is Christ known but frō the rising of the sun to the going downe of the same c. Thus may we profit by their multiplication 2. The second head in this chapter is the crueltie of the Egyptians by meanes whereof a very bitter and heauie affliction followed this great and glorious multiplication The vse to our selues may bée this that euen so dooth aduersity follow prosperitie and therefore prosperity should euer prepare for aduersitie A wise man in his good day thinketh of his euill and dayly beholding the sunne ouer shadowed at times with a darke cloude maketh vse of it to his good Sorrow and ioy wil not dwell togither but by composition they were thus agréed as the Poets feigne that as soone as the one hath had a time the other shall enter and haue his time also the former passing away and giuing place Let no wise-man therefore say as Dauid said tush tush this estate shall neuer decay for the Lord turned his face and Dauid was soone troubled Iob on a day could not thinke on such a change as after happened to him and yet all to the glorie of God and his good No earthly father louing his childe doth forbeare to chastice him much lesse dooth the father of Spirits leaue his children without fit corvection since both hée loueth more and knoweth how better to correct for their good The path to heauen is beaten out through many tribulations and vp must euery man and woman take their crosse that will bée his in eternall comfort Let vs note againe in this place the causes of this their affliction oppression as the Spirit of wisedome for our good hath héere laide them downe The first is their very increasing and multiplying For the king saide Behold the people of the children of Israel are greater and mightier than we come let vs worke wiselie with them lest they multiply Where wée sée that Gods fauour bestowed in mercy where hée liketh is still an eye-sore to euill men matter inough for them to grinde and grate their téeth at and to cause them to enter into plots and conspiracies against them The eye of enuie looketh euer vpward who is aboue who riseth who prospereth who is well spoken of well thought of or any way fauoured by the Lord and as much grieued is a spitefull spirit at the good of an other as at the harme of himselfe Which Diogenes noted when hée saw a knowne enuious man looke sadde No man saith hée can now tell whether harme hath happened to this fellow or good to his neighbour for both alike vexe him It was the blot of Athens that renowned Citie to haue few of any excellent vertue escape the rage of enuie in it but that either they were disgraced or banished or put to death in the end Those whom no sword of hating foe could daunt in the field enuie vanquished at home in the Citie deprauing their seruices blotting their names and breaking at last their guiltlesse hearts Which made the Philosopher prescribe this remedie against enuie whē one asked him how he might auoide it Euen neither to do nor say any good thing Thus did enuie rage against their multiplying héere And if Gods actions escape not mans malice shall yours shall mine shall any mans no no praemoniti praemuniti forewarned forearmed the streame ran euer so and God make vs euer patient and strong to go on in our duties A second cause of this affliction is a suspicious feare which entreth into these Egyptians that if there should be warre the Israelites would ioyne themselues to the enemie fight against them and so get themselues out of the land Such fruite groweth vpon such trées misdéeming thoughts causelesse iealousie vaine feares and all vniust opinions Why surely because it is the course that God hath in his word threatned to wicked persons which feare not him as they ought to doe Astonishment of heart a trembling heart feare both night and day c. reade the scriptures and you shall finde much proofe of what I say Suspect bewrayes our thoughts betrayes our words suspicious eies are messengers of woe Well fares that man howsoeuer his meate doth tast that tables not with foule suspition Better to die then to be suspitious Trust not too soone nor yet too soone mistrust for mistrust will treason in the trustiest raise The heart being once infect with iealousie the night is griefe the day is miserie Jealousie is the torment of the minde for which no wit or counsell helpe can finde Suspition wounds and iealousie striketh dead Causelesse and vndeserued suspition sendeth manie an one too swiftlie to their end These sayings of wise and true experience should much moue euery wise person We sée what we nurse when wee nourish this vice And if all this should not moue vs yet let our owne credite moue vs which by this meanes is shrewdly drawne in question the knowne versés saying thus Too much suspition of another is A flat condemning of thine owne amisse A third cause of their affliction was a new King she former being dead vnder whom they felt no such miserie Which may iustlie occasion vs to note carefullie what danger often is in change of Gouernours if the Lord be not mercifull Salomon may haue his wants but when his sonne commeth in his place he thundreth and telleth the people that his little finger shall be heauier vpon them than all his fathers hand This might we as déepelie haue tasted of as euer did these Israelites if God almightie had not thought vpon mercie in stead of iudgement The great neglect of those gracious daies which vnder the blessed gouernment of Quéene Elizabeth our late renowned souereigne wee comfortablie enioyed deserued punishment in a high degrée we must néedes confesse if we will say truth yet in steade thereof our most swéete God whose goodnes knoweth neither bottome nor measure hath raised vp ouer vs such a King againe as both so firmelie is fastned to the loue of the Gospell and so enriched with all other princelie vertues either of nature or grace as not onelie we with bowed knées may euer praise the name of God but all forreigne Nations speake and write of so admirable mercie vouchsafed vnto vs God for his Christes sake make vs thankfull That the King knewe not Ioseph Diuines say it was either for want of reading the Histories or because vnthankfullie hee contemned the good that was done in other times and to other men S. Augustine héere giueth a note how men may know what King ruleth within them to whose words I refer the reader And let this forgetting of Ioseph that is of the seruice and good that Ioseph did to all that land of Egipt in the great famine mentioned in Genesis be the fourth and last cause of this affliction And this indéede if you marke it is a mother of great mischiefe wheresoeuer it is euen this forgetting of such benefites as we ought neuer to
Thus saith the Lord that cretaed thee O Iacob and he that formed thee O Israel Feare not for I haue redeemed thee I haue called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the floudes that thy doo not ouerflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle vpon thee For I am the Lord thy God the Holy One of Israel thy Sauiour I gaue Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee c. reade the Chap. your selfe and I stay héere 10. Now sée an Accident in the way When Moses was in his Inne the Lord met him and would haue killed him That is by either a sore sickenesse or some other way the Lord made him know his wrath conceined against him as also the cause to wit the omitting of the circumsicion of his Sonne as by the euent wée may sée although it bee not expresly named Where to our profit let vs stay a while and consider diuers things First why Moses so well acquainted with the law of God in this behalfe should omit or neglect to do it And for answere herevnto marke with your selfe how of two sonnes which Moses had and carried with him the circumcision of one is onely here mentioned whereby you may well see the other was before and alreadie circumcised or else Gods wrath would not haue stayed in this place vpon performance of dutie onely to one Now the one hauing before beene circumcised why should he not haue done the like to the other but that out of all question his wife béeing not sonndly perswaded in this point tooke offence at the first grew vnquiet offered vnfit speathes and happely stirred vp her father also Iethro to ioine with her to rattle Moses for such crueltie as they estéemed it to his sonne Wherupon the good man milde soft of spirit in humane frailety chose rather to forbeare the second son to haue his peace than to circumcise also him and please God A notable example to teach vs this doctrine how néedefull it is euen to the great Doctours and Diuines to the great Masters and Teachers and rulers and leaders of others still and continualy to be vnderpropped and held-vp by Gods powrefull ayde and blessed Spirit in their duties when as otherwise euen they they I say that seeme so strong play Moses part here and faint in the way to the offence of God and danger of themselues Nay if Moses