it selfe it would passe away and so to discredite Moses and Aaron Such hollowe holes are in Hypocrites hearts when they séeme religious and carefull of Prayer or other good things Secondly héerein he shewed the nature of the wicked who not onely deferre their owne duties from day to day but as much as they can put ouer others also that offer good things vnto them as for example if a Preacher tender his seruice this Sabaoth he is tolde the next will be far more fit and if he come also the next Sabaoth then is either the Maister from home the Gentlewoman sicke the weather too hote or colde or some such thing that be Moses neuer so readie yet Pharaoh is not readie but cras cras to morrowe to morrowe is still the song till the Lord strike and all Morrowes end wee passing away to woe without end for our deferring That Moses taketh his owne time and saith Be it as thou hast said it is to teach him that at all times the Lord is the Lord his myracles no enchauntments but a powerfull working for his owne glory the gracious Deliuerance of his Church 11. Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh and Moses cried vnto the Lord concerning the Frogges c. Why went Moses forth might not hee haue stayed in the Court and haue prayed there God forbid but wee should thinke Courts to be places of prayer for such as haue a censcience in euery place to lift vp hands and heart to God yet would God also the hinderances and impediments so to doo in those places were fewer Surelie great Courtiers are found that a meaner place hath yéelded their hearts more heate to good things than those glistering places haue as sometimes a Country-house and sometimes a darke hole in a close prison Moses cried vnto the Lord saith the Text and prayer doth what neither doores nor lockes nor any strength or wit of man could doo the weapons of Gods children are such and so mightie The word of Crying noteth the vehemencie of Moses prayer against colde formalitie too common in most prayers It noteth not any loudnes of voice although that also be lawfull at times since the same Moses is said to crie in another place when hee spake not a word but from his inward Spirit Ezechias thus cried vnto his God and escaped both a mortall disease and the huge host of the Assyrians But what prayer can doo I hope you knowe and therefore goe no further 12. And the Lord did according to the Saying of Moses Sée the credite that Gods seruants haue with their mercifull God they aske and he giueth without any stop Can you thinke God heareth Moses alone no saith the Psalme God is neere vnto all that call vpon him yea to all all and euer remember it Hee will fulfill the desire of all them that feare him he will heare their crie and will saue them The Lord preserueth all them that loue him but he will destroy all the vngodly Wherefore my mouth shall speake the praise of the Lord and all flesh shall blesse his holy Name for euer and euer Daily experience sheweth the like and therefore as Moses héere euen despised Moses was stronger with his God and by his God than all Egypt to remoue a plague so shall wee euer be more strong than our enemies in what God shall sée vs fit to be enabled Wherefore one Moses is better for a kingdome than many others that are iudged to be of greater vertue c. 13. So the Frogges dyed in the houses in the townes and in the fields And they gathered them together on heapes and the Land stanke of them saith the Text. Had it not béene as easie for the Lord to haue taken them quite away assuredly to the Lord all was one but this was done to shewe the truth of the myracle that they were Frogges indéede no enchauntments thereby to méete with the vnbeléefe of the King and all his Courtiers who either openly in words or secretly in heart thought otherwise And by one meanes or other the Lord shall euer in his good time deliuer his truth from false surmises his faithfull Ministers from false imputations and write the wickednesse of Atheists and carnall men vppon their faces to their confusion Onely be wee patient to tarie his will to like of his way and be we assured we shall both sée his glory and receaue comfort 14. But when Pharaoh sawe that he had rest giuen him he hardned his heart and hearkened not vnto them as the Lord had said Sée the corruption of our nature if God worke not No sooner is the rod off but as the Dogge to his vomite and the Sowe to her myre so wretched man returneth to his olde bias and falleth to his former sinne againe When wee are sicke or distressed any way wee pretend repentance wee pray wee crie wee vowe and what not in shewe But forasmuch as all riseth from feare and not from loue it vanisheth againe as soone as the feare is past and the Deuill returneth with seauen worse than himselfe making our end more odious than euer our beginning was This hath béene touched before but yet euer marke it and feare it your selfe as you haue a care to please God For if you forsake God you can neuer blame God if hee forsake you and if after God hath giuen you rest you become retchlesse as Pharaoh was here then if as hee in the sea so you in eternall woe be drowned for euer you haue your desert and GOD is iust 15. The Frogge is as wee all knowe a foule filthie creature abiding in foule places as bogges and myrie plashes all the day long and at night péeping out with the head aboue the water making a hatefull noise with many others of his sort till the day appeare againe Wherefore Diuines haue thought that by these foule creatures fitlie might be resembled such croking Crues as hiding themselues all the day in an Ale denne or such like place of vncleanenes as soone as night commeth put out their heads and make a hatefull noise against Gouernours and Superiours neighbours and honest persons till all that heare them be wearie of them Which filthie Frogges the Lord assuredly will deale with all in his good time as here he did with these Egyptian Frogges namely kill them destroy them and make the stinch of them knowne to manie Till then let patience and
all sinnes So in Daniel is it saide that to Antichrist are giuen the eyes of a man still therefore marke how these properties hit Sixtly Their haire as the haire of women So are these they are delicious and wanton full of light allurements so trick and trim in silke and sutes of their fashion that the very Persians may séeme to giue place vnto them when they are in their Pontificalibus and gay attire In a word nothing may be saide more truly than that their haire is like the haire of women Their loose life hath toâ— much proofe Seauenthly But their teeth were as the teeth of Lyons So are these passing cruell and beyond all the butchering Tyrants that Stories speake of No mercie no bowels no respect of age seâ—e or circumstance vsually respected of men that haue any remnants of pitie Their Inquisition Oh how mercilesse their new deuised Torments Oh how strange Againe their teeth may bee well said to be like Lyons because they deuoured and eate vp such great things Looke vpon their Abbies Priories Nunries and all Religious Houses iudge what teeth they had and when there was not enough to satisfie them of temporall Lands then they preyed vpon the Church making Impropriations the venome whereof remaineth yet So that one way or other they were planted placed seated and setled in the very fat of the earth and had they continued still and not béene limited to fiue moneths who or what should haue escaped their Lyon-like teeth Eightly They had Habbergions like to Habbergions of yron And â—o haue these if you well marke them for by these yron Brest-plates are noted two properties found in the Romish rabble First a most obstinate stubbornnesse and inflexible frowardnesse not enduring any perswasion not yéelding any way but crying euer The Church The Church I am setled I am resolued and as a Captaine of theirs an English Apostata saide once Heaue at vs whilest you will and whilest you may you shall neuer remoue vs. This is to haue an Habbergion or Brest-plate of yron or euen to bee turned into yron Blessed be God who hath thus foretolde vs of this striffe conâ—umacie of theirs to the end we should take no offence that they are not conuerted vnto the Truth but stand and die in their wilfulnes Secondly they are defended by that Antichristian power as it were by an Habbergion of yron claiming an impunitie immunitie from all secular power and authoritie and hauing in readines curses and threats of Excommunication euen against the Greatest Princes and against All their Subiects who shall obey them whereof many a wofull Tragedie hath followed Againe themselues many of them haue béene Princes younger Sonnes Noble-mens younger sonnes greatly allied and friended so that in regard of this power and strength they might truly be saide to haue Habbergions of yron Ninthly The sound of their wings was like the sound of Chariots when many horses runne vnto battell So haue these winges when they flie aloft by the Names of MOST HOLY FATHERS MOST BLESSED MOST EXCELLENT and such like themselues giuing out That they are more blessed than the holy virgin Mary because she bare Christ but once and they make him and beare him in their hands euery day at the Altar Thus flying with their light wings of proud Titles they make such a noise and sound as Chariots drawne by many horses into the battell For denie any of these things and how violent how vehement are they by Disputations Excommunications Suspentions and Sentences of death it selfe Surely no whéeles of Chariots can flash out fire so as these men doo if their flickering wings of flattering Titles be touched Fitly therefore the words of S. Iohn hit them Their Scorpion tailes and power to hurt was touched before therefore I omit it now The tenth Marke is Those Locusts haue a King ouer them And so haue these Romish Locusts their Pope acknowledging no Magistrates authoritie ouer them but exalting him and exempting themselues from all others This King of the Locustes is héere called The Angel of the bottomlesse pit and in the eleuenth Chapter The Beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit Wordes of weight to mooue all Popish mindes if the Lord had not a purpose to destroy them For they must néedes acknowledge such a King is not worth the following and that their Pope is this King that which hath béene said and may further be noted of him clearely sheweth For hee that crosseth and crusheth to his vttermost power His Doctrine that came from Heauen he is the King that commeth out of Hell in whom S. Hierome saith the Deuill dwelleth bodily But the Pope doth so as proofe enough will manifest and Ergo the conclusion followeth as I said His Name also is folde héere which giueth againe great light For albeit the Pope be called Holy Father and so forth yet indéede he is a bloodie Destroyer and so his right Name in Hebrewe is Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is destroying Thus in the Prophecie of the Reuelation hath God you sée described a fearefull kinde of Locustes vnto the consideration whereof by reason of these Egyptian Locusts or Grashoppers we haue slipped I hope not without some encrease of féeling how dreadfull their steps be that continually walke in Romish wayes and will not be reclaimed by any meanes Our owne safer iudgement God make vs thankfull for and continue the blessed helpes of our confirmation in his Truth euer vnto vs his holy and Heauenly Word a fréedome to vse all the profitable exercises thereof as Preaching hearing reading writing praying conference and whatsoeuer else without feare vnder the swéete smelling gouernment of a gracious Prince our dread Souereigne Amen Amen 10. Therefore Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in hast and saide I haue sinned against the Lord your God and against you And now forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death one 〈…〉 Thus the wicked in extremities seeke to Gods Ministers whom in their heart they hate and cannot abide But this hypocriticall holinesse of this dissembling King we haue diuers times noted before and therefore may passe it ouer now Yet marke the great vehemency of his wordes and consider in your minde what a déep sin Hypocrisy is how disagréeing from the nature of God who is all Truth and from that blessing in the Gospell of a pure heart Moses yéelded againe to pray to God And by a mightie strong West-winde the Grashoppers were taken away and violently cast into the Red-Sea so that there remained not so-much as one in all the coast of Egypt But when it was done Ph 〈…〉 h shewed himselfe in his olde colour and would not let them goe The 9. plague 1. VVHere vpon the Lord spake againe to Moses and said Stretch out thine hand toward heauen that there may be vpon the land
comfortablie will aunswere I knowe whom I haue beleeued and I am sure that in loue hee hath adopted mee to bee his Childe that hee is true in his promise and powerfull in performance And these three so strengthen my heart that no want of merit no consideration of my owne vilenesse no greatnesse of the future blessednesse canne cast mee downe from the height of hope wherein I am soundlie rooted This is the three-folde corde c. To this effect haue many other Fathers written also but I omit them Lastly this example of God in this place as it teacheth patience and long suffering when we are abused so doth it notablie also teach cōstancie in loue where we once haue loued A thing worthie following if I had not béene too long in this Note I will therefore reserue it to some other place onely now praying you to remember whom you resemble if this grace be in you and from whom you swerue if it bee not It is enough to mooue a Childe of God 6. Of this striking of the Rocke there is often mention made in the Scriptures and therefore a thing worthie good consideration Hee claue the hard rocks in the Wildernes and gaue them drinke thereof as if it had beene out of the great depthes He brought waters out of the stonie rock so that it gushed out like the riuers Againe in another Psalme He opened the rocke of stone and the waters flowed out so that riuers ranne in drie places For why he remembreth his holy promise and Abraham his seruant The things we may thinke of are these The fall of Moses and Aaron at this time The figure and allegorie of this rocke Concerning the first reade what is written in the Booke of Numbers Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rocke and Moses said vnto thē Heare now yee Rebels shall we bring you water out of this rocke And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron Because yee beleeued me not to sanctifie me in the presence of the children of Israel therefore yee shall not bring this congregation into the Land which I haue giuen them Héere you sée it reuealed that Moses and Aaron staggered at this matter and offended the Lord. Whereby we are notably taught that although there be many in this world who through the grace that is giuen them fight a good fight hauing faith and a good Conscience yet there is not one frée from all sinne sauing Iesus Christ alone But euen Moses himselfe héere that Great light hath his darknes and his infirmitie Hee that had wrought such Great miracles and deuided the maine Sea through the power of him that now biddeth him strike the rocke yet héere hee doubteth and fainteth in Faith as God himselfe witnesseth of him Truly therefore said the Prophet Dauid If the Lord shall marke what is done amisle Who Who shall be able to abide it And the Apostle likewise There is none that is righteous no not one All haue gone out of the way And in the sight of God can no flesh liuing be iustified Let not Sachan then amaze vs with our imperfections for the swéetest Roses haue their prickels and Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance On the other side againe Let not Sathan tempt vs to a conceipt of purity or perfection either in our selues or others for if Moses fall if Dauid fall if Samuel fall if Iob fall if Abraham fall and all haue fallen who shall say my heart is cleane Beware of these extremities both wayes walking in the middle way take holde of Christ by him fearing no imperfection and for him flying all vaine thoughts of absolute integritte Againe learne heere and forget it neuer what an odious thing in the sight of God any doubting in him is which yet the Doctrine of Rome so laboureth to maintaine For when for this onely fault the Lord is so moued with his déere seruant Moses that he reiectech him from conducting his people into the promised Land and burieth him in the Desert certainly we may not entertaine doubting in our hearts touching any promise of his and especially in so great a matter or in such a graund Article of Faith as the Remission of sinnes is 7. For the second thing namely the Type you reade in the Apostle that this rocke was Christ that is a Figure of Christ With which kinde of phrase would the Romish Teachers not wrangle that Great contention about the Sacrament néeded uot For to giue the name of the thing signified to the signe signifying was neuer strange among learned men and in this very particular of the Sacrament S. Augustines words are well knowne Non dubitabat Dominus dieere hoc est corpus meū cum signum daret corporis sui The Lord doubted not to say This is my bodie when he gaue a signe of his body To which end also speake other of the Fathers abundantly if it were any purpose here to enter into his matter 8 For the thirde thing namely the Allegorie thus is it noted by the learned That when all mankind was to be smitten by the Law for sinne yet through the infinite loue of God the Rocke onelie was smitten that is Christ of whom the Law laid hold for vs hée submitting himselfe for vs was smitten off it for vs. Thus saith the Prophet He was smitten for our transgressions and with his stripes we are healed Other Scriptures also That God so loued the world that he gaue his onely be gotten Sonne to suffer c. That he himselfe bare our sinnes in his body on the tree c. This blessed rocke thus smitten for vs hath gushed out swéete water for vs to drinke to coole that scalding heate of burning sin in our soules which els would quickely kill vs and be our bane Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him saith this our Rocke and Sauiour shall neuer be more a thirst but the water that I shall giue shall be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life But let no man thinke that this water that is the swéete and cheering comfort of the Gospell is to be got by mans merites as some teach but euer remember the Prophets words Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that haue no siluer come buy and eate come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without monie c. The Prophets words are sull of force First calling to All to come and excepting none which is a great cōfort thē offering mercy without money that all cursed cogitations of workes and worthes in our selues might euer die and be abhorred Come vnto me all ye that trauell and are heauy laden and I will refresh you not your owne merits and works The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs saith the Apostle from al sin al sin I say againe and not our workes
his Sonnes sake giue it vs. Againe you may note here how Moses doubleth ouer and ouer in this Chapter the foulenesse of their fault calling it a great sinne a grieuous sinne c. so learning you not to extenuate faultes before God if you sue for mercie but to set them out in their true colours that mercie may the more appeare 4 Touching this Booke of life you must know it to be a figuratiue Spéech borrowed from the manners of men who vse Bookes and writings for their memorie and not conceiue that God hath or néedeth any such things It is therefore in sense as if Moses had said O Lord pardon them or depriue me of that saluation which is as sure before thee as if it were registred and written in a book Such borrowed speeches you haue more in Scriptures as you may remember In the Psalme you read of a Booke wherein Dauid saith Were all his members written which day by day were fashioned when as yet there were none of them In the Reuelation you read of bookes againe when he saith I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened c. And for the Booke of life you read persons written in it of two sortes one as it seemed the other true indeed Of the first speaketh the Psalme Let them be wiped out of the Booke of the liuing and not be written among the righteous meaning wherein they séemed to be written or might perswade themselues they were written but indêed were not For then they could not be wiped out Of the later you read here and in other places Where though Moses speake of rasing out yet indéede there is no such matter being nothing but the eternall election of God which neuer can be altered This is more plaine in the words following when God answered Moses that Whosoeuer sinned against him he would put him out of the Booke meaning hee would make it appeare that he neuer was written in it For the house built vpon the Rocke can neuer fall They should deceiue the verie Elect if it were possible as if he should say but it is impossible Hee that commeth to mee I neuer cast away No man taketh my sheepe out of my hand and many such other places Lastly consider and note here how he biddeth Moses go on with his charge but for the people he wil visit them vers 34. And so the Lord plagued the people because they caused Aaron to make the Calfe which he made vers 35. It telleth Magistrates and Ministers that they may not desist from their dueties for the peoples frowardnes but indeuouring to their vttermost to reforme them they must go on though they perish and euen in them so perishing they shall be a sweet sauour to the Lord. That Aaron thus escaped among them if you thinke of it Answere your selfe The Lord knoweth whom to spare for their amendment and whom for a time to spare though he know they will neuer amend O how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past all finding out Grieuous and thrise grieuous is the sinne of Idolatrie that not for Moses his so earnest prayer may be fréed wholy from all further punishment though in part the Lord yéeldeth as vers 14. you saw God make it sinke where it is so much vsed by deceiued Romish Recusants CHAP. 33. 1 GReat was the sinne which this people had committed mentioned in the former Chapter and therefore the Lord whose mercie hath neither bottome nor measure not willing the death of any sinner much lesse of so many thousands but rather that by repentance pardon may be procured in this Chapter gratiously vseth the meanes that their hearts may smite them with true féeling of their fault and so they turne and be spared Their sinne I say was great and great sinnes are not so easily repented of as they ought to be Againe in sinnes of this kinde namely when they are coloured and couered ouer with a good intention by them to serue to GOD most hardly are men and women drawen to acknowledge an errour and mistaking Matters of the second Table committed against our neighbour we much better discerne than matters of the first Table concerning the worship of God For here we thinke wholy our meaning should be accepted which was to worship God be the thing we do eyther neuer so void of warrant in the word or neuer so contrarie to the word The meanes that God vseth here is by letting them know that he will be no more with thē as he hath beene nor trauell with them as he hath done Moses shall goe on with them to the land which God had promised to giue thē And to send his Angell to driue out the Canaanites But himself would not go for they were a stif-necked people lest he should consume thē in the way The Lord noteth a maner of repentāce namely to put away their costly rayment frō thē not that this is a necessarie part of Repentance alwaies but that at this time by this outward signe the Lord would haue them testifie that which is néedfull indéed the true remorse and sorrow of their harts And vpon the hearing of this fearefull newes that indéed the Lord would thus deale with them they cast from them accordingly their best attire and sorrowed for their fault 2 For further working of this sauing sorrow in them the Tabernacle wherein the Lord will conferre with his seruant Moses vntill the other now so much spoken of was readie is by the appointment of God to Moses pitched without the host farre of from the host that by this signe also it might be shewed how God was estranged from them for their sinne who earst so comfortably and so powerfully had shewed himselfe for them and amongst them All which things religiously considered manifest vnto our soules what a sweete God the Lord whom we serue is who thus séeketh his lost people euen a father ful of all pittie compassion that they may returne to him againe and haue that which so ill they haue deserued his fauour and loue for euer Will this God can you thinke in your conscience euer cast away the poore sinner that commeth in sorrow when he worketh thus to draw men to sorrow Féele and be comforted with it 3 And when Moses went out vnto the Tabernacle all the people rose vp now reuerencing him whom before they spake verie lightly of saying This Moses we know not what is become of him What caused this but that still he was in fauour with God and they out So so shall a sound and vpright heart to God euer in the end procure honor howsoeuer for a time contēpt may be shewed for God will honour them that honour him it is his Word and it shall neuer fayle That vnion that was betwixt God and his seruant Iohn Baptist when he was true to God and
GOD is neuer pleased with any thing that is ours whilest wee retaine and keepe that which is not ours But marke well an Offering to the Lord beside that satisfaction of men And through all Moses finde me a place where sinne is taken away otherwise than by Sacrifice Now whatsoeuer is attributed to the Sacrifices the same is plainly taken away from mans workes And if it was neuer the meaning of God to tye that people to the out-ward Sacrifice it selfe but by the same to leade them to Christ shadowed by the Sacrifice then apparant it is to all men that there is no meanes to take away sinne but onely by Christ Which all men will not confesse because they would establish works in farther strength thaÌ„ God hath giuen 4 Well weigh it againe in the 7. verse and euer throughout these Bookes That the Priest must make the aâ—onement so euer signifying that not in the Sacrifice but in the Priest-hood was the matter Now that Priest-hood noted Christ his Office And therefore as then no Sacrifice pleased but offered by the Priest so at this day nothing of ours as prayer and such like auaileth but in Christ and by Christ our onely and eternall High-Priest Againe the Text saith before the Lord this atonement shall be thereby ouerthrowing the wicked error of them that affirmed a ciuill purgation onely of sinne by those Sacrifices and not any spirituall promise in them Which I say is most wicked as well as false Because so those Sacrifices and Exercises of pietie should no way haue serued to bréede and strengthen Faith in man touching his spirituall estate whereunto in déede they wholly aymed and effectually wrought in the godly that vsed them rightly 5 The second point in this Chapter is concerning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Sacrifices And first of the firevpon the Altar wherwith the Burnt-offering was consumed The Text is thus Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Command Aaron and his sonnes saying This is the Law of the Burnt-offering it is the Burnt-offering because it burneth vpon the Altar all the night vnto the morning and the fire burneth on the Altar c. So carefull is God of this continuall burning that if you marke it is repeated ouer and ouer In the 12. verse againe but the fire vpon the Altar shall burne there and neuer be put out Againe in the 13. verse The fire shall euer burne vpon the Altar and neuer goe out c. To this ende the Priests care was to féede it with wood and sée to it day and night and with no other fire might either Sacrifice or Incense be burned and offered to God This fire was carefully kept vpon the Altar to the captiuitie of Babilon and afterward found againe of Nehemias 2. Machâ—b 1. 18. 19 verses Of like from hence might grow that great honour and regard which the Heathens had fire in whereof we read often The Athenians in their Prytaneo and at Delphos and at Rome of those Vestall Virgins continuall fire was kept and of many it was worshipped as a GOD. The Persians called it Orismada that is Holy-fire and in publicke pompe they vsed to carry it before Kings with great solemnitie A merry Tale there is of this god Fire which I will repeate The Chaldeans say our Bookes worshipping this vaine god proudly boasted that of all other gods he was the strongest conquering and consuming all other gods of the Gentiles And no maruell for they were either wood or mettall that by fire might bée defaced This bragge at last came to the eares of a Priest of Canopus This Canopus was Maister of Menelaus shippes and dying in an Jland at the entrie of Nilus the famous Riuer of Egypt caused that Iland to be called after his name and was there honoured for a God This Priest fearing lest his god Canopus the Image béeing belike of some mettall might come in contempt and so his liuing be taken away deuised thus with himselfe Hée got a water-pot full of holes like vnto these that we water gardens withall stopped vp all the holes with waxe filled it full of water painted it very trimme and setting it very artificially vpon the toppe of the old Image of his god Canopus brought him foorth to contend with the Chaldeans god of fire which of them should be the greater The fire was set about him and great expectation in the beholders which way the victorie would goe By and by when the heat of the fire had melted the waxe that stopped the holes of the pot the water began to streame out at all the holes quite put out the fire about it Then there was a cry by all Canopus friends Victorie victorie and from that time Canopus that Idoll was counted through this subtiltie of the Priest the strongest God of all others Thus blinde are men when God giueth not light and thus easily abused when they are blinde We may maruell lesse at this great simplicity if we consider what is taught and held by these that thinke themselues wise in these dayes Namely that the water called Holy-Water sprinkled in the graue of a dead man not only purgeth the same man from all spot of sinne but extinguisheth also in great part that fell-fire which they call Purgatorie-fire Thus you sée mens follyes both of fire and water But passe we them ouer and come to the Matter What might be the reason why God appoynted this Ceremonie of continuall fire vpon the Altar and how may we profit by it First there was figured by it the death of Christ from the beginning of the world Namely that he was the Lambe slayne from the beginning for Mankinde and by this shadow they were led to beléeue That although as yet Christ was not come in the flesh neuerthelesse the fruit of his death belonged to them aswell as to those that should liue when hée came or was come for this fire was continuall and went not out no more did the fruite of his Passion faile to any True-beleeuer euen from the beginning But they were saued by beléeuing that he should come as we are now by beleeuing that he is come Also this fire came from Heauen Leuit. 9. vers 24 and so should Christ in the time appointed This fire was euer in and neuer went out and so is God euer ready to accept our Sacrifices and appointed duties euer ready to heare vs and forgiue vs but we are slow and dull and come not to him as we ought No other fire might be vsed but this and so they were taught to kéepe to Gods Ordinances and to flye from all inuentions of their owne heads For euer it was true and euer will be true In vaine do men worship me teaching for Doctrines mens praecepts Our owne deuises séeme they neuer so wise so fit so holy and excellent they are strange fire not that fire that came from Heauen Not that fire that God will be pleased
his word séeing it is so sure a way for mée to walke in Or why should any Teacher deliuer to me that which hée neuer receiued of God to be deliuered to his people If they craue obedience why should they bée angry that I pray to haue it shewed out of his word whom onely I must obey Hée hath prescribed a forme of seruing him that forme hée will accept and blesse with eternall peace all other formes hée will abhorre and punish Nadab and Abihu preach so vnto vs and all flesh They wish vs to take héed by their harme God is in other things full of patience but in this he is full of wrath and his authoritie to appoint his owne worship he will not indure it to be taken from him by any man Let Popish whisperers then make good out of Gods word Latine Prayers when we vnderstand no Latin Calling vpon Saints that heare vs not Flying from the sufficiencie of Christs Passion to our owne merits crossings and creepings with a thousand deuised toyes and we will obey them But if they cannot let them leaue vs to serue God according to his word that we may bée accepted 3 You may also well note it here that Nadab Abihu were two of Aarons eldest sonnes which after their father should in his place haue succéeded him yet there is no mercie with God to stay his iudgement when they will not be ruled by his word No prerogatiue therefore of any man shall saue him from wrath if hee thus offend but the eldest shall die aswell as a yonger the richest aswell as the poorer a great man or woman aswell as a small There is no regard with God of these things But the soule that serueth him according to his owne will reueiled in his VVord that is regarded and euer déere vnto him c. Build we not therefore vpon any titles and so swarue from the rule laid downe vnto vs. If so little a transgression cannot be qualified any way by any circumstance O what will bée their case one day that so many wayes stray from the Law of God and almost in no one iote of their worship haue any warrant Thinke with your self more of this matter and meditate further of it at your times 4 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neere mee and before all the people I will be glorified You can conceiue what wo it was to Moses to sée this end of two of his brothers sonnes but he must stoope to God and so he doth telling Aaron the trueth of the fault and so consequently defending God that he did but iustly In déede saith he we must confesse that this is that we were told before how God will be sanctified in them that come neere vnto him that is how he will haue his Law obeyed and followed in his worship and not any way else how though he vse the Ministerie of man yet no man liuing must be wiser than Hee to swarue from the forme appointed and to follow his owne libertie but man must thinke it his wisedome to doe as God biddeth c. 5 But Aaron held his peace saith the Text that is was so astonished with the fearefulnes of it that he had no spéech but all amazed and shaken with the woe of it held his peace He howled not out with any vnséâ—mly cries neither vttered any words of rage and impatiencie but méekly stooped to Gods will kissed his rodde and held his peace If thus Aaron in so great a iudgement how much more we when our friends dye naturally swéetly and comfortably so that we may boldly say NoÌ„ amisimus sedpraemisimus VVe haue not lost them but sent them before vs whether we our selues hope to follow Lay to this heauie harted father yet silent and patient the example of olde father Elye the Priest to whom when Samuel had related such fearefull things quietly he answered It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The example also of Dauid who in his distresse very bitter and heauie yet notably said Let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes These are most excellent Paterns for vs to follow in all our crosses and griefes not forgetting that golden Saying of Iob Wee haue taken good things at Gods hands and shall we not take euill O yes yes The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and euer euer blessed be his Name for all The fish groweth greater in salt waters and the Lord for his mercie make our Faith Pacience and Comfort in him great in the saltest and bitterest waters of this world Amen 6 Obserue here againe with your selfe the strange and admirable change of these worldly matters in the turne as we say of a hand For but Yesterday as it were Aaron and these sonnes of his had a famous and glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignitie vpon earth nothing vnder the Sunne being more glorious than that Priest-hood in those dayes And how may you thinke his heart reioyced to sée not onely himselfe but his children which Parents often loue more than themselues so blessed and honoured But O change now sudden and fearefull O fickle fading comfort that man taketh hold of in this world whatsoeuer it be if wordly These sonnes so lately exalted and honoured to their old Fathers swéet and great ioy now lye destroyed before his face to his extréeme and twitching torment And how Not by any ordinarie and accustomed death but by fire from Heauen a sore and dreadfull iudgement For what also Euen for breach of commaunded dutie by the Lord all which doubled and trebled the fathers sorrow As it did in Dauid when his sonne Absolon died not an vsual death and in rebellion and disebedience against his king and Father You remember his passion then vttered O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne He considered the cause wherein he dyed the manner how he dyed to a father so kinde as Dauid was both of them full of woe and sorrow Let neuer therefore any prosperitie in this world puffe vs for wée little know what to morrow-day may bring with it The glasse that glistereth most is soonest broken the rankest corne is soonest layd and the fullest bough with pleasant fruite is soonest slit hauing more eyes vpon it moe stones cast at it than all the other boughs of the trée Pleasant wine maketh wise men fooles and fooles often starke mad Thousands fall at the left hand but tenne thousand at the right Multos fraÌ„git aduersitas sed plures extollit prosperitas Many saith Saint Bernard are crushed with aduersitie but more are puffed vp by prosperitie Lacertus Milonem perdidit ambitio Caesarem Nimis alter Naturae nimis alter Fortunae credidit Milo his strong arme ouerthrew him and Caesar his ambition The one
