whereby this Leprosie was discerned of the Priest you haue in the Text deepe spots greenish or reddish which séeme to belower than the wall Also how the Priest might not rashly condemne the house but must shut it vp a time and then loke vpon it again and yet we can hastily and rashly condemne our brethren our equals our betters that they are thus and so There was an easier clensing by scraping and changing the infected stones and a harder clensing by quite pulling it downe God gently dealeth with sinners if it may serue and quite ouer-throweth the incurable The expiation sheweth we ought to haue cleane houses and the Offering noteth from whom all health is euen from God CHAP. XV. SOme other vncleanes incident to man and woman is mentioned in this Chapter whereof modestly you may thinke as you read it Unto the 9. verse he speaketh of man and then verse 19. of the woman For vse vnto your selfe first consider by occasion of these things that originall corruption which is gotten into our nature by the fall of our first Parents through which we are most vncleane many wayes in the eyes of God The Lord hath a great care to worke this meditation in vs strongly when hée so amplifieth these natural vncleanesses in vs as that euery thing is made vncleane which toucheth him in that case Euery bed whereon hee lyeth euery thing whereon hee sitteth whosoeuer toucheth the bed shall wash his clothes c. He that sitteth vpon the seate where hee sate The saddle that hee rideth on yea the vessell that hee toucheth and so foorth So also of the woman in the latter part of the Chapter modestly read and be edified Thinke of the Scriptures that note this corruption in vs telling vs that all the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill continually That in vs that is in our flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with some as with the Apostle that spake it and yet he found no meanes to performe that which is good For hee could not doe the good which he would but the euill that he would not that did hee And so foorth as followeth in that Chapter most notably That they which are in the flesh sauour the things of the flesh That the naturall man perceiueth not the things which are of God but they are foolishnesse to him c. Thinke what particular parts of vs are charged with this corruption sée if they be not the very chiefest as the vnderstanding the will the heart the eyes the eares and so foorth Be mooued with it and renouncing your selfe séeke for remedie where it onely is and not in your selfe Follow the Counsaile of the Apostle take his words as an explication of the end of this Ceremonie Namely that wée indeauour to cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit and that wee finish our Sanctification in the feare of GOD. To this end the Lord hath ordained holy Matrimonie and taught that it is honourable among all men To this end hée hath forbidden all vncleane lusts and taught vs that Whoremongers and Adulterers hee will iudge For this is the Will of GOD saith the Apostle Euen your sanctification and that yee should abstaine from Fornication That euery one should know to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour And not in the lust of concupiscence as the Gentiles which know not God And blessed are the cleane in heart saith our Sauiour Christ for they shall see God Strengthen your selfe therefore in this holy course by these Scriptures and the like Consider often the Commandement of God in whose hand is death if you disobey Consider his nature that hée is puritie and cleanenes it selfe and as hée is our heauenly Father so should wée bée his children and seruants Consider how it is impossible to pray to him aright with an vncleane minde for any want wée haue Consider what hope wée can haue of eternall life if we loue vncleanenes when the Rule is thus Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Consider the hurt of example The danger that groweth to a Common-wealth when for such filthinesse the Lord often ouer-throweth a whole state as the licentious life of one Paris did Troy And finally thinke what vgly diseases and maladies what rotting and burning what shame and confusion the Lord layeth euen in this life vpon vncleane persons besides the fearefull fall eternâ—ll that is assured afterward when this life is ended Meditate I say of these things and pray continually for grace and strength Say with the good old Father when any wicked motion péepeth vp O Lord helpe O Lord strengthen for I suffer violence and am assaulted c. 2 In the washing here mentioned and in the Atonement note the mercie of God towardes all miserable sinners and sée with comfort that although the fall of our first Parents hath thus blotted vs and spotted vs that indéede we are most vncleane yet ought wée not to despaire but take hold of him by a liuely Faith Who will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee should repent and liue disliking himselfe for his manifold sins and cleaning to his God for his manifold mercies And when you read thus often of water cleane not in the clement or creature of water but remember Saint Iohn that Iesus Christ came by water and blood and it is hee onely that washeth away our spots and saueth vs from our sinnes Water cannot do it nor any worke of ours but if wee wash our selues with snow water as Iob saith and purge our hands most cleane Yet shall he plunge vs in the pit and our owne clothes shall make vs filthy And by the Offering of the Turtles it was playnly figured that not in themselues but in some other they must bée made cleane from all their impurities I remember the Speach of a good Writer yet a Fryer and I pray you marke it There are some saith Hee That thinke themselues by and by made cleane if they shed a few teares and bewayle their sinnes Multiply their fasts and giue Almes c. But my Brethren although these bee good things yet they are not equiualent to our sinnes Thus breaketh trueth out of them that otherwise affected Rome Sée then how Poperie wrongeth the soules of men in sending them to the things that cannot helpe and drawing them deceitfull from the true and perfect sanctification and satisfaction of Christ Remember the words of One of theirs We runne with great boldnes to the Saintes that by their merites and prayers wee may come to immortalitie Come vnto her all ye that trauell and are heauie laden meaning the Virgin Marie and shee shall refresh and comfort your soules What is it to leaue the fountaines and springs of God and to digge vnto our selues Cisternes that can hold no water if
that followed to wit when for assurance that hée would deliuer Jerusalem besieged by the Assyrians he said This shall bee a Signe vnto thee O Ezechias Thou shalt eate this yeare such as groweth of it selfe and the second yeere such things as grow without sowing and in the third yeare sow ye and reape and plant Vine-yardes and eate the fruits thereof As if he should haue said whereas vsually and by reason after war commeth famine because men cannot husband their grounds yet it shall not bée so with you but for two yéeres the ground it selfe shall féede you and let this suffice for a Signe of hope and comfort against this feare So in this place Moses feare not for I will be with thee and for a signe thou shalt bring them forth and serue me in this mountaine This thou shalt sée as truly as I tell thee and then this will be asigne that I was with thee according to my promise What a nature now is this in our déere GOD thus to submit himselfe to mans weakenesse and in steade of chiding and punishing man for it to helpe it and stay it with all comfortable tokens and signes O who would not trust in this God and beléeue what he promiseth Nay who hath not cause that obserueth these things to bée of the Prophet Dauids minde Blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him 15. This as it ought contented Moses and therefore leauing the matter of his owne infirmity be casteth his mind next vpon the infirmity of the Israelites to whom he must goe And fearing lest according to their former backewardnesse whereof hée had tasted they would stand in doubt of the truth of his authority to deliuer such matter from the Lord vnto them hée prayeth the Lord to instruct him what he shall say if they aske him what is his Name Which question was allowable in Moses because it had relation to others not to himselfe For when Iacob would know the Angels name that wrestled with him for himselfe that is to satisste his owne curiosity he was answered wherefore doest thou aske my Name and it was not told him yet he blessed him So Manoah Samsons Father asked the Angell the like question in like sort was answered Why askest thou thus after my Name which is secret or wonderfull and told him not The reason may appeare in the place because Manoah askes it that hée might honour him not with an eye to the profit of others as Moses did héere Therefore the Lord answered Moses said I AM THAT I AM thus shalt thou say to the Children of Israel I AM hath sent me vnto you That is the God that is no Changeling but the same for euer who as hee hath done for them and their Fathers very great things so can he againe if they will be obedient to his will with like power mercy and goodnesse deliuer them and free them from this bondage wherein they groane as cruelly vexed and oppressed See then a sweete Comfort in all our feares euen his name I AM. Noting that as he hath beene to penitent sinners so euer he will be without any change If I turne vnto him call vpon him and withall faithfull trust of my inwarde soule depend vpon him I AM is his Name and I may not doubt of him Haue not I my selfe fonnd him sweet cōfortable good 10000. times as well as other sinners Hath not your hearts beene touched by him sundry times to very good purposes Hath not another-man founde him gratious and kinde in his worldly estate and aduancement to honour when hee might have passed him ouer and haue had choise inough So let euery man run-ouer his priuate fauours How then may euer any of vs fall from him without most great reproofe or euer faint and feare that he will forsake vs. I AM I say againe is his Name and we must be taught by it that hee is a God without all change towards such as stedfastly cleaue vnto him The Lord then giue vs vse in all our feares of this Comfort strengthen our weakenesse to beleeue and euer in mercy looke vpon vs. 16. After this hée appointed Moses his Order of going and publishing this message to wit that first hée should goe to the Elders and call them together and make them acquainted with it before he dealt with the Common people Where wée must take the name of Elder for a name of Office not of yeares for so we know the Scripture speaketh Not euer the oldest men beare Office either in Church or common wealth but as God giueth guifts and appointeth in his prouidence Places vnto them of gouernement and charge so in regard thereof they are called the Elders that is the Rulers and Gouernours though in yeares somthing young as Timothy and others were Now marke we to our good in this first that vnder the great tyrannie of Pharaoh yet some liberty was giuen these Israelites to meete for Religion and knowledge instruction and vnderstanding according to the right way which the Lord had acquainted them with albeit that same of the Egyptians was not receiued nor allowed And how doth this amplifie the bloody crueltie of Antichrist who yeeldeth not so much to his fellow-Christians I meane to people professing Christ as he pretendeth he doth as bloody Pharaoh yeelded to the Jewes who ioined not in profession with him Secondly obserue we the Wisedome liked prescribed of God for a Rule euer to guide our selues by and our actions to wit when any new thing is to be published that concerneth any change in the Church or Common-wealth first to acquaint the Magistrates Rulers and Gouernors with it to approue our commission and matter vnto them with all modesty humility loue and care of order and vnitie and then with their consents approbation and aide vnto the people and multitude This is a right course wée sée and this shall haue a blessing from the Author of it as here it had Then shall they obey thy voice c. ver 18. id est credent acquiescent tibi vt prudentes qui promissiones Abrahae patribus factas norunt maximè Gen. 15. Quarta generatione reuertentur huc c. That is they shall beléeue thée and yéelde vnto thee as wise-men and such as know the promises made vnto Abraham and the fathers especially Gen. the 15. In the fourth generation they shall returne hither c. Other vaine-glorious factious and disorderly dealings will haue their confusion and will bee strangled with the haulter of their owne disobedience euen in their youth that is before they come to any perfection or ripenesse For God is the Author of Order Gouernement and Rule who appointing Elders and superiors for the peace and quietnesse of his Church euer hindered with diuisions and tumults will haue them duly regarded and respected as they ought not as far as wee lift Thinke we then of it with a religious féeling and the
offices were all giuen away where hee least wished them and yet the Lord stayed not héere but fearefully destroyed also his posteritie Was not this thundering was not this lightning and was not this Judgment as vpon a stage O let it euer be remembred of all that reade it with their eies and God for his mercy sake make it profitable 14 Only in the land of Goshen where the children of Israel were was no hayle In which words as heretofore so stil stil is noted the vnsearchable goodnesse of God to his Church together with his Almighty power to doo euer what He wil. He can saue and He can spill He can make such a wall about his children that no storme or tempest no calamitie or euill shall come nere them though it compasse them round about and others perish with it on euery side Two shall be in the fielde the one receaued the other forsaken two shall be grinding at the mill the one accepted the other reiected c. Blessed therefore is that man and woman who haue the Lord for their God And say vnto my soule I am thy saluation saith Dauid in one of his Psalmes noting thereby the comfort of this aboue ten thousand worldes Let vs therefore euer be carefull to be of the number of those that abide in Goshen where the Sauing hand of God shall defend from al euil 15. In these smooth wordes of Pharaoh verse 27. That he had sinned that the Lord was righteous and he and his people wicked That Moses should pray for him c. returning neuerthelesse to his old byas when the Plague was gone stil obserue as you haue done before the déepe falshood of mans hart making faire shewes without fruite and if God be thus glozed and dissembled with all thinke whether it séeme strange to mortall man to taste of it No no we must reckon of it to be praised to our face to be sclaundered at our backes by the one and the same person Yet let it not discourage vs to doo any good but onely let it make vs carefull to giue no iust cause and tenne thousand times thankfull when wee are released out of such a world and taken into his kingdome 16. Lastly that often repeated Sentence of Pharaohs heardened heart let it remember vs of that Saying in Saint Augustine Corda mala patientia Dei durescunt Euill hearts wax-heard by Gods long-suffering and patience Also of that in Saint Bernard Cor durum dici quod non cōpūctione scinditur nec pietate mollitur nec mouetur precibus minis non cedit flagellis duratur ingratum ad beneficia ad consilia infidum ad iudicia saeuum inuerecundum ad turpia impauidum ad pericula inhumanum ad humana temerarium ad Diuina preteritorum obliuiscens praesentium negligens futura non praeuidens It is called a heard heart which is neither rent with compunction nor softned with piety nor mooued with prayers which giueth no place to threatnings is hardened with stripes in benefits vnthankfull in Councill vnfaithfull in iudgment cruell vnshamefast in foule things not fearefull in perils in humane things most inhumane in Diuine things rashe forgetting things past neglecting things present and not foreseeing things to come Surely such a description if we our selues haue not Pharaohs hardnes will euer mooue vs earnestly to pray against such hardnesse Thus endeth this Chapter and thus end I hauing giuen you some taste how we may profit by reading of it CHAP. 10. Here you haue following two Plagues more to wit the eight and the ninth The eight from the beginning of the Chapter to the twenty verse and the ninth from thence to the end Concerning the former the Holy-Ghost layeth downe 1. A Commaundement to Moses to goe 2. A Denunciation 3. An Execution 4. The Effect that in the Seruants King 1. TOuching the first the Text saith Againe the Lord said vnto Moses goe to Pharaoh c. Diuers times you know hee had sent before and all in vaine yet ceaseth not the bottomlesse and incomprehensible mercy of God still still againe and againe to send This was euer his gratious dealing with miserable sinners and a swéete comfort it is to a troubled minde to thinke of it The Gospell saith in like sort He sentagaine and againe other and other seruants to those wicked husbandmen to remember them of his due and their duetie At last he sent his owne Sonne vnto them saying they will reuerence my Sonne Againe to Hierusalem how often how often would I haue gathered thy Children together euen as a Hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings and yet would not O tender Father what a certaine Seale is this thy goodnesse in these examples that true Repentance shall neuer be reiected A sorrowfull sinner neuer repulsed a broken and contrite hart neuer despised Let it profit vs vnto increase of faith for his sake that dyed for our sinnes Our owne experience hath taught vs as much if wee did obserue it For how long haue wee béene sinners haue not some of vs béene 20 yéeres some 30 some 40 and more all of vs too long walking the way that leadeth vnto death And what haue our sinnes béene surely great foule vglie odious to God dangerous to our selues and offensiue to the world yet hath the Lord neither swept vs away in his most iust wrath neither ceased to send Moses againe and againe vnto vs for our reformation Should not this infinite goodnes much moue vs to returne to so swéete a Father Knowest thou not O man saith the blessed Apostle that the long suffering of God leadeth thee to repentance How entertained hee the Prodigall Sonne when hee returned how reioice the Angels in Heauen ouer one sinner that repenteth far be it euer then from vs euer to resist a God so powerfull to confound vs and so mercifull to receaue vs. 2. But the Lord saith héere that he hardened Pharaohs heart and the hearts of his seruants how then was the fault in them that they yéelded not for answere let mee aske you another question whether you thinke it not lawfull that God should punish a sinner as himselfe liketh and whether hardnes of heart be not a punishment if both be true then might the Lord punish him this way Yet all men doo not thinke this such a punishment as it is for if wee be sicke wee looke for helpe if the eye faile the eare growe dull or any sense be weakened we quickly féele it and readily with for remedie onely if our heart growe dull and our vnderstanding féeling and profiting in Gods Schoole be taken from vs wee are not mooued neither thinke it goeth ill with vs preferring the outward sense of body far and far before the light of the minde But let it be lawfull you say with the Lord thus to punish yet it must néedes excuse the partie so punished for how can a man féele and relent whose heart God smiteth with
