family which was the Church of God not onely Isaac the sonne of promise in whose seede the nations of the earth should bee blessed but Ismael that was borne after the flesh that mocked his brother persecuted him that was borne after the spirit and in the end was cast out of the Church Gen. 21.9 10. Gen. 21.9.10 Gal. 4.30 Gal. 3.30 And as it was with the father so was it with the son for we see this in the children of Isaac who stroue and struggled within the wombe of their mother Gen. 25.22 and when the time of her deliuerance came she brought foorth not only Iacob Gen. 32.24 who afterward was sirnamed Israel obtaining a farre more honourable name then all the Affricani or Germanici or Asiatici among the Romanes whose praise was wholly from the earth and a blast of the mouthes of mortall man whereas he wrastled with God in Peniel and preuailed but also prophane Esau Heb. 12 16. so branded as it were in the forehead by a marke of yron by the Spirit of God who sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage For the children being not yet borne neither hauing done any good or euil that the purpose of God according to the election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth It was said vnto her Iacob haue I loued but Esau haue I hated Rom. 9.11.13 Rom. 9.11.13 Samuel was a man that feared God exceedingly and gouerned the people vprightly so that he appealed to the people and to the consciences of all men to witnesse his innocency and integrity what wrong he had done them whose oxe he had taken and whose asse he had taken or at whose hand he had receiued any bribe to blinde his eyes 1 Sam. 12.3 1 Sam. 12.3 Yet when hee was old and made his sonnes iudges ouer Israel they walked not in his wayes but turned aside after lucre they tooke bribes and peruerted iudgement 1 Sam. 8.3 1 Sam. 8.3 Dauid was a man after Gods owne heart yet he had not onely Salomon that was beloued of God 2. Sam. 13.14 and 15.16 1 Kin. 1.5 but also incestuous Amnon ambicious Absolon and trecherous Adonijah the first defiled his owne sister and wrought folly in Israel the other two rebelled against their father and sought to take away the kingdome from him The like we might say of Eli who sate vpon a seat by a post of the Temple and by his residence on his charge and daily attendance to giue answeres to the people that came vnto him gaue testimony of his godlinesse yet his sonnes were the sonnes of Belial and knew not the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 1 Sam. 2.12 To conclude for the examples that might be brought to this purpose are infinite who was more Godly then Iosiah who remembred his creator in the dayes of his youth and reformed religion betimes in his kingdome yet his children followed not the wayes of their father but did euill in the sight of the Lord according to all that their wicked forefathers had done 2 King 23.32 37. 2 King 23. Iere. 22.18 Iere. 22.18 To all these testimonies of Scripture if we adde also the testimony of common experience of all ages and times and places and persons we may gather that all the children of the faithfull haue not beene alwayes continued vnder the covenant of God nor followed the steppes of their faithfull parents to be like vnto them Now because this is a point diligently to Reason 1 be marked of vs let vs consider the reasons whereby it may be better confirmed vnto vs. First to shew the election of God which is the highest steppe of our saluation to stand vpon the free wil and purpose of God and not vpon ordinary succession or naturall generation or any causes in our owne selues to the end that all both parents and children should confesse that such as haue receiued this power and prerogatiue to beleeue in the Name of Christ Iesus are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1.13 Ioh. 1.13 This reason is noted concerning Iacob Rom. 9.11 that the purpose of God might stand according to election not of any workes but by him that calleth this was it that made difference betweene him and his brother Secondly that the best seruants of God Reason 2 may acknowledge that they can by no means conuey to their posterity the graces of God the gifts of sanctification repentance from dead workes which themselues haue receiued from God by supernaturall meanes and not by naturall they begetting naturally children of wrath as well as other men euen sinfull children tainted and defiled with originall corruption Adam begate Seth in his owne image that is in his naturall inclination to euil Gen. 5.3 Gen. 5.3 Hence it is that Dauid acknowledgeth he was shapen in iniquity and that in sinne his mother did conceiue him Psal 51. Psal 51. So then as the corne that is purged from the chaffe and made cleane bringeth vp corne againe together with the chaffe and as the father that is circumcised begetteth children that are vncircumcised so such parents as are sanctified themselues cannot leaue to their issue any sanctifying graces which must come onely from aboue from the Father of lights Reason 3 Thirdly God hath a purpose to shew his iustice in the destruction of the stubborne and disobedient as he doth his mercy in the saluation of those that are godly and obedient This is the reason rendred by the Spirit of God that albeit the sonnes of Eli were reproued by their father yet they hearkened not vnto his voyce because the Lord would slay them 1 Sam. 2.25 â— Sam. 2.25 God is determined to glorifie himselfe and his great Name in their destruction as they resolued and setled themselues their whole liues to dishonour him to their confusion Reason 4 Lastly the children euen of faithfull and godly parents doe oftentimes want the good meanes of a godly education and therefore no maruell if their hearts not being ploughed vp doe bring forth cockle and darnell in stead of good corne For the children of God doe themselues through humane frailty and infirmity sometimes faile in the performance of this duty They cocker them and are too choice and nice ouer them they dare not offend them or speake a word against them which ouerweening and suffering of them to haue their will too much God punisheth in their children whereof we haue a worthy example in Dauid toward Adonijah who exalted himselfe against his father saying I will be king and he prepared him chariots and horsemen and fifty men to runne before him The occasion of this presumption and rebellion is noted to be thus King 1.6 His father had not displeased him at any time in saying Why hast thou done so He failed toward him more then Eli did toward his sons for he said
others from wrath wee might haue some couer for our sinnes but all this can doe vs no good we lie open to Gods punishments This serueth to reproue many carnall and Vse 1 formall Christians that oftentimes encourage themselues in euill and strengthen themselues by the example of others and especially by the fall of such as they finde recorded in holie Scriptures They alledge for themselues that Noah fell into drunkennesse Dauid into adultery Lot into incest Peter denied his master Thomas one of the twelue doubted thorough infidelity and such like These examples are written not to the end we should follow them and doe the like Why the fals of the faithful are recorded in Scripture but that others should bee warned by their fals not to do the like and be stirred vp by repentance after their example Nay these are the rather to be reproued who seeme to builde vpon such examples because they finde that these men were plagued punished for the euilles which they committed The Scripture doth not set down their offence and then hide their punishment but ioyneth the one with the other as if this were written before our eyes Do not the like Seeing therefore others before vs haue beene visited with great iudgements for the same sins feare least the same befall to vs also that befell to them If we will follow multitudes to euill because such sinnes are in fashion and in common practise if we will do as the most doe let vs take heede there is no comfort in such companie neither shall it ease any one to goe to hell in a throng Let vs not regard the number or authority or learning of euill men but rather follow the truth in matter of faith and profession for otherwise we shall quickly be remoued from it Acts. 28 22. The truth was euerie where spoken against It hath beene the portion of the truth in all ages Esay 55 1. Who hath beleeued our report None of the Princes or Gouernors beleeued in Christ Iohn 7 48 49. but a few of the people whom they pronounced and accounted to be cursed Vse 2 Secondly from hence we ground a reproofe for children and seruants following their Parents and masters and thinking it a sufficient discharge to themselues because they doe as they see them do before them Wo vnto those that giue them euill example and lay a stumbling blocke before them Such parents are greatest enemies to their owne seruants Parents many times are the greatest enemies to their own children We must follow our heauenly Father before earthly fathers our Master in heauen before our masters on the earth Wee must follow them when they command vnder God not when they command aboue him or against him We must follow our teachers so long as they sit in the chaire of Moses and teach vs out of the Law and the Prophets Matth. 23 2 3. When the mother of Christ saide vnto him by way of taxing him for not following them he answered Luke 2 49. Wist ye not that I must bee about my Fathers businesse The Disciples of Christ replied vnto the Councell charging them to preach no more in the name of Christ Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken vnto you more then vnto God iudge you Act. 4 19. And Paul willeth the Corinthians to be followers of him as far forth as he was of Christ 1 Cor. 11 1. Wee must giue an account to God whose steps we follow and therefore wee ought to say Wee ought to obey God rather then men Actes chap. 5 ver 29. Vse 3 Thirdly wee may gather from hence a reproofe of sottish and ignorant Recusants standing and grounding onely vpon their Forefathers such as can giue no other reason of their religion but that they were borne and bred in it Psal 78 8. They should not bee like their Fathers a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God And indeede what doe these poore seduced soules say for themselues which the Turkes and Infidels may not obiect and alledge as well as they For haue not they sucked in their superstition and impiety together with their mothers milke and continued from father to sonne for manie hundred yeeres It is an horrible abhomination wherein they haue bene nuzled can it be a good argument therefore from their birth and nurture to conclude their continuance in that damnable religion If they thinke this to be a grosse comparison wrongly applyed vnto them because they hate that superstition and professe the Christian religion I would know of them whether they thinke vs to be right or not The most learned and best approoued amongst them deny vs to bee any church at all because we liue not vnder the gouernment of the byshop of Rome yet this is the Religion that we were borne and bred in wee haue had it from our Fathers we haue seene the practise of no other If then they will not allow vs to reason in that manner and to make the example of our Fathers a president to our selues how is it that they take liberty to builde their faith vpon others and to follow the footsteps of their forefathers But as our religion thogh we be ready to defend it to bee good because it is builded vpon the foundation of the Prophets Apostles yet it is not therefore good because we haue receiued it by tradition from men but because wee haue learned it from the word of God so if they haue no more to say for the truth of their religion and the iustification of their faith then that they were born and brought vp in it they build their faith and religion vpon the sand which cannot continue when the raine falleth and the winde bloweth vpon it Fourthly this should perswade euery one of vs how to carry our selues namely that we Vse 4 should not take any approbation or liking of the euill of other neither ought we to imitate any in sinne how holy soeuer they seeme to be neither giue consent to them by our practise forasmuch as Gods hand hath ouertaken them at one time or other If a man surfet on that meat which he hath seene another before him to surfet no man will pitty him or if he see another drinke a cup of poyson and therevpon to fall downe dead before him if he notwithstanding will aduenture to drinke of the same cup he must needs be without all excuse and perish iustly so is all euill as a cup of poyson he that taketh and toucheth it shall speed no better then we know thousands haue done before vs who haue bought their pleasures of sinne at too deare a rate If men cry out vnto vs as the children of the Prophets did There is death in the pot 2 Kings 4 40. what do we but bring death and damnation vpon our owne soules and as it were willingly lay hands vpon our selues if we
saluation with fear and trembling seeing the day of account commeth and seeing we must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ to receyue the things which are done in this body whether they be good or euill so soone as the some body are separated Let vs remember our Creator in the daies of our youth Eccl. 12 1. Let our conuersation while we liue vpon the Earth be lifted vp to the heauens Let vs mortifie the lusts of the flesh and not walke in the wayes of our owne hearts assuring our selues that for al such things God will bring vs to iudgement Therefore the Apostle Peter speaking of the dissolution of the world the passing away of the heauens the melting of the elements the burning of the earth and the destruction of the vngodly draweth from these words this exhortation Seeing therefore all these things must be dissolued what manner of persons ought ye to bee in holy conuersation and godlines looking for and hasting vnto the comming of that day of God 2. Pet. 3 11 12. Let vs set this day before our eyes whatsoeuer we do and then we shall not sinne for euer Let vs arraign our selues at his bar and thereby prouoke one another and be prouoked our selues to our duties For if wee would iudge our selues wee should not be iudged of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. Let vs be carefull to lay a good foundation of saluation and neuer giue ouer vntill wee haue Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith and receiue the spirit of adoption to cry in our hearts Abba Father For if wee depart out of this life without faith in Christ and without hope of saluation it had beene better for vs that we had neuer beene borne Matth. 26 24. as Christ speaketh of Iudas the son of perdition For what will it profit vs to winne the whole world then lose our own soules To liue in pleasure to haue all that our hart can wish or desire for a season and afterward to be tormeneed in hell fire for euer Vse 5 Fiftly this is a great and exceeding comfort to the childreÌ„ of God to know that after this short this weak this feeble this fraile life our soules shall returne to the Lord and be lifted vp to the kingdom of heauen Let vs therfore prepare our selues for death that we may bee fit vessels for eternall lâ—fe and commend our soules into the haÌ„ds of God at our departure This was it which the Apostle practised Phil. 1 23. 2 Cor. 4 18 5 1.2 The greatest afflictions that can befall vs heere are nothing in respect of the blessed reward of immortality as the same Apostle teacheth Rom. 8 18. I count that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shal be shewed to vs. Let vs not feare the enemies of the Church they may separate the soul from the body but they can neuer separate the soule from God They may kill the body but they cannot kill the soule They may take from vs a little momentany pleasure of this life but they cannot keepe vs from the presence of God at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore This is that which Christ teacheth his Disciples Mat. 10 28. Nay they haue no power ouer the body further then God permitteth them as Christ answered to Pilate glorying in his authority saying Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and to loose thee Thou couldest haue no power at all against me except it were giuen thee from aboue therefore he that deliuered me vnto thee hath the greater sin So then let vs not feare their feare whose power is limited is limited restrained death with one stroke shall set vs at liberty and free vs from the yoke of all oppression to our vnspeakable and endlesse comfort Contrariwise this is a dolefull and woful doctrine to the wicked and vngodly who liue here after their owne lusts follow their pleasures delighting in vanity and forgetting God to consider the perpetuity immortality of their souls and that they must giue a streight account of all their wayes and workes This must needs be a doctrine of fear and terror vnto them able to break their stony hearts and astonish their inward senses and dash them vpon the rockes of hopelesse and helplesse desperation What can be more heauy newes to a seruant that hath wasted consumed his masters mony with riotous liuing then to heare of a day of reckoning account to be giuen of his Stewardship So is it with all the vngodly they feare nothing more then their appearing before the heauenly Iudge to be tryed according to their workes Oh it were well with them if their soules were mortall that they might sleepe in the dust and lye in the graue for euer to bee buried with their bodies neuer to bee raised againe Oh their case were happy and thrice happy shold they be if they might neuer come to iudgement or had beene borne as toades and serpents or wormes of the earth that liuing their life they might also dye their death But it shall not be so with them their case shall not be so well the end of this life bringeth them into eternal torments and when they haue tasted the first death the second death shall take holde on them Then they shall pronounce a thousand woes against themselues then they shal wish they had neuer bene borne Then they shall weepe and houle without recouery then they shall gnash with their teeth and gnaw their tongues for anger Mat. 22 12. Reuel 6 Luke 23 TheÌ„ they shal desire the mountaines to fall vpon them and the hils to couer them from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of â—he Lamb c. For as they are happy that die in the Lord beeing ioyned to him and freed from all sorrowes so they are wretched and a thousand times miserable that depart hence out of Gods fauour haue the sinnes of their youth and age accompanying them to whom he will say Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels Matth. 25 41. We see how the consideration of the Sessions or Assises striketh a terror into the heart and conscience of the guilty malefactor how much more then shall the solemne day of the Lords last iudgement amaze affright and astonish the Reprobate who haue drawne sinne vnto them as with Cart-ropes and haue cloathed themselues with shame as with a Robe This wil be a day of blackenesse and of darkenesse a day of clouds and obscuritie a day of horrour and confusion vnto them that dwell vpon the face of the earth when God shall come to iudge without respect of persons For what rest or comfort can the malefactor take when he is alwayes in expectation of the comming approach of the Iudge Whereas the godly haue peace of conscience and shall lift vp their heads
