their kingdome replenished with good and able teachers and forasmuch as the Apostle would haue Elders chosen by election in euery Citie let all those that are Patrones of benefices and bestowers of Ecclesiasticall liuings looke out godly and learned preachers where there is want that euen small preferments in little Parishes and villages may haue Ministers of more ability then commonly they haue lest euen the blood of them that perish through the ignorance of the one and default of the other be required at their hands If the cure or Congregation be small it is by many thought to be a sufficient cause to bestow it vpon an vnsufficient person and sometimes vpon their porters or other seruants if so be they can in any reasonable or tollerable sort reade English and satisfie the Law they think no more is required at their hands and all this is practised because forsooth it is a little Parish But Christ hath shewed by his owne example that little Parishes are to bee instructed as well as great and wide Cities And if this example cannot teach vs it shall be able to condemne vs of vnfaithfulnesse and of want of mercy and compassion toward the soules of men The Lord put it into the hearts of such as are to dispose the liuings of lesser Congregations to set ouer them such Pastors as may feed them with the bread of life that is with the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdome 40 And the Lord said vnto Moses Number all the first borne of the males of the children of Israel from a moneth old and vpward and take the number of their names 41 And thou shalt take the Leuites for mee I am the Lord in stead of all the first borne among the children of Israel and the cattell of the Leuites instead of all the firstlings among the cattel of the children of Israel 42 And Moses numbred as the Lord commanded him all the first borne among the children of Israel 43 And all the first borne males by the number of names from a moneth olde and vpward of those that were numdred of them were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteene 44 And the Lord spake vnto Moses saying 45 Take the Leuites in stead of all the first borne among the children of Israel and the cattell of the Leuites in stead of their cattell and the Leuites shall be mine I am the Lord. 46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred threescore and thirteene of the first borne of the children of Israel which are more then the Leuites 47 Thou shalt euen take fiue shekels apeece by the polle after the shekel of the Sanctuary shalt thou take them the shekel is twenty gerahs Exod 30.13 Leuit. 27.25 and 18.16 Ezek. 45.12 48 And thou shalt giue the money wherewith the odde number of them is to be redeemed vnto Aaron and to his sonnes 49 And Moses tooke the redemption money of them that were ouer and aboue them that were redeemed by the Leuites 50 Of the first borne of the children of Israel tooke he the money a thousand three hundred and threescore and fiue shekels of the Sanctuary 51 And Moses gaue the money of them that were redeemed vnto Aaron and to his sonnes according to the word of the Lord as the Lord commanded Moses Hitherto we haue spoken of the numbring of the Tribe of Leui simply without any relation to others Now we are to speake of it comparatiuely For in this place the Leuites are compared with the first borne among the people whom God commanded to be redeedeemed by substitution of the Leuites and appointing of them in their roome This hath two parts First the enumeration it selfe comparing the persons to be redeemed with those that are to succeed them and come in their places to the 44. verse Secondly the manner of matching or equalling of them both whose number was different to wit the Leuites and the first borne by a Pecuniary redemption of those that did amount to more then the Leuites to the end of the Chapter Touching the first we are to consider these particulars first the commandement of God charging Moses to number the first borne that are males among the children of Israel the Leuites being already numbred as we haue heard in the former part of this Chapter from a moneth old and aboue and to take the number of their names and then commanding him to substitute the persons of the Leuites for his seruice and their cattell for the cattell of the first borne Secondly the obedience of Moses to this commandement all the first borne of the males being numbred amounted to the number of two and twenty thousand two hundred seuenty and three The second point is the paralleling or equalling of them both by redeeming the ouerplus of the first borne wherin also we may behold the commandement of God and execution of it by Moses The Lord commandeth the Leuites to succeed the first borne and whereas there were 273. moe of the first borne then of the Leuites he ordaineth that fiue shekels of the Sanctuary should be paid of the people for euery person that was aboue that tribe which money was to be giuen to the Priests The execution of the commmandement followeth in the three last verses wherein we may see how Moses obeyeth in them both for he tooke the redemption money of the people and gaue the money of them that were redeemed to Aaron and to his sonnes according to the word of the Lord. Out of this diuision sixe questions may be demaunded all which we wil runne ouer and briefly dispatch that we may proceed to the doctrine Obiect 1 The first question may be asked how the number of the first borne which came to 22273 surmounted the number of the Leuites which amounted to the number of 22300. For if we consider what Moses hath expressed before in the particular summes of the seuerall families mentioned in this Chapter it may seeme at the first sight that the Leuites were moe in number then the first borne exceeded them by 27. persons For the summe of the family of the Gershonites was accounted to be 7500 persons verse 22. The summe of the family of the Kohathites was accounted 8600. verse 28. Lastly the summe of the family of the Merarites was said to be 6200. The totall summe of these three particulars amounteth to 22300. whereas the first borne amounted onely to 22273. â—nswer I answere this difference is onely in shew and not in substance for in the family of the Kohathites the Priests also were comprehended and the first borne of the Leuites so that whereas the number of these amounted to three hundred the Leuites are rightly said to be two and twenty thousand verse 39. and the first borne among the Israelites to be two and twenty thousand two hundred seuenty and three Obiect 2 Secondly the question may be asked how the money commanded to be
answer Answ be it that they are greeuous yet do not say they are greater then can be forgiuen For that is a greater offence against God then the committing of those sinnes that lye so heauie vpon our consciences Hence it is that the Lord saith Though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and though they bee red as Crimson they shal be as wooll Esay 1 18. Doth not he much abridge and cut short the Princes power and mercy that shall say hee can pardon onely lesser and smaller offences committed against him but cannot pardon Treason and rebellion And doth not he shrink vp the sinewes of Gods power that is infinit and accuse him of impotency and weaknesse that chargeth him not to bee able to forgiue such as are the greatest offenders against him Nay as the mercy of a Prince is most of all seene in sealing a pardon vnto such as haue prouoked him in the highest degree so is the grace and goodnesse of GOD especially manifested in forgiuing those that are sinners aboue others that so Where sinne aboundeth grace may abound much more Rom. 5 20. Againe as well we might say in a pride confidence of our owne works that our good deeds are greater then he can sufficiently reward as in despaire to pronounce that our euill deeds are greater then he can pardon because as his mercie is greater then al our good workes so his power is greater then all our euill workes Who did euer come vnto him to intreate fauour and forgiuenesse at his handes that went away vnpardoned Paul testifieth of himselfe that he was the cheefe of sinners 1. Tim. 1 15. and the least of the Saints Eph. 3 8. yet he obtained pardon And wherefore euen because this example of Gods mercy shewed him should bee an instruction vnto the Church of God for euer that he will deale in like manner with all other that truely repent how great soeuer their sinnes be 11 He that toucheth the dead body of a man shall be vncleane euen seauen dayes 12 He shall purifie himselfe therewith the third day and the seuenth day he shall be cleane but if he purifie not himselfe the third day then the seauenth day he shall not be cleane 13 Whosoeuer toucheth the corpes of any man that is dead and purgeth not himselfe defileth the Tabernacle of the Lord and that person shal be cut off from Israel because the sprinkling water was not sprinkled vpon him he shall be vncleane his vncleannesse shall remaine still vpon him 14 This is the Law When a man dieth in a tent all that come into the tent and all that is in the tent shall be vncleane seuen daies 15 And all the vessels that be open which haue no couering fastned vpon them shal be vncleane 16 Also whosoeuer toucheth one that is slaine with a sword c. 17 Therefore for an vncleane person they shall take of the burnt ashes of the same offering pure water c. 18 And a cleane person shall take hysop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it in the tent and vpon all the vessels c. 19 And the cleane person shall sprinkle vpon the vncleane the third day c. 20 But the man that is vnclean and purifieth not himselfe that person shall be cut off c. 21 And it shall be a perpetuall law vnto them that he that sprinkleth the water of separation c. We haue shewed before how God appointed a red heyfer to be offered and of the ashes thereof hallowed water to bee made wherewith to sprinkle those that are vncleane by touching a dead body or by comming neere any thing belonging to the dead The heathen themselues had certaine purging sacrifices certaine holy waters whereby they cleansed and purified sometimes their land forces and sometimes their sea-forces and sometimes their cattle But that which God prescribeth to his people in this place is of another sort and to another end Moses therefore declareth what persons and what things are to be clensed verses 11 14 15. the time when verse 12. the punnishment of him that omitteth this clensing ver 13 20. the maner how to clense with this water verses 18 19. and how long this Law shall continue verse 21. So then the point that commeth to be considered in this chap. is the water of separation and the vse therof among the people of God Doctrine The water oâ— separation what vse it hath to vs. This thogh it concerned the Israelites onely and was to remaine among them touching the practise as a perpetuall statute yet it had an end in him that brought an end to all types and figures and hee that was buried in the earth for our sinnes buried with him in the graue these ceremonies Neuerthelesse as we haue often noted before there do still remaine diuers and sundrie morall vses from hence for our further instruction which binde vs to the end of the world The vses First of all this serueth to reproue the Papists who haue patched vp their religion with sundry shewes of ceremonies partly Iewish and partly heathenish And from an imitation of this water of separation commanded in this place to be vsed in sprinkling of the vncleane their tents also and vessels they haue brought in their holy water sprinkle and maintaine their superstitious blessing with crosses and their hallowing of waxe palmes ashes â— de culâ—t lib. â— 7. holy bread salt oyle and such like trash and trumpery beare men in hand that they haue power to driue away diseases and to cast out diuels These institutions are apish imitations of the Iewish rites a raising of them out of their graues where they lay buried and rotten long agoe and yet they seeke to quicken them and to put life into them againe Bellarmine handling this point at large deliuereth his opinion in two propositions the first that water oyle bread candles ashes palmes and such like are rightly blessed The second that they are rightly vsed to signifie and to worke supernaturall effects So then the question and controuersie arising between the Church of Rome and vs is this whether these creatures may be vsed not only to signifie but to work supernatural effects To proue this he alledgeth two testimonies out of this book â—b 5.17 the one out of the 5. cha touching the waters of iealousie that if they were drunken they brought to the adultresse certaine destruction for the water caused the curse to enter into her â—b 5.27 so that her belly did swell and her thigh rot The other out of this Chapter touching the waters of separation so called verse 9. and 13. because they were to be sprinkled with it who for some legall vncleannesse were separated from the holy Tabernacle and the company of others â—â—cl annot â—nc loâ— Piscat â—l in Nuâ—â—9 9 The Iewes were not hereby washed from their wickednesse that were sprinckled with this water
or in the publicke ioy of the Church do mourne cannot in truth perswade their owne hearts that they haue anie part or portion in the body of Christ Wherefore whensoeuer God taketh away any principall stay of Church or Common-wealth we haue cause of mourning and humbling our selues vnder Gods iudgement When the husbandman layeth his Axe to the root of the tree or vndermineth the ground about it we can not doubt but he meaneth the felling and falling of it Or when wee see a Gardiner take away the hedge or wall of his garden Esay 5 5 6. plucke vp by the roots the cheefest choisest plants disfigure the ornaments and beauty of it and lay it open for the beasts to enter we may gather hee mindeth not to continue but deface the Garden Or when a Carpenter pulleth downe the master-peeces and postes that doth hold vp the whole frame and layeth the foundation euen with the ground wee may coniecture by these meanes that he meaneth to remoue the building to another place So when we see the euident footsteps of Gods wrath and begin to discerne the fire of his iealousie breaking out by the smoake beginning to appeare in taking away seruiceable men as plaÌ„ts of his own garden as pillars of his own house and as branches of the Tree which his right hand hath planted we must lay it to our hearts as tokens going before destruction This our Sauiour handleth Matth. 