people were forced to make bread of Fearne rootes And to go no further of Acrone bread in Quéene Maries time Were there now so many egges a penny and all cheape cheap Yet Poperie swaied in blinded hearts too much No no The calamities which haue béene in places where this Ignorance ruled haue béene equall or greater than vnder the Gospell euer as all Stories tel vs. Hath Rome it selfe neuer béene affected hath the Pope himselfe neuer béene taken prisoner Haue Romish warres euerprospered or Popish conspiracies had their wished effects Blessed be the God of Heauen for it they know the contrary And that Spanish Romish and Diuelish attempt in the yéere 1588 yeildeth them matter of wisdome if God so please and vs eternall cause of thanks-giuing vnto God for it Euer praised from our heart roots be the glorious Name of him that so respected vs. But yet this is not the matter for if they had euer had plenty and euer scarcity true Religion is not measured by the belly by flesh-pots or great leaues or any outward prosperity or aduersity but by the Rule which God hath left vs in his holy Scriptures Therefore although wee could obiect vnto them the vnspeakeable blessings of God vpon this Land of ours and thereupon reason as Gamaliel did yet doo wee not but throwing our selues downe at his féete who gaue them all wée rest our selues vpon his Word and so both know truth and hate error as in mercie he enableth leauing flesh-pots and all fleshly reasons to such doughtie disputers as they are that stand vpon such arguments and to strengthen our hearts against this great sinne héere noted in the Israelites Weelooke vpon Demas whose shame liueth in Gods Booke for imbracing the world and forsaking Paule Wée thinke vpon that fearefull crie One drop of water to coole my tongue When all the pleasures of the world which eyther he had or we can haue coulde not helpe And as Elias couered his face with his mantle so do we hide our eies from beholding this world and the deceipts thereof Wée assure our selues Saint Hierom said true Difficile immo impossibile est vt praesentibus quis futuris fruatur bonis vt his ventrem ibi mentem impleat vt de delitijs transeat ad delitias vt invtroque seculo primus sit vt in coelo in terra appareat gloriosus It is hard yea it is impossible that one should enioy both present and future good things that heere he should fill his belly and there his minde that from pleasure he should passe to pleasure that in both worldes he should be chiefe and both in earth and heauen appeare glorious So wee leaue the fleshpots of Aegypt to all earthly Israelites and beséech the Lord to bring vs to his kingdome although it be through many tribulations 6. Then said the Lord to Moses behold I will cause bread to raine from heauen to you and the people shall goe out and gather that which is sufficient for euery day c. O Admirable Mercie and bottomlesse Fountaine of all comfort and pitie Will he now rayne bread from heauen to these vngratefull Murmurers who much rather should haue béene destroyed from the face of the earth Let neuer penitent sinner than despaire of mercie let neuer troubled spirit cast away comfort For how can the sighes of a groaning heart sorrowing for sinne bée neglected of so swéet a God when such proud offendours finde mercie neuer neuer can it be assure your selfe Therefore lay vp this place in your minde and féeling your selfe grieued either for things committed or omitted bée not too much shaken as one out of hope but with faithfull assurance say chéerefully O kinde Father and sweete GOD doo not cast away thy creature that crieth and flieth vnto thy mercy I am vnworthy full wel I know it but thy goodnesse hath no bottome and with ioye I remember it These murmurers and complainers against thy mercies thou yet shewedst more mercie vnto and thy poore seruant suing for grace wilt thou cleane reiect No deare father thy nature is not so and therefore by this fauour to thē I gather cōfort beseech thee to be as thou hast euer been my kinde my gratious and louing Lord. 7 And can God raine bread from heauen why then wée all sée that albeit the fields should faile and the whole earth grow barren yet can the Lord nourish his people and send foode to al those that trust in him It is most true and it is most comfortable leauing no cause why wée should in any distresse be cast downe too much seeing the Lord is not tyed to ordinarie meanes nor our maintenance to the fruites of the earth The Rauens shall both finde meate and bring meate to Elias if he commaund and a little oyle shall continue running till many vessels be full when he so pleaseth Infinite is his power and infinite are his waies to comfort them that cleaue to him Lift vp your thoughts therefore aboue the course of Nature when you thinke vpon GOD and although you haue neither bread nor money nor the whole land any corne yet past hope take hold on hope take hold on hope and leaue God to himselfe Iacob was prouided for in that extreme famine and Gold was brought to Mary and Ioseph from far when they thought not of it What the LORD will doo hee can doo and on our partes Faith onely is required that wee may see his Glory and incomprehensible mercy 8 But why did not God thus comfort his people before they murmurd Surely because he might open vnto them the hidden corruption of their nature and so make them sée all posterity also that not merit in them but mercy in him drew all the fauoures that were shewed to them And remember euer this vse of affliction how it is often sent of God to discouer vs not vnto him who knoweth vs well but to our selues who dote vpon our worth and thinke wée are farre otherwise than wee are yea and to the worlde also which many times is deceaued by our golden shew Stand wée therefore alwaies vpon our watch when the crosse knocketh at our doores and know there is a spic ētered a very tel-tale He wil looke into vs draw-out frō vs what is within our faire looks shal not deceiue him but as we are he wil make vs shew that we may be knowne How Iob and his Wife differ hée wil describe Sarais infirmitie and Zipporahs waspishnesse against their good husbands he will open and in one word hée will tell all Pray we therfore with Dauid euer O let my hart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed Sound without glosing faining haulting sound without grudging and inward complainiug that from soundnesse within may flow holinesse without euen patient comfort in Gods Will and so no Shame grow where no shamelesse thing is done c. The Lord graunt
tenne seuerall branches and heades commonly called the Decalogue or Ten Commaundements Of all which because I haue made exposition in a Booke alreadie I will spare my labour here and refer you to that Treatise The other general head of this Chap. to wit the peoples feare beginning at the 18. verse I will a little touch First then it is saide That all the people saw the thunders and lightnings and the sound of the Trumpet and the mountaine smoking whē the people saw it they fled stood a far of which words yéeld vs many good things to note First the difference of the Law and the Gospell The law as hath bene saide fearing and frighting shaking shiuering the heart of Man beateth downe his peacocks feathers and maketh him abashed and ashamed in himselfe to crie with the prodigall Sonne I am not worthy I am not worthy O Father to be called thy sonne Yea it maketh him stand a far of with the poore Publican smite his breast in true féeling of his sinne and to beséech God for mercy to a Sinner Whosoeuer is not thus humbled he neuer knew what the law ment but like the vaine Pharisie doteth vpon himselfe without cause erreth as the Apostle did before the Commandement came Contrariwise the Gospell chéereth and comforteth helpeth healeth and swéetely allureth to come in al ioyfull assurance of mercie by him who hath fulfilled the law for vs and remooued away the curse that would haue slaine vs. Read the 12. Chap. to the Hebrewes noted before and sée what I say most plaine beginning at the 18. verse Secondly it may teach vs to our great good now whilst wee haue time that if the law were so terrible when it was giuen it will be a dreadfull day when all the breaches of the same shal be iudged And if the people fled now stood a far off and were in such feare how will the Idolater the Blasphemer the Adulterer the Drunkard the Thiefe the Murderer the Rebellious and Disobedient the false witnesse the couetuous oppressour and all such iolly fellowes that now scorne and scoffe at all admonitions I say how will all these doo and what will be their case at that day Turne turne we then vnto God in time and amend your liues that Christ fréeing vs from this feareful law wée may be safe by his holy Gospell Thirdly this place sheweth their ignorant folly that say in their hearts O if I might heare God speake himselfe I should be much mooued I should belieue and bee out of all doubt c For were the people here able to indure the voice of God Doo they not say to Moses talke thou with vs and we will heare but let not God talk with vs lest we dye Little little doo they conceiue which thus say either their own weakenes or the Maiestie of God Let them therfore learne of this people here the blessing of God in giuing vs Moses to speak to vs the is in raising vp among vs men of our own shape mould matter men that we feare not but know loue are linked to in degrées of loue to speak vnto vs in his Name putting his holy spirit among them induing them with guifts fit for such a calling in vouchsafing his Word to direct both them and vs and so euery way familiarlie and yet truly and effectually labouring and working our saluation if wee bee not obstinate to contemne his meanes and care This Ministerie of Man so despised of Man so wronged and so cast downe is an other manner of mercie than wicked worldlings conceiue or féele but one day they shal know when it will bée too late to reforme their fault which now they may leaue if they haue grace Then shall they sée God and heare God but with greater terror than this people did héere They shall also sée blacknesse and darknesse they shall heare thundrings and lightnings smokes and fires and flames with trembling perplexitie then if it could be had againe Moses voice to speake vnto thē would be accepted which now is so little regarded and set by Fourthly This darknesse wherein God was noteth the Maiestie of God to be incomprehensible and not to be reached vnto by our wits We must therefore be sober and modest and humble in talking and writing of God Simonides foūd this when vndertaking to shew what God was the more he studied to doo it the more time still he craued and was further and further off First he asked three daies then six and then double againe and in the end gaue ouer and could not doo it To vs this place may be in stead of a thousand But Moses drew neere vnto the darknesse where God was GOD dwelleth in light but in regard of our weaknesse it is darknesse and happie wée if wée acknowledge our weakenesse and craue helpe where it is to be had Other things your selfe may note which I passe ouer The great charge that God giueth to beware any Images of him either of Gold or Siluer you may conferre with the 4. Chap. of Deut. with the second Cōmandement whereof I haue spoken and settle in your heart how odious to God that course is frō which yet no perswasion will draw some If God would be remembred by an Image he would haue suffered it if he would be worshipped in an Image hee would haue suffered it and he would haue letten them sée some forme which they might haue followed if he could like of an Image of wood or stone more fit for his Maiestie were gold siluer But you sée al is for bidden cursed with them are the makers of them which is a fearefull thing if it were thought of Reade Esay 45. ver 16. 2 An Altar of earth shalt thou make c. God would haue but one Altar to note one truth and one Religion He would haue it of earth or rude without labour that vhen they remooued they might throw it downe or it fall of it selfe so that posterity might take no cause of Idolatry thereby Steppes to the same Altar he forbiddeth likewise for the cause specificd in the margin of your Bible and it well teacheth that in Gods Worship all things should be done deuoutly and comely euen as the Apostle himselfe teacheth and requireth Ignorant and prophane men delight in pompe and earthly shew but Christians must indeauour to haue all thiugs done so modestly and soberly as to euery man it may appeare what spirit they are guided and gouerned by The multitude of Popish Altars might here be remembred if it were néedefull and that good decree of the second Councill of Africa Chap. 50. and the fift of Carthage Chap. 14. That such suspitious Altars as were in those daies set-up in euery corner should be plucked downe beeing built vppon dreames and superstitious conceipts And if without tumult they could not bee pulled downe then the people to be
is Christ known but frō the rising of the sun to the going downe of the same c. Thus may we profit by their multiplication 2. The second head in this chapter is the crueltie of the Egyptians by meanes whereof a very bitter and heauie affliction followed this great and glorious multiplication The vse to our selues may bée this that euen so dooth aduersity follow prosperitie and therefore prosperity should euer prepare for aduersitie A wise man in his good day thinketh of his euill and dayly beholding the sunne ouer shadowed at times with a darke cloude maketh vse of it to his good Sorrow and ioy wil not dwell togither but by composition they were thus agréed as the Poets feigne that as soone as the one hath had a time the other shall enter and haue his time also the former passing away and giuing place Let no wise-man therefore say as Dauid said tush tush this estate shall neuer decay for the Lord turned his face and Dauid was soone troubled Iob on a day could not thinke on such a change as after happened to him and yet all to the glorie of God and his good No earthly father louing his childe doth forbeare to chastice him much lesse dooth the father of Spirits leaue his children without fit corvection since both hée loueth more and knoweth how better to correct for their good The path to heauen is beaten out through many tribulations and vp must euery man and woman take their crosse that will bée his in eternall comfort Let vs note againe in this place the causes of this their affliction oppression as the Spirit of wisedome for our good hath héere laide them downe The first is their very increasing and multiplying For the king saide Behold the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier than we come let vs worke wiselie with them lest they multiply Where wée sée that Gods fauour bestowed in mercy where hée liketh is still an eye-sore to euill men matter inough for them to grinde and grate their téeth at and to cause them to enter into plots and conspiracies against them The eye of enuie looketh euer vpward who is aboue who riseth who prospereth who is well spoken of well thought of or any way fauoured by the Lord and as much grieued is a spitefull spirit at the good of an other as at the harme of himselfe Which Diogenes noted when hée saw a knowne enuious man looke sadde No man saith hée can now tell whether harme hath happened to this fellow or good to his neighbour for both alike vexe him It was the blot of Athens that renowned Citie to haue few of any excellent vertue escape the rage of enuie in it but that either they were disgraced or banished or put to death in the end Those whom no sword of hating foe could daunt in the field enuie vanquished at home in the Citie deprauing their seruices blotting their names and breaking at last their guiltlesse hearts Which made the Philosopher prescribe this remedie against enuie whē one asked him how he might auoide it Euen neither to do nor say any good thing Thus did enuie rage against their multiplying héere And if Gods actions escape not mans malice shall yours shall mine shall any mans no no praemoniti praemuniti forewarned forearmed the streame ran euer so and God make vs euer patient and strong to go on in our duties A second cause of this affliction is a suspicious feare which entreth into these Egyptians that if there should be warre the Israelites would ioyne themselues to the enemie fight against them and so get themselues out of the land Such fruite groweth vpon such trées misdéeming thoughts causelesse iealousie vaine feares and all vniust opinions Why surely because it is the course that God hath in his word threatned to wicked persons which feare not him as they ought to doe Astonishment of heart a trembling heart feare both night and day c. reade the scriptures and you shall finde much proofe of what I say Suspect bewrayes our thoughts betrayes our words suspicious eies are messengers of woe Well fares that man howsoeuer his meate doth tast that tables not with foule suspition Better to die then to be suspitious Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust for mistrust will treason in the trustiest raise The heart being once infect with iealousie the night is griefe the day is miserie Jealousie is the torment of the minde for which no wit or counsell helpe can finde Suspition wounds and iealousie striketh dead Causelesse and vndeserued suspition sendeth manie an one too swiftlie to their end These sayings of wise and true experience should much moue euery wise person We sée what we nurse when wee nourish this vice And if all this should not moue vs yet let our owne credite moue vs which by this meanes is shrewdly drawne in question the knowne versés saying thus Too much suspition of another is A flat condemning of thine owne amisse A third cause of their affliction was a new King she former being dead vnder whom they felt no such miserie Which may iustlie occasion vs to note carefullie what danger often is in change of Gouernours if the Lord be not mercifull Salomon may haue his wants but when his sonne commeth in his place he thundreth and telleth the people that his little finger shall be heauier vpon them than all his fathers hand This might we as déepelie haue tasted of as euer did these Israelites if God almightie had not thought vpon mercie in stead of iudgement The great neglect of those gracious daies which vnder the blessed gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth our late renowned souereigne wee comfortablie enioyed deserued punishment in a high degrée we must néedes confesse if we will say truth yet in steade thereof our most swéete God whose goodnes knoweth neither bottome nor measure hath raised vp ouer vs such a King againe as both so firmelie is fastned to the loue of the Gospell and so enriched with all other princelie vertues either of nature or grace as not onelie we with bowed knées may euer praise the name of God but all forreigne Nations speake and write of so admirable mercie vouchsafed vnto vs God for his Christes sake make vs thankfull That the King knewe not Ioseph Diuines say it was either for want of reading the Histories or because vnthankfullie hee contemned the good that was done in other times and to other men S. Augustine héere giueth a note how men may know what King ruleth within them to whose words I refer the reader And let this forgetting of Ioseph that is of the seruice and good that Ioseph did to all that land of Egipt in the great famine mentioned in Genesis be the fourth and last cause of this affliction And this indéede if you marke it is a mother of great mischiefe wheresoeuer it is euen this forgetting of such benefites as we ought neuer to