sicknesses To follow them with greedinesse desire them as the hungry man doth after meate or he that is a thirst after drinke is the true misery Such as liue in sinne are the onely dead men Luke 9 60. 1 Tim. 5 6. Secondly it instructeth euery one of vs how Vse 2 we ought to walke before God namely to be greeued for our greeuing of God with our sins to be offended witâ—our selues for offeÌ„ding of him A father will be very angry with those persons which draw on their children to destruction it is not therefore much to be maruelled at that sin is so hatefull to God seeing it is that which is the ruine downfal of his chiefest creatures And as sinne is in the account of God so it ought to be esteemed of vs he hateth and detesteth nothing more nothing so much if then we wil approue our selues to be his children we must abhor it as Gods sworne enemy and ours Nothing can prouoke him against vs but our transgressions Hee will neuer hate vs for our pouerty or penury or necessitie or infirmity it is onely impiety that can make a separation betweene God and vs and therefore we must take heede we doe not prouoke him to anger by them and let vs rather bee greeued for our sinnes then greeue the Lord with them If a sonne see his father greeued with him for his wicked wayes he will bee greeued with himselfe for it So ought it to be with vs if we be the children of God and belong vnto him we must labour to bee out of loue with our selues for our sinnes and to hate them all whatsoeuer they bee least the Lord should bee compelled to hate vs and make vs greeue and weepe for them when it shall be too late Matth. 8 12 and when our shedding of teares shall be ioyned with gnashing of teeth and neither of them proue to bee acceptable vnto him or profitable to our selues Vse 3 Thirdly it leadeth and preacheth vnto vs repentance of our former sinnes and neuer to returne vnto them againe because they are so displeasing vnto God and so effectuall to bring downe all his iudgements and punishments vpon vs. If God were indifferent when we haue sinned and neither pleased nor displeased with vs then the matter were not great we also might be indifferent not regard whether wee repent or doe not repent but seeing sinne bringeth all iudgement it is time for vs to iudge our selues that so we may preuent his iudgements For seeing it is that which is so odious and loathsome vnto him we ought to auoyd it and to take heed of delighting in it They that loue feare to offend him whom they loue that we may therefore shew our selues to bee the louers of God let vs labour to the vttermost of our power to take heede of greeuing and offending him by our sinnes But when a man committeth sinne against God doth he thinke God will punish him or not If he thinke he will then what great folly is it for him to runne on still in his sinnes for which he must be punished If hee thinke he will not then what wickednesse vnthankfulnesse is it for him to offend so louing a God that is not offended with him for all his sinning against him All these things do serue as so many motiues to stirre vs vp to the practice of repentance that so God may repent of his plagues toward vs. Vse 4 Lastly this serueth for matter of imitation For if God be thus displeased with sinne which neuer leaueth or ceaseth to hunt after the sinner till it finde him out then euery one of vs that would shew our selues to haue any part in God or to beare his image must labour to be of the same minde and to haue the same affection against sinne that God hath to hate it as he hateth it and so to bee displeased as well at our owne sinnes as at the sinnes of others For he can neuer be truely displeased with his owne sinnes that is not also greeued with the sinnes and offences of others As then wee are touched and troubled for our owne sinnes so should wee be for the sinnes of our friends of our families and of those that we haue any way to deale withall forasmuch as it is that which doth so much greeue the Spirit of God 28 So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the Priest and Ioshua the sonne of Nun and the cheefe fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel 29 And Moses saide vnto them If the children of Gad and the children c will passe with you ouer Iordan c then yee shall giue them the land of Gilead for a possession 30 But if they will not passe c. 31 And the children of Gad c answered saying As the Lord c. 32 We will passe ouer armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan that the possession of our inheritance on this side Iordan may be ours The third part of the chapter followeth handling the full agreement of the whole matter and the execution following after the agreement wherby these tribes are put in possession Moses committeth the matter to Eleazar the Priest and to Ioshua the son of Nun gaue charge to them to see it performed For inasmuch as he was not himselfe to enter into the land hee taketh order that if the former conditions were obserued by the Reubenites and Gadites they should haue the land of Gilead for a possession if not they should bee compelled to haue possession among the rest in the land of Canaan teaching thereby that it is our duty to further promote the good of the Church and Commonwealth not onely while we liue but also after our departure out of this world And in the tribes we see that all lawful promises euen such as are made to our hindrance are faithfully to be performed But in the example of these tribes marke a further point how willing they are to ioyne together to procure the common safety and set the rest of their brethren out of danger Doctrine It is the dutie of Gods children to helpe the church to free it from danger which was like to be great long they would not forsake them til their enemies were subdued This teacheth that it is the duty of Gods children to put foorth themselues in the common cause to helpe the church and to free it from danger This point hath warrant both by precept practice It is the counsell of Salomons mother Prou. 31 9. Open thy mouth in the cause of the dumbe c and to shew the great importance of this precept hee repeateth it againe Open thy mouth iudge righteously and pleade the cause of the poore and needy verse 10. The Apostle chargeth the Hebrewes to remember those that are in bondes and in affliction as if themselues were afflicted Heb. 13.3 And they are remembred not so much when they are thought vpon
heauen is not giuen but to those to whom it is prepared of the Father Matth. 20.23 and 25.34 But election is not of works but of grace and therefore is called the election of grace Rom. 11.5 This appeareth Ephe. 1. Ephe. 1 5.6 He hath predestinated vs to bee adopted through Iesus Christ in himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will c. No man could be saued except Christ had come and had satisfied the iustice of God for the sinnes of the world by his precious blood for there is no other name vnder heauen wherby we must be saued Act. 4.12 but all his benefites proceed from grace and the euerlasting loue of God toward vs as Ioh. 3. Ioh. 3.16 God so loued the word that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life No man can be saued except he be effectually called to Christ and his Gospel outwardly by the word and inwardly by the Spirit but whence proceedeth this grace but from grace as the Apostle testifieth 2 Tim. 1. 2 Tim. 1.9 Gal. 1.6 He hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was No man can be saued except he hath faith in Christ for the iust shall liue by faith Hab. 2.4 and without faith it is vnpossible to please God Heb. 11. But from whence haue we faith By grace as the Apostle witnesseth Ephe. 2. Ephe. 2.8 By grace ye are saued through faith that not of your selues None can be saued except he be iustified as Psa 34.15 16. The eies of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cry but the face of the Lord that is his anger and indignation is against them that do euill to cut off their remembrance from the earth But our iustification commeth from grace as Rom. 3. Rom. 3.24 We are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus No man can be saued except being iustified by faith he be also sanctified and renewed by the spirit of regeneration for except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Ioh. 3. But whence haue we this but from the grace of God as the Apostle expresseth Tit. 3. Tit. 3.6 The bountifulnesse and loue of God our Sauiour toward man appeared and according to his mercy he saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the holy Ghost which he shed on vs aboundantly through Iesus Christ our Sauiour No man can be saued without good workes and a carefull and constant endeuour to walke in them for we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Ephe. 2.10 But how are wee inabled to performe them but by the grace and free gift of God as Ezek. 36. Eze. 36.26 â—â— A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your body and I will giue you an heart of flesh and I wil put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my iudgements and doe them The like may bee saide of remission of sinnes No man can be saued without continuall forgiuenesse of sinnes for into many sinnes and offences we fall daily Iam 3.2 But this is giuen vs through his grace onely as the Prophet teacheth Esay 43. Esai 43.25 I euen I am hee that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake that is for no deserts of thine but thorough grace and fauour and will not remember thy sinnes and Ephe. 1.7 We haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace Lastly no man is saued except he perseuere and continue in faith in loue in Christ in repentance in Christ and in all good works as Matth. 24. he that endureth vnto the end he shall be saued and Reuel 2.10 Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the crowne of life but from what root and fountaine proceedeth this gift and from whence hath it his beginning The Apostles and Prophets tel vs most plainely and directly as Iere. 32.39.40 Ier. 32.40 â— I will giue them one heart and one way that they may feare me for euer I wil put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Phi. 1.6.29 and 2.13 God that hath begunne his good worke in his Saints will performe it vntill the day of Iesus Christ Now as we haue said of all the rest so we may say of eternall life Rom. 6.23 that it is the free gift of God and therefore all his giftes and our saluation come not from our our merits but from his mercies not from our deseruings in whole or in part but from his free fauour in Christ Iesus Let vs come to the reasons and consider Reason 1 aright the causes hereof First of all God wil haue the praise and glory of his owne works and will not giue and grant ouer the same to another But if the graces of his Spirit were well deserued of vs and not freely bestowed vpon vs wee had matter of reioycing in our owne selues and of boasting against God The Apostle hauing shewed that the righteousnesse of God is made manifest without the Law saith Where is then the reioycing Rom. 3.27 and 4.2 It is excluded And touching Abraham thâ— father of the faithfull he sayeth If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce but not with God Likewise writing to the Ephesians chap. 2. By grace ye are saued through faith Ephe. 2.8.9 and that not of your selues it is the gift of GOD not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe So then he giueth all his gifts freely that he may haue the whole praise of his mercy But so much as we take to our selues so much hee loseth of his glory Reason 2 Secondly he knoweth we haue nothing of our owne we craue our daily bread and drinke at his hands We are beggers and destitute of all good things and neuer are able to supply our owne wants Our owne penury is such that we haue nothing to boast off but our misery pouerty blindnesse nakednes and wretchednesse We were saith the Apostle dead in trespasses and sinnes â—he 2.1 2. wherein in times past we walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince that ruleth in the ayre euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience We are vnable to thinke or to doe any thing it is God must worke in vs the will and the deed it is he must draw vs before we can runne after him or come
the first borne among many brethren Rom. 8.29 is the Priest of his Church because he offered vp himself to his Father as a perfect sacrifice to satisfie his wrath for our sinnes and maketh intercession for vs and the king of his Church because he hath authority in heauen in earth so he maketh vs kings and Priests vnto God his Father Reuel 1.6 and 5.10 Priests that we should make knowne his wil call vpon his Name in spirit and truth and offer vp our selues to him a spirituall sacrifice and kings that we should conquer sinne Satan and the world through faith in Christ for this is our victory euen our faith 1 Ioh. 5.4 that ouercommeth all these enemies We haue also the adoption of sonnes and we are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that we should shew forth the praises of him who hath called vs out of darknesse into his maruellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Thirdly this layeth before vs the dignity Vse 3 of Christ Iesus our Sauiour touching whom we learne that he is in deed and in trueth the first borne of God by whom we are deliuered from the wrath of God and redeemed from hell and destruction forasmuch as he was consecrate vnto God and made a sacrifice of attonement for vs who by sinne were become his enemies as we noted before Now hee is the first borne in these foure respects first How Christ is the first borne according to his diuine nature being begotten of the Father before all creatures after an vnspeakeable manner being of the same substance with him and is therfore called the first borne of euery creature Coloss 1. verse 15. Rom. 8. verse 29. He is the eternall sonne of God being borne of him before any creature was created Whereby wee learne against the blasphemous opinion of the Arrians that he is true GOD not a made or a created God but being God from all eternity Secondly according to his humane nature euen as he tooke vpon him our flesh and was borne of the virgine Mary so hee was also her first borne Matthew 1. verse 25. Luke 2. verse 15. Not that the blessed Virgine had other after him but because she had none before him For he is in Scripture called the first borne that first openeth the matrice whether other be borne after or not Thirdly he is called by this title because he was the first that arose out of the graue made a way for vs vnto euerlasting life because it was vnpossible that hee should be holden of the sorrowes of death And therefore hee is said by the Apostle to be before all things the beginning and the first borne from the dead Col. 1 18. This is a notable comfort vnto vs that forasmuch as our elder Brother Christ Iesus arose from the dead to the euerlasting possession of eternall glory in heauen it followeth that we also shall rise againe and not for euer lye in the graue and then be partakers with him of that blessed inheritance prepared for vs from the beginning of the world Hee is gone before to prepare vs a place and when he commeth againe we shall enter into that blessed estate and condition euery one according to the measure of the grace and guift of Christ Psal 45 7. For as Christ was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue his fellowes so he was rewarded with the possession of glory aboue his brethren and highly exalted farre aboue all principalities and powers who ascended aboue all heauens that hee might fill all things Eph. 4 10. Neither let any obiect that some did rise againe before him for they arose againe to this present life and dyed againe but he arose againe to die no more death had no more dominion ouer him but to take possession of the kingdome of heauen and therefore it followeth in the next words that in all things he might haue the preheminence Lastly as the first borne was set apart and then sacrificed vnto GOD I meane the first borne among the beasts that were killed so Christ was separated from sinners Heb. 7 26. as the vnspotted Lambe of God holy and acceptable and then made a perfect oblation of himselfe not for himselfe but for the sinnes of his people Heb. 7 27. He must be holy both in his conception and life that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high-Priest and make reconciliation for vs. For he that must be a Mediatour betweene God and vs and restore vs into his fauour must of necessity be himselfe in the fauour of God and neuer haue offended him Neither could he haue accesse to the Throne of God who is most holy to make intercession for vs vnlesse he had beene holy harmelesse vndefiled and made higher then the heauens Hence also we haue vnspeakeable comfort we are assured that the wrath of God is pacified the curse of the Law is cancelled and all our sinnes are purged and done away Who is it now that shall be able to lay any thing to our charge Rom. 8 33. or to the charge of any of the elect It is God that iustifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is euen at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. There is nothing then that shall be able to separate vs from this loue of Christ neither tribulation nor distresse neither persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor perill nor sword neyther life nor death forasmuch as in all these we are more then Conquerors through him that loued vs. Lastly seeing God separated the first borne Vse 4 or eldest of the family from the rest of his brethren as also he did the Leuites from the other Tribes to serue him it teacheth that all the faithfull ought to be separated from the company of wicked men and to abhor them as a sinke of all filthinesse and annoyance that we may more freely and faithfully serue the Lord as the Prophet saith Psal 119. Psal 119 115. Away from me ye wicked and I will keepe the Commandements of my God Thus we see the Church of God to be described to be an holy people elected out of the rest of the world Numb 23.9 They shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the Nations God reuealeth his will to them he gouerneth them he protecteth them he careth and prouideth for them no lesse then parents for their first borne Hence it is that he willeth Moses to goe to Pharaoh and to say vnto him Israel is my sonne euen my first borne let him goe that he may serue me and if thou refuse to let him goe Behold I will slay thy sonne euen thy first borne Exod. 4. Exod. 4 22 23 The like we reade in the Prophesie of Ieremy chap. 31 9. I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my first borne He hath a greater care of them then of all other nations and people
eternall glory we must bee more then flesh blood Thou wilt therfore be ashamed to confesse that thou vnderstandest by flesh and blood that thou art nothing but a lumpe of flesh What then art thou flesh in part spirit in part as thou must acknowledge thy self to be if thou be the Lords Why then dost thou not performe the workes of the spirit Rom. 8.5 They that are after the flesh do sauour the things of the flesh Ver. 6 but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit To be carnally minded is death Verse 7. but to be spiritually minded is life and peace The carnall minde is enimity against God Verse 13. for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be If ye liue after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body Ver. 14. ye shal liue For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of GOD Vers 8. so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Thus we see that the flesh and the spirit are alwayes opposed the one to the other so that by this wee may prooue our selues whether we be regenerate or not Let vs not therefore boast our selues that we are flesh blood forasmuch as such as are onely flesh cannot yet assure their owne hearts that they are the Lords Obiect 5 Fiftly it may be obiected that to repulse wrong is a note of courage and fortitude and to put vp wrong a token of pusillanimity and of a faint heart If then I must not reuenge I shall be accounted not onely a foole but a dastard and coward Answer I answere this is no better then the diuels sophistry and openeth a gap to the common practise that is in the world to quarrell for euery word speaking It is no argument of courage to be ready to draw the sword and dagger but rather of rashnes headinesse vnstayednesse and of a ruffian like spirit And it is no disgrace to be of a bearing and forbearing nature Our chiefest honour consisteth in fighting against sin vnto the death and shewing all might and manhood in the subduing of it He is stronger that ouercommeth his owne passions then he that winneth a city We must remember that we are made kings and Priests vnto God the Father and therefore let vs not make our selues slaues and captiues to Satan to sin and to the world This then serueth to meete with three sorts of men Perk. on Mat. 5.39 to condemne their euil courses whose whole life pleadeth for nothing more theÌ„ priuate reuenge First they are reproued that for euery crosse word supposed iniury are ready to challenge one another into the field the accepting of that challenge when it is giuen This fighting a single combat is vnlawfull That which the naturall man accounteth valour God esteemeth a vice and therefore it is no disgrace to refuse it but rather true grace in yeelding obedience vnto God For we must set down this as a rule that no man must sinne against God for the sauing of his credit reputation among men And if we did duly consider what sin is against whom it is committed and what punishment is procured therby vpon our selues we would neuer question the former ground set downe vnto vs. Secondly out of the case of challenging the field the common practise of fighting quarrelling is condemned which are no better then forerunners of murther and haue a bloody face in the sight of God The Apostle Iohn saith 1 Ioh. 3 1â— Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him Many there are that hold it vtterly vnlawfull to giue the first blow but if another strike them then they thinke that therby they are warranted to strike againe If any giue the occasion of a fray they hold him worthy to be condemned but if they be prouoked by another they account themselues to be bound to returne him the like This is directly contrary to the doctrine of Christ whereunto all must submit themselues that wil be the disciples of Christ He would haue vs take many wrongs and not seeke to reuenge our selues And it is contrary to the practise of Christ and of his Apostles When one of the officers of the high Priest smote Iesus with the palme of his hand Ioh. 18. â—â— because he held his peace would answer nothing he smote not againe as these men thinke he was bound to do for his honour But this was no disgrace or reproch to Christ how then should it be any shame for a true Christian We will needs be accounted Christians whosoeuer say nay but we scorne and disdaine to follow the example of Christ Act. 23.1 Ananias the high Priest commanded them that stood by to smite Paul on the mouth he reprooueth him fot it but he smote not againe this was no infamy but a glory vnto him Lastly their opinion also is condemned that make it a matter of praise and an argument of valour to turne away his face froÌ„ no man This indeed is foole-hardinesse It is the commendation of Magistrates to be men of courage to feare the face of God but not the faces of men They must accept no mans person in iudgement neither decline to the right hand or to the left But a priuate man may turne his backe to his aduersary without any impeachment of his credit or diminishing of his valor or lessening of his honor or slander to his reputatioÌ„ But of this we haue spoken sufficiently before therfore we wil proceed Lastly it may be obiected that vnder the Obiect law of Moses when any man had killed his neighbour the auenger of blood might slay the murtherer whensoeuer and wheresoeuer he met him Numb 35 19. If a man had killed any person at vnwares and hated him not before he must flie to one of the Cities of refuge and abide in it vnto the death of the high Priest which was annointed with the holy oyle but if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the Citty of refuge whither he was fled 〈◊〉 27. and the reuenger of blood finde him without the borders of the City of his refuge and the reuenger of blood kill the slayer he shall not be guilty of blood If then he be not guilty of blood how is it that God aloweth no priuate reuenge but commandeth to render good for euill to pray for them that curse vs and to doe good to our enemies and such as persecute vs I answer the politicke lawes serue not to bring men to perfection such as are made for ciuill gouernment When God speaketh as king of Israel and maketh statutes tending to outward peace and tranquility he aimed not at the spirituall perfection which is contained in the moral law which is the rule of