42 32 33. speaking of the signes going before his glorious appearance at the end of the world Learne the Parable of the Figge tree when her bough is yet tender and it putteth foorth leaues yee know that Summer is neere so likewise yee when ye see all these things know that the kingdome of God is nere euen at the doore And now beloued behold and consider lift vp your eies and looke how God hath dealt with vs and marke whether his dealings toward vs be not tokens of his anger and fore-runners of his iudgements Hath hee not taken from vs a most worthy Prince our late Soueraigne who by the course of nature might haue liued longer Of whom wee may truly say as Dauid did 2 Sam. 1 24. Ye daughters of Israel weepe for Queene Elizabeth who clothed you with Scarlet and pleasures and hanged Ornaments of Gold vpon your apparrell P. oâ— 31 2â— Or else as Salomon doth speaking of a good woman Many daughters haue done vertuously but thou surmountest them all She opened the house of the Lord in the first yeere of her reigne as good K. Hezekiah did shee called backe the reuerent Ministers fled out of the land as Eliah into the wildernesse through the tyranny of Iezabel she brought in the pure worship of God cast out the Romish abhominations set forth the seruice of God in a knowne tongue repealed the bloody acts of the persecutors and therefore she thus honouring God and aduancing his Gospel he likewise exalted her Throne on high as the Throne of Salomon 2. Samuel 2 ver 30. so that she shined in her time in the world as if all the firmament thereof had bin but one starre and as if in all the cope compasse of heaueÌ„ there had shined none but she This starre is now set and gone downe which should go neere vnto vs and pierce vs to the quicke and make vs seeing a great Prince is fallen in Israel neuer to forget the great works which the Lord did among vs by her happy hand Besides hath not the Lord taken from vs many lights out of the Vniuersity whence flowed many comfortable streames that watered the Garden of God many out of Cities and particular Churches wherby the Church hath receiued a deepe and dangerous wound and yet we seeme to haue feared consciences and to be past feeling When the vitall parts begin to faile or to languish the life of the body is in hazard While the disease or distemperature is in the outward parts farre from the head or the heart there is hope of health and recouery but when the liuely parts begin to waste and consume by little and little it is a signe of the decay of life and of the approch of death Howsoeuer therefore the greatest part neuer lay these things to their hearts nor interprete them as present tokens of imminent danger and iudgement yet we that haue learned better things ought to consider that as they are taken away from the euill to come â— 57 1 2. â—gs 22 20 rest quietly in the graue as in a bed euen so they haue left vs behinde for the euill to come Vse 3 Lastly it is our duty to pray to God to stay his hand to shew mercy to his Church and to poure out the full Viall of his vengeance vpon his enemies that know him not Psal 79 6. Ieremy 10 25 and vpon the Nations that call not vpon his Name This the Prophet practiseth Psalm 74 2 19 20 21 22. Thinke vpon thy Congregation which thou hast possessed of old and on thine inheritance which thou hast redeemed and on this Mount Sion wherein thou hast dwelled We see how he putteth God in minde of his Couenant and entreateth him to strike through the loynes of his enemies to their destruction to maintaine his own cause and to spare his people the sheepe of his own Pasture the dwelling place of his own Name and the Congregation of his poore afflicted ones So when in like manner we behold the hand of God vpon his owne Sanctuary to begin iudgement at his owne house let vs call vpon him to consider whereof wee are made and to remember that we are but dust This did the Prophet Habakkuk when God threatened to enter into iudgment with his church O Lord I haue heard thy voice and was afraid O Lord reuiue thy worke in the midst of thy people in wrath remember mercy Hab. 3 2. Where hee teacheth that whensoeuer wee heare of the threatnings and iudgements of God we must pray him to repaire and restore the state of the Church which is ready to perish who is able to heale the wound that his owne right hand hath made True it is the great sinnes of this Land do cry out against vs may iustly prouoke him to make hauocke of all yet let vs call for mercy at his hands and stay the course of our sinnes that so he may stay the stroke of his iudgements CHAP. XXI IN this Chapter â—e diuition â—â—es chapter we are to obserue four principall pointes First the battaile fought betweene Arad King of the Canaanites the Israelites Secondly another murmuring of the people the last recorded in this Booke which God punisheth with fiery serpents cureth them with a brazen serpent Thirdly their happy proceeding in their journey toward the Land of promise where God gaue them water and brought them to the borders of the Amorites Lastly the victories which Israel obtained on Sihon King of the Amorites and Og the
let vs haue our conuersation in heauen set our affections vpon heauenly things as we aske of God our daily bread so let vs depend vpon him for the daily food of our soules Vse 3 Lastly let vs returne to him praise and glory due vnto his Name We see men looke for this duty at our hands as an acknowledgment of their fauours who are but the instruments of God for the good of his people How much more then ought wee to be carefull to remember the Lord and to lift vp our hearts to the heauens We must not be alwaies groueling vpon the earth like the swine that eate the Mast but looke not to the Tree Wherfore the Prophet teacheth vs this duty I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart yea I will glorifie thy holy Name for euer for great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue Psal 86 12 13. If we be not carefull when God hath opened his hand toward vs to opeÌ„ our mouthes yea our minds toward him we depriue our selues of many other blessings that God would plentifully bestow vpon vs. A skilfull husbandman will not alwaies till a barren soile nor cast his corne in the high-way where it shal neither be encreased nor receiued so if there be found in any of vs a dry and vnthankfull heart we stop the streame of Gods blessings and hinder many good things from vs. So then it is not enough to desire a supply of our necessities to haue a sense and feeling of our own wants we must not be idle beggers alwaies crauing catching what we can out of the Coffers of Gods Treasury and neuer acknowledge what we receiue and from whence we receiue it It is a notable note and token of the childe of God to be often in praises and thanksgiuings If we haue receiued but a litle measure of knowledge or faith learne vnfainedly to be thankfull for that to the end thou maist procure a farther blessing from God and that thou maist grow from faith to faith and from strength to strength Many hypocrites dissemblers nay many Atheists and Libertines in trouble and affliction are ready to aske seeke and knock at the gate of Gods mercy as we see in the Israelites and in sundry others but these praiers proceed from feare not from faith from a feeling of sorrow not from a feeling of sin from a sight of their own necessity not from a sight of their owne misery through want of reconciliation vnto God But we must testifie our loue to God and our zeale of his glory by our acknowledging of his gracious blessings and rendring vnto him the praise of his works of mercy Verse 17. Then Israel sang this song c. The goodnesse of God was great toward the Israelites in those dry and desolate places to send them water reueale vnto them where they should dig a Well Wherefore so soone as they haue experience of his kindnesse they make a song of thanksgiuing and sing a song of praise to remaine vnto all posterity to testifie the acknowledgement of Gods mercy toward them The Doctrine from this place is this Doctrine Thanksgiuing to God is a necessary duty That it is required as a speciall duty to God to offer the sacrifiâ—e of praise and to pay vnto him the calues of our lips when we haue tasted of his bounty and louing kindnesse We must giue thanks for mercies receiued at his hands WheÌ„ the people of God receiued any victory ouer their enemies they returned the glory to him for their deliuerance Gen. 14.20 Exod. 15 1. and 18 10. The Prophet Dauid as he abundantly tasted of the fauour of God so plentifully powreth out praise and thanksgiuing as the 18 Psalme It is a Psalme of praise which he sang in the day that the Lord deliuered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul Likewise Psal 116 12 13. What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefites toward mee I will take the Cuppe of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord. This duty we see practised by Melchizedec on the behalfe of Abraham Blessed be the most High which hath deliuered thine enemies into thine hands This we see performed by Moses and Aaron when they saw the mighty power of God ouerturning the Egyptians I will sing vnto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously the horse and him that rode vpon him hath he ouerthrowne in the sea they sanke to the bottome as a stone This duty is not omitted nor deferred by Deborah and Barak in the day of their deliuerance Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel and for the people that offered themselues willingly Iudg 5 1 5. This is it also that the Apostle teacheth Phil. 4 6. In all things let your requests bee shewed vnto God in prayer in supplications and in giuing of thanks Yea Iob fearing God and eschewing euill performed this duty to God after the losse of outward wealth when he had beene bereft of his children robbed of his goods spoiled of his seruants reproched of his wife and tempted of the diuell he said Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne againe the Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the Name of the Lord for euer Iob 1 21. Teaching vs heereby to glorifie God not onely for meate drinke apparell peace liberty Gen. 24 12. and 29 35. 1 Sam. 1 1. health children successe in domesticall affaires and such like but euen for the losses crosses that he sendeth vpon vs which he sanctifieth to the saluation of his seruants Let vs therefore acknowledge that it is a duty belonging vnto vs to offer the sacrifice of praise alway vnto God that is the fruite of the lips which confesse his Name Reason 1 The Reasons remaine to bee considered First we must giue him the praise of his works because it is the will and pleasure of GOD who is so good vnto vs to require it of vs who can giue him nothing else Psal 118 1. For what are we able to require and returne to the Lord for his great mercies Can we deserue them at his hands or glory of any our own merits Without him we can do nothing If then wee can render nothing but this let vs not deny him this duty of praise It is the will of God we should not kill or steale nor commit idolatry or adultery such like few but make conscience of these sinnes because we see the will of God restraining vs and condemning them So it is the will of God we should beware of vnthankfulnesse and open our mouthes in setting foorth his praises for his goodnesse vnto men This reason the Apostle vseth 1 Thess 5 17 18. Psalm 81 4. Pray continually in all things giue thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus toward you
which we should account as the life of our liues Seeing therefore on the one side Warre is the iust wages of great sins and on the other side peace bringeth with it many blessings of all sorts spirituall and temporall we conclude that many are the miseries of warre The vses are in the next place to be thought vpon and application â—o be made of this Doctrine Vse 1 First let vs pray earnestly to God and call vpon him faithfully to keep from vs both warres and the rumors of wars and continue peace in our borders with the free publike vse of the Gospel to vs and to our posterities that there may not be the voice of lamentation lifted vp in our streetes weeping mourning and great howling Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Mat. 2 18. Ier. 31 15. We liue in a plentifull and well-peopled Land no Nation vnder heauen is more populous This is a blessing of God as Moses declareth Leuit. 26 9. Likewise Prouerbs 14 28 Yet many times we repine at his mercie we thinke the Land will be too little for vs and that we shall not be able to liue one for another Hee can make roome enough for vs if he once send the bright weapons of warre and the glistering sword of the bloody enemy among vs. He can make fewer of vs and turne our Land into bryars thornes and make it a place of Salt-pits and Nettles Then shall a man nourish a yong Cow and two Sheepe Esay 7 21 22. and 4 1. and for the abundance of Milke that they shall giue he shall eate Butter The number of men shall then be so small thaâ— a few beasts shall bee sufficient to nourish the remnant abundantly Then shall seuen women take hold of one man saying We will eate our owne bread and will weare our owne garments onely let vs bee called by thy name and take away our reproch Let vs therefore in this great encrease of the land and store of people acknowledge his mercy let vs reioyce in the society one of another and pray that wee taste not the bitternesse of war that there be no slaying with the sword no shedding of blood no carrying into captiuity This the Prophet teacheth Ps 144 desiring God to continue his benefites toward his people the fruite of the wombe the filling of store-houses the encrease of sheepe the quietnesse of peace Psal 144 12 13 14 15. That our sonnes being as the plants growing vp in their youth and our daughters being as the corner stones may be the building of the temple that our corners may be full and our Oxen strong to labor that there be no inuasion nor going out nor no crying in our streets O blessed are the people that bee so yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Where we see the Prophet prayeth and directeth vs to pray that there may be no taste of the sharpnesse and misery of warre nor we know the assaulting of our Citties nor going out to warfare that there may be no sorrow of heart no weeping of eyes no wringing of hands no shriking of voices among vs. Were it not a wofull and lamentable thing to see fire without mercy and without quenching consuming houses eating vp all things and sparing nothing How much more to see and heare and feele the affliction of warre when all things are in confusion and combustion For this is one great mischiefe and bitternes of warre that all things are holden to be lawfull and all men make themselues to bee lawlesse There is no regard of right or equity of shame or conscience when many times the souldiers are as hungry as wolues as cruell as Tygers as fierce as Lions as merciles as Bears robbed of their whelpes which spoyle in the euening and leaue not the bones vntill the morning Liberty is oppressed good men feare euill men expect knowing it is best fishing in troubled water if there be any place free from tumult at least there is none void of suspition and free from iealousie few then are to be trusted and none assured all things in confusion violence spoyling blood murthers outcrying and nothing else before our eyes but a lamentable face of all calamities extremities The Prophet Zachary describing the golden dayes of a peaceable life which should be giuen to the Israelites when they were returned from captiuity saith Zac. 8 4 5. There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Ierusalem and euery man with his staffe in his hand for verie age and the streets of the City shal be full of boyes girles playing in the streets therof Then is the mouth of the people filled with laughter and their tongue with ioy Psal 46 9. When the Lord maketh warres to cease vnto the end of the world he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare burneth the Chariots with fire But in the time of war and in the day of battaile all things are turned topsie-turuý all things lye open to sacking and pillage to insolencie of souldiers to desire of reuenge and to most horrible accidents Then we are constrayned to see and lament the slaughter of men the rauishing of women the deflouring of virgins the spoyling of goods the robbing of houses the taking of prisoners the breaking of lawes the defacing of iustice the intermission of sowing the innouation of estates the subuersion of realmes the desolation of countries the violation of religion the destruction of Citties the effusion of blood the suffering of famine and sometimes the extreamity of eating children and alwayes the ouerthrowing of all order and honesty Who is able to recount rehearse the great horror and feare the sorow and mourning the weeping and lamentation the seditions tumults outrages villanies insurrections conspiracies calamities dangers difficulties and the miserable traine of infinit miseries and maladies that war bringeth with it No maruell therefore if Dauid preferred the pestilence before the sword 2 Sam. 24 14. desiring that hee might fall into the hands of the Lord because his mercies are great and not fall into the hands of man whose bowels of pitty are instruments of cruelty Let vs therefore pray earnestly and feruently vnto God that wee may not haue experience of these troubles nor endure the violence of this fire and intreat him to continue a gracious God to vs and to our posterities for euer This we see fruitfully and profitably practised by the people of Israel when the Lord for their idolatry threatned to deliuer them no more out of the handes of their enemies and bad them cry vnto the gods which they had chosen that they might saue them in the time of their tribulation they said vnto the Lord We haue sinned do thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee onely we pray thee to deliuer vs this day from our enemies Iudg. 10 10 11 12. Secondly let vs learne by the horror of the Vse 2
