of the Ministery that it should not be defrauded of the least thing allotted to it And therefore harden not your heart against God against Law against Right and Truth accustome not your hearts to cover your Neighbours due your hands to purloin it by fraud or take it by strength it is theft spiritual theft sacriledge your house receiveth stoln Goods and the Wrath of God may happily shake the foundation of it for such a sin and you in yours or you and yours be punished Verse 13. Here Leaven is admitted of which before was forbid Leaven therefore is taken in a good sense as well as in an ill Thus the Apostles are resembled to a little Leaven that leaveneth the whole lump they being sent out of God into the unleavened World by preaching to leaven it clean through And there is a Leaven of the new Nature accepted as there is a Leaven of the old Nature rejected For look how the Leaven maketh the Bread savory and strong and wholsome look also how it makes it rise and heave up which otherwise would be sad and heavy So doth Gods regenerate Spirit change us make us savory and all our Duties pleasing to God and we rise up our Hearts and Souls are heaved up in all love in thankfulness to him that in Mercy hath so look'd upon us Verse 15. A Ceremony us'd to signifie that publick Feasts should not be superfluously continued and kept long under the colour of Religion For God loveth not idle banquetting and prodigal spending although he allow graciously what is fit for the occasion Secondly this was done in wisdome by God least if the flesh should have smelt by longer keeping Religion might so have been vile in the eyes of fickle persons Verse 18. We may learn by this that the taking hold of Christ is not to be deferr'd and put off but speedily and quickly to be done whilst time serves and opportunity is offer'd For behold sayes Christ to day and to morrow I cast out Devils and the third day Luke 13. that is a short time I have yet to go on with my Ministery and then I shall be slain More particularly every Man and Woman may be said to have three dayes The first of Youth till Age come the second of Age till Death come and in these two dayes there is Mercy offered but the third day is after Death and then there is no help as here on the third day no Offering was accepted but the sin remained unpardoned and not forgiven Verse 30. The bringing of the Sacrifice with his own hands and not sending it by others taught Humility and Duty to God taught that every one must live by his own Faith and not by anothers Verse 34. The shaking of it to and fro four wayes East West North and South shadowed the spreading of that lifting up of Christ that is of Christs Death and Passion throughouâ— all the World by the preaching of the Gospel CHAP. VIII Verse 2. THe Lord precisely appointed Priests and would not leave it to every man to perform this Office to signifie that not any man butthe-man Christ Jesus could appease Gods Wrath satisfie his Justice and take away the sins of the World This could not be figured out better than by secluding all the Host of Israel from this Office and chusing but Aaron and his Sons as Types of Christ that so by such an Ordinance the Majesty Authority and Property of Christs Office might be resembled and shadowed Verse 5. Nothing but Gods Commandement doth Moses offer unto them For he well knew Gods Will only in his own House must be the Rule Our own heads were never the best heads to follow and for God he knoweth our mould too well to give that swinge unto us Verse 13. Aarons Sons were a figure of the Church which by Faith eateth also of the Sacrifice of Christ being made partakers of his Merits as well as the Priests Their Garments figured out the Graces and Gifts wherewith the Believers in Christ are adorned and beautified casting away the Works of Darkness and putting on daily more and more the Deeds of Light Rom. 13. 12. Verse 30. Upon Aarons Sons Moses did but sprinkle the annointing Oil which was said to be poured upon Aaron verse 12. So plainly shewing that in Christ the Spirit should be without measure and upon his Servants in measure we all receiving of his fulness according to his good Pleasure some more some lesse Verse 35. By this is signified that watch which all our life time is noted by the seven dayes we keep in avoiding sin and working righteousness as the Lord shall enable which indeed may be call'd the watch of the Lord being a holy Christian and happy watch The seventh day we shall be free fully sanctified and delivered from this vail of misery to keep an eternal Sabbath in Heaven to our endless comfort CHAP. IX Verse 7. IN that Aaron was here commanded to offer as well for himself as the People he was herein a figure of Christ not that Christ had any sins of his own but that ours were so laid upon him and he so made satisfaction to God for them as they had been his own Surely sayes the Prophet Isai. 53. 4. he hath born our infirmities c. that is we judg'd him evil as though he were punish'd for his own sins and not for ours Verse 22. Thus doth God blesse us in Christ in whom all the Nations of the World are blessed First with the Blessing of Reconciliation to himself reputing us now just for his Son Christ. Secondly with the Blessing of his Spirit whereby we walk in his Calling being guided thereby in the same Thirdly with the Blessing of Acceptance of all our Works though full of imperfection and weakness And last of all with this great Blessing that all adversity becometh a help to us to draw us to Heaven and Eternal Rest. Verse 24. That God which shew'd himself to Men in fire when he delivered his Law would have men present their Sacrifices to him in fire and this fire he would have his own that there might be a just circulation in this Creature as the Water sends up those vapours which it receives down again in Rain Hereupon it was that fire came down from God to the Altar that as the charge of the Sacrifice was delivered in fire so God might signifie the acceptation of it in the like fashion wherein it was commanded The Baalites might lay ready their Bullock upon the Wood but they might sooner fetch the blood out of their Bodies and destroy themselves than one flash out of Heaven to consume the Sacrifice CHAP. X. Verse 2. NAdab and Abibu were two of Aarons Eldest Sons which after their Father should have succeeded him in his place yet there is no Mercy with God to stay his Judgement when they will not be Ruled by his Word No Prerogative therefore shall save any Man from Wrath if he offend but
a Deliverer so famous a Governour so dear to God so familiar with God and so graced and honoured by God And yet how contemptuously they speak of him when they say this Moses this Moses And therefore by this example let all wise Ministers never rely upon the multitude but upon the Author of their Calling joy in their obedience to him rest upon his gracious acceptance and leave the world to be a World full of unthankfulness to all degrees of well Deservers Verse 3. Aaron demanded their golden Ear-rings thinking they would not have given them For in the East Countries such Ear-rings were Ornaments and the pleasures of Women But he was deceived so pleasing to our corruption is Idolatry and Superstition that we spare no cost to set that forward And indeed their Idol was their Jewel Verse 6. Those Sacrifices were such as God had appointed but now diverted from their use and therefore nothing lesse than pleasing unto God Which shews that although we use the same words in our Prayers and do the same things that the Scripture appointeth if they differ from right as these Sacrifices did here we pull down Gods Wrath upon us instead of his Blessing Verse 7. The Lord cals them Moses People whereas they were the Lords People and by his mighty Arm delivered not by Moses his strength Thus doth the Lord ascribe to his Ministers what his Power worketh by them that so they may be encouraged in their pains and the People know to love them hearing God himself say that they be their People Verse 8. Note the word and also the manner if the Lord keep us not in his true obedience and send us good Guides To fall away from God is fearful but quickly to be turned aside is an amplification of the fault and maketh it greater Verse 10. This shews the incomprehensible loving kindness of God towards such as truly fear and serve him making them in his Goodness so powerful with him that they are to him as it were bands to tie him and avail against him that he cannot execute his anger against Offendors unless they will suffer him and as it were stand out of the way Thus in Gen. 18. 19. when Sodom was to be destroyed said God for so many and so many I will not do it Thus also Ezek. 22. 30. I sought for a man c. as if God had said might I have found but one to stand in the gap against my wrath even for that one I would have shewn Mercy Let this therefore comfort you that if for other mens sins a true Moses be such a stop to God that he will not punish them think then what force have your own sighs and groans for your own sins before him Can he strike you holding up your hands for Mercy and looking upon him with warry eyes humbled in the dust before him and for his dearest Sons sake in whom he is well pleas'd begging pardon Verse 11. Who knows what Judgements godly Governors turn away by their earnest Prayers to God for their People Which should work in us all Love and Obedience and Duty to them and make us day and night pray for the continuance of them Verse 21. In matters concerning Gods Glory we must rebuke our nearest Allies no place for Affection The Lord hath placed the Commandements in the Decalogue and the Petitions in the Lords Prayer which concern his Honour before those which concern our selves to teach us that we ought to prefer his Glory before all worldly things yea even life it self if it come in question Mar. 10. 37. Thus did Moses also ver 32. prefer Gods Glory which would appear in saving of his People before his own salvation which is far more than this temporal life Verse 31. Moses doubleth in this Chapter the foulness of their fault calling it a great Sin and a greivous sin so teaching us not to extenuate faults before God if you sue for Mercy but to set them out in their true colours that Mercy may the more appear Verse 34. Magistrates and Ministers may not desist from their Duties for the Peoples frowardness but indevouring to the uttermost to reform them they must go on though they perish and even in their so perishing they shall be a sweet Savour to the Lord. Verse 35. Very greivous is the sin of Idolatry that not for Moses his so earnest Prayer may be freed wholly from all further punishment though in part the Lord yieldeth as he did ver 14. CHAP. XXXIII Verse 8. A Sound and upright heart with God will ever in the end procure honour however for a time contempt may be shewed for God will honour them that honour him it is his Word and it shall never fail Would God then men would be moved to seek honour this way by the Favour of God and not of men For God can make men rise up to you that have formerly little regarded you as here he did to Moses the People now that he was in favour with God reverenc'd him whom before they spake very lightly of saying This Moses we know not what is become of him Verse 13. Moses desires of God that he would shew him his Wayes his Dealings his Proceedings with Men that which he cals after his Glory how he glorifies himself upon Man God promiseth in the next verse that he will shew him all his Goodness God hath no way towards Man but Goodness God glorifies himself in nothing upon Man but in his own Goodness And therefore when God comes to the performance of this Promise in the next Chapter he shews him his Way and his Glory and his Goodness in shewing him that he is a merciful God a gracious God a long suffering God And as the Hebrew Doctors note there are thirteen Attributes specified in that place and of all these thirteen there is but one that tastes of Judgement that he will punish the sins of the Fathers upon the Children all the other twelve are meerly Mercy Such a proportion hath his Mercy above his Justice Verse 18. When God had promised Moses in this Chapter to send an Angel to shew the People their way Moses said to God See thou sayest lead this people forth but thou hast not shewed me whom thou wilt send with me God had told him of an Angel but that satisfied not Moses he must have something shew'd to him he must see his Guide and therefore said Moses wilt thou be pleas'd to shew me thy Glory Shall we see any thing Now they did see that Pillar in which God was and that Presence that Pillar shewed the way To us the Church is that Pillar in that God shews us our way For strength it is a Pillar and a Pillar for firmness and fixation But yet the Church is neither an equal Pillar alwayes fire but sometimes Cloud too The Church is more or lesse visible sometimes glorious sometimes eclips'd neither is it so fix'd a Pillar as that it may
of the Wave-offering belong'd to the Priest to teach him to serve the Lord with all their hearts their dearest affections intimated by the Breast and with all their might and strength typified in the shoulder and whereas it is here call'd the Heave-shoulder this signified the heaving of Christ upon the Cross and the heaving up of our heatts to God for so great benefits Verse 23. A set form of Prayer is lawful to be used whether publickly in the Church or privately in the Family and this is most strongly infer'd from hence if we consider the persons to whom this Commandement was given For this solemn form was set not for the simple sort or the most ignorant among the people but it was appointed to be pronounc'd by the Priests and that too not in a corner but in the Tabernacle of the Lord before many witnesses If any were able of themselves to conceive a Prayer certainly they were the Priests of the Lord whose lips must preserve knowledg Mal. 2. 7. and yet are they both allowed and prescrib'd to follow a set form in blessing the people And so likewise at their marching forward and at their standing still there were set forms injoyn'd Numb 10. 35 36. CHAP. VII Verse 8. THe service of the Gershonites was not so much as the service of the Sons of Merari and therefore Moses doth here proportion the assistance answerable to the service two Waggons and four Oxen to the Sons of Gershon but double the number to the Sons of Merari because their service was double to the others and their carriage as much more God knows what every one of his Children is able to bear and therefore proportions the burthen to the Back none of his shall be oppressed though press'd out of measure afflicted they may be and that in an high nature but never brought to despair left for a time but not forsaken for ever Ioseph may be shot at Gen. 49. 