accusation I restore him fourefold He testifieth his repentance by his readinesse to make restitution whereas he that keepeth stollen goods stealeth still and is no better then a theefe and consequently farre from repentance Reason 2 Secondly without restitution there can be no remission forasmuch as repentance is falsely counterfeited and not truely practised God will not forgiue such as retaine with them their neighbours goods To steale from them and to keepe that which is stollen is a plaine token that we are resolued to continue in sinne He that is perswaded and determined not to depart from stollen goods which are sweet morsels vnto him is resolued to be a theefe and not to giue ouer Thus God is mocked and dallied withall and his law neglected and despised This the Prophet Ezekiel pointeth out chap. 18.7 9 12 13. and 33 15. He that hath not oppressed any but hath restored to the debter his pledge he shall surely liue saith the Lord God but he that hath oppressed the poore and needy and hath spoyled by violence and hath not restored the pledge c. he shall surely die his blood shall be vpon him Seeing then such as restore and so make recompense of that they haue taken away haue promise of forgiuenes contrariwise such as neuer make restitution haue a terrible threatning of death denounced against them it followeth that this is a duty required of all persons Reason 3 Thirdly the performance of it is a very speciall meanes to bring a blessing vpon vs a blessing I say from him to whom restitution is made For when he shall see how God hath touched their heart with a feeling of their sin that they can no longer keepe that which is not their owne albeit power be in their hand to do it it shall stirre him vp to desire and procure their good and to craue a blessing to come downe vpon them This is that which we reade in Moses Deut. 24.12 13. If the man be poore thou shalt not sleepe with his pledge c. that he may blesse thee This end is not to be neglected forasmuch as the eares of God are alwaies open to heare the cry of the poore and he hath promised to helpe them and to bring a curse vpon al their oppressors to their destruction Reason 4 Fourthly as the loynes of the poore shall blesse them that restore so God will accept it as a worke of iustice and righteousnesse and as a fruit of his spirit iustifying vs by the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus his Sonne and sanctifying vs to his glory In the place of Scripture before remembred Moses teacheth this and layeth it downe as a strong reason Deut. 24.13 where speaking of such as had taken pledges of the poore he saith In any case thou shalt deliuer him the pledge againe when the Sunne goeth downe that he may sleepe in his own raiment c. and it shall be righteousnesse vnto thee before the Lord thy God This also is a most forcible reason to mooue vs to restitution forasmuch as God setts it down as an infallible testimony of a iustifying faith and therefore the contrary is a fruit of infidelity so that we shal neuer repent vs of that we haue done nor wish it to be in our owne hands againe Reason 5 Fiftly the vniust retaining of other mens goods hindereth many good things from vs inasmuch as God will accept no seruice nor duty at our hands vntill we haue ridde our hands of things euilly gotten We may come to heare his word and to call vpon his Name and sit among the Saints and seruants of God in the Congregation howbeit we heare without fruit and we pray without profit For this poisoneth and corrupteth vnto vs the best things of God This is that which Christ teacheth vs in the Gospel of Matthew chap. 5.23.24 If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee but he hath some iust action against vs so long as we keepe any of his goods wrongfully from him leaue there thy gift before the altar and goe thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift If then we desire that God should heare our prayers or be well pleased with the hearing of his word we must be careful to make recompense and satisfaction for such iniuries as wee haue offered and our brother hath sustained Now let vs come to the vses which are as Vse 1 it were the life and soule of this point that hath beene prooued First of all it serueth to reprooue all such as neglect this duty and so offend against this doctrine The first reproofe And among them it meeteth directly chiefly with those that commit sacriledge robbing the Church and defrauding the Ministers of that portion which God hath granted vnto them in his holy word The wise man saith Pro. 20.25 It is a snare to the man who deuoureth that which is holy and after vowes to make inquiry Our Sauiour himselfe saith Matth. 10.10 The labourer is worthy of his wages The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.14 The Lord hath ordained that they which preach the Gospel should liue of the Gospel This sinne came first from the man of sinne by whom tithes were first alienated and impropriations erected and Church-liuings spoiled for the maintenance of idle persons that sate still and did nothing but eate and drinke and fat themselues in cloysters as oxen in a stall and these deale with the goods of the Church as the souldiers did with the garments of Christ Matth. 27.35 Psal 22.28 Luke 7.5 they parted his garments among them and cast lots for his vesture The Centurion is commended in the Gospel that builded a Synagogue for the Iewes but these men doe what they can to pull downe Churches and to impouerish the Ministery and to destroy the soules and saluation of many whom Christ redeemed These spirituall theeues and Church-robbers must learne to pay their due and not muzzle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne 1 Tim. 5.18 They robbe God greatly of his honor and dishonour him more then the heathen did their idols which are no gods These men glory in their Christianity and yet are enemies vnto Christ So that the Gentiles that knew not God shall arise in iudgement against them and condemne them The second reproofe Secondly it reprooueth all oppressors that fill their houses with the spoiles of the poore and needy as Esay 3.14.15 The Lord will enter into iudgement with the ancients of the people and the Princes thereof for ye haue eaten vp the vineyard the spoile of the poore is in your houses What meane ye that ye beat my people to peeces and grind the faces of the poore saith the Lord God of hostes And to this purpose speaketh Micah in his prophesies against this sinne chap. 3.3 They also eate the flesh of my people and flay their skinne from off them they
had ouercome his enemies now he might ouercome himselfe and his owne affections Cicero orati pro Marcel which was a greater and nobler victory then the former Thus he sheweth himselfe religious toward God as well as righteous toward men The like we see in the Law set downe by an expresse commandement Exod. 22.10 11. If a man deliuer vnto his neighbour an asse or an oxe or a sheepe or any beast to keepe and it die or be hurt Deut. 21.8 or driuen away no man seeing it then shall an oath of the Lord bee betweene them both that hee hath not put his hand vnto his neighbours goods and the owner of it shall accept thereof and he shall not make it good This precept directeth when and in what cases to take an oath to wit when the matter is doubtfull and cannot otherwise be decided forasmuch as the owner of the goods is charged to rest therein and to acknowledge himselfe well satisfied This we see farther in the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 1.21 I call God for a record vpon my soule that to spare you I came not as yet to Corinth He did not breake out into this swearing of an ordinary custome but the glory of God and the saluation of that Church required it in which cases we are allowed and warranted to vse it and not otherwise Reason 1 The reasons will better confirme this vnto vs then bare testimonies taken out of the Scriptures which neuerthelesse out to be sufficient where no farther proofe is vsed First God will not hold him guiltlesse that abuseth his Name negligently or vnnecessarily He will surely punish them that sweare vainely This penalty or punishment is annexed to the commandement Exod. 20. The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine It is an heynous sinne albeit it bee thought light before men and then the iudgement also shall be heauy that hangeth ouer their heads that transgresse this Law The free forgiuenesse of sinnes is the fountaine of all happines both present and to come Psal 32.1.2 for the man is blessed whose sinnes are forgiuen and whose iniquity is couered blessed is that man to whom God will impute no wickednesse and therfore we must needs be in continuall misery so long as our sinnes are retained This is a fearefull thunderbolt to afright vs from the prophaning of his Name he will honour those that honour him but such as despise him shall come to destruction Secondly the end of practising an oath is Reason 2 to decide strifes and to determine controuersies which disturbe peace and hinder Christian charity It cannot be but offences will come and many occasions of quarrels and contentions about matters of this life arise daily betweene man and man which could not conueniently be taken vp except we had the lawfull vse of an oath to confirme some necessary truth as when it serueth to manifest the glory of God or to cleere the good name of our brother or to obey the commandement of the Magistrate or to maintaine our owne credit This is set downe Heb. 6.16 Men verily sweare by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife I call that a necessary trueth when a doubtfull cause called into question cannot be decided without an oath as we see the practise Rom. 1.9 God is my witnesse whom I serue with my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne that without ceassing I make meÌ„tion of you alwayes in my prayers It was necessary for the furtherance of the saluation of the Romanes that they should be perswaded of the Apostles affection toward them but the testimony of men failed to prooue this trueth and therfore he was driuen to take vp an oath and to appeale vnto God This is also at large deliuered by Salomon in that prayer which hee made at the dedication of the Temple 1 King 8.31 If any man trespasse against his neighbour and an oath be laid vpon him to cause him to sweare and the oath come before thine altar in this house then heare thou in heauen and doe and iudge thy seruants condemning the wicked to bring his way vpon his head and iustifying the righteous to giue him according to his righteousnesse Thus we see the constant and continuall vse of an oth among Gods people in matters of weight and importance in their most serious and substantiall affaires Thirdly the Name of God is most fearefull Reason 3 in praises glorious in holinesse great in might and doing wonders and therefore it ought not commonly to runne in our mouthes without necessary cause This is vrged by the wise man Eccles 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to vtter any thing before God for God is in heauen and thou vpon earth therefore let thy words be few And the Lord saith Deut. 28.58 Iudg. â— If thou wilt not obserue to doe all the words of this Law that are written in this booke that thou mayest feare this glorious and fearefull Name The Lord thy God he will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed c. If then the Name of God be great and glorious it is not commonly to be vsed of vs to be turned in our tongues and to be trodden vpon with our feet Vse 1 Now let vs consider what vses may be made of this vnto vs. It reprooueth sundry abuses corruptions both in opinion and practise in iudgement and in life As first of all the Anabaptists a proud and fantasticall crue of cursed and damnable hereticks that trouble heauen and earth ouerthrow Church and Common-wealth destroy Magistracy and Ministery disanull the word and Sacraments and make religion to be no better then a doctrine of liberty These teach that it is vnlawfull to sweare at all either in priuate vse or in place of iudgement This is to runne into another extremity and to faile as much in the defect as other doe in the excesse For albeit all swearing be not lawfull yet it followeth not that all swearing is vnlawfull But to abolish all manner of swearing and all vse of an oath because some abuse it and vse it vainly â—r in vita â—g is like vnto him who to take away drunkennesse abolished the vines and would not suffer any to grow in his common-wealth or as if a man would suffer no corne to grow because some will surfet with it There is no good thing but hath beene or may be abused The doctrine that is according to godlinesse is many wayes abused When Paul magnified the mercies of God in his sonne Christ so that where sinne abounded â— 5.20 grace abounded much more men of euill spirits arose that abused this to carnall liberty and turned the grace of God into wantonnesse and wrested the Scriptures to their owne perdition sect 1 The obiections of these heretikes are not many but somewhat they alleadge for themselues First they obiect the commandement
not cleere the wicked Although Princes doe not make statutes against it yet the statute law of God hath decreed against it and condemned it set a great penalty vpon the breach of it We haue sundry lawes that none abuse our names but we haue none for the preseruation of Gods Name and therefore God will looke to it and take order for it No commandement hath had more visible iudgments executed vpoÌ„ the breakers of it then this The plague of God shall not depart from his house that is a swearer one iudgment or other shall ouertake him and if he do escape the greater torment is reserued for him in the life to come The Prophet Zachary Zach. 5.4 telleth vs that God will consume the timber and stones of his house The sonne of the Israelitish woman that blasphemed the Name of the Lord and cursed is brought foorth without the campe and stoned to death Leuit. 24.14 15. and thereupon a Law established Whosoeuer curseth his God shall beare his sinne It is lamentable to consider the wretchednesse of prophane men notwithstanding the greeuousnesse of this sinne Many are of such a ruffian-like spirit that they feare not to teare in peeces the Lord of life and to crucifie againe the Sonne of God as much as in them lyeth We our selues are iealous of our own names and the names of our parents and posterity no maruell then if God be exceeding iealous ouer himselfe If we wil not glorifie him he will glorifie himselfe and his Name in our destruction He may winke at vs for a time as also at our manifold and monstrous oathes but he hath not forgotten them he keepeth a booke of accounts as a register against vs and when the great day of the Lord shall come he will bring forth the records and set our sinnes in order before vs. Let vs not thinke to escape Eccles 8.11 because sentence is not speedily executed the more he delayeth the more he hoardeth vp punishment for vs. The longer the arrow is in drawing the deeper it will pierce when it is shot out against vs. Hee suffereth them to liue in security for a time but they shall taste of seuerity in the end Iob 24.23 and 21.30 The wicked is reserued to the day of destruction they shal be brought forth to the day of wrath 23 And the Priest shall write these curses in a booke and he shall blot them out with the bitter water 24 And he shall cause the woman to drinke the bitter water that causeth the curse and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter 25 Then the Priest shall take the iealousie offering out of the womans hand and shall waue the offering before the Lord and offer it vpon the Altar 26 And the Priest shall take an handfull of the offering euen the memoriall thereof and burne it vpon the Altar and afterward shall cause the woman to drinke the water Hitherto wee haue seene the things that goe before the tryall now we come to such as are more neerely ioyned with it which are these He must write the curses in a booke and then blot them out with the waters of bitternesse before remembred But before the woman drinke of the waters he must take the offering out of her hand and waue it before the Lord and then offer it vnto the Lord. Lastly he is to burne a part of it vpon the altar and afterward cause the woman to drinke the water Obiect Heere the question may be asked wherefore the curse must be written and afterward blotted out If it must be blotted out what need it to be written If it must be written why should it be blotted out I answer Answer it was written to note out the stablenesse of Gods iudgements and the certainety of his trueth And therefore also it was vttered in words expressed in actions and established by writing In word of the adiuration in worke of the drinking vp of the water in writing of the whole fact as it was done before the Lord. Neuerthelesse this writing was so extant that it continued not long but was so cleane defaced that none could reade it because God would not haue the remembrance of such filthy causes and iealouses and suspicions to remaine to posterity lest any be inflamed with the like passion and so bring into imitation such like practises Verse 23.24 c. And the Priest shall write these curses c. We see in this place the former ceremonies and circumstances farther vrged and pressed neere to the conscience of her that was suspected and stood before the Lord to be tryed She is caused and commanded to drinke of these waters prepared for this purpose These waters that cause the curse shall enter into her and become bitter This is the meanes that God wil vse to manifest things that yet are hidden in secret and such as should bring an heauy iudgement vpon her that was guilty We learne from hence Doctrine Adultery â— albeit secâ— coâ—â—â—â— punished of God that whoredome is alwaies punished of God and neuer escapeth vnpunished Howsoeuer adultery be not regarded among men and thought either no sinne or a little and veniall sinne yet God findeth it out and ceasseth not to plague and punish it both temporally and eternally both in this life and in the life to come This we see set foorth before vs at large throughout the whole booke of God Gen. 6 1â— What was the cause that brought the flood vpon the old world and swept away the inhabitants thereof was it not for their vncleannesse and the lusts of their eyes and the loosenesse of their life The like we might say of Sodome and Gomorrha and the cities about them who giuing themselues once to fornication Iude 7. and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternall fire When Balaam was not suffered to curse the people of God he gaue the Moabites and Midianites this damnable counsel to allure them to commit fornication by which meanes many perished as we shall shew afterward in the 25 chapter of this booke whereunto also the Apostle alludeth 1 Cor. 10.8 when he saith Neither let vs commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand It must needs be a greeuous sin that brought downe so greeuous a iudgment A like fearefull example we haue in the booke of Iudges when the Leuites wife was abused vnto death there followed the destruction of the beniamites 〈◊〉 20 35. 〈◊〉 21.3 so that there fell of them fiue and twenty thousand almost one whole tribe of Israel was wanting This is it which the Lord threatened to his people Leuit. 18.24.25 20. Ye shall not defile your selues in any of these things among which this was one to defile themselues with their neighbours wife by carnall copulation for in all these the nations are defiled which I will cast
