Hearts and affections with Peace that when he shall return to make inquisition for blood transgression and sin we may by him and that league and Covenant of Peace concluded with thee in him be delivered from wrath to come and for him receive forgivenesse of sins and Inheritance among them who are sanctified by Faith in him O let us not have our portion with unbeleevers nor our part with the disobedient for then we shall certainly perish but think upon us O Lord for good that we may be saved with that remnant who have their Robes washed and whitned in the blood of the Lambe who have separated themselves from the children of Belial and Table of Devills and keep themselves unspotted from the World and so both they and we may be presented in our Bodies our Soules and Spirits holy blamelesse and undefiled at the comming of our Lord. Holy God keep as from the contagion of sin and sinners preserve us in thy truth and love in the Vnity and Communion of thy one true holy Catholique Church that having the Seale of Gods Servants in our Forcheads we may cry and sing eternally Salvation to our God who fitteth on the Throne and to the Lambe Amen The CONCLUSION Heb. 11. from the 32. verse to the end of the Chapter And what shall I say more for the time would faile me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Sampson and of Iephthah of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets Who through Faith subdued Kingdoms wrought Righteousnes obtained promises stopped the mouthes of Lyons c. THe Apostle now coms to a Conclusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a preâ—â—â—on cutting short his Discourse and cursorily casting up the residue of the Faithfull which were to be inserted in this Catalogue even all the Succession of Beleevers who lived from the time of the Judges ruling under God in Israel till that present Age wherein he Wrote to these Hebrews nominating onely some shortly touching their works and patience intimating onely and hinting at others by their acts and sufferings by which we may guesse and conjecture at their Names and Persons And having thus compleated his Designe and Canon he gives a full Testimoniall and Certificate of approbation in the two last Verses both of these thus in the close either expressed or alluded to and of those foregoing whom he had honoured with a larger Narrative and more distinctly and aithfully insisted on and more amply commended I shall therefore here leave my former Method in the respective Observance of the Apostle and summarily and briefly run over these subsequent Examples and Presidents of Faith as they lye here in their severall order contracted and so follow his Abridgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the words following in course And what shall I more say If these Hebrews be of tractable and teachable Spirits enough is said already to establish and strengthen them in the holy Faith and what needs more then enough sufficient is said what is more is ex abundantia The time would faile me c. An Hyperbolicall expreson importing thus much So numerous is the company of the Faithfull Ancients and so many their Faithfull Actions in the holy Registery that a full enumeration of them and what is Recorded of and concerning them would exceed the bulk of an Epistolar Exhortation and Remonstrance and rise into a large and exact History These here mentioned will serve strongly to make good the Induction and thereby prove the Position Faith is the substance of things hoped the evidence of things not seen c. and therefore it is unnecessary altogether to enlarge further and therefore also take them more succinctly and compendiously Thus your Painters being to deliniate a Croude or a Thronged Multitude doe not take them whole and in full but draws them out by the Pole and presents you nothing but the tops and crowns of their Heads amassing their bulks altogether Gideon whose faithfull expedition is Recorded Judges 6. and 7. whose stratagem with the number of three hundred men struck a Panick fear into the numerous Mideanitish Army that they Fled and killed each other Baracks Prowesse and Faith was manifested That with a small inconsiderable Body he durst encounter and did totally Rout the vast and well-provided Army of Sisera King Iabins Captain Generall Iudges 4. and 5. Samson follows whose Faith was greater then his admired and renowned strength admired it was because it lay in those excrescences of his Body his Heires which in other Men are of the least use and most weaknesse Renowned it was to a Proverb and deservedly for without any offensive or defensive Weapons by his bare Arme of Flesh he tore in pieces a Lyon like a Kid Iudges 14.5.6 when his Hands were bound he brake the Cords like scorched Flax and being loosed with the law-bone of an Asse flew a thousand Men Iudges 15.14 c. when he was Beseiged and immured by the Philistines he carried away the Gates of the City with the two Posts Barr and all Iudges 16.3 and by leaning upon the two middle Pillart of the House the whole Fabrick dissolved Iudges 16.30 Iephthah is the last mentioned of the Iudges though he was before Samson as Barack was before Gideon who