with earthquakes or thunderbolts Sed vlterius referuÌ„t Hebraei eadeÌ„ nocte lignea Idola putrefacta fuisse metallica resoluta fusa lapidea comminuta But farther also these Hebrewe Writers say that in the same night all the wooden Images were rotten all the mettall Images were dissolued and moulten and all the stone Images broken Which surely were great works and Judgements if they were so 12. And in the first day shall bee an holy assembly also in the seauenth day c. Where we sée the lawfull end and vse of Holy-dayes namely to Remember the mercies and fauours of God and to giue him thankes wâ—e being by our corruption too forgetfull As for that of S. Paule You obserue dayes and times c. It doth not condemne Holy-dayes by lawfull Authoritie ordained for the ends aboue saide but Superstition and confidence in the worke For well knew S. Paule these and the like daies obserued in the law with Gods good liking Wee sée also the Reuerence of such kinde of méetings by the title giuen them of Holy assemblies and How monstrously we abuse them when we make them drunken assemblies cursed assemblies by reason of all kinde of riot abhomination vsed at them A fearefull abuse if our hearts were flesh to féele it fitter for Heathens and Pagans Deuils incarnate than for Christian people that professe God say they looke to be saued by Christ For can we say in our consciences when we come home that we haue kept an Holy assembly vnto the Lord on these daies aske but your selfe that Question and I trust there will much amendment followe of it Marke also how God accepteth dressing of our meate and alloweth it to vs on these daies still considering in his mercie our necessitie But yet so we ought to dresse meate that euer we haue a care of the Saluation of theÌ„ that dresse it who being created redéemed as we our selues be ought not so euermore to be kept at this seruice as that neuer they may heare the word receaue the sacraments praise God in the congregation with his people For that should be to cat the flesh of theÌ„ to drink the blood of them most cruelly yea to burie them in our bellies and for our bodies to destroy their soules for euer Rather remember Dauids refusall to drinke the water that was bought so deere and prouide so that the one being done the other may not be left vndone Which may if they goe to Church by turnes or if your estate be such by hauing exercise of these duties before they begin their worke in the morning or before they dresse supper in the euening This holy Care in you shall greatly please God and be a comfort to your conscience in your place as to the Apostle in his that you are free froÌ„ the blood of your seruants frée I say from the guilt of casting them away for the fleshly féeding of your body 13 Then Moses called all the Elders of Israel and said vnto them Choose out and take you for euery of your housholds a Lambe kill the Passeouer c. What God had spoken to him he now speaketh to the people Sée therefore in it the office authority of the Minister What hee hath receaued that to deliuer calling and requiring his people to come together to heare it if he cannot conueniently haue all then at the least the Elders and Chiefe who both ought to come and to their best abilitie assist him their Pastor and Teacher in any thing belonging to his dutie A fit Remembrance for these daies wherein the best are vsually the worst that is the Heads and guides of a Parish the Gentlemen if there be any the Fréeholders Wealthier sort for who wring and wrong the Minister but these who insult ouer him and browe beate him but these who looke to be lawlesse and without controlement but these Their word must stand not Gods word they must teach and not learne and at a word in stéede of any assistance and concurrence with their Preacher as was here in these Elders with Moses they are the bitterest and sowrest hinderers that the Messenger and Minister of GOD hath But doth not the Lord sée it or doth hee sée it and not regard it No no. Hee shall euer be true in his word and make them one day knowe and féele that the abuse of his Minister in his seruice is the contempt of him and that the very dust of their feete shall stand powerfull before him against the bodies and soules of these proud despisers to condemne them cast them into eternall wâ—â— Therefore good it were for them to take vp betimes and to fellowe the aduise of Gods holy Spirit by the mouth of S. Paule giuen Obey them that haue the ouer-sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accounts that they may doo it with ioy and not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you But I haue not spoken these things generally for I well knowe vpon my owne knowledge many swéete and comfortable encouragers of their Preachers and Ministers both of Gentlemen and others of the better sort Let them that are faultie amend in Gods feare the other goe forward to their great praise 14. When yee shall come into the Land which the Lord will giue you as hee hath promised then you shall keepe this seruice And when your children aske you what seruice is this you keepe Then you shall say c. If euer a man or woman forget God and dutie it is most to be feared in Prosperitie when they haue obtained what they disired and what with longing lookes they expected or as this Text speaketh when they are come into the Land of Promise And therefore fitly doth Moses héere admonish them to performe this dutie and to beware of the lulling sléepe of forgetfulnes which I wish euery one that readeth this Note to applie to himselfe and make religious vse of For who knoweth not that the heire whilest his Father liueth is often well giuen commeth to the Church fauoureth the Minister distributeth to the poore disliketh bad seruants and ill companie yea both in his heart thinketh and with his mouth speaketh That if Gods will bee to bring him to the Land expected to wit into his Fathers Place surely certainly he will doo thus and so that is very many good things shall flow from him But when God hath giuen him his desire who forgetteth like this man who groweth sluggish and slacke to come to the Church who standeth with the Minister for his due who beateth the poore from his gate who getteth and gathereth Swearers Swaggerers to wrong euery man but this young heire now gotten where hee wished to be If I speake a Truth let some féele it and for His loue that ruleth Heauen and Earth leaue it Thus doth the Scholler that
You sée it you must marke it and to your soule I leaue it 4 Thou shall not curse the deafe neither put a stumbling Blocke before the blinde but shalt feare thy GOD I am the LORD It was euer estéemed a Barbarous erueltie to insult ouer a mans imperfection and the Children of GOD must beware it By the Deafe héere are also meant men and women absent who though they could heare béeing present yet béeing not there they are deafe and heare not Such should not be cursed that is euill spoken of because they are not present to heare and answere GOD you see hateth and forbiddeth this wrong and as many as are Gods will forbeare it for their good Base and bad persons spend their time in carping slaundering and ill reporting as though they were so much better by howe much they make others worse So did Saint Augustine that worthy Father abhorre this vice that ouer his Table where hée dyned hée worte two Verses to tell all them that sate with him if they carped at any person absent that Table was not for them nor they Guests welcome to him By the Blinde are also meant such as are ignorant and vnskilfull in any thing as an ignorant Buyer Learner Trader c. Before whose eyes you may not lay a stumbling Blocke deceyuing them either by False Doctrine Badde Life craftie cunning or the like For as pitifull or more is the blindnesse of minde as the blindnesse of bodie and therefore any way to abuse the one or the other by stumbling blocks is hatefull and damnable 5 Yee shall not doe vniustly in iudgement Thou shalt not fauour the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mightie but thou shalt iudge thy Neighbour iustly A good law against a great euill in the Common-wealth touched before in Exodus whether you may turne and sée the euill Who can be safe in life or limbe in lands or goods if Affection be Iudge Booteth it to be honest or iust or blameles if not Truth but Fancie try me No no. And therefore blessed bée God for Law and Iustice and woe to the Land where Affection ruleth Honestius est cum iudicaueris amare quam cum amaueris iudicare It is farre better to loue when thou hast iudged than to iudge when thou louest Clamat pauper nullus exaudit clamat diues