and make your fiers vnder euery Oke and greene Tree and in the Valleyes and Dennes of Stone cruelly kill and offer your children according to the maner of the Heathen I chose you to be my portion my part and my heritage of all the people of the earth but so that you shoulde bee contented with me your God alone and with that Worshippe that I had appoynted But seeing you haue forsaken me and contrarie to my lawe made you Images and aulters of stone by the ryuer sides I leaue you nowe to your owne superstitious deuises and that shall be your part that you haue chosen For before them you plentifully powred out your meate and drinke offerings Thou O Hierusalem hast made thy bed vpon high Mountaines c. That is thou hast vpon the high mountaynes made thy large Chappelles and Aulters in which thou goest an whooring and offerest sacrifices to other Gods besides me yea behinde euery Chappell doore thou hangest vp thy monuments of remembraunce to shew the great deuotion and zeale that thou bearest to those Idols and false Gods before whome thou hast discouered thy vnfaythfulnesse towardes me and hast gone on pilgrimage from place to place wheresoeuer thou heardest such dennes of Idolatrie to be Thus doest thou Hierusalem leaue no place vndistayned with thy wickednesse Groues wooddes and trees Welles and riuers rockes and stones mountaines and hilles valleys and playnes and euery place that to thee seemeth pleasant Yea and aboue all this mistrusting my ayde and helpe in thy distresse Thou sendest Presents and messengers for ayde and succour to Heathē and Idolatrous Princes which haue not bene hable to deliuer thee I haue apoynted thee but one way of safetie that is the Obedience of my lawe But thou forsakest that and traueylest about many wayes and deuises of thine owne braine and that so diligently and earnestly that nothing can make thee giue ouer no not though thou see thy labours to be lost and vtterly vnprofitable yet so long as thou canst feele thy handes hable to styrre wilt thou neuer say I am now weary of my vaine labours I haue done Whome hast thou feared in all this thy traueyle thou wilt pretende perhaps that thou hast bene abashed of me but I tell thee I will no longer dissemble as before I haue done thou sayest falsely thou hast not remembred me nor are thy sacrifices such as I delight in or such wherewith thou canst be holpen but such they are as blinde thee and make that thou canst neuer knowe thine owne sinne and wickednesse but put thee in confidence of thine owne iustice Therefore when thou in thy distresse shalt lament and crie let all the Heape of thy hill woorshippes and Idolatrous deuises deliuer thee if they can but of so little weyght are they and of so small force that one blast of vanitie shall blowe them all away Consider therfore in what maner of thinges you haue put your trust Neuerthelesse they that put their trust in me shall inherite the lande c. This seconde part of the Chapter is a comfort of the godly that turne to God by repentance and put their trust in him For as the wicked shall perish and vanish away with their Idols so shall the faythfull that trust in God be saued and receyue comfort Therefore thus saieth the Lorde make plaine make plaine c. As the Prophete here particulerly respecteth the comfort of the faythfull in his time so he especiallye regardeth the promise of saluation made in Messias Christ Iesu And therefore as in an other place it is sayde in the person of Iohn Baptist Parate viam domino c. so here in the person of the Apostles and Preachers of the Gospell he sayeth Make plaine make plaine and clense the streetes take all stumbling blockes and offences out of my peoples way Remooue all impediments that is self-loue contempt of God and his worde vnfaythfulnesse care of the worlde delight in pleasure superstition Idolatrie false worshippings and all other lettes whereby my people are hindered from comming to me For though I dwell high in heauen I will not dispise the humble and contrite heart I will not be * long angrie with poore and troubled consciences but with the spirite of my comfort will I relieue them I will not striue with them for euer I know their wickednesse I made their spirite or soule and inclosed it in that brickle bodie They are not hable therfore to abide my displeasure I am wroth with them for the tyme and punish them for their couetousnesse and other offences not to confound them but to the ende that they should forsake them But so corrupt are they that they go on still in the wayes of their owne heartes and will not obey Therefore I might iustly destroy them but I will not I will preuent them with my mercye and I will bring them into the way againe and direct them with my spirit I will * restore them to comfort and make glad those that be sorrowfull in their behalfe I will woorke the fruites of prayse and thankesgiuing by the mouth of preachers that shall denounce peace and comfort to all aswell those that be farre of as those that be nigh aswell to Iew as Gentile and of the Iewes aswell to them that are captiue abroade as to them that are in their countrie at home But the wicked and they that doe not beleeue shal haue no peace no quietnesse no comfort but perpetual torment and anguish of mind so that their consciences shal be like the Sea tossed with waues and surges The fourth Sunday after the Epiphanie at Euening prayer Esay 58. CRie nowe as lowde as thou canst leaue not of A lift vp thy voyce like a trumpet and shewe my people their offences and the house of Iacob their sinnes 2 For they seeke me dayly and will knowe my wayes euen as it were a people that did right and had not forsaken the statutes of their God they aske of me concerning right iudgement and will be nie vnto God. 3 Wherefore fast we say they and thou séest it not we put our liues to straytnesse and thou regardest it not 4 Beholde when ye fast your lust remayneth still for ye doe no lesse violence to your debters lo ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with your fist without mercie nowe ye shall not fast thus that your voyce might be heard aboue 5 Thinke ye this fast pleaseth me that a man should chasten himselfe for a day and to hang downe his heade like a bulrush and to lie vpon the earth in an hearie cloth Should that be called fasting or a day that pleaseth the Lorde 6 Doth not this fasting rather please me That thou lose the wicked bandes that thou take of the ouer heauie burthens that thou let the oppressed go free and breake all maner of yoke
7 To deale thy breade to the hungrie and to bring the poore wandring home into thy house when thou séest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe froÌ„ thine owne flesh 8 Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health flourishe right shortly righteousnesse shall go before thée and the glorie of the Lord shall embrace thée 9 Then if thou callest the Lord shall aunswere thée if thou criest he shall say Here I am yea if thou layest away from thée thy burthens and holdest thy fingers and ceassest from vngracious talking 10 If thou hast compassion vpon the hungrie and refreshest the troubled soule then shall thy â—â—ht spring out in the darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the noone day 11 The Lorde shall euer be thy guide and satisfie the desire of thine heart in the time of drought and fill thy bones with marie thou shalt be like a fresh watred garden and like the fountaine of water that neuer leaueth running 12 Then the places that haue euer bene waste shall be builded of thée there shalt thou lay a foundation for many kinreds thou shalt be called the maker vp of the breach and the builder againe of the waye to dwell in 13 Yea if thou turne thy féete from the sabbath so that thou doe not the thing which pleaseth thy selfe in my holy day and thou call the pleasant holy and glorious sabbath of the Lorde and that thou giue him the honour so that thou doe not after thine owne imagination neyther séeke thine owne will nor speake thine ovvne woordes 14 Then shalt thou haue thy pleasure in the Lorde and I will carie thée hie aboue the earth and féede thée with the heritage of Iacob thy father for the Lordes owne mouth hath so promised The Exposition vpon the .lviij. Chapter of Esay Crie now as loude as thou canst leaue not of lift vp thy voice c. THe Prophete in this Chapter reciteth and telleth as it were euen from the mouth of God himselfe the wordes that he spake vnto him agaynst the Hypocrisie and other wickednesse of his people Crie sayth he as loude as thou canst and cease not deale not coldely and faintly with them but * vehemently earnestly yea and continually For of all other Hypocrites that stand in opinion of their owne iustice are most * difficultly reclaymed and most hardly brought to the acknowledging and confessing of their owne wickednesse without which they can neuer truely repent They will see me good and godly they will pretende to seeke me dayly and to knowe and vnderstande my wayes they will aske and desire to learne right iudgement as though they were in deede good people and had not forsaken me theyr Lorde God But all is but hypocrisie and dissimulation For wherin doe they put their trust in time of my plague and scourge that I send vpon them or howe thinke they to procure their reconciliation vnto my fauour again By confessing their sinnes and flying to my mercie as they should doe No no but in their workes of Hypocrisie VVherefore say they doe we fast torment and punish our selues with straitnesse of life and thou dost not see it nor regarde it As though their outward Fasting or going in heare and sackcloth were a thing so worthie in my sight as in respect thereof I should deliuer them Fasting is good if it be vsed as an outward testimonie of that* earnest repentance and sorowe for your sinnes that inwardly is in deede in your heartes But if you trust in the worthinesse thereof and thinke * thereby to deserue my fauour it is wicked and abhominable in my sight Your fast is a fast of hypocrisie For in the verye day of your fasting the lust and affection of your owne will doth still continue and you * follow your sute strife and contention against your poore brother and creditour euen for a small trifle as egrely fiercely and cruelly as euer you did as though you fasted to shewe fiercenesse and violence and not to vse mildenesse and mercie Thinke you this fasting can please me when you go hanging downe your heades with presence of sorow and holinesse and in your heartes haue nothing but fiercenesse and crueltie Doth not this Fasting rather please mee That thou lose the wicked bandes c. After God hath discouered the hypocrisie of his people he now sheweth what the right Fast is that he delighteth in and what the true meanes is to procure hys Fauour which he noteth in twoo poyntes The one that they vse * clemencie towarde their Creditours and ease them of the wicked bondes of vsurie and extortion wherein they haue wrapped them and take from them the heauie burthens and yokes by which they doe oppresse them driue them oftentimes to sel landes goodes and all that euer they haue and to leaue wife and children in most miserable beggerie The other poynt is mercie and * liberalitie to the poore and needie and to such as be in affliction or trouble anie way whome to the vttermost of their power with theyr substaunce they ought to relieue considering that they are their owne fleshe and creatures of the same God which hath giuen them abundance Vnder these are conteyned all the workes of mercie Then shall the light breake forth as the morning and thy health flourish c. Nowe followeth ample and great rewardes wherewith they shall be blessed that vse these workes of mercie First their Light that is their felicie good successe shall breake out and be euident to all men Secondly their helth and good estate shall flourishe and encrease dayly more and more Thirdly their Iustice shall haue good * testimonie and fauour before God who of his mercie will accept it Fourthly God shall embrace them and saue them harmelesse in * all their necessities Fiftly God will heare their prayers and be * ready whensoeuer they call vpon him If thou layest awaye from them thy burthens and holdest thy fingers c. That the things may more deepely sinke into memorie he repeateth againe the same workes of mercie and in other wordes the same promises of rewarde In the middes of thy Darknesse that is of thy Aduersitie thy Light that is thy Felicity shall spring vp and thy aduersitie shall be turned into felicitie The Lord shal alway be thy guide thy Patrone and Defender â–ª In the time of drought scarcitie he shall plentifully satisfie thy hartes desire and fill thy bones with marrow and make thee strong Thou shalt euer Prosper and spring like a newe watered Garden and like a Fountaine that is neuer drie â–ª Yea thou shalt so grow in welth as thou shalt not onely aduance thine owne decayed familie and kindred but to the benefite of the common weale repaire Places and Waies wasted fallen to ruine and so haue the name of the
fire and wood but where is the beast for a whole burnt sacrifice 8 Abraham aunswered My sonne God will prouide a beast for a whole burnt sacrifice and so they went both together 9 And when they came to the place which God had shewed him Abraham buylt an aulter there and dressed the woodde and bound Isahac his sonne and layde him on the aulter aboue vpon the wood 10 And Abraham stretching forth his hande tooke the kniâ—e to haue killed his sonne 11 And the angell of the Lorde called vnto him from heauen saying Abraham Abraham And he sayde Here am I. 12 And he sayde Lay not thy hande vpon the childe neyther doe any thing vnto him for nowe I knowe that thou fearest God hast for my sake net spared thine onely sonne 13 And Abraham lifting vp his eyes looked and beholde behinde him there was Ramme caught by the hornes in a thicket and Abraham went and sooke the Ramme and offered him vp for a whole burnt offering in the stéede of his sonne 14 And Abraham called the name of the place The Lorde will sée As it is sayde this day In the mount will the Lorde be seene 15 And the aungell of the Lorde cried vnto Abraham from heauen the seconde tyme. 16 And sayd By my selfe haue I sworne sayth the Lord because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thyne onely sonne 17 That in blessing I will blesse thée and in multiplying I will multiplie thy séede as the starres of heauen and as the sande which is vpon the sea syde and thy séede shall possesse the gates of his enimies 18 And in thy séede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast heard my voyce 19 So turned Abraham againe vnto his yong men and they rose vp and went together to Béer-saba and Abraham dwelt at Béer-saba 20 And after these things one tolde Abraham saying Beholde Milcha she hath also borne children vnto thy brother Nachor 21 Hus his eldest sonne and Buz his brother and Camuel the father of the Syrians 22 And Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Iidlaph and Bethuel 23 And Bethuel begat Rebecca These eight did Milcha beare to Nachor Abrahams brother 24 And his concubine called Reumah she bare also Tebah and Gaham Thahas and Maacha The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Genesis After these sayings God did tempt Abraham and sayde vnto him c. MOses in this Chapter setteth forth a singuler and rare History and in deede woonderfull whether you consider God commaunding the thing or Abraham obeying and readie to perfourme it In that he sayth God tempted Abraham we must vnderstande that God tempteth not * as the Deuill and his Ministers doe to induce a man to sinne but to Trie and Prooue hys faith that not because he is ignorant what is eueÌ„ in the Secrets of mans heart But eyther that he may knowe his owne weakenesse as he did to the * Israelites in the desert or to the ende that that thing which is excellent in him may be notoriously knowne to the example of all other and to the aduauncement of his glorie And so doth he in this place tempt Abraham to set before the eyes of all posteritie a singuler example of Faith and Obedience Take thy sonne thine onely sonne Isahac whome thou louest c. This Tentation ryseth by sundrie degrees to an exceeding great triall of the fayth of Abraham to kill any Innocent person may seeme an vniust and cruell thing much more to kill not one of his Aliance and kindred onelye but his owne naturall Sonne yea and his Onely sonne and that onely sonne that he at the appoyntment of God loued so tenderly and vpon * whom the Fulfilling of the promise and blessing of God did seeme to depende this I say was a marueylous triall of his fayth And it was no small tentation also that it might seeme vncredible that the true and lyuing God should nowe delite in the sacrifice of mans bloud It was neuer before done Nor Adam nor Abel nor Noe were willed to doe the like Yea God him selfe had shewed Gen. 9. that he detested the shedding of mans bloud Therefore Abraham might haue suspected that this commaundement was not of God but of the Deuill to drawe him and his sonne to the displeasure of God and to defeate and ouerthrow the fulfilling of the blessing of all the Nations in earth by his seede But so * strong was Abrahams faith as al this could not shake it no not though both he and his wife were past children by the course of Nature Then Abraham rose vp early in the morning and sadled his Asse c. This is in Abraham an example of a wonderfull Obedience It maye appeare that this man euen from the beginning of his calling had setled his minde both constantly to Beleue whatsoeuer God promised were it neuer so vnpossible to humaine reason and also wyllingly to obey that he was commaunded by him though it seemed neuer so lothsome displeasant and odious in the sight of the worlde He * forsooke his naturall countrie He liued wyllingly as an exile in a straunge land being pressed with * famine He bare it paciently and went into Egypt He by the appointment of God put from his his elder sonne * Ismaell whome he loued and setled his hope altogither vpon the yonger And nowe sheweth himselfe readie to offer his life also at the coÌ„maundement of the Lord Such is the fayth and obedience of the saintes of god For they alwaye cleaue to the sincere and Simple worde and commaundement of god If there be any thing therein that seemeth difficulte straunge or absurde that they leaue to the wisedome and prouidence of God to the vnderstanding wherof they are not hable to attaine And in deede right Faith Obedience are grounded and stayed vpon these two things that is the Truth and the Omnipotencie of god If his promise seeme vnpossible thereby shake our faith it is Staied vp by the consideration of his Truth For he can not * but speake that is True seeme it neuer so vnpossible And againe if we doubt of the truth we strengthen our selues with his Omnipotency and therefore appeare it to mans weakenesse neuer so vntrue yet God is hable to performe it With these two pyllers did Abraham stay vp his fayth and set forwarde is readie obedience that is declared in all this historie And Abraham stretching forth his arme tooke the knife to haue killed c. Nowe the purpose of God is opened and the matter declared that whatsoeuer GOD caused Abraham hitherto to do was not to this ende that his sonne should be Sacrificed but that his fayth and Obedience toward God should be tried and testified to the worlde For when Abraham had prepared and done all thinges and was nowe in readinesse to haue offered vp his Son in sacrifice the Angell of
is a difference betweene Lying and Dissimuling A godly and wise Man in time and place may Dissemble and not vtter his Purpose But none sauing wicked and vaine persons doe Lie. As touching the Lande of Chanaan promised * to them by God what did it appertaine to Pharao to knowe In that Moyses is taught to say they should goe three dayes iourney into the wildernesse to Sacrifice to God it was no Vntruth For in Exod. 24. it is declared they did so And I am sure the king of Egipt will not let them go no not in a mightie c. God telleth Moyses of this before least when it shoulde so fall out hereafter it myght shake Moyses his fayth and make him to Doubt of his calling So God vseth often to Forewarne his Elect of such Stormes as are to come least in the time of their troubles they should Faint and Mistrust his gracious Promises of comfort and blessing So our Sauiour Christ tolde his Apostles when he sent them to preach They shall delyuer you vp sayth he vnto their counsailes and shal whip you And againe Ioh. 15. If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also And Ioh. 16. The tyme shall come when they that kill you shall thinke them selues to doe acceptable service to God. These things haue I tolde you sayth Christ that when they come to passe you maye not be offended therwith but remember that I haue forewarned you And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egipt with all my wonders c â–ª He doth againe Comforte Moyses with the promise of his Mightie assistance and the great Successe that he wyll worke for hym and hys people But this may seeme straunge that God sayth he will helpe the Israelites to Spoyle and Robbe the Egiptians We must learne that the Eternall God and Lorde of Heauen and Earth that made the Lawe is not bounde and tyed by his owne law Therfore that the Israelites do by the appointment of God is no Breach of his law but a work of Obedience to his holy will. * GOD is Lorde of all things neyther hath any Man any thing but that he hath at Gods hande and that not in perpetuall Possession but so of Loan for the time that he may without vniustice take it away from any It was Iustice also before God that they which had beene Enriched by the Oppression and iniurie of the people of God should also by the appointment of God haue their Iniurious gotten Goodes taken from them by the same People But I must often repeate this that such Extraordinarie Acts done by the especiall Commaundement of God are not to be drawne into the Example of common life The fift Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 5. MOyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and folde Pharao Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel Let my people go that they may holde a feast vnto me in the wildernesse 2 And Pharao saide Who is the Lorde that I should heare his voyce and let Israell go I knowe not the Lorde neyther will I let Israell go 3 And they sayde The God of the Hebrues hath called vs let vs go we pray thée thrée daies iourney into the desert and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God least he smite vs with pestilence or with the sworde 4 Then sayde the King of Egypt vnto them Wherfore doe ye Moyses and Aaron let the people from their workes get you vnto your burdens 5 And Pharao saide furthermore Beholde there is much people nowe in the lande and you make them leaue their burdens 6 And Pharao commaunded the same day the taskmaysters which were amongst the people and the officers saying 7 Ye shall geue the people no more strawe to make bricke withall as ye did in time past let them go and gather them strawe themselues 8 And the number of brick which they were wont to make in tyme past lay vnto their charges also and minishe nothing thereof for they be Idle and therefore crye saying We will go and doe sacrifice vnto our God. 9 They must haue more worke laide vpon them that they may labour therein and not regarde vaine wordes 10 Then went the taskemasters of the people and the officers out and tolde the people saying Thus sayth Pharao I will giue you no more straw 11 Go your selues and gather you strawe where yée can finde it yet shall none of your labour be minished 12 And so were the people scattred abrode throughout all the lande of Egypt for to gather stubble in steade of straw 13 And the taskemaisters hasted them forwarde saying Fulfill your worke your daylie taskes in their due tyme as if you had strawe 14 And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaos taskemaisters had set ouer them were beaten And they saide vnto them Wherfore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making of bricke both yesterday and to day as well as in times past 15 The officers also of the children of Israel came and complayned vnto Pharao saying Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy seruants 16 There is no straw giuen vnto thy seruantes and they say vnto vs Make bricke and thy seruants are beaten and there is wrong done to thine owne people 17 He sayde Ye are Idle Idle are ye and therefore ye say We will go and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde 18 Go therfore nowe and worke and there shall no straw be geuen you and yet shall you deliuer the whole tale of bricke 19. And the officers of the children of Israel dyd sée that they were in worsâ— caâ—e after it was sayde Ye shall minishe nothing of your bricke of your daylie taske in due tyme. 20 And they met Moyses and Aaron which stoode in their way as they came out from Pharao 21 And saide vnto them The Lorde looke vpon you and iudge you which hath made the sauour of vs to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharao and in the eyes of his seruants and haue put a sworde in their hande to sâ—ay vs. 22 Moyses returned vnto the Lorde and sayde Lorde wherefore hast thou so euil entreated this people And wherfore hast thou sent me 23 For since I came to Pharao to speake in thy name he hath fared foule with this folke and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people at all The Exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Exodus Moyses and Aaron went in afterwarde and tolde Pharao Thus saith c. AFter Moyses and Aaron had nowe purchased Credite with the Israelites as is mentioned in the * former Chapiter they enter nowe into the execution of their office for the deliuerance of the people of God and speake vnto Pharao for them This was in them a great Obedience vnto God in a matter verie vnlike for them to bring to passe in the sight of the worlde and ioyned with their great perill and daunger in dealing with so sterne and Obstinate a Tyranne Their obedience to
not let the children of Israel go 21 And the Lord saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thy hand vnto heauen that there maye be vpon the lande of Egypt darkenesse which maye be felt 22 And Moyses stretched forth his hande vnto heauen and there was a thicke darkenesse vpon all the lande of Egypt thrée daies 23 No man saw another neyther rose vp from the place where he was by the space of thrée daies But all the children of Israel had light where they dwelled 24 And Pharao called for Moyses and â—ayde Go and serue the Lorde onely let your shéepe and your oxen abide and let your children go with you 25 And Moyses saide Thou must geue vs also sacrifice and whole burnt offerings for to doe sacrifice vnto the Lord our God. 26 Our cattell also shall go with vs and there shall not one hoofe be left behinde for thereof must we take to serue the Lorde our God neyther doe we knowe with what we must doe seruice vnto the Lorde vntill we come thither 27 But the Lorde hardened Pharaos heart and he would not let them go 28 And Pharao saide vnto hym Get thée from me take héede vnto thy selfe that thou séest my face no more for whensoeuer thou commest in my sight thou shalt die 29 And Moyses saide Let it be as thou hast saide I will sée thy face no more The Exposition vpon the .ix. and .x. Chapter of Exodus The Lorde saide vnto Moyses goe vnto Pharao for I haue hardened c. IN these two Chapiters read this day in the Church are recited sundrie of those plagues wherewyth God Punished Pharao and wrought the Deliuerie of the People out of Egipt And because God was determined to set his People at Freedome and was hable * with one Breath to haue confounded Pharao ouerthrown the Whole power of the Egiptians a man myght marueyle why he dyd Deferre the tyme so long and worke so many Meane miracles whereas he might haue brought it to passe with one Mightie and terrible worke Seing especially that God did know that Pharao would not repent and yeeld To this cogitation GOD himselfe answereth in the .13 14. 15. and 16. verses of thys nynth Chapiter Go thy wayes sayth God to Moyses and tell Pharao c. let my people goe serue me or else at this tyme I wil send al my plagues vpon thyne hart and vpon thy seruants and on thy people that thou may est know there is none like me in al the earth c. And in verye deede for this cause haue I kept thee to shewe thee my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde Here haue we an euident cause why GOD did so long Suffer the wicked and obdurate hart of Pharao that is that God might * set forth his Glorie and by this terrible Example be knowne to the whole worlde That he was a Mightie God hable to breake the power of their Enimies were they neuer so Obstinate and Stiffe harted against hym That he was a Seuere God and * would terriblie punishe the Obdurate vnrepentant sinners Yea though they be neuer so great Kings Princes That he is a Wise God that can Turne the wicked Malice and Obstinacie of sinners to the Working of his greater glory That he is a Carefull and mercifull God towarde his people and for their defence and deliuerance will not sticke to Breake and Pull downe euen Mightie Princes and people There is also an other cause why God doth here Suffer Pharao at other times Beare with other Grieuous sinners and onely for the time punishe them with Light Meane plagues and this is By his great Lenitie Sufferance and Mildenesse if it might be to bring them to repentance or otherwise if they will not repent that they shall declare themselues to the worlde to bee Vnexcusable and God in his Iudgement when he doth confounde them to be a iuste god Of this Cause speaketh Paule Rom. 2. Eyther despisest thou the ryches of his goodnesse and long sufferance not knowing that the kindenesse of God leadeth thee to repentance c. When God is sayd To harden the hart of Pharao we maye not thinke that God doth Force and Compell Pharao to sinne or that the blame of his obstinacie and vnrepentant hart can iustly be laide vpon God * For God doth neyther worke Sinne himselfe nor would haue it to be Wrought of other But God by his seruantes Moyses Aaron offered to Pharao his holye worde and great miracles and he being of nature Wicked and waywarde from God and vtterly destitute of his holy Spirit of which al Inclination to goodnesse commeth did more and more Harden his harte and Withstande the will of god For the Corrupt nature of man without the singuler grace of God when he heareth Gods worde and will declared to him doth not only not yeelde vnto it but more and more stormeth against both the Worde it selfe and the Messengers that bring it For naturall man vnderstandeth not those things that are of God no nor cannot Wherefore when we see in these Chapiters that all endeuour is vsed both by God and by his seruauntes to perswade Pharao and yet that he is nothing Mooued eyther by his Worde or by his threatnings or by his Miracles or by the counsaile and aduertisement of Moyses and Aaron yea or of his owne subiectes we are taught that all the Workes endeuours of Man to bring sinners from their obstinacy vnto the Imbracing of Gods holy will is all Vaine vnlesse it please God also to worke by his holye spirite Wherefore we must submit our selues to the mightie hande of God in his secreat iudgementes and continually in our prayers * craue the assistance of his grace and good spirite which may so worke in vs that both we our selues may humbly Receiue the worde of GOD and that our endeuour to perswade other may by him be Effectuall Moreouer when there happeneth vnto vs vnseasonable Weathering Plagues and other sicknesses of sundrie sortes terrible Nayle Thunder and Lightning Murraine of cattaile Destruction of corne or fruites by blast Vermine or otherwise we must by these examples learne that they come not by Chaunce or by naturall causes onely but that they are Sent of God as Punishmentes of our Sinne and Disobedience to the will and worde of God and as * Meanes to bring vs to Repentance or else that God will lay on vs continually mo of his Plagues vntill he bring vs to Vtter confusion as hee did Pharao and the Egyptians All whose Disobedience sprange of this Roote that they Contemned the worde of God brought vnto them by his seruantes The Contempt whereof if repentaunce did not preuent it God hath alway punished with Induration and vtter Desolation When we reade that the Israelites were cleare from all those grieuous Plagues with which the Aegyptians were punished we muste to our comfort consider
so in the land whither ye go to possesse it 6 Kepe them therfore do them for that is your wisedom and vnderstanding in the syght of the people that they may heare all these ordinances and say Surely it is a wise and vnderstanding people it is a great nation 7 For what other nation is so great that gods come so nie vnto as the Lord our God is nie vnto vs in all things as oft as we call vnto him 8 Yea and what nation is so greate that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day 9 Take héed to thy self therfore and kéepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thyne eyes haue séen and that they depart not out of thy heart all the days of thy life but teach them thy sonnes thy sonnes sonnes 10 Specially the day that thou stodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb when the Lorde sayde vnto me Gather me the people together and I will make them heare my words that they may learne to feare me all the days that they shal liue vpon the earth that they may teach their children 11 Ye came and stode also vnder the mountayn the mountayn burnt with fire euen vnto the middes of heauen and there was darknesse cloudes mist 12 And the Lord spake vnto you oute of the middes of the fire and ye hearde the voyce of the wordes but sawe no similitude but hearde a voyce onely 13 And he declared vnto you his couenant which he commaunded you to do euen ten commaundements which he wrote vpon two tables of stone 14 And the Lord cōmaunded me that same season that I should teach you ordinances and lawes which ye ought to do in the land whither ye go to possesse it 15 Take therefore good héede vnto your selues as pertaining vnto your soules for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of fire 16 Lest ye marre your selues make you a grauen image picture of any maner of figure whether it be the likenesse of man or woman 17 The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that flyeth in the ayre 18 Or the likenesse of any maner worme that créepeth on the earth or the likenesse of any maner fish that is in the waters beneath the earth 19 Yea and lest thou lift vp thyne eyes vnto heauen and when thou séest the sunne the Moone and the starres with al the hoast of heauen shuldest be driuen to worship them and serue them and shuldest worship and serue the things which the Lord thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen 20 But the Lord hath taken you and brought you out of the yron fornace euen out of Egypte to be vnto him a people and inheritaunce as ye be this daye 21 Furthermore the Lord was angrie with me for youre wordes and sware that I should not go ouer Iordane that I should not go in vnto that good lande which the Lorde thy God giueth thée to inheritance 22 But I muste dye in this land and shall not go ouer Iordane but ye shall go ouer and possesse that good land 23 Take héed vnto your selues that ye forget not the appointment of the Lord your God which he made with you that ye make you no grauen image or likenesse that the lord thy God hath forbidden thée 24 For the lord thy God is a cōsuming fire a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children and thy children beget children and shalte haue remained long in the lande if ye do wickedly and make any maner of grauen image and worke euill in the sight of the Lorde thy God to prouoke him to anger 26 I call heauen and earth to recorde against you this daye that ye shall shortly perishe from of the lande wherunto you go ouer Iordane to possesse it ye shall not prolong your dayes therein but shall vtterly be destroyed 27 And the Lord shal scatter you among the people and ye shal be left fewe in number among the nations whither the Lord shall bring you 28 And there ye shall serue Gods which are the work of mans hande wood and stone which neither sée nor heare nor eate nor smell 29 If frō thence thou shalt seke the Lord thy God thou shalt finde him * if thou seke him with all thy heart and with all thy soule 30. When thou art in tribulation and when all these things that be here spoken of are come vppon thée euen in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lorde thy God and shalt be obedient vnto his voyce 31 For the Lorde thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake thée neither destroye thée nor forget the appoyntment of thy fathers which he sware vnto them 32 For aske of the dayes that are paste which were before and since the day that God created man vpō the earth and aske from the one side of heauē vnto the other if euer there came to passe suche a great thing or whether anye such like thing hath ben hearde as this 33 Did euer any people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the middes of a fire as thou hast heard yet lyued 34 Or hath God assayed to go and take him a people frō among nations by temptations by signes by wonders by warre by a mighty hande by a stretched out arme and by great sightes according to all that the Lord your God dyd vnto you in Egipt before your eyes 35 Vnto thée it was shewed that thou mightest knowe that the Lord is God and that there is none other but he 36 Out of heauen he made thée heare his voyce that he might instruct thée and vpō earth he shewed thée his great fire thou heardest his word out of the middest of the fire 37 And bycause he loued thy fathers he chose their séede after thē and brought thée out in his sighte w his mightie power * out of Egipt 38 To thrust out natiōs greater mightier than thou before thée to bring thée in to geue thée their land to inheritāce as it is come to passe this day 39 Vnderstand therfore this day and consider it in thine hearte that the Lorde is God in heauen aboue and vpon the earth beneath neither is there any other 40 Thou shalt kepe therfore his ordināces hys commaūdements which I cōmaund thée this day y it may go wel with thée with thy childrē after thée and that thou maist prolong thy dayes vpō the earth which the lord thy God geueth thée for euer 41 Then Moyses seuered thrée cities on the other syde of Iordane toward the sun rising 42 That he shoulde flée thither whych had kylled hys neighboure vnwares and hated him not in