following and such like First that these sundry bickerings with this Tyrant for his Church might notablie shewe his loue and affection to his Church which is euery mans great and speciall comfort Secondly that patience might be taught by this Example to all Gods children if their troubles and oppressions receaue not an end by and by Thirdly hee thus taketh all excuse from this obstinate enemie a thing of good vse if wee obserue it For euen as héere by Moses and Aaron the Lord dealt wich Pharaoh so by his Ministers still the Lord dealeth with vs leauing vs as naked without excuse if wee continue disobedient as euer hee did Pharaoh Fourthly hee thus discouered the great darknes of our vnderstanding vntill it be lightned and the damnable waywardnes of our will till it be changed by him Fiftly and lastly by this manifesting of the enemies malice he openeth to our vnspeakeable comfort and so of his Church vnto the end what a victorious hand hee hath to saue and deliuer when and whom hee shall euer please be the rage neuer so strong and great For Pharaoh cannot hold out but whilest God will we sée héere no more shall any Tyrant to the worlds end Thus you sée why God vsed this way by message and entreatie rather than the other by his power and might Let it profit you and so I leaue it 3. You sée also héere againe how God calleth them his people although oppressed and in miserie vnder a wicked wayward and prophane Gouernour It is a swéete comfort to those that tast of like griefe and sheweth as I haue noted before that affliction seperateth not from God but in the midst of all woe hee regardeth and saith mine mine although instantly hee rebuke not either winde or weather c. 4. Pharaoh his proude answere saying Who is the Lord that I should heare him pictureth out the hardnes of an vnregenerate hart and biddeth all beholders to pray against it O dust and ashes darest thou say thou knowest not him that made thée and not tremble for thy ignorance This vnféelingnes was in Pilate when hee said what is truth And what is that which some amongst vs vtter euery day what new doctrine is this Sed non impunè recusat Pharaoh quod scienter ignorat But to his woe doth Pharaoh refuse what wittingly and willingly he knoweth not And so shall all that delight in ignorance Hence commeth waywardnes and wilfulnes obstinacie and frowardnes rage and madnes that men will not heare and know But in Pharaoh sée what will followe one day when by voice and words no good is done Hée in the Sea thou in the lake that euer burneth shalt perish and sinke to eternall confusion 5. I will not let them goe saith hee Then his reason is his Will euer the refuge of the Reprobate I will not I will not and still in the end I will not A short resolution but as dangerous a resolution as man can make against his owne soule many times In the 6. of Ieremie sée the like answere Wee will not walke therein Againe in the 44. Chap. The word that thou hast spoken to vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare it of thee c. And many moe like answeres there be in the Scriptures but whose bee they euen such I say as rebell against God and his good motiues made to them by his Ministers and meanes wishing them well Wherefore the end is Gods wrath vpon them and fearefull destruction Such answeres wee heare too often amongst our selues saying I am setled c. and I wil not heare you God graunt in any due time wee may learne by other mens harmes and leaue them For true and true shall wee finde that S. Augustine saith Religio stulta non prodest sed obest A foolish Religion doth not profit but hurt and God is iust to all men in his time I meane in punishing their proude disobedience This is confirmed euen in that which followeth in the next verse in these words Lest hee bring vpon vs the pestilence or sword Noting that this is euer the end of the contempt of diuine worship according to the prescript of God some fearefull plague and iudgement Surely this one place would suffice to many to awake them and shall no places profit vs Were this people of Israel in danger and wee in none haue wee the Lord bound that wee may doe what wee list and yet be safe If they goe not out to sacrifice to the Lord that is to serue and worship him in that sort and manner that then hee commaunded the Lord will bring vpon them the pestilence or sword and if wee stiflie and stubbornly proudly and presumptuouslie refuse to goe out but of our doores to the Church by vs to serue him as now hée commaundeth shal nothing followe God touch vs and moue vs the knife is vpon our throates and wee feare not Whole houses and Manors are rooted out and ruinated not only abroade in the Land but euen in the Country peraduenture where wee dwell for this rebellion and yet wee thinke our posteritie shall abide and nothing happen vpon our heapings for them when hee is despised that doth but blowe vpon lands and liuings and they are gone Cathedram in Coelo habet qui corda mouet His chaire is in Heauen that moueth harts and hee for his mercie sake I say againe moue vs that wee may enquire séeke and sée whether wee doo well or wrong and doo as wee ought when wee sée it The Lord hath promised to take away the stonie hart and to giue a fleshie in the place if wee will vrge him with his promise by humble hartie and earnest prayer So did Dauid when hee cried O let mee feele let mee feele knowing euen then that this Gods mercie if it were sought should be graunted 6. Then said the King of Egypt vnto them Moses and Aaron why cause yee the people to cease frō their workes c Sée the lot of the Just to be quarrelled with nipped quipped slaundred and euen laden many times with false and most iniurious imputations To Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Iesus Christ himselfe this measure hath béene measured and they haue borne it Deus videt the Lord seeth and in his due time hee will make the truth appeare Fero spero I endure and hope let it bee thy Meditation when none séeth but hee that séeth in secret Againe marke héere how when God draweth néere to yéeld vs comfort then Sathan in his members rageth more and séeketh to encrease our troubles sorrowes and griefes but yet all in vaine God in the end will deliuer his Seruants in despite of all their enemies as here he did Be of good comfort and lay it vp in thy hart 7. They be idle therefore they crie saying Let vs goe to offer sacrifice c. A truth it is that nothing is worse than Idlenes the mother of all vice as discord
That the calling of God by seuerall Names as Father Maister or as here Almightie Iehouah and the like ariseth not of any varietie in his Nature which euer was and shall be inuariable but of and from a manifold varietie of affections in vs according to a diuers profiting or not profiting of our soules whereby hee séemeth to be changed with vs that change So may I profit in the way of Godlines that his Name toward me may be a Father and so may I not profit as his Name may be a Judge a Reuenger mightie and terrible c. 2. Let vs obserue these words ver 5. I haue heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keepe in bondage c. Are they not swéete and comfortable Miserable man remembreth and heareth his friends when they are in prosperitie and if aduersitie come vnto them neither hearing nor séeing then but a proude scornefull and bitter forgetting The Lord is not so but when wee are at the worst then he remembreth vs then hee heareth our groanes and sighes and pittying helpeth to our vnspeakeable comfort O kinde O gracious and déere God still continue this eare of mercie towards thy poore afflicted Seruants and giue that deliuerance ease and fréedome that euer euer may bee matter of thy praise to all succéeding learners how swéete thy nature is Amen Amen 3 Also I will take you for my people c. Behold the end of all deliuerance and of all benefites receiued from God euen that wee should be his people that hee might rule in vs ouer vs and his praise be euer in our mouthes Wherefore sée how carefull wee should be alwaies to answere this our Calling and neuer to be found vnmindfull of such fauours For if this plainer manifestation of his goodnes to them more than to their fathers was matter to them iustly to stir them vp to thankfull féeling how much more should his manifestation of himselfe to vs in his owne Sonne in whom he hath opened all the treasures of mercie and louing kindnes moue vs to an eternall and neuer ceasing care to please him serue him honour him and loue him And then more perticularly that hee should accept me me for one of his people O what can I say for such a loue but beséech him euer to make me thankfull Amen Amen 4. And I will bring you into the Land which I sware that I would giue to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and I will giue it vnto you for a possession I am the Lord. Swéete comfortable was this promise as often as God repeated it but many were the difficulties that appeared to mens eies against this hope all which how great so-euer or many the Lord if you marke it easeth with this one word Ego Dominus I am the Lord. Thereby teaching that as long as our hearts holde this perswasion of him that hee is the Lord so long wee must euer rest assured without fearefull fainting that hee can performe his promises in mercie made vnto vs be there neuer such stops and lets in our eyes What then is thy case are thy sinnes many and great remember he is the Lord and play not Cains part to say they cannot be forgiuen Are thine enemies strong and fierce and bitterly bent against thée Hée is the Lord and therefore can stop and stay them they shal not hurt thée aboue his pleasure which shall be no hurt but profit to thée in the end Are thine infirmities many hee can heale them hee is the Lord. Are thy children vntoward or vnkinde hee can change them hee is the Lord. Finally whatsoeuer gréeueth thée remember this and be comforted hee is the Lord he shall euer be the Lord and he shall euer be thy Lord to care for thy woes and to send thée helpe Onely beléeue 5. So Moses tolde the Children of Israel thus but they hearkened not vnto him Sée sée how hard it is as your Marginall Note saith to shewe true obedience vnder the Crosse Neither the word of God nor his miracles wherewith heretofore they iustly haue béene moued and wondred haue now any place with them but all dulled and deaded with conceiued griefes they suffer themselues to be caried away beyond the measure that Gods children should euer holde in their aduersitie which as it is a very dangerous thing so ought it carefully to be auoyded It is often a penaltie that hee layeth vpon the contemners of his Graces that cleauing altogether to the externall fauours and fawnings of this life they taste not comfort in any affliction whereas the godly the more they are pressed and nipped by the schooling hand of their God the more vehemently they sigh vnto God and looke to his promises with patience and hope This may teach the Ministers of God also not to be cast downe and discouraged if their words euer be not hearkened vnto and regarded since so worthie a man as Moses was in the house of GOD found this measure I knowe I knowe the bitternes of it to a heart that hungreth for their good but wee must bee content wee are not like to them that haue spoken in vaine to deafe eares before wee were borne The world will bee the world crooked and crosse froward and vnkinde though wee breake our hearts in labouring to winne to a better course O what a thing is it to come out of Egypt c. 6. Thē the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Goe speake to Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel goe out of his Land Before you sawe how he was bid goe to the people now wee heare him sent to Pharaoh so is there neuer any time for men of place and publique function to be idle Euer euer there is some seruice for them and an vse of their care paines and labour Now they must defend the oppressed and wronged now they must punish the euill dooers now they must comfort now they must chide that euer they may sée and finde honour to bee a burthen and an vnceasing carefulnes Priuate men also may make vse of it for either in flying euill or in doing good there is alwaies a care in good mindes But I leaue it to your meditation I note and sée héere the bottomlesse mercie of the Lord who although he might iustly haue giuen ouer to fauour so froward a companie that would not hearken to his words and messages sent vnto them yet he doth not but still continueth to haue mercy vpō them verifying that spéech of the Prophet Dauid Euen as a Father pittieth his children so is the Lord mercifull to his people I sée it also héere not without my good that when Moses had receiued this discomfort that the people would not regard his wordes and might stand in a maze what more to doe the Lord helpeth him out of this doubt and sendeth him to Pharaoh Surely surely if the Lord helped vs not in many mazes that this
béene noted before this meditation may arise how Gods aduersaries séeke often to oppugne the truth by the selfe same meanes whereby he doth teach it As if Scripture be alleaged Sathan will doe the like if the true Prophets vse a signe then will Zidkia make him hornes to and say when went the spirit from me to thée All which God doth suffer to draw vs forward to true and sound knowledge without which wee cannot stand but shal be shaken to and fro with doubts and feares and wauering conceipts most vnfit for beléeuers The wordes of the Apostle calling vpon vs to be stedfast vnmoueable abounding alwaies in the worke of the Lord. Not to he caried about with euery blast of vaine doctrine but to continue grounded and stablished in the saith not moued away from the hope of the Gospell c Saint Peter in like manner admonisheth to beware of being plucked away with the error of the wicked and of falling from stedfastnesse noting those that forsook the right way and followed the way of Balaam Labour we therefore to know how we stand and building vpon the rocke indéede though such iugâ—ing Sorcerers as these arise in the world and Apishly follow that course to subuert which Gods Ministers follow to strengthen yet they shall not shake vs but we patiently abiding a time setled vpon our true grounds the falshood shall appeare at last and all their follies be discouered in the end to the honour of God the glorie of his truth the comfort of his children and the confusion of such Egyptian Jugglers for euer Gamaliel could note it that Theudas had his time yet in the end fell with all his followers That Iudas of Galilie had his time and drew away much people after him but at last hee perished and the people were scattered Let not Gamaliel be wiser than we to obserue good things for his instruction 7 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said pray ye vnto the Lord that he may take away the frogges from me and from my people and I will let the people goe c. Why doth he not make his Wisemen take them away his Inchaunters and Sorcerers that could set a shew of making the like Could they cause frogges to come and not goe Or why doth he not call to his gods and Idols to helpe him to take them away Can none helpe him but Moses and Aaron by praying for him See then how the Lord when he pleaseth is able to force the wicked to the acknowledgment of him and his true Ministers and let it comfort vs in the middest of all contempts either of our God of our faith and religion or of our persons He can bring them downe that looke so coy by touches of bodie pinches in minde losses in goods and infinite waies And if therefore it please him a while to indure their pride we also must endure it and not grieue at it These exampels must be readie in our mindes euer when we sée such things Not long since this proud Pharaoh said WHO IS THE LORD But now he séeth and must confesse that there is no helpe but in this Lord. His Gods are weake and the frogs crawled in despight of them Moses therefore must pray to his God to helpe and take them away And who now but Moses Aaron with Pharaoh Ah wée despised Ministers by the proude worldlings let vs marke it and beare their coÌ„tempts In their extremities they shall acknowledge our callings iustifie our loue and wishe our prayers They shall stoupe they shall stoupe when our God pleaseth and it is inough Remember that great Nabuchadnezar how the Lord stouped him till hée should know that the Lord ruleth Pray pray for vs O Samuel said the stobborne Israelites when God would and so they came to him whom they erst neglected Men and brethren what shall we doe said they béeing touched that before thought much to be aduised by such men Ieroboam sendeth to the Prophet whose doctrine he would not follow and no worse a messenger than his owne wife and in his heart he acknowledgeth that truth is with him The great Turke in these daies will séeke the prayers of Christian-men when yet he fighteth against the truth that they embrace And many which at other times regard them not either going to sea or to battaile or béeing sicke and vexed at home will send and séeke for the prayers and comfort of Gods Ministers And what is this but a signe of Gods Omnipotent hand ouer all Pharaohs whatsoeuer and that he can reuenge our contempts and giue our truth and carefull walking in our places a due regarde and reuerence when he will with them and in them Let the swéetenesse of it ioy vs and make vs possesse our soules in patience Diues that rich glutton shal sée Lazarus right himselfe wrong one day 8 But why dooth Pharaoh now call rather than in the former plague for Moses and Aaron to pray Surely because this plague more nipped him than the former For when the riuers were blood he might haue wine to drinke and by that meanes not finde the smart so much See wee then howbeit other mens harmes should affect vs yet vnlesse the Lord touch our selues we are dull and dead without sense Which certainly maketh God reach vs a blowe many times when otherwise he would spare vs did we make good vse of our Brethrens harmes Applie therefore euer to your selfe Gods doings saying in your heart and why Lord am I not so also Doo not I also offend thée Father of Heauen and God of all mercie make me wise by other mens harmes and thankfull vnto thée that I am so schooled rather than with mine owne woe 9. Sée how readie Moses is to pray for Pharaoh when he biddeth him to appoint the time himselfe of his prayer and let it make vs thinke with our selues whether wee be thus harted to pray readily and willingly for Prince for Country for friends and familie yea let it open vnto vs what I feare is too true that in our liues scarce once we haue béene vpon our knées for any of these but euen goe on in a common course haling and pulling with the world all the wéeke long and on the Holiday goe to the Church rather for fashion than deuotion praying with lips not with heart a fewe words and then spending all the rest of the time either in sléeping or gazing or thinking of matters little belonging to God O that wee may profit by this readines in Moses to pray for such a wicked king Remember the Scriptures where you see how fathers and mothers haue gone to Christ for their children Maisters for their seruants and neighbours for their friends Christ is th 〈…〉 me and why should not we also be the same and Morning and Euening goe vnto God for our selues and ours as héere did Moses for Pharaoh 10. It may be moued for a question why
by reason knowledge so differeth one man from another by more more knowledge in this Booke Woe to those Teachers then that lull vs a sléepe and tell vs that Ignorance is the Mother of Deuotion that giue vs not leaue either to reade or pray or doo any duty in a tongue that we know but like those cursed Scribes and Pharises those hypocrites shut vp the Kingdome of Heauen before men neither going in themselues nor suffering others that would enter to come in Let this now spoken make vs sée their fault and that miserie so to liue as also this most swéet blessing of knowledge now vouchsafed to vs by the mercie of God through the happy gouernment of his Annointed seruant our déere and dread Souereigne and sending vp to God our thankfull thoughts both for it and him and begging the continuance of both long and long vnto vs. 2. It followeth in your Chapter But all the children of Israel had light where they dwelt Which surely was a very admirable thing the houses of Egyptians and Israelites ioyning as it should séeme one close to another as ours in these daies doo For else why should the blood be striked vpon the doore posts of the Israelites for a signe to the destroying Angell where to kill and where to passe ouer if all the Israelites had dwelt by themselues and had not béene mingled with the Egyptians This minde was Gregory Nyssen of and therefore hee saith Nontantum in Gosen vbi cōmuniter morabantur sed cum inter Aegyptios promiscue etiam habitarent in hoc maximum miraculum Not onely in Gosen where onely Israelites for the most part dwelled but among the Egyptians being mingled and dwelling together the Israelites had light and the Egyptian darknes And heerein was the greatest miracle The good wee may take by this strange worke of GOD is first to learne how able our Heauenly Father is to make a separation betwixt his Children and the Wicked when he executeth wrath and Justice if his good pleasure be so to doo though they be in one field together in one house together and in one bed together yet can bee choose the one and refuse the other Wherefore true is that Saying of the Psalme If his wrath be kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him Feare wee not then in the time of Plague of Warre or other Publique calamitie least we should perish with the wicked hand ouer head but remember this Place and say in your heart with comfort and faith O Lord my GOD and gracious Father I knowe thine able hand to make a separation if thou please in this calamitie betwixt thy poore Lambes and the Goates as thon diddest in that darknes betwixt the Israelites and Egyptians therefore I flie vnto thee in humble acknowledgement of my sinne and for him that had no sinne I begge that if thy good pleasure may bee so thou wouldest vouchsafe to saue mee from this Sword of thine to let the light of thy mercie and louing countenance shine about my dwelling as thy chéerefull light did about the Israelites So shall my soule and heart euer praise Thee and thanke Thee But if otherwise LORD and Father thy Will bee done and not mine onely in the world to come acknowledge mee as I doo not doubt but thou wilt and it shall suffice Secondly let this place be obserued as a very plaine Figure of that which wee sée amongst vs euery day At one house dwelt an Egyptian and it was all darke at the next an Israelite and it was all light so nowe at one house dwelleth a superstitious Recusant or a prophane Atheist and all is darke At the verie next house dwelleth a zealous Professour of the truth who readeth the Scriptures heareth them preached frequenteth the Sacraments and faithfully laboureth that himselfe with his whole Familie may liue according to the Word and héere is all light which shall leade to the light eternall with God and all his hoste when the good houre commeth God strengthen our hearts euermore in the loue of this light and make vs truly thankfull for these lightsome daies Amen 3. The couetousnes of this great Tyrant verse 24 shadowing the greedie mindes of all Persecutors The stoute care of godlie Moses to haue the Lords whole Will performed and not to rest in a part verse 25. 26. The fearefull driuing away of Moses from his presence shewing the rags of Tyrants towardes their end to bee greater and so comforting the godlie that when they sée the like they may knowe the time is not long and remembring vs what a dangerous thing it is to driue away Gods Ministers from vs with diuers other things in the ver 28. and 29. because I haue béeste too long in this Chapttrr I will leaue to your owne Meditation and so end héere CHAP. 11. There is nothing more common both in these Bookes of Moses and other Bookes of Scripture than to set that after which in precise order was to goe before so is it in this Place For what now is said in these first Eight verses of this Chapter by due order should be put before the 28. verse of the former Chapter which if you doo and bring in the 28. verse after those words in the 8. verse And after this I will depart then the 29. verse of the former Chapter will followe well and after that the end of the 8. verse of this Chapter to wit So he went out from Pharaoh very angry c. The chiefe Heads of this Chapter are these three 1. A Denuntiation of a new plague 2. An Admonition to the Israelites what to do 3. The Plague it selfe 1. COncerning the first it is contained as you sée in these wordes Yet will I bring one plague more vpon Pharaoh and Egypt And to make vse to our selues of it you that are acquainted by your priuate reading with the Course of the Scriptures very well knowe the manner of Gods dealing in this matter from the beginning to the end First how milde it was then how by degrées it encreased to sharper and sharper till the deliuerance of his Church and people were effected At the first he appointed Moses and Aaron with the Elders of Israel to goe to Pharaoh and to entreate him mildly and dutifullie saying The Lord God of the Hebrewes hath met with vs WEE PRAY THEE therefore let vs goe three daies iourney into the Wildernes that we may sacrifice vnto the Lord our God But this praying would not serue wherefore the Lord went néerer them by great and powerfull wonders yet by degrées touching them and not with the greatest at the first He caused Moses rod to be turned to a Serpent c. A thing that hurt them not yet in all reason should haue moued them Then he turned their waters into blood which did somewhat touch them After when that preuailed not hee annoyed them
more pericula fugere illos voluit id nos facere docens etiam dum apertissimé Deum adiutorem habemus God doth not worke all things as he can but sometimes doth eschew perils after the maner of men therein teaching vs to doe the like namely by vsing meanes euen then when most plainly we haue God our helper 2. The Children of Israel went vp armed out of the Land of Egypt saith the Text. And it may teach vs warinesse and circumspection in our vocatiens euer reckoning of the enemie in this our holy march towardes the Land of Promise Iosephs bones are caried away with them according to the oath made vnto him which may teach vs faithfulnes and truth in the desires of dead men euermore a thing alwaies of good regard with good men and too little regarded by many that would be iudged good men But no shewe of warrant héere for the Popish fooleries and impieties vsed about their Reliques For this promise to translate his bones was taken by Ioseph to shew his Faith in the promise of GOD touching the Land of Promise to be giuen in time and it was performed by the Israelites in discharge of truth without any superstition or Idolatrie as in Poperie is vsed most offensiuely The 3. part THe last generall Head is concerning the signes of direction which the Lord vouchsafed them namely a Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night Whereof the Psalme speaketh alluding to this Storie In the day time he led them with a Cloud and all the night long with a light of fire And againe Hee spread a cloud to be a couering and fire to giue light in the night season By this Great miracle shewing that the Israelites deliuerance was from himselfe and by no other meanes vnder Heauen Secondly that hee was present with them to defend and saue them from all their enemies And thirdly that in like sort hee guideth and protecteth his faithfull marching out of Egypt towardes the promised Land through the Wildernes of woe and affliction which indéede hee still doth by his Word and Sacraments two guides to vs as these pillars were to them So necessarie is it after deliuerance to be guided that without the one the other will not serue And if more particularly you wil meditate on them consider in the Cloud how it not only directeth the way but is spread as the Psalme saith for a couering namely against the heate of the Sunne sauing them from the violence thereof and comfortably cooling and refreshing them Remember also howe the afflictions of this world in the Gospell are noted by the heate of the Sunne And be you assured in a true Faith that euen euer euer against these heates the Lord in his good time will send you defence and comfort For still you must know that yesterday and today and for euer He is the same Meditate on the Apostles experience 2. Cor. 1. Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations sée the cooling Cloud that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith wee our selues are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ c. Thus to Paule thus to you thus to all assuredly In the other pillar of fire obserue that beside direction by going before it also gaue light vnto them in the night And thereby learne with a féeling comfort that whosoeuer followe Christ as their Guide and Leader they still haue light in others darknes So saith Hee himselfe Hee that followeth mee shall not walke in darknes but shall haue that light of life In both the one and the other sée a Notable Figure of Christ in whoÌ„ there is cooling without whom there is scorching heate in whom there is light and without whom there is hellish darknes In the world yee shall haue trouble but in mee yee shall haue peace The wordes which followe That they might goe both by day and by night most notablie remember vs that in trauelling towardes the spirituall Canaan we must not rest but labour forward continually The Chiidren of this world are often looking back toward Egypt and often pitch downe their Tents so in this Wildernes that they are loath euer to take them vp and to remoue But with the Sonnes of God it is not so but they say with themselues We haue here no abiding Citie and fixing both eye heart on their Heauenly house they iourney on still both day and night in true pietie and obedience and they are not quiet till they haue attained to the Hauen sée their God with his holy company in the highest Heauens Last of all when it is said Hee tooke not away the pillar of the Cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people Let it euer assure your fearing heart cooling comforting shining and lighting guiding and directing his little flocke shall neuer be taken away froÌ„ any member thereof but euer be readie present with vs both by day night to the eternall praise of his goodnes and vnspeakeable comfort of our soules blessed againe and againe be his name for it And thus far of this Chapter CHAP. 14. The Heads of this Chapter may be these 1. The pursuing of Pharaoh after them 2. The feare of the Israelites wheÌ„ they saw him vâ— 10. 3. Their fall and sinne through their feare ver 11. 4. The Lords deliuerance of them 1. TOuching the first marke what a straite the Lord brought his people into when He commaunded Moses to speake vnto them to campe before Pâ—-hakiroth betweene Migdol and the Sea ouer against Baal-zephon where the Sea was before them Mountaines on either side and Pharaoh with his Host at their backes the Lord hardening his heart to follow after them yet was not this distresse for their hurt but for their good that God might be honoured they miraculously deliuered and their enemies gloriously ouerthrowne How then doo wee feare in euery aduersitie before wee sée the end Surely we wrong the Lord much and our selues in so doing he being as good as euer he was as mightie as euer he was to finde meanes and as iust as euer hee was to punish our malicious enemies O thinke then with your selfe and reason thus Loe héere I am distressed on euery side as the Israelites were at the Red-Sea and it is the prouidence of God that I should be thus as it was his Will they should pitch in that place But doo I know the Lords meaning what he will doo No indéede And therefore I will patiently waite for his blessed Will not murmuring as the Israelites did but comfortably assuring my selfe that one way or other the Lord will giue issue to his glory and my
with Gods Minister sent for their comfort reproaching him bitterly as you sée in the Text. Looke therefore how the fire trieth the gold parting the drosse from that which is pure so doth aduersitie try the sonnes of men seuer the good from the â—uill Be we rooted therefore in his holy promises and looke not too much vpon heapes of men as these murmuring Israelites did for it is all one with the Lord to ouercome many and fewe and with many or few Faith must euer looke at him and say chéerefully as Dauid The Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I bee afrayde Though an hoast of men vvere layde against me yet shall not my heart be afraide And though there rose vp warre against mee yet will I put my trust in him c. For if wee looke at the billowe of the Sea comming against vs wee shall bee afraide and begin to sinke 5. Then Moses saide to the people feare yee not but stand still and beholde the saluation of the Lord which hee will shewe to you this day For the Egyptians whom you haue seene to day yee shall neuer see againe The Lord shall fight for you therefore holde you your peace Iosephus relateth a long Oration wherewith Moses exhorteth them but these wordes are effectuall and containe the substance A worthie and wonderfull strength in the seruant of GOD who héeretofore looked at the difficulties of his Calling at his owne weakenes and wants and at the ingratitude of men towardes those that haue best deserued yet now raiseth himselfe aboue all these in a most holy Faith and comforteth the people with assurance of a great and most gracious Deliuerance Thus can the Lord giue strength to any man in his vocation when hee will making him mount aboue all earthly conceites and to sée nothing but the power of God and truth euer in his promises Wherefore pray for this Grace in all touches and plunges of this miserable world And learne of Moses here by vse experience to cast behinde vs the vndeserued spéeches of men either malitious or vnthankfull and bee strong and chéerefull in our Charge notwithstanding a thousand of them Learne also of him both in our selues to be assured and to assure others in the distresses of the Church that as God waketh when we sléepe so will hee fight for vs when we stâ—nd still and that in our greatest weakenes his strength shall appeare The Egyptians are vanitie saith the Prophet and therefore God crieth to Hierusalem That her strength is to sit still And againe to Iehosaphat Feare not neither be afraide for this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods You shall not neede to fight in this battell stand still mooue not and behold the saluation of the Lord toward you c. Iehosophat thereupon to the people Heare O Iuda and inhabitants of Hierusalem put your trust in your Lord your God and you shal be assured beleeue his Prophets and yee shall prosper All Notable places euer to be in our rembrance yea euen in spirituall conflicts say thus with your selfe O my Soule feare not though Sathan thrust thus sore at thée and séeke thy destruction but looke vnto him that is mightier than al Hell beléeue his Prophets beléeue his promises beléeue his Word and the Egyptians whom thou hast seene to day thou shalt neuer see againe that is those frights and those feares enemies to thy peace and comfort in God thou shalt neuer be troubled with them any more but God shal so drowne them in the Red-sea of his deare Sons bloud that they shall not hurt the nor harme thee shake thée nor shiuer thee nip thee nor touch thee as they haue done The Lord shall fight for thee O my Soule therefore stand thou still and wait vpon him c. Further may you goe in this meditation if you will 6. And the Lord saide vnto Moses why cryest thou vnto me bid the people goe forwarde God doth not speake this saith One quòd eius clamor illâ— displiceret sed vt se exauditum cognosceret because his cry did displease him but that he might know that he heard him Sée the course of a holy Gouernour the people murmur and reproach him wickedly yet be for them prayeth most hartily See also the mercy of God in sparing and not confounding such vnthankfull sinners and see the force of prayer though it be but in groanes of your inward heart it euen cryeth in Gods eares it pearceth the heauens and pulleth downe comfort as is fit See likewise the dutie of all faithfull beleeuers To goe forward as here is said to the Israelites notwithstanding Seas before vs hilles about vs and whatsoeuer it may be that is against vs leauing all to the Lord who knoweth his owne purpose and will manifest the same in due time Forward Forward saith God héere speake vnto the Children of Israel that they goe forward And let it ring in our eares whilest we liue But why did Moses cry thus in his hart to God when it was reuealed to him what should be the end of the Egyptians Surely because neither promises nor reuelatioÌ„s hinder the Children of God froÌ„ vsing ordinary appointed means but in stead of being made any whit slouthful or careles therby they are enen more more stirred-vp by the same to beg craue the performance effect of them The lifting-vp of his rod to smite the waters in shew was but a simple ridiculous thing but when the Word concurreth with a Signe then not the Signe but the Word is to be looked vpon and the Signe in the Word as here not the Rod but the might of him that commaâ—ndeth God hardening their harts to follow sheweth how in wrath the Lord blindeth sinners till they run and rush into their due destruction as we haue noted before and then they know acknowledge him to bee the Lord when it is too late Wherefore God in his sweete mercy vouchsafe vnto vs eies in time to see him hearts in time to loue him liues in time obedient to him that it neuer be said vnto vs it is too late Amen Amen 7 And the Angel of God which went before the host of Israel remooued went behinde them Who this Angell was we saw in the Chap. before ver 21. we may sée againe in this Chap. ver 24. euen Christ the Son of God by whose conductioÌ„ they into the Canaan both they and we withall true beléeuers into the true Canaan are conducted brought This God going before now remooueth behinde and so keepeth them safe from their pursuing eâ—emies The Cloude on the one side gaue light to the Israelites on the other side was dark to the Egyptians in respect of the darke side was called a cloude