quilibet applaudit The poore man cryeth and no man heareth the rich man cryeth and euery man prayseth and smootheth O heauie Countries case where thus it is Doe the thing that is iust therefore to rich and poore and that shall giue thée peace at the last Honoured men may be for their wealth and feared greatly for their strength but onely iustice is that which getteth loue and a good report with all men that can speake well for any cause and haue not sold their tongues and soules too vnto enuie 6 Thou shalt not walke about with tales among thy people Thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy Neighbour I am the Lord. Both these are branches of murder and in the Commandement sée more of them A great mischiefe in either Kingdome Countrey or House is a babling tale-teller and hée that is wise will beware him It is a shrewde blow that killeth thrée at a blowe and that not in body onely but in soule also The tale-teller killeth himselfe peraduenture twenty more that heare him rashly thereupon condemne the innocent The spirit of God stirreth vp Dauid that Holy man to begge of God that hee would roote out all such deceiptfull lippes and tongues that speake proude things Deceiptfull lippes are those that speake smoothly and thinke wickedly and those also that speake falsly and slanderously of their brethren Both shall be rooted out in time but til then they vexe the soules of those that deserue it not at their hands 7 But what if I bée so wise that I can holde my tongue from speaking euill and yet secretly hate him in my heart Sée what followeth in your Chapter Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbour and suffer him not to sinne Secret hate then is murder of the heart and against the Commandement Use it therefore at your perill and say God either séeth not or regardeth not Your iudgement at last shall teach you hee doth both For this Law is not idle nor any Law Hee giueth to the sonnes of men 8 Thou shalt not auenge saith the next Lawe and why In another place we read For vengeance is mine and I will repay Wrest not Gods sword therefore out of his hand sit not downe in his seate and make thy selfe a God for feare of the ende Well let him goe then I will not auenge but sure I will remember him forgiue I may but neuer forget c. Sée what followeth in the very next words of this Verse Neither shalt thou bee mindfull of a wrong against the children of thy people Remembring then you sée is condemned aswell as auenging and therefore it standeth you vpon both to forgiue and to forget or els the Lord shall forget you out of his Booke of life Nay sée more all this is not yet enough but wée must loue also our Neighbours and that euen as our selues or els we perish For I am the Lord saith the Verse that is one that séeth and hateth and wilâ— smite thée in that strength that thou canst not resist nor indure Foolish Politicke thinke then of pietie and abhorre that poliâ—ie that deuoureth pietie and destroyeth thee Thou canst not liue euer but must die and come vnto iudgement 9 Thou shalt not let thy cattell gender with others of diuers kindes Thou shalt not sowe thy fielde with mingled seede neither shall a garment of diuers things as linnen and woollen come vpon thee God will haue his creatures vsed in their kinde as hée hath created them and his ordinance neither ouerthrowen nor corrrected With diuers seedes they sowe their ground which follow diuers doctrines in Religion And linnen and woollen garments are forbidden either because the Gentiles vsed them to whom God would not haue his people like or to note how hatefull to GOD is a fantasticall head caryed about with toyes and idle deuises He that is a Papist héere and a Protestant there hée that taketh part with both sides in a quarrell or matter worldly as a plea of law or such like you may rightly thinke odious by this Lawe c. 10 Whosoeuer medleth with a woman that is a bondmayd affianced to a husband and not redeemed nor freedome giuen her hee shall be scourged but they shall not dye because shee is not made free c. With God there is no respect of bond or free but in seates of Iustice and execution of punishments there is ought to be great difference because there commeth not so much hurt to the Common-wealth by
say vnto them For their hearts he will touch their eares he will bore or open and they shall see with their eyes heare with their eares and vnderstand with their hearts to eternall life But how they must come to God in the Cloud couered with it c. that is in the humanitie of Christ whereof this Cloud was a figure For wâ—thout him there is no accesse to God and by him we come and that boldly He is become flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone Search without him be oppressed of Maiestie search by him be comforted with mercy Kisse the Sonne and feare not The sight of the glorie of the Lord was like consuming fire on the top of the mouÌ„taine in the eyes of the children of Israell saith your Chapter but to them whom he drew to him he appeared as a pleasant Saphir vers 10. Certainly euen so to carnal men and to such as are his called by his holy Spirit there is a great difference of him the one seeing but feare and trembling the other séeing féeling and tasting ioy swéetnes comfort and gladnes aboue that which mans pen can lay downe or his narrow heart once conceiue Lastly Moses was in the Mount fortie daies and fortie nights without meat or drinke when as God could haue dispatched him in a moment All to giue authoritie to him and his lawe as hath béene said that the people might sée in his long abstinence the diuine power of God and so euer estéeme of the thing wherein they saw no earthly course held Let it teach vs still and euer to reuerence Gods ministers to whom he hath reuealed his will for our good They are now his meanes as then Moses was and by his word he hath graced them as here he did Moses by these miracles He that heareth you saith hée heareth mee and he that despiseth you despiseth mee Thus much briefely of this Chapter CHAP. 25. GOds holy Spirit hauing from the beginning of this Booke vnto the twentie Chapter laid downe such things as went before the lawe in the twentie Chapter he entered to declare the lawes and first laid downe the Morall law theÌ„ the Iudiciall lawes Chapters 21. 22. and 23. Now by a transition and way made Chapter 24 in this 25. Chapter he beginneth with the Ceremoniall lawes and so continueth vnto the 31. Chapter Which Ceremoniall lawes were eyther common and touched all whereof hée speaketh in this Booke or particular concerning onely the Leuites whereof in the next Booke called Leuiticus by reason of those lawes In this Chapter first there is a preparation to the appointing of Ceremonies euen vnto the tenth verse and then a prescription of them thence forward to the thirtie Chapter In the preparation you may note these heads 1 A Commaundement that the people should offer 2 What they should offer 3 With what heart and minde 4 To what vse and purpose 5 To what vse should the Sanctuarie serue viz. that God might dwell there 6 Of what fashion it should be viz. Like the patterne that Moses saw c. 1 The commaundement to offer is expressed in these words Then the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto the children of Israell that they receiue an offering for me of euery man c. The vse and profit whereof to vs may be this First to obserue how although the Lord haue no neede of any mans goods whatsoeuer it is that wée possesse in this world because the whole earth is his and all that is in it yet his pleasure is sometimes to séeke these things and so to make men as it were his helpers in such workes as he will haue done that thereby hee may euen honour his creature with a great fauour and take occasion vpon our readie willing performance of what he séeketh to heape more and more fauours vpon vs. Remember with your selfe the 50. Psalme I will take no Bullocke out of thine house nor Goates out of thy folds For all the beastes of the forrest are mine and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hilles I know all the fowles vpon the mountaines and the wilde beastes of the field are in mysight If I be hungrie I will not tell thee for the whole world is mine and all that is therein Remember the 16. Psalme My goods are nothing vnto thee c. Whensoeuer therefore He séeketh it it is for our good and not for his neede which being well weighed may make vs more quicke and readie to giue As for example could not he relieue a poore man himselfe or make of poore rich all the honors in the world being disposed by him yet you sée he will not but sendeth him to you and others for a morsell of bread and meat that you being his instruments he may take occasion to reward you So in all other workes of charitie and pietie wherein your purse is vsed surely if he had not a purpose to benefit you hee would passe you ouer and do the thing without you Hurt not your selfe then a pound by sparing a pennie A second profit may be this to note that as this material Sanctuary figured out the spirituall temple which the Lord hath in our bodies and mindes 1. Cor. 6. 