that can more moue either a godly person or anye man of common sense and reason to loue and obey one than to consider hys great works and benefites done for his defence and deliuerance out of thraledome and miserye Therefore Moyses willeth the children of Israell to descend into earnest * consideration with themselues how great and maruellous workes God had done for them That he chose them firste as his peculiar people among all the nations of the earth that when they were holden in miserable * captiuitie vnder the tyrannye of the Egiptians of his meere mercy without any regard of their worthynes and farre beyond their hope or expectation he by mightie * power deliuered them By his own voyce with great maiestie of signes and wonders he published hys law vnto them that they might not be ignorant of hys holye will and commaundementes He maruellously gaue victory vnto them against mighty * kings and Nations and to bring them into a blessed lande and countrey by his power not * their might he turned out the inhabitants thereof before them Therefore if after so great and many benefites they should reuolt from this so gratious mercifull and mightye a God they should shewe themselues very vnthankfull and worthy of great punishments TheÌ„ Moyses seuered three Cityes on the otherside of Iordane c. Bicause it semed not iust in the sight of God that they which had committed manslaughter vnwillingly by casualtie and chaunce should be punished as wilfull murderers or those that wittingly doe kil men or commit any other hainous offence Therefore God appoynted Moyses to assigne sixe Cities that myght be as sanctuaries for such persons to resorte vnto for their salftie Of which these are three that Moyses here in this place speaketh of Of the ordaining of these Cities of refuge you may read Num. 35. Deut. 19. Iosua 20. The thirde Sundaye after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deut. 5. AND Moyses called all Israel sayd vnto them Heare O Israel the ordinances and lawes whiche I speake in your eares this daye that ye may learne them fulfill them in déede 2 The Lord our God made a couenaÌ„t with vs in Horeb. 3 The Lorde made not this couenaunt with our fathers but with vs euen with vs which are al here alyue this day 4 The Lorde talked with you face to face in the mount out of the middes of the fire 5 And I stoode betwéen the Lord and you the same time and shewed you the word of the Lord For ye were afrayde at the sight of the fire and went not vp into the mount and he sayd 6 I am the Lord thy God which brought thée out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage 7 Thou shalt haue none other gods in my presence 8 Thou shalt make thée no grauen image or any likenes of that which is in heauen aboue or that is in earth beneath or that is in the waters beneath the earth 9 Thou shalt neither bowe thy selfe vnto them nor worship them for I the Lord thy God am a Ielous God visiting the wickednesse of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation among them that hate me 10 And shewe mercy vpon thousands among them y loue mée and kepe my commaundementes 11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him giltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 12 Kepe the sabbath day that thou sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée 13 Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe 14 But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter nor thy man seruauÌ„t nor thy maide nor thine Oxe nor thine Asse nor any of thy â—â—ttell nor the stranger that is within thy gaâ—es that thy man seruaunt and thy maide maye rest as well as thou 15 Remember that thou wast a seruaunte in the lande of Egipt how that the Lord thy God brought thée out thence through a mightie hand a stretched out arme For which cause the Lord thy God coÌ„maunded thée to kepe the Sabbath day 16 Honour thy father and thy mother as the Lord thy God hath commaunded thée that thy dayes maye be prolonged and that it may go well with thée in the land which the Lord thy God geueth thée 17 Thou shalt not kyll 18 Thou shalt not commit adulterie 19 Thou shalt not steale 20 Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour 21 Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wife thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house his fielde his seruant or his maide his Oxe his Asse or ought that thy neighbour hath 22 These wordes the Lord spake vnto all your multitude in the mount out of the middes of the fire of the cloude of the darknesse with a great voyce added no more therto and wrote them in two tables of stone and deliuered them vnto me 23 And it came to passe that when ye heard the voyce out of the middes of the darknesse for the mountaine dyd burne with fire then ye came vnto me with the Captaines of your tribes and your Elders 24 And ye said Behold the Lorde our God hath shewed vs his glory and his greatnesse we haue hearde his voyce oute of the middes of the fire we haue séene this daye that God doth talke with man and he yet liueth 25 Now therfore why shoulde we dye that this great fire should consume vs If we heare the voyce of y Lord our God any more we shall die 26 For what flesh hath it bene that euer heard the voyce of the liuing God speaking oute of the middes of the fire as we haue done and yet did liue 27 Go thou and heare all that the Lord our God saith and tell thou vnto vs all that the Lord our God saith vnto thée we will heare it and doe it 28 And the Lorde hearde the voyce of your words when ye spake vnto me and the Lorde saide vnto me I haue heard the voyce of the wordes of this people which they haue spoken vnto thée they haue wel said all that they haue spoken 29 Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me kepe all my commaundements alway that it might go well with them and with their children for euer 30 Go and say vnto them Get you into your tentes againe 31 But stand thou here by me and I will tell thée all the commaundements ordinances lawes which thou shalt teach them that they may doe them in the land which I geue them to possesse 32 Take hede therefore that ye doe in déede as the Lorde your God hath commaunded you and turne not aside either to the righte hande or to the
and the straunger the fatherlesse and the widdowe that are among you in the place whyche the Lorde thy God hathe chosen to put hys name there 12 And remember that thou waste a seruant in Egypte and thou shalte obserue and doe these ordinaunces 13 Thou shalte also obserue the Feast of Tabernacles seuen dayes after that thou hast gathered in thy corne and thy wine 14 And thou shalt reioyce in thy feast thou and thy sonne thy daughter thy seruaunt and thy maide the Leuite the straunger and the fatherlesse and the Widowe that are within thy gates 15 Seuen dayes shalte thou kéepe a solemne feast vnto the Lorde thy God in the place which the Lorde shall choose for the Lorde thy God shall blesse thée in all thy fruites and in all the workes of thine handes therfore shalte thou be glad 16 Thrée times in a yéere shall all thy males appeare before the Lorde thy God in the place whiche he shall choose in the feast of unleaucned because in the feast os weekes and in the feast Tabernacles and they shall not appeare before the Lorde emptie 17 Euery man shall geue according to the gift of his hand and according to the blessing of the Lorde thy God which he hath geuen thée 18 Iudges and officers shalt thou make thée in all thy cities which the Lord thy God geueth thée throughout thy tribes and they shal iudge the people with iust iudgement 19 Wrest not thou the lawe nor knowe anye person neither take anye rewarde for giftes doe blinde the eyes of the wyse and peruert the wordes of the righteous 20 That whiche is iuste and righte shalte thou folowe that thou mayest lyue and enioye the lande whych the Lord thy God geueth thée 21 Thou shalte plante no groue of anye trées neare vnto the aulter of the Lorde thy God which thou shalt make thée 22 Thou shalte set thée vp no Piller which the Lord the God hateth The Exposition vpon the .xvj. Chapter of Deuteronomie Obserue the moneth of newe corne that thou maiest offer the Passouer c. THe Israelites in this place are commauÌ„ded wyth all diligence to obserue the three principall Feastes wherein they were appointed especially to resort to the place that the Lorde would choose that is the Citie of Hierusalem The first Feast was the Passouer called here the Moneth of nevvecorne and by vs noted vnder the name of Easter The second was Pentecost called here the Feast of vveekes and by vs VVhitsontide The thirde was the Feast of Tabernacles As touchyng the Passouer there is more large declaration of it vpon Exodus 12. redde on Easter day It was solemnised the first moneth that is the moneth of Marche and here is called the Moneth of nevve corne bycause fruite and graine then began to growe toward ripening For in those countries being many degrees more Southward narre the sunne Haruest is much sooner than with vs Northwarde At this Feast besyde other ceremonyes they were appoynted to offer vnto God a certayne small portion of their eares of new corne therby confessyng that theyr towardnesse of Haruest was of Gods onely goodnes and also praying that he would vouchsafe to prosper to their vse that which was on the grounde for this cause especiallye is the tyme of this Feast called the Moneth of newe corne The principall cause of the Institution* of the Passouer was to put them in continuall remembrance of Gods maruellous benefite in passing away his plague from them and not striking them when hys Angell* killed all the firste borne of Egipte At this Feast by the space of seueÌ„ dayes they might eate no leauened bread whereby they were put in minde of their Hastie dispatch out of Egipte For albeit Pharao was obstinately set not to let them goe yet God by his mighty plagues so Brake his harte that he did not onely deliuer them but forced them to depart with such spede as they coulde not abyde to leuen their dowe but caried it away on their shoulders Whiche their hastie departure â—â—s some trouble to them and thereof doth this vnleauened bread put them in remembrance and for that cause is called here The bread of tribulation As for all other ceremonies appertainyng to this Feast they are expounded in the chapiter aboue mentioned Seuen weekes shalt thou number to thee and beginne to number c. From the day after that the Measure or Portion of newe corne was offered vnto the Lorde whiche I thinke was in the ende of the Feast of Passouer reckning seueÌ„ ful Sabathes or wekes to the nexte daye after the seuen weekes ended are iuste fiftye dayes was the time appoynted for the Pentecost called here the Feast of vveekes and in Exodus 23 The Feast of Haruest and wyth vs as I haue sayd is named VVhitsontide The firste cause of the ordynance of thys Feaste was that they mighte remember the Libertie that God had geuen them and shewe themselues thankefull for the same For fiftie dayes after their comming out of Egipte God gaue them the Lawe in Mount Sinay and first ordained them a free State and Policie by peculiar Lawes among themselues whereas before they were in bondage and lyued in miserable oppression vnder the Lawes and * tyrannie of the Egiptians An other cause of the Institution hereof was that they myghte offer a newe Oblation vnto God that is two Loaues of new Corne baked as the first Fruites in way of thankesgeuing to the Lorde So that they did not offer onelye the Measure of Newe corne before Haruest but Oblation also towarde the ende of Harueste And thereby are taughte as We also shoulde be that the Fruites of Harueste come not eyther of the Fertilitie of the grouÌ„d or of their owne Labour and trauayle but of the singuler Fauour and Blessing of God and therefore that they should vse the same not to Ryote and DrunkeÌ„nesse but wyth reuerence and * thankesgeuyng The third cause of the Institution was that it might be a figure both of the true Libertie of conscience and of the spirituall Haruest that was to come vnder the true Moyses and Deliuerer Christ Iesu For euen as fiftye dayes after the deliuerie of the Chyldren of Israell oute of Egipte they had the Lawe geuen them in Mounte Sinay So the fiftieth daye after oure deliuerance from the Tyrannie of Sinne and Sathan by the Deathe and Resurrection of Christe whiche was the true* Passouer The holye Ghoste was sente downe from Heauen which myghte not onelye wryte the eternall lawe of God in oure heartes make vs free Citizens of the heauenly Hierusalem but also by the Apostles and other good Ministers labourers might* gather together the Spirituall Haruest of God throughoute the whole worlde and that all Faithfull might receyue the firste Fruites of the benefytes of hys Deathe and Resurrection We do not therfore Obserue this day supersticiously bicause the like was ordeined among
say vnto them thus sayth the Lorde God Yet in this also your fathers haue blasphemed me and grieuously transgressed against me 28 For after I had brought them into the lande for the which I lifted vp my hande to giue it vnto them when they sawe euery high hill and all thicke trées they offered there their sacrifices and there they presented their offering of anger there also they made their swéete sauours and powred out their wine offerings 29 And I saide vnto them What is that high place wherevnto ye resort and the name of it is called Bamah vnto this day 30 Wherefore speake vnto the house of Israel thus sayth the Lord God Are ye not defyled in the waies of your fathers and commit ye not whordome after their abhominations 31 For when ye offer your giftes and make your sonnes to passe through the fyre you are polluted with all your Idols vnto this day shall I answere you when I am asked O house of Israel As I liue sayth the Lorde God I will not be sought of you 32 And that vvhich commeth into your minde shall not be at all which you say We will be as the Gentiles as the kinreds of Countreys to serue wood and stone 33 As truly as I liue sayth the Lord God I my selfe will ruâ—e you with a mightie hande with a stretched out arme and with indignation powred out ouer you 34 And I will bring you from the people and gather you out of the countreys wherein ye are scattered with a mightie hande with a stretched out arme and with indignation poured out 35 And I will bring you into the wildernesse of the people and there I wil be iudged with you face to face 36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wildernesse of Egypt so will I pleade with you also sayth the Lord God. 37 I will cause you to passe vnder the rodde and I will bring you into the bonde of the couenant 38 And I will purge out of you the rebels and them that transgresse against me and bring them out of the lande of their habitation as for the lande of Israell they shall not come in it that you may know how that I am the Lorde 39 As for you O house of Israell thus sayeth the Lorde God Go you and serue euery man his Idols séeing that ye obey not me and pollute no more my holy name with your giftes and your Idols 40 For vpon my holy hill euen vpon the hie hill of Israell sayth the Lorde God shall all the house of Israell and all that is in the lande worship me and in the same place wil I fauour them and there wil I require your heaue offeringes and the firstlings of your oblations with all your holy thinges 41 I will accept your swéete sauour when I bring you from the Nations and gather you togither out of the landes wherein you haue bene scattered that I may be hallowed in you before the heathen 42 And ye shall know that I am the Lorde when I shall bring you into the land of Israell into the land for the which I lift vp my hande to giue it vnto your fathers 43 There shall ye call to remembraunce your owne wayes and all your workes wherein ye haue bene defiled and ye shall be cut of in your owne sight for all your wickednesse that ye haue done 44 And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I deale with you for my names sake and not after your wicked wayes nor according to your corrupt workes O ye house of Israell sayth the Lorde God. 45 Moreouer the worde of the Lorde came vnto me saying 46 Thou sonne of man set thy face towarde the way of Themanah and drop thy vvorde towarde the south and prophecie towarde the forrest of the south fielde 47 And say to the forrest of the south Here the worde of the Lorde thus sayth the Lorde God Beholde I will kindle a fire in thée that shall consume all the gréene trées with all the drie the continuall flame shall not be quenched and euerie face from the south to the morth shall be burnt therein 48 And all fleshe shall sée that I the Lorde haue kindled it and it shall not be quenched 49 Then sayd I Ah Lord God they say of me Doth not he speake parables The Exposition vpon the .xx. Chapter of Ezechiel In the seuenth yeare the tenth day of the fift Moneth certaine of the elders c. THe Iewes as is sayde in the former Chapter quarreled with God and thought it extremitie that theyr Fathers wickednesse shoulde be punished in them Wherfore in this place the Prophete declareth that as there fathers were euill and rebellious against God so were the children and posteritie also and therefore that they were iustly plagued by him in respect of themselues as well as of their fathers In the verie enterance of this speech he sheweth at what time and by what Occasion he preached this vnto them In the seuenth yeare sayth he c. that is from the captiuitie and banishment of Iechonias in Babilon For from that time as it appeareth in sundrie places they began their account partly to call to remembrance the Heauie iudgements of GOD agaynst them for their sinne partly to Comfort themselues with the promise of deliuerance after .70 weekes or yeares prophecyed vnto them by Hieremie and Daniell The occasion of this speach of Ezechiel is the same that was in .14 Chapter that is the comming of the Elders of Israel vnto him to haue answere from God of their estate and captiuitie that they were in They pretended to reuerence the Prophete as a father and instructer and that they were desyrous to learne at his hande what they should hope or what they might doe but meaning nothing lesse then syncerely to follow his teaching For if they had so purposed they woulde long before haue left those things with which God by his Prophets declared that he was greatly Displeased With like affection came they to Hieremie to consult of their fleeing into Aegypt but when hee had tolde them Gods will they would not beleeue him but followed their owne phantasie * Sedechias also coniured the same Hieremie to tell him plainly the will and purpose of God but when he heard it he made no account of it but by the motion of his Nobles cast him into prison With like affection oftentimes the Priestes the Scribes the Phariseyes the Saduces the Herodians came vnto Christ but neuer soundely to learne but rather take him in trip and thereby to worke him daunger In like sort many at this day pretende with fayre face a Loue of the truth and a Fauour of the Religion published according to the worde of God and therefore will come to Sermons and to seruice and when it serueth for their purpose will Speake agaynst Papistrie and with wordes vpholde the truth but with howe sounde minde and conscience their
power and diuine prouidence sharpely punisheth the malicious accusers Leauing herin a notable example to all princes straightly to punish and correct such as by craftie meanes seeke the destruction of the faithfull Seruants and Saintes of God. After this wrote king Darius vnto all people nations and tongues that c. The Good king could not satisfie himselfe but that he must also giue Straite charge through all his dominions that no other should be worshipped but the Liuing god As if he had sayde let decrees and proclamations no more â—inde your consciences whether they come from me or from any other if they be contrary to the law of Daniels god I my selfe haue learned howe farre mans lawes should take place and when they are to be abrogated * It is farre better to obey God then to obey man. I am but mortall dust and ashes but the true God liueth for euer He can punish and he can rewarde He therfore is to be feared They that put their trust in him as Daniel hath done can not lacke defence He liueth and is present when he seemeth to be absent and to neglect the care of his people He deliuereth when helpe and succour is lest looked for and in extremitie of daunger fayleth not Wherefore our commaundement is that you neyther feare nor worship any God but him The .20 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ioel. 2. BLowe vp a trumpet in Sion and showte in my holy hill let all the inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the Lorde is come for it is nie at hande 2 A darke and glomie day a clowdie and blacke day as the morning is spread ouer the mountaynes so is this populous and strong people like it there was none from the beginning nor shall be hereafter for euermore 3 Before him is a deuouring fire and behinde him a butning flame the lande is as a pleasant garden before him and behinde him a wast desert yea and nothing shall escape him 4 The shew of him is as the shew of horses and lyke horsemen so shall they runne 5 Lyke the noyse of charets vpon the toppes of the mountaynes they shall skip like the noyse of a flaming fire deuouring the stubble and as a strong people prepared to battayle 6 Before his face shall the people tremble the countenaunce of all folkes shall waxe blacke 7 They shall runne like strong men and clime the walles like men of warre and euery one shall march on in his way and they shall not linger in their pathes 8 No man shall thrust another but euery one shall walke in his path and if they shall fall on the sworde they shall not be wounded 9 They shall runne to and fro in the citie they shall runne vp and downe vpon the wal they shall clime into the houses they shall enter in at the windowes like a théefe 10 The earth shall quake before him the heauens shall tremble the sunne and the moone shall be darke and the starres shall withdraw their shining 11 And the Lorde shall giue his voyce before his hoast for his campe is excéeding great for he is mightie that executeth his commaundement for the day of the Lorde is great and verie terrible and who can abyde it 12 But nowe sayth the Lorde Turne you vnto me with all your heartes with fasting with wéeping and with mourning 13 And rent your heartes and not your garmentes and turne you vnto the Lorde your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great goodnesse and he will repent him of the euill 14. Who knoweth whether the Lorde will returne and take compassion and will leaue behinde him a blessing euen meate offering and drinke offering vnto the Lorde your God. 15 Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion proclame a fast cal an assembly sanctifie the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ 16 Gather the people gather the elders assemble the children and sucking babes let the Bridegrome come forth of his chamber and the bride out of hir closet 17 Let the Priestes the Lordes ministers wéepe betwixt the porch and the aulter and let them say Spare thy people O Lorde and giue not ouer thine heritage to reproche that the heathen should rule ouer them Wherefore should they say amongst the heathen Where is their God 18 And then the Lorde will be iealous ouer his lande and will spare his people 19 Yea the Lorde will answere and say to his people Beholde I will sende you corne and wiâ—e and oyle and will satisfie you therewith and will not giue you ouer any more to be a reproch among the heathen 20 And I will remoue farre of from you the northen armie and I will driue him into a lanÌ„de barren and desolate with his face towards the east sea and his hinder parts towardes the vttermost sea and his stinch shall arise and his corruption shall ascend because he hath exalted himselfe to doe this 21 Feare not O thou lande be glad and reioyce for the Lorde will doe great things 22 Be not afraide ye beastes of the fielde for the fruitfull places of the desert are gréene for the trée beares hir fruite the figge trée and the vine yéelde their strength 23 Be glad then ye children of Sion and reioyce in the Lord your God for he hath giuen you moderate raine and he will sende downe for you the raine euen the first raine and the latter raine and in the first moneth 24 And the barnes shall be filled with corne and the presses shall ouerflowe with wine and oyle 25 And I will restore to you the yeres which the grashopper the canker worme the locuste and the caterpiller haue deuoured my great armie which I sent amongst you 26 And you shall eate in plentie and be satisfied and shall prayse the name of the Lorde your God which hath dealt wonderously with you and my people shall not be ashamed any more 27 And you shall know that I am in the middle of Israel and that I am the Lord your God and none but I and my people shall neuer be ashamed 28 And it shall come to passe after this I will powre out my spirite vpon all fleshe and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames your yong men shall sée visions 29 Also in those dayes vpon the seruantes and vpon the handmaydens will I powre out my spirite 30 And I will shewe wonders in heauen and in earth bloud and fyre and pillers of smoke 31 The sunne shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into bloud before that great and terrible day of the Lord come 32 But whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saued for there shall be deliuerance in mount Sion and in Hierusalem as the Lorde hath promised and also in the remnant whome the Lorde shall call The Exposition vpon the seconde Chapter of Ioel. Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion and showte in my holy
before his comming These things we haue seene in these latter dayes meruelously fulfilled in all the elements In the Sunne and Moone often Eclipses In the vpper parte of the aire blasing Starres Swoordes Pillars of fire fire Drakes flying in the Aire and other like impressions In the Earth Earthquakes and other straunge alterations In the Water many and exceding great floudes risings and swellings to the great griefe and annoyance of Mankinde And as there hath bene in all times some of those signes so in no age so manye as hath bene within these fewe yeares Whereby we must needes gather that we are fallen into those latter troublesome and perilous dayes thathere the Prophete speaketh of But whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lorde shall be saued for c. The whole summe of our* saluation consisteth in * calling vpon the name of the Lord and in putting our* confidence and trust in his mercy and deliueraunce wrought for vs by the Sauiour of the worlde Christ Iesu Who suffred and dyed for vs by his resurrection made perfect the misterie of our Redemption At Mount Sion and in Hierusalem according to the vnfallible Promises of Almightie God. The. 20. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Micheas 6. HEarken ye nowe what the Lorde sayth Aryse thou and contende with the mountaynes and let the hilles heare thy voyce 2 Heare O ye mountaynes the Lordes quarrell and ye mightie foundations of the earth for the Lorde hath a quarrell agaynst his people and will pleade with Israell 3 O my people what haue I done vnto thée or wherein haue I grieued thée giue me answere 4 I haue brought thée out of the lande of Egypt and deliuered thée out of the house of bondage and I made Moises Aaron and Miriam to lead thée 5 Remember O my people what Balach the king of Moab had deuised against thée and what answere that Balaam the sonne of Beor gaue him from Sethin vnto Galgal that ye may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lorde 6 Wherewith shall I come before the Lorde and bowe my selfe to the hie God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings and with calues of a yeare olde 7 Hath the Lord a pleasure in many thousandes of rammes or innumerable streames of oyle shall I giue my first borne for mine offences and the fruite of my bodie for the sinne of my soule 8 He hath shewed thée O man what is good and what the Lorde requireth of thée namely to do iustly to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God. 9 The Lordes voyce cryeth vnto the citie and the man that shall be saued considereth thy name hearken what is your rod and heare him that warneth you 10 Are not yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the scant measure which is abhominable 11 Shoulde I iustifie the false balances and the bagge of deceytfull weightes 12 For the rich men thereof are full of crueltie and thâ— inhabitants thereof haue spoken lies and haue deceytfull tongues in their mouthes 13 Therefore I will take in hande to punishe thée and to make thée desolate because of thy sinnes 14 Thou shalt eate and not haue inough yea thou shalt bring thy selfe downe in the middes of thée thou shalt flée but not escape and those that thou wouldest saue will I deliuer to the sword 15 Thou shalt sowe but not reape thou shalt presse out Oliues but Oyle shalt thou not haue to annoynt thy selfe with Oyle thou shalt treade out must but thou shalt drinke no wine 16 Ye kéepe the ordinances of Amri and all the customes of the house of Ahab ye walke in their counsels therefore will I make thée waste and cause thy inhabiters to be hissed at and ye shall beare the reproche of my people The Exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of Micheas Hearken you now what the Lorde sayth Arise thou and contende with c. THe Prophet Micheas blameth the Iewes for their wickednesse and declareth to them their punishment for y same 1 First he noteth their vnthankefulnesse for the great benefites that they haue receyued at his hande 2 Then he taketh from them al the confidence that they might haue had to please God with their Sacrifices and external Hypocrisie and sheweth what they should doe to please God rightly 3 Thirdly he sharpely rebuketh their obstinacie in contemâ—ing the worde of God and refusing to heare him 4 Lastly he openeth some of their particular faultes and denounceth their punishment that God will bring vpon them And all this doth he in maner of a pleading of Gods cause before Iudges which * maner the Prophetes diuerse times doe vse thereby to set out the Iustice of God and more euidently to declare that his people euen by the Iudgement of men or other common creatures are vnexcusable and by their owne wickednesse to pull vpon themselues iust and grieuous punishments In this place the Prophete by appointment of God taketh Mountaynes and Hilles and the verie Foundations of the earth to heare the cause and complaint of Almightie God agaynst his people of Israel And that is it that the Prophete vttereth in the person of God saying Arise thou and contende with the mountaynes c. And then he Obeying the appoyntment of God sayth Heare O you mountaynes the Lordes quarell c. As if he had sayde Forsomuch as the heartes of this people are so farre from God that not so much as one of them will consider and vnbe â—stande his cause I appeale to you hilles and mountaynes and make the vnsensible Creatures Iudges agaynst them In this the Prophet both noteth the hard hearts and the obstinate contempt of the Iewes particularly and also generally teacheth all then which in like maner contemne the worde of god that they shal by no meanes be hable to escape iust iudgement and condemnation For because the * who le world was made by God for vs and in all poyntes seruing to our vse perfourmeth that ende to the which it was made though all other Iudges and witnesses would fayle the very partes of the world and the coÌ„mon creatures will pronounce sentence against vs if we in our calling doe shewe our selues vnthankefull disobedient and rebellious agaynst God. O my people what haue I done vnto thee or wherein haue I grieued thee c. There is no one thing that in the Prophetes causeth more difficultie then the often and the sodaine chaunging of the Person wherefore that is here also to be obserued The second verse was vttered in the person of the Prophet these three verses God himselfe speaketh Although God were grieuously displeased with them yet he calleth them His people therby * shewing that he would be readie to receiue them to Mercie if they would turne vnto him and repente Then he lamentably vpbraideth them with the vnthankefull receiuing of his great benefites that he had done for them Whereby hee
that Woises vttereth is and leaue out that 241. b. for but oblation reade but an oblation 242. b. for had not gathered reade had now gathered 261. a. And made to them his lowe leaue it out 279. a. for of his flocke reade of his stocke 293. b. had ruled leaue out had 296. b. for to be thought that reade to be thought but that for in his flocke reade in his stocke 320. b. for moysting reade moysture 321. b. for this their beautie reade this the beautie 322. a. for by this benefite reade by his benefite 337. b. for the chil reade the children 354. a. for benefices reade benefites 355. b. for endue reade endure 350. a. in the .11 side of Ddd. for continuance reade countenance 380. b. for riches his benefites reade riches of his benefites 382. b. for other Iewes did reade other Iewes did thinke IN the Copie that the Printer vsed sundrie applications of the text were striken out bicause I thought them somewhat troublous to the vnlearned reader and bicause the quotations in the margent that were made for the confirmation of such applications were not so plainly striken out they printed the same quotations and thereby it commeth to passe that sundry of them in the margent are not fitlye to the places which they are set against as these especially that folowe Fol. 2. b. Deut. 3. b. 15. Psal 77. d. 41. Fol. 4. a. Esay 66. a. 3. Psal 51. d. 17. Psal 39. b. 9. Fol. 13. b. lo. 10. a. 3. 2. Tim. 2. c. 19. 2. Pet. 2. b. 9. Fol. 14. a. 1. Tim. 4. a. 1. Fol. 17. a. Iacob 4. e. 9. Psal 74. b. 8. Fol. 18. a. 1. Reg. 20. e. 30. Fol. 24. b. Eccle. 7. b. 14. Fol. 25. a. Exod. 5. e. 21. Rom. 7. b. 13. Fol. 57. a. Iacob 4. c. 10. Fol. 104. b. Dan. 14. a. 8. 10. Fol. 206. a. 1. Cor. 7. d. 19. Gal. 6. d. 15. Fol. 207. a Io. 4. d. 24. 2. Cor. 3. d. 17. Phil. 3. a. 3. Esay 43. b. 7. Fol. 215. b. Psal 108 d. 29. Psal 110. a. 1. Luc. 1. g. 68. Ephe. 1. a. 3. Fol. 232. a. Ephe. 4. a. 4. The first Sunday in Aduent at Morning prayer Esay 1. THe vision of Esay the sonne of Amos which he sawe vpon Iuda and Hierusalem in the dayes of Vzia and Ioathan Ahaz and Ezekia kings of Iuda 2 Heare O heauens and hearken O earth for the Lord hath spoken I haue nourished and brought vp children and they haue done vnfaythfully against mée 3 The Oxe hath knowne his owner and the Asse his maisters cribbe but Israell hath not knowne my people hath giuen no heede 4. Ah sinfullnation a people laden wyth iniquitie a seede of the wicked corrupt children they haue forsaken the Lorde they haue prouoked the holy one of Israell vnto anger they are gone backwarde 5 Why should ye be stricken any more for ye are euer falling away euery heade is diseased and euery haâ—â— heauy 6. From the sole of the foote vnto the heade there is nothing sounde in it but woundes blaynes and puâ—ifiyng sore they haue not bene sained neyther wrapped vp neyther molified wyth the oyntment 7 Your land is wasted your Cities are burnt vp straungers deuour your lande before your face and it is made desolate as it were the destruction of enimies in the time of warre 8 And the daughter of Sion shall be left as a cotage in a vineyarde like a lodge in a garden of Encumbers like a besieged Citie 9. Except the Lorde of hostes had left vs a small remnant we should haue béene as Sodoma and like vnto Gomorra 10 Heare the worde of the Lord ye Lordes of Sodoma and hearken vnto the lawe of our God thou people of Gomorra 11 Why offer ye so many sacrifices vnto me will the lord say I am full of the burnt offerings of weathers and of the fatnesse of fedde beastes I haue no pleasure in the blood of bullocks lambes goates 12 When ye come to appeare before me treading in my courtes who hath required this at your handes 13 Offer me no mo oblations for it is but lost labour incense is an abhominable thing vnto me I may not away with your newe Moones your sabbathes and solemne méetings your solemne assemblies are wicked 14 I hate your newe Moones and appoynted feastes euen from my very heart they make me wearie I cannot abide them 15 When ye holde out your handes I will turne mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers yet I will heare nothing at all seeing your handes are full of bloud 16 Wash you make you cleane put away your euill thoughtes out of my sight ceasse from doing of euill 17 Learne to doe well applie your selues to equitie deliuer the oppressed helpe the fatherlesse to his right let the widowes complaint come before you 18 And then go to sayth the Lorde let vs talke together though your sinnes be as red as scarlet they shal be as white as snowe and though they were like purple they shall be as white as wooll 19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the lande 20 But if ye be obstinate and rebellions ye shall be deuoured with the sworde for the mouth of the Lorde hath spoken it 21 Howe happeneth it then that the faythfull Citie which was full of equitie is become vnfaythfull as a whore Righteousnesse dwelt in it but now murtherers 22 Thy siluer is turned to drosse and thy wine mixt with water 23 Thy princes are wicked and companions of théeues they loue gifts altogither and gape for rewardes As for the fatherlesse they helpe him not to his right neyther will they let the widowes causes come before them 24 Therefore saith the Lorde God of hostes the mightie one of Israell Ah I must ease me of mine enimies and auenge me of mine aduersaryes 25 And I shall lay my hande vpon thée and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne 26 And set thy iudges againe as they were sometime and thy senatours as they were from the beginning and then thou shalt be called the righteous Citie the faythfull Citie 27 Sion shall be redéemed with equitie and her conuertes with righteousnesse 28 But the transgressours and the vngodly and such as forsake the Lorde shall altogither bée vtterly destroyed 29 For ye shall be confounded for the trées which ye haue desired and ye shall be ashamed of the gardens that ye haue chosen 30 For ye shall be as a trée whose leaues are fallen away and as a garden that hath no moystnesse 31 And the very strong one of your Idols shall be as towe and the maker of it as a sparke of fire and they shall both burne together and no man quench them The exposition vpon the first Chapter of Esay The vision of Esai the sonne of Amos which he saw vpon Iuda c.