faint how much more fall they flat downe that neuer had such measure of grace as Moses had Pray therefore and pray continually for increase of strength for courage and fortitude for constancy and power to repell al the darts that Sathan shall throw at vs and prepare we to buckle with men and women and Diuels that shal assay to quench or to coole our zeale in our places and to bring vs to omit this and that and euerie day somewhat which God expresly requireth and will not abide to be omitted See you Discouragers and discomforters of Gods seruants in necessarie duties what venome is in your darts and poyson in yonr doings Moses this great man is ouercome and brought into daunger by them and O how shal athousand others of farre weaker strength be turned out of the way by you Will God be angry with Moses for yéelding and shall you safely escape that are the causes of his sinne the cut-throates of his zeale and the ouer-turners of his well doing No no assure your selues the wrath of the Lord shal consume you when it hath profitably corrected his childe vnlesse you repent and leaue-off such Deuillish dealing Sée you also you brawling and vnquiet women what your ignorance and obstinacie bringeth your husbands vnto though they be as Moses holy and vertuous they cannot serue God a-right for you they cannot doe what God requireth but you breake their hearts you coole their zeale you turne them out of the way and in the end you bring them to a fearefull danger of Gods destroying of them For the Lord met Moses héere and would haue killed him saith the Text. Shall this euer be vnpunished in you no your Husbands shall bee schooled for their frailtie and you shall be consumed for your arrogancie so proudly and so disobediently contemning both their religious instructions and holy actions If God be in you this will be a warning 11. Then Zipporah tooke a sharpe knife cut away the fore-skin of her Sonne The two things that héere might be considered namely that doctrine of Poperie concerning the danger of children dying vnbaptized and secondlie of such an absolute necessitie of Baptisme as that women must administer it in time of supposed néede I forbeare to stand vpon now I haue sufficiently touched them in my Notes vpon Genesis Therefore doo but remember with your selfe touching the first that wee make a great difference betwixt want of the Sacrament and contempt of the same contempt damning and want not through the strength of Gods promise meaning by want when God so preuenteth by death that it cannot be had according to the manner allowed in the word And touching the second obserue that this act of Zipporah here in circumcising her childe was méerely extraordinarie and doth no way warrant women to baptize now-a-daies Her bitter words to her husband that hee was a bloodie husband to her shewe but what spéeches are often giuen by women that haue their tongues a little too much at liberty His wisedome in not answering her is to this day his praise and her fact her fault in so vndutifully speaking Let this suffice of this Chapter and nowe reade the Text ouer in your Bible and sée how these Notes haue helped you My drift you sée and I leaue it to God I would haue all men encouraged to reade CHAP. 5. The chiefe Heads of this Chapter are these The comming of Moses Aaron to the King The greeuanees of the people Their impatiencie 1. TOuching the first héere wee sée that although Moses was very backward a-while to obey God and goe to this King vpon this errand yet at last hee yéelded faith ouercame feare and all conceits steeped to the obedience of God A happie thing and happie is that man and woman euer which can likewise say truly I haue had my feares and fancies my errors and mine ignorances my pride and my preiudice against that which was good and right but they are all gone I thanke God and I much ioy that they are gone as likewise that I am now sincerely his whose I ought to be and in this obedience doe not doubt but shall end my dayes by his grace 2. Wée may againe thinke héere why God should thus send Moses and Aaron to pray deliuerance for his people when hee was able without stretched arme to haue deliuered them at his pleasure And wee may aunswere our selues in this sort euen for the reasons
trueth is first and that which was first is truth and yet they fayle and still will fayle to graunt and make the conclusion Their handes are red in their poore brethrens bloud who haue auowed trueth and chosen rather to loose life than to forsake trueth what remaines but searefull confusion without repentance God giue them eyes 10 Now if ought of the flesh of the consecration or of the bread remayne vnto the morning then thou shalt burne the rest with fire It shall not be eaten because it is an holy thing First this was done for more reuerence of those holy Sacrifices lest by reseruation eyther any loathing might haue growen from wormes and such like or neglect and contempt by casting it away or loosing it Secondly by this shadowed that God will haue no part of his worship put ouer till an other day but cheerefully euer will hee be serued without delayes Cras Cras To morow to morow is the noice of a Crow not the voyce of a Christian But To day if you will heare his voyce hearden not your hearts And while it is called To day exhort one another with many other such Speaches in the Scripture are we stirred vp to take present time and not to delay Thirdly by this denying them to keepe any the Lord would preuent superstition by abusing those parts kept contrarie to Gods will as to heale diseases to keepe away ill Spirits to hang them about their necke to sweare by them and such like as at this day is to be seene in the Popish Church by reseruation of the Sacrament Sathan was readie then had not this lawe preuented him but after in the time of the Gospell hee preuailed and euen in Tertulians time were crept in foule abuses growing to adoration of the bread 11 These things thus passed ouer belonging to the consecration of the Priestes your Chapter commeth to the Sacrifice which was continuall A Lambe in the Morning and a Lambe at Euen with what further is specified in the Text. By which kinde of Sacrifice notably the Lambe Christ Iesus was figured which taketh away sinnes of the world The manner how the Lambe resembled Christ you may read in the 12. Chapter of this Booke where Speach was of the Paschall Lambe thither I referre you Oyle and Wine were added to this sacrifice to signifie that vnto these holy exercises of the lawe they should bring with them faith and repentance which should make the tast of them good as oyle and wine doth the Sacrifice For without these two what sauour or relish could God haue of them Sorrow for my sinne and faith in him that hath redeemed mee from my sinne is all the camfort God can conceiue in me and therefore beware of dooing any dutie to him without these two lest the Lord say I haue no pleasure in them Oyle and wine then with that Legall Sacrifice and faith and repentance with our spirituall duties and Sacrifices agrée well As all Sacrifices then led vnto Christ so did this daily Sacrifice of the two Lambes Morning and Euening most plainely and therefore after Christ was exhibited in the flesh accordingly these legall Sacrifices had their end all and by name this whereof read the praediction of Daniel in his ninth Chapter Yet neuerthelesse the Synagogue of Antichrist is not ashamed hereupon to build that filthie Idol of their Masse saying that all they are Antichristes which take away their daily Sacrifice of their Masse But their mouthes are no slaunder The trueth we holde and GOD euer make vs holde it both in this point and the rest In this point we say thus that this daily sactifice of the Lambes figured Christ he is come and therefore no longer to be figured as to come But these Lambes are gone and he the true Lambe remayneth once offered vpon the crosse but daily sauing vs from our sinnes vpon our true repentance and faith in him He is our daily sacrifice and continuall Mediator And who so taketh him away hee is Antichrist ware he thrice three Crownes vpon his head But that doth the Man of Rome and his Succession who teach that remission of sinnes may bee obteyned by other meanes than by him onely Wee haue none but him yesterday and to day and the same for euer His blessed Sacrament he hath left vs to remember vs of his worke wrought for vs and wee so vse it to thankesgiuing and not as a sacrifice for quicke and deade as they doe Judge betwixt vs good Christian Reader and the Lord giue thee wisedome in all thinges 13 Finally the Lord promiseth they vsing these his appointments rightly he will dwell among them and will be their God It is not hard in prosperitie to thinke God is present and careth for vs béeing indéed as Philosophers could say the Cause of all good things in Nature But when the cloudie day of aduersitie commeth and wée are ouerwhelmed as