19 so this offering to that noted what should be the dutie of Gods seruants euer to this euen to bestowe part of such thinges as God blesseth them withall of riches and goods towards the maintenance of this spirituall temple erected within vs and among vs by the preaching of his word the admininistration of his Sacraments all other offices of the Ministerie to the saluation of our soules and all our children seruants or neighbours that liue with vs and are by Almightie God committed to our charge For as then they had grieuously sinned if they denied God an offering to that so shall we if we be wanting to this Thirdly that our goods are not ours to wast at our wils but God looketh to bee honoured with them imployed to good purposes Lastly in séeking this offering to erect an externall worship of his holy Name among theÌ„ we sée learn that God will be worshipped outwardly also with our bodies aswel as inwardly with our spirits for they are both the Lords 2 Touching the things to be offered as Golde Siluer brasse Blew silke and purple skarlet fine linnen Goates haire c thus you profit by them First in the varietie and the seuerall kindes you sée shadowed out vnto you the difference of spirituall giftes and graces giuen by God to men for the building vp of his spirtual Temple or Sanctuarie in our hearts whereof remember the Apostles words in diuers places of his Epistles as to the Romanes when he saith Seeing then that we haue gifts which are diuers according to the grace which is giueÌ„ vnto vs whether we haue prophesie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of fayth Or an
procure one drop of water to coole his scalded tongue The gaine of Gold makes many loose their soules The gréedy wretch that for himselfe still spares doth hoord-up nothing but continuall cares Hermocrates lying at the point of death bequeathed his goods to none but himselfe The fire burneth â—â—ercer the more it hath and so the worlds wormes The Bées doo flocke to the hony dewe and so these wretches vnto gaine The greatest fish deuoure the smaller frie and so these wretches their weaker brethren In aworde as you neuer sée the Sea without waues so shall you neuer see these wretches without woes And as the cloudes doo hide the Sunnes light so their gréedie hearts repell Gods grace But let this suffice touching some vse of this Chapter ¶ â‹ CHAP. 9. The chiefe heades of this Chapter are these three plagues more The Fifth Plague The Sixth Plague The Seauenth Plague 1. WHereof that we may make like vse as before let vs first note froÌ„ whence any murren of cattell doth come when wee are that way punished in a countrie surely euen from the Lord as we sée héere Not simply froÌ„ Witches and Sorcerers set on by malicious neighbours as we vsually thinke for what can a whole Legion of Deuils doe to one swine without leaue graunted from the Lord you know the place and it ought to be thought vpon God sometimes trieth by this afflictioÌ„ and so teach the Scriptures Cursed shall be the increase of thy kine and the flocke of thy sheepe The beasts and the birdes are consumed for their sin that dwel in the land Euery way theÌ„ it is the Lord euery way therfore we ought to séeke to the Lord not to Witches and Sorcerers 2 But still the Lord spareth the Israelites True and sée the vse of it First God in his Justice this way more tormenteth the mindes of the wicked who for their rebellion against him deserue all punishment so saith the Psalme The wicked shall see this and consume away Secondly the Lord assureth his Chosen in all the world that albeit in lesser matters he trieth them or chasticeth them as hee dooth others yet when his great plagues come of Judgement vnto death and destruction eternall he will surely make a separation to the vnspeakeable Comfort of his owne and to the eternall praise of his mercie The wordes of the Prophet are plaine For a little while haue I forsaken thee but with euerlasting mercie haue I had compassion on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Againe in the Psalme if his wrath be kindled but a little Blessed are they that put their trust in him Meaning because there is euer as I say a partition betwixt the Lords wrath and his Chosen Good therefore is that prayer of Dauid euer to be in our minde wheresoeuer we are O knit my heart vnto thee Lord that I may feare thy name that I may euer cleaue vnto thee euer be thine and neuer be drawne away from thee by any temptation whatsoeuer 3. And the Lord appointed a time saying To morrowe the Lord shall finish this thing in this Land So that not onely the Judgement and affliction which happeneth is of the Lord but the very time also when it shall begin and when it shall end before which time no malice of man or Deuill can bring it no power of any creature can take it away Tempus prâ—fixit vt non casu factum putent vt certitudinem Diuinâ— virtutis ostenderet cui nemo potest resistere Hee appointed the time saith Theodoret that they might not thinke these things came by chaunce likewise to shew the certaintie of Gods power which no creature can resist Againe the truth of his comminations and threatnings you sée héere when it is said So the Lord did this thing on the morrowe all the Cattell of Egypt died but of the Cattell of the children of Israel died not one Learne therefore to tremble when the Lord threatneth and to feare the Euent for as here so euer he will be true vnlesse heartie Repentance step in betwixt and turne away his wrath from vs. 4. Then Pharaoh sent to sée and found all as hath béene said yet saith the Text the heart of Pharaoh was obstinate and hee did not let the people goe Marke it well and thinke with your selfe whether any Preacher or Teacher can be plainer in words than GOD was héere by works or whether any man can euer bee made to sée a truth by teaching more euidently and manifestly than Pharaoh héere sawe this hand of God smiting Egypt and sparing Israel yet though GOD be the Teacher himselfe and the matter subiect to his eyes without deniall Pharaoh still is obstinate still the same still a striuer against God and his grace How then doo wee wonder that where the Word is preached truth soundly and plainly taught yet all be not reformed and reclaimed froÌ„ their errors Is there any fault in the Word or Teacher are not things plaine how then commeth this to passe but euen as héere it did from the fearefull wrath of GOD hardning such hearts and closing such eyes that they can neither sée féele or vnderstand to saluation All because they haue not a loue to the truth but are hypocrites scorners deriders and such as heare onely for fashion thinking themselues abundantly skilfull when indéede they are most ignorant and when as they may sée the Lord by his Prophet affirming that he will looke vnto none but such as are poore of a contrite spirit and tremble at his words That is humble in their owne eyes receauing the Word with reuerence hungring and thirsting after the same as the Spirituall foode of their soules saying in their hearts as Samuel did Speake on Lord thy seruant heareth Surelie neither true matter nor plaine manner will serue vnlesse God strike a holy stroke within vs by his powerfull Spirit that wee may be moued Therefore as it is a blessing to haue truth tolde vs so is it a double blessing to haue a soft heart giuen vs moued yéelding to the truth Otherwise as you sée in the Smiths shop as many hard blowes laide vpon his Anuile as vpon the Iron hee worketh and yet the Anuile remaineth all one and the Iron turneth to the Smithes desire because in the one there is heate in the other none So in the same Auditorie as manie proofes and reasons are laid open to one as to another and yet one moued and not another S. Augustine saith Non verbis hominis fit vt intelligatur verbum Dei facit Deus vt intelligatis The words of man cannot make man vnderstand God his word but it is God that maketh them to vnderstand Joy therefore in the Lord his mercie towards you when you haue féeling knowe that it is a grace not giuen to all you sée Pharaoh héere and such hath the world many whom no preaching can reforme c. 5.