is perpetuall * felicitie and tranquilitie For Christ hath obteyned for vs of God the father all those blessings that we haue not onely bodily but also and specially spirituall that is * remission of sinnes * imputing of Christes iustice to vs and the spirite of GOD to * mortefie the lustes of the flesh whereby we haue * peace and quietnesse of conscience before God and the worlde The dead will not liue they that be out of life will not rise againe c. Here entereth the first part of an other contrary comparison betweene the wicked and the godly and in this verse he sayth of the wicked that they doe die and liue not againe for their resurrection shall bee to them a death perpetuall and no life And although they seeme to prosper and flourishe long on earth to the annoyance of the godly yet the Lorde visiteth them in due time * and rooteth the memorie of them out of the earth so that they shall neuer ryse againe to glorie Thou hast increased the people O Lorde thou hast increased c. This is the other part of the coÌ„parison touching the godly as if he had sayde Thou O lord christ destroyest the wicked and rootest out theyr memorie neuerthelesse thou doest gather thy Church and increase the number of thy people that thy glorie may be spred and extended to the vttermost boundes of the earth And yet doest thou not gather them to rest and quietnesse of this life but to great vexation and affliction and therfore doe they resort to thee in theyr trouble * and poure out their prayers to thee in the time of thy chastening For * thy chastening they do acknowledge it to be whatsoeuer commeth Although it be the hande of the wicked yet they knowe it to proceede from thy fatherly prouidence to their great benefite and commoditie that their fayth may be increased their spirite styrred vp to call vpon thee Thy dead men shall liue euen as my body shall they rise againe c. The wicked although they flourish for a tyme in this worlde yet shall they not liue in blesse after the resurrection of the deade but shall die for euer But the godly that haue liued here in trouble and dyed in thee shall rise againe to lyfe and ioyes euerlasting Come my people enter thou into thy chambers and shut thy doores c. This is a consolation in the person of Christ exhorting his people paciently for a time to beare the affliction and trouble of this life and to enter into the closets and secretes of their heartes and call vpon the name of the Lord for the succour and strength of his holy spirit vntill the time of his indignation be past For the Lorde in short time will come * to visite the wickednesse of the earth and the earth shall no longer keepe secrete but * disclose the bloud and crueltie that hath beene shewen to the saintes of God that his iustice may proceede agaynst them for the same The fourth Sunday in Aduent at Morning prayer Esay 30. ALas for those disobedient children sayth the Lorde that they will take counsayle and not of me that they will take a secrete aduise and not out of my spirite and therefore adde they sinne vnto sinne 2 Euen they that walke to go downe into Egypt and haue asked no question at my mouth but séeke strength in the might of Pharao and trust in the shadow of Egypt 3 Therefore shall the strength of Pharao be your confusion and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your shame 4 For his Capitaynes were at Zoan and his Ambassadours came vnto Hanes 5 They were ashamed of the people that could doe them no good and that might not helpe them nor shewe them any profite but were their confusion and rebuke 6 The burthen of the beastes of the South In a lande of trouble and anguish from whence shall come the yong and olde Lion the viper and fierce serpent that flieth agaynst them that vpon coltes beare their ryches and vpon camels their treasures to a people that can doe them no good 7 For vaine and nothing worth shall the helpe of the Egyptians be therefore haue I cryed vnto Hierusalem they shall haue strength inough if they wil settle their minds in quietâ—esse 8 Now therefore go thy way and write this beâ—ore them in a table and note it in a booke that it may finally remaine and be kept still for euer 9 For this is an obstinate people and dissembling children children that refuse to heare the law of the Lorde 10 For they say vnto the séers Sée not and to them that be cleare of iudgement Looke not out right things for vs but speake fayre wordes vnto vs looke out errours 11 Get you out of this way depart out of this path and turne the holy one of Israell from vs. 12 Wherefore thus sayth the holy one of Israell Because your heartes rise agaynst this worde and because you trust in wrong dealing and peruerse iudgement and put your confidence therein 13 Therefore shall ye haue this mischiefe for your destruction and fall like as an hie wall that falleth because of some ryft or blast whose breaking commeth sodainly 14 And the hurt thereof is like an earthen vessell which breaketh without helpe so that in the bursting of it there is not founde one sheuer to fetch fire in or tos take water withall out of the pitte 15 For thus sayth the Lord God euen the holy one of Israell In repentance and in rest shal ye be safe in quietnesse and sure confidence shall be your strength but ye haue had no lyst thereto 16 For ye haue sayde No but we will escape through horses therefore shall ye flie and we will get vs vp vpon swift beastes and therfore shall your persecutors be swifter 17 A thousande shall flie at the rebuke of one and at the rebuke of fiâ—se shall ye all flie till ye be left as a ship mast vpon the top of a mountaine and as a breaken vpon aâ— hill 18 Therefore â—oth the Lorde cause you to wayte that he may haue merrie vpon you to the intent that he may haue the preeminence when he is gratious vnto you for the Lord is the God of iudgement Blessed are all they that hope in him 19 If the people remaine in Sion and at Hiesrusalem thou shalt not be in 〈◊〉 but at the voyce of thy complaint shall he haue mercie vpon â—hée and when he â—â—reth it he shall giue thée an aunswere 20 And though the Lorde giue you the breade of trouble and the water of aduersitie thy raine shall be no name sâ— scant but thine eyes shall sée thy raine 21 Yea and thâ—â—e eare shall heare the talking of him that both speake behinde thée This is the way walke yâ— in it turne not aside neither to the right hande nor to the left 22
In these verses next folowing is denounced a grieuous threatning of God agaynst such wilfull and obstinate refusers and contemners of hys worde Seeing sayth hee your wickednesse is such thus sayth that holy god that hath chosen Israel for his peculier people Because you haue refused this my worde and promise wherby I haue vndertaken to preserue and deliuer you from your enimies in all your aduersities and putte your trust in wrong dealing and peruerse iudgement by seeking helpe of Idolatours with money and ryches therefore I say shall extreeme destruction come vpon you And as an high wall if it begin to haue a clift falleth sodainly before men beware oâ— it so you which by the blessing of God haue beene hitherto highe and notable because you haue begun to be cleft with the breech of vufaythfulnesse and wickednesse shall fall vpon the sodaine to extreeme coÌ„fusion Yea and euen as an * earthen vessell so broken by the fall of a great stone vpon it that one sharde or shiuer is not left so big as to carie a cole of fire on or to take water out of a pitte so you I say that haue hitherto beene the vessels of Gods great merâ—ie shall be so oppressed and destroyed that scant any remnant shall be saued yea in the ende you shall be brought to so small a number that you shall be but here and there one as it were a maste of a shippe vpon a mountayne or a beacon vpon an hill Which shall remaine onely as a token of the great calamitie that by Gods hande shall fall vpon you Therefore doth the Lorde cause you to waite that he may haue c. Here the Prophete declareth a cause why they should leaue the helpe of straungers and put their trust in him that is because he hath determined to saue them from the Assirians if they will â—arie in their Citie and cal vpon him for helpe The Lord sayth he causeth you to wayte and deferreth hys doing not that he intendeth to forsake you but that he may merrifully and with the more glory of his iudgement deliuer you Therefore should ye be of good cheere and looke for the helpe of the Lorde For * blessed are they and good shall come vnto them that put their trust in the Lorde For this I doe assure you sayth the prophete if the people remaine in Hierusalem with quiet trust in God * though for the time they feele some trouble hurt and scarcitie by the enimies besieging them yet shall they not perish be oppressed but at their first complaint and calling vpon him he will haue mercie on them And although the Assirians shall seeme so to haue wasted their countrey that they shall not haue any sustenance to liue by God yet wil so mercifully deale with them that he shall giue them plentie of foode with raine and prosperous weathering to maintaine the same Yea and as a pastour folowing his flocke doeth guide them with his 〈◊〉 vnto the right way so shall the Lorde sende them Prophetes Princes and Rulers that shall gouerne and guide them that they in their doings may go neyther on the right hande nor on the left but keepe the straight and true way But the Lorde doth not onely require of them that they should remaine with quiet trust and coÌ„fidence in him but also that they should destroy and cast away their filthie Idols the * worship whereof hath led them from the true seruice of God and so caused them grieuously to offende and to stray from the right way of his worde appoynted Then shal God giue raine vnto thy seede that thou shalt sow the ground c. Againe the Prophete doth put them in minde of that great and good blessing of plentie and successe of all thinges that God would sende them if they would forsake their owne waywarde doings and turne to him by repentance These be the blessinges of wealth and prosperitie that he promiseth to them that followe his will. Deuter. 28. and Leuit. 26. Finally vpon euery high mountaine and hill there shall be riuers c. The Prophete sayth that at that time that god shall destroy great multitudes of the Assirians and pull downe their high towers that is ouerthrow their mightiest Princes then shall there be great store of water and springs on all the hilles of Iuda whereby their drie landes may be made battle and fertile Yea when God shall haue deliuered them out of daunger and restored them to their former libertie Then shall the light of the Moone be as the light of the Sunne c. That is God shall poure vpon his people so great ioy and gladnesse that the sunne and moone shal seeme to them to be farre brighter than before they were For to those that are in daunger and heauinesse the sunne and moone doe seeme darke and dimme and when they be deliuered al things for ioy seeme more bright and comfortable And because these particuler deliueraunces of the Iewes from their enimyes often in the Prophetes are figures of the great deliuerance of the people of God from their spiritual enimies by Christ Iesu this whole place may well be interpreted of the happie and * spirituall successe that by Christ shall come to the faythfull and of the great brightnesse of his holy spirite which then shoulde shiâ—e farre more plentifully then euer it did before Beholde the fame of the Lorde commeth from farre and his presence c. This is an other cause why that people shoulde stay themselues in the trust of God and not seeke other forraine ayde and strength For that he will destroye the Assirians and come vpon them as a dreadfull and terrible God his countenaunce his wordes yea the very breath of his mouth shall be so terrible to them that although they be a mightie nation yet shall they not be hable to abyde it but that he will shake and sift them and as it were with a * bitte in their mouthes so turne them that with all their power they shall fall downe and come to nothing Yea the Lorde shall cause hys terrible voyce to be heard among them and shall so stretch out his arme vpon them as he shall most dreadfully declare his grieuous anger towardes them euen as if he had sent downe flames of deuouring fire * lightning and stormes of haile from heaueu to consume them And this scourge of Gods wrath shall not depart from them whither soeuer they go Insomuch that the very king himselfe shall be touched with it and be partaker of that hell and deuouring fire that the iustice of God hath prepared for them euerlastingly The fourth Sunday in Aduent at Euening prayer Esay 32. BEholde a king shall gouerne after the rule of righteousnesse and the princes shal rule according to the ballance of equitie 2 And that man shall be vnto men as a defence for the winde as a refuge
〈◊〉 had receyued the letter of the messengers 〈…〉 vp into the 〈…〉 the Lorde 15 And 〈…〉 on this maner 16 O Lorde 〈…〉 which 〈…〉 is God of all the kingdomes of the worlde for thou onely hast 〈…〉 heauen and earth 17. 〈…〉 Lorde and 〈◊〉 open 〈…〉 wordes of 〈◊〉 which hath 〈…〉 to blasphéeme the liuing God. 18 It is true O Lorde that the kings of Assiria haue conquered all kingdomes and landes 19 And cast their Gods in the 〈◊〉 for those were 〈◊〉 Gods but the workes of mens handes of wood or 〈◊〉 therefore haue they destroyed them 20 Nowe therefore 〈…〉 O Lorde our God from the handes of 〈…〉 that all the kingdomes of the earth 〈◊〉 know that thou onely art the Lorde 21 Then Esay the sonne of Amos fent vnto Ezekia saying Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israell wheras thou hast made thy prayer vnto me as touching Sennacherib the king of Assiria 22 This is the aunswere that the Lorde hath giuen concerning him Dispised art thou and mocked O daughter Sion he hath shaken his heade at thée O daughter of Hierusalem 23 But thou Sennacherib whome hast thou defied and blasphemed Agaynst whom hast thou lifted vp thy voyce and exalted thy prowde â—ookes euen agaynst the holy one of Israell 24 Thou with thy seruants hast blasphemed the lord and thus holdest thou of thy selfe â–ª I wil couer the hie mountaynes and sides of Libanus with my horsemen and there will I cut downe the hie Ceder trées and the fayrest Firre trées I will vp in the heigth of it and into the chiefest of his 〈…〉 If there be no water I will graue and drinke and as for waters of defence I will drie them vp with the féete of mine hoast 26 Yea hast thou not heard what I haue taken in hand and brought to passe of old time That same will I doe now also and waste destroy and bring strong Cities vnto heapes of stones 27 For their inhabitours shall be like lame men brought in feare and confounded they shall be like grasse and gréene hearbes in the fielde like the hay vpon house toppes that withereth before it be growen vp 28 I know thy wayes thy going forth and thy comming home yea and thy madnesse agaynst me 29 Therefore thy furiousnesse agaynst me and thy pride is come before me I will put my ring in thy nose and my bridle bitte in the â—awes of thée and turne thée about euen the same way thou camest 30 I will giue thée also this token O Ezekia this yeare shalt thou eate such as groweth of it selfe and the seconde yeare that which springeth againe of the same in the thirde yeare ye shall sowe and reape yea ye shal plant vineyardes and enioy the fruites therof 31 And such of the house of Iuda as are escaped shall come togither and the 〈◊〉 shall take roote beneath and bring forth fruit aboue 32 For the escaped shall go out of Hierusalem and the remnant from the mount Sion and this shall the zeale of the Lorde of hostes bring to passe 33 Therefore thus sayth the Lorde concerning the king of the Assirians He shall not come into this Citie and shall shoote no arrow into it there shall no shield hurt it neither shall they call ditches about it 34 The same way he came he shal returne and not come at this Citie sayth the Lord. 35 And I will keepe and saue this Citie sayth he for mine owne and for my seruant Dauids sake 36 Thus the aungell of the Lorde went forth and slue of the Assirians host an hundred foure seore and fiue thousand and when men rose vp earely in the morning beholde they 〈…〉 and all my full of â—eads 〈◊〉 37 So Sennacherib the king of the 〈◊〉 brake vp and dwelt at Niniâ—e 38 Afterwarde it chaunced as he prayed in the temple of Nesroch his God that 〈◊〉 and Sarazer his owne sonnes â—â—ue him with the sworde and fled into the lande of Armenia and Asarhaddon his sonne raigned in his steede The exposition vpon the .xxxvij. Chapter of Esay When Ezechias heard that he rent hys clothes and put on sackcloth c. THis Chapiter is annexed to the former as a part of the same historie the declaration wherof is so plaine and easie to be vnderstanded that the text needeth no exposition at all Only you haue to obserue certaine good and whole some lessons to be gathered out of it And first you haue to note in Ezechias and his people a great * zeale for the glorie of the name of God wherewith they may seeme to be more touched then with their own miserie and distresse For all the while their countrey was in spoyling as they shewed themselues somewhat troubled so yet did they not declare so great sorowe But after that they heard the name and power of the God of Israel so blasphemed they rent and toare their clothes and after the maner of the Countrey thereby declared extreeme sorow detestation and abhorring of so great wickednesse This zeale of Gods holy name and glorie shoulde we follow and be * earnestly mooued in heart and minde when we heare the Gospell of Christ and the truth of his worde reuiled and euill spoken of but the maner of the worlde is otherwise Men are much mooued with their owne reproches and seeke reuengement of euery light worde and small iniurie but for the hinderance of Gods glorie and of his worde we make small account Secondly here is to be obserued and diligently to be learned by the example of the good king Ezechias and his people what we ought to doe in our great miserie and distresse that is not neglecting such meanes as God hath giuen and by hys worde alloweth to helpe vs to put our whole trust and confidence in God and with repentant hearts humble mindes to * flie to him by earnest praier and calling vpon his blessed name for helpe For so here doth Ezechias and his people and with all seeketh meanes to confirme and strengthen theyr fayth being somewhat shaken with the instruction of Gods holy worde and promises For that cause doth he here sende to Esay the Prophete by whose mouth God giueth them great comfort and willeth them not to feare For sayth he in the Lordes name I will rayse vp a winde agaynst him and hee shall heare a rumour that shall carie him backe into his Countrey agayne and yet shall he not so escape for euen there I will destroy him Say thus to Ezekia king of Iuda Let not thy God deceyue thee c. Heare we haue to learne that God oftentimes after promise and comfort of deliuerance giuen doth for the time encrease and double as it were the affliction of his people as he doth here to Ezechias and his subiects by this seconde message being in deede more terrible and blasphemous than the former And yet doth he not this that he mindeth to breake promise
or to forsake his people but for to* exercise and trie their fayth and to stirre them vp to more earnest prayer and calling vpon his name and that in the ende their deliueraunce may be both to his people more pleasaunt to himselfe more glorious and to the aduersaries the greater confusion Nowe when Ezekia had receyued the letter of the messengers c. Here is to be learned the nature and condition of a true* fayth which riseth against the greatnesse of tentation as it is written that the stocke of the Palme tree doth agaynst an heauie burthen layde vpon it God increaseth the daunger and Ezechias encreaseth his fayth and feruencie in prayer Neyther doeth he giue ouer as the maner of the flesh is but paciently continueth and wayteth for the comming of Gods mightie hand and fulfilling of his promise and resorteth to his old succour and sanctuarie of prayer and calleth vpon God. In whome you maye learne also the maner of true prayer first proceeding out of a * coÌ„stant a strong fayth secondly directed to the * ouely liuing and true GOD thirdely notsomuche desiring their owne deliueraunce and worldelye benefite as the * setting oute of the glorie and name of God. For to that ende the whole course of his prayer tendeth This is the aunswere that the Lorde hath giuen concerning Sennacherib c. As Ezechias continueth in constant fayth and prayer so doth the Lord in comforting and promising helpe by the mouth of his Prophet vntil their full deliuerance be wrought which not long after he putteth in execution mightily and miraculously Wherein we haue to obserue the force * strength of constant earnest and faythfull prayer which is such that albeit God doth for the exercise thereof deferre his working yet in the ende if ordinarie meanes want he will miraculously by his Aungels from heauen worke the help and deliuerance of his faythfull people calling vpon him rather then they shall perishe in their daunger and their enimies triumph ouer them Thou with thy seruants hast hlasphemed the Lorde and thus holdest thou c. The Lorde by his prophete reprooueth the pride and blasphemie of the tyranne and rehearseth the prowde bragge that he made of himselfe By the mountaynes and sides of Libanus he meaneth the kingdomes and cities of those people that Sennacherib had conquered and by Ceders and Firre trees and the chiefest of their wooddes he vnderstandeth their kinges princes and strong holdes By the consuming of their fensiue waters he noteth that by pollicie and labour he deriued away and turned the course of such waters as were lettes and stayes to his purpose Hast thou not heard what I haue taken in hande and brought to passe c. The Prophete in the person of God reprooueth the proude bragge of the Assirian Prince Doest thou thinke sayth the Lord that thou by thy owne pollicie and wisdome hast conquered so many Cities and kingdomes hast thou not heard what I haue done in times past I * haue before time declared by my Prophets that I would destroy wicked kingdomes and punishe the naughtinesse of men by the spoyle of their Cities yea and with the rodde of Chasticement to correct euen mine owne people and bring their Cities to heapes * of stone that haue I nowe done by thee as by mine instrument Wherefore although thou thinkest thy selfe to haue done great feates by these conquests and turnest all this to thine owne glorie It was not thou but I that did it For thou haddest not bene hable without me to haue woonne one poore towne I knowe thy wayes thy goyng foorth and thy comming home I did first set thee in thy royall throne and then stirred thee to vndertake these great enterprises agaynst the kingdomes of the earth for their punishment And nowe I see thou doest not acknowledge mee but settest vp thy countenaunce and blasphemous mouth agaynst me as a furious and madde man Therefore I tell thee I will put a * ring in thy â—osâ— and a bitte in thy lippes that albeit thou shew thy selfe neuer so wilde and wanton a Colt I wil turne thee euen the same way that thou camest I will giue thee also this token O Ezekia this yeare shalt thou eate c. Least Ezechias and his people should be discouraged with the long delay God signifyeth that the warre should yet continue three yeares and that in the meane time he woulde almost * miraculously maintaine them from famine The first yeare by that which groweth of it selfe the second by that which falleth of the former haruest and the thirde yeare in which the warre shoulde be ended and they deliuered by their ordinarie and quiet labour and trauaile of the ground Thus the aungell of the Lord went forth and slue of the Assirians hoast c. Here is declared the execution of that promise that god had made by his prophet Esay the miraculous deliueraÌ„ce of his people wherin we haue to note first the seuere iustice of God against a prowd and blasphemous tyranne killing in one night by his aungell .185000 of his souldiours Secondly the long suffering of God who suffered Sennacherib to go * vnpunished three yeares that if he would haue repeÌ„ted he might haue found mercie Thirdly that the wicked sometime escape from meane daunger and by Gods prouidence are reserued to greater As heare Sennacherib escapeth killing by the Aungell and is murthered of his owne sonnes in the seruice of his * Idolatrous Gods because he would not acknowledge the true God. The first Sunday after Christmasse at Euening prayer Esay 38. ABout this time was Ezekia sicke vnto death and the Prophete Esay the sonne of Annos came vnto him and sayde Thus commaundeth the Lord Set thine house in order for thou must die and not escape 2 Then Ezekia turned his face towarde the wall and prayed vnto the Lorde 3. And sayde Remember O Lorde I beseech thée that I haue walked before thée in truth and a stedfast hart and hane done the thing that is pleasant to thée And Ezekia wept â—ore 4 Then sayd God vnto Esay 5 Go and speake vnto Ezekia The Lorde God of Dauid thy father sendeth thée this worde I haue heard thy prayer and considered thy teares beholde I will put fiftene yeares mo vnto thy lyfe 6 And deliuer thée and the Citie also from the hande of the king of Assyrla for I will defende the Citie 7 And take thée this token of the Lorde that he will doe it as he hath spoken 8 Beholde I will turne the shadow of Ahaz diall that nowe is layde out with the Sunne and bring it tenne degrées backward So the Sunne turned ten degrées backwarde the which he was descended afore 9 A thankesgiuing vvhich Ezekia king of Iuda vvrote vvhen he had bene sicke and vvas recouered 10 I thought I should haue gone to the gates of hel when mine age was shortned
For death in deed is terrible to them that in such sort consider it but to them that in strength of * fayth beholde it ioyned with the fauour of God it is very pleasaunt and therefore sayde Paule I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Mine age is folden together and taken from me like a sheepeheards cottage c. By this maner of speech he signifieth that God had determined to take this worldly life from him in short time to transferre him to another place as the maner of sheepeheardes in that countrey is to remooue their Cotes from place to place as they chaunge the Pasture and place of feeding theyr Cattell I thought I should haue liued till the morow but he bruised my bones c. I was sayth he in so great dispaire of my life that at night I was in doubt through the vehemencie of my sicknesse whether I should liue vntil the morning Yea I was so farre past as I was not hable to speake distinctly but vttered a confuse chattering like the noise of a Swallow or Crane and a mourning like the noyse of a Doue Thou it is O Lorde that hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe c. Here Ezechias plainely confesseth what the cause was of his sickenesse and of his restoring to health * Sinne was the cause of his sickenesse and the mercy of God forgiuing the same and turning them from his sight was the cause of his deliuerance Wherefore it cannot be thought when before he sayth he walked in truth and a stedfast heart before God that he sought thereby to be iustified in the sight of GOD but rather as I haue sayde before that he vttered those wordes in comfort of himselfe that he was not vtterly reiected of God albeit he were then punished For hell prayseth not thee death doth not magnifie thee nor they that go down c. The Sense of this verse is vtterd in many of the Psalmes as in the. * 6. the. * 87. and the. * 117. The deade shall not prayse thee nor all that go downe into the pit c. By which wordes and the like neyther Dauid nor Ezechias denie that the spirite of the dead haue their actions before God to his glorie or affirme that they perish together with the bodie But they signifie that those that be deade buried and layde in the graue ouerwhelmed wyth earth haue no longer their bodily Actions in the Church of God here in this worlde nor cannot set forth among men liuing here the clemencie mercie and goodnesse of God toward them to the prayse and glorie of his name in this worlde like as the liuing may The dead as touching their body are in y graue as touching their soules they are in heauen but so as they cannot* returne into the worlde to preach declare and set forth to men the maiestie iustice and mercie of God. The .2 Sunday after Christmas at Morning prayer Esay 41. BE still you I landes and hearken vnto me let the people lay their strength together let them come hither and then shewe their cause we will go to the 〈◊〉 together 2. Who raysed vp the iust man from the east and called him to go forth who cast downe the people and subdued the kinges before him that he may throwe them all to the grounde with his sworde and scatter them like stubble with his bowe 3 He foloweth vpon them and goeth safely himselfe and that in a way where before his foote had not troden 4 Who hath made and created these things euen he that called the generations from the beginning euen I the Lorde which am the first and with the last 5 The Isâ—es saw and did feare and the endes of the earth were abashed drew 〈◊〉 and came hither 6 Euery man helped his neighbour and sayde to his brother Be strong 7 The Carpenter comforted the Goldsmith and the Goldssmith the Hammerman saying Sowder win do very well in it they fastened it with naâ—â—es that it shoulde not be mooueel 8 But thou Israell art my seruant thou Iacob whom I haue chosen thou art the séede of Abraham my beloued 9 Thou art he whome I led from the endes of the earth for I called thée euen from among the glorious men of it and sayde vnto thée Thou art my seruaunt I haue chosen thée and not cast thée away 10 Be not afrayde for I am with thée Melt not away as waxe for I am thy God to strengthe thée helpe thée and kéepe thée with the right hande of my righteousnesse 11 Beholde all they that resist thée shall come to confusion and shame and thine aduersaries shall be destroyed and brought to naught 12 So that who so séeketh after them shall not finde them thy destroyers shall perishe and so shal they that vndertake to make battell agaynst thée be as that is not and as a thing of naught 13 For I the Lorde thy God will strengthen thy right hande euen I that say vnto thée Feare not I will helpe thée 14 Be not afrayde thou little worme Iacob and thou despised Israell for I wil helpe thée sayth the Lorde and the holy one of Israell thy redéemer 15 Beholde I will make thée a treading cart and a newe stayle that thou mayest threshe and grinde the mountaynes and bring the hilles to powder 16 Thou shalt fanne them and the winde shall carie them away and the whirle winde-shall scatter them but thou shalt reioyce in the Lord and shalt delight in the holy one of Israell 17 When the thirstie and poore séeke water and finde none and when the tongue is drie of thirst I giue it them sayth the Lorde I the God of Israell forsake them not 18 I bring forth flooddes in the hilles and welles in the plaine fieldes I turne the wildernesse to riuers and the drie lande to conduites of water 19 I plant in the wast ground trées of Cedar Boxe Myrre and Oliues and in the drie I set Firre trées Elmes and Hawthornes together 20 All this doe I that they altogether may sée and marke perceyue with theyr heartes and consider that the hande of the Lord maketh these things and that the holy one of Israel bringeth them to passe 21 Stande at your cause sayth the Lorde and bring forth your strongest ground sayth the king of Iacob 22 Let them bring forth their Gods and let their Gods tell vs what shall chaunce hereafter yea let them shew vs the thinges that are past what they be let them declare them vnto vs that we may take them to heart aud knowe them hereafter 23 Either shew vs things for to come and tell vs what shall be done hereafter so shall we know that ye are Gods doe some thing either good or bad so will we both knowledge the same and tell it out 24 Beholde ye are Gods of naught and your making is of naught yea abhominable is the man that
promyseth here the great enlarging of his Church and faythfull people If all Nations come in one and bee gathered togither which among them c. As in the 41. Chapter So here the Prophete imagineth God to speake before a Iudge as if hee had sayde I haue declared two arguments of my Deity that is that I am he which from the beginning declared to the Patriarches that I woulde send my Sonne the true Messias and sauior of the worlde and that I would deliuer my Church and people not only from the perils that shortly shall be in the Captiuitie but also encrease the number of them out of all the partes of the worlde Part of these thinges you see fulfylled alreadie the other shall as assuredly come to passe Therfore go to let all Nations and people of the worlde come togither which worship stocks and stones and Gods of their owne making and lette vs heare whether their Gods or their soothsayers enspired with the Deuil be hable to declare or tell 〈◊〉 any such things let them bring forth their witnesses to iustifye the matter But you my people can 〈◊〉 and your coÌ„sciences can be witnesses that these things which I haue spoken for my selfe and against the worshippers of Idols are true Therfore mistrust not feare not put your confydence in me sticke to the true worshipping of me For I am the true God that neuer had beginning nor shall haue â—â—ding that made all things that preserueth maintaineth all thinges and * out of whose handes no power can take any one man that I will saue c. For your sake I haue sent to Babilon and brought it downe all they c. He speaketh of that is to come as if it were past and done For he here telleth howe he will deliuer his people from the captiuitie of Babilon The sense is you are in great feare my people for your captiuitie that shall be in Babylon but I haue already deuised your deliuerance I will in conuenient time send Darius and Cyrus the Medes and the Persians into Babilon with mightie power whiche shall vtterly ouerthrowe the whole power of Babylon and Chaldey and transferring the Empyre to the Persians shall by their noble king Cyrus deliuer you This will I your God and redeemer do for you c. Remember not things of olde and regard nothing that is past He prepareth here to vtter a prophecie of the comming of Christ as if he had sayde Remember not thinges done before time I haue wrought great benefytes for you I haue deliuered you out * of Aegypt I brought you through the red sea I coÌ„ducted you through the wildernesse into the lande of Canaan I gaue you victory ouer your enimies but * remember not these benefites in comparison of that I will nowe tell you I will worke a newe thing that shall farre passe these I will make a way in the deserte and riuers of water in the wildernesse The wylde beastes shall worship me c. That is I will not onelye deliuer you from the Captiuitie of Babilon and bring you home safe through daungerous wayes and passages which may iustly bee compared to anye of the former benefites but in those Nations and Countries also which hitherto haue beene as deserts or wildernesses without all good culture of godlynesse and drie and barraine without any Springes of Gods good graces and wholesome instructions In those places I saye will I treade out a true pathe and highe waye to heauen and wildise vrasweete springs and plentifull ryuers of heauâ—enly doctrine by the preaching of the Gospell of Christ In so much that those people which for their rude and sauage barbarousnesse and for the fylthinesse of their lyues myght well seeme wilde beasts Dragons and Estreches shall lay aside their detestable and naughty Idolatrie and their foule and fylthie vices and become true worshyppers of my name and notable examples of all vertuous lyfe to the aduauncement of my great glorie and praise For thou Iacob wouldest not call vpon me but thou haddest an vnlust toward c. Least the people of God being puffed vp and swelling in their owne conceptes should thinke thys great and straunge matter was wrought for their â–ª * Desertes or worthinesse he sayth plainely that they had 〈◊〉 such thing eyther by calling vpon his name or by offering of sacrifyces or burning of Incense or bying of costly Spices for the holy Oyle commaunded Exod. 30. nor by any other maner of seruice in respect whereof this singular and vnestimable benefite was wrought but rather by their sinnes had altogether deserued the contrarie and prouoked God to iust wrath and therefore that this thing proceeded of Gods mere mercy and exceeding loue towards Mankinde for his owne felfes sake as he sayeth For his owne selfes sake putting awaye their sinnes out of his remembrance so that neyther their owne Worthynesse nor the iustice of their auncestors coulde deserue it For as Adam was a synner 〈…〉 all the other that they came of and both gouernours and people had geeuously offended God. The. 1. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 44. SO heare nowe O Iacob my 〈…〉 whom I haue chosen 2 For thus sayth the Lord that made thée fashioned thée and helped thée euen from thy mothers wombe Be not afrayde O Iacob my sieruaunt thou righteous whome I haue chosen 3 For I shall poure water vpon thy drie grounde and riuers vpon the thirstie I shall poure my spirite vpon the 〈◊〉 and my blessing vpon thy stocke 4. They shall grow togither like as the grasse and as the willowes by the waters 〈◊〉 Onâ— shall saye I am the Lordes another shall call himselfe 〈…〉 the thirde shall subscribe with his hande 〈…〉 giue himselfe vnder the name of Israell 6. Thus hath the Lorde spoken 〈…〉 and his redeemer the Lorde of hostes 〈…〉 last besides me there is no God. 7 If 〈◊〉 he like me let him call forth the thing past and openly shewe it and lay it plaine before me what hath 〈…〉 I appoynted the people of the world and what shall be shortly or what shall come to passe in tune long to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things 8 Be not 〈…〉 tolde you hitherto and warned you ye 〈…〉 your selues is there any 〈…〉 I should not knowe 〈…〉 〈…〉 and maketh also a God thereof to honour it and a grauuen Image to knéele before it 16 One péece he burneth in the fire with another he râ—steth flesh that he may eate rest his belly full with the thirde he warmeth himselfe and sayth Aha I am well warmed I haue béene at the fire 17 And of the resâ—â—ue he maketh him a God and a grauen Image for himselfe he knéeleth before it he worshippeth it he prayeth vnto it and sayth Deliuer me for thou art my God. 18 Yet men neither consider nor vnderstande because their eies be stopped that they can not 〈◊〉 and