thee This mystery of the Trinity Vnity was taught from the beginning of the world howbeit the fuller reuelation of it was reserued to the times of the Gospel when the light of the truth did shine as the sun at noon daies Math. 3 16 17 Hence it is that at the baptisme of Christ Iohn saw the spirit of God descending like a Doue and lighting vpon him and heard a voice from heauen saying This is my beloued Son in whom I am well pleased and when he sent out his disciples into all the world Math 28 19. he willed them to Baptize in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy Ghost So doth the Apostle speake 1 Iohn 5 7. 1 Iohn 5 7. There are three that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the holy Ghost these three are one So in this place when he mentioneth the Lord three times it may note out the Trinity of persons and when he saith I will blesse theÌ„ it pointeth out the Vnity of the Godhead and so we learn to confesse and beleeue that there is one God three persons Thirdly we are taught from hence that al good things must be asked of God and of no creatures in heauen or in earth forasmuch as it is hee onely from whom all blessings come If then we feele any wants in our selues as who is it that findeth not manie we know to whom to go Iames 1 17. we are sent to the fountaine or head-spring euen to the Father of lights Hee is able to furnish vs and fill vs with that which we haue not hee is able to increase the measure of that which we haue hee will not see any want to them that are not wanting vnto themselues Fourthly seeing we must aske a blessing from God wee are thereby put in minde that by nature wee lye vnder the curse of God threatned by the Law by which commeth the knowledge of sinne Romanes 3 20. And the same Apostle Galat. 3 verse 10. sheweth that euerie one is cursed that continueth not in all things vvhich are written in the Booke of the Law to do them We are stained and defiled with sin from our birth Psalme 51.5 Iob 14. verse 4. Wee see then what is our naturall estate and condition wee are not heires of blessing wee cannot claime challenge any portion to our selues in any of the mercies of God there is nothing our owne but the curse of God the wrath of God the iudgement of God these wee may truly cal our own these are our lot this is our cup to drinke this is due vnto vs in regard of sin which we drinke in daily as water which we continually swallow as bread Let vs not therefore blesse our selues as if wee had some title to the blessings of God but consider that we lie vnder all the curses of the law Deut. 28 so long as we are vnregenerate or impenitent but when once we are in Christ haue receiued truly to beleeue then we are deliuered froÌ„ the curse and haue right to his blessings Fiftly this solemne blessing commanded in this place to the Priests doeth shadow out Christ Iesus which was sent of God that according to the promise made to Abraham all the nations of the earth should be blessed in him For as they blessed the people when they departed out of the congregation so did Christ wheÌ„ he was to depart out of the world as the Euangelist testifieth Luke 24 50 51. hee led them out as far as to Bethany and he lift vp his haÌ„ds and blessed them and it came to passe while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried vp into heauen All blessings indeede doe come from him and by him and thorough him they are conueyed vnto vs. So then the Office of blessing which vnder the law was committed to the Priests doeth truly and properly belong to Christ Iesus the high priest of our profession Caluin harm in Euang. through whoÌ„ we receiue spirituall blessings in heauenly things Eph. 1. He is the onely author of all blessing yet that his grace might be more effectuall to vs it was his wil pleasure that the priests in the beginning should as mediators blesse in his name To this purpose appertaineth that which is read in Psal 118 26. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord we do blesse you out of the house of the Lord. The Apostle teacheth Heb. 7 7. that it is a sign of excelency to blesse others because without all question and contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater therfore when Christ the true Melchizedek and the eternall priest came into the world to offer vp himself it was meete that in him should bee fulfilled whatsoeuer was shadowed out by the Legall figures so that he blessed the Apostles openly with a solemne rite of lifting vp his hands to the end the faithful should fly vnto him so many as desire to be partakers of the grace of God to become rich in all heauenly things Lastly the priests are to blesse the people What then are they able to blesse haue they the blessings of God in their own brest and can they giue them to whom they list no it is God only that can blesse curse True it is this is giuen afterward to Balaam the false Prophet to be able to blesse and curse whom he wil chap. 22 6. As also it is in our daies to the bishop of Rome the true successor of Balaam rather then of Peter with whom he hath nothing like But the priests do blesse by praying for a blessing pronouncing the people of God to be blessed So then we see hereby Math. â—6 â—â— Iohn 20 2â— how the Ministers are said to bind and to loose to forgiue sins to retaine sins not that they haue an absolute power to do these things for it is God onely that properly can forgiue sins it is he that can take away the guilt and punishment of them the Ministers only do it ministerially publishing forgiuenesse and assuring remission of sins to al that are penitent and contrariwise preaching that there is no forgiuenes to the impenitent As then the priests did blesse onely as the Ministers of God so did the Disciples of Christ and so do the Teachers of the Church remit retaine sins onely as the Ministers of Iesus Christ who speake in his name Ver 23. On this wise ye shall blesse the children of Israel Now let vs come to the particular doctrine And first there is laid before our eies a set and solemne forme of praier enioyned to the priests to be vsed commonly and continually in the assemblies Doctrine A set forme of prayers lawfull to be vsed From hence we learne that a set forme of prayer is lawfull to bee vsed whether publikely in the Church or priuately in the family This point is the more strongly inferred from
the children of Zebulun did offer 25 His offering was one siluer charger the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels one siluer bolle of seuenty shekels c. Behold heere how the other Princes are not inferiour to the first that offered nor the other Tribes to the Tribe of Iudah Obserue heere that the spirit of God accounteth it not sufficient to set downe what was offered in generall neither in particular what Nahshon the sonne of Aminadab of the Tribe of Iudah offered the first day or what Nathaniel the son of Zuar Prince of Issachar offered the second day but he goeth forward to set downe the speciall offerings according to euery mans name and according to the day assigned vnto him Obiect It may be demaunded what was the cause why these offerings are thus particularly pointed out why are the same chargers the same bolles the same spoones so often repeated might not all these things heere mentioned haue beene more summarily concluded what need more words haue bene vsed when fewer would haue serued I answere Answer we must not account any thing idle friuolous fruitles or superfluous in holy Scripture The Lord knoweth best what is fittest to bee dilated largely and what to be comprehended shortly If there were no other reason then this so it pleased the Lord it ought to content vs and to make vs rest in it The like example we finde Psal 136.1 2 c. Where in euery verse and at the recitall of euery blessing this reason is repeated for his mercy endureth for euer Adde heereunto Reuel 7.5 6 c. where this is repeated according to the number of the Tribes that twelue thousand were sealed of them Hee might haue said briefly of euery tribe were sealed twelue thousand but he repeateth the words twelue times so in this place the offerings are repeated twelue times particularly according to the number of the twelue Princes The reasons may be first to teach vs to be content to heare the same things though they be oftentimes repeated as Phil. 3.1 The Apostle saith It is not grieuous to me to write the same things often and for you it is safe Wee are ready to forget the best things and therefore must haue them continually sounding in our eares as many strokes giuen with a hammer to make vs heare Secondly that wee should apply these examples vnto our selues and if wee passe ouer one of them without regard yet we should take holde of the next Thirdly to teach vs that no man shall haue that forgotten to the vtmost of his praise who is any way forward in doing good because he will honor those that honor him but they that despise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 The doctrine Doctrine from this particular rehearsal and enumeration of the gifts of those Princes is this Euery good worke of gods children is knowne and shall be rewarded that all the good workes of Gods children done to the setting forth of his glory to the aduancement of his worship to the maintenance of true Religion or the good of his children shall be reckoned vp rewarded and come vp in account before him he taketh notice of them all and will neuer forget any one of them As their deeds are here registred in the booke of God so the doers of them are registred in the booke of life Matth 10.42 Our Sauiour teacheth that a cup of cold water shall not go vnrewarded that is giuen to drinke in the name of a disciple to one of these litle ones And afterward it is said Matth. 25.7 A certaine woman came vnto him hauing an alabaster boxe of ointmēt very precious and powred it on his head as he sate at table and because she had wrought a good worke vpon him verse 10. he sayth Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world there shall also this that this woman hath done be told for a memoriall of her verse 13. To this purpose speaketh the Angel that appeared to Cornelius Act. 10.4 Thy prayers and thy almes are come vp for a memoriall before God So then euery thing shall be remembred no one worke shall be forgotten Reason 1 For God is a righteous God giuing to euery one according to his workes Hee is the Iudge of the world Gen. 18. and cannot but iudge vprightly Hereupon the Apostle saith Heb. 6.10 God is not vnrighteous to forget your workes and labor of loue which ye haue shewed toward his Name in that yee haue minstred to the Saints and doe minister He that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward for he will reward very bountifully euery good worke If we be not barren in good workes he will not bee behind with vs to recompence vs. Secondly how can they but come into an account seeing he accounteth them as done to himselfe Matth. 25.40 When any thing is giuen to the Saints it is esteemed as done to the Sonne himselfe and when it is bestowed vpon one of the least it is regarded as bestowed vpon the greatest and highest The seruant receiueth it but the Master will reward it Vse 1 Touching the Vses we may first conclude the happy estate and condition of them that leaue this world and depart this life in the true feare of God because we heare their workes shall be remembred and therefore the doings of his seruants be rewarded with eternall glory being done in the loue of God and of his trueth none of them are forgotten but they shall follow them nay goe with them and beare them company This we reade in the Reuelations of Iohn chap. 14.13 I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they rest from their labors and their works follow them to wit at their heels as the word importeth Death cannot cut them off though it be a cruell and mercilesse tyrant and hath as it were a sithe or sickle in his hand to cut downe such as come in his way yea though it cut off riches reuenewes honours pleasures dignities delights wife children houses lands and life it selfe according to the saying of the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out with vs yet it cannot cut off good workes neither bereaue vs of the fruits of a liuely faith which are of such great force and efficacy that they are able to breake in sunder the chaines of death and the strength of the graue and cannot be holden in darknes and obliuion It were therefore a point of great wisedome and good policy so many as would willingly die the death of the righteous as Balaamites and all wicked men will seeme desirous to doe to prouide a goodly traine of good works which death cannot keepe backe they will presse so fast and knocke so hard at heauen
and out of which he is shortly to depart Or will he be patching that Tent and Tabernacle which hee hath pitched for a day or two We dwell in earthly Tabernacles as in houses of clay 2 Cor. 5 4. 2 Pet. 1 14. What wisedome then is it to bestow daies and moneths and yeares in plotting plodding for the world for riches and the vanities of this life Let vs also prepare and prouide before hand for the day of our dissolution that such as God hath blessed with this worlds good set their houses and their estates in order as the Prophet in this regard warneth Hezekiah Esay 38 1. Set thine house in order for thou must dye And we may learne this necessary practise of Ahitophel though liuing in wickednes and dying in despaire of whom the Scripture saieth wheÌ„ he saw that his counsell was not followed he went home vnto his City put his house in order hanged himselfe 2 Sam. 17 23. This duty is to be thought vpon in health as that which deepely concerneth our selues and our posterity When we haue rightly disposed the things of this life let vs prepare for a Nunc dimittis let vs commend our spirits into the hands of God let vs resigne vp our selues willingly to death when we must enter into a particular iudgement For so soone as the soule is departed and separated from the body God holdeth his Sessions to which we are summoned by his messenger death to come into his presence to receiue in part according to our workes whether they be good or euill Euen as we see in the affaires of this life how Iudges and Iustices keepe their sessions and assises wherein malefactors brought out of prison are arraigned so God holdeth his time of iudgement and iustice to reward euery one according to his works We haue all a cause and case to bee tried the greatest the weightiest the worthiest that euer was handled not touching siluer gold not concerning house or land not of titles or inheritances but of the euerlasting saluation or daÌ„nation of our soules for euer and therefore it standeth vs in hand to be well armed thoroughly appointed that we come not as the foolish Virgins without oyle in our lampes or as the vnprepared guest without our wedding garment We see in temporall Courts when men haue a cause to be tried and an action to be determined either of goods or good name how carefull they are before hand to reade Euidences to produce witnesses and to search Records that the suite may passe on their sides how much more carefull ought wee to be to answer before the eternall Iudge where no man shall be admitted to appeare by his Atturney but all must come in their owne persons none shall be suffered to put in sureties This wil be a great day wheÌ„ the whole world shall appeare together at once high and low Prince and Subiect noble and vnnoble according to the description that Iohn maketh I saw the dead both great small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the booke according to their works Reuel 20 12. And was buried there Hitherto of the death of Miriam now of that which followed her death to wit her buriall See heere when life was departed what they did with the body they committed it to the earth The Doctrine from hence is this that it is a necessary duty to bury the dead Doctrine A commendable duty 〈◊〉 bury the dead This appeareth by many examples of the godly which haue practised this duty Gen. 23 4. Abraham the father of the faithfull bought a possession of burial of the Hittites who by the sight and light of nature had their Sepulchers therefore answered Abraham Gen. 23 6. 35 29 50 12 13. Thou art a Prince of God among vs in the cheefest of our Sepulchers bury thy dead none of vs shall forbid thee his Sepulcher but thou maist bury thy dead therein So ch 25 8 9. when Abraham yeelded the spirit and died in a good age and was gathered to his people his sonnes Isaac Ishmael buried him in the Caue of Machpelah in the field of Hephron where Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife The like we see done to Isaac when he gaue vp the ghost being old and full of daies his two sonnes Esau and Iacob buried him Now as Iacob did to his father so his children do to him according as hee had commanded them for his sonnes carried him into the land of Canaan and buried him in the Caue of the field of Machpelah which Abraham had bought The like may be said of Moses Deut. 34 5 6. for albeit the people buried him not neither knew of his Sepulcher lest they shold abuse it to idolatry yet rather then he should want buriall he was buried of God The men of Iabesh Gilead are praised of God and rewarded of Dauid because they buried King Saul and his sonne and aduentured their liues to do vnto him their last duty 2 Sa. 2 5 6. The same might be said of the rest of the Patriarks Prophets Iudges Kings Gouernours and Priests yea of Christ himselfe whose buriall albeit he were able immediately to haue raised and restored himselfe to life is set downe in the Gospel that his death might be confirmed and his farther humiliation manifested These examples teach that it is a christian and commendable duty of the liuing to be performed to the dead of children to bee performed to their parents and of the people of God one to another to commit the body of the deceased to the graue to put dust to dust and so to couer earth with earth And no maruaile For first among all creatures Reason 1 man is most loathsome and vgly when life is departed As in his birth and bringing foorth into the world of all creatures hee is most fraile and feeble without strength to stand without helpe to defend himselfe so being dead he is most fraile filthy and deformed He that a litle before gloried in his beauty comelinesse feature proportion is now become the mirror and spectacle of a deformed and mishapen carkasse Such a confusion and wracke hath sinne wrought and brought into our nature This made Abraham to say to the Hittites I am a stranger a forreiner among you giue me a possession of buriall to bury with you that I may bury my dead out of my sight Gen. 23 4. This is noted in Lazarus who hauing lien buried but foure daies his bâ—dy stanke Iohn 11 39. Reason 2 Secondly buriall is promised as a blessing from God and the want of it threatened for a plague and iudgement God offereth it as a mercy to Abraham â—5 15. that he should be buried in a ripe age and to Iosiah that he should bee put in his graue in peace â— 22 19 and
receiued Thus he dealt with Dauid whom hee greatly fauoured and aduanced to the kingdome when he fell into grieuous sins 2 Sam. 12.9 10. Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with the sword and hast taken his wife to bee thy wife and hast slaine him with the sword of the children of Ammon Now therefore the sword shal neuer depart from thine house and I will raise vp euill against thee out of thine owne house So soone as Salomon set vp idolatry and wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord he stirred vp aduersaries vnto Salomon 1 King 11. â— 14. and afterward rent the greatest part of the kingdome out of the hands of his sonne This serueth to conuince all such prophane persons as presume of Gods patience and abuse his mercy to all loosenesse and licenciousnesse saying God is mercifull and yet continue in their sinnes But we must know that as he is mercifull so hee is iust as his mercy is toward the penitent so his iustice is toward the obstinate who spareth not his owne people that forget his Law and therefore will deale more fiercely against strangers Vse 3 Thirdly measure not the fauour and loue of God toward our selues or others by outward blessings or outward crosses by prosperity or aduersity which come alike to the godly and vngodly Nay oftentimes the wicked flourish when the faithfull are in great misery as Psal 73.3 4 5. So Salomon teacheth Eccle. 9.2 Therefore Christ our Sauiour correcteth the wrong iudgement of the disciples supposing that such as Pilate slew were the greatest sinners of all the rest that dwelt in Ierusalem because they suffered those things Luke 13.1 2 3. If then we would find sound comfort in our hearts and feele vnfained testimonies of Gods fauour towards vs wee must not seeke for them in outward blessings or in want of outward blessings both which are common to the godly and vngodly but in ioy in the holy Ghost in remission of sinnes in repentance from dead workes in the spirit of adoption in faith in Christ in peace of conscience which passeth all vnderstanding As for other things place not thy heauen and happinesse in them if blessings come receiue them thankefully if crosses learne to beare them patiently Fourthly wee are hereby put in minde to Vse 4 search our owne wayes to suruey our owne hearts and to prooue by the touchstone of the word our owne thoughts words and workes that we haue conceiued spoken and done what we haue iustly deserued if God in iustice should proceede against vs examining seriously our owne life mourning bitterly for our sinnes past and turning vnfainedly vnto God with all our hearts This duty is vrged by Ieremy the Prophet Lam. 3.39 40 41 42. This is the marke that God shooteth at this is the end that he respecteth euen by his afflictions to bring vs home to himselfe not to destroy and confound vs for euer Heb 12.5 10. Let vs not dispise the chastenings of the Lord nor faint when we are rebuked We haue had the fathers of our bodies which corrected vs for a few daies and we gaue them reuerence should wee not much rather be in subiection to the Father of spirits who chastneth those whom he loueth and scourgeth euery sonne whom hee receiueth Fiftly let vs labour to strengthen our faith Vse 5 by the word and Sacraments and by such ordinary meanes as hee hath appointed for that purpose Hereunto the Apostle exhorteth 1. Cor. 11.30 To examine our selues and so to eate of that bread and drinke of that cup declaring that the iudgements of God were broken in among the Corinthians insomuch that many were weake and sicke among them and many slept Wherefore whensoeuer wee find the hand of God sore and heauy vpon vs it is our duty to seeke strength of faith by the vse of the word and Sacraments whereby wee shall learne to find out the true cause of those iudgements and submit our selues vnder his hand that striketh vs as a father For the Scriptures serue to direct vs the Sacraments serue to comfort vs Psal 116. â— Without which the Prophet had perished in his afflictions Lastly seeing God chastiseth his when Vse 6 they offend then most assuredly the wicked that are not his shall not escape his reuenging hand If he correct the flocke of his own pasture the children of his owne houshold the citizens of his owne kingdome and the members of his owne body fed at his owne table in this life and made heires of heauen in the life to come really possessing that inheritance with what plagues punishments torments will he visit the rebellion of aliants and strangers If the Lord deale sharply toward these to whom he is a mercifull Father and gracious Sauiour and whom he often preuenteth with his liberall blessings Surely his reuenging wrath full of rage Psal 21.8 2 King 21. shall find out all his enemies whom he wipe will away as a man wipeth a dish turneth it vpside down This is that which Salomon teacheth in the Prouerbs Behold â— 11.31 the righteous shall bee recompenced in the earth how much more the wicked and the sinner There remaineth a day of iudgement when they shall be punished as they deserue either in this life or in the life to come With this the Apostle Peter sweetly accordeth 1 Pet. 4.17 18. The time is come that iudgement must begin at the house of God if it first begin at vs what shall the end be of them which obey not the Gospel of God And if the righteous scarcely bee saued where shal the wicked and the sinner appeare Where we see that God will scourge whip his owne children for their frailties and infirmities appearing in them But he correcteth the godly in mercy the vngodly in anger the godly as a louing father the vngodly as a iust Iudge the godly to amend them the vngodly to condemne them the godly albeeit humbled and cast downe with one hand are comforted and raised vp with another whereas the punishments that fall vpon the heads of the vngodly are but the beginnings of sorrow and as the flashings of hell fire Now the earth is not properly the place of vengeance and iudgement For we must vnderstand that God hath appointed three places earth heauen hell for three seuerall purposes â—ree places 〈◊〉 need for ree seuerall â—poses the earth to be a place of working the heauen a place of rewarding hell a place of punishing earth as a shop of labour heauen as a pallace of glory hell as a prison of torment Notwithstanding rather then sinners should escape and sinne goe vnpunished the Lord wil call a priuy or petty Sessions euen in this life and make the earth his gaile or house of correction If then God will visit their transgressions with such heauy strokes Alas what shall become of al prophane persons vnrepentant offenders obstinate sinners such as contemne God and his word euery