Lastly this daily sacrifice importeth the daily sacrifice of prayer which we ought to offer Vse 4 to God as our dayly seruice due vnto him 1. Kings 18 36. Rab. Menachem fol. 115. And thus do the Hebrew Doctors speake The continuall sacrifice of the morning made attonement for the iniquities that were done in the night and the euening sacrifice made attonement for the iniquities that were by day It is therefore required of vs to pray vnto God not once in a moneth or once a weeke nor onely vpon the Sabbath day or publikely in the assemblies of the faithfull but we must remember him daily that remembreth vs euery houre The time of prayer is euery day and that in respect of our daily sinnes Fine strong motiues to stir vs vp to praier our daily wants dangers tentations and decayes so that we must obserue the rule of the Apostle Pray continually 1 Thess 5 16. These are fiue strong motiues to stir vs vp daily to performe this duty so that we may say with the Prophet I waite for the Lord my soule doth waite euen in his word do I hope my soule waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning c. Psal 130 5 6. First to speake of them in order we haue daily sins We prouoke God euery day and therfore are taught daily to pray for forgiuenes to say If thou Lord should mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand Ps 130 3. For as he lades vs daily with his benefits so we lade him daily with our sinnes so that they are a burden vnto him he is weary to beare them therfore we should make euen reckoning with the Lord euery day and renew our repentance euermore Secondly we haue dayly wants and who feeleth them not and therefore it is our duty daily to bewayle them and daily to craue the supply of them If there be any feeling of grace or sparke of Gods Spirit in vs we cannot bee ignorant that we want both temporall spirituall blessings for body and soule A blinde man may see them they are so great and so many Thirdly we haue dayly dangers euery creature if God giue vs ouer is able to work our destruction We go not from home but our returne is vncertaine no man can assure himselfe of safety If we get vp on horsebacke in the slipping of one foote we slip into danger sometimes into death If we be in the house the misstepping of one foot bringeth trouble If a man enclose himselfe in his garden a serpent may byte him If he walk in the streetes a tyle from an house may strike him downe nay dead Where can a man secure himselfe or how long or from whom When we haue escaped one danger may we afterward promise vnto our selues safety nay wee are presently in danger of another danger as we see in the Syrians who when they had escaped the sword of the Israelites fled to Aphek into the Citty for refuge But there a wall fell vpon twenty and seuen thousand of them that were left and slew them 1 Kings 20 30 so that it is with vs as the Prophet Amos speaketh as if a man did flie from a Lyon and a Beare met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him Amos 5 19. Therefore our onely safety standeth in prayer and in sanctifying the Name of God and begging his assistance Fourthly we haue dayly tentations bodily and ghostly arising from the flesh the world and from the diuell Our aduersary the diuell neuer resteth but walketh vp and downe like a roring Lyon seeking whom he may deuoure Iob 1 7. 1 Pet. 5 8. He is neuer ydle nor weary he is an importunate suter he will neuer giue ouer nor take any denyall and therfore Christ saith Math. 26 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into tentation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weake and he instructeth his Disciples Luke 32 21 that Satan desired to haue them that he might sift them as wheate howbeit he telleth Peter he prayed for him that his faith should not fayle Among all these tentations pleasure and prosperity are none of the least when we enioy health wealth peace and liberty ease and abundance If euer we forget God it is most commonly when we are full Psalm 30 6. Deuter. 6 6 7.8 c. Luke 21 34 35. Lastly wee haue dayly decayes in good things It is with vs in the matters of the soul as it is in the state of our bodies Our naturall heate and moysture wherein the life consisteth is dayly impayred and would quickly consume were not nature dayly supplyed by meate and drinke whereby the decayes of these as it were the breaches made in nature are made vp so would faith and repentance and other graces of God be weakned and diminished dayly in vs if they were not encreased by the continuall vse of the Word of the Sacraments and of Prayer and therefore we must not ceasse to stirre vp these gifts in vs lest they be as a spark of fire in greene wood which will soone go out if it be not kindled So then this morning euening sacrifice shold direct vs how and when to worship God wee must remember him in the morning in the euening hee must be in our thoughts first and last we must begin the day and ende the day with him Let him be in our first meditations when we awake out of sleepe If the heart and thoughts be well setled in the morning they are like to be better ordered and disposed all the day after This made the Prophet say Psalm 5 3. My voice shalt thou heare in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my praier vnto thee and will looke vp and Psalm 22 2 and 53 17 and 119 55 62 164. Dan. 6 10 Then are the faculties of the soule most fresh and cheerefull then are the senses comforted and refreshed because of the nights rest and therefore best able to performe any duty to God or man Againe the morning is a time wherein the world and the businesse of this life haue not yet forestalled and possessed our hearts and affections and therefore wee are then the most fit to perform any special or spiritual duty required of vs. Lastly it is the first part of the day and therefore the most worthy to be consecrated to God after wee haue newly tasted his great mercy in the night past which he might haue made euerlasting darknesse vnto vs neuer raised vs vp againe Moreouer as the greatest part neglect this time so doe they also at euening they forget what blessings they haue receiued what dangers they haue escaped what tentations they haue resisted what wants they haue obtained what decayes they haue supplyed and repayred for which they should giue him thanks and lastly what sinnes they haue committed in the day for which God might
will chasten him with the rod of men and with the plague of the Children of men but my mercy shall not depart away from him as I tooke it from Saul whom I haue put away before thee So then he dealeth not extremely with his people but spareth them Malac. 3 17. as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Reason 3 Thirdly as his nature is to shew mercy so knoweth he the matter whereof we are made and he considereth that we are but dust If he should deale with vs according to our deserts and pay vs home as wee haue prouoked him by sinning against him he should bring man to nothing and consume him for euer Wherfore the Lord saith I will not contend for euer neyther will I bee alwaies wroth Esay 57 16. for the spirite should faile before me I haue made the breath Wee are as a winde that soone passeth as a breath that is easily stopped and as the dust that is quickly blowne away The Prophet calleth this to our remembrance which wee ought to learne without the worde by daily experience Psal 103 13 14 15 and 78 38 39 and 30 5. As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him for hee knoweth whereof wee bee made he remembreth that we are but dust the daies of man are as grasse as a flower of the field so flourisheth he And in another place He being mercifull forgaue their iniquity and destroyed them not but ofttimes called backe his anger and did not stirre vp all his anger for he remembred that they were flesh yea a winde that passeth and commeth not againe If then we consider that God punisheth vnwillingly that he sheweth mercy and remembreth our frailty wee must needs conclude with the same Prophet that he endureth but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life weeping may abide at euening but ioy cometh in the morning Let vs now obserue the vses that may bee gathered from this doctrine First marke the Vse 1 difference betweene God and man whose waies are not as our waies nor his works like vnto our workes It is not with God as it is with man Esay 27 4. Albeit he bee daily prouoked and offended yet he is not easily moued and vpon our submission and repentance he is quicklie appeased and his wrath by and by is turned backe Psal 103 8 9 10 11. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slowe to anger and of great kindnesse hee will not alwaies chide neither keepe his anger for euer he hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities for as high as the Heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him But when man is once moued hee sildome keepeth any meane or moderation he can hardly or neuer will be appeased againe albeit hee that hath offended and prouoked him doe submit himselfe vnto him and craue pardon for his offence Hence it is that God is constrained to restraine the outrage and cruelty of man in his Law that as a violent streame breakes out can be kept within no bounds of reason where he giueth in charge that if the wicked be worthy to be beaten Deut. 25 2 3 the Iudge shall cause him to lye downe and to bee beaten before his face according to his trespasse vnto a certaine number forty stripes shall because him to haue and not past lest if he should exceede and beate him aboue that with many stripes thy brother should appeare despised in thy sight This law declareth that so soon as we are iniuried a fire is kindled within vs we conceiue rancor and choler we fret and fume with indignation and cannot be reconciled wee are filled with our passions wee lay on loade and know no moderation If the Lord shoulde deale with vs as we measure to our brethren we were not able to beare it and abide it If he should be so fierce and full of rage against vs we should vtterly be destroyed and consumed but there is alwaies mercy with him that he may be feared Secondly this serueth greatly to comfort Vse 2 all the faithfull seruants of God to consider the moderation of his chasticements and the gentlenesse of his hand in all his corrections We see by daily experience how hee forbeareth vs and powreth not out all his wrath vpon vs. If it were not so it would oftentimes goe hard with vs. Albeit his hand be sharpe vpon vs yet wee must needs confesse our sins haue iustly deserued greater plagues longer plagues sharper plagues And when his iudgments are ceassed and withdrawne our sinnes are found to be as great and sometimes greater then before so that wee deserue other plagues and punishments to come in place immediately to follow the former Our deliuerance therfore is for his mercies sake Herevpon the Prophet saith Psal 30 5. He endureth but a while in his anger but in his fauour is life weeping may abide in the euening but ioy cometh in the morning In like manner sorrow may happen in the morning but ioy and comfort shall abide within the euening that we may acknowledge the greatnesse of his mercie and the shortnesse of his wrath Wee heard how sorrowfull a message and what heauy tydings Dauid had brought vnto him so soone as he was vp but this sorrow was soone turned into ioy and this heauinesse into gladnesse when the Angell of vengeance is commanded to stay his hand and to put vp the sword of iustice into his sheath To this purpose the Apostle teacheth the Hebrewes chap. 12. Heb. 12 9 10 12. Wee haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs and we gaue them reuerence should we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of spirits that wee might liue For they verily for a few daies chastened vs after their owne pleasure but he chasteneth vs for our profite that we might bee partakers of his holinesse Wee must euermore remember that it is his mercy that moueth him to stay his hand and to call in his iudgements and to make our plagues to ceasse Wee cannot stand to pleade with GOD we must not iustifie our selues we ought not to hold our selues innocent but rather perswade our selues that God hath a iust quarrell and controuersie against vs. Hath he visited our brethren that dwell neere vs as good and peraduenture better then our selues and yet hath not touched vs Hath he freed vs when others haue felt the stroke of his rodde Haue wee stood vpright when others haue fallen downe When his arrowes flye abroad and sticke in the flesh and enter into the bones hath hee passed ouer vs and hidde vs vnder the shaddow of his wing as in a place of safety Oh consider this and let vs not forget the fauour of God toward vs O let vs remember his louing kindnesse and engraue it in
A fift motiue A fift motiue which ought to be very effectuall is the consideration of the forgiuenesse that we receiue at the hands of God We are much indebted vnto him there is no sin that we commit but increaseth our debt so that we are no way able to pay it He is content for his sons sake to forgiue vs al therefore we ought to put off anger wrath malice and reuenge and on the other side to put on the bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse and long suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another Col. 3.13 if any maÌ„ haue a quarrell against any euen as Christ forgaue vs so also we must do Hence it is that Christ teacheth vs to aske forgiuenesse at the hands of God as we shew our selues ready and willing to forgiue for we say Forgiue vs our sinnes as we also forgiue the trespasses that are done vnto vs and he addeth immediately after If ye forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you Matt. 6.14 15. but if ye forgiue not men their trespasses neither wil your Father forgiue your trespasses If then we carry grudging spirits and reuenging minds boyling in vs we turne this comfortable petition into an horrible imprecation against our selues and pray that God would not forgiue vs but coÌ„demne vs forasmuch as we determine not to forgiue but to be reuenged on our enemies that offend vs. If we could be perswaded of this truth then which nothing can be truer we would not seeke reuenge to gaine a kingdome considering that we call downe vengeance with our own mouthes vpon our selues which is a most fearefull case For do we thinke that when sin lyeth at the dore vengeance wil be farre from vs and not come neere vs except we cry for it our selues Let vs take heede we doe not dally with God who wil in iustice repay vs because we take vpon vs to repay and will powre vpon vs the vengeance which we aske against our selues The sixt motiue Lastly we are mooued to put vp wrongs suffer iniuries to referre all reuenge vnto God and not to requite euil for euill because it is against all good law right reason common sense that any man should be accuser witnesse iudge and executioner But euery one that taketh vpon him to right his owne cause A reuenger executeth the office of foure men and to reuenge himselfe doth all these together he executeth the office of foure seueral men It is no reason that he which layeth any accusation against vs should be admitted to be witnesse against vs because a witnesse should not be partiall nor any way suspected to be party Whosoeuer refuseth to referre his cause to the iudgement of God and will take vp the weapon and instrument of reuenge into his owne hand doth more then this he cannot be content to be an accuser and witnesse of wrong but wil also sit as iudge to ccndemne and as executioner to punish which is against all right law equity and conscience No man therefore ought to ingrosse so many offices which of right belong vnto seuerall men It is vnpossible that there should be iust proceeding where matters are carryed in this order If then we would be Christs disciples let vs possesse our soules with patience and commit our causes vnto God that the spirit of glory and of God may rest vpon vs. Notwithstanding all