degrée of sinne in them Which all men doo when they doubt of his power his will and his truth when they take vpon them to prescribe waies meanes how they wil be helped and doo not patiently expect his comfort by such waies and meanes and in such time as to him shall séeme good That thus they tempted him the 7. ver sheweth where they say Is the Lord among vs making that a Question which was so manifest vnlesse they might haue what they would when they would and as they would Had euer people greater Testimonies of Gods presence amōg them than they Did not they euen at this time receiue euery morning a tokē of it whē they gathered Manna O impatiece then whither wilt thou carry our corrupt nature if God stay thée not far otherwise did that Saint of God Dauid when in as great a distresse as this hee said Carry the Arke of God againe into the City if I shal finde fauour in the eies of God he will bring me againe and shew me both it and the Tabernacle thereof But if he thus say I haue no delight in thee hehold here am I let him doo to me as seemeth good in his eies Here is patience and contentment in Gods holy wil whatsoeuer it is bée it to weale or be it to Woe bee it to Life or be it to Death And what Man or Woman euer loste by carying themselues thus towardes their GOD Dauid founde a blessing of this course and returned in safetie to his house The Rebelles against him beeing confounded and scatered in GODS powerfull iustice Pray it therefore with your heart as you doo with tongue and pray it often both with Heart and Tongue Thy will be done Thy will bee done O my Father with me euer In it will I rest in it will I ioye by thy helping grace and bee alwaies assured of thy true Worde All thinges euen all thinges worke for the best to them that loue thee I could note by these mutinies and stirres the difficultie of gouernment the nature of the multitude the lot of Gods Ministers and such like but before they haue béene touched vpon diuers the like occasions nothing must discourage a man in that calling that God hath placed him in Vae tibi si praes non prodes sed vae grauius si quiapraeesse metuis prodesse refugis Woe be to thee if thou gouerne and doest not profit but more woe be vnto thee if because thou art afraide to gouerne thou refuse to profit saith S. Bernard 4. Then Moses cried vnto the Lord saying what shall I doo to this people for they bee almost readie to stone me The true refuge of Magistrate Minister and all godlie is euer to flie vnto the Lord by hearty and earnest prayer as héere you sée Moses doth Thus againe when Pharaoh pursued to the red Sea and in bath places his prayer is called a crying for the earnestnes of it in his heart although he spake neuer a word with his mouth So saith Dauid in his Psalme Thus and thus they abused me but I gaue my selfe to prayer It is a blessed course and neuer faileth them that vse it But stand you not amazed at the other part of the verse namely that they were readie almost to stone Moses such a man such a Magistrate so déere to God so profitable to them so famous in all Egypt and almost ouer the world for those great works wherewith it had pleased God to grace him O turba quám semper es turbulenta O world world what trust is to be reposed in thee this is the constancie of thy fauour euer The Multitude is thus to be reckoned of be a mans deserts neuer so good and yet how hunt many after this breath howe spend they how spoile they themselues and all theirs to be great with the people and to be spoken of by the multitude neuer thinking in due time of the nature of this greatnes and what all monuments of learning haue saide of it Doo not the Scriptures shew vs how reuerently the Pharisies sent vnto Iohn and yet after affirmed him to haue the Deuill Whereupon our Sauiour Christ vttereth a Sentence worthie to bee written in a wise mans heart for euer Iohn was a burning and shining candle and yee would for a season haue reioyced in his light Marke these wordes for a season and settle them soundly in your heart that they may euer shewe you that were you as great as Iohn Baptist who had not a greater amongst them that were begotten of women yet your credite is but for a season with worldly men and with the common multitude To day a man to morrowe a beast to day none better to morrowe none worse to day a God to morrowe a Deuill The Lord Iesus himselfe found this measure and all his Disciples and Seruants after him Absalon would write kindly to Ioab to day and tomorrowe set his corne on fire The world weigheth without Ballance numbreth without Counters and measureth without Rule The Ballance Counters and Rule of the world is a fickle fading hote and hastie humour for a time Howe close and fast will the Quicke-filuer cleaue vnto the gold you would thinke it could neuer be gotten away yet as soone as the fire commeth it is gone and no signe to be séene of it Euen so is the liking of the world not louing in GOD and for GOD. They that runne at Tilt looke to the Iudges what they say and not what the vulgar people say So must a wise man euer looke what his Iudge in Heauen alloweth and not what inconstant men on earth praise If anie-man would warne you of the fall of the house wherein you are you would soone bee gone and shall no warning serue to make you auoyde the tottering applause of the worlde Glorious Haman howe soone is hee downe and his glorie gone as if it had neuer beene Great Holophernes that was so fearefull with his power falleth and vanisheth in a moment Mightie Antiochus the King of Syria what a change found hee in an instant Hee that hangeth vpon the worlds opinion shal to day bee great to morrow little and the third day no body In one day and almost in one houre Ioram the King of Israel Ochozias the King of Iuda and wicked Iezabel all secure in peace and worldly comfort are slaine by Iehu and their pompe gone That potent Monarch Alexander after such glory and fame dieth in his flower and lieth 30 daies vnburied his friends being busie in sharing his Kingdomes Valerian the Emperour taken of the Persian King is made a footestoole for him to tread vpon in going to his horse Such Stories manie our Bookes haue but these suffice for a tast If God and man haue found the worlds loue fickle shal you onely finde it fast beléeue it not But remember worthie Moses héere readie to be stoned by those that euen now
Egypt Then hee tooke Zipporah Moses wife c and went vnto him Thereby noting that the hearing of Gods great and wonderfull workes done for his people mooued his heart to come and ioyne himselfe to them so entereth God to the heart by the eare vsuallie And therefore the vse of the eare to heare of God and his workes out of his word euer cried for in the Scriptures and the stopping of the same euer condemned as to GOD rebellions and to the soule most hurtfull and pernitious O that it might sinke and settle in all men for their amendment and encrease of care and conscience to heare 2. What is Iethro A Gentile Where dwelt hee In Midian a good way of Gentiles then heare and Iewes will not they that dwell farre of come and they that are néere will not He that but heareth is much mooued they that sée with their eyes and féele with their hands Gods works and mercies murmure repine sinfully Doo not things fall out thus in our dayes and finde wee not by erperience to the griefe of all good mindes that plentie is no daintie would GOD wee did not But let vs in time remember what is spoken for our admonition if wee haue grace Manie shall come from the East and West and shall sitte downe with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the Kingdome of Heauen And the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast out into vtter darknes there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Woe be to thee Chorazin woe be to thee Bethsaida for if the great workes which were done in you had beene done in Tyrus and Sidon they had repented long agone in sackcloath and ashes The Queene of the South shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall condemne it for she came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisedome of Salomon and beholde a greater than Salomon is heere Then Christ in his person now Christ in his word the same Christ God and man euer aboue Salomon who was his creature 3. Iethro brought with him Moses wife whom he had sent away and her two sonnes ver 3. The time when hee sent her away I doo not remember to be expressed in the Scripture But of like it was when shee shewed her selfe so crosse and weyward about the circumcision of her sonne to the hazard of Moses owne life whom the Lord would haue killed for neglect of the Sacrament Happily he thought shee would be crosse and headie in other things as well as in that and therefore for feare lest shee should hinder him in his vocation now imposed by God he sent her for a time back with his Children to Iethro her father Whereof we may make me thinks these two vses first that it is a gréeuous offence for either wiues or others to be an hinderance to men in their duties enioyned them by God for this is euen to striue against God and to set our will against his will to the great perill both of the men so called and of the parties that so hinder them if they persist Secondly that it is the dutie of all so called to remoue from them in a lawfull sort those hinderers preferring the Lords worke before their owne affection and remembring zealouslie their Maisters wordes Hee that loueth Father or Mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And hee that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than me is not worthie of me But whosoeuer shall forsake houses or Bretheren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my names sake he shall receaue an hundreth fold more and shall inherite eternall life This forsaking for a time of Moses was a holie resistance of his owne affections and a zealous care of his imposed office 4. And Iethro saide to Moses that is hee sent messengers to say I thy Father in lawe Iethro am come to thee and thy Wife and thy two Sonnes with her A singular modestie in Iethro and reuerence to his Sonne in lawe Moses his place when albeit hee had with him those guests that hee knew in nature must néedes be welcome besides his owne due who was come so farre in loue and kindnes yet hee would not come to him without this reuerent sending before to acquaint him Such reuerence to mens places in our daies is much wanting in those that chiefely should performe it and familiaritie breedeth contempt But behold Iethro héere and know that God hath Chronicled this for his praise and our profit Reuerence to Magistrates reuerence to Ministers reuerence to all authoritie and superioritie certainly it pleaseth God and commendeth vs. The contrarie is immodestie yea impietie and as a great contempt of the Author of that authoritie as of the partie contemned vsuallie punished of God either with want of euer hauing authoritie or with such contempt if they haue authoritie as erst they measured vnto others 5. Howe requiteth Moses this kinde respect The Text saith Hee went out to meete his Father in lawe and did obeysance and kissed him and each asked other of his welfare and they came into the Tent. No authoritie and greatnes maketh him proude or vnmindfull of an olde friend who had shewed him kindnes when he was in a lower estate but with a singular humilitie he receaueth reuerence in his place and with like respect againe boweth himselfe and reuerenceth Iethro Such mutuall loue and reciprocall offices of complement and order shall you euer sée in wise men what difference soeuer is in their places And there is no greater pride than where least worth is Pride maketh rude and rudenes getteth little loue wee all knowe Such an Example as this is in steade of an hundred to a wise heart and yet you may ioyne Dauids protestation to it be much profited Lord I am not high minded I haue no proud lookes c. 6. Then Moses told his Father in law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians c. Being met together after ordinarie salutations and kinde enquiring one of anothers health they fall to religious and godlie talke Moses taking pleasure to speake Iethro to heare of such gracious fauours as the Lord had shewed to his people and of such powerfull iudgements as he had laide vpon their enemies Which may serue for a good motiue in our daies to cut off idle if not very prophane conference when wee méete and to leade vs this good way remembring euer that of idle words wee must giue an accompt Woe be to the world because of offences for it must needes be that offences must come but woe bee to that man by whom the offence commeth c. If any man among you seeme religious refraineth not his tongue but deceaueth his owne heart this mans religion is in vaine The hartie ioy also that was in Iethro when hee heard these thinges notablie telleth vs the right affection of a Childe of GOD
children of Israel c. Secondly an argument drawne from the former benefits of God to them in these words Yee haue seene what I did to the Egyptians and how I caried you vpon Eagles wings and haue brought you vnto me Thirdly an Argument from future benefits If you will heare my voice indeede and keepe my couenant then you shall be my chiefe treasure aboue all people though all the earth be mine Yee shall be to me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation All which if you will applie vnto your selfe and make vse of them then may you in like sort euer stir vp your hart and prepare your minde to good things in this sort and by the selfe same Arguments As for Example to goe to the Church and to ioyne with the Congregation both in prayer hearing of the word preached First because it is not mans Cōmandement but God requireth the Minister to call speake to you for it as here he did Moses Secondly the fauours of God passed to you require it Thirdly future fauors if you do it shal be added vnto you It is also worthy marking still how he ioyneth here hearing keeping together saying If you will heare my voyce indeede and keepe my couenant Keepe without hearing you cannot hearing without keeping will neuer profit you or any Joyned therefore you sée they must néedes be as the Lord shall make vs able Moses doing as God bad him teacheth all Ministers to bee faithfull and to doo their Message Many are the Commaundements in Scripture to them to speake to crie to lift vp their voyces like trumpets and to tell their people what God requireth If they doo it great is their reward with God and if they bee false and idle and negligent men-pleasers and time-seruers as great againe is their iudgement Grandis est dignitas sacerdotum grandis est ruina si peccant Great is the dignitie of Priests by their office and as great is the fall of them if they offend It can neuer be too often repeated nor too much remembred The peoples aunswere to Moses what is it They answered all together and said all that the Lord hath commaunded wee will doo A most notable patterne for a Christian congregation to looke vpon and to followe Thus should it be betwixt Pastor and People euer Hee to speake what God commaundeth and they to heare answere zealously we will we will doo what God commandeth vs. O swéete ioy where this agreement is Such care and such conscience both in pastor and people will giue no place to iarres and contentions to sutes and vexations or to any thing that displeaseth God and is offensiue to the world c. 2. The particular preparation followeth frō the 9. verse to the end of the Chapter hauing 4 members First the maner of Gods Communicating of himselfe to Moses namely in a thick cloud together with the end thereof that the people may heare whilest I talke with thee and that they may beleeue thee for euer A singular instruction to all men in the world that desire to please God and especially to Great Ones shewing them how carefull they should be to grace and countenance the Ministers of the word before the people to the end their wordes may haue more weight with their hearers and their seruice and paines doo more good Would men doo thus O how comfortable to the painfull and faithfull Teacher and how profitable to the Church would it bee The Lord would sée it and acknowledge it done for him and with eternall comforts reward it for euer But now it is otherwise with too many For Great men must shewe their greatnes in disgracing the Lords Prophets and meaner men must shewe their malice in spreading false rumors of their spirituall Teachers in open assemblies and priuate conuenticles motes are made mountaines and spots surmised where none are Neuer I thinke since the world was did mens eares so itch and their hearts so boile in this sinne as at this day But what shall wee say Surely euen turne to the Lord in prayer and comfort our selues in this example of the Lords goodnes who as hee is not Moses his God alone nor Moses alone his messenger so will not he tye his countenance onlie to him but giue euery true labourer in his good time his due credite notwithstanding all the malice of man and Deuill O Lord doo it for thy Name sake and as thou gracedst héere Moses that hee might euer be beléeued so couuert or confound these Disgracers of thy Ministers whose iniquitie tendeth to hinder Beleefe and consequentlie to destroy the soules of thy poore people Encrease the number of them that followe thy example and labour by all meanes to further thy worke in the hands of thy workemen Set a Crowne of glory vpon their heads and dailie reward their loue into their bosomes with thy good blessings vnto them and theirs 3. The second branch of this particular preparation is laid downe in the 10. verse and the rest following to the 16. consisting in certaine outward matters vsed in those times among those people and figuratiuely teaching inward puritie and cleanenes of heart to come to God with all As washing of their cloathes not comming at their wiues and such like The Ceremonies are taken away but the truth remaineth namely that we are all by our corruption most vnfit profitably to heare the word of God vnlesse we be sanctified and prepared thereunto by the good Spirit of God And therefore we ought to make readie for so holy a worke by all due care before hand to purge our hearts from other cares troubles and impediments whatsoeuer The word of GOD is not to be handled with vncleane hands neither will enter into vncleane hearers It is a precious pearle it should not be cast before Swine For this cause assuredly many heare and reade without profit because they came without feare and reuerence in their mindes This abstaining from their wiues noteth no impuritie in holy Matrimonie but by this particular figuratiuely teacheth a godly abstinence from all worldly pleasures whatsoeuer in generall for a time that wee may more fully attend the seruice of God wee goe about vpon speciall occasion To which end the Apostle Paul also requireth the like by consent for a time to giue themselues to fasting and prayer and then to come together againe that they be not tempted of Sathan to incontinencie Thomas Aquinas himselfe could say thus of it Hoc ex sepeccatum non erat sed multa tunc ad carnis munditias exigebantur quae iam non sunt necessaria quia lex uostra spiritualem munditiam requirit non carnis This was not a sinne of it selfe but many things were then required to the outward clensing of the flesh which are not now necessarie because our lawe requireth spirituall cleanenes not an outward of the flesh onely c. 4. The markes that
say vnto them For their hearts he will touch their eares he will bore or open and they shall see with their eyes heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts to eternall life But how they must come to God in the Cloud couered with it c. that is in the humanitie of Christ whereof this Cloud was a figure For wâ—thout him there is no accesse to God and by him we come and that boldly He is become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Search without him be oppressed of Maiestie search by him be comforted with mercy Kisse the Sonne and feare not The sight of the glorie of the Lord was like consuming fire on the top of the mouÌ„taine in the eyes of the children of Israell saith your Chapter but to them whom he drew to him he appeared as a pleasant Saphir vers 10. Certainly euen so to carnal men and to such as are his called by his holy Spirit there is a great difference of him the one seeing but feare and trembling the other séeing féeling and tasting ioy swéetnes comfort and gladnes aboue that which mans pen can lay downe or his narrow heart once conceiue Lastly Moses was in the Mount fortie daies and fortie nights without meat or drinke when as God could haue dispatched him in a moment All to giue authoritie to him and his lawe as hath béene said that the people might sée in his long abstinence the diuine power of God and so euer estéeme of the thing wherein they saw no earthly course held Let it teach vs still and euer to reuerence Gods ministers to whom he hath reuealed his will for our good They are now his meanes as then Moses was and by his word he hath graced them as here he did Moses by these miracles He that heareth you saith hée heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee Thus much briefely of this Chapter CHAP. 25. GOds holy Spirit hauing from the beginning of this Booke vnto the twentie Chapter laid downe such things as went before the lawe in the twentie Chapter he entered to declare the lawes and first laid downe the Morall law theÌ„ the Iudiciall lawes Chapters 21. 22. and 23. Now by a transition and way made Chapter 24 in this 25. Chapter he beginneth with the Ceremoniall lawes and so continueth vnto the 31. Chapter Which Ceremoniall lawes were eyther common and touched all whereof hée speaketh in this Booke or particular concerning onely the Leuites whereof in the next Booke called Leuiticus by reason of those lawes In this Chapter first there is a preparation to the appointing of Ceremonies euen vnto the tenth verse and then a prescription of them thence forward to the thirtie Chapter In the preparation you may note these heads 1 A Commaundement that the people should offer 2 What they should offer 3 With what heart and minde 4 To what vse and purpose 5 To what vse should the Sanctuarie serue viz. that God might dwell there 6 Of what fashion it should be viz. Like the patterne that Moses saw c. 1 The commaundement to offer is expressed in these words Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israell that they receiue an offering for me of euery man c. The vse and profit whereof to vs may be this First to obserue how although the Lord haue no neede of any mans goods whatsoeuer it is that wée possesse in this world because the whole earth is his and all that is in it yet his pleasure is sometimes to séeke these things and so to make men as it were his helpers in such workes as he will haue done that thereby hee may euen honour his creature with a great fauour and take occasion vpon our readie willing performance of what he séeketh to heape more and more fauours vpon vs. Remember with your selfe the 50. Psalme I will take no Bullocke out of thine house nor Goates out of thy folds For all the beastes of the forrest are mine and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hilles I know all the fowles vpon the mountaines and the wilde beastes of the field are in mysight If I be hungrie I will not tell thee for the whole world is mine and all that is therein Remember the 16. Psalme My goods are nothing vnto thee c. Whensoeuer therefore He séeketh it it is for our good and not for his neede which being well weighed may make vs more quicke and readie to giue As for example could not he relieue a poore man himselfe or make of poore rich all the honors in the world being disposed by him yet you sée he will not but sendeth him to you and others for a morsell of bread and meat that you being his instruments he may take occasion to reward you So in all other workes of charitie and pietie wherein your purse is vsed surely if he had not a purpose to benefit you hee would passe you ouer and do the thing without you Hurt not your selfe then a pound by sparing a pennie A second profit may be this to note that as this material Sanctuary figured out the spirituall temple which the Lord hath in our bodies and mindes 1. Cor. 6. 19 so this offering to that noted what should be the dutie of Gods seruants euer to this euen to bestowe part of such thinges as God blesseth them withall of riches and goods towards the maintenance of this spirituall temple erected within vs and among vs by the preaching of his word the admininistration of his Sacraments all other offices of the Ministerie to the saluation of our soules and all our children seruants or neighbours that liue with vs and are by Almightie God committed to our charge For as then they had grieuously sinned if they denied God an offering to that so shall we if we be wanting to this Thirdly that our goods are not ours to wast at our wils but God looketh to bee honoured with them imployed to good purposes Lastly in séeking this offering to erect an externall worship of his holy Name among theÌ„ we sée learn that God will be worshipped outwardly also with our bodies aswel as inwardly with our spirits for they are both the Lords 2 Touching the things to be offered as Golde Siluer brasse Blew silke and purple skarlet fine linnen Goates haire c thus you profit by them First in the varietie and the seuerall kindes you sée shadowed out vnto you the difference of spirituall giftes and graces giuen by God to men for the building vp of his spirtual Temple or Sanctuarie in our hearts whereof remember the Apostles words in diuers places of his Epistles as to the Romanes when he saith Seeing then that we haue gifts which are diuers according to the grace which is giueÌ„ vnto vs whether we haue prophesie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of fayth Or an
such Incense as this in the lawe was and that also shadowed that no creature is to be prayed vnto but this honor reserued only to God Euery Morning and Euening this Incense was offered vp that so might bee shadowed the continuall vse and exercise of prayer both when wee rise and when wee goe to rest The Apostle therefore commandeth true CHRISTIANS to pray continually Thinke with your selfe I pray you as you reade this Note what fearefull negligence is in this behalfe and for your owne part neuer be guilty in it but let the Lord smell your swéete odours Morning and Euening at least sent vp to him which many wayes he assureth you are to him acceptable and to your selfe most profitable Last of all Note it that this Altar of inceÌ„se was once in a yeere sprinkled with the blood of the expiatorie sacrifice to signifie so that no prayer auaileth any thing with God vnlesse he or she that prayeth be reconciled to God in the blood of his Sonne Iesus Christ the true sacrifice of reconciliation So haue you this figure of the lawe euery way leading your prayers to God only in the Name and mediation of his Sonne Christ and all other waies and meanes condemned which if you be the Lords shall so sinke in your hart as all the Inchanters of Egypt shal not remooue you from yemaner of praying You may follow the meditatioÌ„ further if you please 3 Afterward the Lord spake vnto Moses saying when thou takest the summe of the children of Israel after their number then they shall giue euery man a redemption of his life c. Unto the seuenteenth verse This is the second part or point of this Chapter concerning a Tribute raised vpon the people of Israell toward the maintetenance of the Tabernacle and what belonged thereunto and diuers things wee may obserue in it First that to number people in a Land is lawfull And if you thinke of Dauid why he was plagued for so dooing surely it was not for that he numbred the people but because he did it in a pride and confidence in mans strength which indéede is very odious before God all victory and prosperitie resting in the helpe of God and not in man or horse or any humane meanes These are things men may vse not trusting in them but in the Lord but to slip from the Lord in any measure or degrée to a confidence and vaine hope in these is most sinfull The Hebrewes say Dauid offeÌ„ded because he numbred the people and tooke not this Tribute here spoken of according to the lawe But the former opinion is more like Among the Romanes we read one Seruius â—ullus first ordained this mustering or numbering of the people that so he might know the number of able men for the warres the worth of them in worldly estate and so impose a Tribute accordingly with other such ends and vses But here neither wealth nor other such ends were respected rather obedience was aimed at and that they should professe themselues thus Gods people him their King and themselues his tributaries and so be strongly comforted euer in his protection and defence of them whose power no worldly Princes could match It was also a redemption of their liues or a matter expiatorie to them that there should be no plague among them when they were numbred How often this was is not mentioned whether euery yeare or euerie fiue yeare as it was in Rome How Moses numbred you may reade in the Booke of Numbers at large From tweÌ„ty yeares olde and vpward they were numbred and what they gaue you reade in the Text. That the poore payde as much as the rich and the rich no more than the poore it is worthy noting It was a personall tribute imposed to testifie obedience to God and therefore equally was payde to signifie that God is no respecter of persons but the poore are as déere and acceptable vnto him dooing his will as the rich we are all wholly the Lords the price of our redemption is one the precious blood of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus In worldly matters the rich may go before vs but in matters belonging vnto God his seruice and worship we ought to be as forward as the rich c. Againe here may you thinke what an acceptable thing to God it is to preserue the Ministerie to giue to the Church on the contrary side how odious to spoile the Ministery to take from the Church what men women of better harts than we haue gaue to the Church You sée how this was not posted ouer to Princes and great men only but euen priuate men also must ioyne in this For if he be borne to inherite Heauen he must thinke himselfe borne to maintaine the meanes that leade vs vnto Heauen Our shéepe and cattle we prouide for because they labour for vs and féede vs what hearts then should wée haue to sée them comfortably maintained that labour for vs in a far higher sort féede vs with a much better foode They draw body and soule out of the pit of death and leade them both to eternall comfort Of this tribute againe was the question mooued in Christ his time For the Romanes hauing conquered tooke this tribute to themselues which was here appointed for God and this offended much the Iews but Christ knowing these legall types were ended by his comming bad them giue Caesar that which was his God that which was his Himself also paying for himself Peter 4 This Lauer spoken of in the next place wherein the Priestes washed their hands and feet when they went to performe their office plainly resembled how with vnwashen hands we ought not to medle with holy things that is with prophane hearts tongues or mindes as they doo that reade the Scriptures not to guide their liues but to maintaine table-discourses with vnholy tongs speake most vnholy and false things drawing the Scriptures to their iudgments not framing their iudgments according to the Scripture The Pharisies were great washers of the out-side and still left the in-side very foule Such washers still the world is full of But as Christ rebuked that superstitious folly in them so hee will iudge sharpely this hypocriticall mockery in vs. These washings againe in the law had a â—urther reach béeing vsed in Faith euen vnto the inward washing of the spirit whereof they were true Sacraments to the beléeuers So you sée by Dauid in his Psalme Wash me O Lord and I shall be cleane that is inwardly inwardly O Lord by thy blessed Spirit from my foule transgression and fall So you may sée by the Prophet Esay 1. 16. 17. Wash you make you cleane how it followeth take you away the euill works from before mine eyes cease to doo euill Learne to doo well seeke iudgment relieue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the Widow This washing was shadowed by the other and wrought by Gods holy
God truly fauoured him againe gaue him more honour and good estimation in the heart of Herod though an euill man than they had whose worldly shew was farre greater For Herod feared Iohn saith the Gospell knowing that hee was a iust man and a holy and reuerenced him and when he heard him hee did many thinges and heard him gladly Would God then men might be moued to séeke honour this way Surely the Lord is the same still and will make them rise vp to you that haue formerly little and too little regarded you aswell as heere he did to Moses if you with Moses keepe fast your foote with him when others wickedly fall away as these vnhappie Israelites had now done 4 In the 14. verse and so to the 18 sée and marke the faithfull heart of a true Gouernour how he prayeth and neuer giueth ouer till the Lord hath yeelded to goe with this people as in former time whereas he had said hee would not do it O force of faithfull prayer It subdueth all things in time yea it pleaseth the Almightie Maker of all worlds masses to be subdued withit In the end it preuaileth though it be long but stil this is mercie not merit no not in Moses himselfe For I will do this also that thou hast said saith God because thou hast found grace in my sight and I know thee by Name Grace it is therefore and no merit and a blessed grace it is to see and hold it firme against al proud ignorant Merit-mongers 5 Againe Moses said I beseech thee shew me thy glorie c. Hitherto Moses kept himselfe in his desires within the bonds of modestie but now he excéedeth séeking what was neyther lawfull nor profitable for so by the deniall and repulse which GOD gaue him it appeareth Yet was it not any foolish curiositie that mooued Moses but a verie earnest desire to bee further strengthned in his charge Wherefore if to such a minde that might be hurtfull which he so much desired and thought so profitable let it schoole vs and teach vs what we do when in a vaine curiositie of our corrupt nature we search and prie into such things as God hath kept hidden and close from vs. It is a true saying Mitte quod esse nequit quaere quod esse potest Let that alone which cannot be found out and seeke that which may be found out The Secrets of God are to himselfe and reuealed things for vs. He that curiously searcheth his glorie shall iustly be oppressed of his Maiestie To profit and goe forward in knowedge is good but the right way must also be held which is To follow God going before that is to haue an eare to heare where God hath a mouth to speake and not else 6 But concerning this sight thus desired of Moses to speake a little more to an ignorant man the Scripture in that point may séeme contrarie to it selfe For heere it is said There is no man shall see God and liue And Saint Paule that he dwelleth in light not to be attained to whom no man hath seene neither can see Againe To the king immortall inuisible And Iohn No man hath seene God at any time On the other side it is often in Scripture testified that God was not séene of the old Fathers and Patriarches and in the Gospel Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Saint Iohn saith We shall see him as he is Saint Paule Now I know in part but then shall I know euen as I am known To the Ephesians That ye being rooted and grounded in loue May be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ c. But to a diligent obseruer of the Scriptures these places are not contrarie Therefore consider with your selfe that Seeing is of two sorts with the outward eye and with the in-ward minde Concerning the outward sight whereby indeed curious and ignorant men would be glad to sée God hardly thinking often times that there is any God when none in this sort can be séene the truth is God cannot be seene For if he could then must he be a bodie if a bodie then to be diuided into parts included in a place and so not infinite and therfore not God Wherefore grosse are those Old Heretikes that gaue to God an humane forme Because the Scriptures speaking after our capacitie giue vnto him the parts of man as féete hands face c. And concerning those visions and apparitions which the Fathers had as Abraham of three going to destroye Sodom c. We answere with S. Augustine that God appeared vnto them yet not in his Nature but in such forme as it pleased him Many saw sed quod Voluntas elegit non quod Natura formauit but what saw they surely what his Will chose not what Nature formed Men saw him when he would in such forme as hee would not in his Nature wherein he laye hid euen then when hee was séene The Diuinitie when it taketh these shapes is not conuerted into these shapes but appeareth vnder them GOD his Nature is simple one and immutable those formes in Scripture were diuers and sundry therefore by the very diuersitie of them We knowe none of them were the true Nature of GOD. Onely in our flesh wee may say GOD was séene after Christ had taken it into the vnitie of his person but that is not the matter now spoken of So touching the first kinde of seeing with bodily eyes we conclude that No man hath or can see God at any time and liue as here GOD himselfe saith in this Text. The second kinde of seeing is by minde wherein wée must distinguish our estate here from that it shal be in the next world For neither by minde whilst wee liue here are wee able to see God as he is The reason Because all our knowledge is by some formes and fashions which wée conceiue in our mind and for the most part floweth from the out-ward senses but God as hath beene said cannot be perceiued by our sēses Therfore neither by our mind cā we cōprehend him as he is And for these words in the Chap. That the Lord spake to Moses face to face as a Māspeaketh vnto his friend they note out a more familiar gratious maner of spéech than before was vouchsafed to any but not any bodily sight of God in substance essence as he is But in the life to come wée shall in far more exellent manner sée GOD yet not simply neither as he is because he is infinite we still finite although changed from our corruption So no way can GOD bée séene as he is of any creature either with his bodily sense or with his minde in this life or that to come Yet such a measure shal be affoorded to vs as no heart can comprehend now the comfort of it Let