it were with perilles and crosses then is it a gratious strength to thinke and beléeue so stedfastly Cato a Wise-man as long as Pompei stood and flourished defended stoutlye a Prouidence but when he fled into Egipt was slaine of a base fellow lay vpon the shore without any honor of buriall when Cato himself also was beset with Caesars army then in this mist of miserie he fell from his former doctrine turning his tale as if there were no Prouidence at all but euery thing went by Hap and saying There was a great darknesse in Diuine things seeing Pompei who had many times prospered and had good successe in ill causes now was ouerthrowen in a good cause most misearably namely in the defence of his countrey Too many taste of this weakenesse which know more than Cato knew and therefore in the day of comfort and faire Sunneshine it is good to gather strength against a change And to remember such Spéeches as this of God to his Church and to his people I WILL DVVELL AMONG YOV AND WILL BE YOVR GOD. Hee is true in this promise aswell in foule weather as in faire and we must be assured of it Other like Spéeches there are many If any man loue me saith Christ He will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and wee will come to him and dwell with him The Psalmes are full of such comforts The Lord is neere vnto all them that are of atroubled spirit the LORD is neere to all them that call vpon him faithfully It is a memorable place where Esay the Prophet bringeth-in GOD saying Ego DEVS habito cum contrito et humili SPIRITV vt erigam SPIRITVM humilium et viuificem CORDA contritorum I the Lord will dwell with the contrite and humble spirit that I may raise vp the spirit of the humble and reuiue the hearts of them that are contrite It is the manner of sinfull men to insult ouer them that are in affliction and to go ouer where the wall is broken but
Christs one Oblation and that there is now remission of sinnes séeing the Scripture saith Where there is remission of sinnes there is no more offering for sinnes c. Heb. 10. 18. 2 So Moses did as the Lord God commanded him and the companie was assembled at the doore of the Tabernacle of the Congregation Obedience in Moses the Head and chief obedience also in the People vnder him do offer vs here a good Example Such mutuall agréement in great litle to come together to the Tabernacle to vnderstand further of Gods Wil O how commendable in it self how acceptable to God how profitable for others that shall behold sée it Would God any thing might smite our hearts to come to Gods House diligently Certainly the praise of it wil endure wheÌ„ we are dead and the blessing of such zeale vpon our childreÌ„s children Banish then vngodly whisperers to the contrary with all their deceitfull and damnable perswasions and he that hath an eare let him heare what God will say to his soule Let him speake as that good Samuel was taught to speake Say on Lord forthy Seruant heareth 3 Then Moses said vnto the company This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded to doe Nothing but Gods Commandement doth Moses offer vnto them For he well knew Gods will onely in his owne House must be the Rule Our own heads were neuer the best heads to follow and for God he knoweth our mould too well to giue that swinge vnto vs. If we will preach his will he hath a blessing and if we teach our owne fancies he will with his breath blowe away both vs and our idle fancies We offering then but his will to his people and by a plaine course of teaching according to their capacities making that appeare to them as many as are ordayned to eternall life shall beleeue in time to our vnspeakable comfort and their eternall goodâ— and such as must perish if any such be in our flock eâ—â— in those also we shal be a sweet sauour to God because we haue only deliuered to them what we receiued of God not abused theÌ„ with any mans Traditions that cannot saue 4 And Moses brought Aaron his sonnes and washed them with water And put vpon him the coate and girded him with the girdle c. Of all these Ceremonies reade what hath bene noted in the 29. Chap. of Exod. The Tabernacle a type of heauen Heb. 8. 2. cha 9 11 12 24. anoynted to signifie that Heauen is the sanctified Place for perpetuall and eternall rest vnto all the Sonnes of God his Elect before the foundations of the world were laid He powred the Oyle vpon Aarons head so in him who was a Figure of Christ shadowing out the fullnes of the Spirit vpon Christ Psal 44. and Esay 61. He put also coates vpon Aarons sonnes c. They were a Figure of the Church which by Faith eateth also of the Sacrifice of Christ being made partakers of his merit aswell as the Priests Their garments figured out the Graces and gifts wherewith the beleeuers in Christ are adorned beautified Casting away the works of darknes and putting on dayly more and more the deeds of light The Lap of Aarons right eare and his sonnes thumbes of their right handes and the great toes of their feete are anoynted to represent that in Christ there is no left but all right To shew that that his blood should make blessed them on his right-hand and to teach that such as bée his Chosen haue their eares touched and made right hearing with profit good things and sincerely abhorring to heare euill Their workes also shadowed by their right thumbe are holy honest good and in their seuerall vocations they paynfully and carefully walke shadowed by their right toes anoynted with the blood 5 Upon Aarons sonnes Moses did but sprinckle the anoynting oyle which before was said he powred vpon Aaron vers 12. so plainly shewing that in Christ the spirit should be without measure and vpon his seruants in measure wée all receyuing of his fulnesse according to his good pleasure some more some lesse 6 That which is said of abiding at the doore of the Tabernacle day and night seuen dayes and ye shall keepe the watch of the Lord that ye die not is thought to haue shadowed that watch which all our life long noted by the seuen dayes wée kéepe in auoyding sinne and working righteousnesse as the Lord shall inable Which indéede may be called the wrath of the Lord being a holy Christian and happy watch The seuenth day wée shall bée frée fully sanctified and deliuered from this vale of misery to kéepe an eternall Sabaoth in Heauen to our endlesse comfort Thus bréefly for order sake of this Chapter the chiefe points as I said hauing béene touched in the 29. of Exodus CHAP. IX THe Consecration of Aaron and his sonnes being fully ended in this Chap is shewed how they entred vpon their Office began to doe the duties thereof Aaron offering the foure principall Sacrifices to witte the Burnt-offering the Sin-offering the Peace-offering the Meat-offering And for vse vnto vs. First it may be obserued that Moses who was neuer consecrated himselfe doth consecrate and inuest Aaron into his Office that so men might learne to ascribe all to God the authoritie I meane and effect of the outward signe 2 In that Aaron is commanded to offer aswell for himselfe as his people verse 7. The Apostle to the Hebr. reasoneth that the Leuiticall Priest-hood was weake but a shadow of a stronger namely of Christs For such an High-Priest saith he it became vs to haue as needeth not dayly like those in the Law to offer vp sacrifice first for his owne sinnes and then for his peoples c. Read the 7. Chap. verse 26 27. Also the 5. Chap. Verse 3. Hée was also herein a Figure of Christ not that Christ had any sins of his owne but that ours were so layd vpon him and he so made satisfaction to God for them as if they had bene his owne Surely saith the Prophet He hath borne Our infirmities and caryed Our sorrowes yet We did iudge him as plagued and smitten of GOD and humbled That is wée iudged euill as though hée were punished for his owne sinnes and not for ours But hee was wounded for Our transgressions he was broken for Our iniquites the chastesment of Our peace was vpon him and with his stripes We are healed 3 When it is said Aaron lift vp his hand and blessed the people vers 22. Wée must consider that héerein hée was plainly a Figure of Christ who onely can blesse béeing onely the séede of Abraham In whom all the Nations of the world are blessed and in whom saith S. Paul The Father hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenly things As with the blessing