these motiues which may serue as so many bands to tie vs to this dutie Obiections answered the nature of man that is corrupt striueth to breake them all and to be at liberty to doe what it list and therefore ministreth many obiections which are but carnall reasons to warrant the practise of priuate reuenge Let vs see what they are and apply seuerall remedies to euery one of them to stay vs vp from offending this way First of all it will be said If we Obiect should put vp wrongs this were to make our selues as fooles for euery one to laugh at and as blockes for euery one to insult ouer vs and to tread vpon vs. I answere Answer it skilleth not what the world esteeme of vs and what they speake against vs. If we were of the world the world would loue his owne but because we are chosen out of the world Ioh. 15. â—â— therefore the world hateth vs reuileth vs taunteth vs and speaketh al manner of euill against vs. If we regard the iudgement of God we must passe very little for the iudgment of men if we receiue praise of God it skilleth not if we be dispraised of men And as they speake euill of the seruants of God that are themselues euill so they will account vs fooles that are indeed fools themselues For there is no foole like to the wicked man and therfore he is in Scripture oftentimes branded with this name and note As for those that account godlinesse folly and place wisedome in committing wickednesse let vs leaue such wisedome to the wise of this world and be content to be esteemed as simple fooles to the end we may be like to the wise God who is a God of patience and so be partakers of the heauenly nature He turneth the wisedome of this world into foolishnesse and the foolishnesse of this world he accepteth as true wisedome Wherefore let vs hearken to the counsell of the Apostle 1 Cor 3.18 Let no man deceiue you if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may bee wise It were better for vs to be accouÌ„ted fools in this world by wicked men then to be iudged fooles for euer in the world to come Againe some wil obiect If we alwaies sufser Obiect 2 wrongs we shall make our selues a prey set an edge vpon others to lay on loade vpon vs. For we shall neuer be quiet but euermore be abused I answere Answer the condemning of vengeance is not a taking away of iust defence God tyeth vp our hands from vniust reuenge but he shutteth not our mouthes from iust complaint For we may claime the help of the Magistrate either for the preuenting of wrong or for the punishment of the doer of wrong The Magistrate is Gods deputy and his office is to releeue the oppressed to defend the innocent to execute iudgment on malefactors When certaine of the Iewes more then forty men banded together and bound themselues vnder a curse that they would neither eat nor drink til they had killed Paul Act. 23. â—â— he sent to the chief captaine to be defended from their conspiracy And when he saw the malice of his nation against him that they ceassed not to lay greeuous complaints to his charge he appealed vnto Cesar that he might not be deliuered into the hands of the Iewes that sought his life and thirsted for blood I stand at Cesars iudgement seat where I ought to be iudged 〈◊〉 â— 10 So
Lord plagued him and his house with great plagues vntill hee had restored her If a bare purpose to commit adultery and that ignorantly called for iudgment vpon an heathen king how much more shall the liuing in this sinne bring moe stripes vpon vs that liue in the light of the Gospel haue the truth plainely reuealed vnto vs forasmuch as he that knoweth his masters will doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes The third crying sinne is the oppression of such persons as are destitute of helpe which is ioyned with cruelty as for example such as are widdowes fatherlesse strangers poore innocents whose cry God hath promised to heare and to helpe them This we heard before out of the booke of Exodus If you afflict them in any wise and they cry at all vnto me Exo. 22 â—â— Deut. 154. I will surely heare their cry and my wrath shall waxe hot and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widdowes and your children fatherlesse The Prophet Habakkuk prophesieth against such and painteth out their sinne in liuely colours chap. 2 9 11 12. Woe to him that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be deliuered from the power of euill c. The stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shal answer it One shall say Woe to him that buildeth a Towne with blood another shall make answer and stablisheth a City by iniquity These oppressers do sucke out as it were the blood and life of the needy that haue none to whom to cry out for redresse but in the eares of the Lord. They dare not buckle and encounter with the mighty for as when the pot of earth and of yron meet together the earthen vessell is dashed in peeces so when the mighty and the needy striue the poore man striueth against the streame and bringeth much misery vpon himselfe Their helpe is onely in God the Father of all consolation If men stop their eares against them and will not rescue them out of the snare of the fowler and the net of the hunter let them abide vnder the shadow of the Almighty and shroud themselues vnder his wings who wil couer them with his feathers and heare them in their afflictions The last crying sinne is the poore labourers wages that are wrongfully and vniustly deteined this also cryeth aloud and neuer ceaseth vntill God hearken to the cry of it Many thinke it goods well gained that can be gotten from the poore but they shall finde it fret as a canker and consume as a moth the residue of their substance Hereunto commeth that law of the Lord Deut. 24 14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant that is poore needy c. thou shalt giue him his hire neither shall the Sunne goe downe vpon it for he is poore and setteth his heart vpon it lest he cry against thee vnto the Lord and it be sinne vnto thee Where wee see that this consideration of committing sinne against God ought to enter into vs to restraine vs from doing wrong against any especially the poore and needy brother or the stranger that is in the Land And to this purpose speaketh the Apostle Iames chap. 5 4. Behold the hire of the labourers which haue reaped downe your fields which is of you kept back by fraud cryeth the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of Saboth â—ld â—cryâ— Whereby it appeareth that there is a double kinde of crying one of iniquity and wickednes the other of the oppressed and afflicted If one of these ceasse yet the other shall neuer ceasse crying It falleth out oftentimes through the power and might of the greater sort that the poore dare not mutter or murmure if they begin to cry out and complaine their mouthes are soone stopped because their angry lookes make them afraid of their displeasure their seuere threatnings are too heauy a burden for them to beare but the other shall neuer giue ouer crying the sinne of the oppressors shall cry against them for vengeance as we see wheÌ„ Abel could not cry yet his blood cried and was heard Sinne hath a voice more shrill then the sound of a Trumpet for that be it neuer so loud vanisheth in the aire cannot pierce the Clouds whereas the noise that issueth and proceedeth from sin out-reacheth the Clouds entreth into the eares of the Lord of hosts What then Must we imagine that sinne is a bodily thing â—he cry â—e it that hath a mouth to speake a voice to cry No this cry is nothing else but the vnchangeable order of Gods iustice punishing sinne euen as at the instance and importunity of the innocent party a iust Iudge cannot but releeue the oppressed and punish the guilty and so doe iustice according to the office committed vnto him As if it were said blood will haue vengeance vncleannesse will haue vengeance oppression will haue vengeance fraud and deceit will haue vengeance God cannot but punish all these crying sins because he is a iust Iudge otherwise he were vnrighteous It is the nature of all sin to prouoke God to enter into iudgement with the sinner but especially these horrible and abhominable crimes mentioned before And as it is the nature of sinne to cry out to GOD for vengeance so it is the nature of God to punish sinne and to take vengeance of it Therefore they greatly deceiue both themselues and others that make him like to one of the gods of the Gentiles not to be offended at all or very little displeased with sinne and not to regard what men doe As if iustice were not essentiall vnto him or as if he could deny himselfe or as if he could ceasse to be God for as soone he may do these as the other But if it can in any sort agree to him â—ent Paâ— in Gen. 4. that he can bee not willing to punish sinne then he can also not hate sinne forasmuch as to hate is nothing else but to be willing to punish reiect And if it be incident to him not to hate sinne then also it will follow that hee can loue and like sinne If he can loue sinne he can deny himselfe and destroy himselfe he can like of the workes of the diuell which is vnpossible to do and horrible blasphemy to affirme Lastly seeing whatsoeuer is of the nature of sinne is against God it directeth vs what Vse 5 we are to do when we haue any way sinned and desire to haue peace of conscience we must not goe to Saints or Angels whom wee haue not offended who are not able to be reuenged of vs but it is our duty to call for mercy at his hands against whom onely wee haue sinned and to seeke to be reconciled to him whose lawes we haue transgressed and who is able to cast body and soule
when wee can complaine of them speake euill of them deface and euery way disgrace them as carnall men do their vtter enemies it is a true signe that our hearts are touched by the Spirit of God as our Sauiour Christ teacheth Iohn 16 verse 8. When the Comforter is come he will reproue the world of sinne and of righteousnesse and of iudgement Wee haue no greater enemies then our sinnes which are many in number strong in power deceitfull in snaring and dangerous in subduing of vs. They are in number as the sand on the sea shore that cannot be reckoned and moe then the haires of our head or then the houres that we haue liued They are as strong as an army of men set in battell aray who by their power and puissance haue strooke downe the chosen men of Israel They deceiue with their pleasures as the bird is taken in the snare and as the subtill harlot that flattereth with her mouth They bring danger both to soule and body and leaue vs not till wee perish for euer and be cast into the pitte of hel from whence there is no redemption Seeing then their nature is such that they carry vs headlong with violence into perdition we should also maligne them and hate them as death nay as him that hath the power of death that is the diuell Hebr. 2 verse 14. If we finde them too cunning and crafty for vs and our selues too weake to deale against them being armed with all the forces of Satan and of the world let vs goe to him that beeing stronger then that strong man is able to take away all his weapons Luke 11 verse 22. and binde him in chaines euen the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda Reuel 5 verse 5. that is able to stop the mouth of that roaring Lyon which seeketh whom he may deuoure 1 Pet. 5 8. He knoweth wherof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust And as he is of power to helpe vs and subdue our corruptions so he is of infinite mercy to pardon vs our sinnes He knoweth what is in vs better then we our selues know our selues forasmuch as he is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things If then we confesse our sinnes truely and vnfainedly as he is faithfull and iust 1 Iohn chap 1 verse 9. so he will forgiue vs he hath made the promise and the word is gone out of his mouth which he cannot call backe againe he hath vttered his voice and he cannot deny it no more then he can deny himselfe If he should reteine our sinnes we being penitent he should forfeit and falsifie his truth which cannot agree to the diuine nature and therefore as one rightly speaketh he should be a greater leeser then we This is euidently to be seene in the Psalmes of repentance penned by the Prophet Dauid as Psalme 32. At the first he sought by all the meanes that he could to hide his sinnes hee sendeth for Vriah and vseth sundry shifts to conuey him vnto his house and thereby to couer his sinne When that pollicy would not serue he sendeth secretly to Ioab to put him in place of danger and thē to retire from him that hee might fall by the sword of the Ammonites But whiles he seeketh all meanes to couer it God the searcher of hearts doth discouer it and sendeth his Prophet vnto him to reproue him Heereby euen by the Ministery of the word his heart is touched and he is made to see the greeuousnesse of his sin against whom he had sinned then he is not ashamed to acknowledge it and to leaue a memoriall of it in the Church for the good of others Thus he found wonderfull comfort by his confession and could finde none without it I acknowledged my sinne and thou forgauest mine iniquity Psal 32 5. The consideration of the multitude of our sinnes is able to bring vs to despaire but the confession of our sinnes is able to raise vp to hope againe and to stay vs vp with the mercies of GOD which are as flagons of wine to refresh vs. When Dauid had thus confessed that he had sinned God sent him a comfortable message that cheered his heart and quieted his conscience The Prophet that before threatned thundered out the Law now applieth precious balme and powreth wine and oyle into his wounds saying vnto him in the Name of God Thy sinne is pardoned They that are escaped by the mercy of God as it were from a dangerous shipwracke out of their sinnes would not come into the same case and condition againe for to gaine a kingdome nay all the kingdomes of the world When the sinfull woman confessed her sinnes by shedding abundance of teares and wiping the feete of Christ with the haires of her head hee answered concerning her as the Lord of life and comfort Many sinnes are forgiuen her for shee loued much Luke 7 verse 47. Thus he spake graciously and comfortably to the penitent theefe on the Crosse accusing himselfe reprouing his fellow iustifying Christ confessing his faith and asking forgiuenesse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Luke 23 43. The more often we goe vnto God and confesse our sinnes before him the better it is for vs the more mercifully he will deale with vs the greater grace he will bestow vpon vs the farther he will remoue his iudgements from vs and the neerer he will approch vnto vs. Vse 3 Lastly let vs all labour after a right confession Many haue confessed their sinnes and yet found little comfort as Pharaoh Saul Iudas the Israelites and many others If we hope to speed better then these men then we must confesse better then they did If wee sinne with them and confesse as they did we shall reape no better fruite then they did We are apt to fauour and flatter our selues wee are possessed with selfe-loue Wee cannot looke vpon other mens vertues nor our owne vices we are blinde in seeing our owne faults wheras wee are sharpe sighted and quicke eyed to espie a little mote in other mens faces Wee should rather consider our owne wants to be humbled for them then the graces we haue to be puffed vp by them No man seeth the spots that be in his owne face so he discerneth not the sinnes that are in his owne soule He that would know his deformities taketh a glasse Iames 1 23. which sheweth vnto him what he is and how he is so if we would vnderstand our secret open sinnes we must behold our faces in the law of God for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Rom. 3 20. Wee must therefore examine our selues touching this duty of confession and obserue diligently the true properties of it Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Not euery one that saith I am a sinner I am vncleane is a true conuert and a right penitent Nothing is more common thē to heare men say I confesse my selfe a