Gouernment is of God and God in Gouernours and is honoured greatly euer was and will be 9 Keepe diligently that which I commaund thee this daye and beholde I will cast out before thee the Amorites c. Who subdueth enemies casteth them out God and God onely man is but by his meanes and preuaileth and faileth as the Lord will Why dooth God subdue That wée may keepe and keepe diligently what he commandeth doo this and prosper as shall be good euer doo it not and vaine shall all strength bée when the Lords patience is expired and Iustice taken in hand Publikely and priuately this is true thinke of it 9 Take heede thou make no compact with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest lest they be the cause of thy ruine among you It séemeth cruel if the inhabitaÌ„ts would yeeld and submit themselues not to receiue them But learne here and euer that God is the true line of mercie and where he condemneth beware pittie For that is to condemne him and to exalt thy selfe aboue him in mercie Because saith the Prophet to Benhadad thou hast let him go whom I appointed to die thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people Lest saith this Text they be the cause of thy ruine False Religion you sée in the end worketh destruction and how then is it policie how better for a Common-wealth as some Romish Catholiks vainly haue written Thirdly Thou shalt ouerthrow their Altars c. Then no tolleration to be had of two Religions in one GouernmeÌ„t If the Lord be God he must be worshipped but if Baal be he he must be worshipped solely and only not GOD and Baal both Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue God is a ielous God and will not giue his glorie to another Dauid a Prince truly religious saith Their offerings of blood will not I offer neither make mention of their names within my lips Princes destroying Idolatrie and purging the Church are renowned in Scripture with a blessed memorie Salomon for his mingling was plagued Valentinian sought of Ambrose a Church in Millan for the Arrians and Ambrose denyed it c. But by whom are the Altars to be broken downe By the Magistrate onely or by priuate men also and by euery one that is zealous Surelie publike things by publike persons in authoritie Constantine Theodosius and such like But for priuate things priuate men may doo them as Iacob purged his owne house of his Wiues Idols And the Councill coÌ„demneth Maisters that will suffer in their houses images and not take them away Priuate men to meddle with publike things is dangerous Paul came to Athens and found an Altar yet he threw it not down The Councill decreed that he which beeing not a Magistrate should breake downe an Image and be slaine in the fact should not be numbred among Martyrs Theodoret maketh mention of Auda a Bishop who ouerthrew Pyreum Persarum and saith thus that a priuate man ouerthrewe this I praise it not c. Extraordinary instincts God hath giuen but let men take heede they be not deceiued Gideon had Gods instinct euery motion to such matters must not be such a warrant Ambrose defendeth the Bishop that burned the Iewish Synagogue and reckoneth one among Martyrs which in the time of Iulian threw downe an Altar and was condemned Our owne times haue yeelded some examples But you see all are not of one minde Therefore beware of false spirits that will rashly write of reformation without tarrying for the Magistrate So euery man may bee a Magistrate and the swéete societie of man with man turned to blood and slaughter Some yet are too milde and they tell vs Idolatrie must first bee taken out of the heart by true teaching c. They say well that true teaching goeth before but what then Therefore is the Magistrates worke excluded No. For are not the sinnes against the second Table also to be taken out of the hart by teaching and yet I hope the magistrate may concurre with teaching and punish theeues and murderers and adulterers c Much more in the first Table touching Gods honour and seruice 10 Mariage with thâ—se Idolaters is forbidden and I wish it marked I haue els where touched it and the curse of God is often so great vpon such matches as I wonder at the presumptuous prouoking of Gods wrath that I sée in many A Recusants liuing is respected and bodie and soule destroyed for euer The father wilfull throweth his déere childe away and neuer thinketh of the iudgment he shall haue with God at his fearefull daye for the same I know where I am and I stay God in mercie worke féeling and true repentance Tertullian perswadeth Christian Widowes to take heede of these mariages Salomon was ouerthrowne by them c. 11 When Moses came downe from the mountaine Aaron and all the children of Israel looked vpon him and behold the skin of his face shone bright and they were afraide to come neere him Diuers and sundrie causes might cause the Lord thus to change Moses face First to assure him by this outward token that his prayers were accepted and Gods fauour againe restored to the people Secondly that thus the lawe written in the two Tables now the second time and Moses also the Minister of the law might receiue authoritie and dutifull regard with the people Thirdly that it might note Moses to shine with heauenly knowledge and Wisdome instructed by the Lord for the good of the people Fourthly to note that Ministers faces that is their outward actions and words which appeare to men should glister shine So let your light shine that meÌ„ may see your good works c. Fiftly to shadow that the law which Moses now represented is onely bright and shining in the face that is outwardly for the righteousnesse of them that obserue the lawe for outward actions is onely a seeming iustice shining before men who looke no further than to the out-ward apparance but before God who séeth the heart and reines it is none Whereas the righteousnesse of Christ is all glorious within and without Sixtly to teach that the law lightneth the conscience which is as the face of the in-ward man making it sée and know sinne but the minde it lightneth not wich any faith to saue from sinnes Christ onely dooing that by his holy Spirit c. Therefore the people feare and dare not approach the lawe euer striking a terrour into the harts of them that behold their sins in it and by it Moses himselfe saith your Chapter knew not of this glorie of his face And modest men are not carried away with knowledge of their own gifts but are as it were ignorant of them Socrates when all men iudged him most learned yet of himselfe held this both thought and spéech That he knew nothing And in matter of our almes
is holy and vndefiled giuen as a good Schoolmaster to lead vs vnto Christ And euen the whole Scripture together Olde Testament and New Law and Gospell is giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnes That the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good works The other poynt may be a litle touched namely his prophanenesse that rested at this worship and thought it vnfit Wherein first let vs consider that not man deuised it and God approoued it but euen God himselfe both deuised it and accepted it For the first man Adam was taught of God and he taught his sonnes Cain and Abell otherwise in Faith could not Abell haue so worshipped Faith being by hearing and hearing by the word of God So from man to man it procéeded as the Wil of God in all generations and was vsed with the godly as the forme of dutie which God required of them and allowed And now here in your Chapter the words are thus Now the Lord called Moses and spake vnto him out of the Tabernacle of the Congregation c concerning this kinde of worship Whereupon it followeth that being his owne appointment who is wisedome it selfe iustice it selfe and all goodnes flesh and blood dust and ashes should not dare to censure it but as good although no reason thereof could appeare to his vnderstanding The singular vse of it and great fitnesse to the ende God appointed it for will after appeare in the whole Booke by noting the particular Sacrifices mentioned and commanded But in the meane time although God be not bound to giue reasons euer to vs of his Will nor we bound to search out for them but humbly and obediently to rest in his good pleasure made knowne by his Word yet if we thinke he chose this course to confound the wisedome of the wise we shall not thinke amisse For all the learned Writings and wise Lawes deuised by man to make people good could neuer worke so much to that end as this did in such as tooke the right vse of it The more therefore any despised it thought it folly the more did it ouerthrow him in his iudgement and prooue his wisedom to be starke folly 2 Yet concerning the continuance of this kinde of Worship the Lord neuer intended it should be perpetuall but onely for a time namely till that great Sacrifice figured and shadowed by all those Sacrifices should be exhibited and giuen vnto mankinde according to the Scriptures with whom all shadowes should cease and take an end And this was well knowne to such as rightly vnderstood the Scriptures albeit to some others it was not tollerable doctrine but very dangerous to be touched The Prophet Dauid vnderstood it when he said Sacrifice and Offerings thou wouldest not haue but mine eares hast thou opened Sacrifice for sinne hast thou not required then said I Loe I come The Prophet Malachie spake of it when he alleageth the Lord speaking thus I haue no pleasure in you saith the Lord God of Hostes neither will I accept an Offering at your hand For from the rising of the Sun vnto the going downe of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles and in euery place Marke this Incense shall be offered vnto my Name and a pure offering for my Name is great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hostes Agréeable to which place are the words of Christ to the woman in the fourth of Iohn Woman beleeue me the houre commeth when ye shall neither in this Mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the Father c. Also the Apostle Paule his words I will that the men pray euery where lifting-vp pure hands without wrath or doubting Whatsoeuer therefore you read in the Word of the perpetuitie of this kinde and forme of worship you must still take it by restraint vnto the comming of Christ and the continuance of that common wealth and policie of the Iewes not longer 3 Touching these Sacrifices and Rites we are to know and euer remember that God neuer instituted and ordeined them to be meritorious and euen by the workedone as we say to appease the wrath of God and deserue eternall life For so thought some Hypocrites in those dayes and are sharply and often rebuked for it And the Apostle telleth vs plaine The blood of Bulles and Goates cannot take away sinne c. 4 They were not appoynted to be onely Allegories of good workes and ciuill vertues and darke deliniaries of a politicall life as were the Symbols of Pythagoras or the Hieroglyphicks of the Egyptians And yet there may be a fit application of them this way For indéed they do shadow-out such vertues as the Sacrifice of Christ should worke by Faith in true beléeuers but I say they were not instituted onely for this purpose but the holy Ghost looked at higher matters in these Ceremonies namely that they might shadow-out the Lord Jesus the promised Messias and the true Sonne of God and that Sacrifice which he should make of himselfe for the Redemption of all mankinde vpon the Crosse according to the Scriptures that they should nourish and maintaine the promises hereof in mens hearts and that sauing Faith hereupon springing in him in him onely to be saued for euer For euery Sacrifice was a Sermon of this matter of his comming of his suffering of his death c. And by such visible sights the Gospell was preached concerning life by him Thus iudged S. Iohn when he sayd Behold the Lambe of God c. as if he should haue saide that Lambe that was shadowed by all the Lambes and Sacrifices of the Law Hetherto tend the words of Saint Paul to the Ephesians Christ hath loued vs and hath giuen himselfe for vs to be an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet smelling sauour to God The words of S. Peter Knowing that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conuersation receiued by the tradition of the Fathers But with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe vndefiled and without spot The words of Saint Iohn The blood of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from all sinne In the Reuelation The Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world How Surely not onely in the purpose and appointment of God but by the Sacrifices which were offered euen from the beginning For by all such his death was shadowed and he as it were slaine to the faith of man as often as any Sacrifice was offered The whole Epistle to the Hebrewes also in full manner teacheth thus much and marke the words well in the 10. Chapter The Law had the shadow of good things to come not the verie image of the things 5 For the varietie of them there were many sorts of sacrifices and yet but one Christ to be signified by them all This did
trusted too much to Nature and the other to Fortune As a Spiders webbe so is a mans greatnes in this world soone wiped away with a little whiske Often therefore thinke of Saint Iohns words Loue not this world neither the things that are in the world If any man loue this world the loue of the Father is not in him For all that is in this world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And this world passeth away and the lust therof but hee that fulfilleth the Will of GOD abideth for euer 7 But was Aaron hated of God because this fearefull happe fell vpon his Children No no. Therefore learne to stay your hastie nature from iudging rashly and bée not caryed away by a pratling world Euer remember what Crosse is layd héere not vpon a meane man in the Church but vpon him that had the highest place that was a Figure of Christ and accepted of him and meditate of it much with your selfe for your comfort c. 8 Note in the 4. and 5. verses the maner of bury all not in the Hoste but without in the fields prepared and kept for such vse Where was then the superstitious conceite of Churches and Church-yards Their friendes and kins-men cary them foorth to buriall and the custome is still commendable amongst vs. 9 After Moses said vnto Aaron and vnto Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes vncouer not your heads neither rent your clothes least yee die and lest wrath come vpon all the people but let your brethren all the House of Israell bewayle the burning which the Lord hath kindled In this case it was not lawfull for Aaron and his sonnes to mourne least they should séeme to preferre their carnal affection to God his iust iudgement And it is a great Caueat to all such as desire to gouerne themselues in an acceptable course Of mourning for the dead and the maner of Nations differing in the same more may be said in the 19. Chapter 10 But the people here might mourne that it might euer be learned noted and remembred how néerely and truely the griefe of the Minister should touch a louing and godly people But where where is such a people God forbid but wée should assure our selues there is a portion that doth thus although al that reape the labours aswell as they dee it not And let it bée a faithfull Ministers comfort euer that mee loue him and suffer with him in any griefe of his than hée knoweth off I know what I say and my soule blesseth the Lord for my experience in this poynt My infirmities are many and my weaknesse to doe seruice hath euer béene great I know it I acknowledge it in humilitie before him that knoweth whether I lye or no. Yet hath it béene his good pleasure euer since I was first a Minister to shew himselfe strong in my weaknesse and to giue a gracious blessing to my poore Labours in diuers places that I might well learne it is all one to him to worke with small gifts and with great And touching the thing I spake of I haue found this loue in some for my onely Ministerie sake that I haue béene aduertised by writing of matters much concerning mée and to this day could neuer learne and know who they were The Lord reward it ten thousand folde into their bosomes if they bée liuing and vpon theirs if they be gone to God Thus much breaketh from mée in this place out of a thankfull heart to GOD and to them and for a true comfort to my Brethren in this Land lighting vpon these my weake labours that besides their owne experience they know also mine that howsoeuer all are not kinde and louing where wée liue and labour yet more are our faithfull friends than wée know And therefore let vs goe on through all reports good and bad and through all crosses great and small doe the worke whereunto wée are called and rest vp-vpon him that will neuer faile vs nor let vs fall 11 And they did according to Moses commandement saith the Text. So will the rod of God waken his people and worke obedience For which cause the Lord often layeth it where hée loueth not willing as himselfe saith the death of a sinner but rather that hee may turne and liue 12 Thou shalt not drink wine nor strong drinke thou nor thy sonnes with thee when yee come into the Tabernacle of the Congregation lest yee die This is an Ordinance for euer throughout your Generations That yee may put difference betwixt the holy and the vnholy and betweene the cleane and the vncleane And that yee may teach the Children of Israel all the Statutes which the Lord hath commanded them by the hand of Moses Sobrietie is a vertue fit for all men but especially for Ministers of the Word and Sacraments Thus much in this Law the Lord shadowed and wée may truely learne wine was forbidden them absolutely when their turne came to minister but now that Law bindeth not Yet to Sobrietie with wine and without wine we are euer bound Let a Minister saith the Apostle be no drinker of wine meaning disorderly and vnfitly for otherwise Timothie is exhorted to drinke a little wine for his stomacke-sake and his often infirmities To all men the same Apostle saith againe Bee not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but bee fullfilled with the spirit c. The reason added that thus they might be sound and sincere Interpreters of the Law For the chiefe Office of the Priests was not to kill beastes and offer Sacrifices but to haue knowledge and to teach the people the difference betwixt the true God and false Idolles betwixt holy things and prophane betwixt right prayer and wrong concerning the Law and sinne and grace c. according to the Prophet Malachies Speach The lippes of the Priest shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hostes. But here is no thought in this Law of any proud and Anabaptisticall separation of our selues from the fellowshippe of our Brethren and the vnitie of the Church vnder a colour that wée are holy and others prophane Beware we euer of such Doctrine and such Teachers 13 Then Moses said to Aaron and vnto Eleazar and Ithamar his sonnes that were left Take the Meat-offering c. This is added to comfort and strengthen the shaken hearts of Aaron and his liuing sonnes who might by this strange punishment haue béene driuen into doubt whether euer the Lord would bée pleased that they should meddle againe with the Sacrifices And we sée therein a swéete and gracious God who maketh not his promises voyd to all for the faults of some but only teacheth to beware by other mens harmes Wée must therefore cleaue to our Calling and euen so much
being Vehiculum animae vitalis for the Vitall spirits which yéeld vnto man through his whole bodie heate and motion and action are begotten of blood by the power of the heart and therefore mans life and the life of euery other creature is said to bée in the blood Secondly because the Lord had ordained blood to bée vsed in the Atonements made for sinnes as a plaine Figure of the blood of Christ the only able thing to purge and wash away our sinnes and offences therefore hée would haue blood regarded as a holy thing and not vsed by man as other meates might bée Thus God in his Law would not suffer man to eate the blood of a beast because it figured the blood of his Sonne in poperie we are taught to make no bones at Christ his own blood but to beléeue that the Wine in the Sacrament is turned into his very blood really and then to drinke the same boldly The Gospell shall not yéelde so much reuerence to Christ as the Law did Is it to be taught and bléeued God forbid 2 You may remember how the Apostles continued this Law Acts 15. 29. and aske why being a ceremoniall Law it was more continued than others To which answere is made that chéefly for three Causes they did it First to auoyd offence in the mindes of ignorant people not yet taught nor of the suddaine apt to heare of the abrogation of so ancient a Lawe euer since Noah his time Secondly that thus they might shewe that their doctrine was no other but euen the old ancient doctrine since the beginning of the Church And thirdly for discipline that men might still be afraid of murther by this continued ceremonie After when God had vouchsafed to his Church further knowledge this also was abrogated and men left to their liberties to eate blood as well as the flesh CHAP. XVIII IN a godly Common-wealth two things are necessarie right Religion according to Gods word and holy honesty of Matrimonie The first the Lord hath laid downe both in the ten Commandements Exod. 20. and in these Sacrifices thus passed ouer Now therefore it pleaseth him to come to the second Vnspotted Marriage Where he first vseth a Praeface to mooue them to diligent obseruation of what héerein he should say and then he commeth to the matter it selfe The first is contayned in the fiue former Verses And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israel and say vnto them I am the Lord your God After the doings of the land of Aegypt wherein ye dwelt shall ye not do and after the maner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances But doe after my iudgements and keepe my ordinances to walke therein I am the Lord your GOD c. This Praeface of some is taken generally to concerne all the Lawes of God the obseruation whereof is euer the sure safetie of a state publike or priuate For it is not the munition of walles leagues aliance with forreigne Princes largenes of confines plentie of treasure or such like that preserue a Common-wealth but carefull and diligent obseruation of publicke Lawes ordeyned of God for the good of man It is sayd Lacedemon flourished whilest Lycurgus his Lawes were obserued much more any Common-wealth when Gods be kept for what comparison betwixt mans Lawes Gods Demosthenes saith It was the maner of the Locrenses that if any man would publish deuise a New law he should put his necke into a halter ready to be put to death if the Law were not good by which meanes they made men more carefull to obserue old ancient tryed knowne Lawes than with busie heads to make new Now what Lawes so olde and so approued good as Gods Lawes Euer therefore are they to be regarded and hearkened vnto Others take this Praeface particularly of these Lawes concerning Mariage now following that if they be carefully kept a kingdome long flourisheth and if not soone it commeth to a fearefull fall For so odious and abhorred of God is the vnlawfull mixture of man and woman that the Lord cannot long with-hold great iudgements And thus much remember as you reade them euer that these lawes doe not concerne the Iewes onely as the Ceremoniall lawes now spoken of and iudiciall did but these lawes belong to all men and women and to all succeding times being eternall immutable grafted by God in mans nature and giuen by him for holinesse sake Note all the wordes well that God would not haue them like either the Aeygptians or Canaanites and wish with mée that there were a like law against our béeing like forreigne nations néere vs with Ruffes dipped in the deuils liquor called starche bursten-belly doublets garded as the French fringed as the Venetian Turkish heads Spanish backs Italian wastes c. giuing dayly occasion to the mockers that say French nets catch English fooles 2 The Praeface ended God commeth to the matter it selfe in the 6. verse saying None shall come neere to any of the kindred of his flesh to vncouer her shame I am the LORD Kindred is of two sorts by societie of blood which is called Consanguinitie or by carnall coniunction of man and woman which is called Affinitie That popish kindred which they called spiritual kin dred arising by baptisme or confirmatiō this Chapter knoweth not neither any other part of Gods booke it was onely deuised for Popes gaine 3 The greatest Consanguinitie is betwixt Parents and children and therefore that is forbidden in these words Thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy father nor the shame of thy mother for she is thy mother c. The very Heathens abhorred this wickednes as most vnnaturall and vile Yea the Camels saith Aristotle abhorre it by nature and the Colt will not come néere in this sort to the Dam God being pleased in brute beasts to giue vs an example against this thing Hermiene in Euripides could crie it was barberous Now when thus hée nameth father or mother you must not tie the words to our immediate parents onely and to immediate children but the words stretch to all the right line of Consanguinitie either ascending or descending For as it is vnlawfull for the daughter to marry with her grandfather or so vpward in the streight line so is it for the Father to marrie the Neece his Neeces daughter or her daughters daughter or any other down-ward again in the right line For all these if you reckon ten thousand of them are said to be as parents and children in respect one of another And by the Lawe of Nations it was euer accounted incest to marry vpward or downeward in the right line 4 The next Lawe is The shame of thy fathers wife shalt thou not discouer for it is thy fathers shame Hée meaneth the wife of my father that is my step-mother not mine
and bondage May not we remember burnings and killings and most hateful handlings of bloudic Butchers and persecutors May not we remember great warres and dissentions in this our natiue Countrie the fall of our friends and the change of many houses May not we remember great impositions and payments and in one word verie many miseries and calamities Laying them to the present times wherein we enioy truth and libertie of conscience without either death or danger or so much as any feare what a change is this to a man or woman that knoweth and feeleth the blessing O that we may send vp to God most thankful thoughts for it while we liue Now againe we entoy peace such as no Nation hath had the like We are not eaten vp with heauy and continuall payments but we liue as in heauen by comparison to former times The Lord hath driuen away the Cananites that would haue inuaded coÌ„quered had not he resisted for vs and ouerthrowne them He hath made vs a terror to our foes â—a refuge or sanctuarie for our friends when earst forreigne nations were Lords ouervs And for the last point we haue no more certaintie of abode here theÌ„ they had but looke for the same end of faith an induring house in heaneÌ„ Let vs theÌ„ do what we ought to do and what they did thank God most hartily for the change beséech him in his bottomles mercie to coÌ„tinue his fauors to vs that in peace we may liue in peace die in peace that neuer endeth liue with him for euer God for his sons sake grant it to vs. AmeÌ„ Amen CHAP. XXIIII IN this Chapter the first thing spoken of are the Lights vsed in the Tabernacle whereof mencion was made also before in the 17. Chapter These lights were not ordeined for our imitation now vnder the Gospel but in those times of shadows and figures they signified that while they were thus vsed the true light was not yet come by which all true beléeuers should be deliuered from the darknesse of death as Saint Paul speaketh of the Tabernacle Heb. 9. Papists lights then vsed still in their Churches and Massing places are euident signes that themselues see not the true light and as much as lyeth in them they thus confirme that Iewish expectance of the true light Christ as if yet hée were not come I know they haue their excuses or reasons for euerie thing but who is able to abide most of them As in this particular why vse they lights Forsooth in representation of the Trinitie the wax representing the Father the weeke the Sonne and the light the holy Ghost This boldnesse is fearefull and sinfull hauing neither warrant fitnesse nor reuerence Away with these lights therfore and imbrace we the true light who lightneth all that come into the world c. 2 This light also was a figure of true doctrine which euer must shine in the Church and Tabernacle of God The oyle Oliue which they are commaunded to bring you see here must bee pure to note that doctrine must haue no mixture of mans deuices but be pure The Priest is the man that hath charge of these lights and God his Ministers still are the Ministers of light and haue the charge of it in the house of God Happie they if they be carefull of it to their best abilitie that they may one day heare that ioyfull voyce Come come thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull ouer little and therefore now I will make thee ruler ouer much Enter enter into thy Maisters ioy c. 3 The next thing spoken of is the Shew-bread spoken of also before It likewise represented that as yet the true bread from heauen was not come That it is God vpon whom the eyes of all things wait and that openeth his hand feeding both man and all his creatures with his blessings That God so loued the Iewes as hee had them continually at his table with him yea euery Tribe particularly he loued there being 12. Cakes for euerie Tribe one c. More you may see Chap. 25. 4 The third thing touched in this Chapter is the matter of blasphemie vers 10. wherin your words are these And there went out among the children of Israel the son of an Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian and the sonne of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel stroue together in the host So the Israelitish womans sonne blasphemed the name of God and cursed and they brought him vnto Moses And they put him in ward till he told them the mind of the Lord. Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Bring the blasphemer without the host and let all that heard him put their hands vpon his head and let all the Congregation stone him And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel saying Whosoeuer curseth his GOD shall beare his sinne And hee that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death aswell the stranger as he that is borne in the land when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord let him be slaine What this blaspheming was if you looke your marginall note it saith by swearing or despiting God Interpreters mencion diuerse opinions and scanne both the Hebrew wordes and the Greeke translation of them all which I omit as still mindfull for whom I lahour and I ioyne with him that saith Ego hunc locum sic intelligo quod filius viri Egyptii male precatus sit alteri in iurgio vt fieri solet exoptauerit ei exitium aut calamitatem idque non simpliciter sed per nomen Dei. Non dixit tantum exopto tibi malum sed addidit ac diserte nominanit Deum aut nomen Domini inquiens Dominus det tibi malum per dat te perpetuo I vnderstand this place thus that the sonne of the Egyptian father cursed the other in chiding as the maner is wishing destruction or some calamitie to him and that not simplie but by the name of God For hee said not onely I wish thee euill but added and plainly named God or the name of God saying the Lord giue some euill to thee and vtterly destroy thee Our fearful damned phrases are Gods curse light on thee the plague of God take thee c. Which kind of speaking is most grieuously to abuse the name of God and to prophane it being not onely a breach of the second Table concerning the loue of our neighbour but a breath also of the first Table by taking his most holy name in vain This grieuous offender therfore is not winked at by theÌ„ that heard him neither yet punished by them that had no authoritie out of a colour of zeale but he is orderly and by a right zeale carried to Moses the magistrate and his offence opened there Moses againe although such a man yet will do nothing hasâ—ily in iudgement and especially touching life but he will be