wherein I can be worshipped but onely the * expresse Image of my Deitie my sonne Christ Iesu your Sauiour and the true Messias Wherefore yet agayne I say vnto you beware of the Idolatrie of the Gentiles and cleaue fast vnto me For * my deuises shall stedfastly be established and I will fulfill all my pleasure and whatsoeuer I haue declared to you by my Prophets for your comfort Yea euen as I haue promised you I will bring a Birde out of the East that is a noble king of the Persians that shall with great power breake into Babilon trausferre the Empire from them and restore you to your Countrey againe And not onely this but I wil also in conuenient and short time bring forth my iustice and sauing health and set my saluation in Sion and my glorie in Hierusalem by the comming of the Messias and Sauiour of the worlde The 2. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 51. HEarken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that séeke the Lord take héede to the stone wherout ye are hewen and to the graue wherout ye are digged 2 Consider Abraham your father and Sara that bare you howe that I called him alone and blessed him and increased him 3 Therefore shall the Lorde comfort Sion and repaire all hir decay making hir desert as a Paradise and hir wildernesse as the garden of the Lorde Myrth and ioy shall be founde there thankesgyuing and the voyce of praise 4 Haue respect vnto me then O my people both highe and lowe and laye thine eare vnto me for a lawe and an ordinance shall go forth fro me to lighten the gentiles 5 It is harde by that my health and my righteousnesse shall go forth and the people shall he ordered with mine arme the Ilandes that is the Gentiles shall hope in me and put their trust in mine arme 6 Lift vp your eyes towarde heauen and loke vpon the earth beneath for the heauens shall vanishe awaye lyke smoke and the earth shall ware olde lyke a garment and they that dwell therem shall perishe in like maner but my saluation shall endure for euer and my righteousnesse shal not cease 7 Hearken vnto me ye that haue knowledge in righteousnesse thou people that hearest my lawe in thine heart feare not the reuylings of men be not afraide of their blasphemies 8 For wormes and mothes shall eate them vp like cloth and weell but my righteousnesse shall endure for euer and my sauing health from generation to generation 9 Wake vp wake vp and be strong O thou arme of the Lorde wake vp like as in time past euer and since the the worlde beganne 10 Art not thou the same arme that hast wounded the prowde and hewen the Dragon in péeces Art not thou euen the same which hast dryed vppe the déepe of the Sea which hast made plaine the sea ground that the deliuered might goe through 11 Therefore the redéemed of the Lorde shall turne againe and come with ioy vnto Sion continuall ioy shall be on their heade and mirth and gladnesse shall be with them and sorrowe and wo shall flie from them 12 Yea I euen I am he that in all things giueth you consolation what art thou then fearest a mortall man and the childe of man which goeth away as doth the floure 13 And forgettest the Lorde that made thée that spreade out the heauens and layde the foundation of the earth but thou art euer afrayde for the sight of thine oppressour which is ready to doe harme where is the wrath of the oppressour 14 The exile maketh haste to be loosed that he dye not in prison and that his bread fayle him not 15 I am the Lorde thy God that diuide the sea and his waues shall rage whose name is the Lorde of hosts 16 I haue put my wordes in thy mouth and haue defended thée in the shadowe of my hande that I maye plant the heauens and lay the foundation of the earth and saye vnto Sion Thou art my people 17 Awake awake and stande vp O Ierusalem thou that from the hande of the Lorde hast drunken out the cup of his wrath thou that hast supped of and sucked out the slumbring cup to the bottome 18 For among all the sonnes whome he hath begotten there is not one that maye holde it vp and not one to leade it by the hande of all the sonnes that he hath nourished 19 Both these things are happened vnto thée but who is sory for it yea destruction wasting hunger and sworde but who will comfort thée 20 Thy sonnes lye comfortlesse at the heade of euerye stréete like a taken venison and are full of the terrible wrath of the Lorde and punishment of thy God. 21 And therefore thou miserable and dronken howbeit not with wine heare this 22 Thus sayth the Lorde thy Lorde and God the defendour of his people Beholde I will take the slumbring cup out of his hande euen the cup wyth the dregges of my wrath that from henceforth thou shalt neuer drinke it more 23 But I will put it into their hand that trouble thée which haue spoken to thy soule Stoupe downe that we may go ouer thée make thy body euen with the grounde and as the stréete to go vpon The Exposition vpon the. lj Chapter of Esay Hearken vnto me ye that holde of righteousnesse and ye that seeke c. THe good and godly people in the time of Esay seeing themselues fewe in number and hearing by the Prophetes that they shoulde be ledde captiue into Babilon greatly feared that all faythfull and true worshippers of GOD should in that persecution be vtterly consumed Therefore God here speaketh to them and comforteth them signifying that he will not onely in that trouble of Babilon preserue his chosen and elect of the Iewes but also not long after greatly encrease the number of his Church by the* accesse of all Nations that he would call to the light of his truth and to his true worship by the promised Messias and Sauiour of the seede of Abraham And first he willeth them to consider The rocke wherout they were hewen and the denne whereout they were digged that is as he expoundeth himselfe Abraham their father and Sara their mother of whome they discended and that God called Abraham being but one man* out of his Countrey and suffered him to liue in Chanaan to the age of an hundred yeres and his wife fourescore without children and yet that he so encreased him that his issue prooued innumerable as the * sande of the sea And by this example he willeth them all other faithful to vnderstand that though his Church people appere to the world to be neuer so much afflicted or to be brought to so low an ebbe yet he will increase and multiplie it with exceeding numbers and bring them out of miserie and trouble vnto great ioy
lif◠as a Sacrifice for sinne he might see the seede of his faythfull posteritie made happie for euer and that this will and deuise of the lord might prosper be throughly wrought by him Of the trauayle and labour of his soule shall he see the fruit and be satisfied c. He declareth what fruite Christ shall haue by his Death and Passion For the labour trauaile sorowe anguishe care and reproch that he sustayned as well in all the residue of his life as especially at his death he shall with ioy and gladnesse beholde and be satisfied with true and eternall felicitie and the fruites of all heauenly goodnesse and blessinges and that not onely for himselfe but for * all them that through fayth shall acknowledge the same and beleeue in him For it followeth that this righteous seruant of God Christ Iesu through his knowledge shall iustifie many that is shall pay the raunsome for theyr sinnes reconcile them to God and cause them through the price of his bloud to be accounted iust before god For this in deede is our true Iustificatiō whē we of our selues sinfull by the mercie of God in Christ Iesu are accepted as iust Therefore will I giue him amōg the great ones his part and he shall deuide c. In this verse as in a conclusion the Prophete reciteth the chiefe poyntes of Christes death and the benefites that come to the faythfull thereby First his * obedience in giuing ouer his soule to death Secondly that he was * reputed among sinners and wicked persons Thirdely that he was an * innocent and dyed not for his owne sinnes but for the sinnes of Mankinde Fourthly that he is nowe become an * Intercessour for sinners and in the dignitie of the high priest according to the order of Melchisedech Wherefore sayth God the father I will giue him his part among the great ones and he shall Conquer subdue Sathan with all his power and take awaye the spoyle of his Kingdome and bring to his owne subiection all Nations euen to the vttermost boundes of the earth This verse also is expounded of Christ by Christ himselfe Luke 22. and Marke 15. The 3. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Morning prayer Esay 55. COme to the waters all ye that be thirstie and ye that haue no money come bye that ye may haue to eate come bye wine and milke without any money or money worth 2 Wherefore doe ye laye out any money for the thing that féedeth not and spende your labour about the thing that satisfieth you not But hearken rather vnto me and ye shall eate of the best and your soule shall haue her pleasure in plenteousnesse 3 Encline your eares and come vnto me take héede I say and your soule shall lyue for I will make an euerlasting couenant wyth you euen the sure mercies of Dauid 4 Beholde I gaue him for a witnesse among the folke for a Prince and a teacher vnto the people 5 Lo thou shalt call an vnknowne people and a people that had no knowledge of thée shall runne vnto thée because of the Lorde thy God and the holye one of Israell which glorifieth thée 6 Séeke the Lorde whyle he may be founde and call vpon him whyle he is nye 7 Let the vngodly man forsake his owne wayes and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lorde so shall he be mercifull vnto him and to our God for he is verie readie to forgiue 8 For thus sayth the Lorde My thoughtes are not your thoughtes and your wayes are not my wayes 9 But as farre as the heauens are higher then the earth so farre doe my waies excéede yours and my thoughtes yours 10 And like as the raine and snow commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither againe but watereth the earth maketh it fruitefull and gréene that it may giue corne vnto the sower and bread to him that eateth 11 So the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne againe voyde vnto me but shall accomplishe my will and prosper in the thing whereto I sende it 12 And so shal ye go forth with ioy and be led with peace the mountaines and hilles shall sing with you for ioye and all the trées of the fielde shall clappe their handes 13 For thornes there shall growe Firre trées and the Myrre trée in the stéede of bryers and this shall be done to the praise of the Lord and for an euerlasting token that shal not be taken away The Exposition vpon the. lv Chapter of Esay Come to the waters all yee that be thirstie and ye that haue no money come c. THE Prophet in the former Chapiters had euydentlye spoken of the Gospell of Christ and of the benefites that come to his Church by it nowe he earnestly calleth and exhorteth all men to heare the same and by faith to receyue it and not to hearken after other doctrines whereby they cannot haue true comfort of conscience What auayleth it that Christ dyed for mankinde and purchased great benefites for them if they doe * not Beleeue it nor shew themselues destrous to obtaine it Come therefore sayth he to the waters c. By the Water to drinke and by the Breade to eate he meaneth the same water and bread that Christ speaketh of Iohn 4. 6. VVhosoeuer sayth he shall drinke of the water that I shall gyu◠him shall neuer thirst againe but the water that I shall giue him shal be a foūtaine springing to euerlasting life And again as touching the bread Iohn 6 I am the breade of life that discended from heauen If one eate of this breade he shall liue for euer The Water and Breade then wherevnto the Prophet in this place calleth is Christ Iesus offered to vs in his Gospell And by Wine Milke he vnderstandeth the same thing For there is none other foode whereon our Soules can feede but Christ his Doctrine in which are cōprehended al things wherby we are nourished to euerlasting life Here is to be noted First that God to this heauēly foode calleth not one nor two but * All excepting no coūtrie no state no kinde or degree of persons Secondly that he calleth thē that be Thirsty that is such as long after it or greatly desire it He calleth not those that * swell in trust and confidence of their owne worthynesse and therefore thinke they haue small neede of Christ and hys Gospell No nor such as liue in * securitie and delight of worldly Pleasure and therfore haue no care for the fauour of God nor desire of eternall life but such he calleth as haue feare of God in their consciences and sence of his wrath against sinne Thirdly is to be obserued that he offerth these things Freely without any respect of our * worthynesse and therfore sayth Come and bye wythout mony Wherefore doe ye laye
out any money for the thing that feedeth not c. As God by his Prophet calleth his people to the liuely Water heauenly Foode before mentioned so doth he rebuke them that they bestowe their cost labour trauayle to attaine that which in deede is no foode and wherwith their Soules cannot be relieued that is to saye that they leaue the liuely fountayne of Gods mercie in Christ Iesu and seeke after saluation by their owne works or by the obseruation of mens Deuises Traditiōs and Doctrines wherwith God by his Prophet in another place doth protest that * They worship him in vaine Encline your eares and come vnto mee take heede I say and your soule c. That which before he vttered Figuratiuely he speaketh nowe in plaine wordes that is that they should harken and giue dyligent eare vnto Hys doctrine and not be ledde away by the Fantasies of men For sayth he * I will make my euerlasting couenant with you I once promised to Dauid my seruant that of his seede I would bring forth a Sauiour of the worlde by whome I woulde be reconcyled to all them that beleeued in him and that I would chose thē as my Sonnes and heires of euerlasting lyfe This promise or couenaunt that by my othe I confirmed confirmed I will * keepe and performe to you for euer Cleaue therefore to my doctrine and swerue not from it Beholde I gaue him as a witnesse among the people for a prince c. This may be Literally spoken of Dauid But prophetically it is ment of Christ whome he sayth he gaue to the people as a * witnesse to Iustify the promise of his mercy made vnto them as a Prince to gouerne and rule them with the direction of his Spirit as a Teacher to instruct and lead them into all truth Loe thou shalt call an vnknowne people and a people that had no knowledge c. Esay prophecieth of the calling of the Gentiles and sayth that Christ by his Apostles shall * call that people that neuer knewe him before and that they shall gladly and readily runne after him because of the comfortable and sweete Doctrine of the Gospell that he published Seeke the Lorde while he may be founde and call vpon him c. After the publishing of his mercie through the Messias and Sauiour Christ Iesu he nowe exhorteth the Iewes and in them all other to turne to God by earnest repentance while his mercie and goodnesse is so freely offered For if they stubburnly refuse when God is neere at hande and calleth to mercie he will * afterwarde turne his face from them and be so farre of in his displeasure that he will not heare their prayers God is sayde to bee Nigh when by the Preachers and teachers of hys Gospell he calleth to repentance and exhorteth to imbrace his mercie liberally and bountifully offered And then to be Farre of and hard to be Found when for theyr obstinacie of his iustice he turneth his eyes from them and wil not heare their crying complayning at all as he threatneth in the first of this Prophete Esay The reason which the Prophete vseth to mooue them to repentance is the exceeding great * Readinesse and inclination of God to mercy and forgiuenesse especially towarde all them that with Sorrowfull and contrite hearts turne vnto him For thus sayth the Lorde My thoughtes are not your thoughtes c. I knowe sayth God you are all greedie of reuengement and seeke for euery small offence to be wreaked but I am not so Your mercy is Wauering and mutable but mine is Cōstant and perpetuall You are merciful by Pangues and passions but it is of my Nature and substance to be mercifull Wherefore you may not measure my wayes and cogitations by your owne Heauen and earth are not so farre distant nor so farre vnlike as your corrupt Nature and mine is Lyke as the raine and snowe commeth downe from heauen c. By this notable similitude is painted out the truth force and efficacie of the promise of Gods mercie which is the Gospel of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ The raine and snow commeth downe from heauē not to be as an idle spectacle or to return vp into the ayre agayne without vse or profite but to moysten the earth and to make it * fruitfull This is the vse wherevnto the prouidence of God hath appoynted it and this doth it perfourme whensoeuer it lighteth on grounde that is not altogether stonie and harde Euen so is it with the Gospell of our Saluation by Christ which proceded out of the mouth of God and was promised by him from the beginning of the worlde and was appoynted by his goodnesse not to be published * in vaine but so to fall moysten the field of Gods Church that it may be fertile and in deed bring forth the fruit of remission of sinnes Adoption into the Children of God Iustice before God and the world and Assurance of euerlasting life This is the true and right vse of the Worde of God and of his holy Gospell whereby we are assured of his mercy Neither is there any thing more certaine than that it shall worke this effect if it light not on heartes * harder than any stone and such as through stiffenesse and want of fayth will not receyue the Moysture of it And so shall you go forth with ioy and be led with peace the mountaynes c. He numbreth here fiue kindes of fruites that shall spring of the doctrine of the Gospell The first is that as Moyses led forth the children of Israell out of Aegypt euen so shall Christ leade forth and deliuer the faythfull people of God from the bondage of Sathan and all their spiritual enimies to their exceeding great ioy and comfort The seconde that he shall not onely leade them forth with ioy but in peace also and shall make them Quiet in conscience and set them in such safety that neither Trouble nor Afflictiō nor Death nor Hell shall be hable to hurt them The thirde that Mountaynes and Hilles that is all the creatures of God and euen the verye Aungels in heauen shall triumph and reioyce for this our Deliuerance out of that thraldom wherinto we fell by the offence of our first father Adam The fourth that the sweete dewe of the Gospell for Briers and Thornes shall bring forth Firre Mirre and other fruitful trees that is for wicked vniust and naughtie persons it shall make iust good and godly men Thus sayth saint Paule you were whoremasters adulterers wanton persons worshippers of Images but now you are washed you are sanctified you are iustified by the name of the Lorde Iesus Christ The fift that the immortall prayse and glorie of God shall bee set forth in the Church among hys Saintes for this his great Mercies The. 3. Sunday after the Epiphanie at Euening prayer Esay 56. THus sayth
the Lorde Kéepe equitie and doe right for my sauing health shall come shortlye and my righteousnesse shall be opened 2 Blessed is the man that doth this and the mans childe which kéepeth the same he that taketh heede that hée vnhalow not the Sabboth that is he that keepeth himselfe that he doe no euill 3 Then shall not the straunger which cleaueth to the Lord say Alas the Lord hath shut me cleane out from his people neyther shall the gelded man say Lo I am a drie trée 4. For thus sayth the Lorde vnto the gelded that kéepeth my Sabboth namely that holdeth greatly of the thing that pleaseth me and kéepeth my couenant 5 Vnto them will I giue in my householde and within my walles a better heritage and name then if they had bene called sonnes and daughters I will giue them an euerlasting name that shall not perish 6. Againe the straungers that sticke to the Lorde to serue him and to loue his name and to be his seruantes and all they which kéepe themselues that they vnhalowe not the sabbath namely that they fulfill my couenant 7 Them will I bring to my holy Mountaine and make them ioyfull in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and sacrifices shall be accepted vpō mine aulter for my house shall be called an house of prayer for all people 8 Thus sayth the Lorde God which gathereth together the scattered of Israell I will bring yet an other congregation to him 9 Come all ye beastes of the fielde that yée may deuour all the beastes of the woodde 10 For his watchmen are all blinde they haue altogether no understanding they are aldumbe dogges not being hable to barke they are sléepie sluggish are they and lie snorting 11 They are shamelesse dogges that be neuer satisfied the shepeheardes also in like maner haue no vnderstanding but euery man turneth his owne way euery one after his owne couetousnesse with all his power 12 Come say they I will fetch wine so shall we fill our selues that we may bée drunken and doe to morow like as to day yea much more The Exposition vpon the. 56. Chapter of Esay Thus sayth the Lorde keepe equitie and doe right for my sauing health c. THE Prophet in thys place declareth what God requireth at our handes when he hath shewed hys mercie and goodnesse toward vs that is that we should not liue still in sinne and wickednesse but shew the * true fruites of repentance and leade our life in equitie and iustice And his reason cause that he alleageth is this that his sauing health and his righteousnesse is nigh at hand and readie to be opened to vs Wherby is to be gathered that the narre God is to vs in mercie and goodnesse the narre * we should be to him in vertuous and godly lyfe Blessed is the man that doth this and the mans childe which keepeth c. In accompting him * happie and blessed that imbraceth this doctrine and lyueth godlye he giueth to vnderstande that manye will be harde harted and not followe it but least their waywardnesse should be an hinderanre to the better disposed he pricketh them forwarde with the commendation of the thing by the great Fruit that commeth of it that is true Blessednesse And bicause the Saboth day is the chiefe signe of the worship of God by that he vnderstandeth all the partes of true pietie and godlynesse and not onely the outwarde obseruation of the day Then shall not the stranger that cleaueth to the Lorde saie Alas c. Straungers Eunuches as appereth Deut. 23. were by the lawe excluded from certaine priuileges among the Iewes and not had in such credite and estimation as they that were Iewes borne Wherefore the Prophet by the name of straungers and Ennuches or gelded men vnderstandeth all them which in any respect or in consideration of any reproch might seeme to be vnworthye of the grace of God or to be accompted of the number of his people And therefore in this place he sheweth that the free grace of God whereof he hath spoken before should be such as they also should be made partakers of it which before were straungers from God and seemed not to haue any accesse to the throne of his mercie and goodnesse This is it that Saint Paule speaketh of Ephe. 2. At that tyme you were wythout Christ as aliauntes from the common weale of Israell straungers from the Testamentes of promise c. but nowe in Christ Iesu you which sometymes were farre of are made nighe by the bloud of Christ God therefore to the fruition of his mercie in Christ Iesu calleth of all sortes of men euen of the meanest and lowest * without respect of persons and excludeth neyther Iewe nor Gentile nor forrainer nor other so that they serue him and keepe his couenant To the gelded men he promiseth that he will giue them a better name then if they were called Sonnes daughters of Israel meaning that he woulde gyue them that name whereby they should be written in the boke of lyfe and accompted Citizens of heauen of the householde of god To the Strangers he promyseth that he wyll bring them into the holye Mounte of his Church and make them members therof that he will make them * gladde in his house of prayer by hearing their desires and satisfying their requestes that the offerings and Sacrifices of their godly and vertuous workes shall be accepted before him Come all ye beastes of the fielde that yee maie deuour all the beastes of c. Nowe Esaias seeing the people of God exceedinglye Misled and brought in daunger of Gods highe displeasure by them that should haue bene their Instructors and teachers with great heate he addeth a verie bitter and grieuous reproufe of those to whome the charge and gouernement of them was committed and therein comprehendeth not onely Bishops Priestes and Prophetes but also Princes Iudges and Magistrates which two states God hath appointed as two eyes to direct and guyde his Church As if the Prophete had sayde It behooueth the Gouernours of the people of God to be skilfull and * learned but these are blinde and ignorant and altogither without vnderstanding They should * be Instructors and Counsaylours to direct the people but they are Dumbe dogs not able to barck or giue warning of any daunger They should be Watchfull diligent and painefull but they shew themselues sleepie and sluggish and are giuen ouer to Idlenesse Ease and pleasure of the world not passing what corruption eyther of life or doctrine grow among their people They shoulde as good Pastours * feede their sheepe but they feede themselues and through immoderate greedy * Couetousnesse become as shamlesse dogges that neuer be satisfied but alwaies crauing They should be * sober giue * example to other of the feare of God and obedience to his worde when
2 Lyke as at an hote fyre and that the malicious might boyle avvay as the water doth vpon the fire whereby thy name might be knowne among thine enimies and that the Gentiles might tremble before thée 3 When thou wroughtest wonderous straunge workes we looked not for them thou camest downe and the hilles melted at thy presence 4 For â—ite the beginning of the worlde it hath not bene heard or perâ—â—yâ—ed neyther hath any eye séene another God 〈◊〉 thée which duest so much for them that put their trust in thée 5 Thou helpest him that doth right with chearefulnesse and them that thinke vpon thée in thy wayes but 〈◊〉 thou hast 〈◊〉 angrie for we offended and haue bene euer in sinne though the worlde haue cleaued to them yet shall we be saued 6 We are all as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy ragges we fall euersecâ—â—â—â— as the leafe for our sinnes carie vs away lyke the winde 7 There is no man that calleth vpoÌ„ thy name that standeth vp to take holde by thâ—â— therefore hydest thou thy 〈◊〉 from vs and consumest vs because of our sinnes 8. But 〈◊〉 O Lorde thou father of oures we arâ— thy clay and thou act our potter and we all are the worke of thy I. Be not to sore displeased O Lord and kéepe not our offences to long in thy remembrance but consider that we all are thy people 10 The Cities of thy Sanctuarie lye waste Sion is a wildernesse and Hierusalem a desert 11 Our holy house which is our beautie where our fathers praised thée is brent vp yea all our commodities and pleasures are wasted away 12 Wilt thou not be intreated O Lorde for all this wilt thou holde thy peace scourge vs so sore The Exposition vpon the. 64. Chapter of Esay O that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe c. THis Chapiter is a parcell of that matter that was conteined in the former For from the seuenth verse of the .lxiij. Chapiter vnto the ende of this is a Prayer made by Esaias for the people to vse in time of their grieuous affliction in which they are taught with how great * humblenesse and sorrow of hart they should confesse their sinnes for which that Plague was seâ—t Secondly at whose handes they should looke for deliuerance that is * at Gods hande alone Thirdly how they should comfort themselues and * strengthen their faith with the Memory of those woÌ„derful actes that God had done for them and their fathers before time In this place they breake out to an earnest wishe Oh say they that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder and come downe when our fathers were oppressed in Aegipt though they looked for no such goodnesse at thy hande yet thou diddest vouchsafe to come * downe from heauen to delyuer them and that with so great Maiestie and Terrour through thy wonderfull works that thy name was known and dreadfull not only to thine own people * but also to thine enimies whom thou didst mightily consume In the * Desert also thou wast continually with them to defende them And when thou purposedst to publish thy law vnto vs thou camest downe from Heauen with so great Maiestie of thunder and lightning that as water boyleth and consumeth ouer the fyre so did the Mountaine * Sinai seeme to melt away being in a great smoke with thy presence O that thou wouldest now doe the like in working our deliuerance that thy name might be knowne and thy Maiestie feared euen among the myghtiest of thyne enimies c. The rest of the Chapiter folowing is plaine and easie to be vnderstanded The Sunday called Septuagesima at Morning prayer Genes 1. IN the beginning God created heauen and earth â— 2 And the earth was without fourme and 〈◊〉 boyde and darkenesse vvas vpon the face of the déepe and the spirite of God moued vpon the face of the waters 3 And God saide Let there be light and and there was light 4 And God saw the light that it was good and God deuided the light from the darknesse 5 And God called the light day and the darkenesse night and the euening and the morning were the first day 6 And God saide Let there be a Firmament betwéene the waters and let it make a deuision betwéene waters and waters 7 And God made the Firmament and set a deuision betwéene the waters which vvere vnder the firmament and the waters that vvere aboue the firmament and it was so 8 And God called the firmament heauen and the euening aud the morning were the second day 9 And God sayde Let the waters vnder the heauen be gathered togither into one place and let the drie lande appeare and it was so 10 And God called the drie lande the earth and the gathering togither of the waters called he the seas and God sawe that it was good 11. And God sayde Let the earth bring forth budde and gréene hearbe apt to séede and fruitfull trées yéelding fruite after his kinde which hath séede in it selfe vppon the earth and it was so 12 And the earth brought forth gréene herbe apt to séede after his kinde and trée yelding fruit which had séede it in selfe after his kinde 13 And God saw that it was good And the euening and the morning were the third day 14 And God sayde Let there be lights in the firmament of heauen that they may deuide the day and the night and let them be for signes and seasons and for dayes and yeares 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heauen that they may giue light vpon the earth and it was so 16 And God made two great lightes a greater light to rule the day and a lesse light to rule the night and he made starres also 17 And God set them in the Firmament of the heauen to shine vpon the earth 18 And to rule the day and night and to make difference betwéene the light and the darkenesse and God saw that it was good 19 And the euening and morning were the fourth day 20 And God sayde Let the waters bring forth moouing creature that hath life and foule that may flie vpon the earth in the open firmament of heauen 12 And God created great whales and euery liuing and mouing creature which the waters brought forth after their kind and euery fethered foule after their kind and God saw that it was good 22 And God blessed them saying Be fruitfull and multiplie and fill the waters of the sea and let foule multiplie in the earth 23 And the euening and morning were the fift day 24 And God sayde Let the earth bring forth liuing creature after his kinde cattell worme and beastes of the earth after his kind and it was so 25 God made the beast of the earth after his kinde and cattell after his kinde and euery thing that créepeth vpon
was in the earth and euery herbe of the fielde before it grewe For the Lorde God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth neyther vvas there a man to till the grounde 6 But there went vp a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground 7 The Lorde God also dyd shape man of the dust of the ground and breathed into hys nosethrilles the breath of life and man was a liuing soule 8 And the Lorde God planted a Garden eastwarde in Eden and there he put the man whome he had shapen 9 Moreouer out of the ground made the Lorde God to growe euery trée that was fayre to sight and pleasant to eat The trée of life in the middest of the Garden and the trée of knowledge of good and euill 10 And out of Eden there went forth a ryuer to water the Garden and from thence it was deuided and became into foure heades 11 The name of the first is Pison the same is it that compasseâ—h the whole lande of Hauilab where there is golde 12 And the golde of the lande is very good There is also Bdellium and the Onix stone 13 The name of the second riuer is Gihon the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia 14 The name of the thirde Ryuer is Hidekel and it goeth towarde the east side of Assyrta and the fourth ryuer is Euphrates 15 And the Lorde God tooke the man and put him into the gardeÌ„ of Eden that be might worke it and kéepe it 16 And the Lorde God commaunded the man saying Eating thou shalt eate of euery trée of the garden 17 But as touching the trée of knowledge of good And euill thou shalt not eate of it For in what daye so euer thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death 18 And the Lorde God sayde It is not good that the man should be alone I will make him an helpe lyke vnto hym 19 And so out of the grounde the Lorde God had shapen euery beast of the fielde and euery foule of the ayre and brought them vnto man that he might sée howe he woulde call them For likewise as man named euery lyuing thing so was the name thereof 20 And the man gaue names to all cattell and foule of the ayre and to euery beast of the fielde but for man founde he not an helpe like vnto him 21 The Lorde God caused a déepe sléepe to fall vpon Adam and he slept and he tooke one of his ribbes and closed vp the place with fleshe in steade thereof 22 And the ribbe which the Lorde God hath taken from man made he a woman and brought her vnto the man. 23 And man sayde This is nowe bone of my bones and fleshe of my flesh she shall be called woman bicause she was taken out of man. 24 For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned with his wyfe and they shall become one fleshe 25 And they were both naked the man and his wyfe and were not ashamed The Exposition vpon the .ij. Chapter of Genesis Thus the heauens and earth was finished and all the hoast of them c. SEing that when Man was made the whole worlde had his perfection and ending it maye appeare that all thinges by Gods goodnesse were made for man and to his vse which consideration oâ—â—ght to moue men to bee thankefull vnto God for so great and vnestimable Benefites and to * doe all things to his Honour and glorie according to the ende of their Creation For as the world was made for Man So Man was created to set forth the praise and glorie of god By this worde Hoste he meaneth the Furniture of heauen and Earth and the Multitude of all Gods creatures belonging to them both And therfore when God is often in Scripture called* The Lorde of Hostes it is ment he is the Lord and maker of all Creatures and hath them all at hys commaundement eyther to defende his people or to worke punishment vpon his Enimies And the seauenth daye he rested from all the workes that he made c. Verie well saith Augustine God rested the seauenth day from the worke of Creation but he neuer Ceaseth from the rule of his gouernance For the same God that in the beginning made Heauen and Earth and all Creatures contayned in them doth now also continually Preserue Maintaine and gouerne the same Therefore we are no 〈◊〉 nowe daylie bounde to thanke God for the Preseruation of his Creatures to our vse then we were at the beginning for Making of them We maye not thinke that Creatures once made doe preserue and prosper themselues by a course of Nature oâ—ely but that it is the finger of God and his gratious Prouidence that woâ—â—eth coÌ„tinually in them By him saith Saint Paule wee haue our Being we Liue and we Mooue And to the Hebr. Sustayning all things by the worde of his power And God blessed the seauenth day and sanctified it because c. There are 4. causes why God sanctified the seuenth day 1 The first because he ceased from the making of any mo new Creatures 2 The second for the Worthynesse of mankinde whose creation and making was the Ende of the whole worlde 3 The thirde that it might be an institution and ordinance of a worship due vnto God on the behalf of Man wherby he should set forth his prayse and Glory and acknowledge his vnestimable goodnesse towarde him 4 The fourth that it might be a Figure of Immortality and of our eternal Rest with God in heauen after the ende of the worlde For the Lord God had not yet caused it to raine vpon the earth c. At the beginning thinges that grewe on the Earth were brought forth by God without raine and without labour of mans hande but afterward God giueth in commaundement that Man should Manure the Earth and God did sende Raine to season and moyst it Wherefore Men must Laboure and traueile Plant and Sowe and not looke to eate the fruites of the Earth * in Idlenesse And yet must he not so trust in his worke and labour as though it coulde be of any force or worke benefite vnto him without the goodnesse of God in Seasoning the Earth and prospering his labors and traualles The prouidence of God will haue both to go togither Mans painefull labour and Gods gracious working The Lord also did shape man of the dust of the Grounde c. Here Moyses returneth againe to the worke of the sixt day and expoundeth nowe that he left vnspoken before that is that God made the body of Man of the dust of the Earth He had before sayde that God did make Man according to his owne Image which was the greatest Dignitie that could be giuen vnto Man But nowe least by that pretence he should be puffed vp with Pride he setteth before his eyes his Base
and simple beginning that he came of the * Dust of the Earth And therefore hath no cause to glorie in his owne worthinesse And if he be any thing more than any other common Creatures that the Prayse thereof is to be giuen to God alone Therefore to beate downe the pride of Mans corrupt Nature very wel saith Iesus Sirach VVhy art thou so proude O thou Dust and Ashes And the Lorde God planted a Garden Eastwarde in Eden c. In this that God did set Man in a Paradise or Garden of pleasure it maketh muche to the aduauncement of Mans dignitie and the settinge forth of the great Fauour of God towarde him who woulde not haue his principall Creature whome he had made as Lorde of all other to inhabite in a cōmon place of the Earth but in a plat framed of purpose replenished with al maner of plesure delight according as is here discribed by Moyses Where or in what part of the world this Paradise was or whether it doe at this day remaine or no we may not be Curious to search or determine It may well be thought that that place of delight and pleasure that was prepared for Man in his Innocencie when he sinned and fell from the obedience of God his maker was defaced partly by the * Curse that for the same fel vpon the Earth partly by the generall Deluge ouerflowing the whole lande and all the partes thereof And if we shoulde assigne it to any place it is most likely to haue beene about the coastes of Mesaporamia and Armenia c. where the Riuers Euphrates and Tigris are The Tree of Life planted in Paradise may be thought to be that by the fruite whereof if man had not Sinned he should haue continued Immortall The Tree of knowledge of Good and Euill was that tree which God to trie the Obedience of Adam did Forbid him to taste of and tooke the name of that miserable euent that after fell vnto him by his Disobedience For thereby he vnderstoode euill and was ashamed of himselfe And out of Eden there went foorth a ryuer of water c. Forsomuch as the Riuers that beare those names at this day and flowe into the partes here mencioned haue their heades and beginninges farre asunder it is mooued as a doubt howe they are reported here to haue one heade and spring For aunswere herevnto we must vnderstand that in the time of the generall Deluge when all the fountaynes of the Earth brake out by the prouidence of God to drowne the worlde for sinne it is not vnlikely that this Spring also and the Ryuers that grewe thereof by the continuance of the Deluge did alter and varied their course and toke also other beginnings then before they had Some other thinke that at the same Deluge the sea swelling to drowne the Earth did ouerwhelme that place where Paradice was from whence these Ryuers had their beginning and that it so remayneth at this day either where the redde Sea is or in some partes of the Sea there bordering And the Lorde God commaunded Man saying eating thou shalt eate c. It is not to be thought that God had Inspired the diuin◠knowledge of good and euill into the fruites of this tree but it is to be vnderstanded that it was a type or Figure of perfite knowledge of good and euill which becommeth the wisedome of God alone being hable to declare the perfect causes of all thinges both generally and particularly wherevnto God woulde not haue Man arrogantly to aspire as a thing farre aboue his Cōdition and therefore commaunded him vnder a great paine not to taste of this fruite Augustine and others iudge that the name was giuen to this tree by the euent that folowed For Man by the tasting of that fruite to his owne great harme by experience learned the difference betweene the goodnesse of obedience innocencie felicitie immortalitie and the * euill of disobedience sinfulnesse miserie and death And the Lorde sayd it is not good for man to be alone I will make him an helpe c. Seeing that God had made Man as he did other Creatures to this ende that he should multiply and encrease vpon the face of y Earth it was not fitte and conuenient for him to be alone therefore God of his great goodnesse respecting this his purpose in creating of Mankinde sayth he will make an Helper to Adam like himselfe The woman lawefullye ioyned to Man bringeth three Helpes which he cannot haue without hir 1 The first is the Helping to Procreation and multiplying of mankinde 2 The seconde is that she is a lawfull Remedie agaynst whoredom al filthy vncleane lusts To auoyd fornication sayth Paule let ech man haue his wife And again It is better to Marry than to burne 3 The thirde Helpe is Comfort in sickenesse in affliction and in all houshold cares and troubles as in education of children and keeping the family in order In this place haue we the Institution and notable commendation of matrimonie by God himselfe euen before the fall of Adam Which maketh greatly agaynst all such that vnder a colour of hipocrisy in the Spirit of Antichrist depraue the Institution of God and make Mariage a Wallowing in the Flesh or a Permission onely for the auoyding of a greater euill c. For this cause shall man leaue his father and his mother and shall be ioyned c. After the Institution of matrimonie Moyses addeth the Indissoluble bonde and knot whereby the husbande and wife are fastened togither by the ordinance of God and sheweth that it is * straighter than any other coniunction in the societie of mankinde Inso much that it is a lesse offence to forsake Father and Mother and to leaue them succourlesse whiche notwithstanding ought by Gods commaundement to be honoured then it is to doe the like towarde his lawfull maried Wife Wherefore let them looke well what they doe that are readie for Light and Small causes to Seperate man and wife Seeing that Christ himselfe sayth that VVhosoeuer is separated from his wyfe sauing for fornication and marieth another committeth adulterie The sunday called Sexagesima at Morning prayer Genesis 3. ANd the Serpent was subtiler then euery beast of the fielde which the Lorde God had made and he saide vnto the woman yea hath God saide ye shall not eate of euery tree of the garden 2 And the woman sayde vnto the Serpent We eate of the fruite of the trées of the garden 3 But as for the fruite of the trée which is in the midst of the garden God hath sayde Ye shall not eate of it neyther shall ye touche it least peraduenture ye die 4 And the Serpent sayde vnto the woman Ye shall not dye the death 5 For God both knowe that the same daye that ye eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and euill 6 And