23. but he cannot be shot through His bow did abide in strength and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Iacob verse 24. and thence his safety He used his Bow against his Enemies as David did his sling against Goliah who slung as if he had wrapt up God in his sling Verse 13. No quantity was here prescribed because it was a Free-will offering only it must be fine no Bran in it to shew the puriry of Christs Sacrifice and of our services through him by means of the Oyl of his Spirit and Incense of his Intercession Verse 19. In these words as before and in the words following we see what is offered Silver and Gold they spare nothing they bring the best they have Neither do they bring the best in a sparing manner but they deal bountifully and liberally Which teacheth us to serve God with the choicest and chiefest things we have and that in a large and liberal manner We read Exod. 36. that the people were so forward for the building and furnishing of the Tabernacles that the Workmen complained the People brought too much How far are we from this in our dayes The people bring more than enough for the work of the Lord. O that we might come but one degree behind them that it might be said our people bring enough The Israelites thought they never brought enough we think we never bring too little they offered more than they were commanded we bring no more than we are compell'd and constrain'd to bring They offered with a glad and chearful heart we will do no more than the Law urgeth or not so much They brought of the best we think the worst good enough for God and his Service and Ministers Verse 24. The Spirit of God thinks it not sufficient to set down what was offered in the general but takes notice of every mans particular offering to teach us first that we should apply these Examples to our selves and if we pass over one of them without regard yet we should take hold of the next Secondly to assure us that no man shall have that forgotten to the utmost of his praise who is any way forward in doing good because God will honour them that honour him 1 Sam. 2. All the good works of Gods children done to the setting forth of his glory the advancement of his Worship or the good of his Saints shall be punctually reckoned up and rewarded and as their deeds are here registred in the Book of God so the Doers of them are registred in the Book of Life CHAP. VIII Ver. 3. THe Lamps were placed over against the Candlestick which was over the Table in the Tabernacle and typified the Law of God enlightning the Church and People of God For the Commandement is a Lamp or Candle whereof there is no small use when Men go to Bed or rise betimes He that hath the Word of Christ richly dwelling in him may lay his Hand upon his Heart and say as one dying did Hic sat lucis here 's plenty of light Under the Law all was in Riddles Moses was veil'd and yet that saying was then verified Et latet lucet there was light enough to light Men to Christ the end of the Law Verse 10. There was Imposition of Hands upon the Levite under the Law and why not then upon the Minister under the Gospel Certainly the Ceremony is significant or else it had not been used by Gods people of the Old Testament nor yet by us that are his People of the New And thus much it may import when the Reverend Man laies his Hand on thy Head remember thou art then manumniz'd from all secular ties and sequestred no less from the callings of the People than their vices thou art then brought before the Lord as it is in the Text and dedicated wholly to his Service and certainly the Holy impression of Episcopal Hands set on from above is such an Elixar as by contraction if there be any disposition of goodness in the baser mettal it will render it of the property Verse 14. The Levites are here said to be Gods after a more peculiar and special manner than the rest of the People were For though all the Congregation is Holy even as the Levites all the People of God sanctified as well as his Priests which was the saying of Corah and his Complices and it was true yet they were not sanctified to the same degree of Holiness with the Priests but they sicut populus as Gods people these Sicut Aaron as his peculiar servants they are holy it is true but these Holiest of Holies Hence it was that when the Law kept ordinations certain pieces of the Sacrifices were put into the Priests hands and now instead of that a Bible into ours not only as a Rule to direct but as a sacred Witness of that profession into which we are by a Divine hand invested Verse 17. All the first-born of the Children of Israel are mine saith God
destruction therefore our only safety standeth in Prayer and begging Gods assistance Fourthly We have daily Temptations Bodily and Ghostly arising from the World the Flesh and the Devil and therefore saith our Saviour Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Mat. 26. So then this Morning and Evening Sacrifice should direct us how and when to Worship God we must remember him in the Morning and Evening he must be the first and last in our thoughts we must begin the day and end it with him Verse 9. Every day in the Week ought to be the Christians Sabbath wherein he is to perform some duties or other of Religion but every Seventh Day should be a double Sabbath wholly taken up in the Service and Worship of God When our whole work must be to beravish'd in Spirit doing no Work but such as whereby we either bless God or look to receive a Blessing from him none but such as wherein we would the Lord should find us at his coming which Lactantius saith Will be on the Sabbath day And therefore the Jews call'd the Sabbath the Queen of dayes blessing the Lord at its coming in and going out that God might have both the first and the last Fruits of the day Verse 26. Here is handled the Feast of Pentecost or of Weeks to give God thanks after the gathering of the Harvest For in as much as God hath not only set us in this World but supplies and feeds us in it so that we live by his bounty and liberality it was his will that the Jews should keep a yearly Feast to him to give him thanks that hereby they might acknowledg all the year after that they were sustain'd by his hand Secondly These first Fruits figured out Gods Church which is a people separated unto him from the rest of the World For as the first Fruits were separated from the rest of the heap unto God so is the state of the Church call'd and cull'd out of the World unto his service CHAP. XXIX Verse 1. THis Feast of Trumpets was to be a Feast of remembrance of Gods manifold mercies received in the Wilderness that thereby they might stir up themselves to be united to God and may serve to stir us up to return unto God Praise and Thanksgiving with joyfulness of heart for all his benefits according to that of Psalm 81. 1 2. Make a joyful noise unto the God of Iacob Take a Psalm and bring hither the timbrel blow up the Trumpet in the New-Moon so David having experience of Gods goodness towards him in many preservations composed the eighteenth Psalm as a testimony of his thankfulness for his deliverance from his Enemies And although this Feast is pass'd away and abolish'd by the coming of Christ yet this remaineth that we our selves should serve for Trumpets For as the Temple being destroyed we must be spiritual Temples unto God so the Trumpets being taken away every one of us must be spiritual Trumpets i. e. we should rouze up our selves from the World and the vanities thereof Our Ears are so possess'd with the sound of earthly things and our Eyes so dazled with the pleasures of the flesh that we are as deaf and blind men that can neither hear nor see what God saith unto us wherefore we must not look till there be a solemn holy-day to call us unto the Church there to keep a Feast of Trumpets but it must serve us all the dayes of our life as a spur to cause us to return to God Verse 7. The Jews were here to afflict their Souls with voluntary sorrow for their sins for the whole year and so dispose themselves to obtain pardon and reconciliation For whereas in their private Sacrifices they durst not confess their capital sins for fear of Death due to them by the Law God graciously provided and instituted this yearly Sacrifice of Atonement and afflicting their Souls for the sins of the whole people without particular acknowledgment of any After the same manner the Lords Supper is with us a day of Atonement or afflicting of our Souls for the Passover must be eaten with four hearbs And further we may observe from hence that this day of afflicting their Souls was to be immediately before the Feast of Tabernacles verse 12. they were to be kept in sorrow five dayes before they might keep their Feast of joy which Feast signified the spiritual joy and gladness of the Saints that are redeemed by Christ all their life long We must first look upon him whom we have pierc'd and weep for him before we can receive any comfort by him We must afflict our Souls for his Passion before we shall partake of the joy of his Resurrection Verse 12. This Feast was call'd the Feast of Tabernacles because during the dayes of this Feast they were to live in Tents and Tabernacles it being a memorial of Gods preserving them in the Wilderness where was no house for them to rest in and from hence we may learn that it is a duty belonging to all to remember the dayes of their troubles and afflictions from which God in great mercy hath delivered us We are ready to forget our former condition when God hath given us rest and therefore God would have his own people year by year to depart out of their Houses and dwell in Tents that thereby they should call to mind both where they were and where they had been that although they now were at rest and ease in the Land of Canaan yet they had not alwayes been so for God had carried them upon Eagles wings and preserved them after a miraculous manner in the Wilderness CHAP. XXX Verse 2. VVHen a man vows he vows unto the Lord and therefore if he breaks it he sins against the Lord. Who expects he should have kept touch with him and accordingly will punish such a vow-breaker for he hath not lyed unto men but unto God Acts 5. As God is true saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 1. 18. our word towards you was not yea and nay but yea and Amen For the Son of God c. Why what 's all this to the purpose may some say yes very much For it implies that what a Christian doth promise to men much more to God he is bound by the earnest penny of Gods Spirit to perform he dares no more alter and falsifie his word than the Spirit of God can lye And as he looks that Gods promises should be made good to him so he is careful to pay what he hath vowed to God seeing Gods Covenant is of mercy ours of obedience and if we expect that God should be all sufficient to us we must be altogether faithful to him Verse 8. The power and authority of the Husband over the Wife is very great for all be it the Wife be at liberty to vow in the Lord when her Husband is dead yet while he lives he hath power to disanul her vows The Husband is the head of the
supposed he had done but his duty in holding up the Ark which was like to fall but God taught him that it was far otherwise The Scribes and Pharisees thought themselves the only men that served God because of their long Praying much Fasting c. But who required these things at their hands said Christ. CHAP. XIII Verse 2. WHat Moses speaks of false Prophets may be spoken of all bewitching sins with pleasure or profit If a Dreamer of Dreams have given thee a sign and that sign come to pass if a sin have told thee it will make thee rich and it hath made thee rich if this Dreamer draw thee to another god if this profit draw thee to an Idolatrous i. e. to an habitual love of that sin for Tot habemus recentes Deos quot vitia saith St. Ierome yet though this Dreamer be thy Brother thy Son how near how dear how necessary soever this sin be unto thee Non misereberis saith Moses Thine eye shall not pitty that Dreamer c. and so of this pleasurable or profitable Sin Non misereberis thou shalt not hide it but pour it out in confession Non misereberis thou shalt not pardon it no nor reprieve it but destroy it for the practise presently not Misereberis thou shalt not turn out the Mother and retain the Daughter not leave the sin and retain that which was sinfully got but divest all root and body and Fruits by confessing to God by contrition in thy self by restitution to men damnified Verse 3. As the Spider in the midst of her Cobweb feeling the least touch that shakes her work retires instantly from the danger so should the perfect Convert shrink at the least noise whispering and murmuring of a Temptation he should avoid the very Complement and first Address of the Devil and the very sight the discourse the aire and breathing of his instruments It is not safe to hear them or hold Discourse with them lest they insinuate and infect us as the Montanists did Tertullian and Acasius the Heretick did Anastasius a Bishop of Rome who sought to rectifie him For such mens words are softer and smoother than Oyl and yet in the end prove sharper than drawn swords saith the Psalmist they pretend healing and Cordials in their Discourse when the poison of Asps is under their Lips Heaven and Salvation is in their mouth when nothing but Hell and Destruction in their Heart They are like Eagles that sore aloft towards Heaven not for any love of Heaven but that they may spy their Prey the sooner and seize upon it the better Verse 6. We must relye upon and praise and bless God alone For can we relye upon Man upon what Man upon Princes we have seen them unking'd and unman'd too both their Crowns and their Lives taken from them Wilt thou relye upon great Persons in favour with Princes have we not seen often that the Bed-Chambers of Kings have back doorsinto Prisons and that the end of that Greatness hath been but to have a greater Jury to condemn them Wilt thou relye upon the Prophet he can teach thee or upon thy Brother he does love thee or upon thy Son he should love thee or the Wife of thy bosome she will say she loves thee or upon thy Friend he is as thine own Soul yet Moses here puts a case when thou must depart from all these not consent no not conceal not pardon no not reprieve Thou shalt surely kill him saith Moses even this Prophet this Brother this Son this Wife may incline thee to the service of other gods that Prophet by what Name or Title soever he be call'd that Brother how willingly soever he divide the Inheritance with thee that Son how dutiful soever in civil things that Wife how careful soever for her own honour and thy Children that Friend how free soever of his favours and of his secrets that inclines thee to other gods or to other service of the true God then is true Verse 14. Men must be swift to hear slow to speak that is to censure and pass sentence Athanasius passeth for a Sacrilegious person a prophane wretch a bloody Persecuter a blasphemer of God and was so condemn'd before he was heard by that Pseudosynodus Sardicensis and therefore God doth command the Israelites here that they should enquire diligently before the Judgement should pass upon the offenders even in such matters as concern'd his own Worship he would not have so much as that preserved from Idolatry without strict enquiry and search whether the thing was certain that such an abomination was wrought among them A rash precipitant course in matters of Judgement hath saved many a guilty person and condemned as many innocent Follow therefore Gods method enquire before you Judge know the cause before you pass the sentence CHAP. XIV Verse 1. FRom hence we may observe how careful the Lord is not to have his people imitate the fashions of the Gentiles for fear one thing should draw on another and in the end even Idolatry and false Worship We in these dayes are wholly given to Forrein Fashions the Lord in mercy save us from forrein sins oppression tyranny and Massacrees and continue his Gospel and Peace upon us preventing and confounding their designs that craftily endeavour the supplanting both of Church and State under the colour of policy and safety Verse 2. The people of the Jews were an holy people unto God with a federal holiness which yet without an inherent holiness in the heart and life will profit a man no more then Dives in the flames that Abraham call'd him Son or Iudas that Christ call'd him Friend an empty title yeelds but an empty comfort at last Let us therefore endeavour an inward holiness to bear his mark his Seal his Covevant upon our heart then shall we be indeed as it is in the Text a chosen Generation a pickt people the dearly Beloved of Gods Soul such as first he chose for his love and then loves for his choice we shall be his peculiar people his people of purchase as it is in the Septuagint such as comprehend as it were all Gods gettings his whole stock that he makes any great reckoning of and upon the same account we are said to be Kings and Priests unto God First Kings to rule in Righteousness to Lord it over our Lusts to triumph over all our spiritual Adversaries being more than Conquerors through him that loved us and laid down his lise for us that we might reign and live eternally And surely if Kings are doubly bound to serve God both as Men and Kings what are we for this spiritual Kingdom Secondly Priests to offer up to him the personal Sacrifice of our selves the verbal of Praise and real of Alms. Verse 8. There was never any surer evidence of the cleanness of a Creature among the Jews then that it was permitted to be Sacrificed or to be kill'd and eaten the Lamb and the Turtle emblems