wee likewise may raine-downe abundance of teares praying for our sinnes and thanking him for his goodnes knowing it as a most assured truth that no dewe of the night can so glad the earth as this swéete moisture of thy wet eye in these respects doth please thy God Good therfore was that Counsaile of a most honourable Father to his Childe that aboue all other times hee should haue a care in the quiet night to talke with his God Dauid goeth on in another Psalme and saith I haue thought vpon the Lord in the night season and remembred him when I was waking At midnight will I rise to giue thanks to Thee because of thy righteous Iudgements In the night I commune with mine owne heart and search out my Spirits With my soule haue I desired thee in the night saith the Song of the Faithfull And all these thinges should be our instruction In Iob it is said God giueth songs in the night and it is a Place much to be thought on Therefore I say againe since mercie and iudgement thus stir in the night the one for his children the other for his Enemies awake thou that sleepest in most dull securitie going to thy bed as the Dogge to his kennell without anie thought either of God or of Deuill Full little knowest thou what may happen vnto thée before it be day It may be with thée as with these first borne with the fiue Kings with the Citie Ai c. Thy selfe may be dead thy houses on fire thy goods spoyled thy children destroyed and a thousand wofull miseries vpon thy friends Wherefore goe to bed with prayer awake with prayer and arise with prayer Let God and grace be in thy first thoughts and not anger and wrath not Shéepe and Oxen not money and mucke which shall all perish with thée when God is angrie We see how the faithfull haue done before vs and let it suffice in this point concerning the time when this plague was executed 2. The second thing is the Plague it selfe which was the death of the first borne To make vse of it to our selues let vs consider how great a gréefe it is to haue any childe die and that to haue the eldest and first borne to die is commonly a griefe much greater but yet this was not all the griefe of the Egyptians For besides the particular griefe of any one to haue it generall through the whole Land and not to knowe whether God would there stay or extend his wrath vpon them all for they said we all shall die this was a thing most full of feare and woe So by all these circumstances the iudgement was terrible vpon them and to them past our féeling and conceite except the Lord assist our vnderstanding and féeling But why will some say séeing wee all owe a death to God first or last young and olde and all degrées I answere that death in it selfe to any grounded vpon God is neither hurtfull nor fearefull yet Nature is Nature when the separation commeth and wee are allowed to mourne for them that die but when death commeth with a circumstance or shewe of Gods anger in manner or suddainnesse or such like then is there not that comfort which we otherwise haue For Example sake Lot knewe well his wife must die but to sée her changed so suddainly and strangely into a pillar of Salt was very fearefull and discomfortable both to him and all her friends Those sonnes of Aaron Nadab and Abihu their Father knewe full well must haue a death but to sée them both together suddainly slaine by a fire frō God iudge in your heart what griefe it was Corah Dathan ond Abiram must haue died and no friend of theirs but well knewe it yet to haue the earth open and swallowe them vp with all their families O what a dreadfull spectacle was it Add vnto these those Tormentors which died with the flames flashing out of the fierie fornace where into they had cast the three seruants of God those Accusers of Daniel who were cast into the Lions denne and shaken in peeces ere they came to the ground Ananias and Saphira his wife suddenly smitten by the hand of God This Pharaoh here and so many of his Nobles and people drowned and ouerwhelmed in the Red-sea were they not all full of woe and griefe to friends more than if they had died orderly without any such circumstance of Gods anger Surely they were And the best Learned are of opinion that Dauid so doubled his crie for Absolon more in regard of the manner of his death than of the death it selfe For hee died in rebellion against his naturall Father and King he was hanged by the haire of his head betwixt Heauen and Earth in a tree till his enemies came and stabbed him through againe and againe There were no signes knowne of his repentance Which all laid together and considered of a wise Father made his heart turne and ouerturne within him crying O my sonne Absolon my sonne my sonne Absolon would God I had died for thee O Absolon my sonne my sonne Conclude we therefore that though naturally wee must all die and there is nothing more sure yet either the kinde of death or the suddennes may depriue friends of much comfort So was it heere in Egypt for these first borne in euerie house 3. But yet you will not iudge may some say all that die a suddaine or extraordinarie death No indeede For things reuealed belong to vs and the Lords secrets appertaine to himselfe The Lords mercie is restrained neither to time nor manner and the Apostle saith what shall or can separate a man or woman once grafted into Christ Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword No no. Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come Nor height nor depth nor any other creature can doo it No suddainnes of death then or extraordinarie manner which may happen to the best either by naturall causes in their bodies or otherwise as God shall please in his vnsearchable wisedome But in such cases we are to remember for our comfort what Testimonies of Faith Religion of vertue and pietie they gaue in their life time to rest vpon those The Lord is no Changeling but loueth to the end whom hee once loued although sodainly they depart and say nothing Neuerthelesse wee entreate the Lord if it may be his blessed will to deliuer saue vs frō sodaine death and to giue vs spéech memorie and hearing to our last breath Because the Last part is all in all of this transitorie life and being once gone cannot be restored againe as a Carpenter can pull downe his house if hee dislike it and make it new againe Also because it fareth with vs in this point as with the Archer who though he
Remembrance of it that all the first-borne should be offered to him in sacrifice Which plainely sheweth our dulnes to be so great that either not at all or very slightly wée remember the Lords mercies and benefits vnlesse by sundry meanes we be raised and stirred-vp thereunto Let vs therefore thinke of our selues as the Lord knoweth vs to be and rest euer thankefull for this great care of his ouer vs testified in his sundrie waies and meanes to awake and worke in vs due duties towards him and vse the same appointed meanes continually and euer as we are commaunded otherwise we condemne both the Lords care and wisedome and the punishment at last must néedes be very fearefull Let it strike all negligent hearers of the Word all secure and earthly contemners of the Sacraments all that refuse to read to conferre and to doo whatsoeuer els as a meanes that leadeth to the Lord. The Reason which the Lord aleageth of this Law of the first-borne to be sanctified vnto him is because they were his for they are mine saith he Which doth not note any reiectiō of the second-borne or third from his grace and fauour or yet tye his mercy and liking euer to the eldest for we know He hated Esau and loued Iacob but we are to vnderstand it thus that albeit all were his indéede yet these first-borne he challenged to be his by a double right both because he had deliuered them from bondage and seruitude as the rest and because he saued them aliue and slue them not when he killed all the first-borne in Egypt I make this vse of it euen to think with my selfe That the more God hath done for me the more titles he hath vnto me and the more I am his and ought to be in al the duties and seruices that may flow from either heart or body of so wretched a creature And if I doo not so thinke and so striue to shew my selfe euen so many witnesses against me are his sundry mercies to me and I shal be destroyed The ends then of this Law of sanctifying the first-borne vnto the Lord were these To be a Remembrance of their deliuerance To be a witnesse of the Lords right to them and ouer them whom he had so gratiously and mightily deliuered euen as an earthly Lord séeketh a peny or a Rose for an acknowledgment of his right not for any increase of his welth That the Priestes might haue hereby a maintenance to liue to preserue doctrine knowledge among them That Christ hereby might be liuely shadowed and shewed who being the first-borne was offered-vp a holy and sufficient sacrifice for all our sinnes c. The Law of Redemption of the children ver 13. 