sâ— the woman seing that the same tree was good to eate of and pleasant to the eyes and a trée to be desired to make one wise tooke of the fruite thereof and did â—ate and gaue also vnto her husbande being with hir and he did eate 7 Then the eyes of them both were opened and they knewe that they were naked and they sowed Figge leaues together and made themselues apernes 8 And they heard the voyce of the Lorde God walking in the Garden in the coole of the day 〈◊〉 Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trées of the garden 9 And the Lord God called Adam and sayde vnto him Where art thou 10 Which saide I heard thy voyce in the garden and was afrayde because I was naked and hid my selfe 11 And he sayde Who tolde thée that thou wast naked Hast thou not eaten of the same trée concerning the which I commaunded thée that thou shouldest not eate of it 12 And Adam sayde The woman whome thou gauest to be with me she gaue me of the trée and I did eate 13 And the Lorde God sayde vnto the woman Why hast thou done this And the woman sayd The Serpent beguyled me and I did eate 14 And the Lorde God sayde vnto the Serpent Because thou half done this thou art cursed aboue all cattell and aboue euery beast of the fielde vpon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy life 15 I will also put enmitie betwéene thée and the woman betwéene thy séede and her séede and it shall treade downe thy head and thou shalt treade vpon his héele 16 But vnto the woman he sayde In multiplying I will multiply thy sorowe and thy conceptions In sorrowe thou shalt bring forth children thy desire shal be to thy husband and he shall haue the rule of thée 17 Vnto Adam he said Because thou hast hearkened vnto the voyce of thy wife and hast eaten of the trée concerning the which I commauÌ„ded thée saying Thou shalt not eate of it cursed is the grounde for thy sake in sorrowe shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life 18 Thorne also and thistle shall it bring forth to thée and thou shalt eate the hearbe of the fielde 19 In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate breade till thou be turned againe into the grounde for out of it wast thou taken For oust thou art and into dust shalt thou be turned againe 20 And Adam called his wifes name Heua because she was the mother of all lyuing 21 Vnto Adam also and to his wife did the Lorde God make garmentes of skiâ—â—es and he put them on 22 And the Lorde God sayde Beholde this man is become as one of vs in knowing good and euill And nowe least peraduenture he put forth his hande and take also of the trée of life and eate and liue for euen 23 The â—efore the Lorde God sent him forth from the garden of Eden â–ª to dresse the grounde whence he was taken 24 And so he droue out man and at the East side of the Garden of Eden he set Cherubins and a fierie two edged sworde to kéepe the way of the trée of lyfe The Exposition vpon the .iij. Chapter of Genesis And the Serpent was subtiler then euery beast of the fielde which the c. IN this chapter are 3. things conteyned First the temptation seducing and transgression of mankind wrought by the Serpent Secondly the Condemnation and punishment of Man Woman and the Serpent Thirdly the the Casting of Man out of Paradise As touching the first Saran enemie to Mankinde and enuying the happie estate that he was in by the sufferance of God abused the Serpent as his fittest Iâ—strument to deceaue man and Seduce him froÌ„ the obedience of god For we may not thinke that the Serpent dyd this of his owne motion nor phantastically dreame that beastes of the fielde Coulde then vse a distinct Speech to declare there mindes as here the Serpent doth But God for Causes to his secrete wisedome onely knowne suffred the Deuill to abuse the tongue of the Serpent as he afterward did suffer him to be a * lying spirite in the mouth of the false Prophetes to deceyue Achab. And as the good Angell of God miraculously * opened the mouth of Balahams Asse to Speake vnto hys maister And if it shall seeme straunge to any man that Eua was not afraide to talke with the Serpent he must vnderstande that before Adam fell from God by Disobedience the beastes of the fielde were not so terrible to Man as since that time they haue beene Yea it may well be gathered that the Serpent was more familiar with Man then any other beast and that the Deuill Craftily tooke that occasion to worke by hym and the woman sooner seduced and ouercome as well by that as by hearing of him to speake Contrarie to the maner of other beastes This I gather by that punishment of the Serpent that God after pronounceth I will set enemitie betwene thee and the woman c. For thereby it maye appeare that before there was a Certaine inclination of kindnesse and familiaritie betweene them more then in other In this temptation of Adam in Paradise we haue to learne that no Place is free to man from temptation yea that the Deuill then worketh most perilously and most preuayleth when we are in the state of Prosperitie and Felicitie and therfore at that time we ought by all meanes most diligently to beware of him For by Prosperitie we soonest forget our selues and are most easely intrapped And the Serpent sayde vnto the woman ye shall not die the death c. Here let vs diligenly note How Satan not only at thys time but in all ages dealeth toward God and his holy worde When the will of God is deliuered vnto his people by his true and sincere worde * then immediatly doth the Deuill by his Instrumentes seeke to Corrupt and falsifie the same eyther by manifest impugning it as vntrue or by writhed interpretations drawing it to another Sence then it was spoken in and al to seduce the people of God froÌ„ his True worship and obedience From this roote commeth those things that of late hath bene taught in the Church when God had sayde* Thou shalt make vnto thy selfe no grauen Image thou shalt not bowe downe vnto them c. The Serpent with his lying tongue impugneth it saying Thou mayest with great holynesse fill the Churches and places of prayer with Images and go in Pilgrimage to them and worship them by kneeling by offering by sensing and all other meanes of honour â–ª When Christ saide in the * institution of the Sacrament Drinke you all of this Nay sayth the Serpent The laye men maye not drinke of this but Priests onely When the word of God teacheth vs that Christ â–ª with * one oblation made perfite all that be
Sanctified The instruments of Satan Crie naye we must haue a daylie Sacrifice Propiciatorie in the Masse as well for the quick as for the dead This is the perpetuall maner of the Deuils working against Gods holye Worde Therefore Christian men must beware that in the true worship of God they be not drawn away from the obedience of his True Sincere Worde by any Interpretations seeme they neuer so gaye in the iudgement of man. Then the eyes of them both were opened and they knewe that they c. The eyes of men are 3. wayes opened to see First by the doctrine of Gods holye worde For so Christ saide vnto Paule that he would send him to the Gentiles to opeÌ„ there eyes that they might turne from darkenesse to light Secondly our eyes are opened by Affliction and Trouble to descend looke into our owne bosomes and see and Confesse what we are For trouble and vexation sayth the scripture gyueth vnderstanding as it appeareth in the example of the * prodigall sonne Thirdlye our eyes be opened by the gnawing of our owne Consciences after sinne Committed where as the Deuill before the offence done doth blinde our vnderstanding And so were the eies of Adam and Eue nowe opened that they sawe their owne nakednesse and felt the Corruption of their nature which they sought to remedie not by seeking vnto God but by their owne Deuises in couering their nakednesse with Figge leaues Thys propertie our Corrupt nature draweth Continually from our first parentes that though we see our owne wickednesse in the iudgement of our Conscience yet we will not * easely confesse it and flye vnto God for remedie * but flie rather from God and seeke to hide it and heale it by all the meanes and shiftes that we can of our selues deuise And Adam and his wife hid themselues from the presence of the Lord c. Note what Sinne worketh in man after it is Committed First his Conscience with greeuous remorse accuseth and Condemneth hym in hys owne iudgement Then it extinguesheth the trust and Confidence in the goodnesse of God and maketh him with a desperate and astonied minde to flie from God from whome notwithstanding he Can in * no wise hyde hymselfe And lastly when he Can not escape he seeketh by stubborne hipocrisie to excuse himselfe by other yea rather to lay the fault vpon God himselfe then with humble submission to acknowledge his fault And the Lorde God called Adam and saide vnto him Where c. Thys is an example of the great goodnesse of God that when we wickedly haue offended hym and seeke to hide our selues from him with daunger to fall into further mischiefe he mercifully calleth vpon vs by sundrie meanes to come vnto him by repentance And the Lorde God saide vnto the Serpent because thou hast done this c. After the fault of disobedience was by Adam and his wife verie hardly Confessed God proceedeth to Condemnation and punishment And first beginneth with the Serpent as the principall Instrument of this mischiefe in whose punishment are fower partes noted That he was cursed aboue all other beastes of the earth that he should go vpon hys belly creeping That he should eate dust all the dayes of his lyfe That there should be enemitie betwene the woman and him and betweene the seede of the woman and his seede This kinde of Punishment as it is literally vnderstanded of the Seede of the woman and of the naturall Serpent so mistically and in waye of prophesie is it to be vnderstanded of the great Serpent Satan and the true and blessed seede of woman Christ Iesu * who in deede crushed the head of Satan and brake all the power of his kingdome And yet is it permitted to the same Serpent that he shall Treade vpon the heele of the seede of woman that is that He in the world should Persecute and trouble the professors of the name of Christ and so much as he coulde work them Sorow but yet not so that he can preuayle against them for that they haue obteyned victorie ouer him in Christ Iesu But vnto the woman he sayde In multiplying I will multiplie thy c. The Woman was the second Instrument and worker of Disobedience therfore God proceedeth next to Her iudgement saying In sorow shalt thou bring forth thy children c. God of his mercie doth so punish woman in bodily Paine that both * hir soule may be saued and the Propagation and increasing of mankinde not hindered thereby God did iustly Debase hir to the Subiection of her husbande by him to be guyded and ruled because she had so lightly giuen place to the lying * allurement of the Serpent thereby to Satisfie hir owne lust and affection Vnto Adam he sayde because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife c. THe Serpent offended by the Instinction and acte of Satan the Woman by the Seducing of the Serpent Adam not by the deceyte of the Serpent but willingly to please his wife displeased God. For Adam as saint Paule sayth was not seduced but woman was â—educed by the Serpent But neyther was the Serpent excused because he was wrought thereto by Satan nor the Woman because she was beguiled of the Serpent nor Adam because he was not Seduced but studied to satisfie y disordered affection of his wife But they all by Gods iudgement susteyned their iust rewarde and punishment Wherefore we must beware howe we condiscend to breake the lawe of God * vpon any excusable Pretence whatsoeuer it be God wil be obeyed he will not be Satisfied with our fayre Excuses and Pretences Cursed is the grounde for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes c. God cursed not Man as he did the Serpent but for mans Sin and disobedience Curseth the Earth to the ende that that Creature which at the beginning to mans behoofe was blessed with fertilitie and encrease might nowe by the hardenesse and barrennesse therof driue sinfull man to labour for his foode and in the Sweate of his browes to eate his breade Wherefore whensoeuer dearth or scarcitie Commeth by reason that the earth in due time doth not yeelde the fruites thereof we must vnderstande and learne the Cause thereof is in our owne * sinfulnesse for that Gods iust iudgement for our offences will not suffer the labours of our hands to prosper with vs. For dust thou art and into dust thou shalt be turned againe c. This is a notable Sentence to beate downe the pride of man that we hereby considering what we are of our selues * by our first parents may be made humble and lowely in our owne sight and not be puffed vp with pride towarde any man but rather Contemne the insolencie of the worlde and take in good part all miserie and Calamitie that in this flesh shall fall vnto vs looking continually to
shame they are driuen to vâ—â—ode their vntemperate stomacks No merueyle though God punishe such exceeding grieuously as he shreatneth Esay 5. And Ham the father of Chanaan seing the nakednesse of his father c. Thus God punisheth vndiscrete Parents that 〈…〉 as he had done 〈…〉 And Sem and Iaphet taking a garment layde it vpon their shoulders c. As in Ham we haue a Paterne of a lewde and vnnaturall sonne so haue we in Sem and Iaphet an example of good and godly children not onely nothing at all delighting in the reproch of their Father but being hartily sorie for the same and with all Reuerence Shamefastnesse and modestie * seeke â—o hide that vncomelynesse that had happened vnto him And this in deede is the office of good children not as Ham to Discrie and blase abroade the Shame of their parentes but with 〈◊〉 Secrecie and honestie to hide such blemishes as shall happen vnto them And Noah awooke from his wine c. and saide cursed be Chanaan c. This is the Curse of Ham and his wicked Posteritie as a dewe rewarde of his vndewtifulnesse towarde his father And also she Blessing of Sem and Iaphet wherewith God prospered them as well for this their Reuerence towarde their Paâ—entes as for their other Obedience to the 〈◊〉 of god This curse of Ham the blessing of Sem 〈◊〉 Iapher â–ª with their poslepitie was vttered by Noah in way of prophecie For Ham 〈◊〉 the father of the inhabitants of the lande of Chanaan that was subdued by the mightie hand of God and deliuered in subiection to the Israelites after their comming out of Egypt Of Sem 〈…〉 the people of Israel whom God merueilously preserued and brought into that lande of promise where they were Lords ouer the posteritie of Ham. Of Iaphet and his progenie came the most part of the Gentiles which a long time were seperated from the knowledge of God and so deuided from their brethren of the Iewes and of the posteritie of Sem. But at the comming of Christ by the sweete voyce of the Gospel they were brought vnder one * Sheephearde and one Folde and so according to the blessing of their father Noah dwelled in the tentes of Sem and were partakers of the promises * first made to the loste sheepe of the house of Israel So that this is an euident testimonie of the Calling of the Gentiles euen by the mouth of the holy Patriarke so manye hundred yeares before in deede it was performed The sunday called Quinqua gesima â–ª at Euening praier Genesis 12. AND the Lord sayde vnto Abram â—et thâ—e out of shy Countrey and out of thy Nation and from thy fathers house vnto a lande that I will shew thée 2 And I will make of thée a great people and will blesse thée and make thy name great that thou shalt be a blessing 3 I will also blesse them that blesse thée 〈◊〉 curse thâ— that curse thâ—â— in thée shall 〈…〉 of the earth be 〈◊〉 4 And so Abrâ—â— departed as the Lordâ—had 〈…〉 himâ— and Let 〈◊〉 with him and Abram was 〈◊〉 and fiue yeares olde when he departed out of Haran 5 And Abram tooke Sarai his wife and Lâ—t his brothers sonne and all their substance that they had in possession and the soules that they had begotten in Haran and they departed that they might come into the lande of Chanaan and into the lande of Ehâ—â—aan they came 6 Abram passed through the lande vnto the place of Sichem vnto the plaine of Morâ—h And the Chanaanite was then in the lande 7 And the Lord appearing vnto Abram sayde Vnto thy séede will I giue this lande and there builded he an aulter vnto the Lorde which appeared vnto him 8 And remoouing thence vnto a mountaine that was eastwarde from Bethell he pitched his tent hauing Bethell on the west side and Hai on the east and there be buylding an aulter vnto the Lorde did call vpon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram tooke his iourney goyng and iourneyng towarde the south 10 And then there was a famine in that lande and therefore went Abram downe into Egypt that he might soiourne there for there was a griouous famine in the lande 11 And when he was come néere to enter into Egypt he sayde vnto Sarai his wife Beholde I know that thou art a fayre woman to looke vpon 12. Therefore shall to come 〈…〉 that when the Egiptiâ—◠〈…〉 wife and they will she is his but they saue thée aliue 13 Say I pray thée that thou art my sister that I may fare well for thy sake and that my soule may liue through thy occasion 14 And so when Abram was come into Egipt the Egiptians 〈…〉 for she was very fayre 15 The princes also of Pharaâ— sawe 〈◊〉 and commended hâ—â— before Pharad and the woman was taken into Pharaâ—â— house 16 〈…〉 for her sake and he had shéepe 〈…〉 and mayde seruants 〈…〉 17 But the Lorde plagued Pharao and his house wyth great plagues because of Sarai Abrams wife 18 And Pharao calling Abram sayde Why hast thou done this vnto me 19 Why diddest thou not tell me that she was thy wife why saydes thou She is my sister and so I might haue taken her to be my wife Nowe therefore beholde there is thy wife take her and go thy way 20 And Pharao gaue his men commaundement concerning him and they conueyed him forth and his wife and all that he had The Exposition vpon the .xij. Chapter of Genesis And the Lorde sayde to Abram Get thee out of thy Countrey c. GOd would not haue his chosen seruant Abram whome of his singuler grace hee had appoynted to a great purpose any loÌ„ger to be Tempted Troubled Afflicted among the wicked Chaldees though they were of his kinred And therefore * willeth him to depart Here we haue to note that when it pleased God to Cal one whom he might appoint to be Father of the faythfull he did not choose him out of the Posteritie of the Wicked but from the Generations of the Godly though they were now fallen to great corruption and liued in Idolatrie And this person doth God call Freely not in respect of anye Woorthinesse or dignitie in the partie For there are not here recited any merites or deserâ—es in Abram why God shoulde so it but 〈◊〉 proceeded only of the Mere grace and Free election of God. By this departure of Abram out of his wicked Countrey If may seeme to be drawne into question whether a godly man maye liue among hys wicked Countrey men or no but is bound in conscience to depart from them wheÌ„ Vice naughtinesse doth increase To this it may be answered that there are two causes for which a godly man may ought to Forsake the Companie and habitations of the wicked 1 The one is if he can not be out of daunger of Life and
God euen in the very point staieth him saying Lay not thy hande vpon the childe nowe I knowe that thou fearest God. In which words he sheweth also that the feare of God is the Roote of true obedience God knewe before that Abraham did feare him but by this maner of speaking the scripture gyueth vs to vnderstande that GOD doth not regarde the Shewe and pretence of hys feare and worship but the true * Practise of the same in deede that the world also may vnderstand the same and * glorifie God therein They are detestable to God that pretend to feare and worship him and doe not in deede but by hipocrisie and dissimulation Therfore doth he extoll here the Faith of Abraham that shewed so notable proofe therof And Abraham lifting vp his eyes looked and beholde there was c. God of his singuler prouidence by such meanes as his wisedome onely knoweth prepared this Ramme to be their vpon the sodaine to be offered in the place of Isaac And Abraham to make a solemne and perpetuall Memoriall not of his owne Doing but of gods Mercies chaungeth the name of the place calling it The Lorde will see to signifie that God is readie and at hande alwaye to His and seeth them in their distresse and neede And the Angell of the Lorde cryed to Abraham the seconde time c. Thys is the fruite of Abrahams fayth and obedience that by the Mouth of the Angell of God he hath Confirmed vnto him the great Blessings that God before had promised But for somuch as the reason why God doth here so blesse Abraham is added in thys wise Because thou hast done thys thing and hast not spared thy only sonne c. There may seeme two great Doubts to be moued First howe this may stande with the Free Promise of the same blessing made to Araham cap. 12. before he shewed this obedience Secondly because this part of the blessing In thy seede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed doth appertain to the Spirituall and Heauenly blessing in the Sauiour of the world Christ Iesu It may seeme by the words that the same blessing did depēd vpon this Fact of Abraham so that if he had not this done that promise had not bene performed For he sayth Because thou hast done this thing c. and because thou hast heard my voyce But thys maye seeme verie absurde and repugnant to the Scriptures that the Sauing of the worlde by Christ should be graunted because of the Obedience of Abraham and not of the Free mercie of God. To these doubtes we must answere that with out exception these Promises were made and in dewe tyme performed of the free mercie of God and loue towarde not Abraham alone but all mankinde also not regarding their Worthinesse but his Owne goodnesse And when God sayth Because thou hast done this thing and because thou hast heard my voyce we must vnderstande that God for our imbecillitie and weake capacitie in heauenly matters speaketh in this place as he doth in manye other after the Maner of Men. For a man oftentimes hath a fauourable inclination to loue an other and that of his owne motion without any consideration of desert in the person and vpon the same loue towarde him doth freely promise him some good benefite and pleasure But when he seeth the good will of the partie towarde him againe he is greatly Delited therewith and the more he doth declare it by his readie seruice the more he is incensed to performe his Liberall Promise to him and to assure him of the same In the like maner doth God deale here with Abraham The principall Causes of these blessings and the Performance thereof are the Truth and Free mercie God as it maye appeare in that they were made to Abraham not onely * before he did this but before Isaac was borne The second cause that moueth God here to repeat them and to confirme Abraham in the assurance of them was his * Faith and obedience in this place declared After these thinges one tolde Abraham beholde Milcha she hath c. This may seeme straunge to the worldly Man that Abraham forsaking his countrie at the calling of Almightie GOD and hauing the promise of great increase of his seede at the length when he was an Hundred peares of age hath but One sonne and Nahor his brother who taried behinde and had no promise of God hath by that time a Number of children So the Blessings and Promises of God in this life seeme not to take such force but the vngodlye be more happie then they But the onely sonne of Abraham was not giuen by the Common Course of Nature as Nahors were but of the mightie Power of God aboue all Nature or reason and before the birth of the Child he had the Promises of gods blessings and the assured couenāt of God that he would be * His God and the God of his Seede which was a far greater Felicitie then the Multitude of Nahors children The second Sunday in Lent at Morning prayer Genesis 27. AND it came to passe that when Isahac wasxed olde and his eyes were dimme so that he could not see he called Esau his eldest sonne and sayee vnto him My sonne And he sayde vnto him Here am I. 2 And he sayde Beholde I am nowe olde and know not the day of my death 3. Now therefore take I pray thée thy weapons thy Quiuer and thy Bowe and get thée to the fielde that thou mayest take me some veneson 4 And make me well tasting meates such as I loue and bring it to me that I may eate that my soule may blesse thee before that I die 5 But Rebecca heard when Isahac spake to Esau his sonne And Esau went into the fielde to hunt veneson and to bring it 6 And Rebecca spake vnto Iacob hir sonne saying Beholde I haue hearde thy father talking with Esau thy brother and saying 7 Bring me veneson and make me daintie meate that I may eate and blesse thée before the Lord afore my death 6 Now therefore my sonne heare my voyce in that which I commaunde thée 9 Get thée to the flocke and bring me thence two good kiddes from the goates and I will make of them pleasant meates for thy father such as he loueth 10 And thou shalt bring it to thy father that he may eate and that he may blesse thée before his death 11 Then sayde Iacob to Rebecca his mother Beholde Esau my brother is a hearie man and I am smooth 12 My father shal peraduenture féele me and I shall séeme vnto him as though I went about to beguile him and so shal I bring a cursse vpon me and not a blessing 13 And his mother sayde vnto him Vpon me be the cursse my 〈◊〉 onely heare my voyce and go and fetch me them 14 And Iacob went and fet them and brought them to his mother and his mother made
the bushe was not consumed 3 Therefore Moyses sayde I will go nowe and sée this great sight howe it commeth that the bushe burneth not 4 And when the Lorde sawe that he came for to sée God called vnto him out of the middest of the bushe and sayde Moyses Moyses And he answered Here am I. 5 And he saide Drawe not nigh bither put thy shwes of thy féete for the place wheron thou standest is holy ground 6 And he saide I am the God of thy father the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob And Moyses hid his face for he was afrayde to looke vpon God. 7 And the Lorde sayde I haue surely séene the trouble of my people which are in Egypt and haue heard their crye from the face of their taske maisters for I knowe their sorrowes 8 And am come downe to deliuer them out of the hande of the Egiptians and to bring them out of that land vnto a good lande and a large vnto a lande that floweth with mylke and hony euen vnto the place of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites and Pherezites and Heuites and of the Iebuâ—ites 9 Nowe therefore beholde the complaint of the children of Israel is come vnto me and I haue also séene the oppression wherewith the Egiptians oppressed them 10 Come thou therfore and I will send thée vnto Pharao that thou mayest bring my people the children of Israel out of Egypt 11 And Moyses â—aide vnto God what am I to go vnto Pharao and to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt 12 And he answered For I will be with thée and this shall be a token vnto thée that I haue sent thée After that thou hast brought the people out of Egipt ye shall serue God vpon this mountaine 13 And Moyses sayde vnto God Beholde vvhen I come vnto the children of Israel and shall say vnto them The God of your fathers hath sent me vnto you And if they saye vnto me what is his name what answere shall I giue them 14 And God answered Moyses I am that I am And he said Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel I am hath seÌ„t me vnto you 15 And God spake further vnto Moses Thus shalt thou say vnto the children of Israel The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob hath sent me vnto you This is my name for euer and this is my memoriall into generation and generation 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel togither and thou shalt say vnto them The Lorde God of your fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob appeared vnto me and sayde In visiting haue I visited you and knowe that which is done to you in Egypt 17 And I haue sayde I will bring you out of the tribulation of Egypt vnto the lande of the Chanaanites and Hethites and Amorites Pherezites and Heuites and Iebusites euen into a lande which floweth with milke and hony 18 And they shall heare thy voyce then both thou and the elders of Israel shall go vnto the king of Egypt and saye vnto him The Lorde God of the Hebrews hath met wyth vs and nowe let vs go we beséech thée thrée dayes iourney into the wildernesse and doe sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God. 19 And I am sure that the King of Egypt will not let you go no not in a mightie hande 20 And I will stretch out my hande and smite Egypt with all my woonders which I will doe in the mids thereof and after that he will let you go 21 And I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shall not go emptie 22 But euerye wyfe shall borowe of her neighbour and of her that soiourneth in her house Iewels of Siluer and Iewels of Golde and rayment and ye shall put them on your sonnes and daughters and shall robbe the Egiptians The Exposition vpon the thirde Chapter of Exodus Moses kept the sheepe of Iethro his father in lawe priest of Madian c. AS in the other Chapters before haue bene declared the great Oppression and Miserie of the children of Israell in Aegypt so in this Chapter and the residue folowing is set forth the great and mercifull Goodnesse of Almightye God deliuering them from the same And as touching Moises whom God had chosen to be his Instrument herein we may in him learne howe God vseth commonly to deale with his Elect. This Moses was at this time of all men in the worlde most acceptable to God whome euen from his mothers wombe he had chosen to be the Deliuerer of hys people and the Publisher of his lawe And yet it pleased him to suffer the same Moyses to be in Banishment * fortie yeares not onely among heathen persons but in the poore and harde condition of a Sheepehearde And yet may we not thinke that God at the same time did Contemne Moyses but vndoubtedly had great Care of him and while he was in the trauaile of a Sheepeheard did prepare for him an Office farre aboue the Dignitie or maiestie of any earthly Prince The like we see in Ioseph in Dauid in Daniel and in our sauiour Christ himselfe And the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire c. When God of his goodnes was disposed to Deliuer his people out of Aegypt because of 〈…〉 matter of Great weight in the sight of 〈…〉 Vnpossible the Egyptians being Mighty 〈◊〉 and the Israelites Poore and miserable and for that Moyses might doubt of his Calling to so great a purpose God vseth at the beginning a stravnge and woonderfull Miracle of a Fyre burning in a bush and yet the bush not consumed therewith I thinke it not so profitable to recite the Allegories that many interpreters do mention in this place For the true and simple 〈◊〉 is as I haue sayde that God purposing to call Moyses to Deliuer his people doth Confirme him there in by this Miracle of the burning Bushe that he might not Doubt but that the voyce that spake 〈◊〉 him was in dede from God and not by the Delusion of any Man. And when the Lorde sawe that he came to see God called vnto him c. It is no repugnancie that the Scripture before reported that the Angel appeared in a Flaâ—e office here in this place â—yth that God Called Moyses For God speaketh by his Angels as he doth by his Prophets and other Ministers God is the Maister and Instructer and the Angell is the Minister in the name and authoritie of God doing the Message When he sayth The place is holy he meaneth not that the Ground or earth was of it selfe more Holy or acceptable to GOD than anye other place was 〈◊〉 God minded in that place to Reueale himselfe and his holy Will vnto Moyses and afterwardes in the same place to Publishe his
lawe and blessed Worde and therefore he doth call it Holy. For like cause â—acob called the Place where in a * dreame he sawâ—â— ladder goyng vp to heauen and the Lorde standing at the toppe of it by the name of The terrible house of God and gate of heauen Hierusalem is * called the Holy Citie because Gods worde and his true worship was there declared Take away the Worde of God and his diuine Presence and the Place of it selfe is Indifferent as other are As touching that God willeth Moyses to put of his Shooes by that token or ceremonie of his Bare feete he woulde strike into him a Reuerence towarde that Vision that in the name of God appeared vnto him And also that he should now resigne and giue ouer that State that he was in at that time and submit himselfe wholy to the Will of God nowe at this time reuealed vnto him and to this present calling to be the Deliuerer of his people For in the .4 of Ruth the putting off of the Shoe is a token of Resigning or giuing ouer his Right to an other I am the God of thy father the God â—f Abraham the God of Isaac c. This is that notable Sentence which Christ vseth in the .22 of Math. to proue the Resurrection and that the Soule liueth after it is Departâ—d from the body and therewith stopped the mouthes of the Saduces And the Lorde sayde I haue surely seene the trouble of my people c. Such is the goodnesse of God that when helpe and succour seemeth vtterly Desperate then he offereth his mercie and mightlly Deliuereth euen when his people Least thinke of it Thereby are we taught at no time to Despayre of Gods Help seeme it neuer so Hard or Vnpossible to the world Then is Gods Glorie most set foorth when in greatest Difficultie he Deliuereth The Israelites were nowe more Vniust in the sight of God â—hen that they might Hope for any Reliefe at his 〈◊〉 For they had almost Forgot GOD and his true Worship And is the world they were more Weak and Miserable then eyther three many man see them coulde Deuise whiche ware it â—ought he wrought In this great Distresse God calleth â—â—ses and offereth their Deliuerance not in respect of any Worthinesse in them but partly of his great Pitie that he tooke of their miserie and aâ—â—â—iction â–ª partly for the truth of his * Promises that he had made to their Forefathers â–ª Abraham Isaac and Iacob And herby teacheth vs to the great strengthning of our fayth that although there be much vnworthinesse in vs yet â–ª for his truthes sake and for the Glorie of his name he will fulfill his Promises and worke the safetie of his people agaynst all the gates of hell Come thou therefore and I will sende thee vnto Pharao c. Here Moyses is called to this office of a Deliuerer of the people of GOD and we by him are taught not Ambiciously to offer our selues to any high Office or Function but diligently to followe that State that we be in and loke in all things for the Calling of God eyther by himselfe or by hys Officers to whome he hath giuen Authoritie And Moises sayde vnto God what am I to go vnto Pharao c. This Refusall was not of Disobedience to the will and calling of God but a Confessing and acknowledging of his Infirmitie as afterwarde Gâ—deon and othere did As if he had sayde I am but a poore Sheepehearde and seaâ—t hable to kepe my sheepe from the wilde beastes of the Desert But the Aegyptians are a Mightie people and their king a sterne and Prowde Tiranne therefore O Lorde I see a great vnfitnesse in my selfe for such a purpose As it is Sinne to withstande the Calling of God so is it a Vertue to acknowledge his Weakenesse and Dishabilitie And he answered for I will be with thee and this shall be a token c. If God had promised Moyses an infinite number of mightie Armyes to worke this exployte it had not bene halfe so much as that in this place he offereth * For if God himselfe be with vs all the Power of the World is in vaine against vs He doth also strengthen his Weakenesse with further assurance that this his calling should be of such Force and of so good Effect in the ende that in the same Place He and they togither should Worship theyr God that hath Deliuered them And Moyses said vnto God when I come vnto the children of Israel c. Moyses being nowe well Confirmed for himselfe and his owne Calling desireth also that he may be hable by some euident meanes to Assure the Israelites of the same least when he came vnto them and declared that he was appoynted their Capitain and Deliuerer they should Refuse him and aske from what God he was sent For the Israelites being brought vp a long time among Idolatours in Aegypt had almost forgot the True and liuing God of their fathers Therefore Moises desireth to know here the Name of God which was some Timerous Curiositie in Moyses and therefore God by his answere signifieth that he should Stay himselfe vpon his Worde and Promises made both now to him and before time to his and their forefathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob rather then to enquire for his name whose Nature Maiestie and Power is vnspeakable and not to be vttered by any Name Wherefore God answereth I am that Iam and say vnto the children of Israel I am hath sent me vnto you c. That is the Beear and the onely Vnsearchable Substance that hath his being of himselfe and of none other and of whom all things that are * haue their Being Life and Moouing Euen I that eternall God that is nowe and euer hath beene who in the beginning made Heauen and earth gaue Life and Being vnto all Creatures and that afterwarde made his Promise and Couenant to your fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob that he woulde be their God and the God of their Seede that God I say * mindefull of his promises and pitying your miseryes hath nowe sent me vnto you to be your Capitaine and guide to deliuer you out of that great Tyrannie and Crueltie wherwith you are now Oppressed in Aegypt And they shall heare thy voyce then both thou and the elders of Israel c. Now he Instructeth Moyses what he shall pretende to Pharao in his message that he may suffer them to go Wherein it may with some offence appeare as though God did teach Moyses to Lie. For the chief purpose was not in the Desert to do Sacrifice to God but to conuey themselues away out of Aegypt into the lande of Chanaan For answere wherevnto we must consider 1 First that Peculier things done Extraordinarily by the Inspiration or commaundement of God are not to be taken as Generall Rules or examples for all men to followe 2 Secondly there