a sweeter note than Soul take thine ease Luke 12. Verse 15. God that bids us to give one another good measure and running over doth look not to be pinched and scantled at our hands as if we counted all too much that he or his are to receive How he liketh such dealings his Law will teach us wherein oftentimes he requireth that his Offerings be of the best without blemish Add to this the solemn protestation which God required here at every Mans hands what time he made his account When thou hast made an end of Tything saith God Verse 12. then thou shalt say I have not eat thereof in my mourning for any necessity whatsoever nor suffered ought to perish by putting it to any prophane usage or carelesly testing it to be spoil'd but have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God and done after all that thou in this case hast commanded me Look down therefore from thy holy habitation even from Heaven and bless me God will have him know he must look no otherwise to be blessed of God and made to prosper in all that he had but according as God knowing the secrets of all hearts did know that he had dealt truly and justly with God and his Ministers in this point Verse 18. Seeing God may be in the mouths of many where he is not in the heart we learn from hence to joyn to our outward profession true Sanctification and inward holiness of Conversation True Profession bringeth with it true Godliness For all such as have this honour given unto them to be the People of God and his precious inheritance must be an holy people Thou hast set up the Lord this day to be thy God and the Lord hath set thee up this day to be a precious people unto him Let us therefore not content our selves to have God in our mouths but labour to be sincere and first of all to look to our hearts he that looketh to have good Fruit of his Trees looketh to the Roots he that would have clear Waters in the Channels looketh to the Fountains so if we cleanse our wayes in Gods sight this is the right order to be observed to begin first to cleanse the heart CHAP. XXVII Verse 15. THe People here were commanded to say Amen to every branch of the Curse because though it be the lowest way of obedience to obey in regard we believe the truth and certainty of the Curse yet it is an high act of obedience to believe it for Satan is as busie against our Faith in the threatnings as he is against our Faith in Promises This unbelief opens the way to the committing of sin and sweetens sin while we are committing it and therefore the Holy Ghost would have us in the first place to say Amen to the Curse that so we might not say Amen to the Sin Verse 17. How hainous a thing this is appears by the Curse annex'd to it by the Holy Ghost O therefore beware of this Caninus appetitus this Dogg-like greediness to swallow up all we can if Dives is Tormented Quia cupide servavit sua What shall be his portion Qui avide rapit aliena if those Fists which too closely keep their own shall be cut off what shall become of those hands that are opened to grasp other mens Estates we see all Creatures know and keep their bounds fishes the Water Beasts the Earth Birds the Ayre let men learn of them but especially let them remember that if it be a sin with an Anathema to remove our Neighbours what is it to alienate the Churches bounds O take heed of a sacrilegious surfeit a disease so perilous that envy its self cannot wish a worse to an Enemy 〈◊〉 iâ— Lord Burleigh gave advice to his Son that he should build no great House upon any Impropriation well knowing it would be built upon a sandy foundation surely for the spoils of the Church private Families yea the whole Nation mourns Verse 24. Those that are cursed in this Verse are such as go about and make baâ—e between Man and Man those Incendiaries that carry Tales that whisper against their Brethren and smite in secret buzzing into mens ears false and scandalous reports to engender strife These are an accursed Generation of people the mouth of God curseth them and his Soul abhors them Prov. 6. Besides as they stand accursed of God men must curse them too as you see here God gives all his people leave to Curse such a one Cursed be he that smites his Neighbour in secret that backbites him and speaks evil of him in a corner slily so to work him out of the good opinions of others and all the people shall say Amen Lo this is the wretched state and condition of all such as breed bate and dissentions between party and party Heaven and Earth concur in a Curse against them CHAP. XXVIII Verse 2. THough strangers may have some portion of Temporal blessings yet the right of Inheritance belongs to the Sons of God Riches and Honours delights and pleasures life and length of dayes Seed and Posterity are entail'd on such as are truly believing and fear the Lord and however the ungodly may lay some claim unto them and that by some kind of right from God as a sustainer of his Creatures yet can he not enjoy them with any great comfort as wanting the best title through the want of Christ. Verse 6. Between these two are contained all the labours and undertakings of this people by their going forth is meant the beginning of their labours and by their coming in is meant the end and conclusion of their labours so that beginning and ending when they set their hands to a business and when they took their hands from a business they should be blessed that is they should have a through blessing upon all their labours Thus doth God bless his people in their goings out and coming in at their birth and at their death and through all the actions and traverses of their lives Verse 15. The same blessings and Curses are repeated here that are recorded Lev. 26. and this most effectually to move any heart that hath grace Wherefore it is requisite that as God repeats the same again so we should read and meditate of it again and again that it may powerfully perswade us to be wise and take time while time serves to turn unto the Lord while his arm is stretched out to receive us This Verse also and indeed the whole Chapter may assure us that sin will have plagues first or last and therefore when they happen complain of sin and not of God remembring that there is no reason at all that we should grieve that God that will not hear us when we our selves will not hear God Or why sigh we that God will not look down to the Earth when we our selves will not look up to Heaven We can despise his precepts and yet we think much that he should despise our
A PRACTICAL COMMENTARY OR EXPOSITION Upon the PENTATEUCH VIZ. These five Books of MOSES GENESIS EXODUS LEVITICUS NUMBERS DEUTERONOMY Wherein The Text of every Chapter is Practically expounded according to the Doctrine of the Catholick Church in a way not usually trod by COMMENTATORS and wholly applyed to the Life and Salvation of Christians By Ab. Wright sometime Fellow of St. John's Colledge in OXFORD LONDON Printed by G. Dawson for The. Iohnson at the Golden-Key in St. Pauls-Church-Yard 1662. TO THE Right Honourable The Lord Chief Justice of his Majesties Court of Kings-Bench The Lord Chief Justice of his Majesties Court of Common-Pleas The Lord Chief Baron of his Majesties Court of Exchequer And the rest of the Honourable Justices of the said several COURTS Right Honourable IT is not the weight and excellency of what is here presented that may plead for so Noble a Patronage as your Lordships is it is the Subject not the Work the Text and not the Comment that deserves both your Protection and Perusal For my Lords you have here Moses that Grand Legislator of the Old Testament dedicated to you that are the reverend Iudges under the New His Laws have been the Magna Charta of the whole World and this small Pentateuch hath proved the ground-work for the Pandects of all Nations to build upon In this respect therefore it may claim a kind of propriety and right to your Honourable Patronage and take the presumption to shelter it self under your grave long Robes Here indeed are no Controversies stated no Law-cases judged and determined My Sole design and endeavours have been to make our great Law-giver Moses altogether Practical and wholly applicable to the Life and Conversation of Christians In these sheets then you have described those Antient Patriarcks of Gods Church who were also Aeconomical Iudges and so not unfitting guids for your Honours to follow where their steps have been straight and upright nay their very slips and deviations may serve to make us stand more firm and our treadings more steady and setled in the wayes of Godliness and Iourny towards Heaven But if your Lordships had rather walk by Rule than Example here is that Moral everlasting Rule of God himself in the Book of Exodus to direct you and withal that you may see how proper and convenient even a Ceremonial Law is for Gods Church you have a whole Book of it in Leviticus and this also decreed and setled after those necessary Acts of the Ten Commandments as if the very Moral Law it self had not been curb sufficient to keep in a Rebellious People without some binding Ceremonies And here my Lords I must needs confess upon the sad experience of Schism under both Testaments that all those Laws Moral and Ceremonial have not been powerful enough to settle the Peace of Gods Church something was wanting to the Jews and is at this day to us which under God is only able to produce that great and glorious Work and that is a General Council This General Council my Lords hath ever been the most approved successful way of the Catholick Church to compose her differences and it is this also that will prevent the ruin of our own miserably devided National Church and frustrate the design of that Politick Aphorisme of some that the Church of England must be ruin'd by the same way that it was reform'd for say they it was reform'd by Schisme and it must be ruin'd by Schisme Now to prevent this ruine contrived by Sectaries I know not any way more Prudential more blessed by God than a General Council to procure this that every Peaceful Christian and such are your Honours may joyn the strongest Forces of his Endeavours shall be the daily Prayers of My Lords Your most devoted Servant in all Church-Offices Ab. Wright A PRACTICAL COMMENTARY UPON THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES CALLED GENESIS CHAP. I. Verse 1. THere was a Time or something like to that before the beginning of Time when God did not work and yet was not idle For though we grant that there was no External work of the Godhead until the making of the World yet can there be no necessary illation of Idleness in the Deity seeing it might have as indeed it had actions immanent included within the circle of the Trinity Just so ought it to be with every Christian who though he doth not alwayes perform the outward actions of Religion yet he may alwayes be imployed within himself in some practice of Christianity holy Thoughts religious Meditations mental Prayer faithful Vows and Resolutions are those inward immanent operations of a Christian whereby he may imitate his Creator in not working and yet not being idle But then when he doth begin to express himself in some outward action let him here also follow the example of his Maker and whereas it is said in the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth first the Heaven and then the Earth so et our actions respect chiefly Heavenly matters in the first place let us exercise our selves in those things that are above and when from those we descend to things below let even those Terrestrial affairs look upwards and be fix'd and terminated in Heaven and let all this be done by way of Creation too let our Gifts and Graces and Endowments be acknowledged to arise from nothing in our selves and let every faculty of our Souls be subject to Gods Will as the Creation was to his Command for he spake the word and they were made so when God speaks let us hear and let our will be actuated and formed and regulated by his voice as the whole World was by his Word Verse 2. The word Ferebatur in the vulgar Latine in the English moved denotes both motion and rest beginnings and wayes and ends We may best consider the motion the stirring of the Holy Ghost in zeal and the rest of the Holy Ghost in moderation If we be without zeal we have not the motion if we be without moderation we have not the rest the peace of the Holy Ghost he moved and he rested upon the Waters in the Creation as the word Incubabat doth imply he came and tarried still upon Christ in his Baptism He moves us to a zeal of laying hold of the means of Salvation which God offers us in the Church and he settles us in a peaceful Conscience that by having well used those means we are made his Children A holy hunger and thirst of the Word and Sacraments a remorse and compunction for former sins a zeal to promote the cause and glory of God by word and deed this is the motion of the Holy Ghost and then to content my self with Gods measure of temporal blessings and for spiritual that I do serve God faithfully in that Calling which I lawfully profess as far as that Calling will admit this peace of Conscience this acquiescence of having done that that belongs unto me this is the Rest of the Holy Ghost