now Moses yon sée tasteth of them Who is hée or shée that haue not some way by these walking tongues béen wounded I leaue you to your owne experience of this venome 8. Whither flyeth Moses then from this raging storme of Pharaohs displeasure raised vp against him by these pratlers Into the land of Midian saith the text where the Lord prouided for him Then marke with your selfe how alwaies one place or other the Lord hath for his seruants If Iudaea be dangerous for the childe Iesus in Egypt he shal find safetie til the time appointed so forth read 2. Cor. 4. 8. 9. Whē he was come thither He sate him down by a wel a place most like to bring some to him of whom he might inquire how he might bestow himselfe But God knoweth what thoughts the circumstances of his case procured vnto him His calling he saw not acknowledged of his country-men but in steade thereof his life brought in question and therefore might fall into some doubt of it himselfe All his worldly comforts were now departed from him and he a poore exile in a strange country not knowing which waie to turne him A great change from so high a place as Moses had in Egypt béeing estéemed the Sonne of Pharoahs daughter and lesser alterations than this wée well know haue giuen good men shrewd plucks yet reade wée of no discomfort in Moses which wée must obserue and be bettered by it GOD humbleth him in his worldly estate and bringeth him to this lowe ebbe yet forsaketh him not but déerelie loueth him and hath great honours in store for him againe when time commeth We are likewise the Lords and wee must bee content that hee doe with vs his owne good pleasure euer The third part 1. THe thirde part of the chapter followeth concerning his mariage in that land the manner wherof you may reade in your chapter verse 16. c. Some blame him as matching with the vnbeléeuing others excuse him saying they were not vnbeléeuers The scripture is silent and therefore we neede not to be curious To excuse the godlie Fathers euer is more than can be to make Iethro and his houshold such beléeuers as they ought to be with whom wée ioine in mariage How beit happily he was better than thousands there Theoderet saith Typus erat Christi domini qui cum ex Iudeis secundum carnem natus esset ecclesiam Gentium appelauit sponsam suam Moses herein was a type of Christ who béeing borne of the Jewes according to the flesh married himselfe to the Gentiles and ralled them his spouse But leaue we it as not profitable to vs to scanne what God hath pleased to conceale And marke the hart of Iethro when he vnderstood how Moses had helped his daughters at the well very kindly he conceiued of that fauour and chid them for so leauing him not bringing him home to eatebread Surely the Spirit of God dooth not so still in euery place note this kindnesse of hart in requiting loue but that he excéedingly liketh it and would haue all his euer to follow it 2 Of his wife the Lord gaue him a sonne whose name he called Gershom adding the reason because saith hée I haue bene a stranger in a strange land So then that which many obiect oftentimes to Gods children by way of reproach that they are strangers exiles and so forth that Moses taketh to be no reproach and therefore giueth the title of it to his sonne for his name An example to teach vs neuer to bée ashamed either of banishment or any hard estate wherewith God shall exercise vs for his glory but rather to reioyce in it and comfortably to thinke of it as Moses doth here The shame is theirs that reproach vs the glorie is ours if we rightly endure it 3. In processe of time this blody Pharaoh dyeth saith the Storie and this is a comfort to the godly as likewise it should be a warning to all oppressors of them they shall die and be packing and shall not continue to deale cruelly Then shall they receiue the wages of their wickednesse and they whom they haue wronged shall bée comforted The rod of the vngodlie lighteth vpon the faithful as God shall please but the Lord hath said it shall not carry vpon them And what swéeter comfort but the rod of Gods iustice shall both light lie vnremooueable vpon the vngodly that repent not of their euil and what greater woe Let them beware then whiles there is time 4. But when was it that he dyed Surely forty yéeres after Moses fled thence Moses was fortie when hée fled and eighty when he came as their Deliuerer Let it thus profit vs. You remember before how Moses began to exercise that Office towards their reliefe which he was certified God had appointed him vnto and thought that they would haue acknowledged it with thanks to God for him But they most vnkindely requited him and so endangered him that he was fame to fly to saue his life When he so began God offered them mercy when they so rewarded him what followed Surely fortie yéeres more the continuance of their bondage and miserie A singular warning to all féeling hearts to beware the reiection of Gods mercy when it is offered For it euer hath a sure punishment and well worthy Consider you particularly Gods dealing with your selfe what hath he offered what dooth he yet offer you what haue you done or what yet doo you Be wise and ponder Surelie God is kinde to offer but he is iust to reuēge any wilful contempt of his Offers with continuance of bitter woe héere or foreuer 5. When he was dead the people cryed to the Lord and sighed saith the text Such sobbes in sorrow were due to them that reiected and would not sée what God offered them of ease But O comfort yet what sée wée againe Surely saith the text God heard them remembred his couenant looked vnto them respected them Swéet Father so is it euer with thee iust to correct but gratious to giue ouer not euer offended but in due time intreated pitifull louing and of endlesse mercie Many things more might this Chapter yéelde vs most worthy noting but I remember for whom I write I would not make the volume great that I wish bought vsed of poore ones the abler persons may haue many better helpes A taste of the comfort of Gods word and the vse thereof to incourage to the buying of Bibles and reading of them is the thing I desire to giue and that is done by something vpon euery Chapter though it be not much fitted as God inhableth mée for the féeling and comfort of them for whom I labour Let this much therefore suiffice vpon this Chapter CHAP. 3. The cheife Heads of this Chapter be these The calling of Moses His speech with God 1. MOses kept the sheepe of Iethro and is not this a great change from an adopted son of a kings
The Lord is not satisfied to haue saide Hee seeth and Hee heareth but hee addeth the third Hee knoweth For I knowe their sorrowes saith hee It is our comfort that Hee knoweth and it may be the wickeds terror that Hee knoweth Enough being saide of it I add but this he that then sawe heard and knewe is the same still No changeling in Loue to his deare Chosen no changeling in Justice to the stubborne sinner and be instructed by it Our heauenly Father knoweth what wee haue neede of Héere they had néede of Deliuerance and hee therefore knowing as well as they commeth downe to giue it them according to his swéete mercy Descendere dicitur Deus per affectū loco enim nō descendit quando fauet nobis et auxiliatur c. Vel descendere dicitur inquit Eusebius quando aliquid novum quod antea non fuerat in creatura humana operatur God is said to come downe by his affection or loue for touching place he descendeth not when he fauoureth helpeth vs or God is said to come down saith Eusebius when he doth any new thing which before was not done among men 11. Come now therefore and I will send thee vnto Pharaoh saith God to Moses c. God was able to haue done it himselfe without Moses or any man but hee will vse meanes commonly to effect his will that his mercie and goodnes may be séene in his Creatures as likewise his power and wisedome to his great glory Hée might also haue vsed a far more excellent meanes than Moses as fome King or great Prince in earth or some of his glorious Angels in Heauen for so he did when by Cyrus hée wrought their Deliuerance out of the Captiuitie and when by an Angell hée brought Peter out of prison but his purpose was in their Deliuerie to make knowne his incomprehensible Power to Pharaoh many more vnto the worlds end And therefore he would choose no stronger a meanes now than Moses Iethro his Shéepe-kéeper knowing how apt man is to obscure Gods glory with the quality of the meanes and to ascribe vnto the second cause what onely hath béene wrought by the first cause Againe this was a Figure that from the spirituall thraldome and bondage of death sinne and the Deuill he should deliuer his people vnder the Gospell not by the helpe of learned Philosophers or any glorious worldly Potentates but by a company of poore Fisher-men vnlettered and vnthought vpon in the world 12. But Moses saide vnto God who am I that I should goe vnto Pharaoh and bring the Children of Israell out of Egypt Smitten with a sense and féeling of his owne weakenesse to doe such a seruice which indéede is the very true and right way to make vs fit in Gods eies For then wée slie to him and by faithfull prayer beg and craue what in our selues wée sée not till hée giue it Such as are not thus touched and humbled but rush into Callings rashly presuming on their owne strength and abilities dayly Experiences shew how often God confoundeth them and throweth them downe to their great shame Who am I Lord therefore let vs euer say that thou shouldest thus and thus thinke of me choose mee and take me to that place that I haue no strength to manage and which thousands of my brethren are fitter for by super-excellency of gifts than I am thus said the Kingly Prophet Dauid you know when hée looked vpon Gods fauours towards him O what am I and my fathers house that thou shouldest doo thus vnto mee Now as this is most commendable humility in Gods seruant so is it true and sound wisedome not to looke at the honour and forget the burden but to sée the one as wel as the other It was a great honor to be sent for such a seruice but it was a weighty Charge and a heauie care aswell as an honour What shall I go to Pharaoh Shall I deliuer Israel And shall I haue the leading and gouernement of such a mightie multitude till God hath disposed of them Why it is a thing that requireth great strength and many parts that I haue not O LORD who am I May not this then a little occasion vs to thinke of spirituall gouernment for is it such a matter to striue with Pharaoh for bodies and temporall seruitude and is it nothing to fight with Sathan and the power of Hell for soules and fréedome from eternall bondage Is it not fearefull I will require the blood at thy hand c. As Salomon therefore in the temporall charge saw a weighty burden and thereupon craued wisedome to bée able to goe in and out as he ought before that multitude so saw Ieremie and Ionas a great matter when the one said Alas I am achilde cannot speake and the other flatly fled and refused to goe Others haue done the like yet Ambition pricketh forwarde for al this many a man Simon Magus would haue béene an Apostle in power for respects be the charge what it may be that troubleth not him Saint Peter iumpeth into danger presuming of strength but he faileth and falleth he lyeth and denieth and discouereth his weakenesse greatly Once againe therfore looke we at Moses modesty humilitie in this place saying Lord who am I 13. Now see what this lowly conceit worketh It getteth him comfort and strength from God for streightway God answered him saide I will be with thee as if he should say looke not thou at thy selfe and thy power but looke at me and my power And though thou art weake yet know me to be strong and euer able to strengthen them whom I call to a seruice to performe the same And I do not say to thee that I will helpe thee now and then but I will be with thee that is euer and continually I will aid thee in this worke euen I not any Angels of mine but I my selfe and therefore feare not What greater comfort might he wish And who would not throw himselfe down thus to bee raised vp or who would not see his owne wants thus to receiue grace Remēber how in like sort he comforted Ieremie and Ezechiel with others of the Prophets also his Apostles after in their time saying Be of good comfort I haue ouercome the world and I will be with you till the end of the world With God al things are possible c. 4. It contenteth not the Lord to make this mercifull promise of his presence with Moses but he further asisteth his weakenesse with a Signe saying This shal be a token vnto thee c. Where we may remember that Signes vsed of God to confirm his childrens faith sometimes go before and sometimes follow after Gedeon had a Signe going-before namelie the fléece of wooll first wet and then drie Ezechias had the like in the shadow of the diall going ten degrées backe But in another place the same Ezechias had a Signe
That the calling of God by seuerall Names as Father Maister or as here Almightie Iehouah and the like ariseth not of any varietie in his Nature which euer was and shall be inuariable but of and from a manifold varietie of affections in vs according to a diuers profiting or not profiting of our soules whereby hee séemeth to be changed with vs that change So may I profit in the way of Godlines that his Name toward me may be a Father and so may I not profit as his Name may be a Judge a Reuenger mightie and terrible c. 2. Let vs obserue these words ver 5. I haue heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keepe in bondage c. Are they not swéete and comfortable Miserable man remembreth and heareth his friends when they are in prosperitie and if aduersitie come vnto them neither hearing nor séeing then but a proude scornefull and bitter forgetting The Lord is not so but when wee are at the worst then he remembreth vs then hee heareth our groanes and sighes and pittying helpeth to our vnspeakeable comfort O kinde O gracious and déere God still continue this eare of mercie towards thy poore afflicted Seruants and giue that deliuerance ease and fréedome that euer euer may bee matter of thy praise to all succéeding learners how swéete thy nature is Amen Amen 3 Also I will take you for my people c. Behold the end of all deliuerance and of all benefites receiued from God euen that wee should be his people that hee might rule in vs ouer vs and his praise be euer in our mouthes Wherefore sée how carefull wee should be alwaies to answere this our Calling and neuer to be found vnmindfull of such fauours For if this plainer manifestation of his goodnes to them more than to their fathers was matter to them iustly to stir them vp to thankfull féeling how much more should his manifestation of himselfe to vs in his owne Sonne in whom he hath opened all the treasures of mercie and louing kindnes moue vs to an eternall and neuer ceasing care to please him serue him honour him and loue him And then more perticularly that hee should accept me me for one of his people O what can I say for such a loue but beséech him euer to make me thankfull Amen Amen 4. And I will bring you into the Land which I sware that I would giue to Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob and I will giue it vnto you for a possession I am the Lord. Swéete comfortable was this promise as often as God repeated it but many were the difficulties that appeared to mens eies against this hope all which how great so-euer or many the Lord if you marke it easeth with this one word Ego Dominus I am the Lord. Thereby teaching that as long as our hearts holde this perswasion of him that hee is the Lord so long wee must euer rest assured without fearefull fainting that hee can performe his promises in mercie made vnto vs be there neuer such stops and lets in our eyes What then is thy case are thy sinnes many and great remember he is the Lord and play not Cains part to say they cannot be forgiuen Are thine enemies strong and fierce and bitterly bent against thée Hée is the Lord and therefore can stop and stay them they shal not hurt thée aboue his pleasure which shall be no hurt but profit to thée in the end Are thine infirmities many hee can heale them hee is the Lord. Are thy children vntoward or vnkinde hee can change them hee is the Lord. Finally whatsoeuer gréeueth thée remember this and be comforted hee is the Lord he shall euer be the Lord and he shall euer be thy Lord to care for thy woes and to send thée helpe Onely beléeue 5. So Moses tolde the Children of Israel thus but they hearkened not vnto him Sée sée how hard it is as your Marginall Note saith to shewe true obedience vnder the Crosse Neither the word of God nor his miracles wherewith heretofore they iustly haue béene moued and wondred haue now any place with them but all dulled and deaded with conceiued griefes they suffer themselues to be caried away beyond the measure that Gods children should euer holde in their aduersitie which as it is a very dangerous thing so ought it carefully to be auoyded It is often a penaltie that hee layeth vpon the contemners of his Graces that cleauing altogether to the externall fauours and fawnings of this life they taste not comfort in any affliction whereas the godly the more they are pressed and nipped by the schooling hand of their God the more vehemently they sigh vnto God and looke to his promises with patience and hope This may teach the Ministers of God also not to be cast downe and discouraged if their words euer be not hearkened vnto and regarded since so worthie a man as Moses was in the house of GOD found this measure I knowe I knowe the bitternes of it to a heart that hungreth for their good but wee must bee content wee are not like to them that haue spoken in vaine to deafe eares before wee were borne The world will bee the world crooked and crosse froward and vnkinde though wee breake our hearts in labouring to winne to a better course O what a thing is it to come out of Egypt c. 6. Thē the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Goe speake to Pharaoh King of Egypt that he let the children of Israel goe out of his Land Before you sawe how he was bid goe to the people now wee heare him sent to Pharaoh so is there neuer any time for men of place and publique function to be idle Euer euer there is some seruice for them and an vse of their care paines and labour Now they must defend the oppressed and wronged now they must punish the euill dooers now they must comfort now they must chide that euer they may sée and finde honour to bee a burthen and an vnceasing carefulnes Priuate men also may make vse of it for either in flying euill or in doing good there is alwaies a care in good mindes But I leaue it to your meditation I note and sée héere the bottomlesse mercie of the Lord who although he might iustly haue giuen ouer to fauour so froward a companie that would not hearken to his words and messages sent vnto them yet he doth not but still continueth to haue mercy vpō them verifying that spéech of the Prophet Dauid Euen as a Father pittieth his children so is the Lord mercifull to his people I sée it also héere not without my good that when Moses had receiued this discomfort that the people would not regard his wordes and might stand in a maze what more to doe the Lord helpeth him out of this doubt and sendeth him to Pharaoh Surely surely if the Lord helped vs not in many mazes that this