of corruption His grace is the true riches and by it he hath abounded toward his church Hence it is that the Apostle writing to the Ephesians commendeth in many places of the Epistle the ouer-flowing grace of God and sheweth that hee is rich in mercy and aboundeth in kindnes chap. 1 7. chap. 2 4 7. hee setteth out his great loue wherewith he loueth vs the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindnesse toward vs through Iesus Christ And chap. 3 8. he calleth his grace toward vs vnsearchable riches He doth not keep vs to a diet as though he meant to pine vs or famish vs he doth not allow vs onely so much as serueth to keep vs in state and holde body and soule together but he dealeth bountifully towards vs maketh our cup to ouer flow If then he bee rich in mercy and goodnes and abundant in kindnesse if there bee in him exceeding riches vnsearchable riches riches of his grace and glorie it is not to be marueiled at that his childreÌ„ find him gracious toward them aboue all that the tongue can desire or the heart can think forasmuch as his mercy is ouer all his workes Reason 2 Secondly God is euermore better then his word and performeth more then hee promiseth He is not as man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should deceiue al his promises are yea and Amen to the praise of his mercie He promiseth little and performeth much He is a Prince indeede that neuer falsified his worde neither could the vnbeleefe of some that did not beleeue make the saith of God without effect Rom. 3 3. he remaineth alwaies true and faithfull constant and sure If we obtaine not the promises the fault is not in the promise of God but in the infidelity of maÌ„ forasmuch as he neuer deludeth any nor dallieth with them whatsoeuer is gone out of his mouth hee meaneth it in good earnest The word of the Lord is right and all his workes are done in truth he will not suffer his faithfulnesse to faile Psal 33.4 and 89. Hee promiseth in the fift commandement to giue to inferiors that are obedient a long life yet sometimes they dye betimes and on the other side the stubborn and disobedient haue prospered in this world and liued long How then will some say is God as good as his word and how is he certaine of his promise Because albeit he take vs away yet hee performeth it by giuing much more then hee promised When Herod promised to his wanton Minion that danced before him Marke 6 â—â— The one halfe of his kingdome it is certaine it had beene no breach of his promise if hee had resigned vp the whole kingdome into her hands So if God promise a prolonged life Exod 20 â—â— and giue instead of it a perpetuall life heere is more then halfe in halfe gaines and aduantage as hee that promiseth tenne peeces of siluer and performeth twenty peeces of Gold or hee that promiseth a yard of cloath and giueth an ell of Veluet doeth not breake his promise or falsifie his word Thirdly as God is rich in grace so hee is Reason 3 infinite in power he is able to doe what hee will and more then he will Nothing is vnpossible vnto him he hath all creatures in his own hand to employ theÌ„ as it pleaseth him This is the reason vsed by the apostle Eph. 3 20. Vnto him that is able to do exceeding aboundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in vs bee praise in the Church by Iesus Christ c. If then he be able to giue vs more then wee craue or desire wee are not to doubt of his doing of it and wee haue all of vs many notable experiences of it Let vs come to the Vses and marke them Vse 1 diligently First let vs not bee dismayed vnder the Crosse but assure our selues of a good end and of an happy issue It is the cup which we must all drinke of in one kinde or in another Let vs not sinke downe vnder it but lay holde on this principle and fasten our hearts vppon the doctrine with which wee deale as on an Anchor cast out of the ship to stay vs assuring our selues that God will bee gracious vnto vs his mercy shal superabouÌ„d so that we shall bee more then Conquerors One affliction followeth another as one waue of the Sea rouleth after another as Psal 42. verse 7. One deepe calleth another deepe by the noise of thy water spouts all thy waues and thy flouds are gone ouer mee And in the 66. psalme the 10 11 12. vers Thou O God hast prooued vs thou hast tried vs as siluer is tryed thou hast brought vs into the net thou layedst affliction vpon our loines thou hast caused men to ride ouer our heads we went through fire and through water but thou broughtst vs out into a wealthy place Nothing therefore shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord who hath promised vs that he will not leaue vs nor forsake vs. This promise we are to lay hold vpon by faith that hee is able and willing to performe it and that he wil be better vnto vs then his word We cannot beleeue too much concerning God we neede not feare to hope too farre of his mercy True it is wee oftentimes presume too farre of the kindnesse of men and so are deceiued of our expectation we promise to our selues much when we goe away empty It is not so with God There is no sinne greater then infidelity when hee speaketh not to heare when hee promiseth not to beleeue which he suffereth not to go vnpunished If you call his worde into question which is passed out of his mouth you call his nature and being in question you 〈◊〉 in effect doubt whether he bee God or not yea whether there be a God or not The Prince that heard the word of the Lord sent in mercy during the famine in Israel and the siege of Samaria 2 King 7 1. â—ings 7 1. To morrow this time a Measure of fine floure shall be solde for a shekell and two measures of Barley for a shekell in the gate of Samaria did not beleeue it because such was their miserie that it seemed not onely strange but impossible vnto them that there should be such plenty and aboundance at a sodaine and no meanes appeare how or which way it should be done and therefore saide verse 2. Though the Lorde would make windowes in the heauen could this thing come to passe But what followed The Prophet denounced against him that hee should see the trueth of it with his eyes but he should not eate thereof and the Lord executed this sentence and let nothing of that which he had saide fall to the ground for the people trod vpon him in the gate hee hauing the ouer-sight of the businesse committed
so deuout in prayer that euerie day they were mindfull of their owne dutie towarde him and of his mercy toward them so that sometimes at midnight they rose vppe and sometimes both euening and morning and at noone they praied vnto him and hee did heare their voyce as in the 55. Psalme and the 17. verse and Psalme 119. Dan. 6. Lastly seeing God aboundeth in grace Vse 3 and goodnesse aboue our desires it is our dutie to render vnto him againe the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing For how shall we receiue such vnspeakeable kindnesse and not giue him the glorie Or how shall he open his hands in so liberall and large a manner and we shut our mouthes against him If he be so gracious to remember vs how shall we be so vnmindefull and vnthankefull vnto him This vse is concluded by the Apostle Ephes chap. 3. ver 20 21. hauing shewed that God is able to doe exceeding abundantly aboue all that we either aske or thinke he addeth in the next words To him bee praise in the Church by Christ Iesus throughout all generations for-euer Amen If we would diligently consider what God hath done for vs wee shall bee compelled to confesse that GOD hath many times preuented vs with his liberall blessings and that hee hath bene mercicifull towards vs aboue all that wee are able to craue or conceiue What then Shall wee do nothing to him againe True it is we liue not in a giuing age we are hand fast and loue not to part with any thing Do wee so reward the Lord Shall wee receiue all good things at his handes and returne nothing to him againe Shall wee finde him better to vs then we desire and shall he find vs worse then he deserueth at our handes Let vs therefore giue him praise for his vnspeakeable and vnsearchable mercies let his name be glorified in the Church by vs. Hee sheweth his power especially in the Church by worke and word and therefore it is great reason hee should receiue praise in his church Hence it is that the Prophet saith In Iudah is God knowne his name is great in Israel Psal â—6 1 2 3 and â—â— 2 â—â— in Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion there brake hee the arrowes of the bow the sword and the shielde and the battell Heere then he teacheth vs that God maketh his name glorious and famous But where In Iudah His name is great But where In Israel and that because he wroght a marueilous worke in ouerthrowing the army of Senacherib which threatned destruction to the Church but it was destroyed it selfe To this purpose wee reade in another psalme Sing forth the glory of his name make his praise glorious say vnto God how terrible art thou in thy workes through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies bee in subiection vnto thee The like we might say of the worde of God as it is Psal 147 19 20. Hee sheweth his word vnto Iacob his statutes and iudgements vnto Israel he hath not dealt so with euery Nation neyther haue they knowne his iudgements and in another place he teacheth Psalme 138 2 that he had magnified his name aboue all things by his word Let this then stand as a firme principle that God because he sheweth himselfe diuers waies in his Church to wit by his word and workes is therefore to bee glorified and honoured especially in it Hee is gracious indeede to all mankinde howbeit he blesseth no persons in comparison of the members of his Church so that he is to be praised in no places among no persons so much as in his Church according to that saying of the Psalmist Psal 65 1 2. Praise waiteth for thee O God in Sion vnto thee shall all flesh come Now God may bee saide to be glorified in the church two waies God is glorified two wayes first priuately secondly publiquely Priuately when euery man seuerally and apart by himselfe doth serue him and worship him and set forth his praise For we do receiue euery priuate man of vs seuerall blessings and benefites not common to others these wee are to acknowledge particularly and priuately and GOD accepteth this seruice at our hands Publikely when wee meete in the assembly and congregation of the faithfull that are fellow members of the same bodie that so hee may receiue praise by the mouths of many witnesses Doubtlesse God alloweth the former and hee is delighted with the priuate sacrifice of euery one and accepteth the calues of our lippes but especially hee is well pleased with the publike prayers and praises that are performed by many This did Dauid promise to giue vnto GOD because hee had not a greater to promise or to performe Psalme 22 23. In the middest of the congregation I will praise thee True it is God standeth not in neede of our praises neyther gaineth any thing to himselfe thereby which hee had not before For as euery beast of the Forrest is his and the cattle on a thousand mountaines Psal 50 10. so wee can yeelde him nothing but it must first proceede from him and bee giuen vnto vs. Hee is perfect of himselfe and needeth no supply from vs for what can the begger that hath nothing giue to the King that hath all in his power Neuerthelesse hee is delighted in our obedience to his will and well pleased with our performance of that which he requireth We must therefore acknowledge our selues vnworthy of the least of his mercies wee deserue not one bit of bread or one droppe of wateâ— In him wee liue and moue and haue our being The Land of Canaan was giuen to the Israelites of mercy not of merit because hee loued them not because they loued him not thorough their godlinesse and goodnesse but through the wickednesse of the nations The Lord is our righteousnesse Ierem. â—â— â— Ephe. â—â— â— and he hath made vs accepted vnto his Father Wee are of our selues wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked wee are not able so much as to thinke one good thought There is nothing due to vs but shame and confusion yet such is Gods grace goodnes toward vs that where sin hath abounded his mercie hath abounded much more If we aske of him garments to couer our nakednesse he will beside them decke vs with Ornaments and cloath vs with broidred work and attire vs in siluer and gold he will put bracelets on our hands a chaine about our necke a Iewell on our forhead earings in our ears a beautiful crown vpon our heads If wee aske of him bread to eate he wil together with it giue vs wine to comfort the heart and oyle to make vs haue a cheerefull countenance so that wee shall eate fine floure and honie Ezekiel 16 13. He is like vnto Iael that entertained Sisera he asked water and she gaue him milke she broght forth Butter in a Lorldly dish Iudg. 4 19. and 5 25. We
God from the example of Christ and from the practise of the Apostles their hypocrisie is made open and euident to all they can now no longer hide it They teach and maintaine that heretical Princes especially being excommunicated shold not be obeyed Thus they blanch the matter whereas Paul taught and practised obedience for conscience sake Rom 13.2 5. and that such as resist purchase to themselues iudgement Vse 3 Thirdly we are to iudge no otherwise of all such as transgresse the Law of God whatsoeuer their allegations be How many men are there that thinke euen grosse and palpable sinnes to be no sinnes at all because they can blanch and colour them ouer How many thinke to excuse their ignorance as if it were no euill at all why is there no more store of knowlege in our dayes among masters and seruants why so much store of blindnesse in the matters of God O say they We are dull and forgetfull we haue our callings to follow we must prouide for wife and children This is a wilfull ignorance this shall excuse no man Such can finde and take time enough for the world but they lacke time to lay a good and sure foundation for the world to come Some pretend their age and infirmity which hinder them from comming so often to the house of God But many of them haue resorted no better to it in their youth and as yet they haue strength enough also to walke farther for their pleasure God knoweth their hypocrisie that they are able to doe more in ciuill things It is a common practise in the common sort to pray for the dead God bee with him the Lord rest his soule God haue mercy on him God send him a ioyfull resurrection and such like What say these ignorant persons this testifieth our loue and our charity This is a blanching of the matter and the casting of a new paint vpon a rotten post For who are these that pray for the dead but such as neuer prayed for them being aliue nay doe not indeed know which way to pray When the Scripture taxeth shewes of hypocrisie and reprooueth priuate prayers in publike places they haue their answere ready they doe it to stirre vp to deuotion and to fill and prepare themselues to performe holy duties 1 Cor. 11.21 22. Yea but this ought to be done at home priuate places are appointed for priuate actions and publike for such as are publike They kneele downe to their owne deuotions that sildome or neuer pray at home and haue no care to prepare themselues priuately before they come whereas GOD knoweth and man knoweth and the Minister knoweth that these men that are so deuoute at priuate prayer in open places sit most prophanely most vnreuerently and vnseemely at publike prayers Touching the Sabbath day it is notoriously knowne what blanches they haue to couer their vile blemishes or rather their sores as that a man may learne as much at one Sermon in the forenoone as he can wel meditate vpon in the afternoone and practise all the rest of the weeke O how doe these deceiue themselues God knoweth the heart of these hypocrites It is not the care they haue of meditation and practise that causeth them to speake this for how doe they spend that time but in pleasure and vanity So for the Sacraments they say they cannot come to communicate because they are not in charity with their neighbours they are not prepared as they ought to be Thus they thinke to creepe away in the darke and to bee holden excused But this is to excuse one sinne with another and to adde sinne vnto sinne Lastly this must teach vs on the contrary Vse 4 that we must