smite thée and thy people with pestilence and thou shalt perishe from the earth 16 And in verse déede for this cause haue I kept thée â–ª for to shew thée my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the worlde 17 Yet exaltest thou thy selfe against my people that thou wilt not let them go 18 Beholde to morowe this time I will sende downe a mightie great hayle such a one as was not in Egypt since the foundation thereof was layde vnto this time 19 Send therefore now and gather thy beastes and all that thou hast in the fielde for vpon all the men and the beastes which are founde in the fielde and not brought home shall the hayle fall and they shall die 20 And as many as feared the worde of the Lord amongst the seruants of Pharao made their seruants and their beasts â—lee â—â—to the houses 21 But he that regarded not the worde of she Lorde left his seruants and his beastes in the field 22 And the Lord sayd vnto Moses Stretch forth thy hand vnto heauen that there may be hayle in all the lande of Egypt vpon man and vpon beastes and vpon all the hearbes of the fielde throughout the lande of Egypt 23 And Moyses stretched forth his rod vnto heauen and the Lord thundred and hayled and the fire ranne along vppon the grounde and the Lord hayled in the lande of Egypt 24 So there was hayle and fire mingled with the hâ—â—le so grieuous and such as there was none throughout all the lanâ—â— of Egypt since people inhabited it 25 And the hayle smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field â–ª both man and beast and the hayle smote all the hearbes of the fielde and broke all the trées of the fielde 26 Onely in the lande of Gosen where the children of Israell were was there no hayle 27. And Pharao sent and called for Moses and Aaron and saide vnto them I haue now sinned the Lorde is righteous 〈◊〉 I and my people are vngodly 28 Praye ye vnto the Lorde that these thunderings of God and hayle may be 〈…〉 and I will let you go and ye shall â—arâ—e no longer 29 â—â—yses layde vnto him Assoone as I am out of the Citie I will spread abroade my handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder shal ceasse neither shall there be any more haile that thou mayst know howe that the earth is the Lordes 30 But I know that thou and thy seruants yet feare not the face of the Lorde God. 31 And so the flaxe and the barlie were smitten for the barly was shot vp and the flaxe was boulled 32 But the wheate and the rie were not smitten for they were late sowne 33 And Moises went out of the Citie from Pharao and spred abroade his handes vnto the Lorde and the thunder and hayle ceassed neyther rayned it vpon the earth 34 And when Pharao â—awe that the raine and the haile and thunder were ceassed he sinned yet more and hardened his hart he and his seruants 35 And the hart of Pharao was hardened neyther would he let the children of Israell go as the Lord had sayde by the hand of Moises The .6 Sunday in Lent at Euening prayer Exod. 10. ANd the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses Go into Pharao for I haue hardened his heart and the heart of his seruantes that I might shewe these my signes before him 2 And that thou tell in the audience of thy sonne and of thy sonnes sonne what things I haue done in Egypt and the miracles which I haue done amongst them that ye maye knowe howe that I am the Lorde 3 And so Moyses and Aaron came into Pharao and said vnto him Thus sayth the Lord God of the Hebrewes How long wilt thou refuse to submit thy selfe vnto me Let my people go that they may serue me 4 Or else if thou refuse to let my people go beholde to morrowe will I bring Grashoppers into thy coastes 5 And they shall couer the face of the earth that it can not be séene and they shall eate the residue which remayneth vnto you and is escaped from the hayle and they shall eate euery gréene trée that beareth you fruite in the fielde 6 And they shall fill thy houses and all thy seruaents houses and the houses of all the Egiptians after such a maner as neyther thy fathers nor thy fathers fathers haue séene since the time they were vpon the earth vnto this day And he turned himselfe about and went out from Pharao 7 And Pharaos seruantes sayd vnto him Howe long shall he be hurtfull vnto vs Let the men go that they may serue the Lorde their God knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed 8 And Moyses and Aaron were brought againe vnto Pharao and he sayde vnto them Go and serue the Lorde your God but who are they that shall go 9 And Moyses answered We will go with our yong and with our olde and with our sonnes and with our daughters and with our shéepe and with our Oxen we must go for we must holde a feast vnto the Lorde 10 And he saide vnto them Let the Lorde be so with you as I will let you go and your children take héede for ye haue some mischiefe in hande 11 Nay not so but go ye men and serue the Lorde for that was your desire And they were thrust out of Pharaos presence 12 And the Lorde saide vnto Moyses Stretch out thine hande ouer the lande of Egipt for Grashoppers that they may come vpon the lande of Egipt and eate all the hearbes of the lande and all that the hayle left behinde 13 And Moyses stretched forth his rod ouer the lande of Egipt and the Lorde brought an east winde vpon the lande all that day and all that night and in the morning the east winde brought the grashoppers 14 And the grashoppers went vp ouer all the lande of Egipt and remained in all quarters of Egypt verie grieuously before them were there no such grashoppers neyther after them shall be 15 For they couered all the face of the earth so that the lande was darke and they did eate all the hearbes of the lande and all the fruites of the trées whatsoeuer the hayle had left there was no greene thing left in the trées and hearbes of the fielde through all the lande of Egipt 16 Therefore Pharao called for Moyses and Aaron in haste and saide I haue sinned against the Lorde your God and against you 17 And nowe forgiue me my sinne onely this once and pray vnto the Lorde your God that he may take away from me this death onely 18 And Moyses went out from Pharao and prayed vnto the Lorde 19 And the Lorde turned a mightie strong west winde and it tooke away the grashoppers cast them into the red sea so that there was not one grashopper in all the coastes of Egipt 20 And the Lord hardened Pharaos heart so that he woulde
that GOD oftentimes Preserueth his people from those Miseries that he casteth vpon others And yet if we looke into the common course of the worlde we shall see that the * Wicked are in more Felicitie and more Free from punishment then the good and godly And this tentation hath often * shaken the mindes of the Saintes of God as it appeareth in sundrie Psalmes What then shall we say to this Surely the Common ordinance of GDD is that the Godly should be in Happinesse and escape Plagues and the Wicked onely be Punished And if this common ordinance of God be altered It is eyther because they that professe the name of God be* Sinfull and Liue not according to theyr Calling or else that Gods good and fatherly will is by suche Chasticing and Affliction of this life to keepe his seruants in Obedience to Quicken their Fayth and put them in minde of the Heauenly felicitie and life euerlasting The Care and Cogitation whereof in time of * Prosperitie is more Cold and Slacke in vs then our duetie requireth Easter daye at Morning prayer Exodus 12. AND the Lord spake vnto Moyses and Aaron in the lande of Egypt saying 2 This moneth shall bée vnto you the beginning of Monethes and the first moneth of the yeare shall it be vnto you 3 Speake ye vnto all the congregation of Israell saying In the tenth day of this moneth euery man take vnto him a lambe according to the house of the fathers a lambe thorowout euery house 4. If the householde be to little for the lambe let him take his neighbour which is next vnto hys house according to the number of the sâ—â—les euery one of you according to his eating shall make your count for a lambe 5. And let your lambe be without â—â—â—mish a male of a yeare olde vvhich ye shal take out from among the shepe and from among the goates 6 And ye shall kéepe him in vntill the fourâ—enth day of the same moneth and euery assemble of the congregation of Israell shall kill him about euen 7 And they shall take of the bloud and strike it 〈◊〉 two side postes and on the vpper doore post in the houses where they shall eate him 8 And they shall eate the fleshe the same night rost with fire and with vnleauened breade and with sowre hearbes they shall eate it 9 See that ye eate not there of rawe nor sodden with water but rost with fire the head feete and purtenance thereof 10 And ye shall 〈◊〉 nothing of it remaine vnto the morning That which remayneth of it vntill the morow shal ye burnâ— with fire 11 Of this maner shall ye eate it Wyth your loynes gâ—rded and your shooes on your feete and your staffe in your hande and ye shall eate it in haste for it as the Lordes Passouer 12 For I will passe thorow the lande of Egypt this same night and will smite all the first borne of Egipt from man to beast and vpon all the Gods of Egypt I will execute iudgement I am the Lorde 13 And the bloud shall be vnto you 〈◊〉 token in the houses wherein you are and when I see the blood I will passe ouer you and the plague shalâ— not be vpon you to destroy you when I smite the lande of Egypt 14 And this day shall be vnto you a remembrance and you shall kéepe it an holy feast vnto the Lorde throughout your generations ye shall kéepe 〈◊〉 holy for an ordinance for euer 15 Seuen dayes shall ye eate vnleaue ned bread so that the first day ye put away leaueÌ„ out of your houses For whosoeuer eateth leauened bread from the first day vnto the seuenth day that soule shall be rooted out of Israell 16 The first day shall be an holy conuocation vnto you and the seuenth day shall be an holy conuocation vnto you and there shall be no maner of worke done in them saue about that onely which euery man must eate that onely may ye â—oe 17 And ye shall obserue the feast of vnleauened bread for this same day haue I brought your armies out of the lande of Egypt therefore ye shall obserue this day and all your children after you by an euerlasting decrée 18 The first moneth and the fourtenth day of the moneth at euen ye shall eate vnleauened bread vnto the one and twentie day of the same moneth at euen againe 19 Seuen dayes shall there be no leaneued bread founde in your houses and who soeuer eateth leauened bread that soule shall be rooted out from the congregation of Israell whether he be a straunger or â—orne in the lande 20 Ye shall eate no leauened breade but in all your habitations shall ye eate vnleauened breade 21 Then Moyses called for all the elders of Israell and sayde vnto them Choose out and taâ—â— you to euery houshold of you a lâ—mbe and kill the Passeouers 22 And take a 〈…〉 and dip it in the bloud that is in the bason and strike the vpper post of the doore and the two side postes with the bloud that is in the bason and none of you go out at the doore of his house vntill the morning 23 For the Lorde will passe ouer to smite the Egiptians and when he séeth the bloud vpon the vpper doore post and the two side postes he will passe ouer the doore and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to plague you 24 Therefore shall ye obserue this thing for an ordinance to thée and to thy sonnes for euer 25 And when ye be come to the lande which the Lorde will giue you according as he hath promised ye shall kéepe this seruice 26 And when your children aske you What maner of seruice is this that ye doe 27 Ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lordes Passeouer which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israell in Egypt â–ª and he smote the Egiptians and saued our houses And the people bowed themselues and worshipped 28 And the children of Israell went and did as the Lorde had commaunded Moises and Aaron so did they 29 And at midnight the Lorde smote the first borne in the lande of Egypt from the first borne of Pharao that sate on his seate vntill the first borne of the captâ—â—e that was in prison and all the first borne of cattell 30 And Pharao rose in the night he and his seruantes and all the Egyptians and there was a great crie in Egypt â–ª for there was not a house where there was not one deade 31 And he called vnto Moyses and Aaron by night saying Rise vp and get you out from amongst my people both you and also the children of Israell and go and serue the Lorde as ye haue sayde 32 And take your shéepe and your droues with you as ye haue sayde and depart and blesse me 33 And the Egyptians forced the people that they might senâ—e them out of the lande in hast for they sayd
which folowe the profession of God for the worldes sake Some of the children of Israel call vpon God as knowing in him to be their onely ayde Othersome and the more part forgetting Gods mightie workes so lately done for them repent them of their following of God and Raile at their guyde and leader Moyses with spiteful reproches But he as a good and mercifull Gouernour doth not storme with them nor requite them with that which in Iustice they might seeme to deserue but Comforteth them with the repeating of the promises of God and the assurance of his mightie helpe thereby teaching vs that in time of aduersitie their is no surer comfort then to call to our Remembrance the sweete promises of God made vnto his people and the example of such things as he hath done for them And the Lorde saide vnto Moyses wherfore criest thou vnto me c. The text saith not that Moyses Cried in his praier nor that any voyce was heard come from him But he cryeth in the eares of the Lord that Prayeth in fayth with a feruent and earnest minde though no voyce be harde to other in his prayer And such earnest * calling vpon God with hart and minde doth alwaye preuayle and taketh effect before God as we see here that Moyses prayer doth Speake vnto the children of Israel that they go forwarde c. Here now God ▪ sheweth his mightie arme stretched out to the deliuerance of his people and worketh 3. great and wonderfull Miracles The first that the Angell of God which directed the pyller of fyre and the clowde before the people of Israel doth nowe sodainely withdrawe himselfe backe and is placed betweene the Egiptians and the campe of Israel so that on the part of Israel in the night time there was a light and brightnesse that they might see to doe any thing that they thought good and on the part of the Egiptians was so great darknes that they did scant see one the other much lesse were hable to doe any thing against the Israelites The second Miracle was that by the stretching out of Moyses rodde there came such a strong winde as staied the waters of the Sea that the children of Israel might passe through vpon the dry lande The thirde is that when the Egiptians desperately as men blinded with the furie of their owne wickednesse did follow the Israelites to the Sea the Angell of God so abashed them that they were readie to flie from the face of Israel and then Moses at the appointment of God stretching out his rodde the waters returned vpon them in such sort that the Egiptians with all their power were drowned in the sea By these Miracles the name of God was glorified throughout the whole worlde and he knowne to be both a mightie and mercifull God in the defence of his people and also a seuere Lord in punishing such as did resist his holy will. The tone of which two things ought to strengthen our faith in time of aduersitie and to make vs to put our assured trust in God as one that by his mightie power Can and of his mercyfull goodnesse Will deliuer vs The tother shoulde stirre vp in vs the feare of God and cause vs in time to repent and to embrace his worde and calling least for our vnrepentant hartes he deale with vs as he did with Pharao and the Egiptians The first Sunday after Easter at Morning prayer Numeri 16. AND Corah the sonne of Isaar the sonne of Caath the sonne of Leui went apart with Dathan and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab and On the sonne of Peleth the sonne of Ruben 2 And they rose vp before Moses with certaine of the children of Israel two hundred and fiftie which which were capitaynes of the multitude famous in the congregation men of great renoume 3 And they gathered themselues togither against Moises Aaron and said vnto them Ye take to much vpon you séeing all the multitude are holy euery one of them and the Lorde is among them Why lift ye your selues vp aboue the congregation of the Lorde 4 And when Moises heard it he fell vpon his face 5 And spake vnto Corah and vnto all his companie saying To morow the Lorde will shewe who are his who is holy and who ought to approch me vnto him and whome he hath chosen he will cause to come neare vnto him 6 This doe therefore Take you fire pannes both Corah and all his compainie 7 And put fire therein and put incense in them before the Lorde to morowe And the man whom the Lorde doth choose the same shall be holy Ye take to much vpon you ye sonnes of Leui. 8 And Moyses sayde vnto Corah Heare I pray you ye sonnes of Leui. 9 Séemeth it but a small thing vnto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the multitude of Israell and brought you to himselfe to doe the sceruice of the tabernacle of the Lorde and to stande before the multitude and to minister vnto them 10 He hath taken thée to him all thy brethren the sonnes of Leui with thée and séeke ye the office of the priest also 11 For which cause both thou and all thy companie are gathered together agaynst the Lorde And what is Aron that ye murmure agaynst him 12 And Moyses sent and called Dathan and Abiram the sonnes of Eliab which sayde We will not come vppe 13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought vs out of the lande that floweth with milke and honie to kill vs in the wildernesse except thou make thy selfe Lord and ruler ouer vs also 14 Moreouer hast thou brought vs vnto a lande that floweth with Milke and honie and giuen vs inheritance of fieldes and vineyardes Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men We will not come vp 15 And Moyses waxed very angrie and sayde vnto the Lorde Turne not thou vnto their offering I haue not taken so much as an asse from them neyther haue I hurt any of them 16 And Moyses sayde vnto Corah Be thou and all thy company before the Lord both thou they and Aaron to morow 17 And take euery man his censer and put incense in them and bring ye before the Lorde euery man his censer two hundred and fiftie censers thou also and Aaron euery one his censer 18 And they tooke euery man his censer and put fire in them and layde incense thereon and stoode in the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moyses and Aaron 19 And Corah gathered all the congregation agaynst them vnto the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation and the glorie of the Lorde appeared vnto all the congregation 20 And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses and Aaron saying 21 Seperate your selues from among this congregation that I may consume them at once 22 And they fell vpon their faces and sayde O God the God of Spirites of all fleshe hath not one man
out of the lande For I wore that he whome thou blessest is blessed and whome thou cursest is cursed 7 And the elders of Mâ—ab and the elders of Madian departed hauing the revvarde of the soothlaying in their hande And they came vnto Balaam and tolde him the wordes of Balac 8 He answered them Tarie here this night and I wyll bring you worde as the Lorde shall saye vnto me And the Lordes of Moab abode with Balaam 9 And God came vnto Balaam and saide What men are these wyth thée 10 And Balaam saide vnto God Balac the sonne of Ziphor king of Moah hath sent vnto me saying 11 Beholde there is a people come out of Egipt and couereth the face of the earth come nowe therefore and curse them for my saâ—e so it may be that I shal be hable to ouercome them in battaile and to driue them out 12 And God said vnto Balaam Go not thou with them neyther curse the people for they are blessed 13 And Balaam rose vp in the morning and saide vnto the Lordes of Balac Get you vnto your lande for the Lorde will not suffer me to go with you 14 And the Lordes of Moab rose vp and went vnto Balac and saide Balaam would not come with vs. 15 And Balac sent againe a greater companie of Lords and more honourable then they 16 Which came to Balaam and tolde him Thus sayth Balac the sonne of Ziphor Oh let nothing let thée but come vnto me 17 For I will greatly promote thée vnto great honour and will doe whatsoeuer thou sayest vnto me come I pray thée curse this people for my sake 18 And Balaam answered and saide vnto the seruantes of Blalac If Balac would geue me this house full of Siluer and Golde I can not go beyonde the worde of the Lord my God to doe lesse or more 19 Nowe therefore I praye thée tarie ye here this night that I may wit what the Lord will say vnto me more 20 And God came vnto Balaam by night and sayde vnto him If the men come to cal thée rise vp and go with them but looke what I say vnto thée that shalt thou doe 21 And Balaam rose vp earely and sadled his asse and went with the Lords of Moab 22 And the wrath of God was kindled because he went and the angell of the Lorde stoode in the waye to be against him as he rode vpon his asse and his two seruauntes were with him 23 And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lord stande in the way and hauing his sword drawne in his hand the asse turned aside out of the waye and went out into the fielde And Balaam smote the asse to turne her into the way 24 But the angel of the Lorde stoode in a path betwéene the vineyardes and there was a wall on the one side and another on the other 25 â–ª And when the asse saw the Angel of the Lorde she thrust her selfe vnto the wall and crusht Balaams foote against the wall and he smote her againe 26 And the Angell of the Lorde went further and stoode in a narrowe place where was no waye to turne eyther to the right haude or to the left 27. And when the asse sawe the angel of the Lorde she fell downe vnder Balaam and Balaam was wroth and smote the asse with a staffe 28 And the Lorde opened the mouth of the asse 〈◊〉 she saide vnto Balaam What haue I done vnto thée that thou hast smitten me nowe three times 29 And Balaam saide vnto his asse Because thou hast mocked me I would also there were a sword nomine hand for euen nowe would I kill thée 30 And the asse saide vnto Balaam Am not I thine asse which thou hast ridden vpon since the first time vnto this day Was I euer wont to doe so vnto thée He saide nay 31 And the Lorde opened the eyes of Balaam and he sawe the angell of the Lorde standing in the way hauing his sworde drawne in his hande he bowed himselfe therefore and fell flatte on his face 32 And the Angell of the Lord saide vnto him Wherfore hast thou smitten the asse these thrée times Beholde I came out to withstand thée because thine hart hath declined out of the way before me 33 And the asse saw me and turned from me nowe three times or else if she had not turned fro me I had surely slaine thée and saued her aliue 34 Balaam saies vnto the angell of the Lorde I haue sinned for I wisâ— not that thou stoodest in the way against me Now therefore if it displease shée I will turne home againe 35 The angell of the Lorde saide vnto Balaam Go wyth the men but what I saye vnto thée that shalt thou speake And so Balaam went with the Lordes of Balac 36 And when Balac heard that Balaam was come he went out to méete him vnto a citie of Moab which is in the border of Arâ—on in the vttermost coast 37 And Balac saide vnto Balaam Did I not sende for thée to call thée and wherefore camest thou not vnto me Am I not hable in déede to promote thée vnto honor 38 And Balaam made answere vnto Balac Lo I am come vnto thée and can I now say any thing at all The worde that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speake 39 And Balaam went with Balac and they came vnto a citie of stréets 40 And Balac offered oxen and shéepe and sent thereof to Balaam and to the Lords that were with him 41 And on the morowe Balac tooke Balaam and brought him vp into the his places of Baal that thence he might sée the vttermost part of the people The Exposition vpon the .xxij. Chapter of Numb And the children of Israel departed and pitched in the fieldes of Moab c. IN the ende of the former .xxi. Chapter it was sayde that Schon king of the Amorhites did conquere take from the king of Moab all his lande euen vnto Arnon which as maye in this place appeare is not so to be taken but that there was a portion of lande yet remayning to the Moabites ouer which Balach their king raygned But in likelyhood his kingdome was not so mightie that he durst with his power wythstande the Israelites and therfore he craueth of the Madianites and other his neighbours that they woulde ioyne with him agaynst them The Moabites discended of one of the daughters of Loth the Madianites came from Abraham by Cethura and therefore were they as kinne vnto the Israelites and shoulde in curtesse euen by the Lawe of nature haue vsed more gentlenesse vnto them passing through their Countrey The Historie of this Chapiter and of the next following comprehendeth many matters worthie the obseruing First it sheweth that Satan by his instruments ceaseth not continually by Violence and force by craft and subtiltie by all the meanes he can to worke trouble daunger and confusion to the people and Church of god And
Prophet to publishe vnto the Infidels and Heathens the promise and couenant that he made with Abraham and his seede By this meanes he proclameth great comfort to his people euen out of the mouths of their * enemies and by the endeuours of them that with all meanes they could did seeke their confusion And he tooke vp his Parable and saide Balac the king of Moab c. By a Parable is vnderstanded an Hie kinde of Speech which by the instinction of the holye ghost he vsed therewith the more to Abash and wound the harte of the wicked king Balac that he myght the sooner knowe not onely how Foolish but how vaine also his endeuor was to striue against God and to haue that people cursed that God had blessed And whereas * Balac had saide of Balaam that whomsoeuer He blessed was blessed and whomsoeuer He cursed was cursed In this place to the further reproch and griefe of that naughtie king Balaam with his owne mouth renounceth that prerogatine and sayth plainly he can not Curse him that God hath not cursed giuing that Power and honor to God and shewing that in this respect he is not Ruler of his owne tongue but that God for his people sake had Brydeled both his will and his speech Loe the people shall dwell by themselues and shall not be reckened amonge c. When he sayth they shall dwell by themselues his meaning is not that they shall dwell in solitarinesse but that they shall holde themselues contented with their owne state and trusting in their God whom they worshipped should not neede nor desire the protection and helpe of any other people And therfore it foloweth that they should not be accompted among Nations * because no nation or people should be worthie to be compared vnto them for that they were adopted and chosen as the onely people of God whom he would take vnder his defence and protection Who can tell the duste of Iacob and number the fourth part of Israel c. By the Dust of Iacob he vnderstandeth the great Multitude wherwith God would blesse that people and therein he alludeth to the promise of God made to Abraham * that he would multiplye his seede as the Sande of the sea c. And Balac saide vnto him come I pray thee with me vnto another place c. In this that foloweth we haue to note the blind obstinacie both of Balac in his superstition and of Balaam in his couetous affection For albeit God had euidently nowe at two sundrie times declared his purpose yet neyther the wycked king would be satisfied nor the false Prophet perswaded to leaue his tempting of god But both of them by superstitious chaunging the place indeuour to make God shew himselfe mutable and as it were by their superstitious Importunitie to winne his fauour from his people and to make him to yeelde to their lewde and naughtie affections Therefore God maketh the false Prophet to pronounce sentence against himselfe and that obstinate and wicked king in saying God is not a manne that he shoulde lye neyther the sonne of a man that he should repent should he say and not do or should he speake and not make it good c. And yet all this would not satisfie them such is the maner of the obstinate and reprobate sinners that no teaching nor declaring of the holy will of God can make them so to chaūge their mindes but that they will more and more continue in their Deuillishe and naughtie purposes And the ioyfull shoute of a king is a mong them c. By this he meaneth that the Maiesty and might of God as their louing king and gouernour is among them for their assured defence to their great ioye and comfort According to this time it shall be saide of Iacob and Israel what hath c. That is to saye According as at this time it is sayd what wonderous works hath God wrought for this people so shall it more and more be sayde hereafter For God hath promised for Euer to be their God and to deale Wonderfully for them He shall not lye downe vntill he eate of the pray and drinke the bloud c. In this verse he noteth that the People of Israel shall be Valiant strong and mightie as a Lyon and hable to conquer and spoile their enimies that vniustly doe assault them and by violence seeke to doe them wrong The second Sunday after Easter at Euening prayer Numbers 25. AND Israel abode in Sittim and the people began to commit whooredome with the daughters of Moab 2 Which called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods And the people did eate and bowed downe to theyr gods 3 And * Israel coupled himself vnto Baal Peor and the indignation of the Lorde was kindeled agaynst Israel 4 And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses Take all the heades of the people and hang them vp before the Lord against the sunne that the wrath of the Lordes countenaunce may be turned away from Israel 5 And Moyses sayd vnto the iudges of Israel Euery one slay his mē that were ioined vnto Baal Peor 6 And behold one of the children of Israel came brought vnto his brethren a Madianitish woman in the sight of Moyses in the sight of all the multitude of the children of Israel that wept before the dore of the tabernacle of the congregation 7 And when Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest sawe it he rose vp out of the middes of the companie and tooke a iauelin in his hand 8 And went after the man of Israell into the tente and fhrust them thorough both the man of Israell and also the woman euen through the belly of hir And the plague ceassed from the children of Israell 9 And there dyed in the plague twentie and foure thousande 10 And the Lord spake vnto Moyses saying 11 Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the priest hath turned myne anger away from the children of Israell whyle he was zealous for my sake among them that I had not consumed the children of Israel in my ielousie 12 Wherfore say Behold I giue vnto him my couenant of peace 13 And he shall haue it and his séede after him euen the couenaunt of the priests office for euer bicause he was zealous for his Gods sake and made an attonement for the children of Israel 14 The name of the Israelite thus killed which was slaine with the Madianitish woman was Zamri the son of Salu a lord of an house and kinred of Simeon 15 And the name of the Madianitishe woman that was slaine was Cozbi the daughter of Zur a head ouer the people of his fathers house in Madian 16 And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses saying 17 Vexe the Madianites and smyte them 18 For they trouble you with their wyles which haue beguiled you by deceyt in the cause of Peor
the * deliuerance from the tyrannie of Satan sinne and Antichrist * the knowledge of his holy worde * light of his Gospel wherby we are to be made the children of God and * heires not of the land of Chanaan and the fruites and pleasures therof but of the celestiall Ierusalem the kingdome of God and eternall lyfe with Christe Iesu in heauen And if the consideration of worldly benefits might be so good a stay vnto the Israelites how much more ought these to be vnto vs if we think our selues worthie the name of christiās See that you walke not after straunge gods and the gods of the nations c. As the Ievves and by them all other are forbidden to worship straunge gods so are we also to woorship the liuing God with straunge worship that is with any other worship than he himselfe in his holie worde hath appointed We must beware therefore that wee fall not away from Gods true worship * in spirit truth vnto idolatrie superstition and fonde* deuises of men therby thinking to please god For as god is a ielous God and will be worshipped alone and not with other false Gods so is he a seuere God and delyghteth more in single obedience to his woorde than in sacrifice superstition or any of mans deuised holinesse thoughe it seeme neuer so pleasant in the sight of the worlde or to be done of neuer so good an intent * Saule when he spared the fat beastes of the Amalekites for sacrifice might seme to haue done it for a good purpose But God dyd so muche mislyke it that for the same he cast hym bothe oute of his fauoure and out of the kingdome of Israell And when thy sonne asketh thee in time to come saying What meane c. It is not sufficient for vs to know the true worship of God oure selues but we must desyre also to instruct * and teache other and especially oure owne * children that Gods true Religion may be deliuered from hande to hande and so be enlarged to our posteritie How farre from this are a greate number of suche as will be called Christians and neither can nor will teach theyr sonnes and daughters themselues nor yet procure them to bee instructed by other no nor to come thyther where by order they are appoynted to bee taughte the principles of christian faith Surely it muste needes be thoughte they haue small feare of God little sense of the mysterie of oure redemption in Christe no regarde of the good estate of their chyldren or of the saluation of their owne soules They should teache theyr children in lyke manner as Moyses here commaundeth the Iewes and saye We were of oure selues and of oure* owne natures as bondeslaues and subiecte to Sathan synne and Hell And it pleased Almightie God of his exceeding greate mercie withoute any regarde of woorthynesse in vs to sende downe his only and dearely beloued sonne from heauen to take fleshe of the blessed virgin and here liued in this worlde in great contempt and reproche and at the laste was put to moste cruell death by his passion paying the ransome for oure sinnes and for vs satisfied the Iustice of God. So that we by* him are nowe reconciled to God haue remission of our sinnes and in his sight are reputed iust and appoynted heires of eternall lyfe wyth Chryste Iesu For thys cause doe me* assemble togyther in the house of Prayer and vse the Sacramentes and mysteries of oure Religion thereby to call into our remembraunce this vnestimable benefite and to* giue thankes vnto him for the same and to pray for the assistance of his holy spirite that in all vertuousnesse and holynesse of lyfe we may shewe our selues thankefull and studie to liue according to thys our holye vocation that the name of God maye in vs bee praysed This I saye shoulde they teach their children to make them to vnderstande why they be called Christians and what the substance of true religion is The fourth Sunday after Easter at Euenyng prayer Deuteronomie 7. WHen the Lorde thy God shall bring thée into the land whither thou goest to possesse it and hathe caste oute many nations before thée the Hethites the Gergesites the Amorites the Chanaanites the Pherezites the Heuites and the Iebusites seuen nations greater and myghtier than thou 2 And when the Lorde thy God hathe sette them before thée thou shalte smyte them and vtterly destroy them and make no couenaunt with them nor haue compassion on them 3 Thou shalte make no mariadges with them neyther giue thy daughter vnto his sonne nor take hys daughter vnto thy sonne 4 For they will deceyue thy sonne that he should not folowe mée and they shall serue straunge gods and then wil the wrath of the Lorde waxe hotte agaynst thée and destroy thée sodeinly But thus ye shall deale with them ye shall ouerthrowe their aulters and breake downe their pillers cutte downe their groaues and burne theyr grauen Images wyth fyre 6 For thou arte an holy people vnto the Lord thy God the Lord thy God hath chosen thée to be a special people vnto himselfe aboue all nations that are vpon the earth 7 The Lord did not set his loue vpon you nor choose you bicause ye were mo in numbre than any people for ye were the fewest of all people 8 But bycause the Lorde loued you and bicause he wold kéep the othe which he had sworne vnto your fathers therfore hath the Lorde brought you out through a mightie hande and deliuered you out of the house of bondage from the hande of Pharao king of Egypt 9 Vnderstande therefore that the Lorde thy God he is God and that a true God which kéepeth appointment and mercie vnto them that loue him and kéepe his commaundementes throughout a thousande generations 10 And rewardeth them that hate him to their face so that he bringeth them to naughte and doth not deferre the time but rewardeth him that hateth him before his face 11 Kéepe thou therefore the commaundementes and ordinances and lawes which I commaunde thée this daye that thou do them 12 If ye hearken vnto these lawes and obserue and do them the Lord thy God also shall kéepe vnto thée the couenant and the mercie whiche he sware vnto thy fathers 13 He will loue thée and blesse thée and multiplie thée he wil also blesse the frute of thy wombe and the fruite of thy lande thy corne thy wyne and thyne oyle and the increase of thy kine and thy flocks of shéep in the land which he sware vnto thy fathers to giue thée 14 Thou shalt be blessed aboue all nations there shall be neither man nor woman vnfruitfull among you nor any of your cattell shal be barren 15 Moreouer the Lord wil take away from thée all maner infirmities and will put none of the euill diseases of Egypt which thou knowest vpon thée but will sende them vpon