now Moses yon sée tasteth of them Who is hée or shée that haue not some way by these walking tongues béen wounded I leaue you to your owne experience of this venome 8. Whither flyeth Moses then from this raging storme of Pharaohs displeasure raised vp against him by these pratlers Into the land of Midian saith the text where the Lord prouided for him Then marke with your selfe how alwaies one place or other the Lord hath for his seruants If Iudaea be dangerous for the childe Iesus in Egypt he shal find safetie til the time appointed so forth read 2. Cor. 4. 8. 9. Whē he was come thither He sate him down by a wel a place most like to bring some to him of whom he might inquire how he might bestow himselfe But God knoweth what thoughts the circumstances of his case procured vnto him His calling he saw not acknowledged of his country-men but in steade thereof his life brought in question and therefore might fall into some doubt of it himselfe All his worldly comforts were now departed from him and he a poore exile in a strange country not knowing which waie to turne him A great change from so high a place as Moses had in Egypt béeing estéemed the Sonne of Pharoahs daughter and lesser alterations than this wée well know haue giuen good men shrewd plucks yet reade wée of no discomfort in Moses which wée must obserue and be bettered by it GOD humbleth him in his worldly estate and bringeth him to this lowe ebbe yet forsaketh him not but déerelie loueth him and hath great honours in store for him againe when time commeth We are likewise the Lords and wee must bee content that hee doe with vs his owne good pleasure euer The third part 1. THe thirde part of the chapter followeth concerning his mariage in that land the manner wherof you may reade in your chapter verse 16. c. Some blame him as matching with the vnbeléeuing others excuse him saying they were not vnbeléeuers The scripture is silent and therefore we neede not to be curious To excuse the godlie Fathers euer is more than can be to make Iethro and his houshold such beléeuers as they ought to be with whom wée ioine in mariage How beit happily he was better than thousands there Theoderet saith Typus erat Christi domini qui cum ex Iudeis secundum carnem natus esset ecclesiam Gentium appelauit sponsam suam Moses herein was a type of Christ who béeing borne of the Jewes according to the flesh married himselfe to the Gentiles and ralled them his spouse But leaue we it as not profitable to vs to scanne what God hath pleased to conceale And marke the hart of Iethro when he vnderstood how Moses had helped his daughters at the well very kindly he conceiued of that fauour and chid them for so leauing him not bringing him home to eatebread Surely the Spirit of God dooth not so still in euery place note this kindnesse of hart in requiting loue but that he excéedingly liketh it and would haue all his euer to follow it 2 Of his wife the Lord gaue him a sonne whose name he called Gershom adding the reason because saith hée I haue bene a stranger in a strange land So then that which many obiect oftentimes to Gods children by way of reproach that they are strangers exiles and so forth that Moses taketh to be no reproach and therefore giueth the title of it to his sonne for his name An example to teach vs neuer to bée ashamed either of banishment or any hard estate wherewith God shall exercise vs for his glory but rather to reioyce in it and comfortably to thinke of it as Moses doth here The shame is theirs that reproach vs the glorie is ours if we rightly endure it 3. In processe of time this blody Pharaoh dyeth saith the Storie and this is a comfort to the godly as likewise it should be a warning to all oppressors of them they shall die and be packing and shall not continue to deale cruelly Then shall they receiue the wages of their wickednesse and they whom they haue wronged shall bée comforted The rod of the vngodlie lighteth vpon the faithful as God shall please but the Lord hath said it shall not carry vpon them And what swéeter comfort but the rod of Gods iustice shall both light lie vnremooueable vpon the vngodly that repent not of their euil and what greater woe Let them beware then whiles there is time 4. But when was it that he dyed Surely forty yéeres after Moses fled thence Moses was fortie when hée fled and eighty when he came as their Deliuerer Let it thus profit vs. You remember before how Moses began to exercise that Office towards their reliefe which he was certified God had appointed him vnto and thought that they would haue acknowledged it with thanks to God for him But they most vnkindely requited him and so endangered him that he was fame to fly to saue his life When he so began God offered them mercy when they so rewarded him what followed Surely fortie yéeres more the continuance of their bondage and miserie A singular warning to all féeling hearts to beware the reiection of Gods mercy when it is offered For it euer hath a sure punishment and well worthy Consider you particularly Gods dealing with your selfe what hath he offered what dooth he yet offer you what haue you done or what yet doo you Be wise and ponder Surelie God is kinde to offer but he is iust to reuēge any wilful contempt of his Offers with continuance of bitter woe héere or foreuer 5. When he was dead the people cryed to the Lord and sighed saith the text Such sobbes in sorrow were due to them that reiected and would not sée what God offered them of ease But O comfort yet what sée wée againe Surely saith the text God heard them remembred his couenant looked vnto them respected them Swéet Father so is it euer with thee iust to correct but gratious to giue ouer not euer offended but in due time intreated pitifull louing and of endlesse mercie Many things more might this Chapter yéelde vs most worthy noting but I remember for whom I write I would not make the volume great that I wish bought vsed of poore ones the abler persons may haue many better helpes A taste of the comfort of Gods word and the vse thereof to incourage to the buying of Bibles and reading of them is the thing I desire to giue and that is done by something vpon euery Chapter though it be not much fitted as God inhableth mée for the féeling and comfort of them for whom I labour Let this much therefore suiffice vpon this Chapter CHAP. 3. The cheife Heads of this Chapter be these The calling of Moses His speech with God 1. MOses kept the sheepe of Iethro and is not this a great change from an adopted son of a kings
to it with what reuerence should we remaine in it and how vnwillingly depart from it before an end What is for the decencie of it how chéerefully should we giue and the wicked prophaners of it how seuerely should wée punish The Prophet Dauid being letted by his persecutors that he could not be present in the congregation of Gods people grieuously complaineth for it and protesteth that although he was separated in bodie frō them yet his heart was with them and that after a very earnest maner For euen as the Hart desireth the water brookes saith he so longeth my soule after thee O God My Soule is a thirst for God yea euen for the liuing God when shall I come to appeare before the presēce of God My teares haue bin my meate day and night while they daylie say vnto me where is now thy God Now when I think therevpon I poure out my very hart by my self for I wēt with the multitude brought thē forth into the house of God in the voice of praise thanksgiuing among such as keepe holy day In an other Psalme I was glad when they said vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. In the fifth Psalme But as for me I will come into thy house euen vpon the multitude of thy mercy in thy feare will I worship toward thine holy Temple Againe We will go into his Tabernacle and fall low on our knees before his footestoole Lord remember Dauid how he sware vnto the Lorde and vowed a vow vnto the Mighty God of Iacob I will not come within the Tabernacle of mine house or climbe vp to my bed I will not fuffer mine eies to sleepe nor mine eye lids to slumber neither the Temples of my head to take any rest Vntill I finde out a place for the Temple of the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Iacob c. Thus earnest to haue a Temple thus earnest to go the Temple and thus grieued to be from the Temple was this holy King and Prophet in whom Gods Spirit ruled Others also that haue zealously loued to go to the Church hath God noted and chronicled in his booke both for the incouragement of such as will doo the like and for the iust condemnation of all stubborne despisers of the same Anna an olde Woman that had béene Widow foure score and foure yeeres the Lord hath caused his holy Euangelist to register this praise of her that shée went not out of the Temple but serued GOD with fastings and prayers day and night It is said of old Father Simeon that he came into the Temple by the MOTION OF THE SPIRIT when the parents brought the babe Iesus to doo for him after the custome of the lawe Gods spirit then moueth men to the Church but neuer from the Church The Pharisie and the Publicā went both vp into the Temple to pray And so good a thing as to go to the Church God wil not leaue vnnoted and praised in a very Pharisie The blessed Apostles Peter Iohn went vp together into the Temple at the ninth houre of prayer when they might haue prayed at home yet they would goe to the Church Three times in the yeare said the law of God shal all the males appeare before me