not colour our actions like hypocrites and pretend to iustifie our selues when we know they are euill This is a signe of an euill heart and of a guilty conscience this is no better then to binde two euils together in one bundle first to dare them to doe euill and then to colour it And this latter is worse then the former it sheweth lesse grace and more corruption God cannot be deceiued by any pretence cunningly contriued though man may be because our most secret actions and imaginations are manifest before him This prouoketh Gods wrath the more and when we must appeare before his righteous iudgement all things shall appeare as they are and all colourable pretences shall vanish away as smoake and all things shall appeare as they are indeed God is a perfect light he dwelleth in light that none can attaine vnto 1 Tim. 6.16 and yet if he bee not light enough hee will take other lights to helpe him and search Ierusalem with candles that hee may punish the men that are setled on their lees that say in their hearts The Lord will not doe good neither will he doe euill Zephan 1.12 Then certainely he will discouer all euen the secret parts of thy heart which now thou goest about to hide and conceale Then he will make vs know that he knew all things which are written in this booke of remembrance 4 And when Moses heard it hee fell vpon his face 5 And he spake vnto Korah and vnto all his company saying Euen to morrow the Lord will shew who are his and who is holy and will cause him to come neere vnto him euen him whom hee hath chosen will hee cause to come neere vnto him 6 This doe Take your censers Korah and all his company 7 And put fire therein and put incense in them before the Lord to morrow and the man whom the Lord doth chuse the same shall be holy Ye take too much vpon you ye sonnes of Leui. Heere beginneth the proceeding against these seditious first by Moses and then by God himselfe The Lord first setteth his Ministers on worke to deale with this people if that will not serue then he will take the cause into his owne hand First Moses fell on his face a common gesture vsed in prayer thereby no doubt making supplication to God to appease the multitude Then hee turneth his speech to Korah and appealeth to the iust iudgement of God that it would please him to decide the question whom he had chosen to bee his Priests as Eliah did 1 King 18.24 in their halting betweene two opinions Then in the end he returneth their false accusation iustly vpon their owne heads and sheweth that hee was not afraide of their faces they had said to Moses and Aaron Ye take too much vpon you seeing all the Congregation are holy he payeth them home in their owne language Ye take too much vpon you ye sonnes of Leui Heere Moses setteth forth the dignity of the Ministery that there is a speciall couenant and agreement betweene God and his Ministers â—ctrine The doctrine It is a speciall fauour that God maketh a couenant with his Church â—e Miniâ—rs are in â—ciall grace 〈◊〉 fauour 〈◊〉 God that they shall bee a precious people in his sight
peace dwelled in our houses possessed our inheritances enioyed our lands and goods thus long but for the faithfull seruants of God who mind the peace of Sion Doubtlesse he would not spare the world one minute and moment of time but for the godly Hee would haue spared the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha 〈◊〉 18.32 if ten righteous persons had bin found in them For the faiths sake of Rahah who hid the spies and sent them out another way 〈◊〉 26. hee spared her kindred and her fathers house For the faith of Lot whose righteous soule was vexed day by day in seeing and hearing the vnclean conuersation of those sinfull men he would haue saued his sonnes in law 〈◊〉 12 that should haue married his daughters For Pauls sake a chosen vessel to beare the Name of God to the Gentiles he gaue freely those that sailed with him and saued their liues 〈◊〉 â—4 Thus wee see that for the godly he beareth with the vngodly but when they are safe and sealed in the forehead then iudgement shall come vpon the wicked Contrariwise a nation a cittie a towne an house and family is cursed for the society and company of the wicked The Israelites could not prosper at the siege of Ai so long as Achan was among them The Sea could not be calme the ship could not be safe the Marriners could not be at rest so long as vnrepentant and vnreformed Ionah was a burden vnto it for he said vnto them Take me and cast me into the Sea so shall the waues worke no more so troublesomely for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you Wherefore it is a sweet and comfortable thing to bee in the number of the faithfull wee haue benefite by the prayers of the Church which pierce the eares of God and bring downe his blessings in great aboundance Verse 8. And the Lord said vnto Moses Make thee a fiery serpent We heard before how the people repented of their sinnes and how Moses prayed for pardon Now see how God remooueth his hand Psal 103.9 He will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer hee doth not deale with vs after our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our iniquities Indeed he sheweth oftentimes his seuere iudgments but so soone as the sinner is humbled hee receiueth him to mercy the sinne is pardoned and the punishment is remooued Doctrine God is merciful to greeuous sinners when they are penitent The doctrine from hence is this that God is mercifull to all penitent sinners Repentance once going before mercy followeth after albeit we sinne greeuously against him This the Prophet teacheth in the Name of God Esay 1.18 Ezek. 18.21 22 23. and 33.11 Dauid sinned exceedingly in numbring the people for which God sent a pestilence three dayes in Israel that many thousands dyed yet when his heart smote him that he said I haue sinned exceedingly 2 Sa. 24 17.18 1 Chr. 21.15 17. I haue done wickedly but these sheep what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee bee against mee and against my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction the Lord repented him of the euill and said to the Angel that destroyed It is enough let thine hand ceasse Let vs consider the reasons of Gods merciful Reason 1 dealing which are first the comfort and releefe of his people that none should to the end of the world despaire of obtaining of mercy For the mercy of God in Christ is aboue all his workes which he extendeth to thousands it is infinite without measure Hee pardoneth such offenders to make them examples to others of Gods great mercy hee receiueth them to fauour and remitteth their offences not onely to manifest his mercy to the offender himselfe but to teach others to resort and repaire vnto him for pardon and forgiuenesse When the Prophet testifieth that by acknowledging his sinne vnto God and confessing his wickednesse against himself he obtained the remission of his sinne and punishment of sinne he addeth immediately Therefore shall euery one that is godly Psal 32.5 6. make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest bee found This is the reason that the Apostle toucheth 1 Tim. 1. teaching that he was receiued to mercy for this cause That Iesus Christ shold first shew on him all long suffering vnto the example of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life So then from these and such like examples of great sinners that haue obtained much mercy we likewise should be assured of the goodnesse of God for our saluation whensoeuer wee can bee brought to beleeue the Gospel repent from dead works Secondly the consideration of the nature Reason 2 of God ministreth a strong and inuincible reason to gaine our affections to yeeld to this truth For his mercy is aboundant and his goodnesse is infinite It surmounteth the reach and vnderstanding of all mortall men It passeth the highnesse of the heauens the depth of the earth the breadth of the Sea the power of the diuel the strength of the Law the measure of the whole world and nothing can be compared with the perfections of the Almighty Iob 11.7 8 9. Paul who before his conuersion to the faith which he sought to destroy was a blasphemer a Persecuter an oppresser maketh this the cause why he was receiued to mercy The grace of our Lord was exceeding aboundant with faith and loue 1 Tim. 1.14 which is in Christ Iesus that is giuing vnto me faith that chased away infidelity and loue that ouercame cruelty So the Lord maketh this the chiefe and principall cause why he spared that rebellious and idolatrous people The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth forgiuing iniquity transgression and sinne Vse 1 The vses follow of this doctrine First we learne that there is no sinne that doth exceed the mercy of God None can say without iniury against his owne soule without reproach against God and giuing the lie to the glorious Maiestie of God My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen True it is there is an vnpardonable sinne Mat 12.31 that shall neuer bee forgiuen either in this world or in the world to come the blasphemy against the Spirit but that is because they cannot relent or repent that commit it they are so farre gone that they can neuer returne backe againe not because God is not able to forgiue it or that it doth exceed the mercies of God Seeing then vile sinners finde such infinite and vnspeakeable mercie let vs neuer despaire or doubt of his mercy fauor though we be suddenly ouertaken through infirmitie and fall into diuers and greeuous sinnes He hath mercy in store for such as haue beene exceeding sinners against him If they can repent of their sinnes his mercies are as great as himselfe Consider the examples of Peter that denyed
body Thirdly in this Type we see the nature of Vse 3 the Sacraments The brazen serpent in it selfe had no operation to work any thing in it selfe it had no vertue to cure or recouer any man of any disease The Sacraments of themselus cannot conferre grace onely they are instruments of Gods mercies which he vseth of his goodnesse toward vs to conuey to vs good things They are as the Kings gracious pardon that sealeth vp vnto vs forgiuenesse of sins so that being by his institution very auaileable wee must frequent thē with a feeling of our wants with reuerence of his ordinances with hungring after his graces with calling vpon his Name to fit and prepare vs to that heauenly worke God could haue healed his people with his word alone without the serpent as well as with the serpent as the Centurion confesseth to Christ Speake the word onely Math. ◠◠and my seruant shall be healed yet he addeth the serpent set vpon a pole for farther assurance of his word and to be a signe of their recouery so God can saue by the Ministery of his word without the Sacraments if it please him yet he addeth and annexeth them as appurtenances to the word to confirme the weaknesse of our faith and to make good the truth of his owne promise And as it was not enough for them to beleeue the word of God to the curing of their bodies the taking away of the stinging of the serpents vnlesse they vsed the helpe of the brazen serpent no more is it sufficient for vs to beleeue the forgiuenesse of sins by Christ vnlesse we labour to strengthen our faith by the Sacraments Nay if any wold not vouchsafe to looke vpon the Serpent being the meanes that God ordained for their recouery it is certaine they regarded not the word of God it selfe that they should liue so if any contemne or neglect the Sacraments being holy seales of heauenly blessings they are plainely conuinced to their faces that they respect not the word it selfe whatsoeuer they pretend to the contrary notwithstanding This we see in Ahaz who neglecting a signe offered vnto him for the better strengthening of his faith is said to tempt God and to despise his word Esay 7 12. The naturall reason of man would neuer beleeue that he should be healed by a serpent of brasse hauing no vertue or vigour in it so carnall wisedome and vnderstanding cannot discerne how a little water sprinkled on the body should be the lauer of regeneration or how a small cantle of bread should bring and conuey vnto vs the body of Christ or a little wine offer and exhibite vnto vs the blood of Christ So that as in this bodily cure both their eye did behold it and their faith did beleeue in like manner in the Sacraments we must shut the eyes of our carnall reason and open the eyes of faith beleeue his word and we shall be comforted For euery man doth in them receiue through the promise of God so much as he beleeueth he receiueth This Christ assureth to the woman of Canaan who had shewed an vndaunted and inuincible faith taking no repulses ouerstriding all difficulties refusing all denials and striuing against all doubts that might arise in her heart saying O woman great is thy faith be it to thee as thou desirest Mat. 15 28. So when two blinde men followed him crying saying O sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs he saide vnto them Beleeue ye that I am able to doe this and when they answered Yea Lord hee touched their eyes saying According to your faith be it vnto you Mat. 9 29. Moreouer albeit the Serpent restored life yet was not life present and inherent in the brazen serpent neither abiding in the matter or resting in the forme thereof so albeit Christ be offered and signified yea conueyed and conferred vnto vs in the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper yet he is not carnally and corporally present nor carnally and corporally eaten as the Capernaites imagined ◠60.66 but he is spiritual meat for spirituall men the rest eate the outward signes but are not partakers of the thing signified Thus we see how the consideration of the similitude of the brazen serpent directeth vs in sundry conclusions to be holden and acknowledged touching the Doctrine of the Sacraments of the new Testament Fourthly this present type teacheth vs that Vse 4 we are iustified by faith alone without the works of the Law For as the Israelites stung of these serpents were cured so are we saued as health was offered by the serpent so is saluation by Christ But the Israelites did nothing at all but onely looke vp to the brazen serpent they were not willed to make satisfaction for their rebellion or to goe on pilgrimage nor so much as to dresse and binde vp their wounds but only to behold the serpent set vpon the pole as Christ saith to the Ruler of the Synagogue touching the healing of his daughter Feare not onely beleeue Mar. 5 36 so is it in the saluing of the sores of the soule in the attaining pardon of our sins and obtaining the righteousnesse of Christ There is required nothing of vs touching our iustification and saluation but to fixe the eyes of our faith vpon Christ True it is many other vertues and graces are required to make vp the full perfection of a christian man that he may be complete wanting nothing yet he is iustified and doth stand as righteous in the sight of God by faith onely It is a great weighty controuersie in these daies betweene the Church of Rome and vs what is the cause of life and saluation they ascribe the cause of saluation in part to the merit of our own works and to a righteousnesse inherent in our owne persons and in part likewise to Christ who say they hath made vs able to merit the fauour of God and to satisfie for our own sins We ascribe all our saluation to the mercy of God and the merite of Christ wholly applied to vs by a liuely faith the which manner of sauing vs most fitly agreeth to the nature of God the chiefe Fountaine of our saluation who can abide no pollution neither can any wickednesse stand in his presence who is of pure eyes requireth our perfect obedience so that wanting the perfect righteousnesse of the Law of our owne wee must bee cloathed with the righteousnesse of another whereby we may be saued Euen as Iacob though hee were not by birth the first borne Ambr. de Iacob lib. 2. cap. 1. yet hiding himselfe vnder his brothers garments and hauing put on his coate which smelled most sweetly came into his fathers presence that vnder another mans person he might receiue the blessing of the first borne so is it necessary that we lye hid vnder the precious purenesse of Christ our elder brother that hauing the sweet sauour of his garments our sinnes may be couered with