15. was to mittigate the rigour of the Lawe if they should haue dyed and still sheweth how swéete and mercifull the Lord is Afterward the Leuites were taken in their place and the Redemption of the vncleane beastes teacheth vs that God will haue his due if not by sacrificing them because they were vncleane yet by a price for them or by their death Which all wicked Robbers of God in his Tithes and Offerings may make an vse of and cease so to offend any more if admonition may finde place with them Other things haue béene touched before as the vnleauened bread the instructing of their children and such like wherefore I passe them ouer The frontlets spoken of in the 16. verse béeing for Remembrance the Iewes afterward abused and had their Philacteries c. As our Papists haue sundrie superstitious things about their neckes and armes to put them in minde of I know not what The 2. part 1 COncerning the way by which GOD led them you sée héere in the 17. verse what is said namely That God caried them not by the way of the Philistims Country though it were neerer lest any should repent when they saw warr and turne againe to Egypt Si enim cum longius esset Numb 14 regredi voluerunt quid si tam vicini essent For if when they were farther of they would haue returned Numb 14. what when they were so neere saith Saint Cyril wherin behold a most singular Testimonie of Gods fatherly care ouer our infirmities in not suffering vs to be farther tryed than in him and through him we shal be able to indure and at the last to ouercome also according to the most gratious promise specified by the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. 12. Let a troubled Spirit euer thinke vpon this and euen féede upon it to the comfort of Soule as one would féede vpon swéete and pleasing meate for the good of bodie Your weakenesse is knowne to God and as you sée here he thinketh before hand what you can beare and what you cannot what will lead you to the Land of promise and what will make you turne backe to Egypt and had he not strength in store for you in his good time to be giuen you thereby to ouercome the troubles you now are in whatsoeuer they are spirituall or worldly in such sort as he knoweth to be best truly hee would haue preuented them and neuer haue suffered you to fall into them more then hee would suffer héere the Israelites to passe by the Countrie of the Philistims for he is not the God of the Israelites alone but your God and my God also no respecter of persons but swéete to all that cleaue vnto him And therefore since these things are thus now with you rest in hope and be chéerefull there is a good houre comming assure your selfe wherein his strength shall appeare and giue you victorie these things turning to your good and not to your harme For euen as an Eagle fluttereth ouer her birds stretcheth out her winges taketh them and beareth them vpon her wings so doth the Lord for his people saith the Song of Moses and let it comfort you for God is true Another vse againe I make of this place thus The Lord héere I sée would not suffer them passe by the Philistims lest they should start backe and so sinne gréeuouslie againg him And what if in like sort hee preuent my sinning and your sinning against him by taking away from vs such things as he in his wisedom knoweth would be occasions of euill vnto vs if we had them whatsoeuer we thinke as Riches friends power health of body peace of minde and such like is not he therein carefull of vs and as gracious vnto vs as héere hee was to these his people in not suffering them to goe that way which though it were néerer night endanger them Certainly he is and therefore pray for eyes to sée it and a hart to féele it with assurance be content with your estate and with his will the end shall shew you all this is true Why but could not God haue stayed them from returning although they had gone the néerer way Cyril answereth Non Deus omnia operatur vt potest sed quandoque humano
béene borne than without care so to sinne Now go we a little farther than this law expresly goeth and iudge in our owne heart if falshood in pledges committed to me by man be thus odious is not vnfaithfulnesse in Gods pledge much more odieus Remember the place to Timothie Custodi depositum That worthy thing which was coÌ„mitted to thee keep through the holy-ghost which dwelleth in vs. What worthy pledge is this but the pure and holy doctrine of the word which I must neuer mingle with mans traditions The manner of teaching it if I be a Teacher must be plaine profitable and to the most edification not to the greatest ostentation Be faithfull in these things therefore for they are pledges lest with vs by God which he wil aske for againe and require an accompt what we haue done with them c. 4 For wanton and licentious life the Lord prouideth saying If a man entice a maid that is not betrothed lie with her he shall endow her and take her to wife But if her father refuse to giue her to him he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins Where you may obserue the seuerity of God the remisnes of man in punishing matters of this kinde For man made his law disiunctiue he shall marry her or giue her dowry But God maketh a copulatiue he shall marrie her and giue her dowrie yet leauing frée the fathers authoritie whether he would so bestow her or no. If the father would bestow her then both must he marrie her and endowe her because he had thus offended with her So God euer regarded parents consents in the placing of their children Yea Nature it selfe saw this equitie in Hermione the maid in Euripides who answered Orestes the sought her to wife that the mariage of her belonged to her father He that will may read S. Ambrose vpon the storie of Rebecca and sée his iudgement of this thing But why was not the maid punished also aswel as the man partly because yeares and sex weaknes of iudgement might be occasion of fall in her but chiefly because such money imposed vpon her must haue come from the parents who were innocent and had griefe inough by the fall of their child Furthermore this is to be remembred here that if the parents would bestow her neuer might he that had abused her put her away by bill of diuorce as other might The Romans did not inforce marriage because the man might be noble the woman meane or contrariwise the woman noble the man mean Wheras the Israelites were all alike noble descended from one the same house the pedegree knowne but iâ— he were rich he lost halfe of his goods if worth little his bodie was punished and he banished which was sharper 5 Of witches your Chapter saith Thou shalt not suffer a witch to liue which God would neuer haue laid downe if either there had béene no wiâ—ches or being yet they can do nothing as some haue to their blame affirmed The shiftes they vse to auoide this place are weake and by the best learned reiected God maketh no law in vaine but for more of this matter I refer you to the Commandement In this place saith One God ioyneth this law next after that of inticing young women because many times these witches are iustruments to work them to mens sinful desires The next law against vnnatural lustes with Beasts I passe ouer the fact being more filthy than to be spoken of Death it was by law and death eternall followeth the temporall God and Nature abhorre it and he tasteth neither of God nor Nature that committeth it The eyes of God sée all things and the Justice of God will finde out all things in time 6 He that offereth to any Gods saue vnto the Lord onely shal be slaine The like law you reade in Deut. If there bee found amongst you in any of thy Cities which the Lord thy God giueth the man or woman that hath wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord thy God in transgressing his couenants and hath gone and serued other Gods and worshiped them as the Sun or the Moone or any of the host of heauen which I haue not commanded and if it be told thee and so forth then stone that person to death c. In the 13. Chapter the like death is imposed vpon those that shall perswade draw to this sin So both worker and willer suffered death And indéede shoulde théeues dye for robbing man and not man dye for robbing God Can mans goods be compared with Gods honour No no. Againe if we smeare fealtie to the Prince his enemie Dye wée not worthely To sweare fealtie to the Diuell by Idolatrie is worse to God than that to man Happy were deceaued creatures if any thing would make them wise bring them backe againe to God only only and marke the word 7. Thou shalt not doo iniurie to a stranger neither opresse him forye were strangers in Egypt Ye shall not trouble any widowe nor fatherlesse childe For if thou vexe or trouble such and so he call and crie vnto mee I will surclie heare his crie Then shal my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the sword and your wiues shal be widowes and your children fatherlesse Our state in this world is not tyed to any place but God at his pleasure may remooue vs euen when we thinke least therefore the Lord would haue them then and all men still favourable to strangers Experiences of euill past and expectances of future if God so please to haue it must make men forbeare those discourtesies to strangers that otherwise mans corruption will offer By the law of Nations it was euer forbidden and sharpely punished to violate the trust that a poore stranger hath in vs when he liueth with vs and vnder vs. The Athenians were good the Lacedemonians were bad and so praised and dispraised in Bookes to this day The next Chapter verse 9. teacheth this matter againe and often is it beaten vpon by God that they may remember it Hippias in Plato saith By Nature euery like is cozen to his like and surely it is a great knot among men likenesse either of wit manners iudgment or fortune c. Which Plutarch also witnesseth when he saith Senis lingua suanissima est seni puer puero mulier mulieri iucunda est Et aegrotus afficitur calamitate aegrotantis aruÌ„nosus socio calamitatum suam sententiam a scribit The speech of an old man pleaseth an other old man a childe conteÌ„teth a childe and a woman a woman One sicke body feeleth the paine of an other and pittieth it So do fellowes in affliction talke together and expresse each to other their mindes Wherefore God vseth for his reason here that they also haue bene Strangers in Egypt It pleaseth the good Spirit of God to vse this