For as high as the Heauen is aboue the Earth so great is his mercie toward them that feare him As farre as the East is from the West so farre hath hee remooued our sinnes from vs. As a Father hath compassion on his Children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For he knoweth whereof we be made hee remembreth that we are but dust Therefore he admonisheth as wee sée in this place againe and againe before hee will let his rod fall vpon very Pharaoh Who will not hearken then vnto his swéete Uoice and bee admonished by so louing a Father so mercifull a God and so powerfull a Creator Surely if wee smart wee must néedes approoue his Justice for his Mercie is manifest wee cannot denie it Yet yet saith this gracious God goe to Pharaoh and warne him againe that hee may be wise and let my people goe 2. And if thou wilt not let them goe saith the Lord behold I will smite thy Country with Frogges Giuing vs héerein againe to obserue that if Mercie be refused hee is also iust and the rod shall fall with stripe after stripe till either we crie penitently Peccaui I haue sinned or be consumed in his wrath from the face of the earth Remember that Place of places in Deut. And if this people will rise vp and goe a whoring after the Gods of a strange Land and will forsake me and breake my couenant which I haue made with them my wrath will waxe hote against them at that day O note and I will forsake them and will hide my face from them then they shall be consumed and many aduersities and tribula 〈…〉 on s shall come vpon them so then they will say Are â—â—t these troubles come vpon me because God is not wâ—â—h me but I will surely hide my face c. A Place neâ—er to be forgotten if we desire to feare God Remember â—lso among many moe the fit Example of Haman that proude enemie to Gods truth and people to whom it was thus saide If thou begin to fall thou shalt surely fall As if they should say fall vpon fall and still more and more falling will followe when God is once angry Happie happy then is the heart that féeleth yéeldeth turneth and cleaueth fast vnto the Lord. 3. Marke also and consider in this place how the case is altered with Gods people and their enemies For till now we haue heard but of the Israelites afflictions how still they suffered and were ill entreated hauing sore burthens laid vpon them and most bitter griefes daily heaped vnto their hearts But now we sée a change they are spared they are comforted and they are defended when these dreadfull plagues light vpon their enemies one after another So so shall the sorrowes of the godly be euer turned into ioy when the Lord séeth his time and the fading comforts of the wicked turned into wéeping and wofull lamentation Your sorrowe saith our Sauiour Christ shall be turned into ioy and woe be to them that laugh now for they shall waile and weepe Be of good comfort then in your selfe when you reade this and profit your heart with this Note or Meditation The changes of this world are many but with Gods faithfull people it shall euer be well in the end 4. It is further to bee obserued in this your Chapter how the Lord with varietie and vehemencie of words doth amplifie this plague not onely saying He will send Frogs which yet had béene fearefull but that the riuers should scrawle full of Frogs that they should goe vp and come into the Kings house and into his bed-chamber where hee slept and vpon his bed and into the house of his seruants and vpon his people and into his ouens and into his kneading troughes yea saith he the frogges shall climbe vp vpon thee and on thy people and vpon all thy seruants The like vehemencie doth he vse in that notable chapter the 28. of Deut. amplifying both sides with many words and great variety of phrase full of force and edge all assuredly to mooue and pierce but it would not be Thus dealeth hée at this day with his people he giueth vnto them sometimes Pastors and Teachers who rightly may bée called Sonnes of thunder in regard of their â—arnest and vehement exhortations threatning and denouncing Gods wrath and iudgments due to disobedience and stâ—bbornesse and euen as Pharaoh here could not be touched no more will many at this day no vehemency moueth but al is one If the feruent spirite of the Preacher should breake and â—eare his inwards in péeces all is one men snort and fléepe and goe on in a most damnable dulnesse of minde till the Lord himselfe start vp and reuenge his owne contempt vpon them and their posteritie The old world would not beléeue the threatned Floud neither the stobborne Jewes that the Chaldean King should come vppon them But when they cryed to their soules pax pax peace peace for all this earnestnesse of the Preacher then came sodaine and fearefull destruction vpon them as they deserued So euer so euer let vs be sure first or last And therefore make vse of vehemency when God directeth his Preacher to it 5. But what an armie is this against such a Prince Had God neither men nor Angels to commaund Yes yes it néedeth no proofe wée know both men and Angels commaunded by him at his pleasure But here he would vse neither déeming it fit to confound the pride of such a conceited king by an host of frogges rather than by either of the other So shall the Lord by contemptible and base things cast down our high lookes if we swel against him Hée would also haue Pharaoh hereby sée how easily hée could destroy him if he lâ—st when such heapes of loathsome creatures so soddainly could bee raised to torment him And the same he would haue all high mindes at this daie sée making vse thereof vnto humility before they finde it is too late For as easily can the Lord now raise vp strange plagues as then Varro writeth that a citie in Fraunce was driuen away with this very plague of frogges A town in Thessaly rooted vp and ouerthrown with moules A whole land forced to remoue with mice and many such things haue Stories left to our remembrance There was a time when the French disease was not so common nor our English sweat knowne That plague of the Philistines with the Emerods in their hinder parts is in Gods Cronicle That consumption of Herod with lice and that fearefull example of Antiochus they ought both to be marked but nothing shall profit except Grace be giuen from aboue And therefore a féeling heart of flesh the Lord for his mercy sake euer graunt vnto vs. 6. And the Sorcerers did likewise with their sorceries and brought frogges vp vpon the land of Egypt Out of which words besides that which hath
béene noted before this meditation may arise how Gods aduersaries séeke often to oppugne the truth by the selfe same meanes whereby he doth teach it As if Scripture be alleaged Sathan will doe the like if the true Prophets vse a signe then will Zidkia make him hornes to and say when went the spirit from me to thée All which God doth suffer to draw vs forward to true and sound knowledge without which wee cannot stand but shal be shaken to and fro with doubts and feares and wauering conceipts most vnfit for beléeuers The wordes of the Apostle calling vpon vs to be stedfast vnmoueable abounding alwaies in the worke of the Lord. Not to he caried about with euery blast of vaine doctrine but to continue grounded and stablished in the saith not moued away from the hope of the Gospell c Saint Peter in like manner admonisheth to beware of being plucked away with the error of the wicked and of falling from stedfastnesse noting those that forsook the right way and followed the way of Balaam Labour we therefore to know how we stand and building vpon the rocke indéede though such iugâ—ing Sorcerers as these arise in the world and Apishly follow that course to subuert which Gods Ministers follow to strengthen yet they shall not shake vs but we patiently abiding a time setled vpon our true grounds the falshood shall appeare at last and all their follies be discouered in the end to the honour of God the glorie of his truth the comfort of his children and the confusion of such Egyptian Jugglers for euer Gamaliel could note it that Theudas had his time yet in the end fell with all his followers That Iudas of Galilie had his time and drew away much people after him but at last hee perished and the people were scattered Let not Gamaliel be wiser than we to obserue good things for his instruction 7 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said pray ye vnto the Lord that he may take away the frogges from me and from my people and I will let the people goe c. Why doth he not make his Wisemen take them away his Inchaunters and Sorcerers that could set a shew of making the like Could they cause frogges to come and not goe Or why doth he not call to his gods and Idols to helpe him to take them away Can none helpe him but Moses and Aaron by praying for him See then how the Lord when he pleaseth is able to force the wicked to the acknowledgment of him and his true Ministers and let it comfort vs in the middest of all contempts either of our God of our faith and religion or of our persons He can bring them downe that looke so coy by touches of bodie pinches in minde losses in goods and infinite waies And if therefore it please him a while to indure their pride we also must endure it and not grieue at it These exampels must be readie in our mindes euer when we sée such things Not long since this proud Pharaoh said WHO IS THE LORD But now he séeth and must confesse that there is no helpe but in this Lord. His Gods are weake and the frogs crawled in despight of them Moses therefore must pray to his God to helpe and take them away And who now but Moses Aaron with Pharaoh Ah wée despised Ministers by the proude worldlings let vs marke it and beare their coÌ„tempts In their extremities they shall acknowledge our callings iustifie our loue and wishe our prayers They shall stoupe they shall stoupe when our God pleaseth and it is inough Remember that great Nabuchadnezar how the Lord stouped him till hée should know that the Lord ruleth Pray pray for vs O Samuel said the stobborne Israelites when God would and so they came to him whom they erst neglected Men and brethren what shall we doe said they béeing touched that before thought much to be aduised by such men Ieroboam sendeth to the Prophet whose doctrine he would not follow and no worse a messenger than his owne wife and in his heart he acknowledgeth that truth is with him The great Turke in these daies will séeke the prayers of Christian-men when yet he fighteth against the truth that they embrace And many which at other times regard them not either going to sea or to battaile or béeing sicke and vexed at home will send and séeke for the prayers and comfort of Gods Ministers And what is this but a signe of Gods Omnipotent hand ouer all Pharaohs whatsoeuer and that he can reuenge our contempts and giue our truth and carefull walking in our places a due regarde and reuerence when he will with them and in them Let the swéetenesse of it ioy vs and make vs possesse our soules in patience Diues that rich glutton shal sée Lazarus right himselfe wrong one day 8 But why dooth Pharaoh now call rather than in the former plague for Moses and Aaron to pray Surely because this plague more nipped him than the former For when the riuers were blood he might haue wine to drinke and by that meanes not finde the smart so much See wee then howbeit other mens harmes should affect vs yet vnlesse the Lord touch our selues we are dull and dead without sense Which certainly maketh God reach vs a blowe many times when otherwise he would spare vs did we make good vse of our Brethrens harmes Applie therefore euer to your selfe Gods doings saying in your heart and why Lord am I not so also Doo not I also offend thée Father of Heauen and God of all mercie make me wise by other mens harmes and thankfull vnto thée that I am so schooled rather than with mine owne woe 9. Sée how readie Moses is to pray for Pharaoh when he biddeth him to appoint the time himselfe of his prayer and let it make vs thinke with our selues whether wee be thus harted to pray readily and willingly for Prince for Country for friends and familie yea let it open vnto vs what I feare is too true that in our liues scarce once we haue béene vpon our knées for any of these but euen goe on in a common course haling and pulling with the world all the wéeke long and on the Holiday goe to the Church rather for fashion than deuotion praying with lips not with heart a fewe words and then spending all the rest of the time either in sléeping or gazing or thinking of matters little belonging to God O that wee may profit by this readines in Moses to pray for such a wicked king Remember the Scriptures where you see how fathers and mothers haue gone to Christ for their children Maisters for their seruants and neighbours for their friends Christ is th 〈…〉 me and why should not we also be the same and Morning and Euening goe vnto God for our selues and ours as héere did Moses for Pharaoh 10. It may be moued for a question why
the number was numberlesse and no way to knowe it certainly but out of one gate the Kéeper had noted to bee caried out A hundred and fiftie thousand dead bodies Which miserable creatures before they died were driuen to eate the Leather of their Shooes the Leather of their Girdles the Leather of their Bucklers and Targets the dung of the Stable and in the end their very Children A stouping plague indéede and neuer to be forgotten of Gods people that heare it but to be vsed as a mighty motiue to stir vp their hearts euer to a due feare of that power that can thus crush them if they will rebell against him Now appeared an vse of our Sauiours words when going to his passion he said Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not for me but for your selues and your Children For behold the daies will come when men shall say Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the paps which neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hilles Couer vs c which was now verified in a most wofull miserie Let neuer Sinners then prouoke the Lord in this manner but so profit by his easier Crosses laide vpon them and by his long-suffering-patience vouchsafed towardes them as these great and terrible Testimonies of his anger may be euer farre and farre from them For if not assuredly hee is the same still as mightie as euer as iust as euer and he hath his stooping plague remaining for euery man and woman which will rebell Thus haue you séene the Lordes manner in former times Come now to our selues and these times Surely the Lord is all one and his dealings all one euen with vs. For hee first entreateth vs by his Word the mildest way that possibly can be when a man or woman sitting in the Church shall féele God by the Preachers spéech in his or her bosome and yet no man liuing knowe it no not the Preacher himselfe that he hitteth vpon them Then if this doth not serue the Lord commeth néerer and layeth vpon vs his easier Crosses yet greater and greater by degrées Our friends growe vnkinde our Seruants vnfaithfull our Children vndutifull our goods abate and our health changeth to sicknes and griefe And if these also become vnprofitable as too often they are then the Lord goeth to his Quiuer and taketh out a strong arrowe to shoote at vs as The sweating sicknes The deuouring plague or such like which shall at once swéepe the Earth cleane from such rebelling Spirits and stoope vs vnto Hell because vnto Heauen wee would neuer be brought This you haue séene to bee true in some part with your owne eyes and therefore we ought to think of it earnestly for our amendment Happy is the man who taketh his time to turne to his God that he may be saued I reade of One that said hee had but one Booke and the same Booke had but two leaues a white leafe and a red yet could hee neuer reade quite ouer those two leaues though he liued many yeeres reade diligently so much matter was contained in them For in the white leafe hee said were laid downe all the Mercies and fauours of God vouchsafed to mankinde either in generall or particular And in the red leafe all his fearefull Iudgements poured-out vpon sinners which were disobedient and would not be reformed This Booke hath béene in all ages and godlie persons haue had a care to reade in it Dauid looked vpon the White leafe and sawe first such heapes of Mercies towards mankinde ingenerall that he cried Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him For thou hast made him little lower than God and crowned him with glory and worship Thou hast made him to haue dominion in the works of thy hands thou hast put all things vnder his feete All sheepe and oxen yea and the beasts of the field The fowles of the ayre and the fish of the sea with that which passeth through the pathes of the seas Then in particular towards himselfe hee sawe also such Goodnes as that he likewise cried Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought mee hitherto with all the rest that followeth in the Place worthie your reading fullie ouer by your selfe In the Red leafe he reade so manie Judgements of God as that hee prayed Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh liuing can be iustified in thy sight If thou Lord shalt marke what is done amisse O Lord who may abide it Haue mercie vpon me O Lord according to thy louing kindnes and according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine miquities Iacob reade in this Booke and séeing in the white leafe Gods gracious goodnes towards him said O Lord ouer this riuer did I come with my staffe and now haue I gotten two bands I am not worthie of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant In the Red leafe also he saw such griefes as it had pleased God to exercise him with all and tolde the King that his daies had beene but fewe and euill and hee had not attained vnto the yeeres of the life of his Fathers yet was he then a hundred and thirtie yéeres olde Others also haue done the like séeing the infinite fauours of God and these fearefull punishments two and thirtie Thousand destroyed for the golden Calfe to teach men to beware of Idolatrie Threescore and Ten thousand destroyed with the plague for Dauids numbring of the people to teach men to beware of pride and vaine confidence in any Earthly thing Corah Dathan Abiram with their Families swallowed vp aliue with the gaping Earth to teach men to take héede of murmuring against authoritie and that which is the Gospell Binde him hand foote to teach vs that what parts are ioyned in vitio they shall assuredly be ioyned in supplicio Sinne together and be punished together is a Keckning that shall not faile Wherefore since things are thus as well in our daies as in former times what remaineth but that this knowledge humble vs vnder his mighty hand that can euer stoope vs at his pleasure Let vs remember the words of Dauid and vse them as our owne Agnosco iniquitatem c. I knowe mine iniquities and my Sinne is euer before mee Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten mee in thy displeasure c. Let vs remember that good Saying of the Father Non litigando sed flendo Deum vincimus Wee ouercome God not by striuing with him but by weeping before him The stubborne Oake is torne vp by the rootes when the bowing Réede standeth still Neuer can the lower part of the whéele come vpward vnlesse the vpper part goe downward neither euer can a man in his death be glorified vnlesse