hanging over the throat of such a Son would not have been more perplex'd in his thought than that unexpected Sacrifice was in those briars yet he whom it nearest concern'd is least touch'd Faith had wrought the same in him which cruelty would in others not to be moved He contemns all fears and over-looks all impossibilities his heart tells him that the same hand which rais'd Isaac from the dead womb of Sarah can raise him again from the ashes of his Sacrifice With this confidence was the hand of Abraham now falling upon the throat of Isaac who had given himself for dead when suddenly the Angel of God interrupts him forbids him commends him Verse 12. The voice of God was never so welcome never so sweet never so seasonable as now It was the tryal that God intended not the fact Isaac is sacrificed and is yet alive and now both of them are more happy in that they would have done than they could have been distress'd if they had done it Gods charges are oft-times harsh in the beginnings and proceeding but in the conclusion alwayes comfortable true spiritual comforts are commonly late and sudden God defers on purpose that our tryals may be perfect our deliverance welcome our recompence glorious Isaac had never been so precious to his Father if he had not been recovered from death if he had not been as miraculously restored as given Abraham had never been so blessed in his Seed if he had not neglected Isaac for God Verse 13. The only way to find comfort in any earthly thing is to surrender it in a faithful carelesness into the hands of God Abraham came to Sacrifice he may not go away with dry hands God cannot abide that good purposes should be frustrate Lest either Abraham should not do that for which he came or shall want means of speedy thanks-giving for so gracious a disappointment behold a Ram stands ready for the Sacrifice and as it were proffers himself to this happy exchange He that made that beast brings him thither fastens him there Even in small things there is a great providence what mysteries there are in every though the least act of God CHAP. XXIII Verse 1. BEcause the years of Sarah are here distinctly numbred and the Hebrews read thus and the lives of Sarah was an hundred years and twenty years and seven years the Jewish Rabbins collect that here is commended her beauty and her chastity viz. that she was as fair at an hundred years as at twenty and as chast at twenty as at seven but this collection of the Rabbins perchance is scarce warrantable from the words yet from hence we may safely conclude for our comfort that the Lord doth number all our years and whether they be few or many he hath set them down in his Book of Remembrance For here Sarah's daies are punctually numbred and Iob in his Fourteenth Chapter mentioneth moneths and daies how that our daies are exactly determined and the number of moneths which man hath to live are in the Lords hand Wherefore no good man need make any question but that the Lord hath a care of him and that his life doth not depend upon the skill of the Physitian but the good pleasure of our God Verse 2. These words She dyed at Hebron bids us meditate on theformer Story 'T is well known that at Beersheba Abimelech made a league with Abraham the tenure whereof was that the one should not hurt the other whereupon Abraham supposing he should have set up his staff there planted a grove yet for all this Sarah dieth not there but dieth at Hebron certain miles distant from Beersheba and dieth in the absence of Abraham and happily without the presence of her Son and acquaintance dieth in a strange place among strangers which may serve to comfort those whom the Lord will not vouchsafe to die in their own Country among their nearest and dearest Friends wanting them to close up their dying eyes and perform the duties and offices of love For though Friends be absent yet the best Friends God and his Christ are ever present to the faithful and when all forsake yet they never forsake and Heaven is no further from one place than another and then in regard we are all with Sarah and Abraham here liable to a wandering and a wavering condition this should hold up in us all a longing desire of Heaven where all joy remains and is fix'd for evermore seeing here we have no happiness no rest no quietness Here is only the vally of tears and weeping we must look for the happy place of joy and gladness in another World where shall be no more sorrow nor crying nor tears Verse 4. This Sarah that before was the desire of Abrahams eyes is now desired to be removed out of his sight she that before had a beauty to tempt Kings had not now so much left her by death as to take her own Husband I have read of a fair young German Gentleman who living refused to be pictured and put off the importunity of his Friends by giving way that after a few daies burial they might send a Painter to his Vault and if they saw cause for it draw the image of Death unto the Life they did so and found his face half eaten his Midrife and Back-bone full of Serpents and so he stands pictured among his armed Ancestors Thus doth the fairest Beauty change and it will be as bad with you and me as it was here with Sarah and then what nearest Relation will endure our company what Servants shall we have to wait upon us in the Grave what officious people to cleanse away the moist cloud cast upon our faces from the sides of the weeping Vaults which are the longest Weepers for our Funerals all our Friends will then like Abraham in the Text desire to remove us out of their sight Verse 8. The eye affects the heart with sorrow-occasioning objects if sorrow be in the eye it will not stay long from the heart Hence when Sarah was dead Abraham in this Text thus bespeaks the people among whom he dwelt If it be in your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight It did afflict the heart of Abraham with sorrow to see the body of his deceased Wife or the Coffin where she lay whom he had so entirely loved therefore he saith Bury her out of my sight Verse 9. This world is but a thorow-fare we have no place to settle to abide here and therefore our first purchase of possession should be like this of Abrahams a place to bury in not to build upon Our Grave is our long and lasting home all our other houses are but transitory and as short-lived as our selves And therefore to mind us of our mortality it were good with the Patriarch here to make our Sepulchre our first purchase Upon this account when our first Parents had made them Garments of Figg-leaves God gave them Garments of skins
writ and his anger will destroy part of the people that Gods anger may not consume them all Now let us imitate these great examples and that we may be angry and not sin let us only be angry for sin Verse 4. I see in Rachel the image of her Grand-mother Sarah both in her beauty of person in her actions in her success she also will needs suborn her handmaid to make her a Mother and at last beyond hope her self conceiveth It is a weak greediness in us to affect Gods blessings by unlawful means what a proof and praise had it been of her Faith if she had staied Gods leisure and would rather have endured her barrenness than her Husbands Polygamy Now she shews her self the Daughter of Laban the Father for covetousness the Daughters for emulation have drawn sin into Iacobs bed he offended in yielding but they more in solliciting him and therefore the fact is not imputed to Iacob but to them In those sins which Satan draws us into the blame is ours in those sins which we move each other unto the most fault and punishment lies upon the tempter Verse 6. Here Rachel makes use of Gods name to prophane it and under pretence of Religion would have God justifie her Maids and her own sin Many cry up that Cause to be Gods which he never will own and put his Name to those Writings which at the last day shall condemne them And indeed there hath of late years been no sin so common among Christians as to prostitue both Gods Name and his Cause and as that great Commander of the powers of darkness the Devil can transform himself into an Angel of light so there are no deeds of darkness so black and ugly which have not been like their Father the Devil mask'd and veil'd and clouded even with light its self I mean with those glorious heavenly Angel-like pretences of Religion and Conscience Insomuch that not only the most unchristian but the most inhumane practises the most unnatural savage barbarities of this last age of the World are now avowed to be the dictates and commands of God that God himself as in the text hath judged and allowed them Verse 18. Leah broke the bonds of Matrimony and yet expects a reward thus many times men flatter themselves in their sins and think that they are rewarded of God when they do ill As Micah having made houshold gods and entertained a Levite cryes Now I know that the Lord will be good unto me because I have a Levite to my Priest but he never thought he had an Idol to his God Thus Leah here rejoyced in that for which she should have repented and takes that for her hire which God for all she knew intended as her punishment And indeed her Son Issachar who was the hire here was none of the wisest and withal a slave and therefore in Iacobs Prophesie Gen. 49. compared to an Ass and one that for his ease would submit unto any burthens impositions taxes This was a simple low poor spirit and his posterity were for the general very unworthy and vile and yet this was the hire the reward the blessing that Leah rejoyced in as if God had approved of the sin by the success and fruitfulness of her handmaids Womb and this was her error of measuring and judging of things by the success as if God did not many times give Children and Honour and Riches in his wrath and were not many times angry with men though they outwardly prosper If this were not so the Turks and some Christians too at this day were in an happy condition who judge of the goodness of their cause only by the success and because they are not crossed that therefore they are blessed Verse 20. Children are a good dowry if they prove good and though they are alwayes an heritage that cometh of the Lord yet they are not alwayes the Lords heritage When our Children appear to be Gods heirs as well as ours then may we justly esteem them to be the best part of our estate and our greatest dowry Otherwise they will prove but sad blessings and such as we had better be without and yet all men desire them how much rather should we cover grace and those things which accompany salvation having got these we may safely and surely say God hath endued me with a good dowry Verse 27. Iacob rich in nothing but Wives and Children was now returning to his Fathers house accounting his Charge his Wealth But God meant him yet more good Laban sees that both his Family and his Flocks were well encreased by Iacobs service Not his love therefore but his gain makes him loth to part Even Labans covetousness is made by God the means to enrich Iacob and even his strait Master entreats him to that recompence which made his Nephew mighty and himself envious Verse 41. In the very shapes and colours of brute Creatures there is a divine hand which disposeth them to his own ends Small and unlikely means shall prevail where God intends an effect Little peel'd sticks of Hazel or Poplar laid in the troughs shall enrich Iacob with an encrease of spotted Cattel Labans Sons might have tryed the same means and failed God would have Laban know that he put a difference betwixt Iacob and him that as for fourteen years he had multiplyed Iacobs charge of Cattel to Laban so now for the last six years he would multiply Labans Flock to Iacob and if Laban had the more yet the better were Iacobs Even in these outward things Gods Children have many times sensible tastes of his favours above the wicked CHAP. XXXI Verse 13. VVHen God appeared here to Iacob upon his return from Laban he tells him I am the God of Bethel by which expression he no doubt intends to mind Iacob of the Promise not only made there by God to him but likewise by him to God for so it followeth Where thou vowedst a vow to me God is the God of pious resolutions as to approve of them when made so to look after them how they are made good and let me tell you to prophane that heart that is once consecrated to God to faulter in the execution of what is solemnly resolved in Gods service is a fetching the Sacrifice from the Altar and will certainly bring the coal of fire along with it Hadst thou never put in for the title of a Friend or votary with an O God my heart is ready to do thy will thou hadst not been perfidious though prophane but by breaking thy promise thou addest the guilt of unfaithfulness to that of disobedience and thy sin becomes beyond measure sinful Verse 18. I know not whether Laban were a worse Uncle or Father or Master he can like well Iacobs service not his wealth as the wicked have no peace with God so the godly have no peace with men for if they prosper not they are despised if they prosper they are envied This Uncle
whom Iacobs service had made his Father must now upon his wealth be fled from as an enemy Iacob knew his churlishness and therefore resolves to be rather unmannerly than injur'd well might he think that he whose oppression chang'd his wages so often in his stay would also abridg his Wages in the parting Now therefore he wisely prefers his own estate to Labans love It is not good to regard too much the unjust discontentment of worldly men and to purchase unprofitable favour with too great loss Verse 24. The Lord hath a negative voice upon the motion of all Creatures he commandeth the Sun and it riseth not It is a royal prerogative that the Lord commands the Sun to rise but that the Lord hath a power to stay the Sun from rising lifts up his prerogative to the highest In all disputes about Power he is resolved to be greatest who hath the negative voice which checks and gives a super sedeas to all others this is the prerogative of God he can stay the motion of the Sun and of man The Sun dares not do his Office to the day nor the Stars to the night if God say no. Thus also he stops man in his nearest preparation for any action When Laban pursued Iacob with hard thoughts against him and strong resolutions to deal harshly with him the Lord gave a negative voice Take heed that thou speak not to Iacob either good or bad when God commands Laban shall not have the use of his own tongue Verse 29. As God sometimes said to Satan Afflict the body of Iob but save his life so God saith still to bloody wretches who are the Limbs of Satan the bodies of such and such are in your hands the estates of such and such are in your hands but save their lives the life of a man is never at the mercy of a Creature though it be a common speech of men when they have a man under them now I have you at my mercy though some bragg as Laban did here to Iacob it is in the power of my hand to do you hurt yet God often checks them as he did Laban from so much as speaking hurt Creatures though full of Love cannot speak good and though full of malice they cannot speak bad if God forbid then much less can they do us hurt and least of all hurt our lives if God with-hold Verse 32. Though Iacob when he fled from his Father-in-Law Laban were free enough himself from the theft of Laban's Idols yet it was dangerously pronounc'd of him with whomsoever thou findest thy Idols let him not live for his own Wife Rachel had stoln them and Caro conjux thy Wife thy self thy weaker part may insinuate much sin into thine actions even when thy spit is at strongest and thou in thy best confidence Only thus these two cases may differ Rachel was able to cover those stoln Idols from her Fathers finding with that excuse the custome of Women is come upon me but thou shalt not be able to cover thy stoln sins with saying the infirmity of man is come upon me I do but as other men do Verse 37. When controversies arise the rule of love bids us refer our differences to the determination of Brethren In the first and best times