in the place that I shall choose stil still to kéep them in vse and loue and care of the Church albeit they dwelled a great way off Where you may obserue that although the law reached but to the males because God gratiously considered that the women might be with childe or nurses and not able to come yet godly women when they were able and had no impediment would go vp also with their husbands such a zeale had they to the house of God where the assemblie met to serue God So went vp Anna with her husband Elcanah when shee made vnto her Son Samuel a little coate brought it vnto him from yeare to yeare So went vp the blessed Virgine to Hierusalē euery yeare at the feast of the Passeouer both of them when there were grosse and foule corruptions For when Anna went vp what read you of the Sons of Heli the Priest And when Mary went vp Scribes and Pharisies and wicked Priests were in their ruffe Yet they went vp and many other godly and wel disposed to teach vs euer not to fall out with God for mens faults nor to absent our selues from Church and Church exercises because all things are not perfect in the Ministers O let men be men and full of miseries let God be God ful of mercy to regard reward them the so loue him cleaue vnto him to his house to his seruice as for no vices faults of mē they wil be plucked seuered frō him To cōclude what a care had Christ our sauior himself of Church meetings cōming to thē obseruing of thē that he might do good in thē to many Yea euen in his childhood where was he found when his Parents had lost him but in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions To teach it euer to the worldes end that the place to séeke Christ and finde Christ in is the Church for in other places you may misse of him as his Parents did but neuer in the Church shall you faile if you séeke him duely It is written of S. Iohn that when he was so olde as he could not go to Church he would be carried by his schollers friends to it Chrisost Quod apud te precatus accipere non potes c. That which praying priuately thou cāst not obtain go to the Church and pray there for it and thou shalt obtaine The prayers there made saith S. Hierom. are like a great thūder-clap yea like the roaring of the sea saith Basil One sticke maketh a fire but many stickes a great and hot fire One string giueth a sound but many strings a melodious soūd c. I could not therfore refraine teares saith S. Austine at the hearing of the songs which thy Church cōgregatiō met together did vse to sing to thee O Lord what time I first began to recouer my Faith vnto thee yea me think euen yet still I feele my selfe rauished not with the singing but with the sweet matterwhich is sung c. To the Church to the Church then let our harts be euer following these blessed examples laide before vs know it well to be but a late deuise of the Diuell to vphold his kingdome by secret perswading of people frō the Church There is nothing in the Church but the Scriptures of God the Sacramēts of God holy praiers holy and comfortable exhortatiōs to amendment of life drawen out of the Scriptures all in a tongue that we vnderstand instruction of our childrē seruants for whom wée must answere if by our
in this matter The third part 1 THen Moses prayed and said O Lord c. Heere héere then sée A faithful Magistrate A faithfull Minister A true Shepeheard ouer his people coÌ„mitted to him of God Who knoweth what iudgements godly Gouernours turne away by their earnest intercession to God for their people We sée this place we read what Hester did and the mercie of God is plaine for their sakes It should worke in vs all loue and obedience and dutie to them and make vs day and night pray for the continuance of them Treasons and treacheries raylings and reuilings slaunders and defamations wrongs and iniuries any way are not fit requitals of such good receiued by them and for them This prayer of Moses if you marke it is most vehement as comming from a mooued heart and vseth vehement and vrging arguments vnto God As first of his fauour all waies extended to them vers 11. Secondly of his glorie which would be obscured by the Aâ—gyptians lewd speaches if he destroyed them ver 12. Thirdly of his promises made vnto their fathers Abraham Isaac and Israel the trueth whereof might not be violated vers 13. with which the Lord moued in mercie stayeth as you see Such Reasons serue euen at this day and may be vsed to the Lord in our prayers Hee hath béene good to vs infinite waies and we may intreat him by these passed fauours to vouchsafe future and to stay his wrath which we haue deserued Nothing more commonâ—with Dauid in euerie Psalme if you marke it Againe euen by our punishment the enemie will be proud and speake euill they will call both himselfe and his truth into question and ecclipse his glorie to the vttermost His promises also we haue most richly and therefore in all these respects we may craue pardon and doing of it heartely with true repentance and purpose to amend he is the same God still and we shall finde fauour 2 Upon this earnest praier the Lord saith the text v. 14. changed his minde from the euill which he threatned to doe vnto his people with which comfort Moses came away and drawing neere the host he first heard the noyce of singing vers 18. for they were making merrie about their new God then comming nearer he saw the Calfe and the dancing vers 19. But then although he were the meekest man in the world yet his wrath waxed hote and he cast the Tables out of his hands and brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine Which breaking of the first Tables allegorically shewed that the law of God lighting vpon our vnregenerated nature is brokeÌ„ as it were and by the meanes of our inabilitie cannot iustifie vs. But the second written tables are put in the Arke that is when God by his Spirit worketh in vs we are regenerated and the law is obeyed of vs though not fully yet in measure this imperfect obedience is made perfect by Christ Aug. Magno etiam mysteris figurata est iteratio Testamenti noui qucniam vetus erat abolendum constituendum nouum Quaest 144. By a great mysterie the abrogating of the olde Testament by the comming of the new was figured But vnderstand Augustine rightly Then he tooke the Calfe which they had made and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder and strowed it vpon the water and made the children of Israel drinke of it vers 20. Partly to despight them and partly that they should haue no occasion to remember it After he rebuked Aaron vers 21. And if Aaron now elect High priest a Figure of Christ be so sharply rebuked of Moses surely great men must be reprooued and it is a cursed doctrine that though the Pope should carrie thousands of soules to hell yet no man may say Sir why do you thus Secondly in matters concerning the glorie of God we must rebuke euen our néere ones as others no place for affection After that he called for such as would reuenge this wrong done to the Lord vers 26. and the sonnes of Leui gathering to him he bad euerie man put his sword by his side goe to and fro from gate to gate through the host slay euerie man his brother euerie man his companioÌ„ euerie man his neighbour vers 27. so that there fell of the people the same day about three thousand men vers 28. This was the zeale of his heart to the glorie of God it must be a glasse for vs to look in whilst we liue in this world The Lord hath placed the commaundements in the Decalogue the petitions in the Lords prayer which concern his honor before those which coÌ„cerne our selues to teach vs that we ought to prefer his glorie before all worldly things yea euen life it selfe if they come in Question together Thus did Shadrach Meshach and Abednego thus did Daniel when he he opened his window and made his prayer to God notwithstanding that cruell law thus did the Mother and her seuen sonnes in the Machabees thus did Elias Phinees Dauid and others Thus did not olde Heli and therefore the Lord smote him Mine eyes gush out with teares saith the holy Prophet because men keepe not thy law And doe not I hate them that hate thee and am grieued with them that rise against thee Yea I hate them right sore euen as though they were mine enemies He that loueth Father or mother more than mee is not worthie of mee And he that loueth Sonne or Daughter more than mee is not worthie of mee c. 3 And when the Morning came Moses said vnto the people yee haue committed a grieuous crime but now I will goe vp to the Lord if I may pacifie him for your sinne Moses therefore went againe vnto the Lord and said Oh this people haue sinned a great sinne and haue made them gods of Gold Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare but if thou wilt not I pray thee rase me out of the booke which thou hast written When Moses had fought on Gods part with the sword now he striueth for the people with his prayer so both true to God in a holy zeale and carefull of his people in the bowels of loue was this holy man this faithfull Gouernour and leader of this multitude Anotable example for all Magistrates and all Ministers euer to follow But heere is more than I said in the former Note For here is a preferring of Gods Glorie before euen life and comfort eternall which is farre more than this temporall life and all the ioyes of it So shall you sée in Saint Paule to the Romanes and what a measure of Gods holy Spirit it was consider you Farre are we from this that preferre euerie small profit and pleasure before this glorie of God and yet say we hope to be saued as well as they A true féeling of our owne iniquitie herein may much amend vs hereafter and God for