figuratiuely the puritie of the Church cleansed in Christ and how carefull euery member of the same must be to kéepe himselfe pure and cleane as the Lord shall strengthen him The goodly rich furniture and ornamentes shadowed out as hath béene saide the rich gifts and Graces of God powred vpon his Church and the blessed estate of it vnder Christ Of which sée a description in the Prophet Esay most notable O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest that hast no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with the Carbuncle and laye thy foundations with Saphires And I will make thy windowes with Emerandes and thy gates shining stones and all thy borders of pleasant stones And all thy children shal be taught of the Lord c. 4 The three distinct Rooms they haue applied to three kindes or measures of righteousnes thus There was an outward Court and that may represent the first step to God when a man vseth the outward Ceremonies and actions cōmanded as then of sacrificing washing and so forth now of cōming to church hearing c. Those be good things but yet a man is not gotten into the Church only into the outward Court he is gottē there remaineth For euill men may doo these outward matters Then there was an inward place called the Holy place a third within that againe called the Holyest of all So they say there is a second degree of righteousnesse or a second step to God when a man dooth these outward things hartely truly vnfeignedly And a third step when by so dooing his hart is opened and he beléeueth in him that redéemed him and for euer holdeth fast by him And now is he gotten into both the Holy place and the most holy of all Into the Holy place in possession that is to be a true and sound member of Christ his Church and into the most holy of all by hope and in expectation because after this life is ended he passeth into the presence of God in heauen and there liueth for euer 5 By the vaile men haue noted how the obscurity of those Kites and Ceremonies was figured and that the time of full Reuelatiō was not yet come in which things should be most plaine as when Christ came they were Those Types and shadowes being open in him to whom they all caried their meaning Also they noted in it how reuerently we must speak and heare of the Maiestie of God of his Word of his holy exercises whatsoeuer belongeth to Religion And lastly by the rending of the vayle frō the top to the bottome when Christ suffered plainely was shewed that then that kinde of teaching the Church by such figures was ended and they also were ended The body and truth was come had finished all things Now intending to poure out his Spirit more aboundantly and to teach more plainly whatsoeuer belonged to eternal cōfort Read S. Peters Sermon in the 2. of the Acts when the Holy-ghost fell vpon them ignorant men déemed thē drunke Thus may we profit by this Chap. leaue many particulars which idle men haue béene too busie with abounding with vnquiet thoughts and itching loue of nouelties Still still carry this in your minde how God loueth a place of publike méeting for holy exercises and to haue al his come thither vpon daies and times appointed and euer loue you the Church and be not drawen from it CHAP. 27. THis Chapter also goeth forwarde with the description of the Tabernacle and namelie of those pointes which in the former Chapter were not mentioned as the Altar of burnt offerings the Court of the Tabernacle and the Lampes continuallie burning Concerning the Altar how it was made for matter height length and breadth the Text is plaine and you may there read it in the first 8. v. For the vse to vs wée may note two things First that it was a figure of Christ as the Apostle to the Heb. expoundeth it and secondly that the Altars vsed in Popery are not warranted by this example But that the Primatiue Church vsed Communiō tables as we now doo of boords and wood not Altars as they doo of stone Origen was about 2. hundred yéeres after Christ he saith that Celsus obiected it as a fault to the Christians that they had neither Images nor Churches nor Altars Arnobius after him saith the same of the Heathens Accusatis nos quod nec Templa habeamus nec aras nec imagines You accuse vs for that we haue neither Churches nor Altars nor Images Gershon saith that Siluester first caused stone◠Altars to be made and willed that no man should consecrate at a wooden Altar but himselfe and his successors there Belike then the former ages knew not that profound reason that Altars must be of stone quia Petra erat Christus because the Rock was Christ as Durandus after deuised Upō this occasion in some places stone Altars were vsed for steddinesse continuance wooden tables hauing béene before vsed but I say in some places not in all For S. Augustine saith that in his time in Aphrica they were made of wood For the Donatists saith he brake in sūder the Altar-boords Againe the Deacons dutie was to remooue the Altar Chrysostome calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The holy board S. Augustine men sā Domini the table of the Lord. Athanasius men sam ligneam the table of wood Yet was this Cōmunion table called an Altar not that it was so but onely by allusion metaphorically as Christ is called au Altar or our hearts be called Altars c. Marke with your selfe therefore the newnesse of this point for stone Altars in comparison of our auntient vse of Cōmunion tables let Popery his parts fall truth and sound antiquitie be regarded 2 Touching the hornes of the Altar spoken of they litterally serued to kéepe vp the sacrifice from falling of and figuratiuely noted strength so that to binde the sacrifice to the hornes of the Altar was to giue themselues wholly with a strong faith and onely to rest and trust and stay vppon him to tye al carnall affections fast also to the Altars hornes by subduing and making them captiue to God This Altar was in one place the Sacrifice in one place noting how Christ should onely once and in one place offer vp himselfe for al mankinde 3 Concerning the lampes as little doo they warrant Popish tapers and candles as the Altars before did their Altars And Christians vsed no such follies and apish imitations of things abrogated and seruing only for the time For we doo not light candles at noon day saith S. Hierom but in the night wee vse lights as a comfort against darknesse The same saith Augustin Eusebius others whose Testimonies are often vsed And Lactantius asketh whether they be wel in their wits or no that offer candles and lightes to the Author and giuer of all light