daughter to become a shéepheard to a meane man From the rauishing pleasures of a Kings Court to come to lie vnder a bush and behold but shéepe To talke with his flocke and sport with his dogge instéede of all he inioied before To ruffle in his Russet sit for that office with adiu to garments of former honour O sweete experience if neede require of the estate of one most deere to God! Sinke not my heart so low in my body for feare of a change Feare not that fall that hurteth not with God These earthly shewes as the shining Sun flashe their beames abroad and flie vpon the soddaine into the cloude as if they had neuer bene But thy God is all one with them and without them nay often time more neere thee the further thon art from them as this very Example may assure thée if thou marke it For in all the glory of his earthlie honour Moses had not such a conference with his God as now that he is a poore sheepheard guiding and leading another mans flocke Dauid by cutting away a piece of Sauls garment made him remember himselfe a little better and God many times by cutting away some part of our former estate maketh vs profitably feele what wee felt not before of sweete consolation in him and his hea was some shadowe and figure Theoderet is of the same minde whose words are these Vniuersus locus demonstrat deum esse qui apparuit Dicitur Angelus vt cognoscamus quód is qui visus est non est Deus Pater cuius enim Angelus esset Pater sed vnigenitus Filius qui magni consilij est Angelus qui sacris discipulis dixit Omnia quaecunque audiui apatre meo nota fecivobis Quemadmodum autem Angeli nomen posuit non quidem volens ministrorum quempiam innuere sed personam vnigeniti demonstrare sic iterum ipsius tum naturam tum potentiam praedicat inquiens ipsum dixisse Ego sum qui sum et Ego Deus Abraham Deus Isaack Deus Iacob c. The whole place saith hee sheweth it was God but he is called an Angell that wee might knowe that hee which was séene was not God the father for whose Angell should the Father be but the onely begotten Sonne of God which is the Angell of the great Counsell which saide to his holie Apostles All thinges which I haue heard of my Father I haue declared vnto you And euen as hee gaue him the name of an Angell not meaning thereby to note anie other minister or messenger but to shewe the person of the onelie begotten Sonne so againe he setteth forth both his nature power saying he said I AM THAT I AM and I the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob c. Hillarie also speaketh to this effect in his booke of the Trinitie Gregory thought it was an Angell in the person of God Augustine varieth in his opinion c. Touching this manner of appearing it may occasion vs to remember how God vseth to applie himselfe vnto the purpose and intent of his appearing whensoeuer it pleaseth him to manifest himselfe vnto men For in the Prophet Esay he is said to haue appeared like a Judge sitting vpon a high throne because as then the iudgement of Israel approached and drew néere At the Baptisme of Christ it pleaseth the holy Ghost to appeare like a Doue because that forme might shewe the innocencie and milde nature of our Sauiour In the Acts of the Apostles like Tongues because now the tongues of the Apostles were to bée framed as it were a new like clouen tongues because the benefit was to bée deuided vnto all Nations like firie tongues because their spéech by the gratious working of GOD his holy Spirit should héereafter kindle in the hearts of men as it were a fire that is an hot and burning hatred of sinne a loue of rightcousnesse and all holy obedience acceptable to God And now héere like a bush burning but not consumed that it might declare the state present of his people in Egypt and the condition of his Church vnto the end of the world His people in Egypt euen burning in the fornace of Pharaohs cruelty and oppression and yet not consumed for all that through the mightie power and gratious goodnesse of his swéete fauour that vpheld them yea multiplyed and increased them in the very flame of it His Church militant in like sort to expect trouble after trouble and one woe to another but not to bée ouerwhelmed and vtterly destroied by all the malice of Hel working in wicked instruments to the vttermost Quid sibi vult ardere rubum non exuri Nempe Israelem Aegyptiorū insidijs appetitū non esse subing andū sed aduer sarijs superiorem futurum What meaneth this saith Theodoret vpon this place that the bush burned was not consumed surelie that the Israelites be-set with the wrongs of the Egypptians should yet not be ouerthrowne but euen ouercome their aduersaries Philo the Jewe in the life of Moses saith there appeared in the middle of the flame a glorious Image as a manifest testimonie of the Presence of God c. 4. When Moses saw this strange sight hée said I will turne aside now and see why the bush burneth not where we may sée the good disposition of men minds gouerned with Gods feare They doo not contemne and lightly passe ouer such things as they sée but they obserue and marke searche and séeke what good they may possibly draw from them They are of a docile and apt nature to be instructed when as others like deafe and dead people are not profited by any thing but finally perish whatsoeuer hath béene shewed to them by God or man Learne wée by Moses to doo as hée did and by the other to beware of their dulnesse 5. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see Hee called him vnto Him c. No sooner then can wée shew willingnesse to learne but God is most readie to instruct and teach If wée will heare He wil speake and if wée will know Hée will declare A swéete incouragement euer to bée willing to bée informed And now He is called LORD and GOD as you sée who before is said to bée an Angell as before also you remember I noted Moses Moses saith Hée familiarly and kindely for it was euer a fauour to be called by our names of superior men much more of God Nathaniell maruelleth how Christ knew him when he spake of him as you reade in Iohn but Christ told him that before Philip called him he saw him vnder the fig-tree Our God to our comfort knoweth vs all and calleth his shéepe by their names Happy are wée if as Moses here we may euer be readie to answer and say I am here Lord or as another saith Speake-on Lord for thy seruant heareth or as Dauid the Propet saith my heart is readie my heart is ready
Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all things 17. Then after thus thou hast acquainted the Heads of the people of Israell with it and they by my working in-wardely with them willing to obey both thou and they shall go to Pharaoh the king and say c. Sée againe and still still most carefully note it how God regardeth Gouernment For now Pharaoh must bée vsed as was fit for his Place He being the king of the lande in which they were wicked Pharaoh I say must not be disorderly dealt with by such as liue vnder his gouernment within his Territories although strangers and not his naturall Subiects how much lesse then by naturall Subiects But hee must be gone vnto with all dutie and acquainted with all reuerence with their desire that neither themselues may be iudged factious neither others by their examples moued to any disorder They must acquaint him with the Author of this desire not their owne heads lusting after liberty or nouelitie but the Lord God that is that Lord which is God and that GOD which is Lord and Lord of Lords to worke some touch in Pharaoh of feare Secondly the Lord God of the Hebrewes that is that hath euer had care of them and dealt for them as séemed good to his Wisedome Thirdly that their scope was Religion not rebellion nor any vndutifull practise against the state Shall not this moue vs to reuerence authoritie when God thus notablie sheweth his liking of it It is enough in this place if God be with vs. Lastly obserue the long sufferance of God who though by this Pharaoh verie much offended yet before hee will smite he will admonish and doe all things so as his owne hart shall testifie his owne inexcusable wickednes Certainly euen thus the Lord dealeth with our selues if wee had eyes to sée it still forewarning and calling to a touch before hee determine Judgement and iust destruction His Preachers and Prophets his rods and his crosses his fauours and bounties be all Admonishers of vs to auoide his wrath 18. But I knowe that the King of Egypt will not let you goe but by strong hand Therefore will I sttetch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will doe in the midst thereof and after that shall hee let you goe How well doth the Lord sée what the wicked thinke is secret and hidden to wit their thoughts and purposes their dispositions and nature yea before themselues knowe what they will doe he knoweth and shall not this moue them Their stubborne and stiffe harts contemning admonitions and all meanes of their reformation the Lord knoweth and séeth before How may this comfort the zealous Minister that is wearied and wasted with longing after the life of them that wish his death with praying entreating and crying vpon men for their good that they would hearken and consider that they would be reconciled to God and saue their soules I say how may this comfort him that this blockishnes and hardnes this ingratitude and vnkindnes of theirs was knowne to the Lord euer And therefore to content himselfe that he hath giuen warning like a faithfull Watchman that hee hath loued like a faithfull Pastor and endeauoured their good as a true Minister leauing the Lord now to his further pleasure euen to stretch out his hand and to smite such Pharaohs with their Land that is their possessions and goods their friends and associates as héere hee did for till Pharaoh féele it hee will not thinke of His might The Preacher speaketh in the aire the friend priuately looseth his labour and honest aduise Pharaoh féeleth not but thinketh himselfe wise and them fooles Their loue returneth therefore into their owne bosome being noted in Gods Booke for a Witnes against them and that swéete comfort sheweth it selfe to be taken hold of Wée are a swéete sauour to the Lord in them that perish After this consider with your selfe héere againe in that it is saide Pharaoh will not let them goe but by strong hand How far more easie it is to come into Egypt than to get out So it is assuredlie a smooth way to Hell by many pleasant delights but to returne and giue ouer the sinne once entred into to forsake that pleasant way This is a worke This is a labour nay This is a Grace indéede Any man may leape into a pit at his pleasure but hee must come out with more difficultie if euer hee come out Therefore in my conceite the good woman dealt wisely with the Frier that solicited her to sinne and told her hée would sing and say prayers for her that should cleanse her from all her offence and deliuer her presently out of Purgatorie if shee should happen to die whilest hee was aliue when shee appointed a pit to be digged in the way where the Fryer should come in the night and to be couered with some grasse that it might not appeare into which as soone as euer the Fryer came he fell and not able any way to get out againe Anon when hée had cooled himselfe well the woman came also as though shée had come to méete him to whom the poore Fryer pittifully complaineth that hee was fallen into that pit there and could not get out praying her to vse some meanes for his deliuerance But shee wisely tolde him hee should remember what hee said vnto her to wit that out of the pit of Purgatorie hee could sing her or any that should offend with him and now there was a good place to trie the power of his Musicke and Songs that shée and others might beléeue him the better If hee would haue his Portesse sent for shée said shée would but other helpe hee should get none of her And so shee left him to sing himselfe out if hee could So sleight a matter made those Hypocrites then of fearefull sinne easily purged and easilie pardoned were it neuer so wittingly and wilfully committed But this Figure of the hardnes to get out of Egypt when once they were in may shew vs as I say apparantly the contrarie and giue vs iust and good cause to beware of sinne The deuill is not such a foolish Fowler to let slip easely the bird he hath caught Euery mans owne experience telleth him how hard it is to leaue a wonted wrying from the right way and God graunt wee may thinke of it 19. Lastly the Lord addeth that Hee would make them fauoured of the Egyptians so that when they departed they should not goe emptie c. Where to our comfort wée sée that all harts are in the hands of God euen as the riuers of water and that hee turneth them hither and thither at his pleasure Hée can make them loue hate they neuer so much and they shall not bee able to withstand his will Yea hee can make them so loue that fruites from thence shall flowe to his people of their loue euen as hee best liketh Be they Jewels of siluer or Jewels of
gold Rayment or any thing néedefull and wished they shal graunt it and lend it giue it or send it with a fauour with a loue with so willing a mind as the partie taking néedeth to wish This shall the Lord doe by a secret power of his working grace and fauour for his people to their good This was that which hee did for Iacob the Father of these Israelites when Laban angerly pursued him the Lord changed his hart To Isaac and Abraham before the Lord gaue fauour in seuerall places To Ioseph the like to his owne comfort and the good of many And this is it which the Psalmist affirmeth The Lord giues grace and worship and no good thing shall he with-hold from them that liue a godly life This is it which all of vs haue tasted of euen in our selues and God make vs thankfull Thus may wee profit by this Chapter CHAP. 4. The generall Heads of this Chapter are chiefely these Moses his power to worke myracles His excuses not to goe into Egypt His comming to Egypt at last 1. BVtloe they wil not beleeue me sayd Moses c. Sée first and formost the ingrafted weakenes of mans nature when any great or difficult thing is to be taken in hand It is euer fearing and doubting euer quaking and shaking euer casting of perils more than stand with that prompt readines and willingnes which ought to be in all the seruants of God when he their Lord once speaketh and saith Doe this Such feare as this was in Ionas when he was commanded to Niniuie In Ieremie when hee was caused to prophecie and in many others Secondly obserue in these words also what a powerfull Pul-backe euen to the best mindes incredulitie crookednes in the people is Surely it pierceth déepe and woundeth fore as you sée in this place For euen the feare of it héere daunteth Moses a man of such faith a man of such grace as wee reade before this hee had shewed himselfe to be What what will it doe when it is not feared but found not suspected but tried and tasted of euery day Let that great Prophet of the Lord tell vs whom it so wounded that he sate him downe and desired to die to be out of woe saying It is enough Lord now it is enough take my soule for I am no better than my Fathers Let Esay againe another famous Prophet witnes whose words shewed woe when hee said and wrote Who will beleeue our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed as if he should haue said Alas alas what comfort haue wée when so vngraciously our preaching is reiected and the comfortable tidings of Jesus Christ not beléeued Let the sighes of Ieremie and the groanes of his soule when he cries Ah Lord c witnes the like also to all Readers but most wonderfully that spirituall battell that hée tooke such a fearefull fall in as that hee said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name O firie dart then and piercing stroke to a tender hart of flesh that meaneth well an vntoward and froward people when so great a Prophet thus is shaken by it I néede to pursue this matter no further wee sée enough yet could I remember you of other Prophets also and many moe deare children of God faithfull members and Ministers in the Lords busines whom yet crookednes of the people hath mightily agréeued discouraged and dismayde yea it caused a sigh in our very Sauiour from the rootes of his hart that the people hee spake vnto so fitly might be resembled to children complained of for not dauncing when they were piped vnto not lamenting when they were mourned vnto c. Conclude wee therefore what wee sée héere the effect of incredulitie in the people to be bitter to the Lords Messengers sent or to bee sent vnto them for their good But so sée wee it that our selues auoide it and both day and night pray against it remembring alwaies as deare children the Apostles words to the Hebrewes Obey them that haue the ouer-sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your Soules as they that must giue accompts that they may giue it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you c. The like Scriptures there are many moe all which may comfort vs if wee obey them and iustly iudge vs vnto the lake of Hell if we contemne them God that biddeth will neuer be abused finally but will repay Ionas had rather commit himselfe to the wilde Sea and raging gulfes than goe to preach to a people that hee could conceiue no hope of that they would beléeue and be turned vnto God 2. This infirmitie in Moses the Lord mercifully cureth when in iustice hee might haue reiected him for it So good and gracious is our God Hée cureth it by a power giuen him to worke Miracles so great and fearefull that if not to moue Pharaoh to true repentance yet aboundantly to shewe his authoritie from God to conduct that people they should suffice His Rod is turned to a Serpent and backe againe to his owne nature His hand put into his bosome is become leaprous and by and by whole againe The water is turned into blood and other great things wrought when hee came before Pharaoh Thus can the Lord and thus will the Lord enable euer to the worke that he appointeth and calleth vnto A great comfort to Magistrates and Ministers if it bee well considered 3. Then flieth hée to another excuse and saith Hee is not eloquent But the Lord also prouideth for that as you sée in the Text and promiseth helpe Still so weake and wayward is man and so good and gracious is God The Jewes haue a Tale amongst them how Moses came by this infirmitie of spéech And say that when hee was a childe and brought by Pharaohs daughter before her Father the King the King playing with him and offering hun his golden Crowne the childe tooke it and threwe it vnder his féete wherewith the King being offended and some lookers on iudging it Fatall as if that childe should ouerthrowe the King the Nurse to shew the childes want of wit put an hote coale to his mouth which hee streight licked with his tongue and so hurt his spéech But the Scripture telleth vs not any cause and therefore ignorance is best This rightly wee may note that God chooseth men in mans eies not so fit that his glory may more appeare and therefore take wee héede how wee censure our Calling for some defects since God could haue made Moses eloquent and did not In our owne Stories how M. Tyndall complained for want of vtterance wée sée and yet what a notable member and Martyr in Gods Church was hee 4. Lastly when these excuses serue not Moses breaketh out euen to an height of weakenes and prayeth him to send some other A strange thing that a
slaunder and slaughter and such like but that heere they were idle was an error in the King and a malicious lie in those that so enformed him By which wee may learne and sée how wicked men haue no eyes often to sée the true causes of a thing but most apt and readie to deuise a false Let a man or woman be gréeued extraordinarily with the burthen of their sinnes and with groanes and sighes trauaile vnder the bitternes of it leauing thereupon those recreations which erst they vsed and delighted in what say the wicked oh it is a melancholie and the body would be purged c. But oh they are blinde and haue no eye-sight into the combates of the godly may wee truly say and so leaue them Festus imagineth Paul is mad when he speaketh the words of truth and sobernes and that much learning maketh him mad when learning is wisedome and maketh wise Yea Heli himselfe mistaketh Anna a vertuous woman and déemeth her to be drunke when rauished in her holy féeling shee was crying to GGD with feruent prayer Wherefore the Apostle teacheth To the end Christ might be mercifull a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God it behooued him in all things to be made like vnto his brethren And in another place Wee haue not an high Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne c. 8. And let them not regard vaine words saith Pharaoh Such taste and such conceipt haue vaine persons of Gods word In the 14. of the Acts the truth of God you knowe is called Heresie of the wicked And in the 17. Chapter it is called Newe of vaine Phylosophers that knewe not what it was Examples of vse to giue vs contentment in patience when like ignorance in our dayes bringeth forth like blasphemies Be stayed strong 9. Then went the Taske-maisters of the people and their Officers out and tolde the people saying Thus saith Pharaoh I will giue you no more straw Goe your selues get you straw where ye can finde it yet shall nothing of your labour be diminished Then were the people scattered c. Sée againe what was said before how the néerer that God draweth to his Church and Children to doo them good the more rageth Sathan in and by his members against them Hard hard therefore are the beginnings of deliuerance out of Egypt spirituall Egypt I meane as well as out of this earthly Egypt And therefore when the Lord shall touch thy hand and open thine eyes to sée where thou art how farre out of the way that leadeth to eternall life and giue thée a desire to returne and be saued Remember what the wise-man saith and bee comforted with it My Sonne if thou wilt come into the seruice of GOD stand fast in righteousnes and feare and prepare thy soule to temptation c. Reade the place to the ende Remember that Example in the Gospell how the foule spirit being commaunded to depart rent and tare the partie more and worse than euer before Wee cannot leaue anie sinne wherein wee haue continued but by and by some contrarie winde will blowe and wee shall be discouraged if it may be somtimes with threatnings and bitter words sometimes with shew of perils and losses that may ensue sometimes with mocks and taunts in very spightfull manner and in a word if wee haue done euill wee must doo euill still and so be cast away or else Sathan will want his will But be strengthened with this Example and others in the Word Here now their burthen and miserie is greater than euer before For now they must haue no more straw but gather it where they can and yet make vp the tale and number of their bricke before which was a great extremitie yet the end is still as the Lord hath decréed his purpose is to deliuer them from this slauerie and when his time commeth they shall bee deliuered and let goe whosoeuer saith nay Though discomfort encrease for a little while to drawe sighes out of the heart to him that can helpe yet it shall end with ioyfull comfort put in the place of it and so much the sooner by how much it groweth the sharper O stand then and shrinke not and say in your heart now now is my God at hand For now I féele and sée the enemie maddest to oppresse me if hee could Come therefore swéete Lord I humbly beséech thée stay not and till thou commest vouchsafe thy hand to stay me that I faint not Thou art strong and I am weake thou art good and I am bad but thou art mine and I am thine O Blessed Blessed support thine owne that I may euer praise thée 10. And the Taske-masters hasted them saying Finish your dayes-worke c. And they beate them Then they cried to Pharaoh c. A Storie to shew you if you note it how the Law worketh without the Gospel euen roughlie sharply and rigorouslie For doo this doo this finish finish the work is stil the voice of it Whereby sin and the Deuill rageth as here Pharaoh doth For sinne saith the Apostle tooke occasion by the law c. So sinne reuiued But I died and the same commaundement which was ordained vnto life was found to be vnto mee vnto death c. Then crieth the true Israelite O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death as heere they cried vnto Pharaoh to bee deliuered from their miserie Blessed therefore bee the Lord for his swéete Gospell which helpeth all this rigour and giueth vs comfort and deliuerance in his Sonne from this great rage to our endlesse comfort Sée also how Tyrannie once begunne encreaseth more and more from words to blowes verse 14. And when they crie vnto Pharaoh in hope of remedie verse 15. shewing him the iniquitie of their vsage and how their offence in not making vp their tale of bricke grew by other mens faults that gaue them no straw verse 16 this pittifull complaint which should haue moued him to commiseration worketh but a confirmation of tyrannie in the wicked King first mocking and scoffing at their Religion as wicked men vse to doo verse 17 and vttering his crueltie with his owne mouth There shall no straw be giuen you yet shal you deliuer the whole tale of Bricke ver 18. Wherefore how happie Kingdomes be to which the Lord hath graunted mercifull and gracious Princes full of pittie and clemencie flowing from a true taste of holy Religion and from an immoueable loue of their true Subiects I leaue the Reader if he haue any bowels in him to féele and consider sending vp his thanks where it is due for what hee enioyeth in abundant measure 11. Then the Officers of the Children of Israel saw thēselues in an euill case c. And they met Moses and Aaron who
stoode in their way as they came out from Pharaoh To whom they said the Lord looke vpon you and iudge for ye haue made our sauour to stinke before Pharaoh and before his Seruants in that ye haue put a sword in their hands to sley vs. A third euent of the ambassage of Moses and Aaron is this bitter expostulation of these Officers wherein as in a glasse most bright and cleare you sée the condition and lot of faithfull Ministers in this wretched world First the King and now the people accuse them as worthie of great reproofe both gréeuous to good minds but especiallie to be accused of their brethren when they doo as their dutie requireth O it is double gréeuous and euer was But thus was it euer and will bee euer and therefore praemonitus praemunitus forewarned forearmed and praeuisaiacula minus feriunt Darts espied before they come hurt lesse God giue vs patience loue still to them that loue not vs. Heere is great bitternes and yet vndeserued in this their spéech if you marke it and heere is great inconstancie compared with the Chapter before where they worshipped and welcommed these happy Messengers of a gracious God who saw their oppression and miserie and sent to helpe them But quae nocent docent things hurtfull instruct and giue wisedome While all is well good is the Minister and when the crosse commeth he and his doctrine though the truth of God is cause of all away with that and away with him The word which thou hast spoken to vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare it of thee But wee will doo whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne Incense to the Queene of Heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her as we haue done both we our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Iuda and in the streetes of Ierusalem now marke their reason for then had wee plenty of victuals and were well and felt no euill But since we left off to burne Incense to the Queene of Heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her we haue had scarcenes of all things and haue beene consumed by the sword and by famine This is the stay of the multitude and this is the line they measure all things by their prosperitie in worldly matters and immunitie from trouble and affliction any wayes But it is a crooked rule if we hearken to God and he that will followe him must take vp his crosse and followe him when his good pleasure shal be so Take héede also by these mennes examples to expect deliuerance from any calamitie sooner and faster than God pleaseth For because of this they breake out in this sort against Gods Seruants they will not tarie the leasure of God but when themselues will and as they wil they must be deliuered A dangerous dealing and no way fit for them that are séekers and crauers 12. Wherefore Moses returned to the Lord and said Lord why hast thou afflicted this people wherefore hast thou thus sent me For since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy Name he hath vexed this people and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people Sée sée the right remedie in all affliction euen to returne vnto the Lord as Moses did here For he woundeth and he healeth hee killeth and he maketh aliue he bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp againe But Moses manner of returning with such expostulations here is not to be commended for hee pleadeth with the Lord as though hee did contrarie to his promise because as yet there appeared no fruite of his ambassage He also complaineth as though his calling were in vaine since worse worse was the condition of the people from his first comming Wherefore sée and marke the weakenes of the strongest sometimes and especiallie when of such they are vexed as they haue deserued well and indéede should receiue a kinder course frō them O gall of friends how bitter art thou how strikest thou to the very bottome of a fleshie heart and leauest a sting behinde thée that killeth with the poyson and venome of it if God succour not Neither the furie of Pharaoh nor the crueltie of the Egyptians moued Moses any thing but his owne to wrong him whose good hee sought and with all perill to himselfe endeauoured it moueth him so that his weakenes breaketh out euen before his God This should moue men and all that looke to be liked and liue with God to forbeare and flie from the like vnkindnes toward those whom God hath sent to them for their good and this must remember such messengers to pray for strength and as Moses yet forsooke not his Office for all this so neither they to doe but still going on to expect the Lords mercy which here to Moses now shewed it selfe and gaue him comfort as followeth in the next Chapter CHAP. 6. The parts of this Chapter are two First a repetition of things done before from the 1. verse to the 12. Secondly a short Storie by way of digression of the names and families of the Israelites from the 12. verse to the end of the Chapter 1. TThen for vse of this Chapter let vs consider these wordes of the Lord ver 3 And I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by the Name of Almightie God but by my Name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them and vnderstand the true sence and meaning of them Wherein wee may not thinke that this name Iehouah was vnknowne before this time for expreslie hee named himselfe thus to Abraham Gen. 15. 7. and to Iacob Gen. 28. 13. as also in the 26. ver 24. where Iacob prayed vnto the Lord by this Name But the Lords meaning is by this kinde of spéech to prefer by way of comparison this manifestation of himselfe which now he entended to make before all others made to the Fathers in former times because those contained but promises this should haue the effect and performance of the promises so as the words are as if the Lord should haue said I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob by the name of Almightie God that is I gaue them promises which they by faith laide hold on and beléeued moued with the assurance they had of my Almightie power and all-sufficiencie but by my name Iehouah was I not knowne vnto them that is I gaue them not the accomplishment and matter of my promise as now at this time I will doo to you For now as my Name Iehouah signifieth an existence by my selfe of whō in whom by whom and for whom whatsoeuer is is and hath being so shall you sée it come to passe in your Deliuerance from this raging Tyrant and cruell bondage I will performe what I haue said and I will now cause it to be what heretofore I haue onely said should be S. Bernard hath a good Saying touching this matter when hee teacheth vs thus
of thy land the increase of thy kine and the flockes of thy Sheepe Cursed shalt thou be when thou commest in and cursed when thou goest out The Lord shall send vppon thee cursing trouble and shame in al that which thou settest thine hand to doo vntill thou be destroyed and perish quickly because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken me Take we héede therfore we were best of Pharaohs obstinacy disobedience against God against his Worde and against his Seruaunts and messengers sent vnto vs for our good lest this heape of curses light vpon vs and euen All the Lords plagues punish vs. Wee may note againe how he calleth them his plagues saying all my plagues and learne thereby that neither Fortune nor Chaunce ruleth rods and crosses layd vpon vs but these thinges still are Gods tooles whereby he either boweth or breaketh men women that are warped and cast aside being by him layde on and taken off at his pleasure So said our Sauiour to his Persecutor thou couldest haue no power ouer mee except it were giuen thee from aboue This well remembred will make vs sée and discerne God in our sicknes in our losse of friends or goods in our woes and wants whatsoeuer they be and the sooner stoope vnder his hand and be turned to his will Our hearts will say within vs This is Gods hand this is his blowe O soule turne turne and be reformed thou maist goe no further in this way thou maist not resist him that is too strong for thée Witches Sorcerers Théeues Robbers Raylers Slaunderers and Oppressours whatsoeuer that haue done mee wrong I looke not at them otherwise than at God his rods for all plagues I sée in this Text are his plagues and he ruleth all casting these rods into the fire when his childe is humbled and reformed Blessed therefore is the man that feareth alway but hee that hardeneth his heart shall fall into euill 9. God saith hee will send all these plagues vpon his heart which besides the Note in your Bibles margine may signifie that they should touch him inwardly and déepely so doth God daily where he is angrie and so can God doo with vs if wee prouoke him To smite vs in armes hands legges or the like parts is gréeuous vnto vs and bitter but when sorrowe is laide vpon the heart it stingeth indéede and most bitterly which He would expresse that said Sorrowe hath pierced my head shewed it selfe at the windowes and sunke downe to my heart Degrées of woe all bitter but the last most of all to be feared for looke what the moath is to the garment and the worme to the wood such is the sorrowe of the heart And therefore saith Salomon againe Sorrowe or heauines in the heart of man doth bring it downe and in another place A sorrowfull minde drieth the bones And by the sorrowe of the heart the minde is heauie Poets would expresse as much when they termed sorrowe and care eating and biting The way to preuent this dolefull sorrowe of heart laide on by an angrie God is to take our sinnes to heart betimes and by true repentance to fâ—ie from them which God for his mercie sake graunt wee may doo 10. The 16. and 17. verses to our great good instruct vs concerning wicked men that indéede as Pharaoh héere so are they appointed of God and they can doo but what He will haue them howsoeuer yet they not considering thus much exalt themselues against Gods people often as héere did this Tyrant Feare not therefore their feare but settle this doctrine soundly in your harts leaue all to God Hee that raised them for his Will can kéepe them within the limits of his Will and that Will to vs can neuer be hurtfull if wee dutifully commend our selues to it 11. Thus God hath giuen Pharaoh warning what Judgements are hanging ouer his head readie forthwith to fall vpon him vnlesse he yéeld to dismisse his people out of Egypt Yet sée and neuer forget it whilest you liue In the middest of all this wrath the Lord remembreth mercie And biddeth them be warned to send for their Cattell into the house for feare of the haile which was to come For vpon all the men beasts which were found abroade should the hayle fall and they die Why what then should not all this haue béene most iust in God they being so rebellious sinners It is very true if they had all died it had béene most iust Neuerthelesse euen to such sinners the Lord would haue his mercie extended And therefore if euer any man or woman shall doubt of mercy from such a God it is a wrong it is a sinne intollerable For he that is thus to Lyons raging and roaring against him can hee be hard to his little Lambes that religiouslie trust in him Shall you and I be cast away when Pharaoh is respected No it hath not béene it shall not be it connot be so with the Lord. Quicke is the eye of him to sée the feares of his Children euer and with a tender hart he sendeth comfort in his good time Déere and gracious Father confirme the hearts of thy little Flocke in the swéete assurance of this thy goodnes euermore and in my blessed Sauiour thy beloued Sonne accept the hidden thankfull thoughts of my soule for what I haue found at thy gracious hand in mine owne particular and pardon my wants Amen Amen 12 Such then as feared the word of the Lord among the seruaunts of Pharaoh saith the Text made his Seruants Cattell fly into the houses But such as regarded not the word of the Lord left his seruaÌ„ts his cattel in the field Quare grandinem illaturus denunciauit illis vti pecora domuÌ„ cogerent Dominus cum sit humanissimus miserecordia temperat suppplica Alioqui etiam nouerat quosdam esse venia dignos quod non tacet Scriptura Diuina Qui enim ait ex seruis Pharaonis timuit verbum domini peccora sua domum coegit c. Why did the Lord being purposed to bring haile vpon them admonish them to fetch their cattell into the house Euen because hee being most gentle would temper punishment with mercie And againe he knew there were some differing from others more to be respected which the Scripture doth not conceale when it saith So many of Pharaoh his Seruants as feared the word of the Lord fetched their Cattell into the house c. As followeth in Theodoret and Saint Agustine vpon this place Such and so diuerse is the fruite of the selfe same worde of God spoken at one time by one man to one people Some regard it and doo thereafter some neglect and doo contrarie The greatest Moses must reckon of this and being forewarned be also forearmed against the discoÌ„fort that followeth of it Let the people also obserue that such only are saide here to feare the word of the Lord as did obey it