the Iewes But for that it is an ordinarie time appoynted for the people of God to assemble heare the declaration of those maruellous workes of God which as at thys tyme were done after the Ascention of Christe into Heauen For then dyd Christe declare and confirme the Maiestie and trueth of hys Gospell wyth wonderfull Miracles So that it was euidente that he onelye was the trewe Messias and Sauioure that the same Holy Ghost had spoken of manye yeares before vnto the Patriarkes and Prophetes And bycause at the tyme of Pentecost when the Holye Ghost was giuen the Gospell firste began to be published we may not thinke that one or two Festiuall dayes is appointed for the perfourmance thereof but from that first Pentecost vntill the worldes ende should be to vs one perpetuall VVhitsonday in which we should wyth thankesgiuing reioyce for our spiritual fredome and take in the fruites of Christs blessed Passion and Resurrection Thou shalte obserue also the feast of the Tabernacles seuen dayes c. This Feast of the Tabernacles or Tentes was Solemnised the .15 of September when they had not gathered in all their fruites graine and wine All the tyme of this Feast for the space of seuen dayes they dwelt in Tentes or Bowthes of grene trees and obserued sundry ceremonies and oblations declared Num. 28. 29. Leuit. 23. and other where The causes of the ordinance were partly to put them in mind of their former Condition Whence they came and that it was God that firste made them to dwell in Tentes in the wildernesse whē he brought them out of Egipt Secondlye that they mighte remember the wonderfull miracles and benefites that God did in maintayning and Preseruing them vntill they came into the lande of Chanaan where they founde in steede of Tentes and Tabernacles goodlye strong Cities and faire houses to inhabite and by this occasion were they willed to compare the Felicitie that they shoulde be in the land of Chanaā with the Necessity hard state that they had before when they were constrained to inhabite in Bouthes Tabernacles and thereby learne not to waxe insolent but to giue thankes to God the Authour of that great blessing None of these Feastes might be Solemnised in any place but where the Lord had chosēto set his name would especially be called vpō that as I haue said in the time of Dauid was Hierusalē Before that where the Tabernacle of God was Iudges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy Cities which the Lord. c. Now Moises addeth certaine politicall orders and instructions for choise of cōuenient Magistrates in their common weale and for the sincere vpright dealing therin For seing the Iudgemēt Seate of y Magistrate is as it were a sanctuary a place of reliefe succour for the succourlesse the poore and needy and other whatsoeuer persons oppressed by iniurie it might seme most lamentable if they comming thither for succour shuld light vpō Theues Robbers that wil sell right for gaine and money Therfore Moises willeth Magistrates Iudges in anye wise to beware of* Partialitie Briberie as y thing that shutteth vp the eyes of discretion and wisedome and corrupteth al true Iudgement For saith he Gifts doe blind the eyes of the vvise and peruerte the wordes of the righteous Thou shalte plante no Groues of anye trees neere vnto thee c. The heathen vsed to plante Groues of wood about the Chappels of their Idols sometime made Pillars to set their false Gods on wherefore bicause God will haue his Religion not to agree with the Idolatours worship of the Gentils he briefely forbiddeth those two things Trinitie Sundaye at Morning prayer Genesis 18. ANd the Lord appeared vnto him in the plaine of Mamre and he sate in his tent doore in the heate of the day 2 And he lift vp his eyes and loked and lo thrée men stoode by him and when he sawe them he ranne to meete them from the Tent doore and bowed himselfe towarde the ground 3 And said Lorde if I haue now founde fauour in thy sight passe not away I pray thée from thy seruant 4 Let a litle-water I praye you be fet washe your féete and refreshe your selues vnder the trée 5 And I will fet a morsell of bread to comfort your heartes withall and then shall you goe your wayes for therfore are ye come to your seruant And they said Doe as thou hast said 6 And Abraham went apace into the Tent vnto Sara and said Make redy at once thrée measures of fine meale kneade it and make cakes vpon the hearth 7 And Abraham running vnto his beastes fet a calfe tender and good and gaue it vnto a young man and he hasted to make it ready at once 8 And he toke butter and milke and the calfe which he had prepared and set it before them and stoode himselfe by them vnder the trée and they did eate 9 And they saide vnto him Where is Sara thy wife He answered Beholde in the Tent. 10 And he said I will certainely returne vnto thée if I liue and so Sara thy wife shall haue a sonne That hearde Sara in the Tent doore which was behinde him 11 Abraham and Sara were both olde well stricken in age and it ceassed to be with Sara after the manner as it is with women 12 Therefore Sara laughed within her selfe saying Now I am waxed olde shall I geue my selfe to luste and my Lord olde also 13 And God saide vnto Abraham Wherefore did Sara laugh saying Shall I of a suertie beare a childe whiche am olde 14 Is anye thing vnpossible to God According to the time appoynted will I returne vnto thée if I liue and Sara shall haue a sonne 15 Then Sara denyed it saying I laughed not for she was afraide And he saide It is not so but thou didst laugh 16 And the men rising vp from thence loked toward Sodome and Abraham went with them to bring them on the waye 17 And the Lorde sayde Shall I hyde from Abraham that thyng whiche I doe 18 Seyng that Abraham shall surely be a greate and a mightie nation and all the nations of the earth shal be blessed in him 19 I knowe this also that he will commaunde hys children and his housholde after him that they kepe the way of the Lord and to doe iustice and iudgement that the Lorde maye bryng vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him 20 And the Lorde sayde Because the crye of Sodome and Gomorrhe is greate and because their sinne is excéeding gréeuous 21 I will goe downe now and sée whether they haue done altogether according to that crye which is come vnto me and if not I will knowe 22 And the men departed thence and went to Sodomewarde but Abraham stoode yet before the Lord. 23 And Abraham drew neare and said Wilte thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked 24 If there be
fiftie righteous within the Citie wilte thou destroye and not spare the place for the fiftie righteous that are therin 25 That be farre from thée that thou shouldest do after this maner and slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be farre from thée Shall not the iudge of all the world doe according to right 26 And the Lord saide If I finde in Sodome fiftie righteous within the citie I will spare all the place for their sakes 27 And Abraham aunswering sayd Behold I haue taken vpon me to speake vnto the Lord which am but dust and asshes 28 If there shall lacke fiue of fiftie righteous wilt thou destroy all the citie for lacke of fiue And he saide If I finde there fortie and fiue I will not destroy them 29 And he procéeded to speake vnto him againe and saide What if there shal be fortie founde there He aunswered I will not doe it for forties sake 30 He said vnto him againe Oh let not my Lord be angry that I speake What if there shall thirtie be founde there And he saide I will doe nothing if I finde thirtie there 31 He saide againe O sée I haue taken vpon me to speake now also vnto my Lord What if there shal be twentie found there He aunswered I will not destroye them for twenties sake 32 And he sayd Oh let not my Lord be angry I wil speake yet but this once What if ten shal be found there He answered I will not destroy them for tennes sake 33 And the Lord went his way assoone as he had left communing with Abraham and Abraham also returned vnto his place The exposition vpon the .xviij. Chapter of Genesis And the Lorde appeared vnto him in the plaine of Memre c. THis Chapter sheweth how God appered by his angels vnto his seruant Abraham Then how Abraham inuited and entertayned the Angels thinking them at the first to haue ben Men as they appeared And lastly howe the Angels reuealed to him the purpose of God to destroy Sodom and what talke Abraham had with them If we loke to the time of this appearāce it may be thought it was shortely after Abraham had circumcised himselfe and all his And thereby haue we to learne how diligent and * readie the prouidence of God is to Visit Comfort Confirme such as by true faith and obedience haue submitted themselues vnto his Religiō holy ordinaunces The chiefe cause of the sending of these angels vnto Abraham was to confirme to him and his wife Sarah the promise that he had made him of a Chyld by her of whom the Blessed seede should descende By the way also he reueleth to him the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrha Why it pleased God to sende three Angels not two or one we must not with vayne curiositie search It is not wicked to think that he respected therin the mysterie of the holy Trinitie as many of the anciente Fathers haue writtē but whether that agree with the Simplicitie of the historie I leaue to the iudgement of the godly In Abraham we haue an example of a godly willing desire to entertain Strangers and to relieue them which is not vnfruteful for vs to consider First therefore Abraham sate at his Tent dore in the heate of the day vndoubtedly not of Idlenes but of purpose to espie if any trauailers passed by that he might entreate them to stay and take some reliefe And therfore whē he saw the Angels thinking them to haue ben Men He ran vnto thē He might haue called to them or sent a seruant but in running himselfe appeared a more godly willingnesse And when he came vnto them he bowed himselfe with all humblenesse though he had neuer seene thē before and called the one of them by the name of Lord for reuerēce thinking him happily a worthier person than the two other If sayth he I haue found fauour in thy sight passe not away c. So ready was this godly father to * liberalitie in entertainement that he signifieth they shuld rather do him a pleasure than receiue any benefite at his hād and that it were a reproch to him if they did not vouchsafe to tarie with him The things that he promised them were but smal A little water to wash their feete and a morsell of bread to comforte thē Which he doth to that end that their modestie and bashfulnesse might not think that they shuld be chargeable and burdenous to him so be the lother to tarie Mē in those coūtries vsed to trauaile cōmonly bare footed and therfore was it ease and comforte to wayfaring men to * wash their feete The place whither he biddeth thē to rest thēselues was vnder a tree Such was the simplicitie of y anciēt time they had not yet takē vp the wasting of their substāce in building of Gay houses gorgeous parlers This Reuerende Patriarke and father of the faithful whom god vsed so familiarly with his angels dwelt in a Tent or Tabernacle had no house at all to declare y he was but a * pilgrime in this land and had no place of long abiding And they saide do as thou hast said and Abraham went apace c. Forsomuch as it was the pleasure of god that it should not yet be knowne what the Angels were as Abraham was ready and willing to offer them such things as were for the reliefe of wayfaring mē as he toke them to be so do they will him to do as he had spoken concealing as yet that they were the Angels and messengers of God sent vnto him And Abraham in making the prouisiō sheweth the same humblenes ready good will that he declared in the bidding He wēt apace to Sarah into the Tent He ran vnto the beastes He fet a tender and a good calfe He prouided all that he had spoken not onely of the best but with speed For as he knew it to be curtesie to entertayne straungers so hee thoughte it no good manner to cause them to tarie longer than happily the necessitie of theyr busynesse woulde suffer them As wel by the place before mentioned as by the residue of this Entertainment we may learne that the worlde was not yet growen to such a nicitie tendernesse and delicacie in feeding other furniture as by Sensualitie men since that are come vnto and especially in these latter dayes Here some moue question how the Angels did eate or whether they did eat or no Seing that they be celestial Spirits and haue no Bodies that neede sustenance and feeding surely Godly Christians must not in such questions be curious As gods pleasure was that they shuld be taken as men for the time So of his diuine power whiche dayly worketh strange things he had prouided bodies for them to walke in and with the same bodyes did they eat althogh their Spiritual substance needed no sustenance And when
Examples we also ought to conâ—â—iue an assured hope in the trueth of Gods promises when in ouâ— great perils and daungers we call vpon God and praye to him for his helpe and deliuerance The fiue Kings fledde and were hidde in a Caue at Makeda c. These fiue Kinges fledde and thought they had escaped the Plague of God bycause they were not killed eyther with the sworde of the Israelites or with the Hayle from Heauen But God of his Iustice reserued them to a greater and a more notable Punishmente bycause the were the Ringleaders and chiefe stirrers of others to withstande the People of God. In like maner Sennacherib 2. Croni 32. escaping the Daunger of Battaile was murdered in the Temple of his Gods that he serued Iosuah when he vnderstode the Kings were hidde in the Caue he prouided them to be kepte in Saâ—â—etie but he dothe not omitte the oportunitie wyth speede to followe his enemies and so to subdue them that they might not be hable afterward to recouer their power worke him newe trouble In this that Iosuah causeth his Captaines to set their feete vpon the Neckes of the Kings it may seme a barbarous Crueltie but he knew they were the enemies of God and vnderstode also that his people did often Mistrust the promises that God had made vnto them therefore his meaning was by this signe to assure them that as God had donâ—e by these enemyes that might seeme the most mightie so he woulde doe also by the residue and therefore willed them not to doubte or to be * fainte hearted but to be well assured of the assistaunce of their Lorde and God so long as they faithfullye serued him thoughe their enemies did seeme neuer so mightie And the same in effect God did Iustifie immediatlie For they did not only with good successe conquere these fiue kinges that were conspired but also a number of other cities and Principalities that are here reckened vp euen to the ende of this Chapiter as Makeda Libna Lachis Gazer Eglon Hebron and Debir If Iosuah killed in these victories Man Woman and Child we may not thinke it crueltie in him For he had the speciall commaundement of God so to doe Suche were their Sinnes and offences in the sighte of God. And Saul and Achab maye be an example to all Princes what daunger it is to shewe Mercy to them whom God for Iust causes to his secrete wisedome knowen woulde haue to be punished The first Sunday after Trinitie at Euenyng prayer Iosua 23. ANd it came to passe a long season after that the Lorde had giuen rest vnto Israel from all their enemies round aboute that Iosuah waxed olde and was striken in age 2 And Iosuah called for all Israel and for their elders their heades their iudges and officers and saide vnto them I am olde and stricken in age 3 And ye haue séene all that the Lorde your God hathe done vnto all these nations before you howe the Lorde your God hymselfe hath fought for you 4 Beholde I haue diuided vnto you by Lot these nations that remayne to be an inheritaunce for youre Tribes from Iordane with all the nations that I haue destroyed euen vnto the great sea Westwarde 5 And the Lorde your God shall expell them before you and cast them from oute of your sighte and ye shall conquer their lande as the Lord your God hath saide vnto you 6 Be ye therefore of a good courage that ye kepe and doe all that is written in the booke of the Lawe of Moyses that ye bowe not aside therefrom to the ryghte hands nor to the lefte 7 Neyther company with these nations that is with them that are lefte wyth you neyther make mention of the name of theyr Gods nor cause to sware by them neyther serue them nor bowe your selues vnto them 8 But sticke faste vnto the Lorde your God as ye haue donne vnto thys daye 9 So shall the Lorde caste oute before you great nations and mightye as no man hathe béene able to stande before you hitherto 10 One man of you shall chase a thousande for the Lord your God he fighteth for you as he hath promised you 11 Take good heede therfore vnto your selues that ye loue the Lorde youre God. 12 Els if ye goe backe and cleaue vnto the reste of these Nations that remaine with you and shall make mariages with them and goe in vnto them and they to you 13 Be ye sure that the Lorde your God will no more cast oute all these Nations from before you but they shal be snares and trappes vnto you and scourges in your sydes and thornes in your eyes vntyll ye peryshe from this good lande which the Lorde your God hath giuen you 14 And beholde this daye doe I enter into the waye of all the worlde and ye knowe in all youre heartes and in all youre soules that nothyng hath fayled of all the good things which the Lorde your God promised you but all are come to passe vnto you and nothing hath failed thereof 15 Therefore as all good thinges are come vpon you which the Lorde your God promised you so shall the Lord bryng vpon you all euyll vntyll he haue destroyed you from thys good lande whiche the Lorde youre God hathe giuen you 16 When ye haue transgressed the Testamente of the Lorde youre God whych he commaunded you and haue gone and serued straunge Gods and bowed your selues to them then shall the wrathe of the Lorde waxe whote vpon you and ye shall perishe quickly from the good land whiche he hath giuen you The Exposition vpon the .xxiij. Chapter of Iosuah And it came to passe a long season after the Lorde had giuen rest c. THe Lande of Chanaan was nowe by the Israelites possessed The portions were allotted to eche Tribe all things appertaining aswell to the state of the common weale as of Religion was nowe established And Iosuah their Prince and Captaine waxen olde and farre stricken in yeares Therefore he as a good Prince drawing nowe to the ende of his life sheweth himselfe to haue had a care not onelye for the good gouernemente of the people of God in his life time but also that the true * worship of God and obedience to Gods holy worde mighte continue among them to Gods glory after his life time And therefore in this place he calleth the People and vnder Magistrates together vseth vnto them a verye fatherly exhortation to continue in the loue obedience and true worship of God declaring vnto them the greate benefites and blessings of God that shall come to them if they doe so the assured daunger of his wrathe and displeasure to be poured vpon them if they did otherwise As touching that is saide in the first verse After the Lord had giuen rest vnto Israel wee are by it instructed to acknowledge God only to be the Author * giuer of Peace Tranquillitie and
quietnesse vnto common weales and the restrayner and brideler of all aduersarie powers that they worke not so much trouble and daunger to the people of God as otherwyse they would doe And therfore that both wee and all suche whome God blesseth with those giftes ought to shew our selues Thankful and to accept the same as his gracious mercie to allure vs to Repentance And you haue seene all that your Lord God hath done vnto all these c. Iosuah putteth them in mynde of the benefites of God shewed vnto them and dothe assure them that the same their Lorde and god will also performe the residue of his promyse and make perfecte the worke that he hath begonne if they doe continue in his faythfull obedience By proofe and triall of that is * past he exhorteth them to the vndoubted expectation of those things that were to come By this that Iosuah foure tymes in this place repeateth The Lord youre God wee may not thinke that he is not the God of other Nations also For God is the Generall Lord and gouernour not only of all Nations but also of al particuler Persons creatures of the world * and by him do they liue and haue their being But the Iewes he hadde chosen as his peculiar People and deliuered to them his lawe made to them his lawe and made to them his promises especially and therfore is he here called The Lorde their God. Whē he sayth that God hathe fought for them we are taught that all Victorie and good Successe in warre cōmeth of God * vnlesse he doe fight for vs all labor strength of men is in vayne And the same God dothe alway assist his people and giue Victorie vnto them vnlesse their vnthankfulnesse in abusing his Benefites doe moue his iustice by his and their enimies to punishe them Goe to therfore and be of good courage that you take heed and do all that c. This is the ende why God eyther blesseth his people wyth Tranquillitie and quietnesse or giueth them Victorie agaynste enimies that they maye continue in the obedience of his blessed will declared in his holie woorde which consysteth not onely in the Knowledge of his Lawe and in the externall professyng of the same in wordes or outwarde behauiour but in deede and in hearte and mynde And therefore sayth Iosuah Take heede and doe all that is written in the booke of the Lawe of Moyses yea and that in suche sorte That they goe not aside on the righte hande or on the lefte For God * loueth obedience more then all the gay deuises of mans Brayne and therfore will be worshipped according to his holy worde Neyther companie with these nations that is with them that c. How daungerous the Fellowship Companie of the wicked is we see too too many examples dayly before our faces And if we be loth to come in that Cōpanie by which we thinke our bodies shall be infected with any contagious disease much more ought we to fear the Infection of our Soules and to dread least * by societie of persons corrupted either in life or religion we shuld be ledde from the true Seruice of god No mā * Toucheth pitch but he shal be defiled with it No man or woman vseth the companie of them that be euill but he taketh some hurte by thē either in Life or Credite In that he saith Make no mention of their Gods he dothe not forbidde them to name Dagon Astaroth or Baalim but y they shoulde make no Honorable Mētion of them nor vse their names with reuerence but with Detestation But especially they might * not Sweare by thē For to y persō or thing by which any mā sweareth he doth attribute diuine Power and Worship that is That he seeth the harts and cogitations of men That hee knoweth their secrete partes That hee can and will rewarde the good and punishe the wicked Therefore let men consider with what conscience they can sweare by Saints departed or by any Person or Thing be it neuer so Holy other than God alone whose onely Power and Propertie it is to vnderstande the inwarde Thoughtes of man. One man of you shall chase a thousand for the Lord your God. c. In the Leuit cap. 26. If you keepe my commandements sayth the Lord you shall persecute your enimies and they shall fall vvith the svvorde before you and fiue of you shall persecute an hundred and an hundred of you shal persecureten thousand In this place he sayth One of you shall persecute a thousande whereby he giueth to vnderstande that God will abundantly fulfyll hys promise vnto them Example wherof God shewed in sundrye places of the Scriptures as Iudic. 7. by Gedeon 1. Sam. 14. by Ionathas 2. Chro. 20 ▪ by Iosaphat 32. by Ezechias If you go backe and cleaue vnto the reste of these Nations c. As before he hath exhorted by consideration of the great benefites that God had and would do for them if they cōtinued in his obediēce so nowe he moueth them by Laying before thē the threatnings of Gods iust plagues and punishments if they did otherwise and reuolted from his true worship saying that God would not only not destroy those people that were among them but hee woulde suffer them to bee vnto the Israelites as snares and traps to take and entangle them in wickednesse As Scourges in their sides to vexe and trouble them as Thorns in their eyes to greeue them and to bleare their eyes that they shoulde not discerne good from euill falshoode from truth light from darknesse c. And bycause nothing could be more dangerous vnto them or a greater snare to lead them from God than to ioyn in Societie League or Mariage with those wicked people Therefore he oftē earnestly willed them to beware of that Wherby Christiā Princes and people that professe the truth of Christes Gospell ought also to learne how perilous it is for them to * linke in League or Mariage with the enimies or aduersaries of the same least God make them vnto vs as Snares as Whips and as Thornes in our eyes c. Behold this day do I enter into the way of all the worlde and ye knowe c. By this fashion of Speaking that He entred the way of al the world he meaneth Death which * way all liuing Creatures of this worlde must tread Wise and Learned mē haue deuised remedies for al maner of diseases but neuer any could Inuent how to put away Death That is the assured end wherto in this world we shal come whether we sleepe or wake or whatsoeuer we do we Hasten to this end So * little assurance haue we of this miserable life wherewith wee are so greatly in loue In the ende Iosuah putteth them in mynde that as God of his great mercie hath and will assuredly fulfyll his promyses so that one
worde thereof shall not be frustrate or vayne In like maner he wil of his Seueritie Iustice bring vpon them all those euils that he hath Threatned if they doe fall from him by disobedieÌ„ce to Idolatrie and wickednesse For Heauen and Earth shall perishe as Christ saith Mat. 24. but the vvordes of God shall not perish The second Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Iudicum Cap. 4. ANd the chldren of Israell began againe to do wickedly in the sight of the Lord when Ahud was dead 2 And the Lorde solde them into the hande of Iabin king of Chanaan that raygned in Hazor whose captaine of warre was called Sisara whiche dwelt in Haroseth of the Gentiles 3 And the Children of Israell cryed vnto the Lord for he had nine hundred charets of yron and twentie yeares he troubled the children of Israell very sore 4 And Debora a prophetisse the wife of Lapidoth iudged Israell the same time 5 And the same Debora dwelt vnder a paulme trée betwéene Ramath and Bethel in mount Ephraim and the children of Israell came vp to hir for iudgement 6 And she sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam out of Kedes Nephthali and said vnto him Hath not the Lord God of Israell commaunded saying Go and drawe towarde mount Thabor and take with thée ten thousand men of the children of Nephthali and of the children of Zabulon 7 And I will bring vnto thée to the riuer â—ison Sisara the captayne of Iabins armie with his charetts and his people and will deliuer him into thyne hands 8 And Barak said vnto hir If thou wilt go wyth me I will go but and if thou wilt not come with me I wil not go 9 She saide I will surely go with thee but thys iourney that thou takest shall not be for thine honoure for the Lorde shall deliuer Sisara into the hande of a woman And Debora arose and went with Barak to Kedes 10 And Barak called Zabulon Nephthali to Kedes and ledde after him ten thousand men and Debora wente with him 11 But Haber the Kenite whyche was of the children of Hohab the father in law of Moyses remoued from the Kenites and pitched his tente vnto the playne of Zaanaim which is by Kedes 12 And they shewed Sisara that Barak the sonne of Abinoam was gone vp to Mount Thabor 13 And Sisara gathered together all his charettes euen nine hundreth Charettes of yron and all the people that were with him from Haroseth of the Gentils vnto the ryuer of Kison 14 And Debora sayde vnto Barak Vp for this is the day in which the lord hath deliuered Sisara into thine hand is not the Lord gone out before thée And so Barak went downe from mount Thabor and ten thousande men after him 15 But the Lord destroyed Sisara and all his Charetts and all his hoast with the edge of the sworde before Barak so that Sisara lyghted downe of his Charet and fled awaye on his féete 16 But Barak followed after the Charets and after the hoast vnto Haroseth of the Gentiles and all the hoaste of Sisara fell vpon the edge of the swoorde and there was not a man lefte 17 Howebeit Sisara fledde away on his féete to the tâ—nte of Iaell the wyfe of Haber the Kenite for there was peace betwéene Iabin the king of Hazor and the householde of Haber the Kenite 18 And Iael went out to méet Sisara and said vnto him Tourne in my lord tourne into me feare not And when he had tourned in vnto hir into hir tent she couered him with a mantell 19 And he saide vnto hir Giue me I pray thée a litle water to drinke for I am thirstie And she opened a bottell of milke and gaue him drinke and couered him 20 And againe he saide vnto hir Stand in the doore of the tent and wheÌ„ any man doth come and enquire of thée whether there be any man here thou shalt say Nay 21 Then Iael Habers wife toke a nayle of the tent and an hammer in hir hande and wente softly vnto him and smote the nayle into the temples of his head and fastned it into the ground for he slumbred sore and was wéery and so he dyed 22 And behold as Barak folowed after Sisara Iael came out to méete him and said vnto him Come and I will shewe thée the man whome thou séekest And when he cam into hir tente beholde Sisara lay dead and the nayle was in his temples 23 And so God broughte Iabin the king of Chanaan into subiection that day before the children of Israell 24 And the hand of the Children of Israell prospered and preuayled against Iabin the king of Chanaan vntill they had destroyed Iabin king of Chanaan The Exposition vpon the .iiij. Chapter of the Booke of Iudges And the children of Israel began agayn to do wickedly in the sight of God. c. IN this place and in the Chapiters before after those Promises Threatnings be often fulfilled towardes the Israelites that Moyses and Iosua their Gouerners before their departures out of this lyfe moued by the Spirit of god declared to theÌ„ For here in this boke we read ofteÌ„times of Falling from God to wickednesse error and often tymes of Gods * plagues cast vpon them for the same Also of often Repentaunce and tourning to God and Gods often mercifull deliueraunce of his people when they forsooke their wickednesse and called vpon him for succour Wherby wee must learne that Gods worde is vnfallible true as wel in the promises of his Mercie goodnesse towarde them that wyth * contrite hearts come vnto him as also in the Threatnings of his iustice to the stubburne obstinate sinner that will not Repent As touching this place let vs marke that nothing is more perilous than carnall Securitie and Abusyng the prosperous Benefites of God. After the Mesopotamians the Moabites and Philistines were ouercome as is before mencioned it might seeme the Israelites should haue had no Enimie that would once haue stirred against them For they enioyed great * tranquillitie and Peace Fourescore yeares togither But Wealthe and Prosperitie breedeth wantonnesse and forgetfulnesse of god And therefore sodainly while they thought all was husht quiet another Enimie was raysed vp whom they little thought of that is Iabin king of the Chanaanites whose predecessour before they had slayne and destroyed his royal Citie Hazer Iosue 11. But nowe his Nephew or coosen of the same name was growen to so great power that he had subdued the Ievves and held them in miserable Bondage which for al his strength hee had not bene hable to bring to passe if God for their sinnes Had not solde them into his handes to be punished for their offences The Tirannie of Iabin was the more cruell agaynst the Israelites bycause they had before as I haue sayd slayne his predecessor and burnte his royall citie with fire to the ground And the children
they saye 16 Their arrowes are sodain death yea they themselues be very Giants 17 This people shall eate vp thy fruite thy meat yea they shal deuoure thy sonnes thy daughters thy shepe thy bullocks they shal eat vp thy grapes figgs As for thy strong wel defensed cities wherin thou diddest trust they shal bring to pouertie that through the sworde 18 Neuerthelesse I wil not theÌ„ haue done with you saith the Lord. 19 But if they say Wherfore doth the lorde our God al this vnto vs Then answer them Bicause y lyke as ye haue forsaken me serued straÌ„ge gods in your laÌ„d euen so shal ye serue straÌ„gers out of your land 20 Preache this vnto the house of Iacob crie it out in Iuda and saye thus 21 Heare this thou foolish vndiscrete people Ye haue eies but ye sée not eares haue ye but ye heare not 22 Feare ye not me saith the lord will ye not tremble at my presence which bynd the sea with the sand by a coÌ„tinual decrée so that it caÌ„not passe his boundes for though it rage yet can it do nothing though the waues therof do â—wel yet may they not go ouer 23 But this people hath a false obstinat heart they are departed gone away froÌ„ me 24 They thinke not in their hearts O let vs feare the lord our God who giueth vs rain early late when néed is which kepeth euer stil the haruest for vs yerely 25 Neuertheles your misdéeds haue turned these froÌ„ you your sinnes haue robbed you of good thin ges 26 For amoÌ„g my people are found wicked persons y priuily lay snares wait for meÌ„ to take them destroy theÌ„ 27 And lyke as a net is full of birdes so are their houses full of that whiche they haue gotten with falshood and deceipt Hereof commeth their great substance and riches 28 Hereof are they fatte and wealthye and are more mischeuous than any other they minister not the lawe they make no ende of the fatherlesse cause yea and they prosper yet they iudge not the poore according to equitie 29 Shoulde I not punish these things sayeth the Lorde should not I be auenged of all suche people as these be 30 Horrible and gréeuous things are done in the lande 31 The Prophetes teache falsly and the preachers receiue gifts and my people hath pleasure therin what will come thereof at the laste The Exposition vpon the .v. Chapter of Hieremie Looke through Hierusalem behold and see seeke through hir streetes also c. THe Prophete Hieremie in the former Chapiter had notably described the comming of Nabuchodonosors armie into Ievvrie and the greate waste and spoyle that he should make of that countrey euen to the very walles of the citie Hierusalem whiche therfore should be in greate feare euen as a woman in trauayle with chylde Therfore in this place before hee noteth the destruction of that Citie he maketh proofe and declaration of the Iustice of God in doing of it For we see commonly when God punisheth the wicked for their offences that they are so obstinate and stiffenecked and so farre from anie sense of true repentaunce and turning to God that they murmure against god and accuse him for dealing ouer Rigorously and Cruelly with them and that he punisheth them more sharply and grieuously than their offences Deserue Wherfore God by his Prophet sheweth that they are so farre ouerwhelmed with their wickednesse as there is not left one Iust maÌ„ amoÌ„g them in coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of whom he might Spare them therefore that of his Iustice he muste of necessitie punish them Looke sayth he through Hierusalem beholde and see seeke thoroughe her streates c. In which words God willeth euen the whole Worlde to looke diligentely into the state of that Citie that was called by the name of The holie Citie to see whether there were any thing or Person in it in respect whereof he shoulde shewe Mercie toward it For though they can saye The Lord liueth yet they sweare to deceyue c. Here the Prophete detecteth their Hipocrisie and signifieth that albeit they pretend to be the People of God and to haue a reuereÌ„ce to the name of God and therefore will call him to witnesse in their affaires and Sweare by his name as by that which they accoÌ„pt very Holie yet it is but wicked Hipocriste in them and indeede the Prophanation of the name of god For they sweare falsely and vntruly to* deceyue their neyghbour and to worke their vniuste deuises so by Periurie make the Name of God a Cloake meane to further their owne Wickednesse Wheras God Looketh only vpon faith and truth and regardeth not the faire * PreteÌ„ce of his Name when the true Reuerence therof is not in their hearts This place ought to teach vs that the Name of the * Churche or People of God the Title of Christians the Externall Sacraments of christian Religion are not sufficient to moue the Fauour of God toward vs nor to make vs his people vnlesse the feare of God and true Holynesse be in our heartes In the begynnyng of the thirde Verse whiche in deede shoulde be a parte of this secoÌ„d the Prophet altereth the Person and turneth the speach vnto God himselfe Thou hast scourged them but they toke no repentance thou hast corrected c. This was of exceding great Stubbornesse in the Iewes and of Indurated heartes that they coulde not bee moued to Repentance no not with the heauie Plagues and punishments that God did bryng vpon them to that ende yea they rather hardened their faces as it wer againste God and became shamelesse in their wickednesse casting of al consideration of Godlynesse and Honestie Therfore I thought in my selfe peraduenture they are so simple and c. Forsomuch as it might be thought the Simple Foolishe people did amisse by Ignorance and errour only and that the wyser and better sort had more Care of the feare seruice of God hee turneth nowe to the Princes Priests Magistrates and Rulers and sheweth that they also whiche of duetie should haue ben not only Instructers Leaders Guyders to other but also correcters Punishers of their Leudnesse were become more stubborne and dissolute than they and had cleane cast froÌ„ them the bond and Yoke of Obedience to the Holie Will Lawe of god So that there myght seeme no Hope eyther in Prince or People in Riche or poore in Learned or Ignorant but that they All were giuen ouer to their owne Lustes and Sensual appetites Wherfore a Lyon out of the wood hath hurte them and a Wolfe in the. c. By the Lion the VVolfe and the Leopard the Prophet meaneth the Assyrians the Aegyptians and sundrye other Enimies that shoulde come vpoÌ„ them and so straightly Besiege them in their Cities that not One shuld be hable to goe out but shoulde be Taken and Slayne
When the prophet sayeth The Lion out of the wood and a VVolfe in the euening hee noteth the Crueltie and fiercenesse of the enimies For the Lion when he commeth out of the wood for his pray is very hungrie and the VVolfe that hath missed his feeding al the day long is in the euening more greedy and fierce And such he signifieth that these Enimies shuld be The Lion Hath hurt thē saith Ieremie that is Shall hurte them For the manner of the Prophets is oftentimes by y time Past to note the time to Come as well in the threatnings of punishments as in the Promises of Gods good blessings And thereby do they signifie that the truth of either of thē is so assured as if they were Alredy perfourmed The cause of all the Afflictions and troubles that God casteth vpon his people is noted to be the encrease of their Wickednes and Contempt of God and his word Shoulde I then for all this haue mercie vpon thee Thy children haue c. God here sheweth that of necessitie his very Iustice forceth him Sharply to punish thē As if he had said Seeing I am the* Iudge of the world how should I let them escape vnpunished which so obstinately of purpose prouoke my wrath against them Should I not then make my glory and maiestie cōtemptible in the world Shuld I not make the wicked to think I were no God yea y there were no God at al that woulde punishe their naughtie and synfull lyfe Wherfore as of my Mercie I am most redie to pardon the Repentante sinner that leaueth his wickednesse and turneth to me So muste I of my Iustice sharply plague the obstinate and stiffenecked offender that runneth on headlong in his owne naughtie wayes God turning his speeche to the Citie Hierusalem sayth Hir children that is her inhabitantes hath vnthankfully also abused his benefites whiche he bestowed vpon them and when he fed them with Plentie and Abundance of al things they turned it to the Pāpering of their bodyes and to the mayntenance of their wanton lustes in suche sorte that they became as Stalions or stone horses euery one neighing at his neighbours wife By which comparison he maruelously setteth foorthe theyr outragious Incontinencie and Dissolute life and giueth vs also to vnderstand how easily Wealth and * plētie doth breed Loosenesse and wantonnesse if we learne not to vse with reuerence and feare the good blessyngs that GOD poureth vpon vs and that God also will bee auenged of vs for the same For the Iustice of God must needes punish the same in vs as well as he did in the Iewes and so hee heere earnestly affirmeth when he saith Should I not be auenged on euery people that is like vnto this c. Climbe vp vpon their walles beat them down and destroy them not vtterly c. This is spoken by God to the enimies of the Iewes as it were to hasten and encourage thē to Plague that naughty people By which maner of speaking God giueth his people to vnderstād both that the Inuasiō of their enimies that shoulde come vpon them was only at the appoyntment callyng of God and that they were therin the Ministers and * executioners of his iustice and also that they should be hable by no meanes to Escape the danger therof eyther by their Strong sensed Cities or otherwise In these wordes And destroy them not vtterly God limitteth the power of the enimies leaueth hope of Pardon to his people if they will in any tyme Repent and turne vnto him The goodnesse of God vseth all meanes that may be to prouoke them to leaue their wickednesse before he bring vpon them extreme Desolation and confusion In the 11. 12. 13. verses God agayne alledgeth the iuste causes of their Plague that is that they had vnfaythefully by Apostasie forsaken hym Denyed hys Prouidence contemned the Thretnings of his Prophets as * False Vain and foolishe and sayde that the Punishmentes of Warre Famin and Hunger should not light vpon them but on the Prophetes themselues that spake so muche of them Such is the obstinacie of the wicked against all godly Aduertisemēts that they wil not only not acknowledge them to be Good true but impute the cause of Gods wrath and displeasure to those Messengers that hee sendeth to call them to Repentance Wherfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes Bicause ye speake such words c. God sheweth howe grieuous and intollerable the Contempt of his word and ministers is in his sight how Seuerely he wil punish the the same Bicause saith he you haue thus Cōtemptuously thought and spoken of my worde vttred by my prophet as though it were * vain false and of no credite beholde sayth God turning his speache to Hieremie That woorde of which they make so small accompt and which they esteeme of so little Force I wil make as Fire in thy mouth that leude People shal be as wood or stubble And euē as certenly as Fire cōsumeth wood y is cast into it so assuredly shal the Might and Truth of that my Word vttered by thee bring vpon them the Plague and Desolation that it hath threatned vnto them In the .3 nexte Verses he describeth the Myght and cruell Barbaritie of those enimies that he would bring vpon them They shal be sayeth hee A mightie people whose power they shall not be hable to resiste An olde people that by long continuance in Empire and dominion is waxen Proud and sterne and therby will vse the lesse mercie A people whose speache they knew not and therby could not deale with them by entreatie to obtaine fauoure They are so mighty men and so ready Archers that none escapeth that they shoote at and therefore their Arrowes may well be saide to bee Sodaine death So barbarous and fierce they shall be as they will not spare either Sonnes or Daughters amōg you they wil Cōsume your meats your frutes your Grapes your Figges they wyl Destroy your sheepe your Oxen your bullockes and all your Cattell neither shall you haue any Defēce healpe or succoure against them For the sensed Cities wherein you trust shall in that day nothing healpe you but that by the force of the sword they shall bring you to great distresse and pouertie And although that this threatning be very terrible yet he saith further that He wyll not so haue done with them but will adde greter Plagues and punishments And therefore bycause God sawe their wayward obstinacie that they would not only not acknowledge their fault and repent but also would murmure against him as dealing cruelly and vniustly with them and punishing them without good cause Hee willeth the Prophete to answere this their blasphemous murmuring and tell them plainly That forsomuch as they had forsaken the true worship of the liuing God did Sacrifice to strange Goddes at home in their owne Lande whyche God had gyuen them He would nowe