men did not presently run to Law and call one another before the Judge they had daies-men and Umpires to determine matters between them To bring every matter to the Judgement-seat when possibly a Brother or a Friend might take up the matter is a transgression against the Law of Love We should rather labour after reconcilements than Sutes in Law which are a cause not only of trouble and expence but of great breaches and heart-burnings among Friends and Brethren 't is rare if a man wrongs not his Soul by seeking the rights of his credit or estate Verse 41. The children of this World are wise in their Generations omitting no manner of means to bring their purposes to pass We may observe by continual experience the nature of ungodly men they are subtile and cunning in their kind they watch their waies and times to fit them to work out their wicked devises and inventions Thus did Laban deal with Iacob changing his mind revoking his bargains altering his wages and murmuring at his prosperity Now seeing this is the nature of the enemies of the Church this should on the other side teach us to deal wisely and warily with them lest we be snared and circumvented by them we are set as upon an hill we are placed as upon a Stage if we profess Christ Jesus a smal spot will be seen in our garment It behoves us therefore to be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves the wisdom of our enemies is joyned with wickedness our wisdom must be mix'd with godliness Their wisdom is a circumventing by laying of snares our wisdom must be to be circumspect in avoiding of snares Verse 55. Behold Laban follows Iacob with one Troop in this Chapter and in Chapter 23. Esau meets him with another both with hostile intentions both go on till the utmost point of their execution both are prevented ere the execution God makes fools of the enemies of his Church he lets them proceed that they may be frustrate and when they are gone to the utmost reach of their tether he pulls them back to their task with shame Lo now Iacob is left by Laban with a kiss of the one he hath an Oath tears of the other peace with both who shall need to fear man that is at league with God CHAP. XXXII Verse 1. THe Rabbins note that Iacob knew these Angels to be the same which he saw ascending and descending the ladder and whereas Iacob is not said to meet them but they to meet Iacob therein appeareth the dignity and preheminence of the Saints whom the Angels are ready to attend Verse 9. Strong desires are importunate and will improve every interest for the obtaining of what is desired What we cannot carry upon our own interest we labour to carry upon any other more prevailing name and interest Iacob here moves the Lord in his prayers by the remembrance of his Fathers Abraham and Isaac O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac Iacob did not pray to his Father Abraham but he made use of his Fathers Name as a motive in prayer and though all names and interests are swallowed up in the name and interest of Jesus Christ as to the deserving a grant of what we pray for yet we may argue and plead with God in prayer for the Churches sake yea for our own Childrens sake that God would do us good that we may be further instrumental for their good Verse 10. When a poor Soul considers what God hath done for him in admitting him into communion with himself to eat bread at his table continually he cries out even weeping for admiration as Mephibosheth did 2 Sam. 9. What is thy servant
how able the Lord is to encrease his Church notwithstanding all the malice of Man and Devil whatsoever Verse 38. These followed the prosperity hoped for in the Israelites who they saw were not touched with the Plagues of Egypt and rightly set forth what after fell out and ever will that Christ shall be followed of many for the Loaves and his Gospel embraced for the prosperity and peace that often he vouchsafeth unto it Verse 41. This may comfort us in our spiritual fears and conflicts that certainly the Lord will never fail in any Promise but even dayes and hours of comfort fit for his Children as they are known to him so are they observed of him most graciously and most precisely Why then must I needs tie the Lord to my time to my will or else I shall speak or think amiss that the Lord hath forgotten and forsaken me and all that the Devil my sworn Enemy suggesteth is true CHAP. XIII Verse 4. THe Month Abib in the Text is the same with our April when the day lengthning and the Sun ascending each things begins to revive To shew that by the true Pass-over Christ Jesus not only is our time and all other things sanctified but also that we should in fresh remembrance of that benefit of our Redemption all our dayes and years be thankful to our gracious Redeemer and acknowledge that by his Death true Life and reviving is sprung up unto mankind Verse 8. Children are to be carefully catechized and informed that they may know the mind of the Lord betimes For Parents are not only to nourish their Children but to nurture and instruct them this latter is as necessary as the former They that nourish their Children only what do they more than brute Beasts Let Parents therefore labour to mend that by Education that they have marr'd by Propagation else they are Parricides and not Parents Verse 17. This is a singular testimony of Gods fatherly care over our infirmities in not suffering us to be further tryed than in him and through him we shall be able to endure and at last to overcome also 1 Cor. 10. 12. let a troubled Soul ever think upon this Your weakness is known unto God what you can bear and what you cannot what will lead you to the Land of Promise and what will make you turn back to Egypt Secondly in that the Lord would not suffer them to passe by the Philistims least they should start back and so sin greivously against him What if in like sort he prevent my sinning and your sinning against him by taking away from us such things as he in his Wisdome knows would be the occasions of evil to us if we had them as Riches Friends Power Health of Body Peace of mind and the like But could not God have stayed them from returning although they had gone the nearer way Cyril in Exodus answereth God doth not work all things as he can but sometimes doth avoid evils after the manner of men therein teaching us to do the like namely by using meanes even then when most plainly we have God our helper Verse 18. This may teach us wariness and circumspection in our Vocations ever reckoning of the Enemy in this our holy March towards the Land of Promise Verse 21. Consider in the Cloud how it not only directed the way but was spread as the Psalmist saith for a Covering namely against the heat of the Sun comfortably cooling and refreshing them Remember also how the afflictions of this World are in the Gospel noted by the heat of the Sun and be you assured that ever against these heats the Lord in his good time will send you defence and comfort as 2 Cor. 1. 3. the last words put us in mind that in travelling towards the spiritual Canaan we must not rest but labour forward continually The Children of this World are often looking back toward Egypt and often pitch down their Tents so in this Wilderness that they are loth ever to take them up and to remove But the Sons of God say within themselves We have here no abiding City and fixing both eye and heart on their heavenly house they journey on still both day and night in true piety and obedience till they come thither Verse 22. Let this ever assure your fainting hearts that Gods Providence cooling and comforting shining and lighting guiding and directing his little Flock shall never be taken away from any member of it but ever be present with us both by day and night to the eternal praise of his Goodness and unspeakable comfort of our souls And further you may observe from hence the admirable Wisdom of Gods Providence that sits and sorts out his Mercies for his Children and makes every Favour and Blessing proper for every necessity He that afterwards led the Wise-men by a Star led Israel here by a Cloud That was an higher Object therefore he gives them an higher and more heavenly Conduct this was more earthy therefore he contents himself with a lower representation of his presence A Pillar of Cloud and Fire a Pillar for firmness of Cloud and Fire for visibility and use The greater light extinguisheth the lesse therefore in the Day he shews them not Fire but a Cloud in the Night nothing is seen without light therefore he shews them not the Cloud but Fire The Cloud shelters them from heat by Day the Fire digests the rawness of the Night The same God is both a Cloud and a Fire to his Children ever putting himself into those Formes of gracious Respects that may best fit their necessities CHAP. XIV Verse 2. VVE must not fear in every adversity before we see the end but reason thus with our selves Lo here I am distressed on every side as the Israelites were at the red Sea and it is the Providence of God that I should be thus as it was his will that they should pitch in that place But do I know the Lords meaning and what he will do And therefore I will patiently wait his blessed Will not murmuring as the Israelites did but comfortably assuring my self that one way or other the Lord will give Issue to his Glory and my Good and deliver me also as he did these Israelites Verse 3. When the destruction of the wicked is at hand the Lord offereth them some bait or other to put them on So was Ahab drawn to his end with a desire to recover Ramoth Gilead which once was his the bait allured him the wrath of God slew him 1 King 22. So were Senacherib and the Assyrians baited with former success with their multitude and the smalness of Hezekia's number But how gloriously did the Lord deliver his and destroy them that boasted Verse 5. How quickly the wicked repent them of their good but seldome or never of their evil for to let them go was good and yet they repented but to pursue after them was evil and yet they repented not Many such there
be in these dayes who grieve at an hour spent in the Church but never of dayes and years spent in sin Secondly observe that when we are once delivered out of spiritual Egypt then doth the Devil muster up his Chariots and Horse-men He cannot abide to loose his Servants so his we were and he hath lost us and his we must be again if by all his strength he can possibly gain us A Land that floweth with Milk and Honey may not be inherited without resistance Out of Egypt we may be delivered but from following persecutions we shall not be quite freed Think of that Devil in the Gospel who when he must needs depart and loose his possession did rend and tear the poor party most miserably Mar. 9. 26. Verse 13. In all spiritual Conflicts say thus with your self O my soul fear not though Sathan thrust sore at thee and seek thy destruction but look unto him that is mightier than all Hell believe his Promises believe his Word and the Egyptians whom thou hast seen to day thou shalt never see again that is those frights and those fears Enemies to thy peace thou shalt never be troubled with them any more but God shall so drown them in the red Sea of Christs bloud that they shall never hurt thee The Lord shall fight for thee O my Soul therefore stand still and wait upon him Verse 14. A Silence before a not praying hath not alwayes a fault in it because we are often ignorant of our own necessities and ignorant of the dangers that hang over us but a silence after a benefit evidently received a dumb ingratitude is inexcusable Thus when Moses sayes here to his People The Lord shall fight for you c. Moses means you shall not need to speak the Lord will do it for his own glory you may be silent There it was a future thing but the Lord hath fought many battels for us he hath fought for our Church against Schisms and Heresie for our Land against Invasion for every soul against Presumption or else against Desperation Dominus pugnavit nos filemus Verse 15. See the force of Prayer though it be but in groans of your heart it even crieth in Gods ears it pierceth the Heavens and pulleth down comfort See likewise the duty of all faithful Servants of God to go forward as here is said to the Israelites notwithstanding Seas before us Hils about us and whatsoever it may be that is against us leaving all to the Lord who knoweth his own purpose and will manifest the same in his good time Forward forward saith God here Speak to the Children of Israel that they go forward But why did Moses cry thus in his heart to God when it was revealed to him what should be the end of the Egyptians Because neither Promises nor Revelations hinder Gods Children from using ordinary means but do rather stirre them up more and more to beg and crave the performance and effect of them Verse 22. If you look at the Waters on either side you may see the condition of Gods Children in this World beset on the right side with a Floud of Prosperity and beset on the left side with a floud of Adversity And yet through a true Faith walking through both and hurt by neither they arrive on the other side safely when by either of these many others are destroyed pray then for this Faith CHAP. XV. Verse 1. T Is a good form of giving thanks when every particular person out of his own feeling sayes I I good Lord do yield unto thy Majesty my bounden thanks for my self and for my Brethren for my self and for thy whole Church and so every one feeling and every one thanking the Lord is praised of all as his Mercy and goodness reach to all Thus David Psal. 118. 28. I I again in my own person and with my own heart and with my own tongue So here I will sing when they were many thousands Verse 5. They sank as a stone that is without all recovery and help For a stone swimmeth not out being cast in but goeth to the bottom and there abideth Fearful and very fearful was their destruction to the terror of all those that shall persecute the Church of God and his People Verse 6. Not our Vertue not our Merits not our Armies or men of Might Gods Servants do never rob him and cloath themselves but with Moses here they give all to God where indeed it is due and say with David Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give the praise Verse 7. In that they are said to have risen against God when they rose but against his People observe the Union between God and his Church even such as who so toucheth the one toucheth the other For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye Zach. 2. 8. And Saul Saul why persecutest thou me me in my members and by my members Verse 9. The same ambition and covetousness that made Pharaoh wear out so many Judgements will not leave him till it hath wrought out his full destruction All Gods Vengeances have their end the final perdition of his Enemies which they cannot rest till they have attained Pharaoh therefore and his Egyptians will needs go fetch their Bane instead of their Victory They bragg'd of their Conquest before-hand and gave Israel either for Spoil or Bondage But the Sea will shew them that it regards the Rod of Moses not the Scepter of Pharaoh and therefore in the next verse as glad to have got the Enemies of God at such an advantage shuts her mouth upon them Extraordinary favours to wicked men are the fore-runners to their ruine Verse 19. As the Act of the Egyptians for drowning the Israelitish Children was cruel Chap. 1. so is their own issue and punishment but just here The People must drown their Males there themselves are drown'd here they died by the same means by which they caused the poor Israelitish Infants to die That Law of Retaliation which God will not allow to us because we are fellow-creatures he justly practiseth on us God would have us read our sins in our judgements that we might both repent of our sins and give Glory to his Justice Verse 20. In common Duties due to God none must sit out The deliverance concern'd both Sexes and therefore both Sexes were to thank God for it Man and Wife must joyn and agree together to honour him that saveth them Ioseph will go up to Ierusalem according to the Law and Mary his Wife will go with him No division no difference betwixt them in Gods matters If the one owe a Duty the other thinks she doth so too and with one heart according to one rule they both worship God and so come home Verse 24. A fitter course it had been for a People so taught with passed Favours to have assured themselves of future helps in Gods good time and with Patience and Faith to