continuance of the Church and truth of God that it may flourish after vs and not dye with vs or bee buried in the earth for euer This appeareth by the Apostle Peter I will endeuour alwaies that yee also may be able to haue remembrance of these things after my departure 2 Pet. 1 15. Heereunto accordeth the care of the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy Watch thou in all things suffer aduersity do the worke of an Euangelist cause thy Ministery to be throughly liked of for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departing is at hand 2 Tim. 4 5 6. This we see many waies in Moses who would not leaue the people without a guide as sheepe without a Shepheard and therefore praied for a fit Gouernor Let the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh appoint a man ouer the Congregation â—â—b 27 16 who may goe in and out before them And therefore it is said Deut. 34 9. that Ioshua the sonne of Nun was full of the spirit of wisedome For Moses had put his hands vpon him and the children of Israel were obedient vnto him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses â—â—ro 2â— 9. Likewise Dauid at the point of death exhorteth the Officers of his kingdom and Salomon his sonne which was to sit vpon his Throne to know the God of his fathers and to serue him with a perfect heart with a willing minde assuring him that if he seeke him he will be found and threatning him if he forsake him that God will cast him off for euer Reason 1 And great reason it is wee should haue this care and consideration of the good beauty of the Church For the Church is our Mother who hath conceiued and brought vs forth to liue a spirituall life to God wee haue sucked her breasts and through her we haue here begun our heauen happinesse What vnkindnesse and vnthankfulnesse were this to leaue her destitute who hath trauailed in paine of vs vntill Christ be formed in vs and to withdraw all duty and endeuor from her touching her condition to come Were it not a note of an vnnaturall a lewd a shamefull childe to forsake his owne mother who bare him in her wombe nourished him with her brests dandled him in her lap refused no base seruice for his good cared for him wheÌ„ he could not care for himselfe in whose eyes he was tender and deare were it not I say a note of great infamy to leaue her in misery or as a prey to the enemy 〈◊〉 19 16 27. We see the Lord Iesus Christ being on the Crosse prouided for his Mother committed her to the care of the Disciple whoÌ„ he loued In like manner the Apostle requireth this duty 〈◊〉 5 â— 16 If any faithfull man or faithfull womaÌ„ haue widowes let them minister vnto them And if there be any that prouideth not for his owne hee denieth the faith and is worse then an Infidell Whosoeuer therefore hath beene brought vp in the bosome of the Church begotten by the immortall seed of the word nourished at the Table of Christ and taught to looke for an eternall inheritance in the heauens can neuer assure himselfe to bee the true childe of his mother but rather a base and bastardly brood vnlesse he shew it by the continuall care hee hath of the safegard and protection of the Church Gal. 4 2. which is the mother of all the faithfull Besides greeuous and greedy wolues enter Reason 2 vpon the labours of faithfull and painfull Pastours to make hauock of the Church and to seduce the people of God For Satan is neuer idle though neuer well occupied and as a reuerent father once said Latimer he is the most diligent Bishop in his Diocesse he neuer resteth but alwaies compasseth the earth too and fro Iob 2 2. and walketh therein He hath his instruments which he setteth on worke that poison the church with the leauen of false doctrine and sowe the Lords field with the Darnell of their diuellish deuices Therefore the Apostle exhorting the Elders of Ephesus Acts 20 28 29 30 saith Take heed to your selues and to all the flocke wher of the Holy Ghost hath made you Ouerseers to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood for I know this that after my departure shall greeuous wolues enter in among you not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to draw Disciples after them Now it remaineth to see the vses heereof Vse 1 First we learne from hence the conâ—inuance of the Church vpon the earth and the perpetuall remaining of it so long as the earth endureth and so long as the Sun abideth a faithfull witnesse in the heauens Though it bee sometimes driuen from place to place and abideth not in one stay and state like the Moone that sometimes shineth in the full Aug epist 48. sometimes in the wane and sometimes in the eclipse Reuel 12 6. as the woman constrained to flie into the wildernesse where she hath a place prepared of God that they should feed her there and as the reigne of Ahab when Elias thought himselfe left alone as a Sparrow vpon an house top 1 King 19 10. Psal 102 7. yet there alwayes hath beene a Church from the beginning and euer shall bee a Church to the end from Adam the first to the last man that shall stand vpon the earth This the Prophet teacheth Psal 72 5. 102 26 27 28. Let the enemies fret and storme let them rage roare neuer so much they labour in the fire and sweate in vaine they shall perish fall down but the Lord that is able of stones to raise vp Children vnto Abraham holdeth vp the heads of his people that they stand as an house built vpon the Rocke the raine falleth the floud cometh the winde bloweth and beateth vpon that house yet it abideth firmely and falleth not for it is grounded on the Rocke Math. 7 24 25 like the bush that burned with fire but was not consumed Exod. 3 â— Secondly seeing our care must be that the Vse 2 truth of God may liue when we are dead and remaine after our departure It is the duty of all the Ministers of God to preach the word of God in season and out of season 2 Tim. chap. 4 verse 2 3 to be instant in reproouing rebuking exhorting with all long-suffering and doctrine yea to do these things with all their power seeing there is neyther work nor wisedome in the graue whither they go For alas how shall they minde the future good of the Church after their death that mean not the present good of the Church in their life Wherefore let vs take all occasions opportunities to promote the Gospell Act. 20 27 28 Let vs keepe backe nothing that is profitable but reueale to the people the whole counsell of God knowing that
a sort the Lord also doth it who as a iust Iudge for the wickednes of the world and contempt of the Gospel letteth loose Satan to deceiue in his heauy yet righteous iudgement So the Apostle teacheth that God shall send strong delusions that they shall beleeue lies that will not imbrace and receiue the truth 2 Thes 2 11. The vses are to be thought vpon and to be Vse 1 learned of vs. First maruaile not if wicked meÌ„ many times prosper and preuaile For if God vse them as his Rods and enableth them to worke his will albeit they do not feare God nor purpose to serue him nor ayme at his glory yet they shall ouercome and haue the vpper hand for God hath sent them God hath armed them God hath saide vnto them goe and prosper Let vs not therefore thinke when euill men preuaile that all things are shufled hudled together let vs not doubt of Gods high prouidence ouer-ruling the world let vs not make prosperity a note of the Church as if it were alwaies here in flourishing estate multiplying in wealth aboundâ—ng in friends glorious in victories flowing in honours increasing in multitudes and excelling in outward priuiledges for God many times raiseth vp the heads of euill men to bring mighty things to passe This the Prophet Ezekiel declareth chap. 29 18 19 20. Sonne of Man Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel caused his army to serue a great seruice against Tyrus euery head was made bald and euery shoulder was made bare yet had he no wages nor yet his army for Tyrus for the seruice that he serued against it therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I will giue the Land of Egipt to the King of Babel and he shall take her multitude and spoile her spoile and take her prey and it shall bee the wages of his army I haue giuen him the Land of Egipt for his labour that he serued against it because they wrought for me saith the Lord God Where the Prophet sheweth that Nebuchadnezzar had serued Gods prouidence in the siedge and sacking of Tyrus and therfore he had another kingdome giuen him for it and blessed with victory ouer other enemies This is the reason why euill men are set vp and haue a reward of temporall blessings because they are Gods souldiers and are vnder his pay who suffereth them not to goe and depart without their wages Thus all earthly things fall out alike to all there is the same outward condition belonging to all To the iust and vniust to the pure and to the polluted Eccles 9 2. Secondly let vs from hence know assuredly there are no waies to withstand his wrath Vse 2 no policy to preuent his iudgments no force that can resist his purposes We see how many meanes he hath to bring forth his decrees he can make the vngodly serue him whensoeuer he will command them True it is Gods children guided by his Spirit and framed to the obedience of his will will alwayes be seruiceable to him with cheerefulnes of heart and willingnes of minde If he command his aduersaries any worke they must obey him albeit against their wils hee enforceth them as slaues to do his will Whatsoeuer their purposes be God disposeth them to bring his own decrees to passe What man then can promise to himselfe rest and peace or thinke to winde himselfe from the hand of God or escape the sentence gone out against him or stand against God comming out to take vengeance vpon him Seeing he hath so many seruants in readinesse set in battell aray to performe his purposes and can single out what instruments he listeth albeit as euill as themselues This the Prophets teach euery where to the terror of al Gods enemies Consider that Ieremy is bold and saith to Zedekiah King of Iudah Deceiue not your selues saying The Chaldeans shall surely depart from vs â— 37 9 10. for they shall not depart for though ye had smitten the whole hoast of the Chaldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should euery man rise vp in his Tent and burne this City with fire The destruction of the vngodly hangeth not vpon the power and pleasure of men nor on the might and multitude of Souldiers but on the iudgment of God who giueth strength to the weake and courage to the coward and might to the maimed man to root out and to destroy This should greatly humble and terrifie the wicked man that promiseth safety security to himselfe who notwithstanding lyeth open euery way to the wrath and indignation of God Lastly let the people of God comfort theÌ„selues Vse 3 though they be ouer-burdened and ouer-mastered by them A time will come and loe it tarrieth not when those wicked men that oppresse and vexe the Church shall bee rooted out The Lord of hoasts hath men and Angels and all creatures to worke out their destruction he can whistle for other enemies as euill as themselues to come against them to conquer and ouercome them Be not therefore daunted to see them rule and reigne Fret not thy selfe because of the euill men neither be enuious for the euill doers â— 37 1 2 3 â—6 for they shall soone be cut downe like grasse and shall wither as the greene Hearb Trust in the Lord and do good dwell in the Land and thou shalt be fed assuredly I haue seene the wicked strong and spreading himselfe like a greene Bay-tree yet he passed away and loe he was gone and I sought him but he could not be found Let vs therefore no whit bee troubled to see the enemies of God and of the godly exalted and lifted vp they are set in slippery places they are suddenly destroyed and horribly consumed as a dreame when one awaketh For God sendeth an euill spirit among them as hee did betweene Abimelech and the men of Shichem to bee reuenged of the cruelty which they had shewed toward the 70. sonnes of Ierubbaal Iudg. 9 23 24. We see this in the deliuery of the Church out of Babylon God stirred vp the Medes Persians as great idolaters as proud and prophane persons as themselues and by Cyrus deliuered them whom long before he had designed and deputed to that worke This the Prophet Esay sheweth chap. 21 2 10. So theâ—â— albeit the Church were as it were thressed with a Flaile and a Cartwheele turned vpon their backes albeit their loynes were filled with sorrow yet shall their enemies come to ruine and destruction Babel is fallen it is fallen and all the Images of her Gods hath hee broken to the ground Esay 21 9. Howsoeuer therefore the estate of the Church in Babylon seemed desperate and past al hope of recouering her former glory yet we see God wanted not waies and meanes to free his chosen people and set them at liberty he raised the Medes and Persians to leade them by the hand out of the hand of their oppressors His hand is not now shortened
pressed sore vpon him he sought to the witch at Endor which had a familiar Spirit raysed vp the diuell in the likenes of Samuel The like is approoued vnto vs by the practise of Amaziah King of Israel in the second book of the Kings the first chapter and the second verse When hee was fallen thorough the Lattice window in his vpper Chamber which was in Samaria and thereof grew sicke vnto the death hee directed Messengers to goe and enquire of Baallzebub the god of Ekron whether hee should recouer of this his disease So did Haman likewise an enemy of the Iewes and one of the race of the Amalekites thirsting after the blood of Mordecai and the destruction of the whole Church dealt by Sorcerie for to effect his intended purpose Ester chap. 3 verse 7. And cast Pur that is a Lot to know when hee might haue a luckie and prosperous time to enterprize this businesse Moreouer it is noted by the Prophet that when Nebuchadnezzar King of Babell was come out of his kingdome with a mightie hoast and stoode at the parting of the way doubting vnto what place he should go whether against the Ammonites or against the Tribe of Iudah as in the one and twentieth chapter of Ezekiel and the eleuenth verse He consulted by Diuination and made his Arrowes bright he consulted with Idolles and looked in the Liuer Heereunto commeth the threatning denounced against the Egyptians by the Prophet Esay in chapt 19. verses 3 4. The spirit of Egypt shall faile in the middest of her and I will destroy their counsell and they shall seeke at the Idolles and at the Sorcerers and of them that haue spirits of Diuination and at the Soothsayers And I will deliuer the Egiptians into the hand of cruell Lords and a mightie King shall rule ouer them saith the Lord God of hoastes Thus wee see it was very vsuall with the wicked when they saw no other helpe at hand to seeke vnto witches and to resort vnto enchanters The Reasons hereof are these first Reasoâ— because they want Fayth and beleefe in God they trust not in him they looke not for saluation from him they dare not repose theyr confidence in him This we see in Saul when he had once forsaken God in breaking his commandement by sparing the Amalekites in offering sacrifice in killing the Priests in persecuting the Saints in refusing to consult with God as a needlesse thing and proceeding from one degree of wickednesse to another in the end he sayde vnto his seruants 1. Sam. chap. 28. verse 3. Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar spirit that I may goe to her and aske of her This is that reason which the Spirit of God poynteth out in the first booke of the Chronicles and the tenth chapter Saul dyed for his transgression that he committed agaynst the Lord euen against the word of the Lord which he kept not and in that hee sought and asked counsell of a familiar spirit and asked not of the Lord therefore hee slew him and turned the kingdome vnto Dauid the son of Ishai True it is wee reade in the first of Samuel chapter 28. verse 6. that he asked counsell of the Lord and heere we heare hee asked not counsell of the Lord these are not repugnant and contrary one to another no more then these words in the eleuenth Chapter of S. Matthew and the fourteenth verse Iohn Baptist is Elias and Iohn Baptist is not Elias Christ sayde of Iohn Baptist This is Elias Iohn Baptist sayd of himselfe I am not Elias Iohn 1 21. Notwithstanding heere is no contradiction for Christ vnderstoode it one way Iohn another Christ meant he was Elias in spirit Luke 1 17. as comming in the spirit and power of Elias Iohn meant hee was not Elias in person which the Pharisies thought and imagined So these words seeme contrary in shew but are not in substance and in deed In deed he asked of the Lord but not in faith nor with a purpose to cast himselfe vpon God but in hypocrisie and with resolution to goe to the witch As Ahab consulted with the Prophet of the Lord 〈◊〉 â—2 15. but he was before determined what he would do whatsoeuer the Prophet should say Wherefore that which was not done rightly and religiously is as it were not done at all as the Apostle speaking of vnreuerent comming to the Lords Table saith This is not to eate the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11 20. Where he denyeth that absolutely which many did corruptly Againe no maruaile if the wicked forsake God in their troubles 〈◊〉 2. betake themselues to Sorcerers and Wizards which are the enemies of God seeing sorcery is the inuention of the diuell and a manifest worke of the flesh If then it came from the father of lyes and be a fruite of our owne corrupt nature it is not strange or to be wondred at that carnall and corrupt men giue themselues ouer to this practise This the Apostle teacheth Gal. 5 19 20. The works of the flesh are manifest which are adultery fornication vncleannesse wantonnesse idolatry witchcraft and such like Seeing therefore euill men want faith ioyning to God purifying the heart working by loue making vp the marriage betweene God our soules and seeing witchcraft is a worke of the flesh it is naturall to naturall men in their distresses to vse vnlawfull meanes as charming figure-casting and such curious actes and artes as are wrought by the deuice of the diuell Now let vs make vse of this Doctrine First Vse 1 this condemneth the common custome and practise of the people in our dayes who when the hand of God is any way on them or theirs when they be strangely visited or their children greeuously afflicted or their Cattle eyther lost or languish with any extraordinary disease at which time especially they should acknowledge Gods ouer-ruling and ouer-swaying prouidence that not a silly Sparrow falleth to the ground without the will of our heauenly Father by and by they send out to that cunning man or that cunning woman so forget God that made them These men will not tarry the Lords leysure nor waite vpon his mercy for ease and comfort they will haue present helpe or else they will runne to the diuell resort to witches and fetch health out of hell it selfe This is the folly and vanity of such as know not God neither acknowledge that all things are disposed according to his purpose and good pleasure Let vs beware of this sinne which is a forsaking of the true God a renouncing of helpe from his holy place and an entertainment of familiarity with the diuell which is the very height and top of all iniquity This the Lord himselfe teacheth Leuit. 20 6 7. If any turne after such as worke with spirits and after soothsayers to go a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people Sanctifie your selues