in his life hee be truly humbled You remember the Fable of the wise Foxe who would not visite the sicke Lion because he saw not any come out that went in Let it profit you much to beware of Hell from whence you knew neuer any returne that went thither Now is the time to thinke of these thinges the continuance in Hell is for euer and the paine there is without measure Better late than neuer to thinke of it Our Bookes tell vs of a light woman who spending her time in sinne desired her wicked Associate to bestowe on her a new Gowne which when hee did sticke at shee instantlie answered Doo I desperately cast away both body and soule for euer to content thée and doest thou miserably denie so small a request to me I will looke to my selfe héereafter better and auoide thée and this wicked life which if she did it was a happy deniall made vnto her But certaine it is that God hath many wayes to pull such out of the fire as hee will haue saued The like wee reade of a Couetous Father who raking vp riches very disorderly suddainly God purposing mercie towards him called for his eldest Sonne and for a Chafing-dish of coales requiring his Sonne to put his finger in and to burne it off At the first he thought his Father had but iested but perceauing in the end his setled resolution he prayed to be excused hee might not doo it To whom then earnestly his Father answered and shal I to make thée a Great man in the world so heape vp riches by all vnlawfull meanes that Jam sure eternally to burne both body and soule and thou not endure the losse of one finger for mee I will alter my Course in time and consider of that which héereafter cannot be redressed Were it true or were it a fiction to a wise man it carieth a Morrall with it Swéete is our God if we will returne and as yet it is day that wee may returne Were thy sinnes as red as scarlet saith Hee I will make them as white as snow The sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit A broken and contrite heart hee shall neuer despise Iosia his heart melted and hee found it so Ezechias sorrowed and hee found it so Peter wept bitterly and he found it so Neuer any sorrowing sinner but he found it so God then in mercie so stoope vs by his Spirit that his outward Stoopings may euer be far from vs. This example of Pharaoh preacheth vnto vs to be wise 2. Secondly consider these words When hee letteth you goe he shall at once chase you hence That is hee shall hast you away without any condition stop or stay at all It is euer swéete to the seruants of God to obserue this mighty power and out-stretched arme ouer all his Enemies when once he setteth on to doo a thing As here how he was able not onely to giue his people passage but to make Pharaoh as glad to rid them away as euer hee was desirous to hold them So in Genesis when Abimelech had taken Abrahams wife supposing shee had béene but his sister God caused him not onely to restore her without any iniurie but he was vp very early in the morning saith the Storie to see it to be done that is hee hasted to doo it and had no rest in his minde till it was done What comfort then in this God euer what rest and peace in relying vpon him what assurance of that end issue victorie and deliuerance that he in his wisedome shall knowe to be best for vs séeing he is thus able Lord make vs patient then willing to tarie thy leasure and euer contented with thy pleasure For thou canst doo for vs what thou wilt and when thou wilt all earthly pride must stoope to thée and if Ieroboam stretch out his hand against thy Prophet thou canst make him neuer plucke it backe againe till thy Prophet pray for him Who hath resisted him and had peace saith Iob The Lord of Hosts hath decreed it and who can disappoint it saith the Prophet God would haue Ioseph exalted his Brethren storme at it and practise against it but all in vaine when time commeth it must bee so Saul grieueth that Dauid is likely to succéede him but all in vaine it must be so The Iewes work against Christ yet to no end for the Lords purpose must come topasse The farther you go in this Meditation the swéeter shall you finde it The 2. part 1. THe second generall Head of this Chapter I saide was an Admonition to the Israelites what to doo betwéene the Denunciation of another plague and the Execution of the same Euen euery man to require of his neighbour and euery woman of her neighbour Iewels of siluer and Iewels of gold Which they did and were greatly enriched by them Concerning which matter remember with your selfe what was fore-tolde foure hundred yeeres agoe to Abraham namely That his seede should be strangers in a strange Land so many yeeres but in the end should come forth with great substance Now was it fulfilled as you may sée in the next Chapter So they spoiled the Egyptians Noting by the word of spoiling a verie great measure of riches in thinges desired Wee may rightly ground this Comfort vpon it That be the time neuer so long before he doo it yet euer in the end GOD will performe what hee hath promised and neuer faile Foure hundred yeeres space shall not hinder but that at last his Truth shall appeare Applie it then to what most may ease you and be assured hee is the same In matter of sinne you haue his promise As I liue I will not the death of a sinner c. Hee shall neuer breake it and therefore bee comforted In matter of want you haue his promise All these thinges shall be ministred vnto you And you are better than many Sparrowes c. Rest vpon it Hee is euer true In matter of triall you haue his promise Hee will neuer lay more vpon you than he will make you able to beare Joy in it and know that he cannot lye his word shall stand and you shall finde it 2. But a Question is mooued whether it was lawfull for the Israelites thus to doo or no And whether wee may imitate them and doo the like whereunto diuers men make diuers Answeres and wee may take profit by them all Basill saith Haebrei honesta astutia ab Egyptijs mercedem operarum suarum receperunt qua hactenus defraudati fuerunt The Hebrewes by an honest craft receaued of the Egyptians recompence for their labours whereof hitherto they had beene defrauded Which Spéech without reference to the Commaundement of GOD cannot well stand For the Apostles Rule is plaine That no man oppresse or defraude his brother in any matter for the Lord is an Auenger of all such things To lend is a dutie necessarie when wee can doo it and not arbitrarie as
more pericula fugere illos voluit id nos facere docens etiam dum apertissimé Deum adiutorem habemus God doth not worke all things as he can but sometimes doth eschew perils after the maner of men therein teaching vs to doe the like namely by vsing meanes euen then when most plainly we haue God our helper 2. The Children of Israel went vp armed out of the Land of Egypt saith the Text. And it may teach vs warinesse and circumspection in our vocatiens euer reckoning of the enemie in this our holy march towardes the Land of Promise Iosephs bones are caried away with them according to the oath made vnto him which may teach vs faithfulnes and truth in the desires of dead men euermore a thing alwaies of good regard with good men and too little regarded by many that would be iudged good men But no shewe of warrant héere for the Popish fooleries and impieties vsed about their Reliques For this promise to translate his bones was taken by Ioseph to shew his Faith in the promise of GOD touching the Land of Promise to be giuen in time and it was performed by the Israelites in discharge of truth without any superstition or Idolatrie as in Poperie is vsed most offensiuely The 3. part THe last generall Head is concerning the signes of direction which the Lord vouchsafed them namely a Cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night Whereof the Psalme speaketh alluding to this Storie In the day time he led them with a Cloud and all the night long with a light of fire And againe Hee spread a cloud to be a couering and fire to giue light in the night season By this Great miracle shewing that the Israelites deliuerance was from himselfe and by no other meanes vnder Heauen Secondly that hee was present with them to defend and saue them from all their enemies And thirdly that in like sort hee guideth and protecteth his faithfull marching out of Egypt towardes the promised Land through the Wildernes of woe and affliction which indéede hee still doth by his Word and Sacraments two guides to vs as these pillars were to them So necessarie is it after deliuerance to be guided that without the one the other will not serue And if more particularly you wil meditate on them consider in the Cloud how it not only directeth the way but is spread as the Psalme saith for a couering namely against the heate of the Sunne sauing them from the violence thereof and comfortably cooling and refreshing them Remember also howe the afflictions of this world in the Gospell are noted by the heate of the Sunne And be you assured in a true Faith that euen euer euer against these heates the Lord in his good time will send you defence and comfort For still you must know that yesterday and today and for euer He is the same Meditate on the Apostles experience 2. Cor. 1. Blessed be God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort which comforteth vs in all our tribulations sée the cooling Cloud that wee may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith wee our selues are comforted of God For as the sufferings of Christ abound in vs so our consolation aboundeth through Christ c. Thus to Paule thus to you thus to all assuredly In the other pillar of fire obserue that beside direction by going before it also gaue light vnto them in the night And thereby learne with a féeling comfort that whosoeuer followe Christ as their Guide and Leader they still haue light in others darknes So saith Hee himselfe Hee that followeth mee shall not walke in darknes but shall haue that light of life In both the one and the other sée a Notable Figure of Christ in whoÌ„ there is cooling without whom there is scorching heate in whom there is light and without whom there is hellish darknes In the world yee shall haue trouble but in mee yee shall haue peace The wordes which followe That they might goe both by day and by night most notablie remember vs that in trauelling towardes the spirituall Canaan we must not rest but labour forward continually The Chiidren of this world are often looking back toward Egypt and often pitch downe their Tents so in this Wildernes that they are loath euer to take them vp and to remoue But with the Sonnes of God it is not so but they say with themselues We haue here no abiding Citie and fixing both eye heart on their Heauenly house they iourney on still both day and night in true pietie and obedience and they are not quiet till they haue attained to the Hauen sée their God with his holy company in the highest Heauens Last of all when it is said Hee tooke not away the pillar of the Cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people Let it euer assure your fearing heart cooling comforting shining and lighting guiding and directing his little flocke shall neuer be taken away froÌ„ any member thereof but euer be readie present with vs both by day night to the eternall praise of his goodnes and vnspeakeable comfort of our soules blessed againe and againe be his name for it And thus far of this Chapter CHAP. 14. The Heads of this Chapter may be these 1. The pursuing of Pharaoh after them 2. The feare of the Israelites wheÌ„ they saw him vâ— 10. 3. Their fall and sinne through their feare ver 11. 4. The Lords deliuerance of them 1. TOuching the first marke what a straite the Lord brought his people into when He commaunded Moses to speake vnto them to campe before Pâ—-hakiroth betweene Migdol and the Sea ouer against Baal-zephon where the Sea was before them Mountaines on either side and Pharaoh with his Host at their backes the Lord hardening his heart to follow after them yet was not this distresse for their hurt but for their good that God might be honoured they miraculously deliuered and their enemies gloriously ouerthrowne How then doo wee feare in euery aduersitie before wee sée the end Surely we wrong the Lord much and our selues in so doing he being as good as euer he was as mightie as euer he was to finde meanes and as iust as euer hee was to punish our malicious enemies O thinke then with your selfe and reason thus Loe héere I am distressed on euery side as the Israelites were at the Red-Sea and it is the prouidence of God that I should be thus as it was his Will they should pitch in that place But doo I know the Lords meaning what he will doo No indéede And therefore I will patiently waite for his blessed Will not murmuring as the Israelites did but comfortably assuring my selfe that one way or other the Lord will giue issue to his glory and my
with Gods Minister sent for their comfort reproaching him bitterly as you sée in the Text. Looke therefore how the fire trieth the gold parting the drosse from that which is pure so doth aduersitie try the sonnes of men seuer the good from the â—uill Be we rooted therefore in his holy promises and looke not too much vpon heapes of men as these murmuring Israelites did for it is all one with the Lord to ouercome many and fewe and with many or few Faith must euer looke at him and say chéerefully as Dauid The Lord is my light and my saluation whom then shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I bee afrayde Though an hoast of men vvere layde against me yet shall not my heart be afraide And though there rose vp warre against mee yet will I put my trust in him c. For if wee looke at the billowe of the Sea comming against vs wee shall bee afraide and begin to sinke 5. Then Moses saide to the people feare yee not but stand still and beholde the saluation of the Lord which hee will shewe to you this day For the Egyptians whom you haue seene to day yee shall neuer see againe The Lord shall fight for you therefore holde you your peace Iosephus relateth a long Oration wherewith Moses exhorteth them but these wordes are effectuall and containe the substance A worthie and wonderfull strength in the seruant of GOD who héeretofore looked at the difficulties of his Calling at his owne weakenes and wants and at the ingratitude of men towardes those that haue best deserued yet now raiseth himselfe aboue all these in a most holy Faith and comforteth the people with assurance of a great and most gracious Deliuerance Thus can the Lord giue strength to any man in his vocation when hee will making him mount aboue all earthly conceites and to sée nothing but the power of God and truth euer in his promises Wherefore pray for this Grace in all touches and plunges of this miserable world And learne of Moses here by vse experience to cast behinde vs the vndeserued spéeches of men either malitious or vnthankfull and bee strong and chéerefull in our Charge notwithstanding a thousand of them Learne also of him both in our selues to be assured and to assure others in the distresses of the Church that as God waketh when we sléepe so will hee fight for vs when we stâ—nd still and that in our greatest weakenes his strength shall appeare The Egyptians are vanitie saith the Prophet and therefore God crieth to Hierusalem That her strength is to sit still And againe to Iehosaphat Feare not neither be afraide for this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods You shall not neede to fight in this battell stand still mooue not and behold the saluation of the Lord toward you c. Iehosophat thereupon to the people Heare O Iuda and inhabitants of Hierusalem put your trust in your Lord your God and you shal be assured beleeue his Prophets and yee shall prosper All Notable places euer to be in our rembrance yea euen in spirituall conflicts say thus with your selfe O my Soule feare not though Sathan thrust thus sore at thée and séeke thy destruction but looke vnto him that is mightier than al Hell beléeue his Prophets beléeue his promises beléeue his Word and the Egyptians whom thou hast seene to day thou shalt neuer see againe that is those frights and those feares enemies to thy peace and comfort in God thou shalt neuer be troubled with them any more but God shal so drowne them in the Red-sea of his deare Sons bloud that they shall not hurt the nor harme thee shake thée nor shiuer thee nip thee nor touch thee as they haue done The Lord shall fight for thee O my Soule therefore stand thou still and wait vpon him c. Further may you goe in this meditation if you will 6. And the Lord saide vnto Moses why cryest thou vnto me bid the people goe forwarde God doth not speake this saith One quòd eius clamor illâ— displiceret sed vt se exauditum cognosceret because his cry did displease him but that he might know that he heard him Sée the course of a holy Gouernour the people murmur and reproach him wickedly yet be for them prayeth most hartily See also the mercy of God in sparing and not confounding such vnthankfull sinners and see the force of prayer though it be but in groanes of your inward heart it euen cryeth in Gods eares it pearceth the heauens and pulleth downe comfort as is fit See likewise the dutie of all faithfull beleeuers To goe forward as here is said to the Israelites notwithstanding Seas before vs hilles about vs and whatsoeuer it may be that is against vs leauing all to the Lord who knoweth his owne purpose and will manifest the same in due time Forward Forward saith God héere speake vnto the Children of Israel that they goe forward And let it ring in our eares whilest we liue But why did Moses cry thus in his hart to God when it was reuealed to him what should be the end of the Egyptians Surely because neither promises nor reuelatioÌ„s hinder the Children of God froÌ„ vsing ordinary appointed means but in stead of being made any whit slouthful or careles therby they are enen more more stirred-vp by the same to beg craue the performance effect of them The lifting-vp of his rod to smite the waters in shew was but a simple ridiculous thing but when the Word concurreth with a Signe then not the Signe but the Word is to be looked vpon and the Signe in the Word as here not the Rod but the might of him that commaâ—ndeth God hardening their harts to follow sheweth how in wrath the Lord blindeth sinners till they run and rush into their due destruction as we haue noted before and then they know acknowledge him to bee the Lord when it is too late Wherefore God in his sweete mercy vouchsafe vnto vs eies in time to see him hearts in time to loue him liues in time obedient to him that it neuer be said vnto vs it is too late Amen Amen 7 And the Angel of God which went before the host of Israel remooued went behinde them Who this Angell was we saw in the Chap. before ver 21. we may sée againe in this Chap. ver 24. euen Christ the Son of God by whose conductioÌ„ they into the Canaan both they and we withall true beléeuers into the true Canaan are conducted brought This God going before now remooueth behinde and so keepeth them safe from their pursuing eâ—emies The Cloude on the one side gaue light to the Israelites on the other side was dark to the Egyptians in respect of the darke side was called a cloude
good when hee might haue punished vs for our sinnes will not hée now doo vs good when through his grace we hate sinne in some measure sanctified by his holy Spirit Hee will he will and neuer feare therefore but cleaue fast Thinke with your selfe how the Fathers before the floud eating nothing but hearbes yet liued some seuen hundred some eight hundred some nine hundred yeares know by it that man liueth not by these meanes but if neither grasse nor corne nor any vsuall foode now amongest vs were in the earth yet could God Preserue vs and keepe vs both aliue and in health and in good liking But much more now by flesh and fish and his other good blessings can he do it Moses Elias liued forty daies without meate and the Israelites walked as I noted forty yeares in the wildernesse with the same apparrell not waxen olde By which and many such things mo in the Scriptures you see that the blessing of God is all in all and that these earthly meanes are but things giuen of GOD for our vse which yet he can want when hee will notwithstanding preserue vs. Up with your hart then how hard soeuer the world goeth with you and fix both heart and eies vpon GOD beléeue his Scriptures and reade them for your comfort all shal be well assure your selfe in his time 10 The Lord by Moses commaundeth a pot of this Manna to be kept in the Arke for a remembrance euer of this great miracle and so it was which very notably may teach vs euer to be carefull to keepe in minde the gracious fauoures of our good God shewed vnto vs and not to suffer them to be forgotten The Scripture often layeth this point before our eies if you remember As in Deut. Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things which thine eies haue seene and that they depart not out of thine heart all the daies of thy life but teach them thy sonnes and thy sons sonnes So in the sixt Chapter againe These wordes which I commaund thee this day shal be in thy heart And thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thine house as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp And thou shall binde them for a signe vpon thy hand and they shall be as frontlets betweene thine eyes Also thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house and vppon the gates c. When they passed ouer Iordā on dry land presently twelue stones were set vp for a remembrance Dauid in his Psalme Prayse the Lord O my Soule and forget not forget not all his benefits So the Fathers haue many good Sayings to this end As Saint Gregorie So much shall thy Soule finde more sweet rest in Heauen by how much thou giuest thy minde lesse rest in this Worlde from the continuall remembrance of GOD and his Workes If thy Corne lay in a low moiste and dankishe vault where it might putrifie and corrupt Wouldest thou not speedelie and carefully raise it vp to a higher and sweeter Place that so it might continue sweete Why then dooest thou suffer thy Minde to lye so lowe among the rotten thinges of this World that also will corrupt it with a grieuous corruption and dooest not spéedely and carefullie also raise it vp to a sweete remembrance of GODS fauoures and great workes for thee for thy Neighboures for thy Countrie for his Church and Children in all ages Here here is the sweete beeing of the Minde and not below Againe marke how the eyes of thy bodie if they bée in a smokie place are vered and grieued with that foule smoake and shedde out their teares to bee deliuered there hence So thinke of the light of thy minde that with vile thinges it is much offended but with remembrance of good things much pleased and bettered Euer therefore let it haue his comfort and looke vpon that pot of Manna which God hath giuen thee from heauen that is vpon his mercies and fauoures vouchsafed vnto thée many waies in thy life time which to thée are the Testimonies of his loue and gracious prouidence as this Manna here was to the Israelites Another saith Will the young Lamb be drawne from his damme or the young kid the young calfe the little chickens and such like will not they still kéepe with their kinde not stray away farre but run to the damme againe So certainely should our mindes not stray from our God and the thankfull remembrance of his mercies but euer kéepe here and tarie here and ioy here as in our swéete and quiet comfort A good carefull seruant is still in his Maisters eye and cannot abide to be farre off No more can the seruant of God assuredly bée pleased in the forgetfulnesse of his God and his great workes The fire of the Altar went not out either by night or by day No more should the fire within you that is the heate of thankfull féeling and due remembrance of Grace receiued from a swéete God The Priests did bring wood to that fire vppon the Altar and still nourish it that it might euer burne so will the zealous Preacher to thy inward Soule giue a holy heate continually kéepe in that blessed fire of loue of zeale of thankfulnesse and so foorth to Almightie God if thou diligently frequent his company and heare his words For the Lord hath appointed him to this end to kéep this fire within his people and his ordinance shall not be in vaine vnlesse the fault be yours What a heate will the fire giue to the coldest water if it be set to it But remooue the same water from the fire againe and it returneth to his former coldnesse So so is it in the matter we speake of and forget it not The preserued fruite that is bailed in sugar looseth his owne tartnesse and taketh a swéeter taste from the sugar that all men may know where it hath béen And euen so assuredly wil a minde much meditating on Gods benefits and to the end it may the better doo it much frequenting the reading and hearing of the Word tast most swéetly both with God and Man Wherefore follow this aduise of Scripture and Fathers and learne by this reseruing of Manna for a remembrance what an acceptable thing to God and what a fit dutie for his seruant this carefull remembrance of his works is 11. Now as by this Figure of the kept Manna men were taught to remember all Gods mercies in generall So in particular it did lay before the Israelites the promised séede Christ Iesus of when it was a very notable Type and therefore may likewise teach vs as to remember all Gods mercies so by name this great mercie aboue all the gift of his deare and blessed Sonne our Sauiour for vs. The type is resembled by learned men in