a Rule to guide my Conscience by either in Civil or Ecclesiastical matters Verse 4. Gods Actions are general and particular general to all men particular to his Friends So must ours be As therefore by his general Action he suffereth the Sun to shine upon the bad as well as good so must we extend our Love which is the common Bond of Mankind as well to our Enemies as to our Friends by which common Love all hurting of the Bodies or Goods of our Enemies is forbid Again as God hath his special Action to his Friends and his Church namely sanctification so must Friendship which is our special Action reach its self to such only as are of the Houshold of Faith For although we must love with that general Love all Mankind Turks Pagans yet to such may we not be Friends and Familiars but must beware of inward and usual conversation with them that hate God and all his Graces This distinction tels you the meaning of Mat. 5. 44. Love your enemies Verse 5. Estne Deo cura de bobus is the Apostles Question Hath God care of Oxen other mens Oxen how much more of his own Sheep And therefore if thou see one of his Sheep one of thy fellow Christians strayed into sins of infirmity joyn him with thine own Soul in thy Prayers to God Relieve him if what he needs be spiritual with thy Prayers for him and relieve him if his wants be of another kind according to his Prayers to thee Why should not he that is made of the same bloud and redeem'd with the same bloud as thou art why should not he prevail with thee so far as to the obtaining of an Almes when some fellow-servant of thine hath had that interest in God as by his intercession and Prayers to advance thy Salvation wilt not thou save the life of another man that prayes to thee when perchance thy Soul hath been saved by another man that prayed for thee Verse 6. In the third verse God commanded That the poor man should not be spared for pitty Here now he enjoyneth That a poor man should not be wrong'd in respect of his poverty such equal steps would God have Judgement to walk in Verse 11. Blessed is the man that provideth for the poor the Lord shall deliver him in all his trouble Psalm 41. 1. This is proved in the Widdow of Zarepta who fed the Prophet and never suffered in the midst of that Famine 1 Kings 17. When I was hungry you fed me saith Christ Mat. 25. 35. Me I say in the poor with you to whom what you did you did it to me and so I take it and will blesse you for it both here and hereafter Verse 19. You must not seeth the kid c. to shew that we must not use that to the destruction of any Creature which was intended for his preservation CHAP. XXIV Verse 3. IT is better not to promise than not to keep promise the people of the Iews were signified by the Locusts which suddenly leap up and forthwith fall down to the earth again They did as it were leap up when in words they promised to do all things which the Lord had said but they fell to the earth again when in their deeds they denied the same Let us therefore alwayes weigh our weakness and accordingly frame our promises for as we see in this people we may purpose well that which we cannot so well perform Verse 12. It is not many weeks since Israel came out of Egypt in which space God had cherished their Faith by several Wonders yet now he thinks it time to give them Statutes from Heaven as well as Bread The Manna and Water from the Rock which was Christ in the Gospel were given before the Law the Sacraments of Grace before the legal Covenant The Grace of God preventeth our obedience therefore should we keep the Law of God because we have a Saviour O the Mercy of God which before we see what we are bound to do shews us our remedy if we do it not How can our Faith disanul the Law when it was before it It may help to fulfil that which shall be it cannot frustrate that which was not The Letter which God had written in our fleshly Tables were now as some that were carved in some Barks almost grown out he saw it time to write them in dead Tables whose hardness should not be capable of alteration He knew that the stone would be more faithful than our hearts Verse 14. Ministers whether Civil or Ecclesiastical are not to leave their charge without Deputies When Moses here ascended he left Aaron and Hur with the people that whosoever had any matter might come to them So watchful and faithful was Moses in his place that without just cause he is not absent and then he leaveth able Deputies Verse 16. Moses ascending was not admitted to God till after six dayes to teach all men patiently and reverently to tarry Gods leisure and gracious pleasure for any matter of his Will to be revealed to them not curiously searching but humbly waiting for the thing we seek being fit for us At the end of six dayes God called to Moses So will the Lord have a comfortable time for all those that wait for him they shall see and hear at last what he will say unto them But then they must come to God in the Cloud that is in the humanity of Christ whereof this Cloud was a Figure For without him there is no access to God and by him we come and that boldly Verse 17. God appears here like a consuming Fire in the eyes of the Children of Israel but to them whom he drew to him he appeared as a pleasant Saphire verse 10. Just so to carnal men and to such as are his called by his holy Spirit there is a great difference of him the one seeing with fear and trembling the other seeing feeling and tasting Joy and Comfort Verse 18. Moses was with God forty dayes and nights without any repast That God that sent the Quails to the Host of Israel and Manna from Heaven could have fed him with dainties if he had so pleas'd But there is no life to the life of Faith Man lives not by bread only The Vision of God did not only satiate but feast him What a blessed satiety shall there be when we shall see him as he is and he shall be all in all to us Since this very frail Mortality of Moses was sustained and comforted but with representations of his presence Here again I see Moses the Receiver of the Law Elias the Restorer of the Law Christ the Fulfiller of the Law all fasting forty dayes Abstinence prepares best for good Duties Full bellies are fitter for rest Hence solemn Prayer takes ever fasting to attend it and so much the rather speeds in Heaven when it is so accompanied It s good so to diet the body that the soul may be fatned CHAP. XXV
being saved in the New by believing he is come CHAP. XXXVIII Verse 1. VVHile the Church of God was in a journeying condition a small Altar and a slender Sacrifice were sufficient but in Solomons time the Altar was four times as big as this here and the Sacrifice was multiplied God looks upon the condition of his Servants and will be content with what they are able to perform When the Church is in persecution a Grot or Cave of the Earth may passe with God for a Temple and a Turfe of the same Earth for an Altar and Gods Presence in such holes shall be as eminent as in the Temple of Ierusalem when that Temple was in its greatest Glory But when God shall please to restore his Church to Peace and Plenty then God doth expect that our returns of Duty should be answerable to such Blessings that as our Peace and Prosperity is more than it was so should our service and Worship of God exceed in a due proportion Verse 8. A good Prince doth the Office which Moses his Glasses did at the brasen Sea in the Temple For he shews others their spots and in a pious and unspotted life of his own shews his Subjects their deficiencies And to make an higher use of Moses his Glasse than to see a King in the whole Creation is that Glasse wherein we may see the King of Kings even our God himself Scarce can you imagine a vainer thing except you will except the vain lookers on in that Action than the Looking-glasses of Women and yet Moses brought those Looking-glasses to a religious use to shew them that came in the spots of dirt which they had taken by the way that they might wash themselves clean before they passed any further There is not so poor a Creature but may be thy Glasse to see thy God in The greatest flat Glasse that can be made cannot represent any thing greater than it is If every Gnat that flies were an Archangel all that could but tell me that there is a God and the poorest Worm that creeps tels me that If I should ask the Basilisk how camest thou by those killing Eyes he would tell me thy God made me so and if I should ask the slow worm how camest thou to be without Eyes he would tell me thy God made me so The Cedar is no better a Glasse to see God in than the Hysop on the Wall All things that are are equally removed from being nothing and whatsoever hath any being is by that very Being a Glasse in which we see God who is the Root and the Fountain of all Being Verse 22. The work of the Tabernacle was perform'd not according to the Will and pleasure of Man but God not as Bezaliel and Aholiab thought fit though they were knowing Men and great Artizans nor yet as Moses would have it but sayes the Text as the Lord commanded Moses In matters of concernment about Gods Service and Worship who so fit to command and prescribe as God Men are but Men and therefore may erre The holy Patriarchs in the Old Testament were holy Men yet they strayed into some sinful Actions the holy Fathers in the Primitive Church were holy Men yet they strayed into some erroneous Opinions and therefore neither the one nor the other can be an infallible Warrant for us If God command Moses Moses may command us Neither Temple nor Sacrifice nor Priest are of our own contriving any invention of Man but prescribed and founded by God himself CHAP. XXXIX Verse 10. IN all which rowes we may observe these seven things First the shining of the stones pointing to the Purity of Christ and his Church Secondly their price of great value and worth signifying at what price Christ valued his Church at Thirdly their place or situation they are set in the Pectoral and Aaron must carry them on his Heart signifying that Christ hath as much care of his Church as if it were inclosed in his Heart le ts out his Bloud to make room in his Heart for them Fourthly their number twelve implying that with Christ is plentiful Redemption Fifthly their order they stood in a comely Quadrangle Christ hath stablished a comely Order in his Church and we must keep our ranks Sixthly the Figure being four-square signifying the stability and firmness of the Church Satan and all Deceivers shall not pick one stone out of Christs Pectoral Lastly the quantity as all the Names of Israel were gathered into a narrow compass so Christ shall gather together into one all the dispersed Sons of God and present them before God as the most beautiful and pretious parts of the World Verse 23. The care that was here taken to preserve the Ephod that it should not rent serves to teach us our Duty and that we are to use all circumspection and diligence to keep Schisms and Divisions out of the Church For to break the Unity of the Church is to divide to cut asunder the very Veins and Sinews of the mystical Body of Christ. And therefore Saint Paul doth conjure his Corinthians 1 Cor. 1. 10. by the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ that they speak one and the samething and that they be perfectly joyn'd together in one mind and in one judgement I or Schisms do disjoynt Men they shake them out of their Senses and fright them out of their Wits Beware therefore sayes the same Apostle of the Concision Phil. 3. 2. that is of those that make Divisions and cut the Church into little pieces and sucking Congregations Christs Coat was seamless and his Dove but one And upon this account the Primitive Christians were famous for their unity As the Curtains of the Tabernacle were joyn'd together by Loops so were they by Love and as the stones of the Temple they were so close cemented together that they seem'd to be all but one stone to have all but one mind and one soul. Verse 26. It is the Duty of Ministers to live their own Sermons to be fruitful as well as painful Preachers and to teach as well by their Life as Doctrine Not like him of whom it was said that when he was out of the Pulpit it was pitty he should ever go into it and when he was in the Pulpit it was pitty he should ever come out of it Every good Ministers six dayes should be a Commentary on the seventh and his own life in the week dayes should be the use of that Doctrine he delivers upon the Lords day For which reason it was that the Predicants of old were call'd Operariâ— quia opere magis quam ore praedicarent because they should preach no lesse by their Actions than their Sermons and send forth a savour unto life as well by their Lives as their Doctrines And this is to have the Priests Garment fring'd about with a Bell and a Pomegranate to shew they must be neither dumb Dogs nor stinking Weeds but lead the People as well with the sweet