his Sonnes sake giue it vs. Againe you may note here how Moses doubleth ouer and ouer in this Chapter the foulenesse of their fault calling it a great sinne a grieuous sinne c. so learning you not to extenuate faultes before God if you sue for mercie but to set them out in their true colours that mercie may the more appeare 4 Touching this Booke of life you must know it to be a figuratiue Spéech borrowed from the manners of men who vse Bookes and writings for their memorie and not conceiue that God hath or néedeth any such things It is therefore in sense as if Moses had said O Lord pardon them or depriue me of that saluation which is as sure before thee as if it were registred and written in a book Such borrowed speeches you haue more in Scriptures as you may remember In the Psalme you read of a Booke wherein Dauid saith Were all his members written which day by day were fashioned when as yet there were none of them In the Reuelation you read of bookes againe when he saith I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the Bookes were opened c. And for the Booke of life you read persons written in it of two sortes one as it seemed the other true indeed Of the first speaketh the Psalme Let them be wiped out of the Booke of the liuing and not be written among the righteous meaning wherein they séemed to be written or might perswade themselues they were written but indêed were not For then they could not be wiped out Of the later you read here and in other places Where though Moses speake of rasing out yet indéede there is no such matter being nothing but the eternall election of God which neuer can be altered This is more plaine in the words following when God answered Moses that Whosoeuer sinned against him he would put him out of the Booke meaning hee would make it appeare that he neuer was written in it For the house built vpon the Rocke can neuer fall They should deceiue the verie Elect if it were possible as if he should say but it is impossible Hee that commeth to mee I neuer cast away No man taketh my sheepe out of my hand and many such other places Lastly consider and note here how he biddeth Moses go on with his charge but for the people he wil visit them vers 34. And so the Lord plagued the people because they caused Aaron to make the Calfe which he made vers 35. It telleth Magistrates and Ministers that they may not desist from their dueties for the peoples frowardnes but indeuouring to their vttermost to reforme them they must go on though they perish and euen in them so perishing they shall be a sweet sauour to the Lord. That Aaron thus escaped among them if you thinke of it Answere your selfe The Lord knoweth whom to spare for their amendment and whom for a time to spare though he know they will neuer amend O how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past all finding out Grieuous and thrise grieuous is the sinne of Idolatrie that not for Moses his so earnest prayer may be fréed wholy from all further punishment though in part the Lord yéeldeth as vers 14. you saw God make it sinke where it is so much vsed by deceiued Romish Recusants CHAP. 33. 1 GReat was the sinne which this people had committed mentioned in the former Chapter and therefore the Lord whose mercie hath neither bottome nor measure not willing the death of any sinner much lesse of so many thousands but rather that by repentance pardon may be procured in this Chapter gratiously vseth the meanes that their hearts may smite them with true féeling of their fault and so they turne and be spared Their sinne I say was great and great sinnes are not so easily repented of as they ought to be Againe in sinnes of this kinde namely when they are coloured and couered ouer with a good intention by them to serue to GOD most hardly are men and women drawen to acknowledge an errour and mistaking Matters of the second Table committed against our neighbour we much better discerne than matters of the first Table concerning the worship of God For here we thinke wholy our meaning should be accepted which was to worship God be the thing we do eyther neuer so void of warrant in the word or neuer so contrarie to the word The meanes that God vseth here is by letting them know that he will be no more with thē as he hath beene nor trauell with them as he hath done Moses shall goe on with them to the land which God had promised to giue thē And to send his Angell to driue out the Canaanites But himself would not go for they were a stif-necked people lest he should consume thē in the way The Lord noteth a maner of repentāce namely to put away their costly rayment frō thē not that this is a necessarie part of Repentance alwaies but that at this time by this outward signe the Lord would haue them testifie that which is néedfull indéed the true remorse and sorrow of their harts And vpon the hearing of this fearefull newes that indéed the Lord would thus deale with them they cast from them accordingly their best attire and sorrowed for their fault 2 For further working of this sauing sorrow in them the Tabernacle wherein the Lord will conferre with his seruant Moses vntill the other now so much spoken of was readie is by the appointment of God to Moses pitched without the host farre of from the host that by this signe also it might be shewed how God was estranged from them for their sinne who earst so comfortably and so powerfully had shewed himselfe for them and amongst them All which things religiously considered manifest vnto our soules what a sweete God the Lord whom we serue is who thus séeketh his lost people euen a father ful of all pittie compassion that they may returne to him againe and haue that which so ill they haue deserued his fauour and loue for euer Will this God can you thinke in your conscience euer cast away the poore sinner that commeth in sorrow when he worketh thus to draw men to sorrow Féele and be comforted with it 3 And when Moses went out vnto the Tabernacle all the people rose vp now reuerencing him whom before they spake verie lightly of saying This Moses we know not what is become of him What caused this but that still he was in fauour with God and they out So so shall a sound and vpright heart to God euer in the end procure honor howsoeuer for a time contēpt may be shewed for God will honour them that honour him it is his Word and it shall neuer fayle That vnion that was betwixt God and his seruant Iohn Baptist when he was true to God and
to Corne which except it fall into the ground and dye it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruite And the Apostle calleth Christ the first-fruites The beating also of the Corne out of the husks shadowed the bitter Passion of our Sauiour 2 The remainder a memoriall being burned to God did remaine to the Priests so shadowing out that Christ should not obtaine Heauen for himselfe but for his Church which was represented in the Priest all being a royall Priest-hood Againe it taught how carefull God would haue his seruants for the maintenance of the Ministrie when they sée him so carefull of them and for them From which care how farre they are that spoyle them and all manner of wayes abus◠them let their owne soules witnesse vnto them before the smarting day come And thus doe you profit by this Chapter CHAP. III. THE Burnt-offering and the Meat-offering thus passed ouer this Chapter returning againe to the Sacrifices of liuing creatures speaketh of the Peace-offering that is a Sacrfice of thanksgiuing offered for peace and prosperitie either generally or particularly For who sayth Iob hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered He remoueth the Mountaines and they feele not when he ouer-throweth them in his wrath He remoueth the Earth out of her place and the pillars thereof do shake c. That men therefore might know their peace and safetie both of their persons and goods to procéede only from this Almightie GOD therefore would he haue a set kinde of Sacrifice to be offered of them for the same and called a Peace-offering This kinde of Sacrifice hath something like and something vnlike to the Burnt-offering described in the first Chapter Like were these It was brought to the doore of the