when the Sea was deuided honoured him greatly You can neuer giue any people so many causes to sticke vnto you as he did giue this people to cleaue vnto him and yet they failed Write it therefore in your hands and in your heart for euer and in well doing depend vpon God you shall finde him neuer to faile you Marke also your Marginall Note héere in your Bible 5. What answereth the Lord to this inward crie of his gréeued and troubled seruant Moses Sée I pray you in the two verses following the 5. and the 6. He biddeth him take his rod and strike a hard stonie rocke and it should yeeld the people water to drinke and for their cattle also at full A mightie powerfull worke of God and full of good instructions for all those that wil obserue them As first that against such a rebellious people so froward so stubborne and so forgetfull of his former fauours yet he thundreth not out wrath and iudgements as they deserued but mildly and mercifully still dealeth with them adding mercie to mercie fauour to fauour and goodnes to goodnes for all their euill So teaching all Gouernours patience and long suffering not to followe with rigour extremitie all wrongs not setting power against folly and yéelding measure for measure in full recompence of ill deserts but according to the Course of God here doing good for euill euen to men of bittēr tongues and naughtie hearts against vs to men forgetfull of the good wee haue done them and euery way deseruing euill of vs. I know I know this is soone said but not so soone done For flesh and blood cannot away with this course There is a law in our members that rebelleth against this Counsaile But what then héere is my God before mee the best patterne that can be followed who hath power to punish and yet spareth who hath power to hurt and yet helpeth who hath power to kill with the breath of his mouth ten thousand worlds and yet saueth all and slayeth not the meanest man of all this company that murmured against him And his power in me can worke that which otherwise my corruption will not abide to yéeld vnto That spirit therefore so powerfull I will pray for to make me able to followe this example of my Almightie Father and I wil set this Precedēt before mine eyes to direct me and teach me as any way I shal be able to learne His blessed seruant the Apostle S. Paule treadeth in the same steps when hee saith Deerely beloued auenge not your selues but giue place to wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay Recompence to no man euill for euill but ouercome euill with goodnes c. Secondly it yéeldeth a most strong comfort vnto vs in all our wants For can we euer thinke that this GOD which regardeth the néed of such Rebels and giueth them helpe euen miraculously will despise our wants and suffer vs in them to perish without reliefe Search I say your owne Soule tell me if you can harbour such a thought against so swéete a God If you cannot but abhorre to doo it then sée how you are assured by this Place of his blessed prouidence for you and yours yea euen for your very Cattle if they want but water And clap both your hands vpon it binde it to your heart and let it neuer depart from you whilest life endureth in this world of wants What moued him to this mercie you sée not their merits but his owne promise onely and goodnes Reason then euer with your weake heart true to them and not true to me O fie fie auoide vile thought my God is euer true in all his promises and to all his Children neuer failing anie that relieth vpon him I will tarie therefore the Lords leasure and submit my selfe to his good will for hee that helped such Repiners as these will in his good time looke vppon my want The eyes of my poore Children shall waite vpon him for bread and drinke and hee shall fill them with his blessing when and howe hee thinketh fit Thirdly it is a profitable obseruation héere to sée how no euill in man can driue GOD from his promise and yet Sathan will suggest still O thou art not worthie of mercie thou art sinfull and a great great sinner thou must bee punished in Gods iustice hee cannot spare thée therefore trouble him not hope not in him for there is no mercie for such a one c. Why vile Sathan is my comfort reposed in mine owne worth or doo I rest vpon mine owne merit I tell thée I confesse all thou sayest of mine owne vnworthinesse and therefore haue no hope that way but I looke at his promise and I consider his truth and I sée heere and euery where that no euill in man can make him euill by breaking his promise therefore I may not despaire I haue his promise that hee will forgiue a gréeued sinner at all times for all sinnes were they as red as blood and that hee will neuer cast any away that commeth vnto him I beléeue him and I will bee comforted in his neuer fayling truth auaunt thou vile Tempter from mee Though the Lord should kill mee yet will I put my trust in him In which holy dispute with your selfe remember I pray you the olde Fathers howe they haue gone before you in this point Tota spes mea est in morte Domini mei mors eius meritum meum Refugium meum salus mea vita mea resurrectio mea meritum meum miseratio Domini Non sum inops meriti quamdiu ille non est inops miserationis Et si misericordiae Domini multae multus ego sum in meritis Quanto ille potentior ad saluandum tanto sum ego securior Peccaui peccatum grande multorum sum conscius mihi delictorum non tamen despero quia vbi abundauit delictum ibi superabundauit gratia c. All my hope is on the death of my Lord his death is my merit My refuge my health my life my resurrection My merit is the Lords mercie And I am not voyde of merit so long as hee is not voyde of mercie If his mercies bee many my merits bee also many And the stronger hee is to saue the more secure and safe am I. My sinne is great that I haue committed yea I am guiltie of many sinnes yet despaire I not for where sinne aboundeth Grace hath super-abounded Hee that despaireth of the forgiuenes of his sinnes denieth GOD to bee mercifull yea hee denieth as much as lyeth in him that GOD hath loue truth and power in which three all my comfort consisteth to wit in the loue of his adoption in the truth of his promise and in his power to performe Let my foolish Cogitation then mutter what it listeth within mee saying who art thou or by what merit or worthinesse doest thou hope to obtaine such greate glorie I
when GOD is mercifull to his Church or to any member therefore hee enuieth not hee grudgeth not much lesse speaketh ill but with a very louing ioy hee is glad and blesseth the Name of the Lord for it A thing I feare me much wanting now a-daies not onely in Country Christians and men as wee say of the Laitie endued with lesse knowledge but euen in such as be Great men in the Church and of the Clergie The olde Saying was Laici infesti Clericis But in our daies I feare a Clergie mans chiefe enemies are they of his owne coate Such is the rancour and poysoned enuie of these times God in mercie alter it and make our hearts like Iethro his heart heere Gratitude againe to God for his mercies is heere taught by Iethro which is euer a dutie due from man and which being performed moueth him to giue more For as Ambrose saith Gratiarum actio est ad plus dandum inuitatio Thanksgiuing is a mouing of the Lord to bestowe more As ingratitude out of doubt worketh the taking away of thinges giuen It is written of one Timotheus the sonne of Conon a verie good Father a Citizen of Athens that after hee had proudly said in a great assemblie Haec Ego feci non Fortuna This I haue done and not Fortune hee neuer after prospered in any thing but daily lost that glorie which before he had gotten Much more faultie are they that at least in heart though by mouth they dare not openly say so thinke that this or that they haue gotten or done and not God You may thinke of that in Daniel 4. 27. and euer pray against such pride 7. Then Iethro Moses father in lawe tooke burnt offerings and sacrifices to offer vnto God And Aaron and all the Elders of Israel came to eate bread with Moses father in lawe before God Hauing béene thankfull in wordes now he addeth deedes that both wordes and déedes may goe together in honouring God For A dead faith saith S. Iames is that where workes want And as with the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnes so with the mouth we confesse vnto saluation saith S. Paul If wee learne of Iethro euer to ioyne these together as the Lord shall enable vs wée shall rightlie and fully giue assurance both to our selues and others of our true faith This shewed againe that Iethro worshipped the true God otherwise in likelihoode Moses would not haue married his daughter And if Iethro here and Melchisedek and Naaman and Cornelius with others mentioned elsewhere in the Scriptures did so hauing for any thing wée know small preaching or meanes of true knowledge besides the working Spirit of a gratious GOD that mercifully pulled them out of the fire Let vs comfortably hope of our Forefathers liuing in the time of ignorance that they found mercie with God And yet beware that wée reason not from thence to any contempt or neglect of that blessed light which God vouchsafeth now aboue those times But euer remēber that singular Spéech of Saint Cyprian Ignosci potuit simpliciter errantibus post inspirationem vero et reuelationem factam qui in eo quo errauerat perseuerat sine venia ignorantiae peccat praesumptione enim et obstinatione superatur Mercy might be shewed to them that erred of simplicitie but after light graunted who shall so continue in his error he sinneth without hope of pardon beeing ouercome with presumption and obstinacie The kinde comming of the Elders with Aaron to eate and bée merrie with Moses Father in law sheweth their loue to Moses and was a great comfort Alike custome we haue to giue a man his welcome as we call it with wine or meate as wée thinke good which you sée is commendable béeing vsed rightly For most good and ioyful it euer was when men togeather agrée in loue and vnitie Many sharp showers Moses was vnder with these Israelites yet here is loue and kindnesse which telleth vs GOD will not euer grieue his seruants Magistrates or Ministers or others faithfull but hath his times to comfort them also and mingle sweete with their sowre that they may be able to beare and to go along with their vocation A swéete goodnesse in him so to consider our weakenesse so to temper things to our strength and let it worke a loue in vs of so deare a Father and to a godly carriage in all stormes For cloudes will blow ouer and after a foule day commeth a fayre Sorrow at night ioye ere day saith the experienced Prophet Dauid and the Lord in mercy giue vs the vse of all his swéete comforts The 2. part 1. NOw on the morrow when Moses sate to iudge the people the people stood about Moses from Morning to Euen c. Amongest the infinite mercies of God vouchsafed to mankind this is one great one that he hath appointed Gouernment Gouernours Iudgment Iudges Iustice and Lawes to defend the good and represse the euill and vnruly In the 11. Chapter of the Prophet Zacharie he calleth it a Staffe and a Staffe of beautie for the excellencie of it I tooke vnto me saith the Lord two Staues the one I called Beautie the other I called Bands and I fed the sheepe The first staffe was the Gouernment Ecclesiasticall and ciuill which hee esiablished amongst them called I say Beautie for the profit comfort good that commeth euer by Gouernment His second Staffe was peace vnitie and concord most mercifully also vouchsafed vnto them which béeing indéede a notable holdfast of happinesse in any state he calleth it by the name of Bands And both these excellent mercies he calleth by the name of Staues because they haue fit resemblances with those Shepeheard Staues that are vsed in féeding and tending the flockes of men For to speake of Gouernmēt wherto the Text leadeth me the Shepeheards Staffe is said to be a Staffe of directiō a staffe of correction a Staffe of defence a staffe of support or ease Euen so is good iust Gouernment if you marke it For it directeth a man willing to liue in order what he shal doo what hée shall not doo as the Staffe guideth the sheepe in the right way kéepeth him from the wrong It correcteth him that will not be ruled It defendeth the oppressed and wronged it is a sure stay to leane and rest vpon when we are toyled with heard dealings of men as the staffe is for the shepeheard to support him when hée is wearie Uery fitlie therefore resembled to a staffe and for the excellencie tearmed not beautifull in the concrete but verie beautie it selfe in the abstract Which Beautie that it may the more appeare vnto you thinke with your selfe of these points or heads First what Names are giuen to Gouernours in the holy Scriptures holy writings of wise men They are called you know Gods Nursing-fathers Nursing-mothers the Ministers of God Shepheards such like they are called
of gold that so it might shadow and shew that all though Christ should suffer die for sin yet he should himselfe haue no sinne but be pure as gold that is holy iust vnspotted the immaculate Lambe of God in whom there is no blemish of impuritie In all things saith the Apostle he was tempted in like sort yet without sinne 3 There were two Cherubims set vpon this Mercie seat in manner as you sée expressed in the picture of your Bible which Cherubims whatsoeuer Iosephus saith were in the most receiued opinion like Angels happely to shadow out the subiection of all Angels to Christ and their readie seruice at his commaundement for the Church and any particular member thereof For vnto which of the Angels saith the Apostle did God say at any time Thou art my Sonne this day begat I thee No it is said Let all the Angels of God woship him And of the Angels he saith He maketh the Spirits his messengers and his ministers a flame of fire Also to shew as they are obedient and seruiceable at all appointments so should we be remembring the incomprehensible goodnes of our God who among other his infinite fauours whereby he bindeth vs to his seruice hath made euen this one That these holy Angels also are our seruants by his appointment A mightie motiue to a good and thankfull minde to labour to become obedient and dutiful to such a Father to such a Creator to such a God Lastly to figure out that when we draw néere to the Propitiatorie a figure of Christ and are of God in his great mercie adopted in Christ for his sonnes we are called and as it were ioyned to the companie and societie of the Cherubims and holy Angels of God A comfort also for vs that come vnto him 4 The Cherubims stretch their wings on high couering the Mercie Seate with their winges so representing the maiestie of Christ who though he should humble himselfe to a verie low estate for mans good yet indéede was of that glorie and brightnesse in his Godhead as no flesh could be able to behold but must hide their eyes and acknowledge their infirmitie if but a small glimse thereof should be shewed them Figuring also the most comfortable protection of the Lord Iesus our Sauiour who spreadeth as it were his wings ouer his Church and euerie member of it to repulse any harme that might happen other than he will graciously turne to his glorie the Church or parties good which then indéed is no harme but a benefit rather although bitter to the flesh disgracefull in the world Thus spread he his winges ouer Iacob and saued him from Laban ouer Ioseph saued him from his brethren ouer Eliah saued him from Iesabell ouer Elisha 2. King 6 and thus euer as the Hen to her chickens so is the Lord our gracious God to all that truly feare him A maruellous swéet Meditation if you follow it 5 The faces of these Cherubims were one towards another and both of them toward the Mercie Seat so representing the consent of the Old and New Testament in both which there is but one truth and one doctrine the Olde hauing his face towards the New and the New also looking at the Olde For what is the Olde Testament but the newe obscure and what the new Testament but the Olde made plaine And both Olde and New looke vpon Christ the promised seed of the woman that should bruise the Serpents head They being saued in the olde Testament by beleeuing he should come and we being saued in the New by beléeuing he is come 6 And there saith God I will declare my selfe vnto thee and from aboue the Mercie Seat betweene the two Cherubims which are vpon the Arke of the Testimonie I will tell thee all things which I will giue thee in commaundement vnto the children of Israel Still note the excellencie of this figure of the Mercie Seat For as God before had spoken out of the bush Exod. 3. 4. vers and out of the cloud Numb 12. 5. vers so hereafter saith he I will speake to you from betwixt these Cherubims and so he did For in the Booke of Numbers you reade thus When Moses went into the Tabernacle of the congregation to speake with God he heard the voyce of one speaking vnto him from the Mercie Seat that was vpon the Arke of the Testimonie betweene the two Cherubims and he spake to him Whereupon the Prophet Esay saith God dwelleth betweene the Cherubims And Dauid in his Psalme also The Lord is King be the people neuer so impatient he sitteth between the Cherubims be the earth neuer so vnquiet And againe Heare O thou Shepeheard of Israel thou that leadest Ioseph like sheepe shew thy selfe also that sittest vpon the Cherubims And fitly did this resemble Christ by whom God afterward would speak vnto his Church whatsoeuer he would commaund As the Apostle writeth to the Hebrewes when he saith At sundrie times and in diuers manners God spake in the olde time to our Fathers by the Prophets but in these last daies he hath spoken to vs by his Sonne which still hee continueth and will vnto the end of the world though not by liuing voice and personall presence in earth as he did for a time How then Still looke vpon the figure Two Cherubims were vpon the Mercie seat representing as you haue heard the Two Testaments and from betweene those two Cherubims God spake so doth Christ still by the Two Testaments the olde and the new the lawe and the Gospell the Prophets and Apostles and so will he still speake to the end Other waies wee must not now expect Reuelations and dreames visions and miracles are ceased and if they will not heare Moses and the Prophets neither wil they beleeue if one should rise and come from the dead vnto them In Moses and the Prophets is the new Testament conteyned though obscurely as you haue heard and therefore still to these Cherubims resort if you meane to heare your God speake Huge is the heape therfore of their sinne that barre Gods people from this way and will make themselues to be Cherubims onely to be heard and beléeued shamefully affirming That the people are not to search the Scriptures but to receiue all things from their Teachers vpon their bare credit not reasoning not disputing not asking any Questions more than the horse asketh his maister why he turneth him this way or that but simply obeying Thus neuer dealt God with people since he gaue them his Scriptures you well know but as the other parts of their spirituall armour Helmet Breastplate and so forth so he bad them take their weapon without which what should armour do euen their sword which saith he is the word of God But truth séekes no darkenesse and lies loue no light Be you armed being warned and go you to the Cherubims where you