uncleanness for our fault may be hid from us and we not ware of it and therefore David prayeth for his secret sins but still it remaineth an Uncleanness though we be blind and it will destroy us if we see it not in time Upon our Garments we endure no manner of Uncleanness not a little Mote but we brush and beat it off Yet our Bodies and Souls are unclean and we see it not we go not about to see it but use all the means we can to put it out of our sight by sports Company and the like Nay we hate him that will rub us that way and we avoid the place where sin is reproved Verse 4. Let this reform our rash Swearing in our common Talk and our foolish Vowing of things neither lawful nor in our power And think with your self whether they err not greatly that think what they have rashly sworn and vowed they must needs keep when you see here God would have them offer a Sin-offering for their rashness and not add more sin unto it by performing their rash Vows Verse 7. Thus gracious is God to his poor People to whom he appointeth smal offerings framing his Law to their powers and so giving them most sweet and true comfort of his Love to them as also in accepting of their little as well as of the greater Sacrifices of Richer Persons Verse 11. Oil signifying gladness and Incense a sweet savour The Lord by this Ceremony shadowed how hateful a thing it is and all that commit it till the Lord be reconciled to them again He hath no joy in us neither yield we any sweet savour And as he joyeth not in us so should not we joy in our selves For if we do we pour Oil into our Sacrifice contrary to the Law and we think our smell is as Incense to God pleasing and acceptable when he abhorres us and all our Works The Lord loveth a sorrowful sinner adorned with sackcloth and ashes and they that so weep shall laugh Verse 15. How little this false and unjust dealing with Gods Ministers is regarded with many in these dayes who knoweth not and they are never troubled for it much lesse do they purpose either restitution or amendment But the day will come when it will smart this Law of God having its enduring equity and God in other places professing that this robbing of his Servants is the robbing of him Mal. 3. 8. for so he taketh it and so will punish it CHAP. VI. Verse 5. GOD is never pleas'd with any thing that is ours whilst we retain and keep that that is not ours unless we make restitution of what we have unjustly taken away that very day we offer our Oblations are abominations Verse 7. The Priest must ever make the Atonement so ever signifying that not in the Sacrifice but in the Priesthood was the matter Now in that Priesthood was typified Christs Office And therefore as then no Sacrifice pleas'd but as offered by the Priest so at this day nothing of ours as Prayer and the like availeth but in Christ and by Christ our only and eternal High-Priest Again the Text sayes Before the Lord the Atonement shall be thereby overthrowing the wicked error of them that affirm a civil purgation only of sin by those Sacrifices and not any spiritual Promise in them Because so those Sacrifices should no wayes have served to breed and strengthen Faith in Man touching his spiritual Estate whereunto indeed they wholly aimed Verse 12. This Fire which God first kindled was not to be as some momentary Bone-fire or a sudden and short Triumph nor as a domestical Fire to go out with the day but it was given for a perpetuity it must neither die nor be quench'd God as he is himself eternal so he loves permanency and constancy of Grace in us If we be but a flash and away God regards us not all Promises are to perseverance Sure it is but an elementary Fire that goes out that which is Celestial continues It was but some presumptuous heat in us that decayes upon every occasion But yet he that miraculously sent down this Fire at first will not renew the Miracle every day by a like supply It began immediately from God it must be nourished by means Fuel must maintain that Fire that came from Heaven God will not work Miracles every day If he have kindled his Spirit in us we may not expect he shall every day begin again we have the Fuel of the Word and Sacraments Prayers and Meditations which must keep it in for ever It is from God that these helps can nourish his Graces in us like as every flame of our material Fire hath a concourse of Providence but we may not expect new infusions rather know that God expects of us an improvement of those habitual Graces we have received Verse 13. First by this he figured the death of Christ from the beginning of the World and by this shadow they were led to believe that although as yet Christ was not come in the Flesh nevertheless the fruit of his Death belonged to them as well as to those that should live when he came or was come for this Fire was continual and went not out no more did the fruit of his Passion fail to any true Believer even from the beginning but they were saved by believing that he should come as we are now by believing that he is come Secondly this shews that God is ever ready to accept our Sacrifices ever ready to hear us and forgive us but we are slow and dull and come not to him as we ought Thirdly no other Fire might be used but this and so they were taught to keep to Gods Ordinances and to fly from all inventions of their own heads Lastly this fire thus kept with all care taught them and still may teach us to be careful to keep in the Fire of Gods holy Spirit that it never die nor go out within us The Fire is kept in with wood with breath or blowing and with ashes so is Gods Spirit kept in by an honest Life as by wood by true sighs of unfained Repentance as by Breath or blowing and by meek Humility as by soft ashes Verse 16. In the Holy Place only and not else where must they eat it to signifie that only in the Church is the benefit of Christ to be had and not out of the Church the Branch beareth not Fruit but in the Vine and the Vine is only in the Vineyard CHAP. VII Verse 8. VVHy God should think of so small and base a thing as the skin some may ask the reason And it is first to confirm our Faith in his Providence that he will never forget us and leave us destitute of things needful and good for us seeing we are much better than the skin of a brute Beast whereof yet he hath care and thought Secondly this shews that sweet and comfortable care that the Lord then had and still hath
breach of Piety punishable with Death Let them also think of those Infernal Ravens and Vultures that shall torment them in Hell and continually feed upon their Souls Verse 10. Because Marriage was appointed a remedy against Fornication therefore the Law of God inflicted a sorer punishment upon him which did commit uncleanness after Marriage than upon him which was not Married because he sinned although he had the remedy of sin like a rich Thief which stealeth and hath no need So Deut. 22. 22. Verse 25. Ye shall make this difference between the clean and unclean Beast saith God First because ye may be at my appointment for your very meat as who am chief Lord of all Secondly that there may be a difference between you and all other People Thirdly that ye may be taught to study purity and know that the very Creatures are defiled by mans sin It is hard to deal in the World and not be defiled with the corruption that is in the World And therefore we are taught by this Law to abstain from the communion of unclean and wicked men in whom are found the malignities and evil properties of all other Creatures CHAP. XXI Verse 17. THis was done to preserve the Dignity of the Priests Calling in that infancy of the Church which otherwise might have come into contempt together with the holy things for the contemptible shew of the Priest Yet thus much we may learn by it further that if these infirmities of body which they could not help made them unfit then to be Priests may not now wilful impiety being a blot in Soul and Mind disable a man from being a Minister to God in his own Conscience although he have the outward calling of men Verse 18. Blind is he who wanting light from above is wholly drowned and overwhelmed with the darkness of this World Lame is he who seeing whither he should go yet is not able through weakness of understanding to get thither but fainteth and faileth stumbleth and trippeth in his going and cometh short of his right end By a flat nose may be noted a weakness in Judgement and Discretion because the nose discerneth good savours from ill as the mind should also do things fit and unfit In the Canticles 7. 4. among the praises of the Spouse it is said her nose is like a tower in Lebanon because by Judgement she discerneth afar off temptation and evils coming as out of a Tower Verse 20. The scab is a foulness arising of an itch and spreading broader and broader if it be not look'd into and thereby is set down the vice of Covetousness which first beginneth with an itching desire and afterward for want of looking to spreadeth to a great foul Vice deforming any man but most unseemly in a Priest who ought to be clean Lâ—â—â—ly by him that hath his stones broken are noted such as though they do not act yet have ever in their minds lewd and unclean thoughts whereby they are so desperately carried away as pure and clean and holy meditations can take no place Verse 22. Albeit blemished persons might not stand at the Altar yet were they allowed to eat the Sacrifices and to be in the Congregation shadowing unt ous that the Church although blemished nevertheless is admitted to the communion and participation of those things which Christ by his eternal Sacrifice hath obtain'd for us And although some one or other infirmity may justly disable thee for such a place either in Church or Common-wealth yet from a place with the Elect either here or for ever it shall not hinder thee No nor ten thousand blemishes if thou art grieved for them and fighting against them dost take hold of thy spotless Saviour as thy help and safety against them all CHAP. XXII Verse 6. NOne but those that were clean might eat of the holy Things nay those that did but enter into the Tabernacle being unclean were threatned with death by God Now what should this solemn preparation under the Type put us in mind of but the true and inward preparation required still of us in the Anti-type that is to teach us that we ought carefully to sanctifie prepare and purifie not our clothes and external parts but our hearts from all sin and impurity before we presume to approach into the presence of God either to eat of Christ our spiritual Passover or to hear and receive his most holy Word And certainly the neglect hereof is the very cause why that Sacrament which is to some the Bread of Life is to others the Bread of Condemnation and that Word of God which is to some the Saviour of Life unto Life is to others the Saviour of Death unto Death Verse 19. A good Work without the heart is but a glorious sin for not so much the things themselves as the affections of men are considered of God One may have a free mind in poverty and a sparing mind in riches so it is not the Work but the Mind Thus the Lord regards not so much the thing done as the heart and mind of him that did it If we build only on the Work we have no better evidence to shew for our salvation then the Devils and Reprobates Not the Work then but the Heart is that that will stand and go for currant to shew this the Lord would have a free-will Offering among all the rest of his Sacrifices hereby shewing that the heart must be joyn'd with obedience nay so much did the Lord regard the Heart that he would not admit of any Gift for the building of the Temple but what came from a free will CHAP. XXIII Verse 2. IN that they were called the Feasts of the Lord men are taught in them to seek and attend such things as belonged to God and not their own business pleasures and sports And in the fourth verse they are called holy Convocations think therefore in your Conscience whether gadding and rioting be holy exercises and meet for an holy Convocation To this end they are still call'd in the Christian Church Holy dayes to put us in mind of the right use of them Verse 3. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings Wherefore saith St. Augustine learn that no place priviledgeth thee to break Gods Law but as being a sinner whithersoever thou goest thou carriest the yoak of sin so being the servant of God in all places obey his Will Verse 5. O marvellous accordance betwixt the two Testaments in the very time of their delivery there is the same agreement which is in their substance The ancient Iews kept our Feasts and we still keep theirs The Feast of the Passover is the time of Christs Resurrection then did he passe from under the bondage of Death Christ is our Passover the spotless Lamb whereof not a bone must be broken And so likewise the very day wherein God came down in Fire and Thunder to deliver the Law even the same day came also the Holy Ghost
down upon the Disciples in fiery Tongues for the propagation of the Gospel The promulgation of the Law makes way for the Law of the Gospel No man receives the Holy Ghost but he that hath felt the terrors of Sinai Verse 10. This being but one single sheaf that God demanded it might strike their hearts with a pious sense of his Goodness that giveth so much and taketh so little that giveth without measure and taketh by measure yea by a very small measure So let it still profit us to this day for even now also we receive much and give little would we give that little thankfully and chearfully what a comfort would God take in it Though he need none of our Goods only seeking to exercise our obedience and love Verse 11. This shaking of the sheaf before the Lord taught them to acknowledge that the blessing of new Corn every year cometh neither from the fertility of the ground nor the labour and industry of man but from the Lord. Verse 14. This Feast having its time assigned they could not enter upon their Harvest before it was full ready which by this time it would be unless they would either reap before they offered this first sheaf or offer it before the day appointed And so you see it had an use to restrain ill Husbands and to make them more careful that old Corn might be kept till new came A gracious God that will so care for sinful Man Verse 24. Some think that this Feast was instituted for a remembrance of the pardoning of that grievous Idolatry committed by erecting and worshipping the Golden Calf others that they might learn holy Assemblies to be appointed by the voice of God and if they then when they heard these Trumpets blow might think God called for them to the meeting why should not we now having our Bells for their Trumpets think God calleth for us to the Assemblies of the Faithful when we hear them ring in our Ears Surely I know a feeling heart doth and therefore cannot be quiet without going And upon this account this Feast might be a figure shewing how Christ by the preaching of the Gospel as by a loud Trumpet should be spread over the World and our Salvation by him In regard whereof the Prophets bids the Ministers lift up their voices like Trumpets Isai. 58. 1. Verse 34. The use of this Feast was to remember the Jews of their Estate when they had no Houses but lived in Tents or Tabernacles and Booths as also to preach unto them the Doctrine afterward delivered by the Apostle That here we have no abiding City but should reckon of our Honses as of Tabernacles for a time And might we not heretofore remember upon our Feasts our state past under cruelty bondage our wars and Dissentions in this Land the fall of our Friends and the change of many Houses our Imposions and Taxes and in a word very many Miseries and Calamities laying them to those then present times wherein we enjoyed Truth and Liberty of Conscience without either death or danger what a change was this to a Man that knoweth and feeleth the blessing Let us therefore do what we ought to do and what the Jews did thank God most heartily for the change and beseech him to restore us such times that in peace we may live in peace dye and in peace that never endeth live with him for ever Verse 37. These Feasts you may see were in remembrance for the most part of some benefits and mercies of God and therefore plainly teach us what a due duty from us to God it is to remember carefully and thankfully his loving favours shewed to us at any time upon any occasion Thus the stones were commanded to be set up by Ioshua 4. 