that God regardeth the Sparrowes and forsaketh them not though two of them shall be sold for a farthing yea the beastes skinne in the Law hée vouchsafed to thinke of and to dispose of it to his will and hée telleth vs we are better than Sparrowes and therefore better also than the beasts-skinne that hath no life as the Sparrowes haue Hée saith O yee of little Faith If we doubt of it and therefore I know he will and doth thinke of me and I shal haue in his time euer what is conuenient and profitable Secondly it shewed that swéete and comfortable care that the Lord then had and still hath of the Ministerie that it should be maintained and not defrauded of the least thing alotted to it which still he sheweth in all other particulars vrging still that they be giuen to the Priests according to his will Great things to moue our consciences in these dayes if God be with vs to a true and iust dealing with those that serue at the Altar amongst vs and not so gréedily so wickedly and so vnféelingly to rob and spoyle them as we do If this people of the Iewes had done so in these matters alotted to the Priests as we do with our Tythes and portions giuen to the Church in our dayes do you think or can you think GOD would haue indured it No you know well he would not And is he changed will he not still haue vs taught by the Ordinance of his Word still them that serue at the Altar to liue of the Altar Are not these duties from vs now as due as euer those were then It may not it cannot with truth be denyed How then may we first or last escape the wrath of God for sinning so as if the Iewes had sinned we confesse that God would haue seuerely punished it If you say so much and so much is ynough for him and this that he may spare Make the case so of the Israelites and in this particular of the beasts skinne durst any flesh haue so reasoned then Beware therefore of making your selfe a iudge where you are none of robbing them that haue the title and inriching your selfe that haue no right What is alotted by the Gouernment you liue vnder is his and not yours if he be not worthy so much the Law helpeth that by a due tryall of him and yet leaueth the maintenance still to a more worthy not to you Harden not your heart against God against Law against right and truth accustome not your heart to couet your neighbours due your hands to purloyne it by fraude or to take it by strēgth it is theft spiritual theft Sacriledge your house receiueth stolne-goods the wrath of God may happily shake the foundation of it for such sin and you in yours or you yours be punished Thirdly this care of the Lord for the beasts-skinne to appoint it to one that should haue it well taught that people then and still teacheth vs euer to be carefull to preuent strife and to take away all Questions and controuersies as much as wée may that euery one knowing what is his may therein rest and peace ensue The more God hath giuen you the more must bée your payne this way in your good health and perfect memorie 2 Your Chapter goeth on with the Peace-offering whereof he specifieth two sorts the one of Thankesgiuing the other of a Vow Touching the first you remember how greatly GOD testifieth his liking of it throughout the Scriptures In the 50. Psalme he séemeth to preferre it before all others in some sort For I will not reprooue thee saith God for thy Sacrifices or forthy Burnt-offerings because they were not alway before me I will take no Bullocke out of thy house nor hee-goates out of thy Folds For all the beasts of the Forrest are mine and so are the cattell vpon a thousand hilles c. Offer vnto God thankesgiuing and pay thy Vowes vnto the Most-High Who so offereth vnto mee thankes and prayse he honoureth mee and to him that ordereth his conuersation aright will I shew the saluation of God Vnto thee therefore O God saith Dauid will I pay my vowes vnto thee will I giue thankes O that men would prayse the Lord for his goodnesse c O that they would offer vnto him the Sacrifice of Thankesgiuing and tell out his workes with gladnesse and so foorth all the Psalme ouer you sée it is repeated as the foote of his Song Ionas said I will Sacrifice vnto thee with the voyce of Thankesgiuing and will pay thee that that I haue vowed Saluation is of the Lord. I will prayse the Name of God saith Dauid againe with a Song and magnifie it with Thankesgiuing This shall please the Lord better than a Bullocke that hath hornes and hooses Yet careth not the Lord so much for this in respect of himselfe as forman because there is nothing that increaseth Feeling Faith Hope and Prayer as this exercise of Thanksgiuing doth Let it therefore be in vse with vs more and more that is so accepted of him to whom we owe so much 3 In the 13. verse you sée Leauen admitted of which before you remember was reiected and forbidden Hee shall offer his Offering with cakes of Leauened-bread c. Leauen therefore in the Scripture is taken both in ill part and in good part In ill part Matth. 16. 6. 1. Cor. 5. 6. Gal. 5. 9. In good part Matth. 13. verse 33. and Luk. 13. verse 21. when the Apostles are resembled to a little Leauen that leaueneth the whole Lumpe they being sent out of God into the vnleauened world by preaching and teaching to leauen it cleane through And there is a Leauen of the new nature accepted as the Leauen of our old nature is reiected For looke how the Leauen maketh the bread sauourie and strong and wholesome Looke also how it maketh it rise and heaue vp which otherwise would be sad and heauy so doth Gods regenerate Spirit change vs make vs sauorie and all our duties pleasing to God in our new birth and we rise vp yea our hearts and soules are heaued vp in all loue and thankfulnesse to him that in mercie hath so looked vpon vs. This Leauen therefore of new nature is accepted Try your selfe then in your secret Meditation how you are seasoned whether with old Leauen or new It will be good for you to take this viewe and heartily to pray for what you want Are you a Minister called of God to leauen his people with good Leauen Looke how you doe it and be painfull Faithfulnesse will be crowned when slouthfulnesse shall be condemned and condemne you And submit your selfe to the profit of your people not hunting after your owne glory that you are thus and so learned eloquent profound and so foorth If your people profit not because you flie too high a pitch for them and scorne to lay a foundation of the
But yet God knoweth them and â—ee is iust if they amend not No gaudie gallants can deceiue him but his eyes pierce through all Maskes and colours whatsoeuer Allegorically some haue saide these things in the Leaper shadowed the state and case of all wicked men and women As the rent clothes that they are vile and odious before God his bare-head that in Christ their head they haue no portion but are depriued of him his lippes or mouth couered that such gracelesse persons cannot open their mouthes before God in any praier to be heard his shutting out of the Campe that such are to bée excommunicate from the number of the faithfull and are depriued of the heauenly inheritance c. Sée more the 22. Chapter 6 In the 47. ver you read of the Leprosie of garments c. Which kinde of contagion and infection the Lord in his infinite mercie hath made vs ignorant of The washing commaunded here of such garments admonished them and in them still vs that our dutie is to abstaine from all vncleannesse and to purge our selues from all pollution both of body and spirit If garments may haue such things layd vppon them by God how much more our flesh and our bodyes and therefore againe thinke with all thankfull thoughts of the blessing of health and of the meanes vouchsafed of God for health as Prayer Physitions Chirurgions Hearbs and Medicines many whereof the wise Syrach speaketh in his 38. Chap. reade it often and with feeling One sight of your face in a glasse as the Lord could smite it in a moment would make you féele and sée what God doth for you in giuing health and fréedome from such strange sores c. 7 Much more might bée noted in this Chapter but it is fitter for Physitions and therefore I passe it ouer Onely I will remember a Question mooued whether for any such fearefull infections a man and wife may bée diuorced and leauing all large discourse which they that are fit may haue in many Writers I answere bréefly that more causes of diuorce than wée read in Scripture wée may not presume to make and that is but in the case of Adulterye This excepted the Rule standeth firme Whom God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder Secondly it were a kinde of bitter crueltie to adde such affliction to the afflicted so sore alreadie as to take husband from wife or wife from husband who mutually should comfort each other in all extremites and crossing woes of this changing world and with that condition haue béen ioyned and plighted their troth one to the other that in sicknesse as well as health they would cleaue together forsaking all others till the death of one of them But then againe on the other side as cruell and inconvenient it were to bynde the partie cleane to company and due beneuolence with the infected For this were euident danger to the cleane and to the seede that should come of them in that case and so consequently to the Common-wealth also by the spreading of such a fearefull maladie in it Wherefore the middle-way is best for all parties Namely that the knot of Mariage remaine vnbroken and the partie cleane performe all Offices of helpe and comfort to the vncleane sauing coniunction of bodyes that the partie infected sée how hée is called of God vnto Chastity during this case of his and therefore by Dyet by Watching and Prayer and all good meanes indeuour to kéepe his body vnder from such desires laying his sinnes to his heart for which this much more is due vnto him although happily imposed vppon him not for his sinne but for his tryall and the glorie of God and yet taking a true and comfortable hold vpon his God whose mercie hath neither bottome nor measure and who hath promised most graciously that hée will neuer lay more vpon any childe of his than hee shall be able to beare but will giue an yssue to the temptation and tryall that he may beare it Thus God hath his time to heale as well as to stricke to comfort aswell as to afflict and to wipe all teares away aswell as