Captiuitie and your selues brought to shame and Confusion bycause of youre Obstinate wickednesse You thinke youre selfe in greate Honour and Felicitie Glorie muche in that ye dwell in houses Gorgiously Seeled with Ceders of Libanus but all that your Gaynesse shal be little regarded in the tyme of your Sorow when the VioleÌ„ce of the enimie shall Sodaynly come vpon you at the time ye least thinke of it euen as the throwes of a Woman labouryng with chylde As truly as Jliue saith the Lord though Iechonias the sonne of Ioakim c. The maner of the Prophetes is almost continually to vtter their sayings in the Person of God and oftentymes to * repeate that it is the worde of the Lorde and that the Mouthe of the Lord hath spoken it to the intent that the people might be wel Assured that it was no vain speache that they vttered but the certaine Will and determinate Purpose of god And therfore if they would shunne the danger thereof that they ought to giue credite to it and Beleeue it Of all other Princes doe most hardely Beleuethe declaration of Aduersitie to come vnto them bicause they haue commonly the greatest worldly Helpes to deliuer them Wherfore that Iechonias otherwyse called Ioakim the sonne of Ioakim might not doubt of that he here speaketh he vttreth it in the Person of God and confirmeth it with an othe That although he sit â—â—on the holie Throne of Dauid yet he shoulde be a miserable Captiue yea God sheweth himself so to detest that king for the Contempt of his Word that though he were as straightly ioyned to him as a Signet on his right hand yet he woulde plucke him of and cast him into the haÌ„ds of his Enimies that seek his life And that bothe He his Mother that bare him and his SeruaÌ„ts with al other that wer Chief about him shuld be led Captiue into a StraÌ„ge laÌ„d there Die in great miserie O thou Earth earthe earthe heare the woorde of the Lorde c. Forsomuch as the Iewes had so great confideÌ„ce in the Promise that was made to Dauid for the continuance of his posteritie in his seate So long as the Sunne and Moone endured as neither Prince nor People coulde in anye case bee brought to Beleue the Threatnings of God to the contrary therfore the Prophet here in earnest maner bicause the People were so Obstinate turneth his Speache to the Earth and openly denounceth that he was Willed by God himself to set vp this Prophecie in writing vpoÌ„ the doores of the Temple to the knowledge of all men that Iechonias shuld not Prosper in his Issue nor haue any child That shuld be so happie to sit on the seat of Dauid and beare rule after him And yet maye not this seeme repugnante to the prophecie of Iacob That the scepter should not be taken from Iuda and a Lawgiuer from betvveene his feete vntill Silo came c. For althoughe the Iewes after this Iechonias had no king in Succession either vnto the time of the Captiuitie or after whiche reigned among them with suche Libertie and Maiestie as the kings of Iuda before had Done yet had they a Gouernement by which they had Ruled bothe their Common weale and the External forme of Religion according to the Lawe of Moyses vntill the very comming of our Sauioure Christ vnder the Romaines by whoÌ„ euen that mean Libertie which they had to that Time was taken away and the Prophecie of Iacob fulfilled as well in the Losse of their gouernement as in the comming of Messias that should be the Expectation of the Gentiles The .xv. Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Hieremie 35. THe wordes whiche the Lorde spake vnto Hieremie in the raigne of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda are these 2 Goe vnto the house of the Rechabites and call them out and bring them to the house of the Lord into some commodious place and giue them wine to drink 3 Then took I Iazaniah the sonne of Hieremie the sonne of Habaziniah and his brethren and all his sonnes and the whole housholde of the Rechabites 4 And brought them into the house of the Lord into the closet of the children of Hanan the sonne of Iegedaliah the man of God whiche was by the closet of the Princes that is aboue the closet of Maasiah the sonne of Sellum whiche is the treasurer 5 And before the sonnes of the kinred of the Rechabites I set pottes full of wyne and cups and sayd vnto them Drinke wine 6 But they sayde Wée will drinke no wine for Ionadab the sonne of Rechab oure father commaunded vs saying Ye and your sonnes shall neuer drinke wyne buylde houses sowe no séede plante no vines 7 Yea ye shall haue no vineyards but for all your time ye shall dwell in tentes that ye maye liue long in the lande wherin ye be straungers 8 Thus haue wée obeyed the commaundemente of Ionadab the sonne of Rechab our father in al that he hath charged vs and so wée drinke no wine all our lyfe long wée nor our wyues our sonnes and our daughters 9 Neither buyld we any house to dwel therein we haue also among vs neyther Vineyardes nor corne lande to sowe 10 But we dwell in tentes we obey and do according vnto al that Ionadab our father commanded vs. 11 But nowe that Nabuchodonozor the King of Babylon came vp into the lande we sayd Come let vs go to Hierusalem that we may escape the hoast of the Chaldeis and the Assyrians and so wée dwell nowe at Hierusalem 12 Then came the word of the Lord vnto Hieremie saying 13 Thus sayeth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Go and tell the men of Iuda and the inhabiters of Hierusalem Will ye not be reformed to obey my wordes sayeth the Lorde 14 The wordes whiche Ionadab the sonne of Rechab commaunded his sonnes that they should drinke no wine are faste surely kept for vnto this day they drinke no wine but obey their fathers commandementâ— but as for me I haue stande vp early I haue spoken vnto you and giuen you earnest warning and yet haue ye not ben obediente vnto mée 15 Yea I haue sent my seruantes all the Prophets vnto you I rose vp early and sent you word saying O turne you nowe euery man from his wicked way amende your lyues and goe not after straunge gods to woorshippe them that yée maye continue in the lande whiche I haue giuen vnto you and your fathers but ye woulde neyther heare me nor folow me 16 The children of Ionadab Rechabs sonne haue stedfastly kept their fathers commandemeÌ„t that he gaue them but this people is not obedient vnto me 17 And therfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Behold I wil bring vpon Iuda vpon euery one that dwelleth in Hierusalem all the trouble that I haue deuised against them For I haue spoken vnto them but they woulde
not folowe I haue called vnto them neuerthelesse they woulde giue me no answere 18 Ieremie also spake vnto the housholde of the Rechabites Thus saith the lord of hoastes the God of Israel Forasmuche as ye haue obeyed the commaundement of Ionadab your father and kept all his preceptes and done according to all that he hath bidden 19 Therfore thus sayth the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel Ionadab the sonne of Rechab shal not fayle but haue one out of his stocke to stande alway before mée The Exposition vpon the .xxxv. Chapter of Hieremie The wordes which the Lord spake vnto Hieremie in the raigne of c. GOD willing to confounde the obstinate Disobedience of his people vnto his Law and to declare how vnexcusable they were In this Chapiter willeth the Prophete to their reproch shame to lay before them the exāple of the Rechabites Constantly Obeying the cōmandement order of their Ancesters though they were but Mortal men without breache for the space of .300 yeres The Rechabites are thought to haue bene the Posteritie eyther of Iethro or of * Hobab who * followed Moyses the Israelites through the Wildernesse into the Lande of Chanaan and were promised to haue had an heritage with the Children of Israel in that lande but it appeareth they had not For they were dispersed in sundrye Tribes and some of them dwelled euen among the Heathen and yet were they cōmonlie diligent Obseruers of the Law and men that Feared God. Of this stocke came Ionadab the sonne of Rechab who liued in the time of Iehu may seeme to haue bene of greate credite and authoritie For it was he that Iehu tooke by the * hand into his Chariot when he was goyng in great zeale to destroye Achab his house for the Wickednesse that he wrought against the Lorde This Ionadab for certaine considerations which after shal be noted gaue in charge to his childrē that they and their Posteritie for euer shuld forbeare the Drinking of Wine the Tilling of the Earth the keeping of Vines dwelling in any Builded houses but only to vse for their abiding Tentes and Bouthes This order and commaundement as I haue saide the Posteritie of the Rechabites kept very diligently from the time of Ionadab their father or Auncestour vnto this time of Hieremie which was .300 yeares The occasiō that God toke at this time was that these Rechabites whiche hitherto had not dwelt in anye Townes Cities but in Tentes and Bouthes in the fieldes throughe the great Spoile and waste that Nabuchodonosor and the Chaldees did make in all the Countrey of Iurie were forced for their salftie to come and dwell in Hierusalem in suche places as they mighte get And yet did they obserue all the other partes of Ionadabs commaundement although by meere necessitie they were driuen at this season to dwell in houses Wherfore Ieremie by the commaundemēt of God in such sort as is declared in this chapiter calleth the Rechabites together being manie in number vnto a place by the Temple whiche was notorious and where things done coulde not be kept close but muste needes be spredde by fame both through the whole Citie and Countrey For it is not to be thoughte that Hieremie did it secretely or in close maner For such a multitude coulde not be called to such a place without admiration and greate expectacion of some notable thing to followe Hieremie therefore in the place here discribed in solemne manner setteth pottes of Wine before them and willeth them to Drinke But they refuse so to doe alleadging for their excuse their Obedience to the order and commaundemente of their Auncestor and forefather Ionadab who had giuen them charge to obserue those things which are euidente in the Texte Here maye seeme to be some doubtes Iustlie moued First whether the Rechabites did offend or no in refusing to Drinke Wine at the bidding of the Prophete of god Therein they mighte seeme to set more by a tradition of their fathers than by the appointment of God vttered by the Prophete But wee reade not that the Prophete Hieremie did say vnto them that it was Gods will and commaundemente that they shoulde Drinke Wine but it semed to them a bidding of the Prophete simply vttered to them withoute the Authoritie of Gods name And yet in their refusing thereof they vndoubtedly did excuse themselues with greate modestie so that if the Prophete had pressed Gods commaundement vpon them it may be thought they woulde haue yelded as they did to dwell in houses in Hierusalem when they coulde not salfely haue place abroade to vse their Tentes Secondly if maye be doubted whether Ionadab did well in bidding them to forbeare Wine or not to vse Tillage not to plante Vines or to dwell in houses For therein semeth to be some great Superstition to forbid the people of God to vse his Creatures and those trades of Life that haue their Iuste comendatiō in the Scriptures and were vsed by good and Godlie men And therfore this place is alleadged of some for the maintenance of Monastical vowes and such like Obseruations of mens Traditions euen with burden of Conscience and restrainte of Christian Libertie Surelie it is not to be thought that Ionadab did meane to Institute any new worship of God or to laye any burden of Holinesse or Religion vpon their Consciences in the forbidding of these things but only the obseruation of a Politique meanes whereby they mighte be traded to a more Moderate life easier Contempte of the worlde For it is to be thoughte that Ionadab who ioyned himselfe to Iehu in the punishment of the wicked house of Achab had great feare of God and a desire to haue his Law true Worshippe restored and maintained And bicause he sawe that Sensualitie Loosnesse of life glory of the world were the chiefest Causes that did carie the Israelites from the Obedience of God fearing some great Plague and punishment to followe for the same according to the * Threatnings of the lawe so muche as mighte be to preuent the same Inconuenience in his flocke or kindred He enioyned them to forbeare Wine whereof ryseth Drunkennesse and Wanton lust and not to vse any other trade of life thā Pasturing or keping of Cattaile wherein they were alwayes brought vp from their first fathers Ionadab thought that kind of life to be best whervnto himselfe had beene accustomed He sawe what Incōueniences Immoderate vse of Wine did bring all which they shun that Forbeare it And they haue their mindes Freer that are not Tied to Tillage husbanding of Vineyardes And if God did bring any Plague vpon their Countrey for the Sinnes of the People their losse shoulde be the lesse and they mighte more easily shift for themselues But howsoeuer it was in Ionadab wee reade not here that God doth praise that ordināce but only semeth to like the Obedience of the Rechabites and taketh the same for an Example
to reproue the Ievves for their Disobedience and contempt of his holie Lawes and ordinances being not their Earthlie father but the euerliuing Lorde and God. Then came the worde of the Lorde to Hieremie saying c. In these verses foloweth the applying of this example and comparison of the Rechabites In which application these things are to be noted First the comparison betwene a mortal man and god If the Authoritie of Ionadab a mortal and fraile Creature preuailed so much with his posteritie whom he did neuer greatly benefite how much more Iustlie shoulde the Maiestie and Eternall Power of God in giuing of his Lawe haue bene esteemed among his owne people vpon whom he had bestowed so many and so great blessings Secondly Ionadab gaue his Commaundement but Once and neuer called vpon it afterwarde and yet was it obserued very curiouslye for the space of .300 yeares But Gods Law as it was once giuen with greate Maiestie terrour so was it Continually called vpon by his Prophetes and teachers euen by the diligent and carefull sending of God himselfe And that in so earnest maner as possibly could be deuised and yet woulde they neuer either continue in his obedience or easilie returne vnto his true worship when they were once fallen from it Thirdly those things which God required of the Ievves were not of like Seueritie and rigour as the commaundementes of Ionadab to his posteritie For he lefte vnto them the vse of Tillage Inhabitinge of houses Drinkinge of Wine Planting of vines and all such other like things that mighte be to their comforte in the worlde and onely required that they would not run after the worshipping of other Gods. And yet would they not therin obey him nor yet reclaime themselues when they were reproued wheras the Rechabites did not onely kepe themselues in more Obedience of the Lawe of God than they did but also tied themselues to the streicte and rigorous obseruation of the orders before mentioned onelie in reuerence of Ionadab their Ancester and Forefather by whom they were giuen And therefore thus saith the Lorde of hostes the God of Israel beholde c. Nowe that God by the example of the Rechabites had confounded the disobedience of his People and shewed that they haue nothing to laie for their excuse he addeth what punishment shall come vpon them for it Forsomuch saith he as I haue often sente my Prophetes vnto you to cal you to repentance to bring you home againe into the righte way yet you will not in any wise heare them I will speake no more vnto you in way of exhortation but I will pronounce terrible Sentence against you and most earnestly assure you that those punishmentes that I haue deuised withoute faile shall come vpon you Here is to be noted that whē men Obstinatelie refuse the comfortable worde of God sent vnto them in the waie of instruction and teaching they shall after heare and feele his Dreadfull worde of Threatning iuste punishment to come vpon them for their Disobedience and cōtempt Hieremie also spake vnto the housholde of the Rechabites thus saith c. After that he hath pronounced punishment against the Ievves for their Contempt of Gods holy will he declareth also that God of his goodnesse according to his Promise anexed to the fifte commaundemente woulde reward the obedience and Reuerence that the Rechabites did shew towarde their Father Ionadab and that he would so prosper their stocke as They should neuer faile of one to stande before him that is whiche shoulde be acceptable vnto him For it cannot be interpreted that they shoulde stand before God in the Ministration of the Temple for that was appointed to the Priestes and Leuites onely As touching that the Patrons of superstition alleadge this place for the Maintenance of obedience to mens traditions in the Churche it is verie vnfit For the Rechabites as is saide before were not tied to this obseruatiō with opinion of Holinesse or as a worshipping of God as men were with the traditions of the Church of Rome but obserued those things as Politique orders of life with Reuerence of their Ancesters by whom they were enioyned The .15 Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ieremie Cap. 36. IN the fourth yéere of Ioakim the sonne of Iosias the king of Iuda came the word of the Lorde vnto Ieremie saying 2 Take a booke and write therin all the wordes that I haue spoken to thée against Israel against Iuda and against all the people from the time that I began to speake vnto thée in the raigne of Iosias vnto this daye 3 That when the house of Iuda heareth of the plague which I haue deuised for them they may peraduenture turne euerie man from his wicked waye that I may forgiue their offences and sinnes 4 Then dyd Ieremie call Baruch the sonne of Neriah and Baruch wrote in the booke at the mouth of Ieremie all the wordes of the Lord which he had spoken vnto him 5 And Ieremie commaunded Baruch saying I am in prison so that I may not come into the house of the Lorde 6 Therefore goe thou thither and reade the Booke that thou haste written at my mouth namely the words of the Lorde and reade them in the Lordes house vpon the fasting daye that the people whole Iuda and all they that come out of the cities may heare 7 Peraduenture they will pray méekely before the face of the Lorde and turne euery one from his wicked waye for great is the wrath and displeasure that the Lorde hathe taken againste this people 8 So Baruch the sonne of Neriah did according to al that Hieremie the Prophet commaunded him reading the wordes of the Lorde out of the booke in the Lordes house 9 And this was done in the fifth yeare of Iehoakim the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda in the nynth moneth when it was commanded that all the people of Hierusalem should fast before the Lord and they also that were come from the cities of Iuda vnto Hierusalem 10 Then redde Baruch the words of Hieremie out of the booke within the house of the Lorde out of the treasurie of Gamariah the sonne of Saphan the scribe which is beside the higher loft of the newe doore of the Lordes house that al the people might heare 11 Now when Micheas the sonne of Gamariah the sonne of Saphan hard al the words of the Lord out of the booke 12 He went downe to the kings palace into the scribes chamber for there al the Princes were set Elisama the scribe Dalaiah the sonne of Semei Elnathan the sonne of Achbor Gamariah the sonne of Saphan Zedekias the sonne of Hananias with all the princes 13 And Micheas tolde them all the wordes that hée hearde Baruch reade out of the booke before the people 14 Then all the princes sent Iehudi the sonne of Nathaniah the sonne of Selemiah the sonne of Chusi vnto Baruch saying Take in thine hande the booke whereout
your trayterous and rebellious deuise of your heartes to reuolt wholye from my seruice to the Idoles of the Gentiles among whom you are But surely I will ouershwart you and though you doe make the Babilonians more fauourable to you I my selfe will bee your Aduersarie and by mightie hande and extremitie of punishment will force you whether you or no to acknowledge me your Lorde and god It shall not come to passe as you thinke that you shall * quietly serue stocks and stones with Idolators I wil not neglect fugitiue seruants as slacke maysters are woont to doe Seeing that I haue once taken you into my couenant I will by sharpe punishment And by my indignation powred out vpon you make you desirous and glad to come againe vnder my obedience I will bring you from the people and gather you out of the countrie c. God signifieth that he will not breake couenant with them but as he had promised by his Prophets so would he doe in deede that is he would bring them from among those Countries wherin they are scattred but in such sort as the godly only should haue comfort thereby and the wicked no cause at all to reioyce He threatneth to deale with them as he did with their fathers in the wildernesse of Egipt For in Egipt he declared his iustice by sundrie kindes of punishment When they murmured against God in the wyldernesse manye of them he consumed with fyre Num. 11. When Dathan and Abyram rose against Moses 250. perished with fyre and the residue the earth swalowed vp yea and the next day again 14000. and 700. were destroyed Num. 16. When they spake against Moyses at an other time a great nūber were slaine by Serpentes Num. 21. In this sort of iudgement God here Protesteth that he will deale with the wicked Israelites and by such meanes as it were cull out and purge away the obstinate and rebellious transgressours from the other so that they shall neuer enioy the lande of Israel agayne wyth comfort and quietnesse As their fathers which God brought out of Egipt because of their often Disobedience * neuer came into the lande of promise euen so the Prophet sayth those euill children that without repentance continued in their abhominations should neuer haue the quiet fruition of their Countrie againe Notwithstanding that for his promise sake he would deliuer bring home the Residue which eyther by teaching of his Prophets or by punishment or any other meanes did forsake their wycked wayes and turne againe to the obedience of his lawe As for you O house of Israel c. Go you and serue euery man his Idoles c. Forsomuch as they would not yeelde to obey God and to follow his law with scornefull reproch he biddeth them go on according to their owne fantasies wholy to serue euery man his Idoles and not to mixt withall the Title of his name and so distaine it By which wordes we may perceiue that God will not be matched with other but haue worship done wholy to himselfe Hovv long sayth Elias halte you on both sides If the Lorde be God follovv him If Baal go after him VVhat agreement can there be betvveene Christ and Belial saith Saint Paule And our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs That vve cannot serue tvvo maysters We must therefore learne also to serue Christ wholy and not to mixt Idolatrous Superstition wyth the truth of his Gospell For vpon my holy hill euen vpon the high hill of Israel sayth the Lorde c. These wordes that follow may be literally vnderstanded of such of the Israelites brought out of Captiuitie as by manifold plages did repent and learne to worship God sincerely not after their owne deuises as they dyd before in their highe places but according to the prescript of Goddes worde And therefore being restored into their Countrie God signifieth their deuotion should be acceptable vnto him and all their Sacrifices pleasant And for somuch as the Prophets doe oftentymes breake out from thinges of present state in the worlde vnto the blessing to come in the promised seede and Sauiour this place maye also verye well be interpreted of the spirituall Israel that is the Church and people of God vnder Christ For by the Holy hill and highe mountayne of Israel or Sion is vnderstanded the Church because the Apostles were first sent from thence to preache the Gospell in all the worlde Of this hill speaketh Esay 2. cap. and Micheas 4 cap. The hill of the Lords house shall be prepared in the height of the mountaines and all Nations shall presse vnto him The * Sacrifices of Christians which are acceptable vnto God the * sacrifices which he wil require of them are earnest prayer thankesgyuing for his benefites the sacrifice memorial of the Lords supper * charitable reliefe of their poore brethren and their owne soules and bodies consecrated to his seruice In these will he delight and these shall be to him as A svvete sauour There shall you call to remembrance your owne wayes and all your workes c. The Repentant Iewes after Captiuitie shall call to remembrāce sayth the Prophet their owne naughtie wayes and workes against the lawe of God and with heauie harts being sorie and * ashamed of them shall acknowledge and * confesse that euen by their owne iudgements they were worthy by Gods iustice to haue bene cleane cut of from him and that it is of his onely mercie and goodnesse that he hath wrought otherwise And that for his owne names sake and for his owne glorie in performing his couenant he hath restored them into their Countrie againe In like maner christian men by the free mercies of God being deliuered from the captiuitie of Sinne Satan and Death and broughte home into holye Mount Sion the Church of God and heauenly Hierusalem doe call to remembrance their olde wickednesse and abhominations wherein they lyued to the dishonour of God and reproch of the worlde and therefore are * ashamed of them and * confesse in their harts that they were worthie of the wrath of God by perpetuall damnation to be cut from his presence And in that it is otherwise done that it proceedeth of the Riches of his goodnesse towarde mankynde layde out aboundantly vnto them in Christ Iesu our Sauiour The 18. Sunday after Trinitie at Euening prayer Ezech. 24. IN the ninth yeare in the tenth Moneth the tenth day of the Moneth came the worde of the Lorde vnto me saying 2 O thou sonne of man wryte thée the name of this daye yea euen of this present day for the king of Babylon set himselfe against Ierusalem this selfe same day 3 And shewe the rebellious house a Parable and speake vnto them thus sayth the Lord God Prepare a pot set it on and powre water into it 4 Gather the péeces thereof into it euery good péece the thigh and the shoulder
might seme to be touched with some Feare of God but yet not so greatlye but that they feared the Prince more and especially the multitude of them And therefore did they put the matter so vnto him that they would not doe otherwise than stoode with his Pleasure Some of them did more Freelye deale with the King as Elnathan Dalaiah and Gamariah and in his most vehement rage with some Danger of their owne state liues perswaded intreated him not to Burne the booke But nothing could staie his Furie but that before he had hearde it redde through eueÌ„ in Contempt of God of his worde and Threatnings he out it in peeces and cast it in the fire When God in the wordes of his Prophete did so terribly Thunder in the eares of the king he should haue bene Greatly moued therwith and haue * Rent tore his garments in token of the inward feare and Sorow of his hearte knowing most assured Danger to hang ouer both him and his kingdome But after the maner of Indurate hartes as a furious beast he Rageth eueÌ„ against God himself thinketh by Fire as it were to Consume his Threatnings If he thought it to be the doyng of poore Hieremie onely why did he make so great accompt of the matter and shew himselfe so much grieued therwith seyng he knewe that so contemptible a person as he iudged him to be coulde not of himselfe worke hurte to him or to his realme If his conscience trembling at the matter dyd tel him that the Authoritie of God was in those wordes why did he so furiouslie storme at the thing as thoughe he had bene hable by his rage to haue Discountenanced the wrath of God toward him and his people But cruell Hipocrites haue euer some * pretenses of reason to bolster vp their obstinacie against God his Prophetes and therefore caused he Hieremie and Baruch to be sent for if God had not hyd them and by his prouidence kepte them from his furie and wicked purpose For God vseth to preserue his Messengers from danger and perill euen maugre the heades of all his Enemies vntill their full and appointed time be come that his Name may be glorified his Truth enlarged by their Death Nowe after the King had burnte the booke and the sermons which c. The wicked persecuters thinke by crueltie and violence to Suppresse and Extinguishe the worde of God and his trueth but by his prouidence it riseth more Strongly against them to their greater confusion Ioakim thoughte by casting the Booke of Hieremies Prophecies into the fire he had as it were cutte of the hande of God and deliuered himselfe and his kingdome from those plagues that weare denounced by those * Seditious and Factious men as he toke them Hieremie and Baruch But beholde that he and all his mighte vnderstande that he struggled in vaine and stroue againste the streame the prouidence of God publisheth another booke containing not onely the same matter but also an euidente declaration of Gods iuste Iudgement and sharpe punishment to come vpon that wicked King and his stocke that is that his owne deade Corpse shoulde be caste forthe contemptuouslie withoute Buriall as is saide in the former Chapiter and that none of his issue and generation in righte descente should sit any time in the throne of Dauid after him For Iechonias his Sonne raigned onely three monethes and was ledde away Captiue so that he might scantly seme to haue raigned and Sedechias was his Vncle and was set vp in despite of him and his Sonne Iechonias or Ioakim after whoÌ„ they had no King of that directe liue but Zorobabel vntill the comming of the Messias Christ Iesu who was The yong branche that sprang a freshe out of the olde vvorne stocke of Iessie as oute of a roote that had not flourished in manye yeares before Yea and he assureth both the King and al his people though they did neuer so contemptuously refuse to hearken to his worde that he woulde visite their wickednesse and bring vpon them all those euils that he hath promised In like maner God in al ages dealeth with the persecuters of his word and holy Scriptures and neuer more than in these latter dayes The enemies of the Gospell haue thoughte to suppresse Gods trueth by burning the godly writings of learned men and by destroying the Preachers and professours of the same with fire and with the sworde shedding their bloude most cruellie But the prouidence of God raiseth other euen of the ashes of them that doe as constantly teache and defende his truth euen to the faces of them and maugre their heartes publishe the Gospell in writing more largely thaÌ„ euer it was before And so wil it be vntill God bring their iuste deserued plagues vpon their heades though they in the meane time to the heaping of his greater wrath vpon them in furious rage kill and sâ—ea some of his Saintes which he hath appointed that way to glorifie his name The .16 Sunday after Trinitie at Morning prayer Ezechiel Cap. 2. ANd then said he vnto me Stâ—nde vp vpon thy féete O thou sonne of man and I will talke with thée 1. And the spirite 〈…〉 when he had spoken vnto me and set me vpon my féete so that I hearde him that spake vnto me 3 And he said vnto me Thou sonne of man I sende thée to the Children of Israel to a rebellious people which haue rebelled againste me both they and their forefathers haue wickedly behaued themselues againste me euen vnto this verye daye 4 For they are children of a harde face and stiffe heart I doe send thée vnto them thou shalte say vnto them Thus saith the Lorde God. 5 And whether they will heare or refuse for they are a rebellious house yet they maye knowe that there hath bene a Prophet among them 6 And thou sonne of man feare theÌ„ not neither be afraide of their wordes for briers thornes are with thée and thou doest dwell among scorpions feare not their wordes nor be abashed at their lookes for they are a rebellious house 7 And thou shalt speake my wordes vnto them whether they will heare or refuse for they are rebellious 8 Therefore thou sonne of man obey thou all things that I say vnto thée and be not thou rebellious like the rebellious house open thy mouth and eate that I giue thée 9 And I loked and behold a hand was sent vnto me and loe in it was a roule of a booke 10 And he opened it before me and it was written within and without and there was written therin lamentations and mourning and woe The Exposition vpon the .ij. Chapter of Ezechiel And then saide he vnto me stand vp vpon thy feete O thou sonne of man c. IN the firste Chapiter of this Prophete in a vision was declared what He was of how greate aucthoritie that called Ezechiel that is the Omnipotente and euerliuing
God and the Lorde of Hoastes vnto whose dominion all Creatures are subiecte and by him are gouerned and maintayned Nowe the Prophete in this place hathe as it were his Commission deliuered vnto him and is sente as Gods Messenger vnto the Israelites liuing in banishmente and is instructed what maner of people they are how they will receiue him and howe he shall behaue himselfe toward them In the ende of the former Chapiter it is mentioned that Ezechiel seyng in a vision an Image of the glorie of God not being hable to abyde the Maiestie thereof fell downe vpon his face in like manner as we reade that Daniell did when he sawe a terrible vision And there vvas no strength saith he remaining in me c. and yet I hearde the voyce of his vvordes and fell astonied vpon my face Such is the frailtie of man as he is not hable to abide but a meane shadowe of the glorious Maiestie of God. But the same God suffereth not these good men that he hath ouerthrowne with terrour of his glorie to remaine long prostrate and cast downe but he comfortablie erecteth them with his spirite as we see in this place in Exechiel whom he not onelye commaundeth to stande vp vpon his feete that he may speake vnto him but also endueth him with his spirit that he may be hable so to doe For such is our weaknes that wheÌ„ we be once ouerthrowne we cannot rise of oure selues but onely by the mighte of Gods Holie grace and Spirite Wherefore sayth S. Paule VVe are not able of our selues to doe any thing but al our sufficieÌ„cie is of God And again Not of my self but of the grace of God in me Ezechiel therfore staÌ„deth not here vpoÌ„ his feet of himself but by the Spirite of God entring into him Neyther was the outward Word of God sufficieÌ„t for this Purpose For the Strength might of the word of God is by the Grace of his Spirite goeing alwaye with it The externall VVord as his blessed Instrument soundeth in the eare and moueth the sense but the Spirite of God worketh in the heart And he said vnto me thou sonne of man J sende thee to the children of c. Hovve shal they hear saith Paule vvithout prea ching and hovve shall they preache onlesse they be sent God therefore commonly vseth in notable maner to call his Prophets and they alwaye lightly declare their owne calling and sending as here Ezechiell dothe that they may not bee thought to haue Come of themselues * as they commonly do that are Seducers and deceiuers of the People but to be Sente and appoynted by God. Here is also declared to Whom and to what maner of persons the Prophet is sente that is to the children of Israel liuing nowe in Captiuitie and wyth greate Impacience murmurynge agaynste GOD and hys Iustice So that neyther by Teaching they coulde bee persuaded neyther by the Scourge and punishemente of God anye thing amended Therefore are they described to bee a Rebellious people euer Stryuing and settyng them selues agaynste GOD as their * Fathers had done before them A people of an Harde and impudente face whome Nothyng coulde make ashamed but rather wyth Stoute countenaunce will Defende their Wickednesse and Glorie in it and therefore by Hieremie also are they sayde To haue an Harlottes forheade They are noted also to bee a People of a Stiffe hearte that is of an Obstinate and headie mynde whome neyther Godly persuasion nor greuous punishmente coulde moue to retourne to God and acknowledge their fault When GOD obiecteth to his People the Imitation of their Forefathers wee also are Taughte to beware howe wee Stubburnely Staye oure selues agaynste the Callyng of God and his holie woorde and Gospell by the Imitation of oure Forefathers And yet wee see that men in these dayes shewâ— no greater grounde of their Consciences than to saye They will Beleeue and doe 〈◊〉 their Forefathers haue doone If that â—â—eason bee sounde as by this place and manye other wee are Taughte it is not Surely the Iewes might well seme excusable and not so much to be blamed for reiecting the doctrine of the Prophetes and of Christe and his Apostles For vpon that reason they chiefly grounded them selues Therefore wee oughte diligently to Learne by the vnfallible rule of Gods woorde Wherein oure Fathers dyd well and therein to followe them and contrarywyse gladly to Shunne and forsake those thinges that they doe otherwyse When God commaundeth Ezechiel to goe to the Children of Israell and saye vnto them Thus sayth the Lord both Preachers haue to learne that they remembre whose Messengers they are and that they Teache not the people of God their owne Phantasies and deuises but that only as Paule sayeth whyche they haue receyued of GOD that they maye boldly say with Ezechiel Thus sayth the Lord. And on the other parte the hearers and people are by the same woorde instructed when they heare the Preachers not to make accompte of them as simple men onely nor to accepte their wordes as the wordes of men but as the Doctrine of God whose ambassadours they are sent by him to enfourme them of hys holy will and pleasure and to leade them into his wayes The Preachers of God must not loke to haue their Doctrine by and by to be thankfully frutefully received or that their laboures 〈◊〉 shall haue fauourable and good Successe The Prince of this Worlde is enimie to God and to his cause and therfore wil not easily suffer them that forsake God and fighte vnder his Banner to yelde to the obedience of God and to be reformed at his callyng Therfore sayth God to Ezechiel VVhether they will heare or refuse giue not ouer thy function and office of teaching but let them knovve to their further Condemnation and to the takyng away of all Pretenses of ignorance That there hath ben a Prophet of God among them to gyue them warning and to cal them from their wickednesse I know and I tel thee before hand that they are a Rebellious and obstinate People and wyll not hearken vnto thy Preaching nor accepte thy Doctrine but thou haste my Commandemente and my Commission to confirme thee therfore performe that * Plant and water that stony and harde Ground and leaue the Increase and successe to me If they repent thou mayste haue Comforte of thy trauayle if they continue Stubburne they must haue Iustice for their Disobedience And thou sonne of man feare them not neither be afrayd of their wordes c. Suche is the Frayltie and timorousnesse of Man that hee cannot choose but bee Moued with the Clamour and obloquie of many agaynste hym Therefore God dothe heere strengthen and as it were Arme Ezechiell his Prophete agaynste the waywardnesse of that People and wylleth hym to take pacientely whatsoeuer they shall doe or saye Hypocrites ryse agaynste Gods truth and in woordes pretende Gaye and holye Titles and Names for