notwithstanding was first here nominated You may finde the History of his Resolution and Noble Attempts against the Ammonites in the defence of Israel Iudges 11. I shall referre you to the Text and leave them after a not very impertinent Digression and two Practicall Observations The Digression aimes at a Fact of Samsons and Iephtha's and depends on these following Quaeries 1. Whether Samson in that his last mentioned Enterprize was not Felo de se guilty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of selfe-murder which not onely the Rule of Faith but reason it selfe condemns as sinfull and unnaturall Arist lib. 5. Eth. cap. 11 But to wave some mens conjectures Saint Augustines Answer seems to me most cleare who accounts this inter beroica an extraordinary act proceeding from an extraordinary motion of Gods Spirit in no wise or case imitable For saith he lib. 1. de Civitate Dei cap. 21. Spiritus latenter hoc jusserat he had a secret or private Order for it And more fully cap. 26. of that Book Non humanitas deceptus sed divinitus jussus nec arrans sed obediens It was not a crime but duty in him And he adds this reason Cum Deus jubet seque jubere sine ullis ambagibus intimat quis obedientiam in crimen vocet quis obsequium pietatis accuset If God command and clearly intimates his command this supersedes the guilt and absolves it from disobedience 2. Concerning Iephtha's Vow Whether it in it selfe were rash Whether he executed this rash Vow and in the Execution thereof did sin against the Law of God This in Saint Augustines judgement is Magna ad dijudicandum difficilima Quaestio Tom. 4. quaest sup Iud. lib. 7. cap. 49. a great
rationall creatures and therefore proposeth rationall methods to engage us to accept his Grace rationall punishments and rewards because we are to deal with a righteous Judge Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternall life But unto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath Rom. 2.6.7.8 11. It s the Observation of Theoph. Moses accounted it a sin not to suffer with the people of God and unlesse it were a sin not to be sensible of the sins and sufferings of his Flock God would not have caused a mark to be set Ezek. 9.4 nor upbrayded and threatned their either dulnesse or hardnesse of heart who grieved not for the afflictions of Joseph Amos 6.6 nor the Apostle required us to be kindly affectioned and this to be expressed as in others so in this Duty to weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 12. I shall adde one more from Haymo Quando quisque c. in suffering times and condition look and remember the promised reward and these Texts Mat. 5.10.11.12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falfly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Rom. 8.18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us 2 Cor. 4.16.17.18 For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are not seen are Eternall Promises though alwayes necessary yet most usefull in extremities The Third Part. O Lord God of infinite excellencies and mercies who sent thine onely Son holy Jesus to redeem us from an intollerable servitude the commanding and condemning power of sin and to teach us an holy Religion to despise the world the pomps and vanities thereof and the sinfull desires of the flesh strongthen us by thy grace that as we would accept of thy Son for our Saviour so we may follow him as our teacher refusing the glories and treasures of this Egypt this land of darknesse wherein all things shall be forgotten choosing the better part which shall not be taken from us esteeming our Adoption to be called the Sons of God the highest honour the mercies of God and merits of Christ the most desireable treasury the Kingdom of Heaven the best Inheritance the glory and joyes of Heaven the onely satisfactory pleasures the most happy exchange to give or lose all for the fruition of Christ make us to covet the best things And to this end make us wise and prudent in our choice to be men in understanding to approve what is excellent being filled with all spirituall understanding not to be ashamed to suffer for well doing to count it all joy when we are called to endure affliction with the People of God and to beare in our bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus Sanctifie them to us by thy grace attend them with thy spirit and reward them with thy glory Satisfie our Soules that we may tast and see how gracious the Lord is even in those his dispensations and fill them with the apprehensions of the excellencies and preciousnesse of the promises in Jesus Christ that we may resolve with David Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth we desire besides thee That like as the Hart c. Break O Lord we pray thee the powers infatuate the policies of the persecutors of thy Church Bring her out of Egypt and leade thy People by the Hands of Moses and Aaron Sanctifie all their sufferings and conduct them to the heavenly Canaan to live with their Lord unto all Eternity to whom be honour and power might majesty and dominion for ever Amen MOSES his Courage Heb. 11.27 By Faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible MOses had before mastered the false hopes of Egypt now he is to encounter with the foolish fears thereof and having quit himself of the right hand assaults of the World its allurements objects promises he is now to conquer the left hand temptations threatnings force and fury of Pharaoh and his Host the Gyants and Sons of Anak and by Faith in Christ he is in all these more then Conqueror For the Discourses and Reasoning of Faith first taught him to sleight Pharachs Court then his Power First to conquer himself and Fortior est qui se quam qui fortissima vincit and then his and the people of Gods enemy It first instructed him with Piety and then furnished him with Resolution and Courage For By Faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King c. The first Part. Moses did twice forsake Egypt The first time was as was last Recorded When at forty Years old he fled into Midian Exod. 2.15 The second time was when that after Egypt was smitten in every quarter he and the whole Body of the Israelites departed thence And upon this difference of time a question ariseth which time the first clause here in the Text relates unto Some will have the former to be referred unto here as Iun. Paral. lib. 3. because the Apostle in this Historicall computation strictly observeth the circumstance and order of time through all the fore-going and subsequent instances And it 's clear Moses celebrated the Passe-over before the second time which yet is after related here in the following verse and therefore it cannot relate to this unlesse we invert the Order And also because in the 29. ver the Peoples departure out of Egypt is set by it self as a severall and distinct instance of Faith from this here Others conceive it to be meant of the second time for if the former were here considered the Apostles Position here seems to contradict the Historicall Natration Exod. 2.14 where it is said He feared and fled Others as the most judicious Calvin understand it of both times tam de priore quam secundo For though it be said that at the first he feared yet this fear was a fear of prudence he had not strength to oppose Pharaoh and so he could not he had not as yet sufficient authority and so he might not not of difference or the event that God would not preserve him from Pharaoh if he used the most safe course for his preservation and reserved himself for a
contemplative Heathen as 1. That there is a God ens entium an Eternall being of and from himself the being of all things 2. That this God is to be Worshipped as the Soveraigne Infinite Wise Good All-sufficient Creator 3. That because he is Infinitely Wise and Good therefore he is not to be Worshipped Formally but Devoutly and Piously Animadverto ipsos Deos Plin. in Pan. ad Traj Imp. non tam occuratis adorantium praecibus quam innocentia sanctitate laetari And he tells in the very beginning of that Oration That it was an Institution and thereupon a Custome among them Vt rerum agendarum initium à precationibus caperunt quod nihil rite c. And thus farr sober Reason and Nature may conduct us But then holy Religion and Faith super-adds 4. That the devout holy Worship of God is to Worship him according to his will and Word which is the Revelation of his will and that Part which concerns his Worship we usually terme his Ordinances and Institutions 5. That those Ordinances and Institutions the Observation whereof is the Worshipping of God according to his will being no dictates of Reason nor determinations of Nature but Decrees of Gods Wisedom we must not canvas nor dispute them but reverently and humbly performe them Rom. 9.20 6. That the Dutifull Reverend Devout and hamble observance of those Institutions God in his wisedom hath prescribed is a most proper act of Faith And it is observed of Moses here By Faith or through Faith he kept the Passe-over and the sprinkling of blood c. The first Part. Q. How did Moses evidence his Faith in this Ordinance and the observation of this rite A. The Answer is obvious and is branched into three resolves any of which will clear the Devotion and Faith of this service 1. Moses did what he had speciall warranty and strong Authority for he did what for the matter and how for the manner as he was commanded in which respect Moses is said to he faithfull in all his Masters house Heb. 3.2 as a trusty diligent servant what he had order for concerning either the Common-wealth or Church of the Hebrews their rites and offices of Religion or the duties of policy their sacred or civill affaires he proclaimed enacted celebrated observed and executed 2. Moses having sufficient security and good assurance from God that the Sprinkling of the Blood upon the Deoreposts would be a signall difference to the destroying Angell that he could not mistake in his designe staggered not through unbeleife that is disputed not the improbabilities of the attempt canvassed not the impotency of the means nor scrupled the successe but kept to his first hold and principles Gods promise and veracity 3. Moses in this rituall contemplated Christ the true Passe-over and this service was a Typicall representation of the Blood of Sprinkling the Lambe of God