be effectuall to stay vs in our obedience because God wil continue the same God of mercy and truth vnto vs without alteration which he was to Noah Abraham Isaac Iacob Ioseph and all the faithfull so highly renowned and greatly commended in the Scriptures so it must serue to bee a bridle in the iawes of the vngodly and prophane wretches of the world that as he hath plagued consumed and throwne downe into the bottomles pit of hell the wicked heretofore that rebelled against him and resisted his will so he is vnchangeable in Name and Nature and therefore he will do the same to them now and to as many as shall walke in their steps for euer This we may see to be a plain case in the righteousnes of God Eccl. 8 12 13. Though a sinner do euill an hundred times and God prolongeth his dayes yet I know it shall be well with them that fâ—are the Lord and do reuerence before him but it shall not be well to the wicked neither shall he prolong his daies he shall be like a shaddow because he feareth not before God And the Apostle Iude in his Epistle Iude 6 7. 2 Pet 2 1 5. alledgeth and applyeth the examples of Gods vengeance vpoÌ„ the wicked past to those present and to come shewing that if God spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell and deliuered them vnto chaines of darknesse to bee kept vnto damnation neyther spared the olde world but brought in the flood vpon the vngodly c. Let vs remember that wee shall finde God the same toward vs for euer neuer presume that he can or will be changed now from that which he hath beene heeretofore toward others Verse 21. He seeth not iniquity in Iacob he beholdeth not transgression in Israel Hitherto we haue spoken of the vnchangeablenesse of Gods loue toward his Church Now let vs see the reasons of it both in spirituall things and then in temporall The cheefest priuiledge of the Church standeth in the fruition and enioying of spirituall blessings Among all spirituall blessings this is one of the cheefest Remission of sinnes This is expressed by this phrase that God seeth not sinne in them that is he forgiueth theyr iniquity and imputeth not sinne vnto them To the same purpose the Prophet saith Our sinnes are couered Psalm 32 verse 1. These may seeme at the first strange speeches and phrases For shall not he that made the eye see Psalme 94. Shall not he that made the eare heare He that made the heart shall not he vnderstand and know the secrets of the heart Are not all things naked and open before him or can any hide himselfe from his presence and winde himselfe from his prouidence The meaning is not that God doth not behold them but it is a borrowed speech from the custome of men which lay away those things out of sight which they do not vse or would not remember so that he doth not see them when he doth not punish them he couereth them when he doth pardon them and account them as if they were neuer committed So Hezekiah saith Esa 38 17. God had cast his sins behind his backe Thus the Prophet speaketh Esay 1 18. Though your sinnes were as Crimson they shall be made white as Snow though they were red as Scarlet they shall be as wool And chap. 44 22. I haue put away thy transgressions like a Cloud and thy sinnes as a Mist So the Prophet Micah saith chap. 7 19. He will turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs he will subdue our iniquities and cast all their sinnes into the bottome of the sea From all these Testimonies we learne this truth That to euery true member Doctrine of the Church To all the members oâ— the Churcâ— belongeth the forgiuâ—nesse of 〈◊〉 belongeth the forgiuenes of all theyr sins It is a peculiar priuiledge of the faithfull for the merits and righteousnesse of Christ to haue theyr sinnes forgiuen whereby it commeth to passe that God esteemeth of sinne as no sinne and of iniquity as if it had neuer bene committed Heere then we haue offered to our considerations a principall and fundamental point of our Christian Religion and of the holy faith That all our sinnes wants and impections originall and actuall as well in the committing of euill as in omitting of good in thought word deed are couered healed and released thorough the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs which being apprehended by faith and applyed vnto vs doth not onely make them as if they had neuer bene but also iustifie discharge vs causing vs to appeare blamelesse and spotlesse in the sight of God Thus God proclaimeth him selfe to be a most gracious and merciful God readily inclined to forgiue sins Exod. 34 6 7. Esay 33 24. and 43 25. Ier. 31 31 32. and 33 8. Reason 1 And this truth to wit that iustification staÌ„deth in the remission of sinnes through the satisfaction of Christ is confirmed vnto vs by sundry reasons out of the worde of GOD. For first we must appeare as iust and perfect in Gods sight either by the imputatioÌ„ of Christs righteousnesse or by the merite of our owne workes there is no third way can be deuised This is a full distribution of causes as appeareth by the Apostle speaking of the election and calling of the Iewes Rom. 11 6. If it bee of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace but if it bee of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Thus we see hee maketh an opposition betweene the grace of God and the workes of men But no workes can iustifie vs neither of congruitie nor condignity neither of nature nor of grace wrought in vs by the spirit of God but by Gods acceptation of the intercession and merits of his owne Son This the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 3 20. Gal. 3 6. By the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight And in another place I count all things but losse for the excellent knowledge sake of Christ Iesus my Lord that I might bee found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3 7 8 9. Reason 2 Secondly whatsoeuer giueth the creature cause of boasting and robbeth God of his glory may not be admitted and cannot be accepted in the worke of our iustification But all things sauing the righteousnesse of Christ minister to vs matter of boasting depriue God of the honor and glory due to his name This the Apostle teacheth in sundry places Rom. 4 2. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioyce 〈◊〉 2 8.9 but not with God By grace are ye saued thorough faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe So
maketh all other blessings to be curses and iudgements vnto them that are destitute hereof therefore we must all call our selues to an account what account we make of it We should make it our meate and drinke a treasure for the obtaining whereof rather then want it we wold sell all that we haue but alas what thankefulnes hath it wrought in vs We are like vnto the Iewes they had this glorious light brought among them but they loued darkenes more then light because their works were euill If we be weary of this heauenly Manna let vs take heede lest the Lord grow weary of vs if we cast away his word he wil cast away vs and forsake vs for euer The Lord biddeth vs take heed to the sound of the Trumpet Ier. 6 17 let vs not answer presumptuously wee will not take heed let vs beware of securitie remember from whence we are fallen And let him that glorieth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth the Lord and his word to his saluation Ier. 9 24. Vse 2 Secondly it followeth that wheresoeuer God hath established this his ordinance there certainly hee hath a Church and chosen people and some that belong to eternall life for whose sake it is sent among them For as the Spirit of God is the soule of the church quickning it and giuing it life so the word is this soules instrument or the seed wherby it worketh and the onely essentiall marke thereof so that where it is sincerely taught 〈◊〉 â—2 and constantly professed there certainly is a Church Where it is not there is no true Church albeit it haue neuer so goodly and glistering a shew but a very carrion carkas of a church without the life of the Spirit but as an house without light as the world without the Sun as a kingdome without the Law The Prophet Esay calleth it the standard of God saying I will lift vp mine hand to the Gentiles and set vp my standard to the people they shal bring thy sonnes in their armes and thy daughters shall be carried vpon their shoulders Esay 49. verse 22 Where the Lord Iesus is compared to a King and Captaine and therefore all that will haue comfort that they are members of the church must range themselues vnder it as soldiers vnder the banner of their Chieftaine otherwise they remaine as men In darknes in the shadow of death as stragling and runnagate soldiers out of the campe and as dissolute men vnder no law to gouerne them For they are the vilest and basest that liue without it very dogges and swine They of the Church are Gods chiidren and the word is the Childrens food belonging to them onely When the Canaanitish woman would haue beene partaker of Christs Ministery Mat. 15 26. he answered It is not meet to take the childrens bread and to cast it vnto whelpes But other are as vncleane and filthy beasts This which now hath bene spoken serueth to ouerthrow two sorts of people first those of the Church of Rome which make other markes and notes of the Church as antiquity vnity vniuersality succession subiection to the Pope and such like counterfet markes of their counterfet church and leaue this which is the most certaine and inseparable note This proueth vnto vs plainly that these which most of all boast of the name of the Church are indeede neyther the Catholike Church nor any sound part thereof because they want the immortall seede to beget them the milke and meate of the word to feede and norish them yea it is accounted an high point of heresie to haue read the Scriptures and none is permitted to looke into them without a license so heinous a sin it is to haue the word Secondly it censureth condemneth the Donatists Anabaptists Brownists and those of the separation which condemne our Churches to be no Churches our Sacraments to bee no Sacraments our Ministers to be no Ministers and in effect our religion to be no religioÌ„ because we do not with them in matters accidental fully agree albeit we do consent in matters fundamental we lay Christ alone for the foundation on which we build our saluation we lay hold vpon him by faith only we preach Christ crucified truly by their owne confession powerfully They hold themselues to haue receiued faith among vs by our Ministery before they made this rent and breach in the Church and that the end of such fayth if they had dyed in it had beene the saluation of theyr soules See the books of Greenwood Iohnson Let them therefore return and cause others to return ioyne with vs in hearing the word preached seeing where it is rightly established there must of necessity be a true Church And albeit some of them haue written many of theÌ„ haue spoken against our Church yet let them follow the example of that sonne Matth. 21 29. who answered his father stubbornly that he would not work in his vineyard but afterward repented earnestly and went his wayes Vse 3 Thirdly all such as are this way honoured and blessed must be carefull to vse the word as an honour and a blessing by imbracing it by entertaining it by magnifying this blessing of God in truth and not in opinion in heart and not in face in workes and not in words that we may walke worthy the Gospel and of the Lord that hath called vs and shew our selues carefull to bring foorth the fruites thereof saying with the Apostle Rom. 10 10. How beautifull are the feete of them that bring glad tidings of peace and bring glad tidings of good things Hitherto rendeth the exhortation of the Apostle 1. to the Thessalonians ch 2 11 12. Let vs be carefull to keepe this treasure among vs lest the kingdome of God bee taken from vs. Otherwise instead of being the water of life to saue vs it will be a sea to drowne vs instead of being the sauour of life to life it will turne to bee the sauour of death to death instead of being meate to feede vs it will bee our bane to destroy vs instead of good tydings to refresh comfort vs it will proue the saddest and heauiest newes that euer came to our eares and that day the blackest day that euer came ouer our heads Thus our Sauiour threatned Capernaum which hee had honoured with his presence blessed with his preaching aduanced by his dwelling in it and lifted vp with his miracles Mat. 11 26. Thou Capernaum which art lifted vppe vnto heauen shalt be throwne downe to hell c. Look vpon the seuen Churches of Asia we see what is become of them Behold what the contempt of the Gospel hath brought vpon the Iewes the like hath not falne vpon any people since the beginning what mischeefe miserie did not fall vpon them It cannot bee denied but God hath blessed vs as much as euer he lifted vp the head of Capernaum and hath magnified his mercies and loue vnto
but they haue the wil of God reuealed and the Lord speaking vnto them in his word This word they must teach nothing but this word and all that is reuealed for our saluation in this word A witnes that is broght in to giue euidence betweene man and man in any hard matter that riseth in iudgement betweene blood and blood Cicer. Epist famil lib. 5. betweene Plea Plea is sworne to speake the truth and all the truth and nothing but the truth So should it be with all Pastors and Teachers which are as the Lords witnesses they must deale fully and faithfully they must boldly speake that which God in his word hath reuealed publish vnto his people all that which he hath deliuered vnto them This is it which the Lord spake to Ieremy hanging backe when God called him excusing wheÌ„ God separated him refusing when God had chosen him Say not I am a childe for thou shalt goe to all that I shall send thee and whatsoeuer I command thee shalt thou speake Ier. 1 7. 1 Kings 22 14. Likewise when our Sauiour sent out his Apostles into the world he charged them with this as a part of their commission Teach them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you Math. 28 20. And the Apostle speaking of the Supper of the Lord saith I receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you 1 Cor. 11 23. And afterward confirming the faith in the Corinthians in the article of the resurrection hee saith First of all I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued how that Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe according to the Scriptures 1 Cor. 15 3. Thus doth the Apostle clear himselfe being falsely charged by the Iewes I obtained helpe of God and continue vnto this day witnessing vnto small and great saying none other things then those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Acts 26 22. Yea this was the vsuall manner of all the Prophets preaching vnto the people to come vnto them in the Name of God Heare ye the word of the Lord Thus saith the Lord. Reason 1 The Reasons for confirmation heereof follow to be marked of vs. First this appeareth from the sundry titles as names of their Office that are giueÌ„ vnto them in the Scriptures to put them in minde of the duties of their callings They are called Workemen because they should do the Lords businesse 2 Tim. 2 15. and finish the worke whereunto hee hath called and ordayned them They are called Builders because they should build vpon the foundatâ—â—n Psal 118 â— The foundation is precious euen Iesus Christ who is pure and perfect gold and they must build vpon it gold siluer and precious stones not hay not stubble not timber lest they suffer losse when the fiery triall shall come Thus the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 3 12. According to the grace of God giuen to me as a skilfull Master-builder I haue laide the foundation and another buildeth thereon but let euery one take heed how he buildeth vpon it Sometimes they are called Pastors Shepheards Eph. 4 11. Ier. 3 15. because they shold make the Sheepe of Christ to rest in greene pasture and leade them by the still waters Sometimes they are called Messengers because they are Mal 2 7. 2 Cor. 5 20 or should be Gods mouth and messengers vnto the people and in stead of God himselfe to them Should not the Embassadour deliuer the message and al the message of his Lord and Master Dare hee chop and change dare he adde or alter dare he inuent deuise any thing of his owne No he will not depart or decline from his commission but faithfully dischargeth the trust reposed in him The Ministers are the messengers of God and Embassadours of Christ and therefore it is required of them that they be found faithfull in the execution of their office Hence it is that the Prophet saith The Priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the Law at his mouth for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts So the Apostle speaketh Now then wee are Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God All which Titles do tye vp the Minister of God to deliuer onely the message of God and do not leaue him at liberty to teach what he list Secondly to the end the faith of the hearers Reason 2 may be certaine stayed vpon the power of God not vpon the wisedom of men which is but a broken Reede a weake Pillar and a rotten foundation to beare them vp This is the reason that the Apostle Paul vseth 1 Cor. 2 after he had shewed that he spake vnto theÌ„ the wisedome of God in a mystery euen the hid wisedome which God had determined before the world vnto our glory hee giueth this reason That your faith should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God 1 Cor. 2 5 7. God would not haue his people left in vncertainties nor fed with chaffe nor carried about with euery winde and weather of doctrine but builded vpon a sure Rocke stand vpon a certaine foundation But there is no sound feeding for the soule but by the word which is the power of God to saluation all other foode is as dust and drauery All the fine deuices of the wit deliuered in the perswasible words of mans wisedome that tickle the outward eares and delight carnall men sauoring wholly of the flesh and not of the Spirit are no better then huskes fitter to feed swine then to nourish the sonnes and daughters of God â—o eternall life The word of God is a sharpe two edged sword 〈◊〉 1 16. 〈◊〉 4 1â— the word of man is as a leaden knife or a wooden dagger which may well threaten but cannot strike or if it strike it cannot enter The word of God is a consuming fire Ier. 5 14 and 23 29 like to God the author of it able to enflame mens hearts with a loue of God when it is beleeued the word of maÌ„ is as a painted fire which carrieth a shew but hath no substance or strength eyther to waste the stubble or to refine and purifie siluer or gold The word of God is the Lords Fan to winnow the people Math. 3 12 separating the bastardly brood of Abraham from the true sonnes venting the hypocrites from the beleeuers and scattering with the powerfull blast thereof the reprobates from the elect all other wayes means that are vsed are too weake feeble to work this separation of the chaffe from the wheat And therefore all such as are the Lords Fanners that would publish their doctrine not to please the eare but to open the doore of the conscience must vse no other instrument then this word of God which hath this force and effect Reason 3 Thirdly God will destroy those that doe