6 7. for a sign to the Jews that when their Children should ask their Fathers c. CHAP. XXIV Verse 2. IN these times of Shadows and Figures those Lights signified that while they were thus used the true Light was not yet come by which all true Believers should be delivered from the darkness of Death And further this Light was a figure also of true Doctrine which ever must shine in the Church of God The Oyl Olive which they are commanded to bring must be pure likewise to shew that that Doctrine must have no mixture of Mans devices but be pure Verse 10. Though the Father of this Offender was a stranger an Egyptian yet God would not spare him how much less then his own people I mean Christians by Father and Mother Baptized in his Faith brought up in his fear hearers of his Word and Professors of it Secondly Though this Man committed this fault in his anger yet God spared him not how then do we excuse our Offences by our Anger saying it was in my wrath I said so or did so Verse 11. This Blaspheming was Cursing the other by the Name of God such as our fearful and Damnable Phrases are Gods Curse light on thee the Plague of God take thee which kind of Speaking is not only a breach of the Second Table concerning the love to our Neighbour but a breach also of the First Table by taking Gods most Holy Name in vain and then to use God in your Revenge and to make him a party or an Executioner of your Rage wishing that he may Curse and Plague where you will he being all Mercy all Goodness all Justice O what an encrease of your sin is this Verse 12. This grievous Offender is not winked at by them that heard him neither yet punished by them that had no Authority out of a colour of Zeal but he is orderly and by a right Zeal carried to Moses the Magistrate and his offence opened there Moses again although such a man yet will do nothing hastily in Judgement and especially touching Life but he will be advised by God and in the mean time committeth him to Ward Verse 14. By this Ceremony of putting their hands upon his Head the Lord made the Witnesses careful what they said for it taught them that if they bare false Witness then were they guilty of the Blood of him so shed but if they spake truly then as he that offered a Sacrifice by laying his Hand upon the head of it did cast his sins upon the Beast so they by that Ceremony laid his Blood upon his own head and they remained clear and blameless yea the whole Congregation by such Execution of Justice is cleansed So that when Phineas had slain the wicked Person it is said he turned the wrath of God from the Land Numb 25. and the killing of the wicked is called Victima Dei the sacrifice of God Isai. 34. Ier. 46. Verse 16. When the Lord will have the whole Congregation to stone him he maketh tryal of the zeal of all and teacheth all to concur with the Magistrate in love and liking of Justice and in furthering of it so far as belongeth to every mans place Whereas
It is a dangerous thing in the service of God to decline from his own institutions we have to do with a power which is wise to prescribe his own Worship just to require what he hath prescribed powerful to revenge that which he hath not required CHAP. XXVII Verse 13. AFter many painful and perilous enterprizes now is Moses drawing to his rest he hath brought his Israelites from Egypt through the Sea and Wilderness within the sight of their Promised Land and now himself must take possession of that Land whereof Canaan was but a Type When we have done that we come for it is time for us to be gone This Earth is made only for Action not for Fruition the services of Gods Children should be ill rewarded if they must stay here alwayes Let no man think much that those are fetch'd away that are faithful to God they should not change if it were not to their preferment It is our folly that we would have good men live for ever and account it a hard measure that they were He that lends them to the World owes them a better turn than this Earth can pay them It were injurious to wish that goodness should hinder any man from Glory Verse 14. But what is this I hear displeasure mix'd with love and that to so faithful a servant as Moses he must but see the Land of Promise he shall not tread upon it because he once long ago sinn'd in distrnsting Death though it were to him an entrance into glory yet shall be also a chastisement of his Infidelity How many gracious services had Moses done to his Master yet for one act of Distrust he must be gathered to his Fathers All our obediences cannot bear out one sin against God how vainly shall we hope to make amends to God for our former Trespasses by our better behaviour when Moses hath this sin laid in his dish after so many and worthy testimonies of his fidelity when we have forgotten our sins yet God remembers them and although not in anger yet calls for our Arrerages Alass what shall become of them with which God hath ten thousand greater quarrels that amongst many millions of sins have scattered some few acts of formal services If Moses must dye the first death for one fault how shall they escape the second for sinning alwayes Even where God loves he will not wink at sin and if he do not punish yet he will chastise how much less can it stand with that eternal Justice to let wilful sinners escape Judgement Verse 16. Moses that was so tender over the welfare of Israel in his life would not slacken his care in Death He takes no thought for himself for he knew how gainful an exchange he must make all his care was for his charge Some envious natures desire to be missed when they must go and wish that the weakness or want of a Successor may be the foil of their memory and honour Moses is in a contrary disposition it sufficeth him not to find contentment in his own happiness unless he may have an assurance that Israel shall prosper after him Carnal minds are all for themselves and make use of Government only for their own advantage but good hearts look ever to the future good of the Church above their own against their own Verse 18. Moses did well to shew his good Affection to his people but in his silence God would have provided for his own he that call'd him from the sheep of Iethro will not want a Governor for his chosen to succeed him God hath fitted him whom he will chose Who can be more meet than he whose Name whose Experience whose Graces might supply yea revive Moses to the people He that searched the Land before was fittest to guide Israel into it he that was indued with the Spirit of God was the fittest Deputy for God but O the unsearcheable Counsel of the Almighty aged Caleb and all the Princes of Israel are pass'd over and Ioshua the servant of Moses is chosen to succeed his Master The eye of God is not blinded either with Gifts or with Blood or with Beauty or with strength but as in his Eternal Election so in his temporary he will have mercy on whom he will And well doth Ioshua succeed Moses the very acts of God of old were allegories where the Law ends there the Saviour begins we may see the Land of Promise in the Law only Jesus the Mediator of the New-Testament can bring us into it So was he a Servant of the Law that he supplies all the defects of Law to us he hath taken possession of the Promised Land for us he shall carry us from this Wilderness to our rest Verse 22. I do not hear Moses repine at Gods choice and grudg that this Scepter of his is not hereditary but he willingly laies hands upon his Servant to consecrate hm for his Successor Ioshua was a good man yet he had some sparks of Envy for when Eldad and Medad Prophesied he stomack'd it he that would not abide two of the Elders of Israel to Prophesie how would he have allowed his Servant to sit in his Throne What an example of meekness besides all the rest doth he here see in this last act of his Master who without all murmuring assigns his Chair of State to his Page It is all one to a gracious heart whom God will please to advance Emulation and Discontentment are the affections of Carnal minds Humility goes ever with Regeneration which teaches a man to think what ever honour be put upon others I have more than I am worthy of CHAP. XXVIII Verse 3. ALl Sacrifices under the Law did as it were lead us by the hand to Christ and point him out with the finger who is the end of the Law Rom. 10. he is both the Altar and the Sacrifice he is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world as therefore these Lambs were offered in the morning and evening so was Christ from the beginning of the World unto the end thereof he is the Lamb slain from the beginning of the World Rev. 13. and as this daily Offering was twice perform'd so we have daily need of Reconciliation that his Blood should be continually applied unto us by Faith and as we daily sin against him so we must have daily recourse unto him for remission of sins Again this daily Sacrifice imports the daily Sacrifice of Prayer which we ought to offer to God as our daily service due unto him and this for many Reasons First we have many sins We provoke God every day and therefore are taught in the Lords Prayer daily to pray for Forgiveness Secondly We have daily wants and therefore it is our duty daily to bewail them and daily to crave the supply of them both temporal and spiritual blessings for Body and Soul Thirdly We have daily dangers Every Creature if God give us over is able to work our
when they should dye and therefore Iob describing the shortness of mans Life and withall that his dayes are determined compares them to the dayes of an hireling For with an Hireling we agree to work with us for a certain time and usually by the day whence they are call'd Day-labourers It imports then that the time of mans life is short and set for Hirelings are appointed to an hour Fifteen years just and no more were added to Hezekiah's life Isai. 38. 5. our very hairs are numbred much more then our dayes Verse 11. What ever the Egyptians fancy of their River Nilus both their River and our Rain too are from above there is not any of the Creature not so much as our meer Water but we receive it from Heaven God bottleth up the rain saith Iob and pours it on the earth when God pleaseth to turn the mouths of these bottles downwards This is a great miracle that whereas Water is fluid and beareth downward yet now that God thus binds up these heavy vapours and keeps them in those Vessels of the Clouds as thin or thinner than the liquor that is contain'd in them as a strong Man in a Cobweb till brought by the Winds wheresoever he pleaseth they drop upon the Earth by little and little to make it fruitful this is a wonderful work of God and should bring us to the knowledg of his Power Wisdom and Goodness Verse 12. We read in natural story of some Creatures Qui solo oculorum aspectu fovent ova Plin. l. 10. c. 9. which hatch their Eggs only by looking upon them What cannot the Eye of God produce and hatch in us The Eye of the Lord upon me makes midnight noon and St. Lucies St. Barnabies day and the Winter 's the Summers Solstice what a chearful Spring what a fruitful Autumn hath that Soul that hath the eye of the Lord alwayes upon her The eye of the Lord sanctifies nay more than sanctifies glorifies all the Ecclipses of dishonour makes Melancholy Chearfulness Difidence Assurance and turns the jealousie of the sad Soul into Insallibility Upon the people of Israel Gods eye shined in the Wilderness his eye singled them in Egypt and in Babylon they were sustained by his Eye Verse 19. Fathers should look upon their Children as Gods heritage and labour to make them Sons of God and Heirs of Heaven they must desire and endeavour to become natural as well as spiritual Fathers to their Children by teaching and instruction from their very Infancy For when Children are able to learn any thing that 's bad then certainly it is high time to teach them something that 's good when they can stammer out an Oath or lisp towards blasphemy then it is high time to teach them their Catechism and instruct them in the Principles of Religion And therefore the Holy Ghost hath composed certain Abcedarian Psalms according to the order of the Hebrew Alphabet that Children might learn an Alphabet of Godliness and Parents teach them the Elements of Religion as well as of Learning such Psalms are 25. 34 c. CHAP. XII Verse 1. THe difference between Divinity and other Sciences is that it is not enough to learn but we must observe and do it as lessons of Musick must be practised and a Copy not read only but writ and followed The practical Christian is the best Christian Man goeth forth to his work and to his labour till the evening saith the Psal. 104. 23. he must ever more be doing following his honest imployment in his particular place and calling whether Manual or Mental eating his Bread either in the sweat of his brow or his brain And as it is with Man in his Civil so likewise in his Spiritual Calling he must arise from the bed of sin and go forth out of himself out of his Lusts and sinful affections as out of his House to his work and to his labour working out his salvation with fear and trembling untill the Evening till the Sun of his Life be set Verse 7. There is no one duty almost in both Testaments more press'd than this of rejoycing before the Lord and the contrary is complain'd of and sorely threatned Deut. 28. 47. and therefore it is declared here as a recompence of all their charge and pains Ye shall feast before the Lord with joy this was the sweet-meats of the Feast other dainty dishes there might be but this was the Banquet This made those good Souls Ps. 84. 7. go bodily on from strength to strength though they took many a step yet their comfort was that they should everyone of them in Syon appear before the Lord and then thought their pains though never so great well bestow'd though they then saw Gods face but obscurely in the dark glass of the Ceremonies What then should not we suffer to see God clearly in his Ordinances Verse 8. The words are not you shall not do ill in your own Eyes but you shall not do that which seemeth good good I say and I pray you mark it you shall not do that but shall keep you to my Commandement Be it never so good then in my conceit that is be my meaning never so good it will not excuse The time will come saith Christ that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth God good service What then shall his so thinking excuse his bloody murther What ill meant Ioshua when he wish'd Moses to forbid those that Prophesied Micha's Mother when according to her Vow she made her Sons two Idols the Disciples of Christ when they forbad Little Children to come unto him Peter's meaning had no hurt in it when he bad Christ to pitty himself and when he forbad him to wash his feet yet you know no good intent was accepted in these cases Verse 14. God will not take any of thy pretended Superogations for Sacrifices or Worshipping but will be served after his own way and according to his own Prescriptions and therefore he saith in the former Verse Take heed that thou offer not thy burnt-offerings in every place that thou seest as if he had said I will be worshipped according to that which I have commanded thee and not after thine own fancy Because indeed that God the very reason and cause of all things hath his end in all whatever he ordains For to direct all Nations to the Sacrifice of his only Son alone he would have but one Temple but one Sanctuary and one Altar whereas thou dost darken and confound his meaning by thy multitude of High Places and Altars Verse 32. God accepts of no service but such as he commands You shall not do every one that which seems right in his own eyes saith the Holy Ghost in the beginning of this Chapter but ye shall do whatsoever I enjoyn you saith the same Spirit in this Verse Our service is limited to that which God liketh Saul thought that Sacrifice had been service but God liked better of his obedience Uzza