Jesus Christ who is our Passe-over 1 Cor. 5.7 This anser I rather approve for these Reasons 1. Because this sutes most with the Apostles designe which was To comfort the Hebrews in their sufferings for Christ And thus he seemeth to Argue à minore ad majus from the lesse to the greater If your former Fathers according to the Flesh of whom you are come by the killing of a Lambe and effusion of its Blood rested ascertained of Gods favour and their Deliverance from the Egyptian Captivity then much more ought you their Successors who have Christ the true Lambe of God Sacrificed for you and his Blood shed to be strong in faith and firmly resolved of Gods greater savour who hath supplyed you with greater assurance and of your Deliverance from your present pressures and future Enemies and from your last and worst Enemy Death and him who had the power of Death the Devill and so this corresponds perfectly with the more formall and direct argumentation Heb. 9.13.14 For if the Blood of Bulls and Geats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the Flesh How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God 2. This Exposition seems to continue the Apostles allusion Heb. 2.10 For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto glory to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings where he represents Christ made perfect by sufferings as the first-born of the Israelites consecrated for the whole Succession and the Devill who had the power of Death to the destroying Angell And then makes the paralell and thus amplifies it As the miraculous preservation of the First-born was to your Progenitors an assurance of their after Deliverance so the perfecting of Christ by sufferings doth at once both sanctifie and enoble your present sufferings and secures you of an after Redemption and state of Glory So that the result from these premised suppositions is this You Hebrews have stronger grounds of consolation and greater expressions of mercy and grace then was indulged or licensed to your Predecessors even in Moses his time when God deals most powerfully and mercifully with them and was most free and full in the declarations of his mercy They had but the Sprinkling of Blood for a Testimony You have the blood of sprinkling given you for so this favour is called Heb. 12.24 they the blood of a Lambe out of the Flock You the Blood of the Lambe of God who is also the great Shepherd of your Soules They had Moses to Solemnize this You have Christ the Mediator Moses his Lord and Master in his own Person to sacrifice this Q. But what was this Passe-over A. That Feast or Solemnity so called or a memoriall of the Passe-over For at that Feast they did Eat the Lambe in memory of the Angells passing by the Hebrews in the fatall destruction of the First-born of Egypt and then also they departed thence So that it either Denotes the Lambe then Eaten or the whole Feast all the whole Sacramentall-action is the Passe-over Exod. 12.11 27. And thus shall ye eat it with your loynes girded your shooes on your feet and your staffe in your hand and ye shall cat it in hast it is the Lords Passeover And ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeover who passed over the Housee of the Children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our Houses And Ezod 13.9 ver And it shall be for a figne unto thee upon thine hand and for a memoriall between thine eyes that the Lords Law may be in thy mouth for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egyht Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he kept the Passeover and the sprinkling of Blood that Feast and Solemnity of the Passeover and that commemorative Rite or Sacraement of the Sprinkling of Blood Q. But how did Moses keep
the letter and Circumcision doe transgresse the Law that is those who have not those profitables helps and means as thou hast to enable to the performance of the Law condemn thee of negligence ingratitude and contempt by their endeavours to out goe thee in obedience yea who out-strip and out-goe the being destitute of these forces and therefore thou having but not using them art reproveable and inexeusable In summe no pious man will unne cessarily neglect the means of Piety as no good Husband the helps of thriving Every pious man will make use of assistances to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ 2. It is the Duty of the Supreme Magistrate to provide that the outward Offices of Divine Worship and the holy Ordinances be duely and decently Celebrated and in ease of neglect by their Authority to enjoyn and command their Celebration For the Chief Magistrate is Utriusque Tabula Custos Vindex as appears from the Example of Hezekiab 2 Chron. 29.5.21 30.1 compared with 2 Kings 18.4.6 and of Moses Deut. 33.3.4.5 of Iosâ—uah Iosh 24.1 28. David 1 Chron. 