Tabernacle as that was the Offerers hand layd vpon the head killed and the blood sprinckled about the Altar as there c. Vnlike were these In that onely a Male might be offered in this either Male or female in that the whole was burnt in this onely a part namely the fat and as you sée vers 4. c in that no part went to any man but the skinne this was deuided into 3. parts one to the Lord one to the Priest and one to the Offerer as you see in the 7. Chapter of this Booke and Deut. 18. in that foules might bee offered in this not c. Of the former nothing néeds to be sayd againe because in the first Chapter they were sufficiently opened but of the latter a little 1 First then what might it meane that in the Burnt-Offering onely a Male might be offered and in this Peace-offering both Male and Female Answere may be made that first the Lord in this would drawe the Israelites from the manner and fashion of the idolatrous Egyptians who in their Sacrifices as Herodotus noteth vsed to offer no Female And secondly hée would herein yéeld a comfort to all women that for them Christ should die aswell as for men and they should be heires of his Kingdome by Faith in Christ aswell as men For there is neither Iewe nor Graecian saith the Apostle there is neither bound nor free there is neither Male nor Female but we are all one in Christ Iesus And ye husbands saith S. Peter dwell with your wiues as men of knowledge giuing honour vnto the women as vnto the weaker vessell Now marke euen as they which are heires together of the grace of Life that your prayers be not interrupted A swéet Sauiour then is the Lord Iesus you sée to women aswell as to men if they haue grace to beléeue and in token here of GOD would haue the Female offered aswell as the Male. It was a blessed Woman that sayd My spirit reioyceth in God my Sauiour And so may euery true-beléeuing woman say with comfort 2 In the Offering of the fat that couereth the Inwards and all the far that is vpon the Inwards c. vers 3. 4. Some haue iudged the delights and pleasures of the flesh to be shadowed which of a true childe of God are to be killed and slaine as Sacrifices were and mortified Others looking at the phrase of the Scripture which vsually noteth by the word fat the best things haue thought that herein was figured taught how men ought to offer to God euer of their best and not as we now a dayes doe of our worst For the phrase you haue it often in Scripture as when God saith All the fat of the Oyle all the fat of the wine haue I giuen thee that is the chiefest or the best Numb 18. In the Psalme God would haue fed them with the fat of the Wheat your vulgar Translation expresseth what that is euen with the finest Wheat-flower In another Psalme My soule shall be satified as it were with marow and fatnesse That is euen as it were with the best things and so in many places more For the matter who in right should haue the best if God should not of whom we haue the best and all whatsoeuer we haue Thinke then of this many wayes by your selfe andaamend what is amisse In your Tythes and Duties do you giue the best Do you offer the fat No no your conscience accuseth you fearefully I feare in this behalfe He that sweareth swaggereth all his youth and intendeth to offer vnto God his old age when for debilitie of body he can doe no more harme doth he offer to GOD the fat or the leane the best or the worst He that hath many sonnes and can indure none to serue God in his Temple but onely one that is lame and full of imperfections doth hée offer willingly the fat vnto his God Who gaue him all these branches of his body and must giue him comfort of them or else he shall neuer haue any but vnspeakable woe and griefe in stéed of it Thus may you go further in this Meditation and be the better by it in many particulars Againe because this fat appoynted to be offered was an inward thing and not an outward Others haue thought that thereby was figured how carefull we must euer be to offer vnto God our inwards without which no eternall dutie can or will please God Hypocrites are full of out-ward holinesse make cleane diligently the out-side of the platter but God abhorreth them and their painted shewes The true worshippers of God take an other course and looke that all be well within The Lord saith Dauid loueth truth in the inward parts and his Sacrifice is a troubled spirit a broken and a contrite heart within not a pale face a downe looke many out-ward sighes that are heard of men vaine fasting from flesh and surfeting vpon Fish c. Enter into thy Chamber and shut the doore to thee and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Still still offer to God thy in-wards Moses prayed within Anna prayed within that her chéeke quiuered with the vehemencie
of her spirit c. 3 In that part of the Sacrifice went also to the partie that offred it plainly was figured that Christ should die for all and Lay-men as wée speake should haue their portion in him aswell as the Clergie the Hearers as well as the Preacher the people as well as the Minister be blessed in him if God vouchsafe Faith So men so women so learned and vnlearned and All take hold and hold fast He is All-sufficient for vs all to bring vs to the Kingdome of his Father without vaine supplies of sinfull Idolaters and he belongeth to vs all if we be not in fault our selues This I say againe might be learned by the allowance of part of the Sacrifice to them that offered it of what degrée and calling soeuer they were 4 You may here obserue how they were forbidden to eate either fat or blood The Lords prohibition of fat might teach them to like and vse a modest moderate and fiting diet which as it is good for the body so also hath it profite for the soule Hee that loueth Wine and Oyle saith the Wise-man shall not bee rich And Beware of surfeting and drunkennesse of excesse and belly chere often saith the Scripture inregard of the soule Fasting and prayer are ioyned together not feasting and prayer A ship too much laden â—â—nketh and a body too much stuffed with fullnesse of bread perisheth It is a double conquest to conquerthy selfe And It is a double destruction to destroy thy selfe Iohns meat was Locusts and wilde hony a moderate diet The companion of Gluttonie is rottennesse and the follower of drunkennesse is forgetfulnesse and sottishnesse Gods people are here forbidden to eate their fat and thinke euer on the meaning Blood also was forbidden to them that so they might learne to take héed of crueltie and to taste of mercie and louing kindnesse in all their actions and behauiour God is mercifull and we must follow him Satan and his members are bloody and cruell we must auoyd it Mercie and Crueltie are two large matters you may your selfe as you like follow the Meditation farre Whosoeuer sayth the Lord he be of the house of Israel or of the strangers that soiourne among them that eateth any blood I will euen set my face against that person that eateth blood and will cut him off from among his people c. Thus had this people their Peace-offerings that is duties of Thankefulnesse to their God for their peace and prosperitie vouchsafed vnto them And most fit it was that he should often be thanked for such fauours The like mercies and goodnesse remaine to vs at this day are we either fréed from the dutie or left without meanes to performe it No no but as they had Oxen and Kine and Shéepe and Goates then appointed and allowed so haue we the Calues of our lips and the Sacrifice of Thanksgiuing still remaining for vs and as strictly required of vs as these in those dayes were of them Offer them vp then with a frée heart and with a féeling soule Our Peace is great our prospeperitie comfortable our GOD most swée and kinde and shall we not offer The publike is swéete the priuate is swéet and forget you to offer We lay vs downe and take our rest and this our God maketh vs dwell in safetie O where is your Offering We rise againe and goe to our labour and a Dogge is not heard to mooue his tongue among vs Owe we no Offering O Lord O Lord make vs thankfull to Thee for these mercies The whole state we liue in for the coÌ„mon and our seuerall soules for seuerall mercies now many yeares inioyed O touch vs O turne vs from our fearefull dulnesse and abusing of this so swéet so long and so happie Peace Continue thy sacred Seruant the chiefest meanes vnder Thee of this our comfort and euer still furnish him with wise helpes truely fearing Thee and truely louing him Let our heads goe to the graue in this peace if it may be thy blessed pleasure and our eyes neuer sée the change of so happie an Estate Make vs thankfull and full of Peace-offerings be Thou still ours and euer mercifull Amen Amen CHAP. IIII. MOses hauing spoken of such Sacrifices and Oblations as were Exercises of pietie and gratitude to God now beginneth to adde such as were Expiatorie and did reconcile men vnto God abolishing their guiltinesse and sinne