to be annointed So then we haue heere in this attribute a testimony of the constancy of God Doctrine God is vnchangeably true in al hi◠waies words and works From hence we learne that God is vnchangable infallible faithfull true in al his waies words and works His decrees are immutable and irreuocable and without shew or shadow of turning This is that which the Lord claimeth and challengeth to himselfe I am the Lord Mal. 3 6. I change not I am God and there is none other God there is nothing like me My counsell shall stand and I will do whatsoeuer I will So the Prophet speaketh in the Psalme 105 7 8 10. He is the Lord our God his iudgements are thorough all the earth he hath alway remembred his couenant and promise that hee made to a thousand generations and since hath confirmed it to Iacob for a Law and to Israel for an euerlasting Couenant To this purpose the Apostle saith The guifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11 29. By all these places we see this truth plainly proued vnto vs that God is vnchangeable in his mercy and goodnes toward his Church and Children Reason 1 The Reasons follow to be considered First he is not like vnto man his wayes are not like mans wayes nor his thoughts like vnto mans thoughts but as farre as Heauen is distant from the Earth so farre are the works of God from ours We know by experience the changeable nature of man of whom the Scripture sayth All men are lyars Psal 116 11. He is ready to say and vnsay to affirme and deny with one breath He is constant to day he changeth to morrow He loueth one day and hateth another The people that receiued Christ with great ioy when he rode to Ierusalem not long after cryed out Crucifie him crucifie him It is not so with God whose mercy endureth for euer he falsifieth not his truth neyther altreth the thing that is gone out of his mouth Hee giueth liberally vnto all Iam. 1.5 and reprocheth no man Reason 2 Secondly his loue and mercy to his people is not changeable as the Moone vnconstant as the winde floating as the sea vncertaine as the weather but stable as the earth that cannot be moued out of his place and stedfast as Mount Sion that remaineth for euer Psal 125.1 This will plainly appeare vnto vs if we consider the similitudes and comparisons whereby it is expressed His loue is like to the Couenant of waters as sure as the promise that he made to Noah that the waters should no more ouerflow the whole earth as the Prophet Esay teacheth chap. 54 7 8 9. Reason 3 Againe his goodnesse is as the ordinance of God that hath set an order for Summer Winter for day and night for seed-time and haruest for cold and heat which shall not bee changed therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet If thou can breake my couenant of the day and my couenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may my couenant be broken with Dauid my seruant Ier. 31 35 and 33 20. Nay his mercy is saide to bee more stable then the Mountaines for they shall remoue and the hils shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shal the couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath cōpassion on thee Esay 54 10. We see the loue of mothers is tender full of pitty toward their children who bare thē in her womb brought them into the world nourished them with her breasts and refused no base seruice for theyr good yet the Lord saith Can a woman forget her childe and not haue compassion on the sonne of her wombe Though they forget yet will not I forget thee Esay 49 15. Seeing therfore that God is not like to the sonnes of men and seeing his louing kindnesse is firmer then the waters of Noah surer then the couenant of the day faster then the foundation of the Mountaines and stronger thē the loue of mothers toward their children we may conclude that the stablenes of his counsels are as the Pillars of the earth that cannot be shaken and the changeablenes of his goodnesse as the standing Rockes that cannot be remoued Now let vs come to the vses of this Doctrine Vse 1 First heereby we learne that God is to be preferred before all creatures They are changeable and subiect to alteration which agreeth not with the nature of God True it is God hath highly honoured and aduanced man aboue the rest of the works of his hands he made him a little inferiour to the Angels crowned him with glory dignity Ps 8 5 Heb. 2 7. he hath made him Ruler ouer the earth put all things in subiection vnder his feet yet he is subiect to mutability and mortality and must returne vnto the earth out of which hee was taken Great is the excellency of the heauens and the stars yet they shall be changed deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God But with God is no change neyther any alteration with the Almighty who remaineth one the same for euer This difference betweene the Creator and the creature betweene God and the works of God the Prophet teacheth Thou Lord hast in the beginning established the Earth Psal 102 with He◠the Heauens are the works of thine hands They shall perish but thou shalt remaine and they all shal waxe old as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou fold them vp and they shall be changed but thou art the same thy yeares shal not faile Thus we must magnifie the Lord aboue all creatures that are weake and fraile and acknowledge a great difference betweene the infinite and incomprehensible Maiesty of God subiect to no change at all but remaining the same for euer and the creatures of God subiect to vanity misery Vse 2 Secondly we may from hence assure our selues that God will make vs vnchangeable like himselfe and we may reioyce in the comfort of this his fauour For seeing his nature is vnchangeable and altereth not he will make vs in our measure partakers of immortality when this corruptible shall put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15 53 this weake shall put on power and death be swallowed vp in victory we shall be like the Angels of God nay be transformed into the liuely Image of God to reigne with him in euerlasting glory This is a great comfort vnto vs in these dayes of sorrow to consider that the time will come when our state shall be changed and we continue for euer without change Heere we are subiect to many turnings and returnings but after this life shall be no more place for changing our happines shall be vnchangeable and firmly established with God This the Prophet sets downe Psal 16 12. In thy presence is fulnesse of
There is no way to turne away his wrath from them and their kingdomes but by turning vnto God and by entreating him to spare them As their places are great so their sinnes are great and many times draw many to follow after them If they would blot out their offences against GOD and call in his iudgments gone out against them they must shew their subiection to him and giue him the reuerence that is due to his holy Name Lastly our trust must not bee in man our Vse 3 confidence must not be in Princes who cannot deliuer their owne soules from the sentence of death nor discharge themselues of the punishment which they haue deserued much lesse can they giue safety and assurance vnto others This is that duty which the Prophet Esay concludeth in the second and third chapters of his Prophecy where threatning that God will take away from Ierusalem and from Iudah the stâ—y and the strength the strong man and the man of warre the Iudge and the Prophet the prudent and the aged the captaine of fifty and the honourable and the counseller and the eloquent man hee sayth Cease from the man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be esteemed Esay 2.21 3 1 2 3. Whereby we see that we must not put our trust in weake man nor ralye vppon him to be our defence but put our whole trust in God alone Hee that putteth confidence in him shall be blessed and bee like the tree planted by the riuers side Ier. 17 7 whatsoeuer changes and alterations others do find in the world hee shall continue in a fruitfull and flourishing condition The staying of our selues on mans power ariseth from the forgetfulnesse of our duty toward GOD who hath commanded vs to trust in him with all our heart Prou. 3 5 and hath promised that If we stay vpon him he will giue vs our hearts desire Psal 37 4. This trust we shall attayne vnto if we vse these means the meditation of mans weakenesse that cannot helpe vs the consideration of Gods power that is able to strengthen vs and the experience of his mercy that hath deliuered other of his children from great afflictions If these things as helpes to our faith bee laide vp in our hearts wee shall bee assured to build vpon a good and certaine foundation that shal neuer be remoued Verse 5 Then Moses saide to the Iudges of Israel Euery one slay his men that were ioyned vnto Baal-peor The wrath of God was so fierce against â—hose that sinned that he commanded them to be destroyed To this end wee see Moses as the chiefe Magistrate taketh order that the guilty should not be suffered to Lue but suffer punishment according to their offences From hence ariseth this doctrine Doctrine Magistrates must punish Maiefactors that Magistrats are appointed of God to gouerne mankind in the ciuill affaires of this life to be the hand of GOD for punishing and cutting off the wicked and for the supporting and maintayning of the godly It is the duty of Magistrates to doe Iustice vpon euill doers and to giue comfort and countenance to the faithfull This is it which Dauid promised vnto God when hee should bring him vnto the kingdome and set him vpon the throne I will sing mercy and iudgment vnto thee O Lord will I sing Psal 101 1. This is the charge that hee giueth to Salomon his sonne concerning diuers men as appeareth 1. Kings â— 6 for he telleth him hee should remember the bloud of battell that Ioab shed in peace and therefore not suffer his hoare head to goe downe to the grâ—ue in peace The like direction he giueth him to shew kindnesse vnto the sonnes of Barzillai the Gileadite and to let him be amongst them that eate at his table because they came vnto him when hee fled from Absolom This direction did Salomon precisely follow he slew Ioab Shemei and Adoniah and set vp godly men in the places of such as were remoued from their offices being more able then his father was All the precepts that are giuen vnto them to execute iustice tend directly to this point whosoeuer sheddeth mans blood must not be spared but haâ—e his blood shed by the Magistrate Gen. 9.6 If a man sayth Moses cause any blemish in his neighbour as he hath done so shall it bee done to him breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth such a blemish as he hath made in any such shall be repayed to him Leuit. 24 19. These examples and precepts serue to teach vs this truth that the end of Magistrates appointed of God ouer his people is not to rule as they list not to be idle and doe nothing not to tyrannize or to be highly accounted of not to lift vp their hearts or to please themselues in the titles of honour giuen vnto them but to doe good in helping the good and punishing the euill Reason 1 The reasons to enforce this doctrine are to be weighed considered First they haue to these ends and purposes the sword of Iustice committed vnto them not to let it rust in the scabberd but to remooue all such as the land for their outragiousnesse is not able to beare For when they grow obstinate in their sinnes enemies to God plagues to the godly burdens to the earth and an infection to all with whom they liue they must be cut off as rotten members swept away as filthy dung and purged as euill humours out of the body This is it which the Apostle teacheth in his Epistle to the Romanes There is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God he is the Minister of God for thy wealth beareth not the sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth euill Rom. 13 4. So then they are Gods Lieutenants in his stead the iudgement is Gods and not mans For there is no iniquity with the Lord our God neither respect of persons nor receiuing of reward 2. Chro. 19 7. Deut. 1.16 17 so that it is required of them to heare the controuersies that come be-fore them indifferently to iudge righteously to heate the small as well as the great and not to stand in feare of the faces of men Reason 3 Secondly they are as bulwarks of brasse as wals of defence as maintayners of peace among men For albeit men be of one self same nature yet they cannot abide one another vnlesse they be held in as with a bit and bridle Wolues know one another in the woods the Lyons know one anothet in the forrests so doe other wild and sauage beasts in the fields but men haue such a corrupt and sauage nature that hardly they can loue another or suffer the company one of another vnlesse they had rulers Magistrates set ouer them This the Apostle teacheth He is the Minister of God for thy wealth Rom. 13 4. And the Apostle Peter Hee is sent for
Manna as a light meate he smote them with an exceeding great plague he slew the strongest of them and smote downe the chosen men of Israel so that the name of the place was called The graues of lust beecause there they buried the people that fel a lusting Numb 11.33 When Corah Dathan Abiram rose vp against Moses backed with certaine Captaines famous in the congregation and men of renowne they were swallowed vp of the earth and consumed with fire and on the morrow when the multitude murmured against Moses and Aaron saying Ye haue killed the people of the Lord Numb 16 41 49. hee sent a plague amongst them that quickely wasted consumed fourteene thousand and seuen hundreth besides them that dyed in the conspiracie of Korah When Dauid had sinned in numbering of the people and in glorying in his owne strength 2 Sam. 24 15 the Lord sent a pestilence in Israel and there dyed of the people from Dan to Beersheba seuenty thousand men The Apostle Iude produceth sundry examples to this purpose of the Angels that are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darknes vnto the iudgement of the great day of the Israelites who albeit they were deliuered out of Egypt yet were afterward destroyed beecause they beleeued not â—â—de 6 5. of those vngodly meÌ„ that turned the grace of God into wantonnesse and are ordained to condemnation The truth heere of shal more fully and wonderfully appeare in the day of iudgement when iustice onely shall bee executed and the Lord shew himselfe to the wicked onely as a terrible Iudge He shall come from heauen with al his mighty Angels with a great shout and with the Trumpet of God To render vengeance vnto them which know not God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power 2 Thess 1 9. Then they shall say vnto the mountaines and rocks fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand Reuel 6 16. And to the end no doubt hereof should remaine Reason 1 in vs let vs consider the reasons The anger of God is as himselfe is infinite and without end so that nothing is able to stand before him This is it which the Prophet Dauid teacheth Psal 90 11. Who knoweth the power of thy wrath or of thine anger according to thy feare As if he should say when thine hand is any way heauy vpon vs no man standeth in awe of thine indignation and fearfull displeasure so much as thou and thine anger ought to be feared of vs. Heereunto accordeth the saying of the Prophet Nah. 1 5 6 The mountaines tremble for him and the hils melt and the earth is burnt at his sight yea the world and all that dwell therein who can stand before his wrath or who can abide in the fiercenesse of his wrath his wrath is poured out like fire and the rocks are broken by him If then his wrath be infinite without limitation of time without circumscription of place and without respect of person so that the heauens melt the mountaines are dissolued and the foundations of the earth are discouered it must needs be that when hee is moâ—ued his wrath is very full of rage and reuenge Secondly we must needs hold that plenty Reason 2 of desolation is made in the earth in the wrath of God if we consider the comparisons wherby it is expressed It is compared sometime to the roaring of a Lion which maketh all the beasts of the forrest to tremble It is a fearfull voice it maketh man and beast to stand in feare This the Prophet Amos expresseth The Lyon hath roared who will not bee afraide the Lord GOD hath spoken who can but prophesie Amos 3.4 8. Sometimes it is compared to a violent fire that spreadeth it selfe farre and neere This Moses did teach the people when he willed them to take heede to themselues lest they forgaâ—e the Couenant of the Lord their God and make to themselues any grauen image saying The Lord thy God is a consuming fire and a iealous God Deut. 4 24. 