15.4.16.43.23.2.3.6 So Solomon Iehoshaphat Nehemiah and so it was believed and received all along by the Christian Church as is obvious to all who have any knowledge in Ecclesiasticall Stories and Customes 3. Nature by it's suppositions doth conclude against us That we ought to Worship God The Egyptian Sciences brought Moses to the contemplation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Eternall Being if we may beleeve Saint Basill Hom. 54. ad adolescentes for Nature as blind as she is doth at long running find an Eternall Power and Being on which all things depend for their conservation because from it all derive their Being Creation and production conservation being nothing else but the same act of Creation in fluxu passing and going on from an instant to a duration and therefore of necessity there must be intercourse between God and Man the excellency of the Creation and Master-piece of all his works But Faith advances higher having received a nobler light from Heaven and discovers how to Worship God acceptably unto all well-pleasing and by such rites as may expresse our experience and thankfulnesse for former speciall favours and bespeak our hope and dependance for the future continuance of them and addition of better according to his exceeding precious Promises and this is indeed to Worship and keep a Passeover an holy Feast through Faith to God Nature discovers in grosse and darkly where Faith proposeth clearly and distinctly Nature might tell Moses a dark and dimne generall that God was the preserver of man-kind but Faith particularly assures him what Reason could not Eye that in one Night by a most terrible Execution an Angel would make a totall destruction of all the First-born in the spacious Country and among the numerous people of Egypt And further yet That in this so speedy and universall ruine of them he would distinguish the Habitations of the Israelites then mixed and sojourning among them by the effusion of the blood of a Lambe upon the Lintell c. This Moses beleeved and therefore kept the Passeover True Faith makes men devout holy to keep all Gods Ordinances and Institutions 4. Moses kept c. The Iews had their Passeover so have we ours 1 Cor. 5. For even Christ our Passeover is is Sacrificed for us Ecce Agnus Dei Behold the Lambo of God Iohn 1.29 They had an Altar so have we Heb. 13.10 We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle They a Circumcision so we Col. 2.11 In whom also ye are Circumcised with the Circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ We a Baptisme so they 1 Cor. 10.2 And were all Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and the Sea Christ the end of the Law to all Beleevers both Iews and Gentiles But of this formerly 5. Moses kept c. He Killed the Sacrifice and Feasted on it Here was both Sacrificium and Sacrum epulum alwayes in their Sacrificing they did Eat with Mirth and Festivity on some parts of the Sacrifice Exod. 18.12 Deut. 12.6 to the 16. 1 Sam. 9.12.13 When we keep our Passeover let us Feast and be joyfull before the Lord our King It is very meet right and our bounden Duty so to doe To appoint and observe a Fast and prohibit all Christian rejoycing and Feasting on our Passeover our great Festivall the Lords Day is to confound a Day of Humiliation and Thanksgiving and to oppose the practice of the Universall Church and hath by it been alwayes adjudged a Schisme Saint Faul hath otherwise ordered the matter 1 Cor. 5.8 Therefore let us keep the Feast not with old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth by his illution therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 solemnly Feast saith Calvin Festum Celebremns so Erasmus keep the Feast make an holy day not for Heathenish sports but Heavenly Duties that as the Saints glorified have their Hallelujahs so we our Rejoycings Triumphs and Thanksgivings for the Resurrection of our Lord. 6. Lest the Destroyer c. They who are in great tribulation are for all that so respected by the all Wise God That the Destroyer of their Soules shall not touch them Psal 91.5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by Night nor for the Arrow that flyeth by Day for God limits his Power as he layes commands upon the Sea Hitherto shalt thou goe and no further Which is clear in Jobs case Job 1.12 And the Lord said unto Satan Behold all that he bath is in thy power onely upon himself put not forth thine hand So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. The Third Part. O Almighty God and Heavenly Father who gave thine onely Son to be our Passeover and to be Sacrificed for us as the Lambe of God Grant that we may keep the Peast continue the memory of that Sacrifice with a Sacramentaell Communion and solemne joy and Thanksgiving that so thou may be pleased by the effusion of the precious Blood of the Immaculate Lambe to wash and clense us from all unrighteousnesse that though our sins be as red as Scarlet yet being bathed in that Blood they may be white as Snow and by the power of the Death of thy Son redeem us from the strength and sting of Death and the Destroying Angell who bad the power of Death that he touch us not And lastly when the great Supper and Marryage of the Lambe shall come we may sit down with Abraham Isaae and Jacob to Feast and Banquet with them and the Assembly of Saints in Heaven before the Throne of God to all Eternity for our Passeovers sake by whom we are saved and for whom we blesse and prayse thee to whom with the holy Spirit be all Honour