in this matter The third part 1 THen Moses prayed and said O Lord c. Heere héere then sée A faithful Magistrate A faithfull Minister A true Shepeheard ouer his people coÌ„mitted to him of God Who knoweth what iudgements godly Gouernours turne away by their earnest intercession to God for their people We sée this place we read what Hester did and the mercie of God is plaine for their sakes It should worke in vs all loue and obedience and dutie to them and make vs day and night pray for the continuance of them Treasons and treacheries raylings and reuilings slaunders and defamations wrongs and iniuries any way are not fit requitals of such good receiued by them and for them This prayer of Moses if you marke it is most vehement as comming from a mooued heart and vseth vehement and vrging arguments vnto God As first of his fauour all waies extended to them vers 11. Secondly of his glorie which would be obscured by the Aâ—gyptians lewd speaches if he destroyed them ver 12. Thirdly of his promises made vnto their fathers Abraham Isaac and Israel the trueth whereof might not be violated vers 13. with which the Lord moued in mercie stayeth as you see Such Reasons serue euen at this day and may be vsed to the Lord in our prayers Hee hath béene good to vs infinite waies and we may intreat him by these passed fauours to vouchsafe future and to stay his wrath which we haue deserued Nothing more commonâ—with Dauid in euerie Psalme if you marke it Againe euen by our punishment the enemie will be proud and speake euill they will call both himselfe and his truth into question and ecclipse his glorie to the vttermost His promises also we haue most richly and therefore in all these respects we may craue pardon and doing of it heartely with true repentance and purpose to amend he is the same God still and we shall finde fauour 2 Upon this earnest praier the Lord saith the text v. 14. changed his minde from the euill which he threatned to doe vnto his people with which comfort Moses came away and drawing neere the host he first heard the noyce of singing vers 18. for they were making merrie about their new God then comming nearer he saw the Calfe and the dancing vers 19. But then although he were the meekest man in the world yet his wrath waxed hote and he cast the Tables out of his hands and brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine Which breaking of the first Tables allegorically shewed that the law of God lighting vpon our vnregenerated nature is brokeÌ„ as it were and by the meanes of our inabilitie cannot iustifie vs. But the second written tables are put in the Arke that is when God by his Spirit worketh in vs we are regenerated and the law is obeyed of vs though not fully yet in measure this imperfect obedience is made perfect by Christ Aug. Magno etiam mysteris figurata est iteratio Testamenti noui qucniam vetus erat abolendum constituendum nouum Quaest 144. By a great mysterie the abrogating of the olde Testament by the comming of the new was figured But vnderstand Augustine rightly Then he tooke the Calfe which they had made and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder and strowed it vpon the water and made the children of Israel drinke of it vers 20. Partly to despight them and partly that they should haue no occasion to remember it After he rebuked Aaron vers 21. And if Aaron now elect High priest a Figure of Christ be so sharply rebuked of Moses surely great men must be reprooued and it is a cursed doctrine that though the Pope should carrie thousands of soules to hell yet no man may say Sir why do you thus Secondly in matters concerning the glorie of God we must rebuke euen our néere ones as others no place for affection After that he called for such as would reuenge this wrong done to the Lord vers 26. and the sonnes of Leui gathering to him he bad euerie man put his sword by his side goe to and fro from gate to gate through the host slay euerie man his brother euerie man his companioÌ„ euerie man his neighbour vers 27. so that there fell of the people the same day about three thousand men vers 28. This was the zeale of his heart to the glorie of God it must be a glasse for vs to look in whilst we liue in this world The Lord hath placed the commaundements in the Decalogue the petitions in the Lords prayer which concern his honor before those which coÌ„cerne our selues to teach vs that we ought to prefer his glorie before all worldly things yea euen life it selfe if they come in Question together Thus did Shadrach Meshach and Abednego thus did Daniel when he he opened his window and made his prayer to God notwithstanding that cruell law thus did the Mother and her seuen sonnes in the Machabees thus did Elias Phinees Dauid and others Thus did not olde Heli and therefore the Lord smote him Mine eyes gush out with teares saith the holy Prophet because men keepe not thy law And doe not I hate them that hate thee and am grieued with them that rise against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were mine enemies He that loueth Father or mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And he that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than mee is not worthie of mee c. 3 And when the Morning came Moses said vnto the people yee haue committed a grieuous crime but now I will goe vp to the Lord if I may pacifie him for your sinne Moses therefore went againe vnto the Lord and said Oh this people haue sinned a great sinne and haue made them gods of Gold Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written When Moses had fought on Gods part with the sword now he striueth for the people with his prayer so both true to God in a holy zeale and carefull of his people in the bowels of loue was this holy man this faithfull Gouernour and leader of this multitude Anotable example for all Magistrates and all Ministers euer to follow But heere is more than I said in the former Note For here is a preferring of Gods Glorie before euen life and comfort eternall which is farre more than this temporall life and all the ioyes of it So shall you sée in Saint Paule to the Romanes and what a measure of Gods holy Spirit it was consider you Farre are we from this that preferre euerie small profit and pleasure before this glorie of God and yet say we hope to be saued as well as they A true féeling of our owne iniquitie herein may much amend vs hereafter and God for
his Sonnes sake giue it vs. Againe you may note here how Moses doubleth ouer and ouer in this Chapter the foulenesse of their fault calling it a great sinne a grieuous sinne c. so learning you not to extenuate faultes before God if you sue for mercie but to set them out in their true colours that mercie may the more appeare 4 Touching this Booke of life you must know it to be a figuratiue Spéech borrowed from the manners of men who vse Bookes and writings for their memorie and not conceiue that God hath or néedeth any such things It is therefore in sense as if Moses had said O Lord pardon them or depriue me of that saluation which is as sure before thee as if it were registred and written in a book Such borrowed speeches you haue more in Scriptures as you may remember In the Psalme you read of a Booke wherein Dauid saith Were all his members written which day by day were fashioned when as yet there were none of them In the Reuelation you read of bookes againe when he saith I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened c. And for the Booke of life you read persons written in it of two sortes one as it seemed the other true indeed Of the first speaketh the Psalme Let them be wiped out of the Booke of the liuing and not be written among the righteous meaning wherein they séemed to be written or might perswade themselues they were written but indêed were not For then they could not be wiped out Of the later you read here and in other places Where though Moses speake of rasing out yet indéede there is no such matter being nothing but the eternall election of God which neuer can be altered This is more plaine in the words following when God answered Moses that Whosoeuer sinned against him he would put him out of the Booke meaning hee would make it appeare that he neuer was written in it For the house built vpon the Rocke can neuer fall They should deceiue the verie Elect if it were possible as if he should say but it is impossible Hee that commeth to mee I neuer cast away No man taketh my sheepe out of my hand and many such other places Lastly consider and note here how he biddeth Moses go on with his charge but for the people he wil visit them vers 34. And so the Lord plagued the people because they caused Aaron to make the Calfe which he made vers 35. It telleth Magistrates and Ministers that they may not desist from their dueties for the peoples frowardnes but indeuouring to their vttermost to reforme them they must go on though they perish and euen in them so perishing they shall be a sweet sauour to the Lord. That Aaron thus escaped among them if you thinke of it Answere your selfe The Lord knoweth whom to spare for their amendment and whom for a time to spare though he know they will neuer amend O how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past all finding out Grieuous and thrise grieuous is the sinne of Idolatrie that not for Moses his so earnest prayer may be fréed wholy from all further punishment though in part the Lord yéeldeth as vers 14. you saw God make it sinke where it is so much vsed by deceiued Romish Recusants CHAP. 33. 1 GReat was the sinne which this people had committed mentioned in the former Chapter and therefore the Lord whose mercie hath neither bottome nor measure not willing the death of any sinner much lesse of so many thousands but rather that by repentance pardon may be procured in this Chapter gratiously vseth the meanes that their hearts may smite them with true féeling of their fault and so they turne and be spared Their sinne I say was great and great sinnes are not so easily repented of as they ought to be Againe in sinnes of this kinde namely when they are coloured and couered ouer with a good intention by them to serue to GOD most hardly are men and women drawen to acknowledge an errour and mistaking Matters of the second Table committed against our neighbour we much better discerne than matters of the first Table concerning the worship of God For here we thinke wholy our meaning should be accepted which was to worship God be the thing we do eyther neuer so void of warrant in the word or neuer so contrarie to the word The meanes that God vseth here is by letting them know that he will be no more with thē as he hath beene nor trauell with them as he hath done Moses shall goe on with them to the land which God had promised to giue thē And to send his Angell to driue out the Canaanites But himself would not go for they were a stif-necked people lest he should consume thē in the way The Lord noteth a maner of repentāce namely to put away their costly rayment frō thē not that this is a necessarie part of Repentance alwaies but that at this time by this outward signe the Lord would haue them testifie that which is néedfull indéed the true remorse and sorrow of their harts And vpon the hearing of this fearefull newes that indéed the Lord would thus deale with them they cast from them accordingly their best attire and sorrowed for their fault 2 For further working of this sauing sorrow in them the Tabernacle wherein the Lord will conferre with his seruant Moses vntill the other now so much spoken of was readie is by the appointment of God to Moses pitched without the host farre of from the host that by this signe also it might be shewed how God was estranged from them for their sinne who earst so comfortably and so powerfully had shewed himselfe for them and amongst them All which things religiously considered manifest vnto our soules what a sweete God the Lord whom we serue is who thus séeketh his lost people euen a father ful of all pittie compassion that they may returne to him againe and haue that which so ill they haue deserued his fauour and loue for euer Will this God can you thinke in your conscience euer cast away the poore sinner that commeth in sorrow when he worketh thus to draw men to sorrow Féele and be comforted with it 3 And when Moses went out vnto the Tabernacle all the people rose vp now reuerencing him whom before they spake verie lightly of saying This Moses we know not what is become of him What caused this but that still he was in fauour with God and they out So so shall a sound and vpright heart to God euer in the end procure honor howsoeuer for a time contēpt may be shewed for God will honour them that honour him it is his Word and it shall neuer fayle That vnion that was betwixt God and his seruant Iohn Baptist when he was true to God and
Gouernment is of God and God in Gouernours and is honoured greatly euer was and will be 9 Keepe diligently that which I commaund thee this daye and beholde I will cast out before thee the Amorites c. Who subdueth enemies casteth them out God and God onely man is but by his meanes and preuaileth and faileth as the Lord will Why dooth God subdue That wée may keepe and keepe diligently what he commandeth doo this and prosper as shall be good euer doo it not and vaine shall all strength bée when the Lords patience is expired and Iustice taken in hand Publikely and priuately this is true thinke of it 9 Take heede thou make no compact with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest lest they be the cause of thy ruine among you It séemeth cruel if the inhabitaÌ„ts would yeeld and submit themselues not to receiue them But learne here and euer that God is the true line of mercie and where he condemneth beware pittie For that is to condemne him and to exalt thy selfe aboue him in mercie Because saith the Prophet to Benhadad thou hast let him go whom I appointed to die thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people Lest saith this Text they be the cause of thy ruine False Religion you sée in the end worketh destruction and how then is it policie how better for a Common-wealth as some Romish Catholiks vainly haue written Thirdly Thou shalt ouerthrow their Altars c. Then no tolleration to be had of two Religions in one GouernmeÌ„t If the Lord be God he must be worshipped but if Baal be he he must be worshipped solely and only not GOD and Baal both Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue God is a ielous God and will not giue his glorie to another Dauid a Prince truly religious saith Their offerings of blood will not I offer neither make mention of their names within my lips Princes destroying Idolatrie and purging the Church are renowned in Scripture with a blessed memorie Salomon for his mingling was plagued Valentinian sought of Ambrose a Church in Millan for the Arrians and Ambrose denyed it c. But by whom are the Altars to be broken downe By the Magistrate onely or by priuate men also and by euery one that is zealous Surelie publike things by publike persons in authoritie Constantine Theodosius and such like But for priuate things priuate men may doo them as Iacob purged his owne house of his Wiues Idols And the Councill coÌ„demneth Maisters that will suffer in their houses images and not take them away Priuate men to meddle with publike things is dangerous Paul came to Athens and found an Altar yet he threw it not down The Councill decreed that he which beeing not a Magistrate should breake downe an Image and be slaine in the fact should not be numbred among Martyrs Theodoret maketh mention of Auda a Bishop who ouerthrew Pyreum Persarum and saith thus that a priuate man ouerthrewe this I praise it not c. Extraordinary instincts God hath giuen but let men take heede they be not deceiued Gideon had Gods instinct euery motion to such matters must not be such a warrant Ambrose defendeth the Bishop that burned the Iewish Synagogue and reckoneth one among Martyrs which in the time of Iulian threw downe an Altar and was condemned Our owne times haue yeelded some examples But you see all are not of one minde Therefore beware of false spirits that will rashly write of reformation without tarrying for the Magistrate So euery man may bee a Magistrate and the swéete societie of man with man turned to blood and slaughter Some yet are too milde and they tell vs Idolatrie must first bee taken out of the heart by true teaching c. They say well that true teaching goeth before but what then Therefore is the Magistrates worke excluded No. For are not the sinnes against the second Table also to be taken out of the hart by teaching and yet I hope the magistrate may concurre with teaching and punish theeues and murderers and adulterers c Much more in the first Table touching Gods honour and seruice 10 Mariage with thâ—se Idolaters is forbidden and I wish it marked I haue els where touched it and the curse of God is often so great vpon such matches as I wonder at the presumptuous prouoking of Gods wrath that I sée in many A Recusants liuing is respected and bodie and soule destroyed for euer The father wilfull throweth his déere childe away and neuer thinketh of the iudgment he shall haue with God at his fearefull daye for the same I know where I am and I stay God in mercie worke féeling and true repentance Tertullian perswadeth Christian Widowes to take heede of these mariages Salomon was ouerthrowne by them c. 11 When Moses came downe from the mountaine Aaron and all the children of Israel looked vpon him and behold the skin of his face shone bright and they were afraide to come neere him Diuers and sundrie causes might cause the Lord thus to change Moses face First to assure him by this outward token that his prayers were accepted and Gods fauour againe restored to the people Secondly that thus the lawe written in the two Tables now the second time and Moses also the Minister of the law might receiue authoritie and dutifull regard with the people Thirdly that it might note Moses to shine with heauenly knowledge and Wisdome instructed by the Lord for the good of the people Fourthly to note that Ministers faces that is their outward actions and words which appeare to men should glister shine So let your light shine that meÌ„ may see your good works c. Fiftly to shadow that the law which Moses now represented is onely bright and shining in the face that is outwardly for the righteousnesse of them that obserue the lawe for outward actions is onely a seeming iustice shining before men who looke no further than to the out-ward apparance but before God who séeth the heart and reines it is none Whereas the righteousnesse of Christ is all glorious within and without Sixtly to teach that the law lightneth the conscience which is as the face of the in-ward man making it sée and know sinne but the minde it lightneth not wich any faith to saue from sinnes Christ onely dooing that by his holy Spirit c. Therefore the people feare and dare not approach the lawe euer striking a terrour into the harts of them that behold their sins in it and by it Moses himselfe saith your Chapter knew not of this glorie of his face And modest men are not carried away with knowledge of their own gifts but are as it were ignorant of them Socrates when all men iudged him most learned yet of himselfe held this both thought and spéech That he knew nothing And in matter of our almes