9 3. fire we know is fierce and fearfull wasting and deuouring al things before it so that nothing is able to resist the strength and force thereof VVe say in a common Prouerbe that fire and water are without mercy They are of an vntamed nature euen so is the displeasure of almighty God being prouoked by sinne intollerable vnspeakable vnsearchable without limitation of time of quantity or quality and therefore hee must needes bee armed with great wrath kindled against the vngodly Vse 1 The vses of this doctrine are very many but wee will stand onely vpon the principall First wee may conclude that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of so mighty a God It is extreme madnesse for any man to set himselfe against such a God Who is able to preuaile that hath him his enemy Take heed therefore God will not be mocked Are we stronger then he that wee should fight against him This is the vse which the Apostle maketh in the Epistle to the Hebrewes We know him that hath said Vengeance is mine I will recompence Hebr. 10 30 31 and againe The Lord shall iudge his people It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing GOD. There is no iesting nor dallying with so fearefull and dreadfull a Maiesty who is so great in power glorious in holinesse fearefull in praises terrible in his anger and iust in all his doings Exod 15 11. The heauens and the heauens of heauens together with the earth and all the compasse of the world are not able to beare the least sparke of his displeasure when it is kindled the flame whereof shall burne vp the wicked and shall we play with him in his anger as with a little childe Alas then what shall become of the wretched soules of wicked and damnable men when his wrath shall smoke against them and the whole viole of his fury shall be powred downe vpon them O how miserable shall their anguish and tribulation be and how infinite and vnmeasurable theyr torment which shall be thus plagued condemned and cursed of the Lord what shall become of swearers drunkards whoremongers and such like in the day of the Lords wrath They shall wish that they had neuer bin borne Mat. 26 24 they shall thinke it a benefite if they had beene borne toades And if they could behold at the least in these their dayes but a shadow of the misery that remayneth for them and of the pit of destruction that gapeth for them it were sufficient to swallow them vp in heauinesse and make them euen dissolue themselues into teares and torments as passing all that can be spoken or thought thereof but now
executing iudgement vpon the offenders and euill dooers which brought a greeuous plague vpon the people His spirit was stirred within him beeing first stirred by the Spirit of God which mooued him to take a speare and to thrust thorow the adulterer and adulteresse Now wee shall see the recompence of reward that was giuen vnto him for that worke which was acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto his people He hath a couenant of peace made with him the Priesthood confirmed vnto him and his posteritie He onely had appeased the wrath of God made vppe the breach betweene God and his people but the blessing is conueyed euen to his posterity He destroyeth two malefactors whereby he bringeth a blessing vnto his children Hereby we learne Doctrine The faithfâ—â— bring able â—sing on the families That when the wayes of a man please God he will bee gracious to his house posterity God is so pleased with the obedience of his people that he wiil shew mercy to such as belong to them This is pleÌ„tifully proued vnto vs in the word of GOD. When God saw Noah righteous before him in that corrupt age and generation hee made all that belonged vnto him partakers of a great deliuerance saying vnto him Enter thou all thine house into the Arke for thee haue I seene righteous before me in this age Gen. 7 1. This appeareth in the person of Abraham when God had called him out of his Countrey and from his kindred and made a Couenant with him to blesse him Gen. 12 2 3. The Prophet Ieremy teacheth this in the example of the Rechabites Thus saith the Lord of hoasts the God of Israel Because ye haue obeyed the Commandement of Ionadab your Father and â—ept all his precepts and done according vnto all that he hath coÌ„manded you Therfore thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel Ionadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for euer Ier. 35 18. To this purpose speaketh the Prophet Dauid Psal 37.21 A good man is mercifull and lendeth and his seede enioyeth the blessing If wee come to the new Testament wee haue many testimonies leading vs vnto the consideration of this truth When Zaccheus beleeued in Christ for his saluation and testified his repentance by his restitution Iesus said vnto him This day is saluation come into this house forasmuch as he is become the sonne of Abraham Luke 19 9. When the ruler whose son was sick at Capernaum saw the great power of Christ in restoring him to health againe Hee beleeued and all his houshold Iohn 4 13. This is oftentimes remembred vnto vs in the Acts of the Apostles When God had opened the heart of Lydia that shee attended vnto the things which Paul deliuered She was baptized and all her houshold Acts 16 15.33 VVhen the Iayler beleeued in the Lord Iesus for his saluation and shewed his vnfained conuersion by the fruites of his loue to the Apostles he was baptized with all that belonged vnto him straitway and reioyced that he with al his houshold beleeued in God Reason 1 The reasons to enforce this doctrine are euident if wee consider eyther the person of God or the condition of the faithfull For first God hath in great mercy and goodnesse promised to shew grace and fauour not onely to the faithfull themselues but to the seede of the faithfull that feare him It is the nature of God to be mercifull and gracious to be slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse shewing mercy vnto thousands to them that loue him and keepe his commandements Exod. 20 6 and 34 6 7. VVe see this in the history of the destruction of Sodome the Lord did not onely in great mercy and compassion saue Lot himself but said vnto him Whom hast thou yet heere either sonne in law or thy sonnes or thy daughters or whatsoeuer thou hast in the citty bring it out of this place Gen. 19 12. Hee was ready not to saue him alone but as an ouerplus to deliuer all that belonged vnto him We see the mercy of God to others for his childrens sake hee thinketh it not enough to bee good to them but extendeth his mercies to those that any way concerne them Reason 2 Secondly as the mercy of God is great so the faith of the godly is effectuall for themselues and their children This is the tenour of the couenant that God hath made with al the faithful their faith is auailable both for themselues and for others God will be our God and the God of our seede after vs Gen. 17 7. And this is the priuiledge prerogatiue that the faithfull haue they beleeue this mercifull promise of God themselues and thereby entitle their children vnto it For as a father that purchaseth house or land giueth thereby an interest vnto his son therein so he that layeth hold on the promise which God hath made to all godly parents doth conueygh it vnto his children so that albeit they want faith by reason of their yeares yet they are made partakers of Christ and ingrafted into his body So then we may collect and gather this truth that the loue of God to the faithfull shall so abound that it shall come to their posterity like the precious oyntment powred on the head of Aaron that ranne downe vpon his beard and flowed to the border of his garments or as the dew on Hermon and Sion which watered the vallies that were beneath vpon which it descended Psal 133 2 3. The vses remaine to be handled First wee Vse 1 learne that the children of faithful parents haue right and interest to Baptisme and are to receiue the seale of the couenant This the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 7 14 when hee sayth The vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified to the wife and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified to the husband elsewere your children vncleane but now they are holy Seeing then that faithfull parents entitle their children to the blessings which they receiue wee see that there ought to bee a difference betweene them and the children of Turkes and Infidels All the offspring of Abraham was accounted holy in the time of the old Testament because God made with him the couenant of life and the Apostle reasoneth that if the root be holy the branches also are holy Rom. 11.16 Hence it is that he calleth them all his children who are borne of Israel But since the partition wall is pulled downe the grace of God is not obscured and lesse assured vnto vs then it was before vnto the Iewes Infants and children doe no lesse belong to the couenant and Church of God then others doe that are of yeares of discretion as it is plaine by the promise made to Abraham I will set my couenant betweene me and thee and betweene thy seed after thee in their generations for an euerlasting couenant that I will be thy God and the God of thy seed after thee Genes 17 7. Where God doth
yeare then the Trumpet of Iubile sounded they proclaimed liberty and freedome thoroughout all the land vnto all the inhabitants thereof then seruants were set free then debts were forgiuen then euery man returned vnto his owne possession and family Verse 10. This solemne and sacred time was instituted for these causes First Why the Iubile was instituted to moderate and bridle the couetousnesse of such as hoped and gaped after other mens possessions and to teach euery man to be content with his owne estate and not enter vpon the possessions of others as Ahab did vpon the vineyard of Naboth Secondly to keepe a true Chronology a certaine computation of time which is very necessary and profitable in the reading of histories to know where and at what time euery thing was done Thirdly to maintayne a distinction of the Tribes vntill the exhibiting of the Messiah according to the prophecy of Iacob Gen. 49 9 The Tribe shall not depart from Iuda till Shiloh come For howsoeuer many do vnderstand the word Shebet in this place of the Scepter yet I doe not remember in all the bookes of Moses wherein it is often vsed that once it is vsed in that sense albeit it be in other bookes afterward Lastly to figure out the redemption of Christ who indeed broght a true Iubile and freedome when the fulnesse of time came Hee proclaymed liberty with his owne voyce from the tyranny of sin of Satan and of hell Esay 61 1 2 3 c. Luke 4 18. He purchased a ful discharge from all our spiritual debts trespasses and transgressions Ioh. 8 34 36 Verily verily I say vnto you Whosoeuer committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne but if the Sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed Through him it is come to passe that Satan hath no power to exact any debt at our hands Christ hath cancelled the bill and hand-writing that stood in force against vs 1 Cor. 6 20 Gal. 4.5 1 Pet. 1 18 19. Col. 1 13 14. Rom. 8 2. This Law pertayning to the ceremonies of Moses The Popish Iubile the Papists haue taken vp and horribly abused and broght into vse in the times of the Gospel and vnder colour thereof sell theyr pardons and indulgences and abuse the people and make sale of their soules For as God had his Iubile so the Pope hath his howbeit it is in an apish kinde of imitation and can neyther be accounted this Leuitical Iubile neyther yet receiued for Christian It cannot be the Leuiticall because in it no seruants are freed no debts are remitted no possessions of land are restored as it was in the Iubile of the Iewes And if the Pope himselfe would allow this why doth not he beginne and giue good example to others restore Rome to it selfe and others lands of the Church to the Emperour he being the right and lawfull owner and that proud Bishop onely an vsurper Againe in the yeare of Iubile the Iewes did neyther sowe nor reape but at Rome it is nothing so for then the Popes are most busie the best husbands then they sowe their indulgences thick threefold reape a plentifull haruest by such merchandise Hence it is that whereas at the first this solemne feast which now keepeth the Popes kitchin hote for many yeares after was rare now it is growne more common that it might be more gainful The inuention of it was altogether vnknowne for more then twelue hundred yeares after Christ and neuer heard of in the purer times of the Church The first father of it was Boniface the eighth Anno 1300 who promised full remission of sinnes to all those that would repaire to Rome and pay soundly for a pardon and this was to be done euery hundred yeares This time was thoght too long was afterward abridged by Clement the sixt who got the papacy in the yeare 1342. to 50 yeares after the manner of the Iewe. After him came Sixtus the fourth in the yeare of our Lord 1473 who thinking the times to come to slowly about Piae fraudes and finding the sweetnes of the former deuice cut it off againe in the middes appointed euery 25 yeare for a Iubile and promised like pardons to all commers and goers wheras before him Vrban the sixt had brought it to 33 yeares and lastly it is come to ten yeares because they would bee sure to lose no profit See what the desire of mony worketh in these holy fathers who oftentimes sell pardons so fast to others that it is to be feared they neuer obtaine pardon themselues Neyther can this Iubile be holden for Christian in that poore pilgrims resort to Rome and visite the Churches of Peter and Paul but rather superstitious blasphemous For this is to tye grace to a certain time and place which is not tyed Esay 2 5. Ioh. 4 23. Math. 28 19. Secondly this is to worship God with our own workes which he hath not commanded nor required Esay 1 12 Math. 15 9 and to make sinfull men to merite the grace and fauour of God whereas all such kinde of seruice is abominable in his sight Lastly they make sale of the grace of God which is much more precious then gold and siluer take money for remission of sins which that proud Prelat is not able to giue Thus are men pitifully deceiued The Iubile is the Popes market and haruest and God is horribly dishonored And howsoeuer the good of the people is pretended yet this Iubile is nothing else but the Popes market and haruest his market day to sel his wares and commodities and his haruest to gather in his pardon-money wherby he emptieth the purses of others but filleth his owne coffers True it is hee claymeth a power to dispense the treasure of the Church that is the merites of the Saints and the ouer-measure of their workes and obedience hee hath in store for all such as lacke The Saints haue no ouer plus of works but this is most iniurious and derogatory to Christ It is proper to him to redeeme others and to satisfy for them who is made of the Father to be our redemption 1 Cor. 1 30. Againe the Scripture expresly excludeth the sufferings of the Saints from the worke of redemption and remission of sinnes 1 Cor. 1 13. Acts 4 12. 2 Cor. 5 21 Acts 10 43. Thirdly if the satisfactions of the Saints were of so great worth value that they can take away and blot out the sinnes of others then they might be truly called the Mediators of the New Testament howbeit this is proper to Christ Heb. 9.13 14 15. Lastly the Saints themselues are not able to pay theyr owne debt much lesse the debt of others and they that want the mercy and mediation of another cannot be mediators for another But the best Saints that euer were or shal be doe say Forgiue vs our debts therefore they are not able to pay them How then can