wisheth a Benefice forget his dutie when hee hath got it and suffer his people the Lords Lambes to perish by his sloath Thus doth the Seruant when hee is become a Maister and thus doo thousands who when they were vnmaried and had little thought and said if they had some portion to liue vpon some reasonable competent estate O how would they serue God and doo good things to their power But all is forgotten and they are not the same persons when the Lord in mercie hath giuen them more cause to serue him than euer they had Followe this Meditation farther your selfe and thinke often in your heart what a swéete killing poyson Prosperitie is to many a one and how néedefull this Note of Moses was That they should Remember their duties to God when they were come into that pleasant Land of Promise 15. The Cōmaundement To teach their children what the Passeouer meant noteth vnto vs how the Word Sacraments should goe together not hiding in an vnknowne tongue by neglect of preaching what Gods ordinance is but plainly openly euer ioyning Doctrine to it that the people of God may knowe the Lords meaning in his holy Sacraments so vse them as they ought to his glory and their cōfort Yea the children you sée should not be brought vp in ignorance as ours are to the great prouocation of Gods wrath against vs. But euen when they are young taught and tolde what a Sacrament is and what is meant by the Paschal Lambe for thus would they prooue good seruants of God when yéeres came on and the Lord be honoured in our séede when we are dead Which whether it can be without a blessing from his hand both vpon them and whatsoeuer we leaue vnto them iudge in your owne soule when you haue considered well how sweete and gracious God is how many are his promises how faithfull he euer is in them Doo therefore as followeth in this your Chapter of this people ver 7. They bowed thēselues and worshipped That is they thankfully receaued the Lords pleasure at Moses mouth not as the word of man but as it was in déede the Word of God And they went their way and did as the Lord commaunded Moses and Aaron A blessed obedience both in hearing and doing a chéerefull alacritie and readines such as gladded the heart of Moses and euer will glad all godly Ministers Chronicled héere vp in the Booke of God by the direction of God to the lasting praise of them that were so touched and moued to obey God in his mercie make it also profitable to thy soule good Christian Reader that thou likewise in the Booke of life mayst be Chronicled vp for euermore Amen The second part 1. COncerning the death of the first borne which was the second generall Head noted before to be in this Chapter that which hath béene spoken before in the Denunciation may suffice to which I refer you praying that héere may be obserued the great care of Almightie God to haue this thing well remembred when againe he thus repeateth it with all his Circumstances of time of persons their awaking their crying their desire to bee rid of the Israelites their forcing of them away in all hast c. Surely Gods works for mankinde in generall or for any of vs all in particular to be forgotten must néedes be most displeasing vnto him when we sée such care as this to preserue in his church children a due Remembrance of them Theodoret speaking of these first-borne saith Cur interfecit primogenita Aegypti Propterea quòd Israële prmimogenita Dei Pharaoh nimis durae subiecerat seruituti Hoc enim ipse Dominus Deus dixit Filius meus primogenitus Israel c. Why did he slay the first borne of Egypt Euen because Pharaoh had subiected his first borne Israel to too hard and cruell a bondage For thus speaketh the Lord of Israel Israel my first-borne Sonne c. Againe in this that the first-borne only dyed both of man and beast not the second-borne nor the third-borne wée may with profit well obserue how the differences of children are knowne to God who is first who is second and who is third which may yéelde this vse neuer for any childe to goe about with craft and subtilty or any vnlawfull inuention of man to thrust himselfe into the place and prerogatiue thereof which God in his prouidence hath not giuen him but to abide in the order disposed to him of God and to trust in his mercy who so disposed for feare lest God who knoweth our order seuerely punish vs for breaking his order He could haue made the yongest the eldest if he had pleased he could haue made the 3. to be the 2. if he had so liked But he hath not done it and what he doth is euer best til his owne hand alter the same A contented minde much pleaseth God and a working spirit contrary to his Will as much offendeth him Let it be thought on for there is too much cause in the world giuen and sinne is counted Wisedome 2 This mightie power of God is fearefull and comfortable Fearefull for that in one night yea in one instant and with one word as it were he destroyed so many first-borne in Egypt Comfortable because what iudgment soeuer he vseth and executeth against the wicked yet he can saue his owne in the very middest of death and danger So that not a haire of their heades shal be hurt Thousands may fall on the right hand and tenne Thousands on their left yet no harme happen to them Also this gratious Clemency and Mercy in the Lord is most comfortable who when he could as easily and as iustly haue destroyed all yet in his goodnes that hath neither bottome nor measure he taketh but the first-borne so gratiously humbleth thē by a few This is that which the Prophet speaketh when he beggeth of the Lord in wrath to remēber Mercy so noting his manner and nature euer full of pitty long suffering 3 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron saying get you hence c. That is he sent his Messengers vnto them to will them to depart For Moses saw him no more after the departing mentioned in the tenth Chapter the last verse And in the eleuenth Chapter verse eight you sée Moses foretold that thus his seruants should intreat him to depart Euer till now Pharaoh had some exceptions either of their Children or of their Cattell c. But now all are put in a libertie graunted vnto all and glad and glad to be deliuered of them Thus can God with his mighty arme bring downe the proude stomakes of the greatest and make them yéelde to his Will wholly not in part A fruitfull consideration for those that dayly amongst vs vse to limmit their obedience to God saying either openly or secretly in their hearts Herein will I follow my Teacher and herein I will not Adultery
Murder and such like be great sinnes and I will forbeare them but for my swearing my oppressing of my Neighbours my selling of my Benefices in my gift my negligence at Church and Sacraments and such like yee shall pardon me I know what is fit as wel as he Thus did Herod heare Iohn Baptist as I haue noted before in many things not in all things and namely not in the matter of Keeping his Brothers wife Now Herod and Pharaoh are but bad Exampels for a man to follow that hath any care of his soule And therefore rather fix your eye vpon that wish of God in Deut. O that there were such a heart in this people to feare me and to keepe All my commandements All All alway that it might goe well with them and with their seede for euer This is a better Example and he that thus wisheth hath Heauen in his right hand to giue it vs if we héede it and Hell in his left hand to cast vs into if we despise it Follow this meditation by your selfe farther and beware of restraining and limiting your duty to God but performe all obedience as the Lord shall inable you And if you faile in any thing let it be frailety in you not head-strong boldnesse for that is dangerous Remember also how Pharaoh here desired to be blessed of these men who erst were odious in his eies The same God can pull you downe and make you as glad of your Pastors prayer for you as you haue béene contented spitefully and malitiously to oppose your selfe against him Now is the time to thinke of these things so to vse the messenger of God as he may euer pray for you with an edge that is hartily and powerfully 4 They tooke-vp their dough before it was leauened and departed in haste The Lord knoweth euer what is best hast or leasure for his children and so be appointeth Lot was long before he would get-out of Sodom and his wife was worse than he We are all couetous and gréedie of these worldly matters and too loath to leaue them when we are called Wherefore the Lord in his great loue often preuenteth such weakenesse in vs by a suddaine and constrained haste Be it therefore euer vnto vs as he will for he is alwaies more carefull of our good than we can be Other things here mentioned haue bene touched before and therefore I passe them ouer The 3. part 1. THeir departure now out of Egypt is the 3. general Head of this Chap. concerning which it is said that They tooke their iourney from Ramases to Succoth c. This is that Rameses which you read of in Genesis 47. ver 11 Where Ioseph placed his father and his bretheren The number also is set downe about six hundered thousand men of foote beside children A most wonderfull increase from 70. Soules which were all that came into Egypt And most effectually it sheweth vs how able the Lord is to increase his Church notwithstanding all the malice of man Deuill whatsoeuer Gen. 12. 21. Gen. 15. 5. I will multiply thy seede as the sand of the Sea and we sée the truth of it A multitude also of sundry sorts of people went with them following the prosperity hoped for in the Israelites who they saw were not touched with the plagues of Egypt and rightly shadowing what after fell out and euer will that Christ shal be followed of many for the loaues and his Gospell embraced for the prosperitie and peace that often he vouchsafeth vnto it Yet no doubt some follow it for Religion and Truth sake c. 2 Their time of aboad in Egypt is here said to be foure hundred and thirty yeeres which how it is to be reckoned from the Promise sée Genesis 15. Actes 7. 6. Galathians 3. 17. and see Interpreters by name Calasius who reckoneth euery yéere in particular Note we and alwaies remember that so carefull was the Lord of his promise as When the 400. and thirty yeeres were expired the selfe same day they departed euen the selfe same day Euer it may comfort vs in our spirituall feares and conflicts that certainely the Lord will neuer faile in any promise but euen dayes and howers of comfort fit for his Children as they are knowne to him so are they obserued of him most mercifully most gratiously and most precisely Why then should not I dust and ashes tarrie his good leasure in assured hope and in peace of Soule waiting for the good houre but I must needes tye the Lord to my time and to my will or els I faint I fall I speake or thinke amisse That the Lord regardeth me not but hath forgotten me and forsaken mee and all that Sathan my sworne-Enemy suggesteth is true O doo it not any more neither euer wrong your gratious Father and déere God so much who you sée breaketh not with these Israelites one day but the very selfe same day deliuereth them which was apointed 400. yeares before God strengthen vs for his Son sake for we are weake but he is faithfull for euermore 3 Some other circumstances touching the Paschal Lamb are héere noted in the end of this Chapter omitted before namely That only such as were circumcised might eate of it so figuring that of the true Passeouer Christ Iesus they onely can be partakers hauing their hearts circumcised and purged by faith c. And being circumcised seruants might eat shewing that bond and frée are alike accepted of God That it must be eaten in one house signified that out of the Church Christ is not to be found Not a bone must be broken which was fulfilled in our Sauiour Christ as was touched before yet héere remember Theodorets wordes Ossa conterunt Agni qui male intelligentes eloquia Diuina ad suam impietatem illa detorquere conantur They may be said to breake the bones of the Lamb who ill vnderstanding the holie Scriptures go about to wrest them to their impieties One Law must be to him that is borne in the Land to the stranger that dwelled among them which signified that whosoeuer vnto the worlds end will liue in the Church he must and ought to be gouerned by the Lawes of the Church Finally The obedience of the people héere mentioned in all things to Moses and Aaron teacheth vs the like obedience euer to Magistrate and Minister ouer vs which the better we performe the more assured may we be that we are true Israelites Thus may this Chapter profit vs in Gods blessing CHAP. 13. The generall Heads of this Chapterare chiefely these 1. The Sanctification of the first-borne to the Lord. 2. By what way the Lord led them 3. The Signes of direction vouchsafed to them COncerning the first The Paschall Lamb as hath béene shewed was a liuely remembrance of the Lords passing ouer their houses and not slaying their first-borne as he did the Egyptians yet doth God héere againe institute for an other
the Lord graunt it If a traueller haue but a little money left to bring him home hee trauelleth farther in a day than otherwise hee would And so doo you by your present wants take occasion to goe forward faster and faster in a holy course that you may be at home and take your rest Away with murmuring and all euill speaking for a man is knowne by his speech as mettall is by his ring And no glasse sheweth more plainely the spots of your face than your tongue will shewe the spottes of your heart Let it gréeue you to heare others doo it for the Lord is not with them And to be sorie for a bodie from which the soule is departed not for a soule from which God is departed is not pietie saith S. Augustine Foolish men speake foolishly but our spéech should be with a graine of salt S. Augustine noteth it very well that S. Iames doth not say None can tame but no man can tame the tongue that when it is tamed wee might knowe it to be a worke of God and not of man It is walled in wich two walls the lips and the teeth to note a double triall that should be taken of our words before we speake First whether it be lawfull secondly whether it be expedient that we meane to say And if both these then speake on and spare not all shall bee well But if either of these want then kéepe the doore fast and let not that little member haue his will The good Abbot sawe both the good and the difficultie of this who being vnlearned and very desirous to be instructed when hee was come to that verse of the Psalme I saide I will looke to my waies that I offend not in my tongue bad Stay there till hee had learned that lesson which he feared would be both hard and long But happily I am too long also in this point and therefore I shut vp with this wish that no tongue may bee like that cursed Bay tree whereon the Prouerb grew Insana laurus The contagious bay tree My meaning is that no man or woman haue a tongue so venemous to make murmuring wheresoeuer it is as that bay tree would make chiding and strife as long as any iote of it were in ones hand for you sée the sinne of such a tongue and let it suffice God séeth and God heareth who as Augustine saith is euery where and cannot be mocked But happily you will thinke why then doth God suffer any murmuring to bee And I pray you remember Saint Gregorie his Answere Permittitur murmurati◠detractio vt caueatur elatio GOD suffereth murmuring and detraction that it may keepe downe in men pride and arrogancie Thus much of this matter of Murmuring if not too much of purpose enlarged because the fault is too generall both in persons murmuring and in matters murmured at 4. But did they all murmure without exception No but although that Text make no exception yet we may safely think the Lord had his number among them that did not murmure at all Yet forasmuch as this number was very small in comparison of the Murmurers therefore there is no mention made of it but all in generall are said to murmure And indéede what are the godly but as wheat hid vnder a great heape of chaffe which doth not appeare so well till the chaffe be wynowed blowne away It was sufficient that the Lord well discerned both c. 5. The words of their Murmuring are expressed in the 3. verse Oh say they that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the Land of Egypt when wee fate by the flesh-pots when wee ate bread our bellies full for yee haue brought vs into the Wildernes to kill this whole companie with famine Words of such impietie as I knowe not how to begin to speake of them O impiam et nefandam vocem O wicked and horrible words saith a godly Interpreter O sinfull and cursed speech may all that reade it and taste of GOD say especially in this people so acquainted with Gods mercy grace and power so made famous ouer the world with miracles wrought for them against their enemies For what is this which they say but all one as if they had saide wee care not for our Deliuerance out of Egypt and from all the bondage and crueltie against vs and our Children wee giue GOD no thankes for it for wee were better so than thus O that hee had let vs alone by the flesh-pots and come to deliuer vs when wee had sent for him Such height of vnthankfull contempt who trembleth not to reade and shaketh not to thinke of in his heart But let it profit vs for to that ende the Lord hath Chronicled it in his Booke First then let it teache vs and tell vs yea soundlie settle in vs howe quicklie these sinfull hearts of ours slippe from their duties if once anie crosse lay holde on vs making those mercies and benefits of God vile and of no account which at the first when we receaued them were most great in our eyes most welcome and acceptable we then saying O how should we thanke the Lord enough for these thinges But is this well Doth the word teach vs thus or doo wee our selues endure this measure to be measured to vs by those to whom we haue béene good and kinde vnto No no And therefore abhorre it as most odious both to God and man and looke wee at the Rule which teacheth vs otherwise Great were the fauours that Iob had receaued from his God aduersitie commeth and that as you know in a great degrée Doth Iob vilifie therefore either in tongue or heart those former fauours and say O that God had neuer bestowed them on me No you know but holily and vertuously he embraceth Gods will and telleth his repining wife That since they had in former times receaued good things from God should not they also receaue euill when it was his pleasure Yes yes And therefore saith hee The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken and blessed blessed be the Name of the Lord euen in taking as well as giuing and euer for all thinges that he doth The Apostles of Christ were exalted by him to the highest dignitie in his Church it was no doubt a great grace vnto them and very acceptable but afterward cōmeth persecution imprisonment whipping and many crosses Doo they then say as these Israelites O that wee had died by the hand of the Lord O that wee had neuer beene Apostles and so cast the mercies of God in his face for the troubles which followed such fauour Not so you sée but they went away reioycing that they were made worthy to suffer those things for so kinde a Lord as had exalted them to that dignitie and giuen vnto them such graces and places as then they had Let vs looke vpon such Examples as these and pray to God for strength to followe them Let vs
small in price and heareth the young Rauens that call vpon him He that openeth his hand and filleth all things liuing with plenteousnes will hee either forsake or forget man or woman trusting in him No it is a Hellish thought and away with it for euer out of your heart The life is farre more worth than meate and the body than any rayment Wee are much better than any fowles and yet the Lord feedeth them when they neither sowe nor reape nor carie in to anie barnes Could not God heere haue bidden them gather for many daies if he had would and lay vp in store for a deere yeere as wee vse to speake yet hee would not but tieth them to a dayes foode and for the next day to depend vpon him He failed them no day nor euer faileth vs if wee beléeue Cast your care then chéerefully vpon him and cleaue fast vnto him you shal sée his Mercie you shal sée his Truth you shal sée your Comfort If the earth yéeld neither corne nor grasse and that for fortie yeeres together yet can hee nourish you and yours with bread from Heauen and the daintie flesh of Quailes at his pleasure The hard Rocke or the drie tooth shal yéeld drinke for your thirst at his will Elias had bread and meate brought him by the wilde Rauen And the little meale and oyle in the Cruze wasted not till the dearth was past and so forth as you heard before These Israelites garments were not worne nor the shooes of their feete torne in so many yéeres who then will distrust such a GOD Hee can doo what hee will doo and he will doo what is best be euer assured with ioy Many a time hath the poore woman had no bread in the morning for her children and before night both bread and money Goe farther your selfe for this meditation is most swéete That man liueth not or euer shall who cleauing to God hath béene forsaken by him 3. For the day then how much might they gather without stint No. The Text saith An OMER for a man according to the number of the persons this was the stint Euery man was to take for them in his Tent. This OMER was about a pottle of our measure Marke howe the Lord alloweth a sufficiencie and vtterly disliketh all néedelesse superfluitie Our wanton wils he will not fellowe but our iust néede hee will supplie Would wee learne this blessed meane in all our courses God would ioy in it and the childe vnborne be the better for it Our houses and land would tarie with vs and descend from vs to them wee loue our Tenants should taste of better bargaines and liue and die at our féete the poore would send a shréeking crie to the eares of God for mercie and goodnes to be poured vpon vs for our relieuing of them The Common-wealth should finde vs furnished either to defend or offend vpon occasion and in one word both Heauen and Earth be glad of it O why why then should not our OMER content vs for the day God is wise that made this Lawe and who euer followed his wisedome and repented You sée the Note and to a féeling heart I néede not amplifie it any farther 4. But might they gather this pottle of Manna anie time of the day No. It was to be gathered in the morning for when the heate of the Sunne came it was melted So God would teach them to take time whilest time serued And it may well admonish vs to doo the like Wée haue a Morning we haue an Euening Our able youth and good health is our morning our feeble Age and sicke estate is our euening Spend not the first vainely and you shall not want in the last vncomfortably God is good and giueth vs a gathering time he looketh we should vse it as he intendeth that is in the morning to goe forth to our labour honestly and truly to liue in a lawfull vocation to doo what wee are called to faithfully and carefully So shall we eate the fruite of our labours when the euening of age and sicknes commeth and all shall be well But a carelesse youth and an ill spent health will make a wanting age and an helplesse sicknes Gods blessings are not at our election to haue them when we will but when wee séeke when he bids we shall finde His Manna is readie if we come in time and if we linger till we list he hath his Sunne to melt it away and it is gone O take time then and be ruled by God youth and health you sée is a blessed time In the Booke of Wisedome sée another vâ—e of this time of this day and euer remember it namely That it might be knowne how wee ought to preuent the Sunne rising to giue thanks vnto God and to salute him before the day spring For the hope of the vnthankfull shall melt as the Winter Ice and flowe away as vnprofitable waters Let vs doo thus then and be most assured that such Morning sacrifice shall be no lesse profitable vnto vs than pleasing to him 5. And did they iust gather their measure and no more euery man No. The Text saith Some gathered more and some lesse Yet when they did measure it with an OMER hee that had gathered much had nothing ouer and hee that had gathered little had no lacke c. By which miracle the Lord would both restraine the gréedie Scrapers of this world that are neuer satisfied and comfort his owne Chosen that haue not such heapes For what hath the greatest Raker that liues amongst vs at this day touching himselfe but his liuing and hath not the poorest man by his little as much yes assuredly wee sée it daily Nay we sée more namely that this little little which the poore man hath yéeldeth him often a more healthie life and a merrier minde sounder sléepe and quieter thoughts than that great abundance which the gréedie Gatherer hath gotten Daniel with his thinne fare of pulse and water looketh as well or better than they that féede vpon the Kings allowance such a mighty God euery way is our God And why then should our desire to haue be so exorbitant or our hearts so deiected if wee haue but little GOD will make my little stretch to an OMER that is to enough and his much shal be no more doo what hee can O minde minde then bee content Looke vpon thy God and feare nothing he is the same he is no Changeling c 6. Did they reserue nothing of all their gatherings till the morning your Chapter goeth on and saith Let no man reserue thereof till the morning Notwithstanding they obeyed not Moses but some of them reserued of it till the morning and it was full of wormes and stanke therefore Moses was verie angrie with them Sée euer in the world some disobedient and distrustfull wretches let all the Preachers in the world were they as good as Moses say and doo what
are set about the Mount to kéepe the people downe with the punishment of death if they passed bounds teach vs what an odious thing to GOD curiositie is in matters forbidden and how God would haue euery man content with that which it pleaseth him to vouchsafe him of reuelation and knowledge Such curiositie is it to aske what God did before he made the world and such like foolish Questions To all which it may be answered as God would not haue the people to créepe vp to the mountaine and to péepe and pry what Moses did there with him but set bounds and limits for them beyond which they should not passe without death So is it still The Lord hath in his Word reuealed his Will and beyond our limits wée must not goe hauing an eare where he hath not a mouth If wée doo for this busie curiositie we shal dye eternally as they for that temporally c. 5 And the third day when it was morning there were thunders and lightning a thicke cloude vpon the mount and the sound of the trump exceeding loude so that all the people that was in the campe was afraide This is the third branch of the particular preparation reaching vnto the 20. verse and containing an increase of the Lordes manner of the communication of himselfe specified before in the 9. verse By all which fearefull things the Lord declared his Maiestie saith Chrisostome and the people were touched with a féeling knowledge of their infirmitie But besides that wée may well learne by it how profitable it is to make a good and carefull hearer of Gods voice First to shake him and throw him downe in himselfe by some good waies and meanes For then assuredly the Word entereth more powerfully he hath a more excellent touch than without such humbling he would euer haue had Remember how the Lord called S. Paul when he was riding to Damascus First throwing him downe and by making a sudden light shine about him from heauen and then when he trembled and was astonâ—ed speaking to him with profitable effect Remember also how there came suddenly from heauen a sound as of a rushing a mighty winde in an other place Surely such rushings shakings spirituall frightings in conscience hath the Lord his gratious meaning in to beate vs downe in our selues that we may more carefully hearken vnto him And because the greater part of men is not acquainted with them therefore they remaine dul hearers and dull hearted so that the Preacher looseth but his labour with them How many haue profited in sicknesse by words spoken who in health neuer cared what was spoken so in debt and pouertie in prison and trouble men haue other eares than they haue in prosperitie Doth not our Chronicle mention a Gentleman who at his death vowed openlie that he had learnd more good touching his soule in a darke hole within the Tower of London in a few daies than euer in all his life when he was in light libertie abroad Full well knoweth God the way to winne vs and happy are we if it please him to vse it how sharpe soeuer it be that yet wée may liue hereafter in ioy though presently for a season wée taste of woe I could tell you by experience if it were néedefull of some that haue said to my selfe they had heard many Sermons and read the Scriptures but they neuer felt either Sermon or Scriptures as then when they so spake béeing some way touched in-wardly by their louing God But be Judge your selfe in your selfe if you know any thing Againe these signes shewed the terror of the law to mens consciences for it thunders it threatens it feareth and frighteth and it vtterly condemneth all men to Hell and damnation were there not a CHRIST to saue vs from it The law causeth wrath saith the Apostle that is it denounceth wrath against vs for that wee cannot kéepe it When Iudas could sée nothing but the Lawe his agonie drane him to hang himselfe So was Saul Achitophel and many others driuen to desperate conclusions feareful ends Wherefore the Apostle well addeth that we are not come to this fearefull mount nor vnto burning fire nor to blacknesse darknesse and tempest c so terrible that Moses said I feare and quake But we are come vnto the Mount Sion to the Citie of the liuing God the coelestiall Hierusalem and to the company of innumerable Angels c. AND TO IESVS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEVV TESTAMENT c. Here here is our helpe against the law without whom we were cast away euery one of vs for cursed is he and she that doth not all things written in the law 6 This descending of the Lord we must vnderstand of the Signes of his pretence and not that the Lord is here not there or there and not here moouing from place to place as man dooth Neither speaketh he as man dooth but his Angell in his person taketh by his power the voice of man and as God is said to speake by his Ministers here so by his Angels then and there as he pleased Remember Steuens words in the Acts This is he meaning Moses that was in the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ in the wildernes with the Angel WHICH SPAKE TO HIM IN MOVNT SINA c. The iterating of his commandement to Moses to sée that the people passe not their limits which we touched before ver 21. 24. sheweth the itching nature of man after hidden secrets to see and know nouelties And the great dislike God hath of this curiositie and how profitable the presence of the Magistrate is to make people kéepe order For surely men are maruellous apt to transgresse and therefore againe againe they must be admonished by Moses and well if many or any admonitions will serue Giue lawes neuer so good and let there not bée a Gouernour to sée to the execution of them and wée sée with griefe what litle good such lawes doo Well therefore and wiselie haue they spoken who said Lex Magistratus mutus et interdum mortuus Magistratus lex loquens et viua The Law is a dumb Magistrate and sometimes a dead but the Magistrate is a speaking Law and a liuing 7 The Priests also are mentioned aswell as the people that they likewise should not passe their limits wherby wee sée that no dignitie authoritie or higher place may be a warrant to doo more than God permitteth But rather should these before others giue example of sobriety order What Priests were now when as yet the Priesthood was not established men differ in opinion some thinking they were the first-borne and others thinking otherwise as Caluin for One vpen this place to whom I refer such as will and go no further in this Chapter CHAP. 20. 1. THe Congregation béeing prepared as you haue heard to receaue the Law now in this Chap. followeth the Law it selfe it is set down in
comfort to his Church touching Christ if you remember That we haue not a high Priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sin And thereupon concludeth Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that we may receaue mercie and finde grace to helpe in time of neede If wée be not in abilitie to doo Strangers any good yet comfortable words shal please both them and God that made this law for them The other law concerning Widowes fatherlesse Orphanes as the Lord made it in great mercie so will he euer punish the breaches with sharpe iustice Affliction saith Salomon is not to be added to the afflicted Widowes fatherlesse children therfore must be pittied comforted helped if neede require séeing they haue lost their head not oppressed and wronged vexed grieued as often they are Now that the Lord wil punish you sée the Text plaine and how O reade it againe for it is fearefull with the sword will he destroy those wringers and crushers that their wiues also may become widowes and their children fatherlesse So verifying the wise Saying By what a man sinneth by that shal he be punished Careful therfore was Iob to auoide this danger and voweth vehemently that he neuer restrained the poore of their desire nor caused the eyes of the widow to faile by long waiting for her request Let this mooue vs and strike vs and euer profit vs. If thou lend money to my people that is to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an Vsurer vnto him ye shall not oppresse him with vsury This matter of vsury is so largely handled by many and so little regarded by moe that I spare my labour in it To allow all that some allow or to condemne as much as * some condemne as yet I sée no reason Many are the cases and intricate are the questions mooued mentioned in this matter Orphanes are left with nothing to bring them vp but a portion of money some in the Vniuersities some in the Country Spend the stocke and it will soone be gone vse it occupy it themselues they cannot So they haue money and want a trade others haue trades and want money Bucer in Cambridge was asked this question and did not dislike of some interchange profitable to the Orphane and yet not opening the way to flat vsury Stran gers likewise and exiles out of their countrey for religion and good causes bring a little money with them for easines of carriage and nothing else themselues happily may not trade in a forraigne land how then shall they their wiues and children liue workmen peraduenture also they are not but of an higher degrée In short therefore we know the end of the cōmandement is loue so far thē as borrowing lending breaketh not that but agréeth with it moderate men may do what is fit for them no scope giuen to the condemned vsurer To méete with one inconuenience to bring many others into the common-wealth was neuer wisedome Wherefore let euerie man search his own heart and well obserue his owne dealings in lending to his neighbour that liueth with him as knowing that nothing is hid frō God but must be accoūted for one day If cōtracts charitie agrée not together but what profiteth you hurteth your neighbour the case is altered I speak of what agréeing with loue is by learned men allowed the same disagréeing from the same is condemned blamed 9 The next law is concerning pawnes and pawne-takers A great trade still in this wringing world And of them thus the Lord speaketh If thou take thy neighbours raiment to pledge thou shalt restore it to him before the Sun go downe for that is his couering onely and this is his garment for his skin wherein shall he sleepe Therefore when he cryeth vnto me I will heare him For I am mercifull The 24. of Deutro is to be referred hither for explication further of the mercie that God requireth in this matter frō all men Mark it euer remember it the nakednesse miserie of the poore body cryeth against thée to the Lord and hée hath vowed to heare All is not gained then that is put in thy purse but only that which is wel put in The other laws of reuerence to Magistrates neither reuiling them nor thinking lightly of them of due and true paying of tythes to the maintenance of Gods truth and Ministers and so forth will come hereafter to be touched againe and therefore no more now of this Chap. CHAP. 23. THis Chapter also as hath béen said goeth on with mo Lawes tending likewise to the exposition of the Morall Law and namely of the 8. and 9. Commandements Touching the procéeding with moe lawes we may make vse of these and the like Sayings Arcesilaus in Laertius did not like that there should be many laws saying Quemadmodum vbi multi medici ibi multi morbi it a vbi permultae lege◠ibi plus vitiorum Like as where there are many Phisitions that are many diseases so where there are very many laws there are moe faults Demonax very vnaduisedly spake against all lawes saying Leges prorsus esse mutiles Vt quibus boni non egerent mali nihilò fierent meliores That lawes were altogether vnprofitable because the good needed them not the bad would not be bettered by them But Chrisostome with a better spirit both approoued goodlaws and would haue thē ALL to be obeied Saying In citharanon satis esse in vno tantum neru◠concentum efficere Vniuersos oportere percuti numerosè decenter ita ad salutem non satis esse vnam Legem vniuersas esse audiendas seruandas To make musicke on a Harpe it is not sufficient to playe on one sting but all must be striken in due measure and proportion so to saluation one Law is not sufficient but all must be wel vnderstood duly kept These laws therefore here following cōtinued by God himselfe seruing by explanation to helpe our vnderstanding consequentlie to direct our practise concerning former lawes are dillgently by vs to be obserued In the two first verses obserue the vertues of a good and vpright iudge and add them to that which was spoken in the 18. Chap. His first vertue is Truth Truth I say in his sentence and iudgment which he must euer carefully labour for by all good waies and meanes Contrary to truth are false tales rumors which therefore here in the first words are forbiddē either to be receaued of the Judge or reported by others Thou shalt not receaue a false tale neither shalt thou put thy hand with the wicked to be a false witnesse The Word signifieth both to receaue and report therefore both forbidden That the Iudge may thus doo he must euer remember Epicharmus his little saying Memēto