yet not by the vertue of the thing but by Faith in Christ promised and shadowed by the Sacrifice Heb. 10. In this Chapter he speaketh of the Sinne-offering that is of a kinde of Sacrifice ordained to be offered for sinnes committed of error such as S. Paul noteth when he faith Brethren if any man be suddenly taken in any offence Ye which are spiritual restore such a one with the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou be also tempted For there be other sinnes of errour which are not here meant which Dauids distinction of sinnes in his Psalme may teach you whereby he maketh a difference betwixt his Secret sinnes O Lord clense me from my seciet faults and presumtuous sinnes O Lord keepe thy Seruant from presumtuous sinnes lest they get the dominion ouer me The sinnes therefore of error here meant are such as haue in them no wicked pride against God but of méere weaknesse are committed whilst the infirmitie of the flesh choaketh reason and iudgement that the offender is for the time blinde and séeth not his fault The Kites and Ceremonies of this Sacrifice differeth according to the qualitie of the person for whom it was The manner was diuers the matter was diuers If it were the High-Priest then thus If the Prince then so If a priuate-man then after another fashion as your Chapter sheweth The matter also was one If rich men offered an other If poore men and a third sort if men of the middle-sort that is neither rich nor poore but well offered Wherein that still still the Lord pleased to respect the poore and to fit his Sacrfice to their abilitie what a comfort containeth it if it be well marked Shall any worldly want breake thy heart when to thy GOD thou art so déere euen in that want with that want No no be of good comfort and let this world be as God pleaseth the next world is thine where is true and during-comfort This was felt of Dauid as swéete when he preferreth the light of Gods countenance vpon him before wine and oyle and worldly wealth whatsoeuer And yet euen here the Lord will neuer leaue you without his merrie as shall be fit whose prouidence feedeth the young Rauens 2 Consider the ende of this kinde of Sacrifice It was not instituted to abrogate Ciuill punishments which according to the Law were to be inflicted vpon offenders as Theeues Murtherers and so foorth but it was ordained as hath béene said for the expiation of those faults which
of Reconciliation to himselfe reputing vs now iust for his Sonne Christ and Sonnes and Heires of all heauenly benefits with the blessing of his Spirit whereby wée walke in his calling béeing guided and gouerned therby in the same with the blessing of acceptance of all our workes though full of imperfection and weaknesse and with this great blessing That all aduersitie becommeth a helpe to vs to draw vs to Heauen and eternall rest c. How are wée bound to loue such a GOD Let vs often fall into the reckoning of it and rise vp in thankefull speaches and thoughts as others of his seruants haue done before vs vpon the same cause Namely Saint Augustin whose wordes are these Minus te amat O Deus qui aliquid tecum amat quod non propter te amat O GOD hee loueth thee not as much as hee should who loueth any thing els but thee which he loueth not for thee Saint Cyprian Disce nihil Deo praeponere quia Deus nihiltibi praeposuit Learne O man to prefer nothing in thy loue before God because he hath preferred nothing before thee in his loue No no not the life and blood of his owne deare and onely Sonne Saint Bernard Quando ignorabam me instruxit quando errabam me reduxit quando steti me tenuit quando cecidi me erexit quando veni me suscepit c O quid retribuam When I was ignorant he instructed mee when I erred he reclaymed mee when I stood hee held me vp when I fell he raysed me when I came to him he receiued me c O what should I giue to the Lord for these fauours c. 4 And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people And there came a fire out from the Lord and consumed vpon the Altar the Burnt-offering and the fat which when all the people sawe they gaue thankes and fell on their faces or they gaue a shoute for ioy Thus did the Lord please to confirme both that maner of worshipping him by such Sacrifices and the Ministerie of Aaron and his sonnes now chosen and consecrated to that Office The like credite he gaue to Elias his Prophet When fire from Heauen came downe and consumed the Burnt-offering and the wood and the stones and the dust licked vp the water that was in the ditch Which the people also sawe and there fell againe vpon their faces and sayd The Lord He is GOD The Lord Hee is GOD. Againe When Salomon had made an ende of praying fire came downe from Heauen and consumed the Burnt-offering and the Sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the House Such mercie in the Lord to méete with mans weakenesse is duely and carefully to bée thought of all péeuish frowardnesse to bée instructed and to beléeue as a most vnfit thing for any that looke for Heauen to be abandoned and cast away Left after all meanes in mercie offered to winne vs and saue vs wée be destroyed with some fearefull iudgement that all the world may talke of vs for our obstinacie This I say because euen this gracious God is the same to man by his Holy-word and infinite fauours séeking vs as lost Shéepe to be wonne vnto him Let vs read let vs search let vs day and night indeuoure to know his holy Will and then constantly and faithfully walke in the same whilest we haue a day to liue This fire from Heauen did not plainlier confirme them than the euidence of his Word doth all those at this day that will looke into it And aswell may we at this day fall vpon our faces and giue a shoute in thankefulnesse for the great glory of the same in the Ministerie of his Seruants indued with great gifts of knowledge and power to expound open the same vnto vs as they did héere or in other places for such visible Lestimonies of his approbation God strike vs and worke with vs for his mercies sake that wée may liue and not die praysing and blessing his Name for euer for his Godnesse Amen Amen CHAP. X. IN the former Chapter hauing shewed by that miracle of fire frō heauen how he accepteth of worship done according to his will now in this by a dreadfull iudgement vpon the two sonnes of Aaron he sheweth how he abhorreth all presumption of man to serue him any other way The sinne and death of the young men for their sinne is layd-downe in these words But Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron tooke either of them his Censar and put fire therein and put incense thereupon and offered strange fire before the Lord which he had not commaunded them Therefore a fire went out from the Lord and deuoured them so they dyed before the Lord. Their sinne was then that to burne incense withall they tooke not the fire from the Altar of that which came downe from Heauen and was preserued by the diligence of the Priests till the Captiuitie of Babilon but other fire which therefore is called strange fire because it was not fire appointed and commaunded Which fault in mans eyes may séeme to haue excuse ann not to deserue so fearefull a punishment For they were but yet gréene in their office and so of ignorance might offend being not yet well acquainted with the nature of their Office Againe of forgetfulnesse they might offend not remembring or thinking of the matter as they ought Thirdly there was no malice in them or purpose to doe euill but wholly they aymed at Gods seruice with a true meaning although in the manner they missed somewhat But all these and whatsoeuer like excuses were as figge-leaues before God vaine and weake to defend them from guiltinesse in the breach of his commaundement and not withstanding any such they are thus fearefully and dreadfully deuoured with fire from God that they then we no◠and all flesh to the worlds end might learne and settle in our hearts two thinges First with what seueritie the Lord challengeth defendeth his authoritie in laying-downe the way and manner of his worship not leauing it to any creature to meddle with but according to prescription and appointment from him Content he is that men shall make lawes for humane matters concerning their worldly estate in this earth as shal be fittest for the place where they liue lawes against murder theft oppression c. but for his diuine worship he onlywill prescribe it himselfe and what he appoynteth that must be done and that onely or else Nadab and Abihu their punishment expected that is Gods wrath expected in such manner as he shall please The Poynt is good to be carefully marked and would god it might take full place in all hearts The Scriptures are plaine and they would be seriously thought of you shall not doe euery man what seemeth good in his owne eies but what I cōmaund what I I command that that shall yee doe c. 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