from his body And his head not plucked from his body to signifie he should not be taken from his Church which is his body by any death but raise himselfe vp againe and bée with his to the end of the world Thus then the Elect of God comfort themselues both in aflictions of the world and in death it selfe that forasmuch as their Head thus liueth and neuer was nor can â—e plucked of from them therefore as he hath ouercome so shall they by him ouercome both the malice of the world and the power of Satan and enter into ioy with him for euermore 4 The Maw and feathers were not offered but cast-away as vncleane so still noting that which I haue often noted the puritie of the Lord Iesus our true Sacrifice 5 The Priest did cleaue it with his wings but not deuide it in sunder againe to shadow that though Christ dyed yet hée was not quite extinguished but should rise againe and liue To which end also it was that not a bone of him was broken as were theirs that dyed with him That being also figured in the Paschall Lambe Lastly it is repeated here for a sweete fauour vnto the Lord and not in vaine but to the great comfort of all such poore offerers For thus are they assured that albeit they were not of abilitie to offer vnto him Oxen and Shéepe or sacrifices of great cost yet were they as déere to him as those that could so doe and their Sacrifice of Turtles or two Pigeons yéelded as swéete a sauour O swéete still for this God is not changed but the same for euer and therefore still euen two mites of a poore widow graciously accepted still a little spice a little Goats-haire or what my power is to bring vnto him is accepted So that I haue no cause to grieue at my pouertie if my heart be sound and therefore looke vnto that and be chéerefull in this Thus haue you viewed this Chapter And now a little with your selfe thinke of the maner of Reuelation then and now What a darke and dimme light I say again was that to this vouchsafed vnto vs now Surely so darke as the Apostle feareth not to call that Night and ours Day saying The night is gone the day is come God for his Christ his sake make vs thankefull But now that these kindes of burnt Offerings and Sacrifices are gone is there no sort left vnto vs Christians yes indéede First it is a Sacrifice to God most exceptable To preach the Gospell and it is euen as that song which Dauid speaketh of pleasing the Lord better than a yong Bullocke that hath hornes hoofes Thus S. Paul offered vp the Gentiles to God for a sacrifice winning theÌ„ by his Ministrie vnto the truth Rom. 15. verse 16. A Sacrifice so farre passing all others as man passeth all brute beasts And the faithfull Preachers of the Gospell dayly doe the like Secondly it is a Chiefe kinde of burnt Offering for Christians To beléeue in Iesus Christ by the Gospell because he that beléeueth offereth Christ dayly to God for his sinnes than the which nothing can be more pleasing to Christ and his Father Thinke of it early and thinke of it late when you are vpon your knées desiring mercie and pardon fauour and comfort both presently and to death yet laden and ouer-laden with a great burthen of gréeuous sinnes blemishes and imperfections hatefull to God and hatefull to your selfe through Grace giuen What hope haue you to spéed and preuaile but by his Sacrifice you will take Christ your déere Sauiour in the armes of your Faith and say holy Father looke vpon him not vpon me without him For then I dye in iustice but vpon me in him and then shall I liue in mercie Thus you offer Christ dayly and it is the Chiefest Sacrifice still of all beléeuers Thirdly it is another kinde of burnt Sacrifice left vs To offer-vp our selues wholly to God our selues I say our soules and bodyes a liuing holy and acceptable Sacrifice enery member to doe his Will and not ours Of which S. Paul speaketh to the Ro. Chap. 12. 1. Fourthly euery good worke commaunded of God and done of vs in Faith is a pleasing Sacrifice in this sort to God As Almes Coloss 4. To doe iustly to loue mercie and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Mich. 6. vers 8. To offer spirituall Sacrifices sée S. Peter Lastly all our aflictions paciently indured according to the Psalme The Sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit c. Doe therefore what God willeth or suffer what he appointeth as you are taught and you offer Sacrifice dayly to God Thus let this Chapter profit you CHAP. II. FRom bloody Sacrifices now to Unbloody and because the Burnt-offering described in the former Chapter could not bée without the Meat-offering as you may sée Num. 15. 4. therefore before he procéede to other kindes of Offerings Moses describeth in this Chapter the Meat-offering laying downe thrée sorts of it The first Of raw Flesh vers 1. to the 4. The second of Flowre not raw but baked fryed sodden vers 4. to the 14. The third sort of Corne not ground to Flowre verse 14 to the end For the institution of these Meat-offerings it was not because God hath néede of any meate or smelling sauours in the Psalme he telling vs that if he be hungry he needes not shew vs c. Neither yet that the déede done might merit and turne away Gods anger For he that offereth an oblation is as if he offered Swines blood and he that remembreth incense as if he blessed an Idoll saith God by his Prophet but by these the Lord would teach to his Church and children good things concerning Christ their Sauiour and his comming good Lessons also for life and maners as by particulars will appeare First This Meat-offering of Flowre and Corne might greatly comfort them touching their labours and assure them that yearly God would blesse their Corne and their fields because it pleased him to be a partner with them in those fruites 2 The Meat-offering of flesh might draw their hearts to God in all times of their dyet teaching them that God giueth and God sanctifieth God prospereth and is the staffe both of bread and meat They are not vpon our tables by chance but by his kinde prouidence and great goodnesse and therefore to forget him were to become most vnworthy of those blessings 3 The Flowre must bee fine Flowre to signifie still vnto them the cleannesse and puritie of CHRIST in whom there was no sinne neither any guile found in his mouth Of whom is all puritie in any of his members our foulnesse being washed by his blood It taught also that our best things should be giuen to God and not our worst as our manner is 4 The Meat-offering taught that Christ is the remedie against all hunger As am I gréeued with sin and hunger for
righteousnesse Christ helpeth this hunger being made righteousnesse and wisedome and sanctification and redemption vnto vs. Am I afraid to die and hunger for comfort Christ is my helpe for this hunger and telleth me that blessed are the dead which die in him He that beleeueth in him shall not die eternally But though he be dead yet shall he liue Death is swallowed vp in victorie O Death where is thy sting O Graue where is thy victorie Thankes Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs Victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ 5 He shall powre Oyle vpon it and put Incence thereon saith the Text Oyle delighteth the taste and Incense the smelling Neither of them careth God for we know But thus it pleased him to shadow-out vnto his people that they should euer serue him according to his owne presciption which is acceptable as a good taste or smell is and not with the vnsauourie inuentions of their owne braine as hatefull vnto him as the other is pleasing Againe the Oyle noted Christ his kindnesse and mercie which he should euer shewe to poore penitent sinners wounded and smitten with woe for their manifold frailties and sinnes He should not be rough vnto them sterne and cruell but soft as Oyle gracious and kinde swéete and comfortable ready to receiue them and pardon them Learne of mee I am meeke and lowly in heart take my yoke vpon you and you shall finde rest vnto your soules For my Yoke is easie and my burden is light Come vnto me all yee that are wearie and laden and I will ease you 6 Incense againe figured out the prayers of Christ for his Church so powerfull with God his Father that not onely he was heard himselfe but thereby he obteyned that whatsoeuer we should aske in his Name and for him we should receiue also The vaine vse of Frankincense in Popish Churches as an imitation of the Law is still to loue darkenesse when God vouch safeth light still to continue abolished Ceremonies and still to be stubborne against God with a will-worship of our owne neglecting his Will And shall bring it vnto Aarons sonnes the Priests and he shall take c. Whatsoeuer was offered to God must be giuen into the hand of the Priest still representing vnto men this Doctrine That onely by Christ there was accesse to God and no way els According to that plainer Reuelation in the Gospel by himselfe No man commeth to the father but by me I am the way And let vs therefore by him offer the Sacrifice of praise to God c. Heb. 13. verse 15. 2 A handfull of the Flowre and of the Oyle with all the Incense and the Priest shall burne it for a memoriall vpon the Altar for it is an offering made by fire for a sweet sauour vnto the Lord. Not all the Flowre but a handfull not all the Cakes but one not all was burned but onely a little part of one the rest went to the Priests and none could eate of it but the Priests It was a Memoriall to them to assure them that God did respect the partie Offering and would be mercifull vnto him And because it so pleased God it should be to him also it was a Memoriall to extend his swéete goodnesse to his penitent seruant 3 This Meat-offering you sée in your Chapter was either baked vers 4. or fryed in the Frying-panne vers 5. or sodden in the Caldron vers 7 And which way so-euer it was thrée Rules were to be obserued specified in the Text. First It must be without Leauen vers 11. In the 7. Chapter vers 13. and in the 22. Chap. verse 20. You may read of a lawfull vse of Leauen but it was neuer lawfull by the Law to offer vnto GOD for a Sacrifice any Leauened bread Leauen being a Figure both of corrupt Doctrine and bad life Beware of the Leauen of the Scribes and Pharisees that is of their corrupt Doctrine Mat. 16. And let vs keepe the feast not with old Leauen neither in the Leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth 1. Cor. 5. 8. Leauen noted bad life Christ thē being shadowed in al these burnt Offerings by this Rule of hauing no Leauen they were taught the puritie of Christ his Doctrine and the holinesse of his life His Doctrine so pure that it maketh others pure Ye are cleane through the Word which I haue spoken vnto you And Verily verily I say vnto you if any man keepe my Word he shall not see death Then you sée it maketh cleane His life also so pure that not onely his false accusers could fasten no fault vpon him but by his innocencie he appeased Gods wrath for our impuritie Againe it taught the Church in that Legall fashion by darke figure that after Christ his example they ought also to be frée from both these to wit false doctrine and ill manes Not teaching if they be Teachers any corrupt matter not beléeuing and holding if they be no Teachers and absurd vntrueths Neither Teachers nor People leading a wicked life but in holinesse and righteousnesse as the Lord shall inable spending all their dayes The second Rule is That there he no hony in his Meat-offering made by fire vnto the Lord. Of Hony we read many things as that the nature of it is to preserue bodyes not suffering them to rot and putrifie That many by the vse of it liue vnto a great age as namely in the I le of Corsica by Plinies Testemonie who calleth them long-liuers onely by the dayly vse of Hony Hony hath a swéete and pleasing taste not sharpe Whereupon Salomon saith Faire words are as a hony combe sweetnes to the soule and health to the bones My Sonne eate Hony for it is good and the hony-combe for it is sweet vnto the mouth What might be the reason then that God did forbid any hony to be vsed in this Offering Answere is made that hony although it be swéet in taste yet it is bitter by effect For it greatly increaseth choler which is as bitter as the hony is swéet Secondly although hony be good to eate yet a man may eate too much of it Prou. 25. 26. Thirdly euen in taste it will not séeme swéete if you eate much but very bitter or sowre Lastly it hath the very nature of Leauen béeing boyled and so hauing gotten a little sharpenesse Nowe forasmuch as none of these things are in Christ who was shadowed by this Sacrifice therefore is hony forbidden to be vsed in it as you read here in your Chapter aswell as Leauen vers 11. First in Christ there is no such swéetnesse as ingendreth bitternesse or any euill to the true Cater of him by Faith Secondly Christ cannot be receiued or eaten too much but the more we féede on him the better Thirdly Christ is not swéet at the beginning and bitter at the
his word séeing it is so sure a way for mée to walke in Or why should any Teacher deliuer to me that which hée neuer receiued of God to be deliuered to his people If they craue obedience why should they bée angry that I pray to haue it shewed out of his word whom onely I must obey Hée hath prescribed a forme of seruing him that forme hée will accept and blesse with eternall peace all other formes hée will abhorre and punish Nadab and Abihu preach so vnto vs and all flesh They wish vs to take héed by their harme God is in other things full of patience but in this he is full of wrath and his authoritie to appoint his owne worship he will not indure it to be taken from him by any man Let Popish whisperers then make good out of Gods word Latine Prayers when we vnderstand no Latin Calling vpon Saints that heare vs not Flying from the sufficiencie of Christs Passion to our owne merits crossings and creepings with a thousand deuised toyes and we will obey them But if they cannot let them leaue vs to serue God according to his word that we may bée accepted 3 You may also well note it here that Nadab Abihu were two of Aarons eldest sonnes which after their father should in his place haue succéeded him yet there is no mercie with God to stay his iudgement when they will not be ruled by his word No prerogatiue therefore of any man shall saue him from wrath if hee thus offend but the eldest shall die aswell as a yonger the richest aswell as the poorer a great man or woman aswell as a small There is no regard with God of these things But the soule that serueth him according to his owne will reueiled in his VVord that is regarded and euer déere vnto him c. Build we not therefore vpon any titles and so swarue from the rule laid downe vnto vs. If so little a transgression cannot be qualified any way by any circumstance O what will bée their case one day that so many wayes stray from the Law of God and almost in no one iote of their worship haue any warrant Thinke with your self more of this matter and meditate further of it at your times 4 Then Moses said vnto Aaron This is that the Lord spake saying I will be sanctified in them that come neere mee and before all the people I will be glorified You can conceiue what wo it was to Moses to sée this end of two of his brothers sonnes but he must stoope to God and so he doth telling Aaron the trueth of the fault and so consequently defending God that he did but iustly In déede saith he we must confesse that this is that we were told before how God will be sanctified in them that come neere vnto him that is how he will haue his Law obeyed and followed in his worship and not any way else how though he vse the Ministerie of man yet no man liuing must be wiser than Hee to swarue from the forme appointed and to follow his owne libertie but man must thinke it his wisedome to doe as God biddeth c. 5 But Aaron held his peace saith the Text that is was so astonished with the fearefulnes of it that he had no spéech but all amazed and shaken with the woe of it held his peace He howled not out with any vnséâ—mly cries neither vttered any words of rage and impatiencie but méekly stooped to Gods will kissed his rodde and held his peace If thus Aaron in so great a iudgement how much more we when our friends dye naturally swéetly and comfortably so that we may boldly say NoÌ„ amisimus sedpraemisimus VVe haue not lost them but sent them before vs whether we our selues hope to follow Lay to this heauie harted father yet silent and patient the example of olde father Elye the Priest to whom when Samuel had related such fearefull things quietly he answered It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The example also of Dauid who in his distresse very bitter and heauie yet notably said Let the Lord doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes These are most excellent Paterns for vs to follow in all our crosses and griefes not forgetting that golden Saying of Iob Wee haue taken good things at Gods hands and shall we not take euill O yes yes The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh and euer euer blessed be his Name for all The fish groweth greater in salt waters and the Lord for his mercie make our Faith Pacience and Comfort in him great in the saltest and bitterest waters of this world Amen 6 Obserue here againe with your selfe the strange and admirable change of these worldly matters in the turne as we say of a hand For but Yesterday as it were Aaron and these sonnes of his had a famous and glorious consecration into the greatest and highest dignitie vpon earth nothing vnder the Sunne being more glorious than that Priest-hood in those dayes And how may you thinke his heart reioyced to sée not onely himselfe but his children which Parents often loue more than themselues so blessed and honoured But O change now sudden and fearefull O fickle fading comfort that man taketh hold of in this world whatsoeuer it be if wordly These sonnes so lately exalted and honoured to their old Fathers swéet and great ioy now lye destroyed before his face to his extréeme and twitching torment And how Not by any ordinarie and accustomed death but by fire from Heauen a sore and dreadfull iudgement For what also Euen for breach of commaunded dutie by the Lord all which doubled and trebled the fathers sorrow As it did in Dauid when his sonne Absolon died not an vsual death and in rebellion and disebedience against his king and Father You remember his passion then vttered O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne He considered the cause wherein he dyed the manner how he dyed to a father so kinde as Dauid was both of them full of woe and sorrow Let neuer therefore any prosperitie in this world puffe vs for wée little know what to morrow-day may bring with it The glasse that glistereth most is soonest broken the rankest corne is soonest layd and the fullest bough with pleasant fruite is soonest slit hauing more eyes vpon it moe stones cast at it than all the other boughs of the trée Pleasant wine maketh wise men fooles and fooles often starke mad Thousands fall at the left hand but tenne thousand at the right Multos fraÌ„git aduersitas sed plures extollit prosperitas Many saith Saint Bernard are crushed with aduersitie but more are puffed vp by prosperitie Lacertus Milonem perdidit ambitio Caesarem Nimis alter Naturae nimis alter Fortunae credidit Milo his strong arme ouerthrew him and Caesar his ambition The one