descendeth not from aboue Iames 3 15 but is earthly sensuall and diuellish Hereupon the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1 20. Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse If then God hath made it foolishnesse let vs not account it our happinesse nor those happy men that haue nothing to commend them to God and men but that If God will destroy it let not vs thinke it can saue those that trust in it Secondly we should not content our selues to be worldly wise This the Gentiles sought after and obtained Let not vs care so much for this learning as to be heauenly wise to know Christ that we may haue him liuing dwelling in vs. This the Apostle teacheth Ro. 16 19. where he sayth Your obedience is come abroad among all I am glad therefore of you but yet I would haue you wise vnto that which is good and simple concerning euill Heere he requireth wisedome but simple simplicity but wisedome Then he sheweth wherein these must appeare and how we must bee both the one and the other We must not be wise to do euill nor simple vnto that which is good But our wisedome must consist in following that which is good our simplicity in eschewing euill There is a wisedome of God there is a wisedome of men there is a wisedome of the diuell The first is heauenly the second humane the third diuellish The end of the first is the saluation of the godly the end of the second is the commendation of the world the end of the third is the condemnation of hell The first is a spirituall gift of God the second a naturall gift of man the third a wretched worke of the diuell The heauenly wisedome which is from aboue is holy the diuellish wisedome which is from hell below is vnholy the humane wisedome which is from the earth is in it selfe and of it selfe indifferent and partaketh of a meane nature neyther holy nor vnholy The heauenly wisedome teacheth to know God and is the beginning of godlynes the earthly wisedome standeth in humane knowledge of naturall things and in vnderstanding the things of this life the diuellish wisedome consisteth in Machauilian policies and in desperate deuices Guic. hist â— to accomplish by right or wrong by force or flattery by life or death that which the corrupt heart intendeth and hath contryued This last kind wee must alwayes auoyde which was first taught by the diuell and practised by his disciples The first day wee begin to practise it we begin to be the diuels schollers The further we go forward in it the more we profite in the diuels schoole This was the profound wisedome of Ahab and Iezabel 1 Kings 12 when as they plotted to get the possession of Naboths vineyard This is to be found in many fine wits in the world that set theÌ„ a worke on wickednes and abuse it to the dishonour of God to the hurt of theyr brethren and to the destruction of theyr owne soules The humane wisedome standeth in humane things in ordering matters belonging to the Commonwealth and priuate families whereunto belongeth the knowledge of Arts and Sciences This differeth much from the former that being alwayes vnlawfull the end beeing to accomplish some mischeefe by fraud and deceite where the end of this is to delight to profit And yet this wisedome cannot bee acceptable to God 1 Cor. 3 19 but is foolishnes with him vnlesse it be seasoned and sanctified with the heauenly wisedome which is ioyned with the feare of God The heauenly wisedome may stand with the earthly and the earthly of it selfe may bee ioyned with that which is diuellish But when the Spirit of God commeth putteth true heauenly wisedome into the heart it rectifieth the humane wisedome and giueth it a pleasant taste that pleaseth God it separateth and abolisheth all diuellish wisedome and suffereth it not to lurk and lodge with in vs any longer Let vs all therefore seek to be wise in God in his word and in godlines and then the naturall giftes that God hath giuen vs shall bee sanctifyed vnto vs. CHAP. XXIIII 1 WHen Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to blesse Israel then hee went not as at certaine times before to fetch Diuinations but set his face toward the wildernesse 2 And Balaam lift vp his eyes and looked vpon Israel which dwelt according to their Tribes and the Spirit of God came vpon him 3 And he vttered his Parable and saide Balaam the sonne of Beor hath said and the man whose eyes were opened hath said 4 He hath said which heard the words of GOD and saw the vision of the Almighty 1 Sam. 19 24. falling in a trance and hauing his eyes vncouered 5 How goodly are thy Tents O Iacob and thy Tabernacle O Israel 6 As the valleyes are they stretched foorth as Gardens by the riuer side as the Aloe trees which the Lord hath planted as the Cedars beside the waters Cant. 4 4. 7 The water droppeth out of the Bucket and his seede shall be in many waters and his King shall be higher then Agag and his kingdome shall bee exalted 8 God brought him out of Egypt his strength shall be as an Vnicorne he shall eate the nations his enemies and bruise their bones and shoote them through with his arrowes 9 He coucheth and lyeth downe as a yong Lyon and as Lyon Who shall stirre him vp Blessed is be that blesseth thee and cursed is he that curseth thee IN the former Chapter wee haue heard and handled the two first prophesies of Balaam wherein we see how he hath blessed and not cursed the people of God 〈◊〉 proâ—â— of Baâ—â—â— Here Moses proceedeth to finish the rest of the history wherein we are to consider two things First the residue of his prophesies remaining secondly the euent of theÌ„ all The prophesies are of two sorts first speciall prophesies concerning speciall and seuerall people to the 23. verse Namely the Israelites the Moabites and Edomites the Amalekites and the Kenites secondly generall prophesies belonging to all the nations bordering together and inhabiting Assyria Iudea Palestina and all Syria which shall taste of the same misery of warre and be consumed with the violence of the same fire The first point is touching the Israelites in which propheticall history we must consider as we did before three things first the preparation that is made vnto it secondly the prophesie it selfe thirdly the effects and consequences thereof ensuing Touching the preface and preparation vnto the prophesie it selfe it serueth to confirme the authority and truth of this prophesie For albeit it were deliuered by the mouth of a wicked man who was conuinced by the light of his owne conscience and by the testimony of Gods Spirit that hee should not curse his people yet he worketh and wrastleth against the will of God as if hee could couzen deceyue
the sonnes of God for this cause the world knoweth you not because it knoweth not him God is become our Father the Sonne is our Redeemer the Holy-ghost is become our sanctifier the Angels are become our attendants the Scriptures are become our euidences the Sacraments are our seales the creatures are become our seruants our afflictions are our instructions This the Apostle teacheth the Church 1. Cor. 3 21 22 23. They are blessed that haue their sinnes pardoned and not imputed vnto them as the Prophet teacheth but God saith to euery beleeuer Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee They are blessed that heare his word and keepe it but the sheepe of Christ heare his voyce and follow him They are blessed that delight in the Law of the Lord and in his Law meditate day and might but the godly make it their counsellour to be aduised by it This vse that now we stand vpon is directly vrged by the Prophet Psal 84. where hauing made his complaint that hee could not haue accesse to the Church of God to make profession of his faith and to profite in Religion hee breaketh out into this passionate exclamation being touched with an inward feeling of the want of those holy assemblies Psal 84 4 5. O Lord of hoasts how amiable are thy tabernacles thereupon concludeth the point which wee haue stood vpon Blessed are they that dwell in thine house they will euer praise thee blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose heart are thy wayes Howsoeuer the vngodly that sauour nothing but of the earth want spirituall eyes to behold the beauty of the Church and account it no part of their happinesse to liue within the compasse and bosome of it yet the children of God haue taken nothing so neere to heart as when they haue bene driuen from the place of his worship The Prophet is grieued that the sparrowes and swallowes had better accesse and freer recourse to the houses of men to build their nests to lay their young and to rest and repose themselues then he had to the Lords Tabernacle and therefore preferreth their condition before his owne We see how the Iewes wept and pittifully lamented by the riuers of Babylon and hung vp their instruments on the willowes saying Psal 137 1 2 3 How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my right hand forget to play If I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth yea if I preferre not Ierusalem to my chiefe ioy No doubt they might haue prayed to the Lord in Babylon and in banishment as well as in Iudea and at Ierusalem the Lord heareth in all places and willeth that men pray euery where lifting vp pure hands without wrath or doubting 1. Tim. 2.8 but they mourned because they could not visit the Temple of God in Ierusalem there to make publicke confession of their sinnes and of their faith toward God They therefore plainely testify that they haue no feeling either of the weakenesse of their faith or of the greatnesse of their offences that glory in their owne shame and say they beare as good a soule to God as they which resort so often to the Church and delight to heare the preaching of the word and that they can serue God as well at home as in the Church These are led by another spirit then Dauid was who if he were a man after Gods owne heart Psal 42 1 2 3. hauing such an earnest desire after the seruice and worship of God and saying As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God my soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God surely these must needs be guided by the spirit of the diuell who so openly scorne all Religion and are at defiance with God robbing God of his honour committing sacriledge in keeping their tongues from the publick praises of God entring themselues off from the mysticall body of Christ condemning and contemning the congregation of the faithfull giuing offence to others by euill example and despiâ—â—ng the ordinance of God who hath appointed commanded the assembly of his people to meet together to acknowledge their sinnes to confesse their faith to pray for things necessary to praise him for his blessings receiued to heare the word expounded and to receiue the Sacraments deliuered so that such as flye from these doe fly from God himselfe they fly from their owne saluation they seeke a worship by themselues and they imagine an heauen by themselues But let them take heed their worship proue not a false worship and their heauen a false heauen and a true hell Secondly we must all labour to bee members Vse 2 of the Church rather then of any other place in the world We see how carefull men are not onely to be in great societies towns but to be of them to haue the freedome of priuiledged places and incorporations Act. 22 28. Yea to obtaine it purchase it with a great summe of money because it hringeth worldly commodity How much more should wee endeauour to be members of the Church whereby we are made free men and haue interest in the blessings of God yea wee become free denizens of the Kingdome of heauen How doe men esteeme their freedome to be of earthly cities If wee be part of the Church wee haue accesse to the truth Now if wee shall know the truth the truth shall make vs free Iohn 8 32 36. If we be belonging to the Church we haue our interest in Christ now if that Sonne shall make vs free then we shall be free indeed This made the Apostle say Phil. 3 20. Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour If we become limbes of the Church of God wee haue the spirit that beares witnesse to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God now the Lord giueth his Spirit 2. Cor. 3 17 and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Such as are free of cities and incorporations haue diuerse priuiledges that others want obtaine many benefites that others want obtaine many dignities that others desire and haue their names enrolled among the free-men but how much greater is the preheminence of all those that are brought into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God being made parts of the Church which is the freest citty vnder the heauens This city of our God hath the priuiledges of the communion of Saints of the forgiuenesse of sinnes of the resurrection of the body to eternall life and all such as belong vnto it haue their names registred and enrolled in the booke of life What shall it profite thee to obtaine an earthly freedome in earthly cities and to be the seruant of sinne the bondslaue of the diuel and to want the freedome of the sonnes and daughters of almighty
of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe holds To conclude this vse seeing God hath thus aduanced vs let not vs disgrace our selues but maintaine our dignity and adorne our profession that wee may finde comfort by it in our chastisements and afflictions A Starre shall come out of Iacob We haue seene in the former Doctrine the glory of the Church that the people of God are set apart by Christ to be spirituall Kings vnto GOD the Father a dignity giuen to them by him Now before we passe from this place let vs consider of the title that is giuen vnto Christ where we see hee is compared to a Starre and called a Starre that shall come out of Iacob This Starre wee haue shewed typically to signifye Christ who is called the Light of the world the Sunne of righteousnesse the morning star the day-spring from on high He is called by this name 〈◊〉 â—easons 〈◊〉 Christ is 〈◊〉 a Star and described by this title First because hee is the fountaine of all saluation and comfort Secondly to teach that all men by nature walke in darknesse and in the shadow of death Thirdly because he will giue those that are his the light of knowledge in this life and the light of perfect glory in the life to come by which they shal be as starres of heauen and shine in the firmament afterward Heereby we learne that Christ Iesus is as the morning starre vnto vs â—â—â—rine â—â—st Iesus â—â—e Dayâ—â—â—ing in 〈◊〉 hearts bestowing vpon his people two excellent priuiledges blessings First hee riseth vp as a bright starre in our hearts casting from the the thicke clouds of blindenesse and taking away the darke mistes of ignorance enlightning them with the true sauing knowledge of God sufficient for saluation begun heere in this life but shall be perfected in the life to come Secondly he will bestow vpon vs the light of perfect glory in the kingdome of his Father by the which we shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament and as the starres for euer euer These are two vnspeakable mercies vnprizable vnmatchable to be deliuered out of the kingdome of ignorance and to bee brought into the kingdome of light to be glorified in heauen and to be made partakers of eternall life So then we see by this comparison that by Christ we haue the light of vnderstanding shall haue the glory of immortality to know God euen as we are knowne Touching the first clause that he will manifest all the mysteries of God vnto his Church the Prophet Ioel foretelleth chap. 2 28 That he will poure out of his Spirit vpon all flesh their sonnes daughters shall prophesie their olde men shall dreame dreames and their young men shall see visions they shall be all taught of God and they shall know him from the least to the greatest So our Sauiour sayeth to his Disciples Math. 13 12. To you it is giuen to know the secrets of the kingdome of heauen Now saith the Apostle we see as in a glasse darkely but then wee shall see face to face now I know in part but then shall I know as I am known 1 Cor. 13 12. Touching the second clause that the faithfull shall receiue the light of perfect glory after this life the Prophet Daniel witnesseth That they which bee wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for euer and euer â—an 12 3. The performance heereof is remembred where thousand thousands out of euery nation kindred and tongue praise the Lambe for that hee hath made them Kings and Priests to reigne ouer the earth Reason 1 The truth of all this will yet better appeare vnto vs if we marke the Reasons First Christ hath receiued a fulnesse of the Spirit and graces without measure that they might flow vnto all his members who receiue from him grace for grace sufficient for their places in the Church heere and for their saluation afterward For in him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge as a Fountaine that is without bottome which can neuer bee drawne dry Col. 2 3. Therefore the Euangelist saith That of his fulnesse wee all receiue and grace for grace Iohn 1 16. So then Christ is full of heauenly graces and spirituall gifts that we might bee annointed by him and receiue our portion froÌ„ him For he obtained them not to keepe them to himselfe or to couer them vnder a bushell but to bestow them vpon his Church So long as he is full we need not feare to be empty Iohn 1.14 so long as he is stored we cannot be destitute If once we depart from him it is in vaine to look for one drop elsewhere Secondly he hath obtained by prayer of Reason 2 his Father who can deny him nothing that from him we should receiue the light of glory because as he is ioyned to the Father and one with him so we shall be ioyned to him receiue of his glory Heere we know in part and prophesie in part and all good things are vnperfect but when that which is perfect is come that which is in part and vnperfect shall bee done away 1 Cor. 13 10 for as he being Mediator between God and man hath receiued of the Father so shall we receiue of the Father being in him This he speaketh to his Father Ioh. 17.22 23. The glory which thou gauest me I haue giuen theÌ„ that they may be one as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loued them as thou hast loued mee Christ is the band or knot of the vnion betweene God and vs for in him the Mediator heauen and earth is as it were ioyned together which otherwise could not be So then when he shall appeare wee shall appeare with him cloathed with righteousnesse and cloathed with his glory which he also receiued to make vs partakers of Thirdly such as keepe his words they loue Reason 3 Christ and they that loue Christ are beloued of him and of his Father so that he will shew himselfe vnto them and withhold no good thing from them This Christ our Sauiour setteth downe Iohn 14 21. The vses of this title giuen to Christ being Vse 1 called the starre of Iacob are diuers First this teacheth vs that they haue no property nor interest in this Starre eyther touching the light of sauing knowledge or the brightnesse of heauenly glory that liue in blindnesse and ignorance that follow the works of darknesse delight in sinfull pleasures and leade a loose and lewd life If we haue no light of Christ shining in our hearts scattering the blacknesse of darknesse from our soules and yet looke to receiue any comfort or refreshing from him when this Sunne of righteousnesse shall appeare in glory wee are vtterly
vncleannesse and filthinesse and pursued them into their filthy stewes and brothel-houses where he thrust them both thorough reuenging the dishonour done to God the scandall laide vpon his people A worthy example for all Magistrates to follow to be sharpe seuere in punishing sinne and taking away euill out of the citty of God Thus the plague was stayed and the anger of God turned away after that iustice was executed and so many thousands at one time and for one sinne swept away But heere two questions arise which are to be discussed before we proceede any further the first touching the fact of Phinehas the second touching the number of the dead heere remembred Touching the fact of Phinehas Obiection it may be thus obiected How can it be lawfull in him being a priuate person to exceede rhe bounds and lists of his calling Hee was of the tribe of Leui and of the family of the Priests to whom it belonged not to draw the sword For as the other tribes were not appointed to the seruice of the Altar so the tribe of Leui was not called to the execution of iustice Besides there are generall rules directing all priuate men and generall Lawes restraining them from shedding of blood as he that sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed hee that smiteth with the sword shal be smitten with the sword loue your enemies and doe good to them that hate you The seruant of God must not striue but must be gentle toward all men suffering the euill and instructing them with meekenesse that be contrary minde 2. Tim. 2 25. How then can we iustify this act of Phinehas departing from these holy rules of Gods Religion I answere Answer there is a double kinde of calling an ordinary calling and an extraordiry calling the one necessarily distinguished from the other For God doth oftentimes giue vnto his seruants a new and special vocation and addeth it vnto their former function Hence it is also that some workes are ordinary and some are extraordinary Ordinary workes must be guided and directed by ordinary rules such as those are which wee haue set downe before Extraordinary workes proceede from a special motion of Gods Spirit warranting them and making them albeit going against the common rules lawful cōmendable and necessary Such was the fact of Moses smiting the Egyptian Exod. 2 12 the fact of Samuel hewing Agag in pieces 1. Sam. 15 35 the fact of Eliah slaying the Priests of Baal 1. King 18 4 the fact of the Israelites spoyling the Egyptians and such like Exod. 12 35 who had an inward motion like to the commandement giuen to Abraham to kill his sonne These actions albeit warranted to the doers Luth in Gen. cap. 29. are not to be drawne into example and imitation vnlesse we haue the inspiration of the same Spirit and therefore Christ our Sauiour answereth his Disciples that would haue called fire from heauen to consume the Samaritanes Yee know not of what spirit ye are for the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens liues but to saue them Luk. 9 55. Now that this fact of Phinehas is of the same nature it appeareth both because the plague ceased by it and Gods wrath kindled against his people was appeased so that the action is both commended rewarded This the Spirit of God teacheth in the Psalme Phinehas stood vp and executed iudgement and the plague was staied and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse from generation to generation for euer Psalm 106 30 which is not so to be vnderstood as if he were iustified before God by this one acte because whosoeuer will bee iust by the Law is bound to keepe the whole law according to the tenour of the law Do this thou shalt liue Gal. 4 12 20. One good worke doth not serue or suffice to make a man perfectly iust and righteous in the sight of God seeing hee that continueth not in all things written in the booke of the law is accursed So then we must know that the Psalmist meaneth that this fact was lawfull and allowed For hauing set down the vengeance that Phinehas tooke vpon this adulterer and the adultresse hee preuenteth the Obiection which might be made Was not this horrible and damnable murther in him who being a priuate man had not the sword of iustice committed vnto him and being one of the Priests of the Lord was to meddle onely in matters belonging vnto God and not in ciuill things who was to draw out the censures of the church not a materiall sword to strike offenders No saith the Prophet it was not murther it was a righteous and commendable acte he beeing stirred vp by Gods Spirit inasmuch as it proceeded from faith and aymed at the glory of the great Name of God Wherefore this place is falsely alledged and peruersly wrested by the Church of Rome to ouerthrow iustification by faith alone and to establish iustification by good works For there is a double iustification one of the worke the other of the person The Prophet speaketh in that place of the iustification of the worke which albeit in the sight of men it might seeme sauage inhumane yet God did accept of it account it as a good and iust work which pleased him being done in faith which purifieth the heart Acts 15 9. He speaketh not of the iustification of his person which was by apprehending the mercy of God in Christ by beleeuing not by doing Thus the Apostle in the fourth chapter to the Romanes verses 4 5. maketh a double kinde of imputation saying To him that worketh the wages is not counted by fauor but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse Thus much of the first question touching the acte of Phinehas whether it were lawfull or vnlawfull whether it were priuate reuenge or publike iustice The second Question is touching the number that dyed in this plague Obiect wherein appeareth some difference and disagreement in outward shew betweene the old Testament and the new For Moses in this place verse 9 sayeth There died foure and twenty thousand But the Apostle Paul alledging this iudgement of God mentioneth onely Three and twenty thousand 1 Cor. 10 8 subtracting one thousand from the former number which Moses added I answer some reconcile these places thus that the Scribes or Penmen fayled in copying out the books of Pauls Epistles which shold haue written foure twenty thousand where they wrote three twenty thousand But this is shifting rather then reconciling cutting the knot with a sword rather then loosing it asunder with the hand inasmuch as all the copies generally with full consent as it were with one voice agree in the former reading Others suppose and surmise that it might bee a slip of memory in the Apostle according to humane infirmity But this answer is worse then the former and these are