to cause them any way Looke vp then to him and euer trust in him Say with Iob in a holy chéerefulnesse If the Lord shall kill mee I will not shrinke from him With Heli and Dauid It is hee it is hee let him doe his good pleasure His correction hath an ende but his loue shall neuer haue an ende if I submit my selfe and bée patient Let friends also be full of comfort to such a one and not by the least looke word or action adde griefe vnto griefe God will sée it and reward it CHAP. XIIII NOw that it is most true God hath a time to heale as well as to strike and to comfort aswell as to grieue behold your selfe in this Chapter where you shall read that many thus afflicted were in God his goodnesse healed againe and restored both to their houses in the host and their places in the Tabernacle as sound as euer they were The Ceremonies of this restitution are here also appointed both to the one place and the other whereof let vs labour to make some good vse to our selues 1 Hee was brought vnto the Priest as to him that must iudge whether hee was cleane or no and why the Priest was so appoynted to be Iudge you had the reason in the beginning of the former Chapter But where must hee be brought vnto the Priest into the Campe Congregation where the Priest was No but the Priest saith the Text shall goe out of the Campe and consider him So is it still the dutie of all faithfull Ministers to goe to the sicke to sée them and consider their estate toward God ministring comfort to them in due season whilest their hearing is good their vnderstanding good and their memorie good For when these things are decayed we labour often to little purpose And would God both they that are sicke had more care often to send for their Ministers to them in due time and the Ministers when they know it to goe and with all care and diligence to labour with them whilest time serueth For it is too late for both parties when Death hath stricken his strooke 2 If the Priest thus comming to him found him cleane then did hée so pronounce him to be and appoint him to offer his guift c. But except hée were cleane the Priest durst not pronounce him cleane Thus remayned the glory of his health to God that had giuen it and to the Church the vse of the Ministerie both for order and comfort Sée héerein the manner of our Absolution reteyned in the true Church of Christ and practised Wee doe not heale the sinner from his spirituall disease of soule by forgiuing his sinne as the Priest here healed not the reall disease of the body by making him sound but when wee sée heartie repentance and
a liuely faith in the promises of God made to penitent sinners for Christ then wée pronounce him according to our Warrant to be forgiuen euen as the Priest did heere him that indéed by Gods mercie to him was now healed of his Leprosie So haue wée the Ministerie of reconciliation committed vnto vs for the comfort of the penitent but challenge not the power to forgiue which belongeth to God onely as that man of sinne doth who in his blasphemous Pardons taketh vppon him to forgiue both Paenam Culpam the punishment and the sinne In regard then of this order and vse of the Ministerie it was that Christ bad the Leper whom hée had cleansed goe shew himselfe to the Priest because till the Priest vpon view said he was cleane he might not bée admitted into the Congregation The Fathers alleage other causes which also may stand with this and with profit be obserued as for that he would haue all honour preserued to the Priests that God had bestowed on them and himselfe be no example of taking any iote away Now to be Iudge was an honour and therefore he will haue it preserued That thus the Priests might bée drawen to beléeue on him and so to bée saued or else to be made inexcusable for their contempt That he might not séeme a breaker of the Lawe as often hée was accused to bée That he might be thankfull to God who had so mercifully healed a thing often promised in sickeneste but seldome performed after recouerie c. Vt doceret ciuiles legitimas rerumpub ordinationes in vnaquaque politia obseruandas esse seque non venisse vt eas abrogaret cum regnum eius nonsit de hoc Mundo That hee might teach the dutie of men to obserue ciuill and lawfull ordinances in euery Common-wealth and that hee was not come to breake them seeing his kingdome is not of this world 3 For Ceremonie further there must be taken for him that was cleansed two sparrowes aliue or little birds cleane that is such as were permitted to be eaten Ceder wood and a skarlet lace and Hyssope And the Priest should command to kill one of the birdes ouer pure water in an earthen vessell After hee must take the liue sparrow with the Cedar-wood and the skarlet lace and the Hyssope and must dip them and the liuing sparrow in the blood of the sparow slayne ouer the pure water And he must sprinkle vpon him that was cleansed of his Leprosie seuen times and cleanse him and then let goe the liue sparow into the broad field c. Eusebius Emissenus in one of his Homelies saith these things might seeme light if they had not beene appointed by him whose least commandement is not light By the two sparrowes therefore saith he the clensed person might be put in minde to offer vnto God both soule and body a liuing sacrifice no more to serue the world and the pleasures of this life but the God of goodnesse and mercie that had clensed him from so great and greiuous a maladie The Cedar-wood being a wood that will not easily corrupt and that hath also a good and pleasing smell might shadow out vnto him also a holy life sweet manners and incorrupt actions how pleasing to God how fit for him that thus was clensed The skarlet lace being red and of the colour of fire might tell him how due from him were hote thoughts of heartie thankefulnesse from a burning heart to God and true loue charitie to all his neighbours The Hyssope growing vsually in the rock how rooted hée ought to be in Christ the sonne of God the true Rocke The sparrow slaine might teach him the necessitie of mortification in the body which in deede is an earthen vessell the killing of it ouer pure water that nothing more worketh this mortification than pure water of Gods word contayned in the Scriptures The liuing sparrow letten flye abroad might shadow the soule liuing vnto righteousnesse through the grace of God and set at libertie to mount aloft when the body is dead Thus Eufebius too curiously and nicely skanneth these things But hauing noted therein the fancies of men otherwise graue and wise and learned I hold it better that we gather but thus much that by the blood of Christ we are truely clensed and set at libertie not otherwise as héere the liue sparrow dipped in the blood of the slayne sparow is set free The seauenfold sprinkling might happely shadow an earnest and continued meditation of Gods goodnesse to him that thus was comforted and not for a bay or two and then no more Surely our thoughts of his mercie vouchsafed to vs are euer too short and transitorie and therefore seauen sprinklings are little ynough to teach vs our dutie herein God for his mercie so sprinkle vs ouer and ouer that wée may euer remember his kinde goodnes towards vs a thousand wayes Saying with the thanfull Prophet to our selues and soules often Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not forget not all his benefites his infinite benefits his sweete benefits his most vnderserued benefits on our parts The Shauing and washing mentioned also shadowed truely vnto him his new life in the obedience of GOD aswell as his perfect and full curing from the Leprosie The care that GOD hath still of the poore in allowing a difference of Offering for them is still to bée noted how often so-euer it commeth that wée may sée his goodnesse and bée soundly rooted in our hope in him bée wée neuer so poore The Oyle as before in this Booke hath béen noted shadowed the holy spirite of God purchased for vs and to vs by Christ and the anoynting of his right care and thumbe c That our eare ought to heare and all our might performe the blessed Will of him that clenseth vs from our soule diseases 4 Now hauing thus spoken of the Ceremonies of clensing men and women hée commeth in the 34. verse to speake of clensing of leprous houses Where remember againe that this kinde of leprosie is vnknowne vnto vs and God make vs thankfull for it But when it was and where it was the Text saith God sent it and it well sheweth that euen the well being of our houses is a mercie and not a little one although we too little thinke of it And if the walles of stone or timber may be thus smitten with such a disease O what can he doe with these bodyes of ours these pampred and dainty bodyes of ours vppon which we spend all our care and cost neuer thinking on the soule till it be too late I say what what can God lay vppon them in the twinkling of an eye if he be angry turne the comfort of his face from vs wherefore meditate of his mercie in giuing health both to body and house and let it neuer be vnthought vpon some-time at least euery day The markes