as our power and places giue vs leaue to follow his example To the poore now in the land you sée his loue and you read his law here with your eyes Why should it not worke a good effect in your heart during your life in this matter First it is his will we should with hand shew our heart both to him and to our poore and needie brethren and without deeds vaine are our words that we loue one another Secondly his recompence is great in them that doo it and neuer faileth Whosoeuer giueth but a cup of colde water shall not loose his reward Come ye blessed of my father and possesse eternall comfort For when I was hungrie you fed Mee and so foorth Mee I say in the poore with you to whom what you did you did it to Mee so I take it Blessed is the man that prouideth for the poore and needie the Lord shall deliuer him in all his trouble By examples might this be prooued but it néedeth not onely remember in the widow of Sarephath what followed her pietie in féeding the Prophet when she had not much for her selfe It is a Storie in steade of a thousand to raise vp our harts in this matter 6 The three feastes heere mentioned to wit Easter Whitsontide and Tabernacles will haue an other place hereafter vnto which I will referre the treatise of them Of the rest of this Chapter spent in the promises of god vnto their obedience I will onely say this that these great swéete promises are as honie till we thinke of the Condidion to wit perfect obedience but then we fall from all hope had we not a Christ because such perfect obedience to the lawe we cannot performe Christ therefore we flye to and relye vpon him who hauing performed that obedience for vs now iustifieth vs by faith in him without that condition and maketh his righteousnesse our righteousnesse by imputation Thou shalt not seeth a Kid in his mothers milke As Crueltie is here forbidden by God so was it condemned by the verie Pagans CHAP. 24. IN this Chapter first note how Moses alone ascendeth vp to God and let it remember vs that there are differences of graces and yet one spirit the giuer of all They that have more may not despise them which haue lesse neither they which haue lesse enuie them which haue more Read the 1. Cor. 12. Chapter c. what if we say that the Lawe was fignified in Moses going to God because it is holy iust but it bringeth not his companie with it because they are imperfect kéepers 2 Moses came and tolde the people all the wordes of the Lord c. So is the duetie of a faithfull Minister still to receiue of the Lord and to deliuer to his people what he hath receiued not any dregges or drosse of mans inuention for in vaine doe men worship him with mens precepts c. All the things which the Lord hath said will we doe Concerning his rash and confident answere of the people note and remember the censure of learned men that you may profit by it to a warier kinde of speaking out of a true féeling of your owne and all mens frailtie of nature by the corruption entred into vs at our fall in our first parents Saint Hierome condemning such vndiscréet hastines saith Melius est non promittere quam promissanon facere melius est ancipitem diu deliberari sententiam quam in verbis esse facilem in operibus difficilem It is better not to promise thā not to keep promise it is better for a doubtful thing to be long deliberated on thā to grant it easily performe it hardly Gregorie againe obersuing this fault in the Iews saith Iudaeorū populū locustae significabant subitos saltus dantes protinus adterram sadentes Saltus enim dabant cū praecepta Domini se implere promitterent ad terram cadebant cum factis denegarent The people of the lewes were signified by the Locustes which vsed sodainly to leape vp and forth with to fall downe to the earth againe They did as it were leape vp when in words they promised to do all things which the Lord had said but they fell to the earth againe when in their deeds they denied the same Let vs therefore I say alwaies weigh our weaknesse and accordingly frame our promises for as we sée in this people we may purpose well that which we cannot so well performe 3 Moses wrote all the words of the Lord as a sure and safe way to kéepe them Tradition by word from man to man fayled in faithfulnesse and brought in many errors vnder the name of Gods word and will Therefore writing was deuised by God himselfe and so his appointed instruments directed by him haue left vnto vs his holy Scriptures This matter hath beene largely intreated of by many 4 This couenant made by bloud was a figure of the precious bloud of the immaculate Lambe Christ Iesus with which we must be sprinkled to make vs cleane The ninth Chapter to the Hebrewes will be an exposition to this place The promise of the people here againe to obey a God in all things testifieth their heart but not an abilitie to doe it Therefore let vs learne such affection but gather no error from such places of mans power to fulfill the same 5 The Ascention of Aaron Nadab and Abihu with seuentie of the Elders together with the vision was a gracious confirmation of Moses his authoririe and of his lawe giuen But we must know that it was farre from the Maiestie of God which they saw no flesh being able to see him as he is onely a glimse for their comfort hee vouchsafed in such manner as the Text expresseth 6 After Moses ascendeth alone yet so that he leaueth Aaron and Hur with them that whosoeuer had any matter might come to them so watchfull and faithfull was Moses in his place that without iust cause he is not absent and then he leaueth able Deputies Such care in Ministers now adaies would God blesse and the contrarie fault as he is God he will seuerely punish 7 Moses ascending is couered with a cloud and not admitted to God till after sixe daies to teach all flesh patiently and reuerently to tarrie Gods leasure and gracious pleasure for any matter of his will to be reuealed to them not curiously searching but humbly waiting for the thing we séeke being fit for vs. At the ende of the sixe daies euen the seuenth day God called vnto Moses and he is admitted to spéech and I pray you marke how couered with a cloud for the Text saith Hee entered into the middest of the cloud and went vp to the Mountaine So will the Lord haue a comfortable time for all those that waite for him and the knowledge of him in his word They shall sée and heare at last what he will
office let vs wait on the office or he that teacheth on teaching Or he that exhorteth on exhortation he that distributeth let him do it with simplicitie he that ruleth with diligence hee that sheweth mercy with cheerefulnesse To the Corinthians There are diuersities of gifts but the same spirit And there are diuersities of administrations but the same Lord And there are diuersities of operations but God is the same that worketh all in all c. To the Ephesians againe He therefore gaue some to be Apostles some Prophets some Euangelists some Pastros Teachers for the repairing of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edification of the bodie of Christ Till we all meete together in the vnitie of faith and that acknowledging of the Son of God vnto a perfect man vnto the measure of the age of the fulnesse of Christ c. Thus some men are indued with Gold some with Siluer some with blew silke some with purple and so forth that is with seuerall gifts graces all profitable in some sort for the building of the Sanctuarie such as God hath giuen such must they bring offer such shall be accepted For to this end also pleased it God to appoint such seuerall things that poore and meane persons might be able to offer and no man exempted for want of power the verie poorest being able to offer goates haire and that their meane gift to him was as welcome as the greater gifts of the rich To teach vs at this day to despise in no man what God himselfe accepteth well and despiseth not For had they in those daies that were able to offer Gold Siluer precious stones blew silke and so foorth disdained the poorer sort that brought Goates haire Badgers skinnes a little Shittim wood and such like grieuously would God haue béene displeased with it And so assuredly now if any man vpon whom God hath bestowed more shall proudly scorne and deride him that hath lesse â—et ioyning with his little to build Gods Sanctuarie as wel as he that hath much God will sée it abhorre it punish it Away then with all disdaine and scorne in this matter humbly acknowledge that as some men want what thou hast of Learning Wisedome Eloquence and other good giftes to build with all so dooest thou want as much of others who as farre excell thée as thou in thine owne opinion doost excell others O hatefull pride in this behalfe too much too much in some that should be wiser neuer since the world was more than now We trudge froÌ„ place to place to féede our fancies we choose wée iudge wée censure wée shoote our boltes in euery corner neuer remembring this and other places telling vs of the seuerall powers of men and GOD his good acceptance of the meanest Let it mend and let it end before God end vs and al this pride to our lasting paine Joy in them that bring any offering to this worke béeing the best they are able and knowe it as true as any thing is true that the harmelesse simplicitie of some shepeheards in the olde Church did sometimes more profit the Church than the great exquisite fine or delicate but a little too proud learning of some others A learned man of our time saith very wel Euery man must walk in his place contentedly Non omnes possumus esse Caesares They that brought not gold nor siluer nor precious stones yet did good Offices if they brought but wood or stone If we cannot attaine to be In primis to haue the first place yet it is praise worthy if wée may haue the second or the third In the building of the Temple after this Tabernacle they that laide the foundacions nay that digged places to lay the first stone in that hewed and squared the stone and the timber were of lesse reputation and account than those that carued guilded the Temple yet was the others worke and labour far more necessarie They that till the land and sow the séede that thresh and grinde the corne are of lower place than those that liue in Princes courts yet is their labour seruice far more néedefull In mans bodie the souereigntie is the head the eyes and eares as in place so in dignitie excelling the hands and feete yet cannot the eye say to the hand I haue no need of thee nor the head againe to the feet I may be without you The greater may not despise the lesse nor the lesse murmure against the greater c. Here therefore Basils spéech is good Attende tibi ipsi Looke to thy selfe For euery one hath in his own house accusatoreÌ„ testem iudicem an accuser a witnesse a Iudge Accusat te conscientia testis est memoria ratio iudex Looke then to thy selfe to thy conscience to thy memory to thy reason and thou shalt censure thy selfe if thou liue not in thy place accordingly without either enuie of superior or coÌ„tempt of inferior Surgunt indoctiet coelum rapiunt nos cum doctrinis nostris in infernum detrudimur The vnlearned rise and get Heauen saith S. Augustine and we with our great learning are cast into Hell Thus haue good men estéemed of their brethrens meaner gifts and not despised them They offered their earerings and Iewelles which were ornaments to them and obserue their zeale learning by it that nothing ought to be so deare vnto vs which we cannot finde in our hearts to bestow willingly to the seruice and honour of God Qnaeprius luxui iam Tabernaculo seruiunt Those things saith One that serued for superfluitie before now serue for Gods Tabernacle Euen so should our bodies that haue béene wanton sinfull seruing sinne serue the Lord in his holy feare and such humane learning as hath serued error may be applied to Religion and serue God c of which we spake in the spoiles of Egypt 3. But with what hart were these offerings to be made The Lord also expressed that when he saide Whose hart giueth it freely v. 2. in the 35. Chap. v. 5. Whosoeuer is of a willing heart let him bring this offering to the Lord. Againe v. 21. And euery one whose hart incouraged him or lifted him vp and euery one whose spirit made him willing And v. 22. as many as were free harted c. By all which Repetitions you sée what an eye God hath euer to the heart of one that dooth any thing to him yea although the thing it selfe be commaunded as héere such offerings were Forced seruice God regardeth not but will haue euer our wil concurre cheerefully hartelie Wherfore in that Great offering of Dauid and the people towards the building of the Temple which Salomon built note it and marke it diligently what a mention is made of such a hart as well as of such such gifts The people reioiced wheÌ„ they offered willingly for they offered willingly vnto
foorth Read you the text and marke euerie particular thing as it is expressed For exposition whereof you may know that first this Arke was an out-ward signe vnto that people of God his presence amongst them and therfore as in other things the name of the thing signified is attributed to the signe so is it in this For you read Dauids words so when he sent to fetch the Arke of God WHOSE NAME IS CALLED BY THE NAME OF THE LORD OF HOSTES THAT DVVELLETH BETVVEEN THE CHERVBIMS And in the Booke of Numbers when the campe remooued they spake to it as to God Vp Lord and let thine enemies be scattered c. Secondly as men are apt and prone to abuse outward signes and Sacraments tying God to them and too much trusting in them so did the Israelites abuse this Arke For in the time of Heli that Priest when they had war with the Philistines and were put to the worse streight way they sent for the Arke out of Shiloh and alledge this reason That it might saue them out of the hands of their enemies And when it came into the host they shouted a mightie shout so that the earth rang againe when God was not tied to the Arke but could be present with them without it neither could the outward matter of the Arke profit them So abuse some men that words of the Scripture as of S. Iohn his Gospel hanging thē about their necks and putting trust in that outward words whereof S. Chrysostom much complaineth if that be his work vpon Mathew which is ascribed to him Thus in our time is the Sacrament of the Lords bodie abused by carying the outward signes vp down on horsback foot and giuing that to the signe which is proper to the thing signified Thirdly for that Name you may obserue it is called the Arke of the Couenāt the Arke of the Testament the Arke of the Testimonie The reason because in this Arke was the law kept written in the two tables which law is called the book of the Couenāt Exo. 24. 7. or the Testament of God Psal 78. 10. or the Testimonies of God ps 119. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies I haue had as great delight in the way of thy Testimonies as in all maner of riches And in this Chapter Thou shalt put in the arke the Testimonie which I shal giue thee v. 16. for the like cause also shall you read the whole Tabernacle called the Tabernacle of the Couenant or of the Testimonie because it contayned this Arke wherein the lawe was Fourthly for the significatiō some make this Arke a figure of Christ and resemble it thus The wood wherof the Ark was made was Sittim wood a durable and lasting wood not subiect to wormes and corruption as other wood is so representing and shadowing the humanitie of Christ whose bodie in the graue felt no corruption or putrifaction as other mens flesh and bodies doe neither was subiect to sinne That wood was ouerlaid with pure gold both within and without so shadowing out the diuine nature of Christ vnited to his manhood the incomprehensible excellencie whereof wee haue nothing heere in earth more precious than Gold to resemble and yet euen in that no comparison The crowne of gold that went about it shadowed the Maiestie of his kingdome of which so great things are spoken in the Scripture The Ringes and the Barres by which the Arke was carried were shadowing figures of the preaching of the Gospell by which Christ is caried borne from place to place through the world as his owne diuine will shall appoint The Barres remained euer in the Rings might not be taken out so figuring that preaching Christ must not be seuered but euer be together Wherefore whosoeuer teacheth preacheth mans merits as eyther wholly or partly the cause of saluation y◠Preacher Teacher pulleth the Barres out of the Rings seuereth them from the Arke a thing forbidden vnlawfull offending God hurting eternally the partie so doing without vndeserued mercie The Arke must be carried onely by the Leuites and not by euerie Tribe so is there a calling still to the preaching of the word and euerie man indifferently may not do it those Leuites were able to carrie the Arke and so should men called to the Ministerie be able to preach in some measure though not in like measure as neither had the Leuites like bodily strength neither had like burdens imposed vpon them They were also willing and carefull to do what they were able and commaunded to do and certainly euen so should it be in preaching power and paines should goe to gether otherwise the sinne is as great now as it should haue béen then in that kind of bearing that material Arke the figure and shadow of Christ and of this bearing of him before our brethren if it had béene then neglected eyther for want of strength or will Hence are the Ministers called the pillars of the Church A thing not so deepely considered of many Ministers as it should and as I pray God make it to be To the calling we come of carying the Arke but from the paines many runne and let the Arke alone It will not euer be borne of a iust God and therefore happie he that returneth soonest to his office This Arke as hath beene said was a signe of Gods presence so that when the Arke was there God was thought to be there but how much more is Iesus Christ the cause that God is present with vs from whom our sinne had so seuered vs as where we were hee would not bee and where hee was wee could not be In this Arke was the lawe to shadow how Christ for vs should vndergoe the lawe satisfie and fulfill it in all points and so free and deliuer vs from it There was the pot of Manna shadowing that Christ should be the true bread from Heauen nourishing to eternall life all those that faithfully feede vpon him And thirdly there was Aarons rod that budded so to represent the Priesthood of Christ for euer after the order of Melchisedech and his Resurrection who being dead liued againe as Aarons rod dead and drie budded and bare againe Finally where the Arke was there was it lawfull to serue God and not in euerie place and where Christ is there is the Church and without him no seruice nor labour acceptable in whom and by whom only we can please What an excellent figure then was this Arke of Christ and how rightly though some-what obscurely for so then it pleased God to deale did it lay before the Iewes their future Messiah Others haue made it a figure of the Church and followed the application that way As for the name the Arke as you haue heard was called the Arke of his Couenant and what is the true Church but the people of his Couenant that is a peculiar flocke and companie chosen of God with whom he
Tertulliā saith they daily light Candles who haue no light in themselues to whom agree both the Testimonies of darknesse and the reward of punishment But by way of figure these lights shadowed the light of Gods Word which ought euer to shine in his Church as hath bene saide and oyle vsuallie in the Scriptures noteth the Holy-Ghost As in the Psalme He hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes And that anointing which he receiued of him dwelleth in you and ye neede not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things c. This Holy Spirit Christ giueth to his Church and therefore saide It is good for you that I go way For if I go not away that Comforter will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you And this Spirit maketh the light of the Word in the heart as that oyle made the light of the lampe in the Church But the lampes were attended and fed euer with more and more oyle and so God by his Ministers dealeth still They attend vpon this light and read and interpret this word vnto Gods people that they may haue light which holy worke and profitable seruice should yéelde them all comfort and fauoure from the people againe if it were well considered as of some blessed be God it is These lampes and lights were not in the holy place of all but in the Sanctuarie and so in the Church militant the light of teaching and preaching is onely necessarie in Heauen which was resembled by the most holy place no such matter shall be requisite I am shorter in these things because I trust the long and happy vse of the Gospell hath remooued such errors out of our hearts we are not now to be perswaded in these matters The truth is manifest and we are grounded Popish foilyes may deceiue and carry away such as refuse knowledge not any others Blessed be God for his mercies and euer so establish and strengthen vs with his gratious Spirit as wée may not looke back to Aegypt any more but still still take comfort in the light of his Word which is light indéed and leaue Romish tapers and trinkets to the abusers of God his offered grace praying yet for them that if it may stand with his blessed will he would vouchsafe to open their eyes and to touch their hearts that at last they may thinke What the whole World will profit a Man if hee loose his Soule and what an horrible sinne it is to pinne that Soule for which the Lorde Iesus suffered such things vpon any mans sléeue that refuseth to shew the ground of his doctrine out of God his written word as all true Teachers euer did CHAP. 28. 1 AFter God hath spoken of the Tabernacle and the seuerall things to be placed and set in the same now he commeth to the persons that shoulde gouerne and as it were be the masters in the same namely the Priests And first hee calleth chooseth the men which he will haue then he adorneth them with fit and decent apparrell for so high a calling Concerning the first Cause thou saith God to Moses thy brother Aaron to come vnto thee and his sonnes with him from among the children of Israel that he may serue me in the Priests office I meane Aaron Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar Aarons Sonnes No reasons God here alleageth why he woulde haue these to bee his Priestes rather than any others but simply commandeth to choose them thereby plainly teaching vs that out of his own will and pleasure he euer maketh choise of his Ministers not regarding any dignitie or excellencie in man but only mooued with his owne mercie and fauour first to choose him and separate him euen from the wombe to such seruice and after in time by degrées as he will to fit him and frame him to performe it The inward calling hereunto euery man rightly entring into the Ministerie féeleth in his hart and conscience within which maketh him a true Minister to God and his conscience The outwarde is not now by voice as here it was and after in the new Testament but by the approbatiō of such as in the Church where we liue haue authoritie cōmitted to them so to approoue which maketh him a Minister be fore men not to be refused vpō euery priuate mans fancie before authoritie haue heard the reasons and allowed them well knowing that his insufficiencie or fault maketh not the ordinances of God voyde to them that rightlie vse them but that so to thinke is altogether Anabaptisticall I referre the willing Reader to my Treatise vpon the Lords prayer the last Petition for more in this matter in the temptation that ariseth vpon conceiued wants in Ministers 2 In this choise againe of his Priests you may note the words from among the children of Israel which are all one as if he had saide men as you are and of your acquaintance not my selfe or my Angels who might feare you with Maiestie and excellencie and surelie this both then was and still is a great fauour For you remember before how when God shewed himself in the mount by those fearefull signes the people cryed to Moses Talke thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talke with vs lest we dye so vnable is man to indure the voice of God How Angels also haue feared men the Scripture is ful of testimonies Wherefore in great mercie was Moses thē still are the Ministers now vsed as meanes betwixt God his people to speake from him to them without any terrifiyng feare a thing to make vs more careful to heare thē to vse them wel thankfully acknowledging both that blessing to our weakenesse and the honor done vnto our nature when our owne flesh is in the stead of God vnto vs c. 3 When God had made thus choise of the persons he pleaseth to prescribe them a kind of apparell differing frō others teaching them and that people figuratiuelie many things wherof stil vnto the end of the world there may be vse for profitable instruction Also thou shalt make saith the Text holy garments for Aaron thy brother glorious and beautifull so to shew as the marginall Note saith his office and function to be glorious and excellent so to shew the Maiestie glorie of the true High Priest Christ Iesus of whom Aaron was a figure so to teach with what excellent vertues the Priestes of God as with garments ought to be adorned and beautified The shadowes of the lawe I confesse are gone and Ministers of the word are not now figures of an other Christ to come yet still is it both lawfull and commendable that they should be distinguished from other men by a decent and fit at tyre c. 4 But who shal make these glorious garmēts for Aaron the Priest The Text
answereth Thou shalt speak to all cuÌ„ning men or men wise in hart whom I haue filled with the Spirit of wisdome that they may make Aarons garmeÌ„ts to consecrate him c. By which words two things are taught vs. First that in the seruice of God nothing ought to be done but what procéedeth from the directioÌ„ of God his Wisdome Will that being the Rule and only Rule of his owne worship Mens inuentions without warrant from him haue no place be they neuer so gloriously coloured painted with good intents and meanings Secondly that mechanicall Arts Trades OccupatioÌ„s haÌ„dy-crafts are not fouÌ„d out by men without directioÌ„ of Gods Spirit but God is the Author of them as here appeareth to the great coÌ„fort of the vsers of them well Many men otherwise good men do coÌ„demn Gold smithes Iewellers perfumemakers Imbroiderers Arace-weauers such like as though they serued onely for vanitie excesse when indéede they be the workes of God I meane their seuerall skils and fruits of his Spirit as héere we sée If any man abuse them it is the fault of man not of the skill and what may not be abused The verie Heathens haue acknowledged these things Inuenta Deorum the Inuentions of God Our Bookes mention strange garments the workes of mens handes Yet none like vnto this haue béene described being Exquisitioris artificii diuinioris inuenti vtpote à Spiritu sapientiae coelestis dignioribus sanctioribusque hominibus tributus Of a more exquisite workmanship and of a more diuine inuention giuen by the spirit of heauenly wisedome to more worthie and more holy men Let vs giue God the glorie and make right vse of the skill of men 5 The seuerall sorts are laid downe in the 4. verse are Six in number A Brestplate an Ephod a Robe a Broidred coat a Miter a girdle The matter is specified of all these garments namely gold blewsilke purple and scarlet fine linneÌ„ He beginneth with the Ephod v. 6. sheweth how that should be made vnto the 15. ver Where you are to remember that there were two sorts of Ephods one of this sort that is here described rich precious vsed only of the High-priest and an other of plaine linnen which was common to others whereupon it was said that Saule caused foure-score and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod to be slaine that is so many Priestes Little Samuel also being a childe is said to minister before the Lord girded with a linnen Ephod And his mother made him a little coat that is say some a little Ephod and brought it to him from yeare to yeare when she came vp with her husband to offer the yearely sacrifice Dauid againe danced before the Arke girded with a linnen Ephod Touching the first kinde of Ephod you sée here it is said that in two Onix stones the Names of the children of Israell were to be grauen Six Names of them in one stone and sixe in the other And these stones to be put vpon the shoulders of this Ephod that Aaron might beare their Names before the Lord c. Whereupon Beda thus noteth lib. 3. de Tabernac cap. 4. Tres ob causas Aaron nomina Patriarcharum in humeris portasse sicut in pectore Primò vt ipse fidem vitamque Patriarcharum meminisset imitari Secundò vt 12. tribuum quae de his natae sunt in orationibus sacrificijs memor existeret Tertiò vt idem Pop. scripta in veste Praesulis sui patrum nomina videns curaret sedulo ne ab illorum meritis desciscens ad errorum contagia declinaret For three causes Aaron did beare the names of the Patriarches vpon his shoulders as vpon his breast First that he might remember to imitate the faith and life of the Patriarkes Secondly that he might remember both in his prayers and sacrifices the twelue Tribes whereof the Patriarches sprang Thirdly that the people seeing the Names of their Fathers written in the garment of their high Priest might diligently take heed that they fell not from the vertue which was in them vnto vice and error Mysticus vsus vt signaret Christum humeris suis portantem instar Pastoris oues perditas c. A mysticall vse of this Ephod with these Names to represent or shadow Christ like a Shepeheard bearing his sheepe vpon his shoulders c. The second is the Breastplate froÌ„ the fifteenth verse to the thirtie one In which brestplate was Vrim Thummim Vnde certior factus est Sacerdos de Dei erga se populuÌ„ voluntate quoties de iure consulentibus responsa erant danda Num. 27. vers 21. Esdr 2. vers 63. Nehem. 7. vers 65. By which the priest was informed of Gods wil toward himselfe the people as often as counsaile was sought and an answere to be giuen How this was done seuerall men are of seuerall mindes Iosephus saith Tantus erat splendor in 12. lapidibus quos suprapectus Pontifex portabat vt omni fieret multitudini manifestum Eorum auxilâ—is adesse Deum li. 13. Antiq cap. 12. The twelue stones which the Priest did beare vpon his breast did so shine and glister that the whole multitude might obserue Gods fauour to them Suidas in the word Ephod if I forget not hauing not the booke now with me maketh mention of an Adamant in the Ephod which the priest putting on when he sought counsell of God and putting his hands vnder it Cum detraheret depreheÌ„debat eas quasi colore quodaÌ„ infectas When he drewe them out he did finde them as it were stayned and coloured with a certaine colour Et si Deus petitioni annuebat confestim micabat lapis Adamas sin negabat nihil ad proprium pristinum lapidis fulgoreÌ„ accedebat quod si Deus voluit pop obijcere gladio lapis reddebatur cruentus si autem imminebat mors lapis fiebat niger And if God would graunt the petition presently the Adamant stone would glister extraordinarily but if God denied it then the Adamant remained still without any change in his colour and shining if God would deliuer the people to the sword then the stone was made bloodie and in case of death it would shew blacke The like things Epiphanius hath speaking of the Adamant which the High-priest did beare and weare August was of an other minde and beléeued not those things Quest 117. in Exod. And so you sée in a matter obscure mens guesses Diuers others I might repeat but let it be a vertue sometimes to professe ignorance The third is the Robe from the 31. verse to the 36. The fourth is the golden plate vpon his forhead or miter whereon was grauen HOLINES TO THE LORD from the 36. vers to the 39. The fift is the broidred coate verse 39. And the sixt the girdle in the same verse Of euerie parcell to stand and search out particular significations
the Lord biddeth That the right hand know not what the left hand dooth 12 Moses put a couering ouer his face c. For the signification whereof you may reade S. Paul 2. Cor. 3. 7. It was figure of the Couer that is ouer our vnderstanding till the Lord take it away whereby we are not able to discerne the things of God Pray we therefore euer that as our Sauiour hath come out of the bosome of his Father to reueale all truth and hath in his holy Word perfectly taught the same so he would be pleased to open our eyes to bore our eares to soften our harts that we may receaue to our endlesse comfort what he hath reuealed Thus much of this Chapter CHAP. 35. THese last six Chap. following doo but repeat how those things were done which GOD in the former Chapters commanded to be done and therefore néede not further to bee stood vpon the chiefe things in them hauing beene before spoken of As in the twenty fifth Chapter you haue this Chapter and so on if you cōferre them together Onely I will remember two or thrée things out of the Fathers not noted before as I take it in the 25. Chapter The first is an earnest and an aftionate Spéech of Origen Ho. 13. in Exod. Domine Iesu praesta mihi vt aliquid monimēti habere queam in tabernaculo tuo Ego optarem si fieripotest esse aliquid meum in illo auro ex quo Propitiatorium fabricatur vel ex quo Arca cōtegitur vel ex quo candelabrum fit luminis et lucernae aut si aurum non habeo et argentū saltē aliquid inueniar offerre quod proficiat in columnas et bases earū aut certe vel aris aliquid habere queam in Tabernaculo vnde circuli fiant et caetera quae sermo diuinus describit Utinam mihi esset possibile vnum esse ex Principibus et offere gemmas ad ornamentum pontificis humeralis atque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sed quia haec supra me sunt certe vel pilos caprarū habere merear in Tabernaculo Dei tantum ne in omnibus ieiunus et infoecundus inueniar Lord Iesu graunt that I may haue some monument in thy Tabernacle I woulde wish if it could be that some part of that gold might cōe from me whereof the propitiatorie is made or with which the Arke is couered or whereof the Candlestick is made or if I haue no gold or siluer at the least I may be found to offer some thing that may helpe froward the pillars and sockets of them or that I may haue some brasse in the Tabernacle whereof the rings may be made and other things prescribed by thy Word O that it were possible for me to be one of the Princes and to offer precious stones to the adorning of the Priestes garment But because al these are aboue my power at the least let me finde fauour to offer goats haire in the Tabernacle of God that I be not found emptie vnfruitfull in all Let this deuout Spéech much mooue thee good Reader The second thing is concerning the skilfull workemen Bezaleel and Aholiab For the first beeing well descended of the honorable tribe of Iuda the 2. not so well but from a more vnnoble tribe that tribe of Dan it affoordeth vs this good obseruatiō that God bestowes not his gifts euer according to birth but maketh them in vertue equall whom earthly respect humane descent haue made very vnequall Neither doth he yéeld them praise for birth but for gifts graces of his Spirit in themselues and for a singular abilitie to teach others which euery man cannot doo either by some impatiencie in his nature or for slouth or for one thing or other Uery well therefore said S. Hierom Summa apud Deum nobilitas clarum esse virtutibus nescit religio nostras personas nec cōditiones hōinū sed animas inspicit In Epist ad Caelantiū It is the chiefest nobility with God to be indued with vertue Religion knoweth not our persons neither dooth it looke vpon the conditions of men but vpon their minds Thirdly in the example of these worthy workemen is notably commended vnto vs the vertue of agreement and consent in the Lords worke that they ioyne and are not seuered A thing of great consequence if I would follow it by discourse But God make vs all follow it in our places their faithfulnesse in not conuerting any thing to their owne vse and many other good things might be noted in them but I stay CHAP. 36. TUrne backe to the 31. Chapter for the explanatiō of this Chapter concerning these workemen thus raised vp of God and inabled with skill for this great worke In this place note the singular liberalitie of the people to this house of God when they brought so much that they were stayed and stopped from bringing any more O where are these hearts now a daies Note also the rare faithfulnesse of the workemen who gaue notice of this bountie and said vers 5. It was more than needed being much of it gold and pretious stones and costly things What might they in such plentie haue put aside for their priuate profite if they had béene men of such a stampe Thirdly sée the Magistrate in this matter how he also wil not haue the people further charged than is cause when once he knoweth of it All these are examples to vs to learne in our seuerall places to doe the like that with God and man wee may reape like commendation CHAP. 37. 38. 39. REade oueragaine the 25. 36. 27. Chapters where these thinges now repeated are explaned CHAP. 40. OBserue how often in this Chapter is repeated as the Lord commaunded and see how sweete commanded obedience is Were it as swéete to God to be serued with inuentions neuer would these Repetitions be made Beware therfore of these waies and in verie reason conclude that if you looke of your seruant seruice according to your will and not according to his much more may God And if your commaundement be a discharge to your seruant much more is God to his a sure rest and comfort 2 Consider heere what Saint Augustine noteth Moses that is appointed to anoint and consecrate others was neuer anoynted and consecrated himselfe that so we might learne not to value externall Sacraments or signes by the dignitie of the Minister but by the ordinance of God Againe that the inuisible grace is of force without the visible signe when God will haue it so as in Moses here 3 The cloud couered the Tabernacle and the glorie of the Lord filled it That thus hee might grace that outward place now appoynted for holy assemblies to serue him and so to the worldes end teach how great account all people ought to make of their Churches and Churchmeetings whereof I haue spoken before Chap. 25. The cloud ascended when they should trauell and was vnto them a