who afterward was reckoned amongst the sonnes of Midian that were slaine by Moses Numbers 31 8. These names of the two persons are singled out amongest the rest vnto their perpetuall infamy and reproach For as the names of the righteous are registred and remembred to their euerlasting praise so the name of the vngodly shal rot Prou. 10 ver 7. Their families are fingled out that part of the disgrace and dishonour should blemish them to humble them and to instruct them to nourish sinne in none of their kindred Their high place is singled out to teach that GOD the Iudge of all the world iudgeth without respect of persons and that all men of what credite and countenance soeuer should feare before him Verse 7. And when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest saw it hee rose vp c. This holy man of God slew the adulterer and the adulteresse with a speare If he had beene a meere priuate man this shedding of blood had beene vnlawfull in him howsoeuer they deserued it But the Spirit of God was his direction and hee had a secret calling to be to him as a sure safe warrant So then albeit priuate persons may put no maÌ„ to death as appeareth in the Commandement Exod. 20 13 yet such as are warranted from God are his Officers and Magistrates Doctrine Actions in â—hemselues vnlawful are by a calling made lawfull We learne from hence that actions which of themselues and in their own nature are vnlawfull vnseemely and against humanity by a calling from God become lawfull warrantable and necessary This speciall calling giuen vnto speciall men is sometimes outward and sometimes inward The inward calling is when God by the motion of his Spirit moueth the heart to doe some speciall worke against the ordinary rules that he left to the rest of the sonnes of men Heereof we haue plentifull examples in the booke of Iudges in those whom God extraordinarily raised vp to saue his people and to destroy their enemies WheÌ„ Eglon King of Moab oppressed Israel kept them in great slauery and subiection as a tyrant and vsurper the Lord stirred vp Ehud Iudg. 3 15 16. who made him a Dagger with two edges conueyed it closely vnder his garment and when opportunity serued he thrust it into his belly and flew him This action had beene sinfull without this calling for though Eglon were an oppressour yet the killing of him had not beene warrantable The like we see afterward in the same booke set before vs in the example of Sampson for there we see he tooke to wife an vncircumcised Philistim Iudg. 14 and 15 and 16 he tyed firebrands to the Foxes tayles to burne their Corne he carried away the gates of Azzah he slew many with the iaw-bone of an Asse pulled down the house of Dagon whereby hee killed the Princes people and himselfe He was inwardly called and commanded to doe these works of God For when he spake to his father to giue him one of the daughters of the Philistims to wife that pleased him well his father and his mother faide vnto him Is there neuer a wife among the daughters of thy brethren and among all thy people that thou must goe take a wife of the vncircumcised Philistims For they knew not that it came of the Lord that hee should seeke an occasion against the Philistims Iudg. chapter 14 verse 4. The same we noted before in Moses slaying the Egyptian which fact howsoeuer some condemne as vnlawfull both because he was not appointed a Iudge ouer that people but was a priuate man and because he seemed to passe the bounds of iustice supposing he were a Magistrate punishing the smiting of a blow Exod. 2 12 with the taking away of life seeing God commanded a tooth for a tooth Exod. 21 24 wound for wound and blow for blow yet it appeareth by the words of Stephen that GOD had giuen him commission and endued him with authority to deliuer the Israelites and to auenge their iniuries when he saith He supposed his brethren would haue vnderstood that God by his hand shold giue them deliuerance but they vnderstood it not Acts chap. 7 25. Againe when Moses had receiued the Law in the Mount written with the finger of God and beeing come downe had seene the molten Calfe Hee tooke the two Tables and cast them out of his two hands and brake them before their eyes Deut. chap. 9 verse 17. He did not this through any vnaduised zeale or hastinesse or fleshly affection but God gouerned him by his holy Spirit stirred him vp by this exraordinary meanes to declare to the people that his Couenant was broken and disanulled that was made betweene them Likewise some haue had an outward calling commanding and warranting the doing of extraordinary things So Abraham was commanded by liuely voice to take his sonne his onely sonne him whom he loued euen Isaac the sonne of promise and to offer him vp for a burnt offering vpon one of the mountaynes which God would shew him Gen. 22 2. This also appeareth in one of the children of the Prophets who willed his neighbour to smite him by the commandement of the Lord and in smiting to wound him that hee might disguise himselfe when hee spake vnto the King 1. Kings 20 35. The reasons making these extraordinary Reason 1 workes lawfull are apparent First true obedience standeth not in mans will but in the commandement of GOD. Whatsoeuer hee commandeth howsoeuer our carnall reason iudgeth of it and whatsoeuer iniquity it may seeme vnto vs to contayne or prescribe wee must account it lawfull That which hee forbiddeth what shew soeuer it carrieth of piety and holinesse is vnlawfull This appeareth in the answere of Christ vnto Iohn Baptist putting him backe and refusing to baptize him Let be now for thus it becommeth vs to fulfill all righteousnesse Math. 3 15. And to this purpose the Prophet speaking of this act of Phinehas here remembred sayth It was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Psal 106 31. If then in those actions the children of God obeyed him and followed not theyr owne corrupt wils they must needs be held and pronounced to be lawfull Reason 2 Secondly none can withstand his commandements That is righteous which he accounteth righteous And if he will haue it done who shall contradict it Who is so strong as to resist his will This doth the Apostle Peter declare when he had beene with Cornelius he maketh this defence for himselfe Forasmuch as God gaue them a like gift as hee did vnto vs when wee beleeued in the Lord Iesus Christ who was I that I could let God Acts 11 7. Thus we see the Doctrine confirmed now Vse 1 let vs see likewise how it may bee applyed First marke heere the difference betweene God and our selues His word is our light and direction Wee haue no other way or warrant to approue our actions but from God and his word but
charged the Leaper not to publish and spread abroad the miraculous worke of his cleâ—nsing but this was to correct the peruerse iudgement of the people who regarded more to see his miracles then to heare his doctrine and that hee might haue the greater liberty to teach from the persecutions of the Pharisies Mar. 1 45. Vse 1 Now let vs proceed to the vses of this Doctrine First it teacheth that we must not slander and discredite any of his workes but say with the sorcerers This is the finger of GOD Exod. 8 19. When the Pharisies heard that Christ cast out the diuels by the power of his deity they backe-bited and blasphemed the workes of God maliciously saying This man casteth out diuels no otherwise but thorough Belzebub the Prince of diuels Matth. 12 24. 28 12 13. So the watchmen set to keepe the sepulcher of Christ sure shewed vnto the high Priests all the things that were done who tooke wicked counsell and gaue large mony vnto the soldiers to spred abroad that his disciples came by night stole him away while they slept Likewise when the holye Ghost fell vpon the Apostles that they beganne to speake with other tongues as the Spirit gaue them vtterance they mocked and slandered the worke of God saying These are full of new wine Acts 2 13. so that Peter iustified as well the Apostles of Christ as the miracle of God In like maner are we to do in like cases when an euill name is brought vpon the workes of Gods election or reprobation vpon the workes of his prouidence and protection of his people we must stand forth to giue glory to God and to stop the mouth of iniquity when it is opened against heauen For if a man bee commanded to open his mouth in the cause of the dumbe much more in the cause of God It is one kinde of taking the name of God in vain to hold our peace when any reason dispute against Gods workes If wee deny him any way before men Christ Iesus will deny vs before his Father Prou. 31 8. We must therefore open our mouths in defence of God and his workes put the obstinate gainsaiers to silence wipe away the slanderous reports raised of them lest others receiue hurt thereby and to the end God may haue the glory and praise of his owne worke And albeit we doe not alwayes conceiue the right cause and reason of them let vs not deride but admire them with the Apostle Rom. 11 33. O the deepnesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! How vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out If a man should take vpon him to iudge those that are out of his libertie and ouer whom he hath no authority and to pronounce sentence vpon their doings would a worldly man thinke wel of this presumption But it is lesse wisedome and greater pâ—eâ—umption to take vpon vs to rule God and to giue him his lesson and to enter into iudgement of his workes Therefore Elihu wisely teacheth in the booke of Iob this point Who hath appointed vnto him his way Or who can say Thou hast done wickedly Remember that thou magnifie his workes which men behold Iob 36 23 24. Secondly it is required of vs to be diligent Vse 2 markers and obseruers of the works of Gods prouidence For how shall he report them remember them to others that is not carefull to muse vpon them and to marke them himselfe Or how shall he open his mouth to declare them that shutteth his eyes lest he shold see them and stoppeth his cares lest he should heare of them It standeth vs therefore greatly vpon wisely to obsâ—rue the works of God and suffer nothing to passe from vs nothing by vs without making profite of it to our selues bringing it to the vse of others This wisedome Eliphaz one of the three friends of Iob teacheth hauing shewed that the vngodly shall not escape vnpunished but that God will finde them out in their hypocrisie he addeth Iob 5 27. Loe thus haue we inquired of it and so it is heare this and know it for thy selfe This we are all to marke by continual experience how God dealeth with the godly sometimes chastening them sometimes blessing them neuer forsaking them albeit sometimes leauing them for a season yet in the end returning in mercy vnto them Likewise how hee dealeth towardes the wicked thereby to auoid their steps consider that though they flourish for a time it is but the pleasure of sin for a season that they inioy and alwayes Gods iudgement in this life arresteth some and maketh them fearefull examples vnto others Thus did the Prophet ponder in his heart the wayes and works of God and profited thereby to his great comfort as we see Psal 37 35.36 I haue seene the wicked strong and spredding himselfe like a greene Bay-tree yet he passed away and loe he was gone and I sought him but he could not be found Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace but the transgressors shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off And if wee will giue our hearts to this meditation on the works of Gods prouideÌ„ce ruling the world and disposing all things we shal see how he alwayes meeteth with the vngodly though they digge deepe to hide their counsels and diue downe vnto the depth and bottome of their deuices yet the hand of the Lord doth finde them out and bringeth to iudgement euery secret worke So if we shall weigh with wisedome his workes toward his owne seruants as he doth loue them with an euerlasting loue so is he alwayes gracious vnto them and maketh all things fall out to further their saluation This the Wiseman teacheth by his experience Eccles. 8 11 12 13. Vse 3 Lastly let all Fathers of families teach the workes of Gods mercy and the workes of his iudgements according as they see them to be offered vnto them For to whom should we rather publish them then to our posterity the children that come out of our loins when a Father beholdeth the Lord punishing the vngodly and taking vengeance on the contemners of his word the blasphemeâ—s of his name the prophaners of his Sabbathes the vncleannesse of adulterers the beastlinesse of drunkards the oppression of vsurers the periury of false witnesses and the cruelty of mercilesse dealers should he suffer such publicke examples to dye and these workes of God to sleepe in the dust Nay seeing God doth single out some and maketh them examples admonitions vnto others we ought to whet them vpon our children and seruants teach them thereby to serue the Lord and to hate those heynous and horrible sins that prouoke such great and greeuous iudgements Abraham is commended by the Spirite of God for this care and conscience of his dutie when he should behold the wofull destructi of Sodom
and Gomorrha Genes 18.19 I know him that he will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to do righteousnesse and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that hee hath spoken vnto him This the Prophet vrgeth Psal 78 1 2 3 4 5 6. So the Prophet Ioel or rather the Lord by the Prophet threatning a greeuous plague of dearth and famine that the field should bee wasted the corne destroyed the new wine dried vp the oyle decayed and the husbandmen howle because the haruest of the field should perish saith Ioel 1 2 â— Heare â—e this O Elders and hearken yee all inhabitants of the land whether such a thing hath bene in your dayes or yet in the dayers of your Fathers Tel you your children of it and let your children shew it to their children and their children to another generation Thus we see how God requireth of vs a diligent consideration of his iudgements seeing he smiteth one to admonish another wee must not account these strokes onely as punishments vpon the offenders but as examples offered for the amendment and repentance of others as our Sauiour taught his disciples of those that were murthered by Pilate and of those were slaine by the fall of a tower Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13 1 2 3 4. Verse 28. For a fire is gone out of Heshbon and a flame from the City of Sihon and hath consumed Har of the Moabites c. When warre is once begun and set on foote it is not so easily laid downe neither is the thirst of ambition in a proud man so easily quenched Therefore this song declaâ—eth that when Sihon had assaulted and taken Heshbon hee rested not there but proceeded farther and led his armie against the villages adioyning dealing with them as hee had done with the inhabitants of Heshbon Thus we see the people bordering vpon the Heshbonites are touched with their ruine and companions with them in their adueâ—sity as when a mighty tree falleth it throweth down with it the lesser lower shrubs Now Moses in this borrowed speech setteth forth the misery brought vpon the Moabites which like a violent and vehement fire consumeth wheresoeuer it lighteth Marke therefore in this place the comparison similitude which the Spirit of God vseth to expresse the rage of warre wasting farre and neere as a mighty flame of fire Doctrine The misery mischâ—â—â—e 〈◊〉 waâ—â—exeâ—ding great We learne from hence this Doctrine That great is the miserie and mischiefe of warre whereby blood is shedde Nations are spoyled Countryes are ruinated Cities are dispâ—â—pled Murther is committed and the image of God defaced And albeit the life be spared yet liberty is restrained and oftentimes death is better then bâ—ndage and the sword not so bitter as captiuity euen to become slaues to them who are slaues to Satan This we see expressed in the war of Chedarlaomer Genes 14 5 6 7. who comming to chasten the rebellion of Sodom and other Cities in the plaine he seized vpon the people bordering so that they tasted the bitternes of the sword being neighbours to the Nations offending against him This Moses expresseth Deut. 28 50 51 describing the fiercenesse of the enemies and the plague of warres saying They shall not regard the person of the old nor haue compassion of the young they shall eate the fruite of thy Cattle they shall consume the profit of thy land they shall besiege thee within thy walles they shall driue thee to eate thy children the fruite of thy body during the siege and streightnesse where-with they shall compasse thee in thy Cities Heereunto that Prouerbe guideth vs vsed by the King of Israel against such as boasted before the victory Let not him that girdeth his harnesse boast himselfe King 20 11 as he that putteth it off Hence it is that we reade how thousands and ten thousands are consumed in battell which deuoureth one as well as another to teach vs the casualty and calamity of warre Reason 1 The Reasons are not to be forgotten that we may the better settle this Doctrine in our hearts First it is threatned as an heauy plague and fearefull iudgement to be brought vpon that people that set their faces against God and walke stubbornely in the breach of his commandements It is one of the arrowes of God 〈◊〉 5 16 17. which he hath in his quiuer reserueth to shoote against all the contemners of his Statutes he will send vpon them famine to punish them euill beasts to spoile them the pestilence to consume them blood to passe through them This is that which the Lord threatneth Leuit. 26 25 31. I will send a sword vpon you that shall auenge the quarrell of my Couenant and when you are gathered in your Citties I will send the pestilence among you and yee shall bee deliuered into the hand of the enemy I will make your Citties desolate If then God proclaime open warre against such as beare themselues stoutly and stubbornly against him if he be at vtter defiance with them that despite and despise him if he denounce against those the day of battell as a day of wrath a day of trouble and heauinesse a day of destruction and desolation a day of obscurity and darknes a day of clouds and blacknes a day of the Trumpet and alarme against the strong Citties against the high Towers and against mighty warriers that their bloud shall be poured out as dust their flesh made as the dung it must necessarily follow that the time of warre is the time of woe yea of weeping and wailing and great lamentation of young and old rich poore women and children babes and sucklings Reason 2 Secondly great is the benefit of peace and many are the blessings that come with it and ensue after it If then peace be a great benefit then must warre needs bee acknowledged to be a great want and a fearefull iudgement The peace of a State is as the health of a body of strong constitution therefore warre is a dangerous disease in any body politicke wheÌ„ it cannot bee purged and washed without blood We see how Moses among the blessings that shall come vpon Israel and ouertake theÌ„ reckoneth vp peace in their borders Leuit. 26 6. I will send peace in the Land and ye shall sleepe none shall make you afraid and the sword shall not goe through your Land If there be but a iarie in a priuate house or a strong faction in any society it threatneth the ruine thereof Math 12 25. If an house or Citty be diuided against it selfe it cannot stand If a kingdom be diuided against it selfe it is brought to nought But when God giueth peace and rest to his Church many blessings come with it and great contentment on all sides and in all estates especially the free liberty of the Gospel with the preaching and professing of it