speake of a misdoing The Godly doe this at last and therefore you sée héere in your Chapter a time of knowing to them as there was a time of hiding Pray we euer for this grace that we sleepe not in death I meane in sinne that leadeth to death but that we may awake and stand vp from the dead and lesus Christ vouchsafe vs Light to amendment of life and eternall comfort and saftie 7 In the 22. vers you sée the like Offering for the Ruler when he should sinne that is for the Heads and Chiefe men of the Tribes who had authoritie among them No man is exempted Priest nor Prince but all that sinne must vse the meanes appointed to remooue their sinnes or else all must taste the punnishment for their contempt For he that is Lord ouer all saith the Booke of Wisedome will spare no person neither shall he feare any greatnesse for he hath made the small and the great and careth for all alike Yea the mightie abideth the sorer tryall 8 In the 27. verse you haue the Sinne-offering for priuate persons which by this already spoken is plaine ynough and you may confer it with the 15. of Numb vers 22. And let this suffice of this Chapter CHAP. V. BEfore Moses will procéede to shew what poore people should offer for their sinne in this Chapter he layeth downe certaine kindes of sinne for which they must offer and by which they may learne to iudge of other the like offences And the first is an Example of the Iudiciall Law in the first vers The plaine meaning whereof is if any shall heare one sweare that either he hath not had or hath not done what he vpon his owne knowledge vnderstandeth he hath had and hath done if he testifie not what he knoweth and reueale not the iniquitie of the other that hath so falsly sworne he shall be guiltie of his sinne Where you sée and ought euer to remember that not onely he taketh the Name of God in vaine which sweareth falsly but euen he also that winketh at the same false oath béeing able to reprooue him and zealously doth not his endeuour to haue that abuse of Gods Name punished by reuealing and making it knowen A Law that toucheth vs néerely as the world goeth now men wholy preferring many times their affection to their friends before all the glorie of God in this behalfe 2 The second example is of the Law Ceremoniall in the 2. vers As if he should haue said whensoeuer any person becommeth vncleane by touching of such things as make him vncleane and carelesly neglecting according to Rites of the Law to purge himselfe from that vncleannesse eate of the sanctified Sacrifices assoone as that his sinne shall be knowne vnto him he must offer the Offering here prescribed c. The true drift of which Law was to draw men to the carefull diligent consideration of their impuritie and to the knowledge of their sinne Read ouer the first of Esay and sée how the Lord abhorreth all Sacrifices and seruices whatso-euer when men sée not their sinne but runne on with their offences and yet thinke to please God with out-ward Religion No no saith God there that will not be But wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well seeke iudgement releiue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widow and then the case shall be altered c. Then though your sinnes were as Crimsin they shall bee made as white as snow and though they were red as Skarlet they shall be as wooll If you consent and obey ye shall eate the good things of the land but if ye refuse and be rebellious ye shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the the Lord hath spoken it Thus séeketh the Lord to haue vs know sinne and flye sinne And marke it againe in the Text vers 2. And is not ware of it making to your selfe this good vse of it That we are not euer cleane when we sée not any vncleannesse for our fault may be hid from vs and we not ware of it and therefore Dauid prayeth for his secret sinnes But still it remaineth an vncleannesse though we be blinde and it will bestroy vs if we sée it not in time Wherefore pray for eyes and the Lord shall giue them pray for a heart of flesh and the Lord shall giue it If thou see thy sinne God shall not see it and if thou see not God will remember it Upon our Garments we indure not vncleannes an houre not a mote not a little mote but we brush and beat if we be not brushed yea the very shoo vpon our foote is regarded that it be cleane and euery day we looke vnto it often yet see and tremble to thinke on it our bodyes and soules are vncleane and we see it not no we go not about to sée it but vse all the means we can to be farre from the sight of it as sports playes company and such like We hate him that will rubbe vs that way and we auoyd the place where sinne is reprooued It bréedeth melancholy and marreth mirth We cannot abide it at any hand But remember you this your Chapter and follow the Law of the Lord if you will be safe 3 The third Example is of the morall Law in the 4. vers concerning rash Oathes and vowes where I pray you carefully marke That albeit rashnesse and inconsiderate haste with man hath some excuse before set and purposed actions yet with God it is euill and there must be an Expiatorie sacrifice offred for it Let it reforme our rash swearing in our common talke and our foolish vowing of things neither lawfull nor in our power And thinke with your selfe whether they erre not greatly that thinke what they haue rashly sworne and vowed they must néedes kéepe when you sée héere God would haue them offer a sinne-offering for their rashnesse and not adde more sinne vnto it by performing what they haue sinfully sayd Also by this occasion consider how defiled creatures we are before our God when éuen that is sinne in vs wherein we haue not a minde to sinne as in such rash things wée often haue not 4 But if he bee not able to bring a Sheepe hee shall bring for his trespasse which hee hath committed two Turtle-Doues or two young Pigeons vnto the Lord one for a Sinne-offering and the other for a Burnt-offering Now sée the swéete goodnesse of the Lord to his poore People that are not able to bring such Offerings to him as others doe and so by the subtiltie of Satan and frailtie of Faith might be drawen to thinke that God regarded them as men doe that is either little or not at all To these he appointeth small Offerings framing his Lawe to their powers and so giuing them most swéete and true comfort of his
of Reconciliation to himselfe reputing vs now iust for his Sonne Christ and Sonnes and Heires of all heauenly benefits with the blessing of his Spirit whereby wée walke in his calling béeing guided and gouerned therby in the same with the blessing of acceptance of all our workes though full of imperfection and weaknesse and with this great blessing That all aduersitie becommeth a helpe to vs to draw vs to Heauen and eternall rest c. How are wée bound to loue such a GOD Let vs often fall into the reckoning of it and rise vp in thankefull speaches and thoughts as others of his seruants haue done before vs vpon the same cause Namely Saint Augustin whose wordes are these Minus te amat O Deus qui aliquid tecum amat quod non propter te amat O GOD hee loueth thee not as much as hee should who loueth any thing els but thee which he loueth not for thee Saint Cyprian Disce nihil Deo praeponere quia Deus nihiltibi praeposuit Learne O man to prefer nothing in thy loue before God because he hath preferred nothing before thee in his loue No no not the life and blood of his owne deare and onely Sonne Saint Bernard Quando ignorabam me instruxit quando errabam me reduxit quando steti me tenuit quando cecidi me erexit quando veni me suscepit c O quid retribuam When I was ignorant he instructed mee when I erred he reclaymed mee when I stood hee held me vp when I fell he raysed me when I came to him he receiued me c O what should I giue to the Lord for these fauours c. 4 And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people And there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the Altar the Burnt-offering and the fat which when all the people sawe they gaue thankes and fell on their faces or they gaue a shoute for ioy Thus did the Lord please to confirme both that maner of worshipping him by such Sacrifices and the Ministerie of Aaron and his sonnes now chosen and consecrated to that Office The like credite he gaue to Elias his Prophet When fire from Heauen came downe and consumed the Burnt-offering and the wood and the stones and the dust licked vp the water that was in the ditch Which the people also sawe and there fell againe vpon their faces and sayd The Lord He is GOD The Lord Hee is GOD. Againe When Salomon had made an ende of praying fire came downe from Heauen and consumed the Burnt-offering and the Sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the House Such mercie in the Lord to méete with mans weakenesse is duely and carefully to bée thought of all péeuish frowardnesse to bée instructed and to beléeue as a most vnfit thing for any that looke for Heauen to be abandoned and cast away Left after all meanes in mercie offered to winne vs and saue vs wée be destroyed with some fearefull iudgement that all the world may talke of vs for our obstinacie This I say because euen this gracious God is the same to man by his Holy-word and infinite fauours séeking vs as lost Shéepe to be wonne vnto him Let vs read let vs search let vs day and night indeuoure to know his holy Will and then constantly and faithfully walke in the same whilest we haue a day to liue This fire from Heauen did not plainlier confirme them than the euidence of his Word doth all those at this day that will looke into it And aswell may we at this day fall vpon our faces and giue a shoute in thankefulnesse for the great glory of the same in the Ministerie of his Seruants indued with great gifts of knowledge and power to expound open the same vnto vs as they did héere or in other places for such visible Lestimonies of his approbation God strike vs and worke with vs for his mercies sake that wée may liue and not die praysing and blessing his Name for euer for his Godnesse Amen Amen CHAP. X. IN the former Chapter hauing shewed by that miracle of fire frō heauen how he accepteth of worship done according to his will now in this by a dreadfull iudgement vpon the two sonnes of Aaron he sheweth how he abhorreth all presumption of man to serue him any other way The sinne and death of the young men for their sinne is layd-downe in these words But Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron tooke either of them his Censar and put fire therein and put incense thereupon and offered strange fire before the Lord which he had not commaunded them Therefore a fire went out from the Lord and deuoured them so they dyed before the Lord. Their sinne was then that to burne incense withall they tooke not the fire from the Altar of that which came downe from Heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests till the Captiuitie of Babilon but other fire which therefore is called strange fire because it was not fire appointed and commaunded Which fault in mans eyes may séeme to haue excuse ann not to deserue so fearefull a punishment For they were but yet gréene in their office and so of ignorance might offend being not yet well acquainted with the nature of their Office Againe of forgetfulnesse they might offend not remembring or thinking of the matter as they ought Thirdly there was no malice in them or purpose to doe euill but wholly they aymed at Gods seruice with a true meaning although in the manner they missed somewhat But all these and whatsoeuer like excuses were as figge-leaues before God vaine and weake to defend them from guiltinesse in the breach of his commaundement and not withstanding any such they are thus fearefully and dreadfully deuoured with fire from God that they then we no◠and all flesh to the worlds end might learne and settle in our hearts two thinges First with what seueritie the Lord challengeth defendeth his authoritie in laying-downe the way and manner of his worship not leauing it to any creature to meddle with but according to prescription and appointment from him Content he is that men shall make lawes for humane matters concerning their worldly estate in this earth as shal be fittest for the place where they liue lawes against murder theft oppression c. but for his diuine worship he onlywill prescribe it himselfe and what he appoynteth that must be done and that onely or else Nadab and Abihu their punishment expected that is Gods wrath expected in such manner as he shall please The Poynt is good to be carefully marked and would god it might take full place in all hearts The Scriptures are plaine and they would be seriously thought of you shall not doe euery man what seemeth good in his owne eies but what I cōmaund what I I command that that shall yee doe c. Read all the Chapter Looke in euery Chapter
in the Seas or in the Riuers them shall yee eate But all that haue not c they shall be abhomination vnto you By the synnes some haue thought was figured Faith and by the skales good and honest works These two make a cleane man or woman acceptable to God But hee or shee that wanteth both or either is vncleane Faith without workes is not a true Faith but a dead and beautifull workes without Faith are the blossomes of Hypocrisie and please not God 6 After Land and Water Moses commeth to the Ayer and sheweth what Fowles therein are cleane and vncleane Wherein you may note the great mercie of God in that most of these vncleane Fowles are indéede odious to our Nature and we eat them not whereas he might haue restrained them from those that they loued and liked So good is hée in all things and carefull not to lay heauie burthens vpon vs. Some good Foules are yet restrained that man might learne Temperance and Obedience For Gluttonie and Excesse wée are very prone vnto Some haue considered the nature of euery Fowle and laboured to learne somewhat for amendement but it is good to be sober in these things As for example by the Eagle which flyeth high they haue noted mounting mindes to be a fault and to make men vncleane as indéede they doc howsoeuer the meaning was thu◠to teach by making the Eagle vncleane By the Goshauke men that prey vpon their weaker brethren neighbors and gripe them so as they kill them or vndoo thē By the Vulture men that delight too much in Wars and contention By the Kyte cowardly-men that yet are deuourers as they can By the Rauens vnnaturall Parents that forsake their children Vnkinde Friends which shrinke away Ill Husbands which prouide not for their Families c. By the Ostrich painted Hypocrites and carnall men that haue faire great feathers but cannot flye c. By the little Owle and the great Owle such as loue darknesse and flye the light such also as are vnsociable with men and loue solitarines too much By the Sea-mew which liueth both on Land and Water such as will be saued both by Faith and workes partly by the one and partly by the other c. Such Ambodexters also as the world hath store of holding with the Hare and running with the Hound Fire in the one hand and water in the other Two faces vnder a Hood c. By the Hawke such as are kept for others harme whereof also there are too many We must haue an Oliuer for a Rouland and so we maintaine such as the earth is weary of and their wickednes shall be our destruction if not of our whole house and posteritie By the Cormorant all gréedy couetous persons c. By the Lapwyng you may take occasion to remember what the Poet saith which is thus TEREUS King of Thracia maryed Progne daughter of Pandion which Progne hauing a sister called Philomela after certaine yeares desired her husband that either shee might goe to her sister to see her or haue her sister fetched vnto her The King willingly yeelded He would fetch her sister to her and to that end went to sea came to her Father and his Father in-law obtained leaue for her to goe with him for awhile to her sister But see as they were in their iourney his vncleane heart burned in lust towards Philomela his wiues sister and by force abused her cutting out her tongue after that shee might not tell Thus dumbe speachles he brought her home to her sister who amazed at this change in her and not knowing more then her husband the King would tell her in stead of ioy had great sorrowe in her selfe no way now able to talke with her sister and to haue any comfort in her But Philomela getting an needle and silke expressed thereby as by writing how her husband had abused her bodie and cut out her tongue as hee brought her to see her Then Progne all inraged with furie and wrath casting which way to bee reuenged of him for this odious fact caught at last her little sonne by him and slew him crying vpon her Mother Mother and clasping about her neck with kisses as long as he could making meate of him for the King his father The King liking the meate well called for the little childe that he might haue some of it when shee with a fierce looke told him he had his childe in his bellye for the good he had done to her sister and with that shewed him the head flinging foorth from him as fast as shee could hee so astonished that he could not tell what he did Then saith the Poet they were all three to auoyd further mischiefe suddenly changed into three Fowles Progne this cruell Mother into a Swallowe who caryeth red vpon his brest to note the bloodinesse of her brest Philomela her sister into a Nightingale who keepeth in the woods as ashamed of the villanie done to her by the King and lamenteth it in the Night by her sorrowfull song The wicked King who was cause of all into a Lapwyng which is delighted with dounge and filth to note his foule and filthy minde to his sister in-law hath a long bill wherewith he striketh and hurteth other Birds noting his cruell knife that cut out his sisters tongue feathers vpon the head like a crowne noting his place dignitie that he was a King wherevpon the Verses were made Rex fueram sic crista probat sed sordidavita Immundam e tanto culmine fecit auem The Lapwyng then may shadow out all foule vncleane mindes full of crueltie and lust full of crueltie also to worke the concealment of lust as you sée in Dauid first lusting and then killing But thus to follow Allegories I forbeare onely noting thus much to shew you Learned mens applications of these things for our good And surely although I dare not say that by these vncleane birds and beasts thus much was meant yet thus much is most certaine that whoso haue these qualities noted in the nature of them they are as certainly vncleane to God as these birds were for vse of meat to this people Let vs euer therefore abhorre such spots that we be cleane to the Lord who is cleanenesse it selfe 8 Some thing is spoken in your Chapter of creeping things whereby men haue noted the vncleanenes shadowed of such as minde earthly things too much and particularly by the Weasel deceitfull persons because the Weasell is deceitfull and craftie By the Mouse such as liue vpon others labours and are vnprofitable themselues By the Want or Mole such as are blinde and ignorant Lastly that which is spoken of vncleanenes growing by the touch of these things and that which you reade of washing and breaking earthen Vessels you must euer take it so that God stood not so much vpon these Ceremonies as to teach his People héereby
wayes to worke anger answered Castitatem meam accuratè tuendo quicquid ille vult alacriter faciendo nullas res eius curiose vestigando c. By preseruing mine owne câ—â—stitie carefully by doing whatsoeuer he willeth cheerefully and by not prying into or medling with any matters of his curiously or busily c. Three notable vertues in a wise woman to continue loue and peace betwixt her and her Husband the contraries whereof are causes of many fires and flames where they should not be For these points of rare wisedome and for that she had béen a meanes to preserue many a Senators life and others that were questioned and in danger in her time had not she graciously wrought for them and for that she had brought vp many a mans child by her charity and married many a poore Mayden by her liberalitie she was mourned for a whole yéere by all the Matrons and women in Rome when she was dead by a speciall decree of the Senat. So will vertue priuate and publique haue his due honour with thankefull hearts at last Chast she was you sée and no enuie or malice of man or Diuell can burie that vertue so but that it will rise and liue with renowne in despight of all Diuels Matronis dos pulcherima vita pudica O! it is a dowrie of dowries to a woman a chast and vertuous carriage of her selfe If she be hard of fauour yet when she looketh in a glasse she may chéerefully say to her selfe Woman comfort thy selfe for thy beautie is inward thou art honest and it is a great and an approoued beautie of all men If she be faire and not chast she may sigh and say O how faire shouldest thou haue beene if honest Nulla reparabilis arte lapsa pudicitia No art of man wit can make whole againe decayed and broken vertue in this point therefore with all power and strength of will wit prayer preserue it and leaue the report of it to the comfort of your posteritie and friends Obedient also you see was this worthy Liuia to her husband not onely doing but doing cheerefully that is without any maner of crossing or stopping grudging or grieuing whatsoeuer hée required A vertue againe that will not die but force-foorth praise euen froÌ„ very enemies Vir a vi dictus mulier a mollitie A man hath his name of strength and force a woman of softnesse because in all things towards her husband shée is soft and gentle and most readily obedient and tractable Gods lawe hath so appointed that they should obey and all vertuous woman deepely regard it Uery Aristotle an Heathen man could write and teach that a good woman taketh her husbands will to bee a Lawe to her which she will obserue and not violate The starres all haue their light from the Sunne and if you aske them they will very thankfully acknowledge it The bodie hath his grace from the head and will be ruled by the head in all things without gain-saying The man you know is the womans head Ephesians 5. Women had their vâ—â—les and still haue their long haire to note this holy order of obdience and subiection to their husbands and therefore it was saide Etiam Anathema sit mulier quae comam sibi amputat quam Deus ad memoriam subiectionis illi dedit Euen accursed let that woman bee which cutteth of her haire giuen her of God to remember her of obedience and subiection to her husband Vashti her refusall to come when the King sent for her turned to her hurt you knowe and the example of such disorder is desired by all the Wise to bée preuented Sara is proposed to all vertuous women to bée followed in her ready louing and constant obedience to her husband Abraham calling him Lord c. The third Vertue of renowned Liuia was you saw that shee busily pryed not into her husbands actions neither medled with his matters but left his place and the workes of it vnto him herselfe dealing with her owne duties And what a thing is this to preserue loue and peace euer betwixt couples Iezabels such medling with the matter of Naboth wounted Ahab ouerthrew herselfe and the ignominie of it liueth and will neuer dye Stories doe yéeld vs many other examples and I would our owne times yéelded vs none I speake of vnfit curiositie and not of any good concurrence in well-doing For wee all know Pilate had been happie if in that matter of his Office and of Iustice hee had hearkened to his Wiues dutifull wish and not proocéeded as hée did against the Lord Jesus Thus remayneth honourable Liuia the Empresse a worthy Example to all of her Sexe how to liue in Loue and Peace with their husbandes so that no diuorce shall bée either spoken or thought of during life but longing wishes for contynuance many yeares and euen to bée the later of the two that goeth to the earth For such Wiues as they were worthy ones whiles they liued so will they bée missed and many times thought of when they bée gone Héere might I stay but since I am entred into this matter giue mée leaue to adde two or three things more beeing euer-shining Vertues in Women and great meanes of Loue Amitie and Vnitie betwixt married couples Faithfulnesse to their Husbands is one I meane a true constancie of heart preferring their wel-doing before all men and matters whatsoeuer worldly Such as was in Zipporah Moses his Wife who most tenderly louing her Childe and therefore very loath to shedde any of his blood yet when shée saw her Husband in danger for omitting that Circumcision rather than hee shall miscarrie shee addresseth her-selfe and that spéedily to doe that dutie whereby her Husband might liue although her childe smarted And shee did it not in a furie as some haue taken the place but in a most faithfull affection to the preseruation of her husband like a louing wife Neither doe her wordes Sponsus tu mihi es sanguinum Thou art a husband of blood vnto me sound foorth anger and choler but sweetnesse and loue as if shée had said My loue to thee hath been such deere husband as that it hath made me forget woman-hood to lay aside all motherly affection and to redéeme thy life and contynuance to mée with the blood of my childe c. Such againe was that in Michal to Dauid her husband when she let him downe at the window to escape from her fathers furie and layd an Image in the bed as if hée had béene there sicke Such the care of Abigael when shée heard her husband had ouer-shot himselfe toward Dauids messengers rather than any hurt should come to him for such vnaduised speaches shée prepared a very honourable Present and goeth her selfe to preuent anger which shée did indéede to the safetie of her husband and all his Such the loue of Theopompus his wife who when her husband was taken and put
aduised by God who then spake from betwixt the Cherubims Exod. 25. and Num. 7. And in the meane time committeth him to ward The Lord answereth him and commandeth that he shall be slaine giuing a law also in general that who soeuer so offendeth shall die the whole congregation stoning him and the witnesses putting their handes vpon his head By which Ceremonie the Lord made the witnesses carefull what they said For it taught them that if they bare false witnesse then were they guiltie of the bloud â—f him so shed by their testimonie but if they spake truly then as he that offred a sacrifice by laying his hand vpon the head of it and cast his sinnes vpon the beast so they by that ceremonie laid his bloud vpon his owne head and they remained cleare and blamelesse Yea the whole Congregation by such execution of iustice as by a sacrifice is clensed and profited So that when Phineas had slaine the wicked person it is said hee turned the wrath of GOD from the land And the slaying of the wicked by the Prophets is called Victima Dei the Sacrifice of the Lord. For further vse of it you may thinke with your selfe how the father of this offender was a straunger an Egyptian and yet God would not spare him how much lesse then his owne people I meane now a Christian by father and mother brought vp in his feare baptized in his faith a hearer of his word a professer of it c. Secondly this man was angrie and in his anger hee committed this fault yet God spareth him not how then do we excuse our offences by our anger saying it was in my wrath that I said so or did so For first that anger and furie and desire of reuenge is naught then to vse God in it and to make him a partie or an executioner of your rage seeking and wishing that he may curse and plague where you will hée being all iustice all mercie all goodnesse c. O what an encrease of your sinne is this Euer therefore settle it and sinke it in your heart what it is thus to abuse God to abuse Christ his wounds his passion whereby we are saâ—ed and by his grace you shall abhorre swearing â—â—ging and ill wishing to any man and especially to seeke of him to do euill and to vse his name to that end Thirdly when the Lord will haue the whole Congregation to stone him hee taketh triall of the zeale of ALL and teacheth ALL to concurre with the Magistrate in loue and liking of iustice and in furthering of it so farre as belongeth to euerie mans place Whereas now a dayes we haue such factions such affections such corrupt humors in vs out of which iâ—ue such dislikes carpings and bad censures of Magistrates as they are grieued with iustice is hindred and God prouoked to that which will smart if he stay not Fourthly hee is carried out of the host to be slaine as a token of detestation of his sinne by which he was vnworthy not onely to liue in the Congregation but also to die in the same he was vomited or spued out that all others might see and feare Esay 14. read it Fifâ—ly by cursing of God and blaspheming of his name vnderstand not onely swearing and such euill speaking as now hath beene noted but all other vnseemely vnreuerent and wicked wordes prophane iests of him his name his word his attributes mercie iustice anger prouidence knowledge patience or such like For all these shall come into iudgement and find wrath If the law of man passe them God will neuer passe them The tongue wee haue was giuen to blesse not to curse And the name of God saith Salomon is a strong tower The iust shall runne to it and be exalted For whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued His name serueth for faith for prayer for thankes-giuing for deliuerance in danger to obtaine all good and to auoid all euill To abuse this then in our furies to our corrupt and sinfull desires O what a sinne is it and how prouoketh it God to plague vs So are his precious woundes our plaisters his blessed passion our saluation his Sacraments our comforts and seales of mercie his Scriptures our light and by no meanes to bee prophaned in earnest or iest Wee may not peruert his nature making him as much as lyeth in vs of a benefactor a malefactor of a Sauiour a killer of an helper an oppressor neither may wée abuse these holy things c. 5 The fourth and last point of this your Chapter beginneth at the 17. verse concerning the law of Taliâ— that is that looke what a man doth or intendeth to his neighbour the like should be done to him life for life breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth such a blemish as hee hath made in any such shall bée repayed vnto him verse 20 Of this you haue heard Exod. 21. 6 One law for the straunger as for the home-borne verse 22. which both restrayned that pride which otherwise might haue béene in the Iew and sheweth the common care of God for all men as well as for the Iew. If therefore a Iew hurt a stranger looke what hée had done that should he suffer as well as the stranger should if he had hurt the Iew. This indifferencie is a blessed vertue to be learned from our God For surely we are altogether affectionate if God guide vs not If other mens children seruants or friends hurt ours fire and sword for them but if ours hurt them no such matter al must be boulstred out or bought out or borne out and iustice may not be done Among our owne againe one must bée crucified and another not touched onâ— made a Saint another a Diuell Who so is wise will note God and his Law here and labour to follow it euer by such indifferâ—ncie as is fit for his place in Church Common-wealth or familie It comforteth the Subiect it hartneth the Child it encourageth a Seruant And the want of it doth infinite much harme to all these Finally God is pleased with it and you are graced by it your selfe it getting you loue and all good report farre and neare among as many as are to be cared for Thus much of this Chapter CHAP. XXV YOu haue heard the obseruation of certaine Dayes now will this Chapter speake of the obseruation of Yeares Namely euery seauenth yeare and euery fiftieth yeare First of the first and then of the Second Euery seauenth yeare was the Sabbath of the earth or the Rest of the Land because that yeare they might neither plowe nor sow nor dresse their Vines but take what did growe of it selfe and that must be common to all For so is the first verse to bée vnderstood That which groweth of it owne accord of thy haruest thou shalt not reape c. That is to thy priuate vse and for thy selfe alone thou shalt
all that mourne The Angel at his birth Beholde I bring you tydings of great ioy that shall bee to all the people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour which is CHRIST the LORD Why a Sauiour An other Angell told the blessed Virgin because hee should saue his people from their sinnes This is the true fréedome and Christian Iubile we speake of If the Sonne make you free you shall bee free in deed Bee it knowen vnto you therefore saith the Apostle men and brethren that through this Man is preached vnto you the forgiuenes of sins And from all things from which ye could not bee iustified by the Lawe of Moses by him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Thus Rom. 6. Galat. 3. and in many 〈◊〉 places Thirdly in this Iewish Iubile there was a returning to their Lands and former possessions which were alienated from them so by this Christian Iubile euen this fréedome proclaimed by Christ we returne to our old Paradise againe from whence we were cast by sin that is to the inheritance of the sonnes of God in Heauen the true Paradise from which wée shall neuer bée remooued any more O ioyfull Iubile then if wée féele it that by the Trumpet of the Word is preached vnto vs in Christ Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare 4 Besides these two Iubiles thus instituted of God you haue a third in these dayes instituted of the Pope to get vnto him from foolish people great summes of money The first Authour whereof was Boniface the eight who deuised to promise vnto all them that would come to Rome in the yeare 1300 and after that euery hundreth yeare to séeke pardon for their sinnes a full remission of all their sinnes After him Clemens the 6. who was made Pope in the yeare 1342 finding the swéete of this deuise and thinking euery hundreth yeare too long cut it of in the middest and according to this Mosaicall Iubile made his Romish Iubile euery fiftieth yeare promising like pardons and indulgences to all commers After him came Sixtus the fourth in the yeare 1473. and hée thought fiftie yeares too long also and cut it of once againe in the middle appointing euery 25. yeare a Iubile But sée the desire of money in these holy fathers When this time also was too long to tarry for pardon-money and they were ashamed to shorten it againe they deuise that certaine appointed persons should goe into all Countries with pardons to sell and offer to fooles that would buy them by which pardons they should receiue as full remission of all sinnes as if they had come in the yeare of Iubile to Rome to fetch them Which grosse abuse was the meanes God so hauing appointed to stirre vp Luther to preach against that abuse and so was drawen on to other points till light brake out of darkenesse c. 5 In the 20. Verse the Lord méeteth with an obiection of some men that might happily say what shall we eate the seuenth yeare for wée shall not sowe nor gather in our increase c And most graciously and comfortably he answereth it I will send my blessing vpon you in the sixt yeare and it shall bring foorth fruite for three yeares c. The like swéet promise Verse 19. Sée then and sinke it into your heart soundly what God is able to doe for you touching all worldly necessaries if you will obey him and trust in him Such a promise in Exodus hée made also to kéepe all things in safetie for them at home while they were at Hiorusalem seruing him according to this Lawe And what losse had the Shepheards when they left their flockes in the fieldes and went to the childe Iesus according as the Angel had told them Let this place againe strengthen your faith against all obiections of flesh and blood made from naturall reasons and causes as they sééme to men For if the Lord be able euen then when the earth is weakest hauing béen worne out with continuall tillage 5. yeares together to make the 6. yeare bring foorth a triple blessing inough for that yeare for the 7. yeare and for the 8. yeare till haruest were readie what vnseasonable weather what barennesse of land what this what that shall make a man dispaire of Gods prouidence for things néedfull Leaue God to himselfe and to his Almightie power doe you your dutie feare him loue him serue him obey him with a true heart call vpon your children and seruants to doe the like and you shall sée the louing kindnesse of the Lord to your comfort These things shall be cast vpon you and hée that knoweth your charge and gaue you that charge will neuer faile you nor them of what is fit You sée héere what hée can doe and let it profit you I will tell you the féeling of my heart further in this point and thus I reason Can God bée thus strong when the land is weake and will he be thus strong to the comfort of his seruants Why then cannot he be or why will he not bée strong in my weaknes in your weaknes in euery man womans weakenesse that beleeue in him Away feare away I may not hearken vnto thée when I am weakest he wil be strongest For his power is best seene in weaknes and I will trust in him drawing an Argument with Dauid from my weaknesse to mooue him and not to discomfort me Heale mee O Lord for I am weake My weakenes shal driue me vnto thée not from thée I wil tarry thy good leasure Lord strengthen me Lord comfort me and vnder the couering of thy wings let me be safe from al temptaions displeasing thée and hurting mée Amen Amen 6 In the 29. Verse If a man sell a dwelling house in a walled Citie hee may buy it out againe within a whole yeare after it is solde c. First this and such other Lawes confirme our trading and dealing one with another by buyings and sellings assuring vs that such contracts are lawfull and with a good conscience one man may vse them with another Secondly we sée and learne that GOD doth not only know and regard the greater matters of Kingdomes and Princes affayres but euen the meaner actions also of men and the very smallest things are not hid from him Therefore doe iustly in all trading knowing that God his eye is vpon thee and then looke for a blessing he shall not faile thée 7 Moreouer if thy brother bee fallen in decay and impouerished with thee thou shalt relieue him c. It is not ynough to abstayne from taking that which is not mine owne but I must giue that which is mine owne where need is For mercie and humanitie to distressed persons smell sweete in the nostrils of the Lord and haue many blessings assured 8 If thy brother impouerished sell himselfe vnto thee thou shalt not compell